Lynch Mob In Carthage

The state of TIAH

June 27th, 2006

in 1844, a lynch mob in Carthage, Illinois is dispersed from the jail holding Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. Deputy Zachariah Jenkins, who had a Mormon brother-in-law, shot and killed Horace Wilson, the lead rabble-rouser who had been working the crowd up to lynch the Mormons inside. “Anybody else want more of the same, they can come on,” Deputy Jenkins told the crowd. “You want to live through the night, you go on home.” Jenkins fired once more into the air for effect, and the crowd reluctantly gave up its mission and went home. When the Smith brothers were brought to trial the next day, the judge laughed off the charges of treason, but found the charge of conspiracy somewhat more sound, and ordered the trial to proceed forward on that count. The religious leader proved to be fairly eloquent in his defense of arming his fellow Mormons against persecution by the “Gentiles” as he called them – and only had to point to the lynch mob that nearly claimed his life for proof. The jury agreed, and he was released. Illinois' Mormon communities increased in number after this incident, and Joseph Smith's thoughts turned again to politics. He abandoned his campaign for the presidency, and instead began to urge his followers to vote for him for governor of Illinois. He shocked the political establishment of the state by winning the office, and turning Illinois into a haven for many persecuted religions.

in 2017, the mixed crew of the Pokor and the Eagle approach the Dyson sphere that they have been transported to by the alien device. The Pokor is still transmitting messages of friendship, but there are no responses. As they come closer, they can see that there are a lot of docking areas on the outside of the sphere – and there are things moving around on the outside. “Could be automated devices,” Phil Armstrong said, “just doing maintenance on the outside.” Commander Patterson nodded, but Captain Mawrao of the Pokor said, “That automated device, as you say, is coming toward us.” Mawrao indicated a point of light on the Pokor's view screen that was growing larger by the minute. It was effortlessly moving at a higher speed than either of their ships could manage. Commander Patterson asked the team that had worked on the alien device, “You guys think that you could activate this thing again?” They all responded in the negative. “I think it has to recharge between jumps,” Dr. Hayazowa told her. She had anticipated a negative answer to her question, but Commander Patterson still felt apprehensive. Captain Mawrao attempted to cheer her up. “Hey, no worries, Elizabeth. We friendly to you, you friendly to us; why would anybody else be unfriendly?” Looking again at the object approaching them, she said, “I hope we don't have to find out.”

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Era Of Ill Will

November 7th, 2005

in 1820, in the most highly-contested presidential election in U.S. history, President James Monroe emerged as the victor from a field of 9 candidates. He had captured almost a third of the electoral college votes, and when the choice was thrown into the House of Representatives, they felt comfortable enough with him to allow him to continue in office. Monroe’s second term became known as The Era of Ill Will because of the feeling of illegitimacy in his reelection.

in 1872, the Mary Celeste, a cargo airboat with 10 crewmen, set sail from New York City to Genoa, Italy. It was carrying several tons of alcoholic beverages for Italian importers, and the crew reported no difficulties during launch and the first few hours of travel. Ten days later, the ship was found floating under auto-pilot off the coast of the Azores; the crew had disappeared, and all the cargo was intact. Investigators of the incident receive a tip from a physicist at New York University that the earth was entering an interdimensional rift; he believed the rift was caused by Mlosh technology, but this part of the investigation was covered up. The mystery has never been officially solved.

in 1876, Democrat Samuel Tilden wins the popular vote in the presidential election, but the electoral college vote is less certain. Republican Rutherford B.Hayes attempts to use his influence to have Congress declare him the winner, but several more moderate Republicans balk at this blatant attempt to subvert the will of the people. Tilden gains the electoral college victory, and the White House with it.

in 1890, the farms of three Mormon collaborators are burned to the ground and the families are killed by rebel Mormon Charles Brigman and his followers. Brigman leaves a message at one of the farms indicating that he will kill three more the next day, and the day after, and keep killing until Utah Territory is cleared of federal troops. Desperate Mormon elders come to Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson and beg him to leave Utah. Jackson sends word to Washington, asking for advice.

in 1916, Socialist incumbent President Woodrow Wilson wins reelection, in spite of a tough primary challenge from A. L. Benson. The Communist candidate, Charles Hughes, also puts up a tough fight, but loses by 3 percentage points in the vote. Wilson attempts to create a League of Nations in his second term, but war-ravaged Europe is unwilling to go along with any plans put forth by a power that remained neutral during their war.

in 1944, Republican incumbent Wendell Wilkie wins reelection with only token opposition from the American Bund, and the endorsement of the remnants of the old Democratic Party. After this election, the Bund begins fielding stronger candidates at the national level, and the Democratics cease doing so. For the next 20 years, the Republicans maintain an uneasy balance between mainstream values and the racist right in America.

in 1983, the Plymouth Brethren, a murderous cult descended from the Quakers of early American colonial times, made a sacrifice of the Hendricks family of Bloomington, Illinois. Over the next week, cult leader David Hendricks, who was suspected in the murder of his family, led police on a chase across the Midwest, killing almost a dozen people with his small group of cultists. Hendricks and his followers committed suicide when police surrounded them at a motel in Wisconsin in December of 1983.

in 1408, Tunisian Caliph Habib Bourguiba, who had led the country since gaining its independence from Libya in 1377, was overthrown by local chieftains. Although many of them were infidels who had never given up the pagan faith of their fathers, the one who rose to succeed him as Caliph was Muslim chieftain Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Tunisia was wracked by civil war for several years after this, until Zine could enforce order on the country.

in 2000, because of confusion and outright fraud in the counting of ballots in Florida, neither Vice-President Al Gore nor Governor George Bush of Texas are declared the winner of the presidential election. This draws thousands of angry partisans to the Sunshine State, who clash repeatedly over the next few days until the violence escalates into mass bloodshed. President Clinton orders the National Guard into the state to restore order, but this only increases the tension, and soon the state is in an outright civil war. This was the beginning of the Red-Blue War in America which continues to this day.

in 2002, the robot ship carrying Professor Thomas and Air Force pilot Trent Laughlin is not headed back to the Pleiades, much to their surprise, but is headed towards the center of the galaxy at incredible speed. Dr. Courtney and his ships are barely able to keep up, and he is visibly concerned about the direction they are headed in.

Christmas Day Contest! Following up on our Halloween contest, you can enter our next contest, which will be alternate histories for Christmas Day, December 25th, 2005. The same rules will apply, the top ten entries will be posted on that day, and by entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often - entries must be received by December 20th, 2005! Email us up to 3 entries of your best alternate Christmas Days!

We still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Muhammed Flees Mecca; The Mormon War Begins

Hurricane Coming - weekend posting may be delayed

Although the Alternate History Academy is 150 miles inland, a hurricane due to hit the coast of Texas this weekend is probably going to at least cause power outages here. Posting this weekend may be delayed while that is going on, but never fear - the Academy will return.

September 24th, 2005

in 1375 AUC, the religious leader Muhammed fled from his home in Mecca before Roman troops could break up his cult. The local governor had been concerned, as this “prophet” had been teaching that all other gods were false, and such intolerance didn’t sit well with official Roman policy. Unfortunately, the attack only made him more popular among the people of Arabia, and the governor was officially reprimanded by Rome.

in 1789, the standardized electronic mailing system is born in North America, when Mlosh messaging technology is married to the human postal system. Electric Letters, or ELs, become a common part of life throughout North America, and the system reaches around the world by the end of the 18th century.

in 1890, the Church of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons as they are popularly known, refuses to give up its practice of polygamy just to gain statehood for Utah. The federal government responds by sending troops in to take over Mormon temples, and the Mormon War officially begins.

in 1896, war hero F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He volunteered for the Army during World War I, and was sent to France in 1916, where he single-handedly held off a German battalion and a German tank while his own unit was cut down around him. Although he was wounded mortally, he refused attention until the rest of his men were treated; a fatal mistake, but one that earned him the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

in 1946, Albert Einstein, noted scientist, published an article in the New York Times about supposed incidents where people from parallel universes had allegedly appeared in ours. “While theoretically possible, there is no proof of parallel universes, in spite of the insistence of the Tolman crowd,” Einstein wrote, dismissively. In spite of this high-level dismissal, many of the followers of Richard Tolman’s parallel universe theories continued to watch for breaks in the universal fabric.

in 1953, Secretary of State Comrade David Rossovich announces that the Soviet States of America “will not cringe or become panicky” in the face of the newly-developed European nuclear weapons. This showed the world that the policy of capitalist containment that the S.S.A. had begun in South America would continue, unabated.

in 1955, President Eisenhower suffers a near-fatal heart attack while on vacation in Denver, and a minor constitutional crisis ensues. Vice-President Nixon insists that he should be given presidential authority until Ike recovers, but Congress says that nothing in the Constitution provides for that contingency; the confusion casts a cloud over Eisenhower’s presidency, and even though he recovers from the heart attack, he is defeated by Adlai Stevenson the next year in the presidential election.

in 4697, within the asteroid belt, Star Fleet ships find a veritable Y’T’T’li colony; hundreds of ships and strange metal beings have been created from the raw material of the belt. Most of them are not of a military nature, and the Fleet destroys them quickly. After this initial success, though, they encountered the Y’T’T’li military vessels, and the worst battle in the Fleet’s history begins.

in 2002, the base commander at Edwards recognizes the two men, in spite of the hair covering most of their faces; they are Dr. Melvin Courtney and Professor Malcolm Thomas. He asks them where they’ve been for the past few years, but they refuse to answer that question. Instead, they bring him into the object and tell him that he should begin instructing pilots in the use of this machine. He immediately orders one in and they begin training him.

in 2004, muted celebrations break out across earth after the Elders leave. Dr. Emilio Carrera, drinking champaigne with the captain of the ELS-1, says, “Perhaps this is why the Lalandians never heard from a race that successfully fought them off – the Elders extracted this type of bargain from each race able to fight them off.”


TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST

In order to provide for the upkeep of our new historian, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - make a donation at our Paypal link, then email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Boring contest information is available on our Forum link below. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link - Boring legal info on the TIAH Halloween Contest!
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Battle Of Mercy Gully; Garner Defeats Dewey

November 2nd, 2005

in 1800, 2 days before the general election, Aaron Burr is arrested for violating the law against political parties; he and a group of like-minded gentlemen had assembled a slate of candidates in that year's elections, and planned to coordinate their votes once elected to the House, Senate and Presidency, respectively. Burr himself was their candidate for the top office, and his arrest spelled the collapse of the first major effort to form illegal political parties in America.

in 1824, Andrew Jackson wins the popular vote for the presidency, but after a series of disputed votes, the House of Representatives votes to elect John Quincy Adams, instead. Outraged, Jackson leads an army of volunteers on Congress and forces them at gunpoint to reverse their decision and name him to the presidency. Once in office, Jackson spearheads a movement to eliminate the Electoral College and allow the people to elect the president directly.

in 1852, Franklin Pierce, the last Democrat elected to the office, wins the presidency against a weak Socialist candidate, Winfield Scott. During his term, the Communist and Socialist parties begin easing out the old line Democrats and Whigs, and Pierce himself is replaced by Communist Walt Whitman in the 1856 election. From that point on, the Democrats become a weak 3rd party, and in 1884, they disband altogether.

in 1890, scouts working for Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson find rebel Mormon Charles Brigman's camp and direct federal troops to it. In the hard fought Battle of Mercy Gully, 14 federal soldiers and 32 Mormon rebels are killed, with twice that number wounded on each side. Brigman's knee is shattered by a lucky shot from a soldier as the Latter-Day Saint flees the battle. In spite of the wound, the rebel's luck holds, and he escapes with a handful of his followers.

in 1920, Warren G. Harding, a 1st-term Republican Senator from Ohio, is roundly defeated by Democratic Governor James Cox, also of Ohio. Cox, however, doesn’t live very long in office, and in 1922, his Vice-President, Franklin Roosevelt of New York, is sworn in to replace him. The young Roosevelt proves singularly ineffective at the office of the President, and doesn’t even run for his own party’s nomination in the 1924 election.

in 1948, Republican Thomas Dewey is defeated by incumbent President John Nance Garner. The vote was so close that many papers had printed a headline, Dewey Defeats Garner before all the votes were tallied. President Garner enjoyed showing off these papers in rallies he held later on.

in 1950, biologist W. Duncan Taylor III is born in Centerville, Texas. One of the pioneers of nanobiology, Taylor is credited with the creation of the molecular insulin pump for diabetics. He became interested in such a device after coming down with adult onset diabetes himself.

in 1976, former California Governor Ronald Reagan, whose regressive policies had been the focus of the presidential debate, is defeated by President Carl Albert, the accidental president. Albert, speaker of the House of Representatives in 1974, had been elevated into office when Nixon resigned with no vice-president to leave the presidency to.

in 2000, Governor George W. Bush of Texas, Republican candidate for president, after evidence comes forward or more than one conviction for drunkenness in his past, tearfully pulls out of the race, leaving his running mate, Richard Cheney of Wyoming, as the party’s candidate. Cheney is no match for Democrat Al Gore, who wins the election in a rout; Cheney only takes Wyoming, and Gore becomes the first president elected with 60 million votes.

in 2002, Air Force Captains Jim Zeminksi and Al Corwin are broken by alien interrogation in the Pleiades, and tell everything that they know. Fortunately, they can only describe most of what Professor Thomas and Dr. Courtney have stolen, because they have no idea what the devices do. Back with the rest of their stolen vessels, Professor Thomas and Dr. Courtney are very concerned; they know that no human can withstand Pleiadean questioning. They decide that the two pilots have to be rescued.

Christmas Day Contest! Following up on our Halloween contest, you can enter our next contest, which will be alternate histories for Christmas Day, December 25th, 2005. The same rules will apply, the top ten entries will be posted on that day, and by entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often - entries must be received by December 20th, 2005! Email us up to 3 entries of your best alternate Christmas Days!

We still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Genesis; Eisenhower Withdraws From Indochina

October 22nd, 2005

in 4004 BC, God said, Let there be light! at 8 P.M. He’s had a few troubles with the whole creation thing ever since…

in 1797, Andres-Jacques Garnerin made the first recorded parachute jump from a height of 3000 feet. The first successful parachute jump, unfortunately for Monsieur Garnerin, was still some months away.

in 1887, Comrade John Reed, journalist and politician, is born in Portland, Oregon. Although his family was filled with reactionaries, Reed embraced the Marxist-Thoreauvian mindset of the 19th century and was soon a powerful figure in national politics. He was the Communist candidate for President in 1912, losing out to Socialist Woodrow Wilson.

in 1890, Senator Joseph Carey of Wyoming starts a filibuster against the Anti-Mormon Statute. “We are a nation founded on religious freedom,” he thunders at his colleagues, “and it would betray everything we stand for to deny that freedom to our Mormon citizens.”

in 1936, King Edward VIII of Great Britain meets with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler in London. Edward is mesmerized by the charismatic German, and urges Parliament to cooperate with his aims; when Hitler begins attacking smaller central European nations, Britain allies itself with him.

in 1957, President Eisenhower withdraws American advisers from Indochina after 13 are wounded in a terrorist attack by the nation's Communist insurgents. “No need to risk American lives in another country's civil war,” he tells Congressmen who protest the withdrawal.

in 1962, following the recommendation of his more hawkish advisers, President John Kennedy goes before the nation and says, “I am asking Congress for a declaration of war against Cuba for the intolerable act of hosting nuclear weapons for the Soviet Union.” The disastrous war that followed resulted in the destruction of both Cuba and much of southern Florida in a hellish exchange of nuclear fire.

in 1964, the rock band High Numbers won a record deal with EMI after a blistering audition. Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, the leaders of the band, have become legends in the music industry since then.

in 1975, Sergeant Leonard Matlovich of the U.S. Air Force decides to fight the dishonorable discharge that the service is forcing on him after his public declaration of homosexuality. “They gave me a medal for killing 2 men and want to discharge me for loving one,” he says in his speech kicking off his campaign for Congress. When he wins the next year, he is able to push through a change in military regulations allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the armed forces.

in 1979, saying that the United States must stand by its old allies, President Ronald Reagan allowed the former Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, to enter the U.S. for medical treatment. This provokes the standoff with Iran that ultimately brings down the Reagan Presidency, when the American Embassy is taken by an angry mob of students in Tehran in retaliation for the Shah's admittance into America.

TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST: EXTENDED BY 5 DAYS - no donation required, just send us your stuff! Only 3 days left! We're extending the deadline to October 25th to give you more time to get in those entries!

In order to give us a tad more time for Halloween, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Entries must be received by October 25th! Boring Legal Info - By entering the contest, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

War Is Heaven; Panic Of '87

October 19th, 2005

in 1781, the British General Lord Cornwallis is forced to attend the surrender ceremony in Yorktown, Virginia by a victorious George Washington. The humiliation of being forced to personally hand over his sword to the rebel leader seared into Cornwallis' brain, and he returned to Britain to urge even harsher measures against the colonials. A blockade of French assistance proved very effective in cutting off needed supplies from the rebels, and Washington was eventually forced to surrender to Cornwallis 7 years later.

in 1844, songwriter Raul Mendoza was born in Spain. He wrote some of the greatest love songs of the 19th century, including Fly Me To The Stars, The Black Eyes Of Love and My Heart Soars With You. Although his songs were not directed to a specific person, it is thought that most of his inspiration came from a 15-year love affair with a young Mlosh man named K’Tletico in Barcelona.

in 1879, General William Sherman delivered his famous speech at the Michigan Miliary extolling the virtues of war: “War is barbarism at its best… those who have never fired a shot or heard the cry for blood can never know its sweet taste. War is Heaven.”

in 1890, Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson, stung by Brigman's raid the day before, assembles what men he can spare from the rescue mission in Salt Lake City and heads to the countryside around the city, searching for rebel Mormon Charles Brigman. Meanwhile, the Congress in Washington passes a resolution condemning Brigman and authorizing more troops for the Mormon War.

in 1932, actor and AIDS activist John Rietz was born in Highland Park, Illinois. Rietz was well-known on Broadway when he was offered the role of Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch. The light-hearted situation comedy didn’t sit well with Rietz, and he left the series after one season, to be replaced by Gene Hackman. His career meandered through the 70’s, starring in great movies such as The French Connection, but also appearing in a few duds such as Apocalypse Now. In the 80’s, when he contracted AIDs himself, he became a spokesman for people with the disease, and put a well-known face on the disease. He raised millions before succumbing to the illness in 1989.

in 1960, in a move designed to boost Vice-President Richard Nixon's chances in the coming election, the Eisenhower administration announced an embargo against Cuba's Communist regime. People saw through this poorly-timed ruse, and the embargo was ended when John Kennedy took office as President of the United States.

in 1967, the event that came to be known as the October Massacre took place near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Soviet. Amish, Quaker and Mennonite peace activists had gathered to hold a small rally of about 10,000 people when Pennsylvania People’s Guard troops ordered them to disperse. Lt. William Calley of the P.P.G. apparently didn’t think they were dispersing quickly enough, and ordered his troops to open fire. Over 2,000 were killed in the mayhem; Calley was court-martialed and executed for his actions that day.

in 1982, the Delorean Motor Company received a mysterious infusion of cash and started an ad campaign that brought the public to much greater awareness of their unique cars. The use of a Delorean in “Back to the Future” caused sales to skyrocket, and today DMC is one of the top 3 automakers in the world.

in 1987, “junk” bonds finally lived up to their name as traders on Wall Street began a massive sell-off that cost the Dow Jones to plummet to half its value over two days of trading. When the federal government finally stepped in to stop the panic, it was too late. The deep economic depression spelled the end of the Republican Party's resurgence in political life, and the rise of Green Party to the left of the Democrats.

in 2002, all of the devices that Professor Thomas and Dr. Courtney took with them from the moon raid are now mounted in or on the stolen spacecraft. The pair now announce to the pilots who have been working with them that it is time to take the fight to their enemy – which is, surprisingly enough, not the people they stole the craft from.

TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST: EXTENDED BY 5 DAYS - no donation required, just send us your stuff! Only 6 days left! We're extending the deadline to October 25th to give you more time to get in those entries!

In order to give us a tad more time for Halloween, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Entries must be received by October 25th! Boring Legal Info - By entering the contest, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Torquemada In Hell; Nixon Gets Socked

September 16th, 2005

in 1524, Tomas de Torquemada, High Inquisitor, is approached by a man dressed entirely in red while meeting with the Pope. This man claims to have possession of Torquemada’s soul, and in full view of many priests, bishops, cardinals and His Holiness, is dragged by the man in red into a flaming hole that appears in the floor.

in 1845, after the implementation of the doctrine of blood atonement on the hapless Mormon practioner Phineas Wilcox, Latter-Day Saints across Illinois begin making others “atone” for their sins in a bloody spree that lasts four weeks. Although repudiated by the leaders of the Mormon Church, the small sect of Atoners continues to exist in the shadow of the main church through the 20th century.

in 1920, Enrico Caruso recorded his first album for Edison Records, Thomas Edison’s record company. Edison himself had negotiated the deal which brought Caruso in, because of the enormous prestige the greatest singer in the world could give to his company. Unfortunately, Caruso’s first record with Edison was also his last, as he died a few days later.

in 1924, iconic actress Betty Joan Perske was born in the Bronx, New York. Her on and off-screen relationship with husband Humphrey Bogart produced some of the most memorable lines in film myth, such as, “You know how to whistle, don’t you? You put your lips together and blow.”

in 1940, Communist Representative Bill Munro of Texas became the Speaker of the House. He held this position until he retired from his seat in 1962 to teach at the University of Texas. Comrade Munro was responsible for Texas’ leading role in electronics, space travel and computers.

in 1949, German Reich forces in Lebanon massacre the civilians of Sabra and Shatila. This area becomes a jump point for the attack on the holy land itself; by Christmas, they control Jerusalem, and are moving forces into position to take Mecca.

in 1968, attempting to show his lighter side to the voters, Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon appears on the comedy-variety show Laugh-In, voicing their stock line, “Sock it to me.” After he loses the election, Nixon decides to leave politics. His fun with the Laugh-In crowd leads him to pursue television production, and he produces several hit series in the 70’s, such as Charlie’s Angels and M*A*S*H.

in 1982, Israeli forces intercept their erstwhile allies, Lebanese Phalangists, as they move threateningly towards the Palestinian refugee camp at Sabra, Lebanon. It proves to be a wise move, as another company of the Christian militia massacres the Palestinians at Shatila, Lebanon. Shocked Israelis demand the withdrawal of their invading force from Lebanon.

in 2002, the two hairy men who were able to break into President Bush’s office in the White House are escorted by Secret Service agents to NASA, where they speak with the administrator for several hours. At the end of the day, they are driven back to the White House, where they stay the night.

in 2004, Dr. Emilio Carrera is placed on board the ELS-1 and taken off earth to keep him safe, hopefully, from the Elders while President Gore negotiates with them. During the talks, Washington is evacuated; none too soon, because the Elders show their dissatisfaction with Gore’s actions by destroying the city. Dr. Carrera and the crew of ELS-1 work on adapting his device to make it work from their ship.


TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST

In order to provide for the upkeep of our new historian, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - make a donation at our Paypal link, then email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Boring contest information is available on our Forum link below. Enter early and often!

Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link - Boring legal info on the TIAH Halloween Contest!
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?

Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can make up your own mind by seeing the pilots at http://aol.com/situationcomedy

Still wishing...

As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!

Warning Beacon Fades; A Light From Above

July 24th, 2005

in 1783, Simon Bolivar, Spanish conquistadore, was born in Caracas, Venezuela. The greatest of Spain’s colonial generals, he crushed rebellions throughout Latin America.

in 1813, the warning beacon from the inhabitants of the Wizened Ruler star system cuts off. This star is only 180 light years from the inhabitants of Lalande 25372; the Elders are getting closer. They continue work on their defenses and building up their colonies throughout the system, and listen to the skies for any further warnings.

in 1847, Mormon pioneers, leaving the hostile land of Iowa for the wild western frontier, settle in the Brazos River Valley of the Texas Republic. The young nation had put out a call for settlers from the United States after being rebuffed for its statehood request 3 years before, and the Mormon Church found the land fertile and hospitable.

in 1878, Ireland gave birth to Bishop Edward Dunsany, visionary of the Holy British Empire. His spiritual writings, which some say bordered on the occult or even satanic, inspired many future spiritual leaders of the Empire, including the Comte de St. Germaine.

in 1940, the 3rd version of the Dede Operating System is released. This D.O.S. has programs that make it easy for the standard Dede operator to connect their Dede to another.

in 4650, Emperor Dao-Ming voluntarily gives up his throne for the Imperial Council’s choice, Minister Mao Tse-Tung. In his acceptance speech, Emperor Mao said, “Fellow Councilors, we are all convinced that our work will go down in the history of mankind demonstrating that the Chinese people have now stood up. From now on, our people will belong to the interstellar community of peace-loving and freedom-loving races of the galaxy and work courageously and industriously to foster our civilization and well-being. We have stood up.”

in 1967, Pete Best publicly signs a petition in The Times of London to legalize marijuana. This very public statement about his own enjoyment of the weed loses him millions of straight-laced fans who thought he was just a singer of sentimental love songs; but it gains him millions more who now think of him as a revolutionary in the new youth movement.

in 1969, the Hollywood studio produces the last part of the moon landing hoax, and the capsule with the 3 Apollo astronauts is dropped into the ocean. Many of the crewmen are then killed by the government to cover up the hoax; this action is what prompts so many of the remaining crew to make copies of the hoax film, and to speak out about what they did.

in 1974, in a little-understood case, the Nixon administration seeks and receives a judgment from the Supreme Court that, if the administration has records and audiotapes subpoenaed, it may exert Executive Privilege to keep them secret. No one is quite sure why the administration did this.

in 1996, a bright light from above stabs into the camp of Dr. Melvin Courtney’s expedition in Zimbabwe. It lingers on the truck carrying the object from Chimanimani National Park, then vanishes. The expedition members are unable to find the source of the light, in spite of spending the rest of the night and morning looking for it. “At least they let us keep it,” Professor Thomas says; many members of the expedition wish it had been otherwise.

in 2000, Mikhail von Heflin and Velma Porter finally have a chance to relax, and enjoy the night together in New York City. The Baron even proposes marriage to Ms. Porter, who tells him, “I’ll think about it.”


DIRE FINANCIAL TIMES AT THE ACADEMY!

Thanks to everyone for their generosity! We have raised a lot from your donations, for which we are VERY grateful, but our new academician is expensive, so we're keeping the offer open - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!

Forum Link - talk with everybody in the TIAH community. Also, see our ideas for a new format to the site
New Poll - Tell us what you think! More or less repeats? Our fate may be in your hands!

Warp and Protocols still available

Horizons

	In 1976, Buckingham Palace announced Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon were to split, separating after sixteen years of marriage ~ HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and the Earl of Snowdon have mutually agreed to live apart. There are no plans for divorce proceedings. At the current time, public duties and functions will cease cease. Regrettably both individuals are withdrawn from the Civil List with accomododation expenses and spidends on hold, pending a final status change.

Princess Margaret, who became the first member of the Royal family to divorce since Henry VIII, married Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones on 5 May 1960. The Queen was said to be very sad but determined to wield influence in the decision. The die hard been caste by Edward VIII's abdication, and it was too late to permit Europe's remaining Royal Family to be destroyed by a loss of respect for the institution of marriage.

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In 1849, Alfred von Tirpitz was born on this day in Kustrin, Brandenburg. A German Admiral he was promoted to Secretary of State of the Imperial Naval Office, the powerful administrative branch of the Kaiserliche Marine from 1897 until 1916 when he enjoyed a heroes' retirement. Tirpitz convinced the Kaiser to pursue a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, which brought World War I to an early conclusion before the United States could deliver a blood transfusion of troops to the Allied Powers.

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In 1982, Argentines soldiers are ordered by their Commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General Leopoldo Galtieri to land on South Georgia Island, precipitating the Malvinas War. Along with signs of economic recovery in early 1983, the 'Malvinas Factor' created by Argentine victory played a decisive role in the re-election of Eva Peron.

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In 2002, the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda ended after killing 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters with 11 allied troop fatalities. Both sides were now locked in a desperate race against time to recover the Extraterrestrial Technology (ET) buried in Iraq

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In 1474 AUC, the moon is swallowed in the sky over Babylon. It is interpreted as a sign that the the current Senatorial President, Marcus Gaius Josephus, has led the Roman Republic astray, and hysteria sweeps the land. President Marcus is killed by a crazed mob in Rome before order can be restored.

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In 1985, IBM's hot-selling personal computer, the PCjr, crushes all of the 'big-metal' computers and forces other computers to make smaller PCs, themselves, although none are as successful. Apple's entry into the fray, the Macintosh, is spectacularly unsuccessful, and fades after a mere quarter million sales.

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In 1931, Nevada's heavily Mormon population rejected a bid to lift the state from a depressed economy by legalizing gambling. Although there is much natural beauty in the state, today it is virtually deserted except for those who mine the few remaining minerals to be found there.

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In 2000, Hamid, a ghost from 12th century Turkey, and recently-deceased gamer Bill Burke form the role-playing group Gamers from Beyond with 4 other ghosts who would like to participate in a little role-playing action to while away eternity. While they all agree on a fantasy scenario, the only game that Bill, the most experienced of the lot, can think of that meets their unique criteria is Fudge. That night, they begin their campaign.

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	In 1982, a group of Argentines land at the British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and plant their nation's flag. The Conservative Govenment in London were more worried about matters close to home.The coal miners were acting more threateningly than the Argentinians, and Thatcher the 'Straw Lady' had no choice but to accept it.
Falklands

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	In 1982, a group of Argentines land at the British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and plant their nation's flag. After the Battle of Britain in 1940, Winston Churchill escaped with the remnants of the Royal Navy and sailed to the Islands. Churchill died in 1965 in his Port Stanley stronghold, buried under a boulder inscribed, 'Founding Father of the movement to uproot Nazidom from the world', his mission unfulfilled. Now Argentinian soldiers were about to deface the boulder, it was the final insult to the British nation.
Falklands

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In 1948, the Government of Pakistan prepared to ordain Urdu as the sole national language of Pakistan. From the mid-19th century, the Urdu language had been promoted as the lingua franca of Indian Muslims by political and religious leaders such as Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Nawab Viqar-ul-Mulk and Maulvi Abdul Haq. It developed under Persian, Arabic and Turkic influence on apabhramshas (last linguistic stage of the medieval Indian Aryan language Pali-Prakrit) in South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. With its Perso-Arabic script, the language was considered a vital element of the Islamic culture for Indian Muslims.

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In 4306, renowned artist Hasegawa Tohaku died in his home in Edo, Nippon. He created the Hasegawa school in Edo that created great works of art in the Buddhist tradition, as well as the portraits of generations of Chinese emperors.

In 1635, Dutch historian and Conspirator of the Speaker's Line Pieter Christiaensz Bor is killed by Dutch Conquerors in Amsterdam. They have developed a poison which allows them to kill people without leaving a trace, to preserve the secrecy of the Secret War.