Jan. 20-22

Alternate Historian's Note: Well, that lasted longer than we planned. Here's the last 3 days worth of posts - enjoy, and thanks for your patience!

January 20th, 2007

Turtle Island	In 2127 Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani arrives on the eastern seaboard of Turtle Island that being the continent renamed after the Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci during the western epoch c1492 to 2081. As part of his Peace and Brotherhood jihad he has embarked on a fact-finding mission by ..
.. visiting the centres of the fallen Western Civilisation. The Big Apple is rotten. Graffiti sprayed down the side of the Statue of Liberty in bright red includes slogans such as BAD DAY, NIGHT FALLS and ALAS, BABYLON. Homeless people huddle inside the unlit and unheated Manhattan apartment blocks. New New York City is a humanitarian disaster.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1953 President Douglas MacArthur is inaugurated in Washington DC. ..	MacArthur
.. In his address he drew parallels with the career of Paul Von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, German Command in Chief also recalled from retirement twice, once to lead the military, once for the Presidency, both in late middle age and at a time of national crisis. Unlike the 'Wooden Titan' Hindenburg, Brass Hat was back to get a result. In theory he was promoted from retired Six-Star General to Commander in Chief. In practice he was given the keys to the hydrogen bomb. Also Bacteriological weapons that Unit 731 gave Brass Hat in 1945 to secure the amnesty of the Japanese scientists against trial for the extermination of 200,000 Chinese citizens during World War II. Quite a cocktail when combined with a determination to make war with the China to re-unite Korea and re-instate Chaing Kai-shek.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Edward VIII	In 1942 after an evening of not a little drinking in the Bahamas, Montgomery and Edward Windsor devise a plot to restore the abdicated monarch to greatness. They will return through the time portal and make a number of necessary adjustments in America and Great Britain to ensure things ..
.. turn out right. Key to the success of the plan are two like-minded individuals, Oswald Mosley and Charles Lindbergh. All four of them are of course absolute rotters.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1649 the traitor Oliver Cromwell was tried for treason and other 'high crimes' as the authority of Stuart rule was re-established following the English Civil War.	Oliver Cromwell
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

After(cont.)
The crack of another gunshot startled them all, and Jake shielded the president with his body. Eli and Kevin appeared at the top of the stairs, firing at something Jake couldn't see. They were both bleeding, now. “We need to get the hell outta here,” Kevin shouted down at them.
“Move,” Jake shouted at the president and Janice. He ran up the stairs and stuck his head out long enough to spot the two men shooting at them from around the corners at the end of the hallway. He took a lucky shot and dropped one of them, then yelled at the other, “Give up now, and you don't have to die.” The bullet whizzing by his ear gave the man's answer. Jake looked at Eli, who was white-faced and splattered heavily with what Jake assumed was his own blood. Kevin wasn't in much better shape, but at least he looked like he only had one wound. “On three, we haul ass down there, firing everything we got at that fool,” he told them. “He's goin' down.” They nodded quickly, and he counted off, “One, two – three!” They charged down, Jake in the lead, pumping bullets into the corner that the guard was hiding behind. They stopped only when they saw the man's body fall in front of them, crimson with his own spilled blood. Jake shouted back at the stairwell, “Janice, get the president up here, quick. We're moving!”
“I think that's all of them,” Kevin wheezed. He was holding his side, vainly trying to staunch the rapid flow of blood that was pumping out of his wound. He was holding Eli up with his other arm.
Jake said, “We still need to get the hell outta here.” He pulled Eli from Kevin's grip and propped him up. When Janice and the president joined them, he said, “Y'all help Bradley, I'll get Eli.” He slapped Kevin lightly in the face to get his attention. “Don't you die on me, Bradley. You ain't loaned me any money, yet.”
As President Bush took him by the arm, Kevin smiled and said, “Hey, I'm a millionaire and I met the president. That was all I ever wanted to do.”
President Bush said, “I'd prefer it if you didn't die just yet, Bradley. There's enough dead people in my house.”
“Sorry, Mr. President,” Kevin muttered.
As quickly as they could, they lumbered out of the ranch house, heading off down the field towards the creek bed. Janice shouted at Jake, “Hey! Why don't we just take one of their cars?”
Jake looked back the car port. There were plenty of cars sitting there. “We don't have any keys.”
“You think I don't know how to hotwire a car?”
“Let's go.” They changed course and piled everyone into a large sedan. Janice got under the steering wheel and worked for several minutes.
The engine roared to life and she popped into the driver's seat. “Yeah, baby.” She threw the car into gear and took off down the road. She came up to the gate at the edge of the property and just ripped through it. The grill took some damage and the windshield cracked a little, but the car was still running, so she kept it moving.
Eli's groans grew in intensity in the back seat as Jake attempted to keep him alive as best he could. “We need a hospital,” Jake shouted to Janice.
“The nearest one is a couple hours away,” she told him. She looked into the rear-view mirror and saw Eli's face. His lips were completely without color, and his eyes were unfocused. She locked eyes with Jake and shook her head.
He nodded and turned his attention back to Eli. “You gonna make it, Eli. You're a hero, now. Maybe you'll finally get laid.” A slight smile curled Eli's lips. “That's it, you concentrate on that.” He looked over at Kevin, whose lips were now sprinkled with a little dark blood. “Bradley, you ain't got nothing but a scratch, so I don't wanna hear no complainin' from you.”
“Yes, Sergeant,” Kevin whispered.
Janice put the gas pedal to the floor and tried as hard as she could to keep the car on the road.


January 21st, 2007

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The Dreamtime	In 2127 Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani arrives on the south-east coast of the Dreaming that being the continent renamed Australia during the western epoch c1770 – 2081. Homeless and starving people sleep inside the Sydney Opera House whilst in the interior First Nations enjoy an unprecedented ..
.. level of prosperity. Sydney Shanty town is another humanitarian disaster.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 2028 in Tate & Lyle PLC v. the Pan African Society the UK based multinational ..	Tate & Lyle
.. food manufacturer are ordered to pay reparations of $10bn. Descendants of Abram Lyle and Henry Tate express deep regret at the shameful involvement of their company to the victims of the African Holocaust who were enslaved by the sugar refining process. 'Out of the eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness' they quoted from Samson in the Book of Judges, Chapter 14, a clear reference to the lion and bees image of 'Lyle's Golden Syrup'.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

T.E. Lawrence	In 1917 at Aqaba in the Transjordan leader of the misnamed Arab revolt ..
.. Auda Abu Tayi orders the execution by beheading of Colonel T.E. Lawrence. His duplicity had been laid bare for all brothers to see when he had carelessly left his autobiographic works, the Seven Pillars of Deceit open in his tent. Tayi had been dismayed to understand that the forthcoming Balfour Declaration would promise a Jewish Homeland in Palestine. His white brother Lawrence was no more and no less than a British Agent using Arab troops to defeat the Turk and thereafter impose his own hegemony on Arabia. President Yasser Arafat paid tribute to Tayi in 1997 on the eve of the half-centennial in East Jerusalem. Without his bold intervention, the Palestinian people would be second class citizens in a secular Jewish State.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1968 the Battle of Khe Sanh started in northwestern Quang Tri Province, ..	Khe Sahn
.. Republic of Vietnam concurrently with the Tet Offensive. Elements of the United States (U.S.) III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF) defeated two to three division-size elements of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and by the end of the year, a re-elected President Johnson was able to announce the end of the Indochina Wars.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

January 22nd, 2007

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Halifax	In 1947 the British Government in Exile arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland for final status talks with the Fuehrer. The miserable renegade Churchill and also the keys to the Royal Navy are in the possession of Lord Halifax and a gorgeous looking Princess Elizabeth I. A sheep in sheep's clothing you might say.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1905 the fate of the Romanov family is sealed by rebellion to the disastrous war with Japan. On Bloody Sunday a peaceful demonstration led by Father Gapon escalates into a massacre of imperial troops followed by the seizure of the Winter Palace.	Father Gapon
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Bering Strait	In 2054 following the world's most expensive construction project to date a commercial tunnel is completed joining the landmasses of Asia and North America at the Bering Strait.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1771 Spain ceded Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands to England who maintained possession until the Iron Lady of Argentina, President Eva Peron defeated that country in the 1982 Malvinas Conflict.	Eva Perón
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

After(cont.)
“Have we got the air conditioner on?” Kevin's body was racked with shudders again. Jake took off his jacket and laid it across him.
Jake looked up at the front seat and asked, “How much farther?”
“Maybe 20 miles.”
Jake turned his attention back to Eli. At least Kevin was able to feel cold. Eli had stopped talking about 15 minutes before, and was now completely unresponsive when Jake tried to rouse him. He felt the young man's neck again and waited. The pulse was even weaker than the last time he had checked, and harder to find. He didn't think there was any point in trying to save Eli anymore, so he turned to Kevin and checked his pulse. It was a little weak, but it was there.
“Wish I hadn't given up drinking now,” the president said from the front seat.
“Me, too,” Janice muttered. She was driving a good hundred miles an hour, and had a death grip on the steering wheel. She had almost cracked up at least three times, but wasn't slowing down. This was worse than the drive in the dark two days ago, because there were a couple of people dying in her back seat. She felt that her pounding heart was more than making up for their weakly pumping ones. She wanted to take her hand off the wheel long enough to wipe off the sweat that was dripping down into her eyes, but didn't dare.
There was a gasp from the back seat, and Janice nearly lost control. Eli's body was trying to keep alive, and failing. Spasms ripped through his body, and Jake tried to hold him down. It took several minutes, but the jerking finally stopped, and the last trickles of blood leaked out of his mouth. Jake pressed his hand onto Eli's carotid for a few minutes, but there was nothing there. “He's gone,” Jake said, quietly.
Janice sobbed. She hadn't been that close to Eli, but he and Mike had always been dependable for all their quirks. The president patted her shoulder comfortingly, and she regained control. “We can still save Kevin,” she said. “Just a few more miles.” The lights of Austin were blazing up towards them, and she kept her foot down hard on the accelerator.

Steph woke up to pounding on her door. She shouted, “Who is it?” She looked around for that gun that Mike had left her while she did it.
“It's me,” Mike said from the other side of the door. “Quick, let us in.”
Steph went over to the door and reached a hand out to the lock. She paused, then looked through the peephole, first. She saw Mike and Joan. She assumed that George was there, too, just out of sight. She opened the door and asked, “What is it?”
Mike and the kids rushed in and Mike shut the door behind them, latching it and throwing the deadbolt. “Guard's going through the hotel; the front's moved up to us. We don't have to worry about going around them.”
“Are we safe here?”
“No,” Mike said. “We need to get the hell out.”
“Let's get to the car, then.”
“They'll take Mike if they see him,” George said. “I saw 'em take three guys looked even scrawnier'n him.”
“Hey,” Mike said, offended.
“They'll probably take you, too,” Joan said, looking at her mother. “Maybe even me. I think they're pretty desperate.”
“Crap.” She peeked through the curtains outside. She saw two large military trucks in the parking lot. In their backs were civilians, holding rifles and looking very nervous. “Maybe we need to be ballsy about it.”
“What do you mean?” Mike was definitely unwilling to leave the room.
“Follow my lead.” She got her clothes on and led them out of the room. Reluctantly, the other three followed her as she walked straight up to one of the soldiers. She asked him, “You looking for people?”
“Yes, ma'am,” the young man told her. “Hop on the back of that truck and they'll give you a rifle.”
“Got one already, and enough for my boy, here, too,” she said, pointing back at Mike. “Our SUV's better'n that truck, too. You need scouts? We can go anywhere in that thing.” She pointed at their car, and the soldier looked the vehicle over.
“All right. We need people with that kinda attitude.” He took out a map of the area and pointed out a line that had been drawn about 10 miles outside of the town. “This is where the enemy's advancing.” He pointed at a red circle just outside of the town. “This is our command post.” He showed her a thin line indicating a road. “This road will take you around the enemy line. See what you can find out, then report back to our command post.”
“You got it, sir,” she said, saluting smartly. He returned her salute, then handed her the map and returned to collecting other people from the hotel. She hurried them off to the SUV, whispering, “Try not to smile.”

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Plantagenet Family War; London Front

September 3rd, 2005

in 1189, Richard Plantagenet, eldest living son of King Henry II, prepares to lay siege to London as his younger brother John is crowned King of England. John had been named heir to the throne by King Henry before his death, bypassing the more obvious choice of Richard, because of some familial dispute. The Plantagenet family wars raged until Richard’s death from an arrow wound in 1197.

in 1658, Protector of the English People, Oliver Cromwell, dies at the age of 59. In 1640, Cromwell led a bold experiment in rule by the people without the interference of the nobility, an 18-year period in which all British officials were directly elected by the citizenry. Cromwell had defeated King Charles I and was offered the crown, but refused it in favor of a more democratic form of government, saying, “I am neither heir nor executor to Charles Stuart.” Parliament restored a weakened monarchy after Cromwell’s passing, but Cromwellian England remained a shining standard for many people’s movements, such as the American Revolution and the Communist movements of the 19th century.

in 1752, the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar disrupts the space-time continuum and 10 days vanish for England. People riot in protest at the government’s reckless disregard for the sanctity of time.

in 1777, rebel General William Maxwell unveils the official flag of the so-called United States for the first and last time as his forces meet the British in battle at Cooch’s Bridge, Maryland. After they are utterly crushed, the British desecrate the Stars & Stripes, as it is known, and send the bloody and filthy flag to the Continental Congress saying, “This is what shall be done to all the rebels.” Many supporters of the rebellion quietly slipped away to the west after this battle, hoping to escape British vengeance.

in 1791, the great Mlosh poet Klekt’t’kel is born in Clonmacnois, Ireland. The writer of the epic poem, Cries to a lost star, Klekt’t’kel is widely considered the only author of the first Mlosh century who effectively communicated to the human community their profound sense of loss in being unable to return to their homeworld. Klekt’t’kel was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize for literature in 1901, three years before her death.

in 1855, General William Harney, just before ordering the massacre of a Sioux village near Ash Hollow, Nebraska in revenge for the killing of soldiers in Wyoming, speaks with a young Sioux girl who had witnessed the Wyoming incident. She had followed his soldiers in a desperate attempt to prevent this retaliation; after speaking with her and learning that the Wyoming commander had goaded the Sioux into attacking, General Harney accepted the surrender of the village and began working for peace with the Sioux.

in 1911, Dynamic Pictures produces Sunset, a touching film about the end of the “cowboy” way of life in the western United States, starring Mary Pickford. This film gave birth to an entire new genre of storytelling that concentrated on the American West of the late 19th century, known as Horse Operas, or Westerns. Thomas Edison reportedly didn’t like the popularity of the genre, and discouraged the studio from making such films, until he saw Carla Lambert in Plainsgirl in 1916. After that, he let Dynamic’s executives make Westerns as much as they pleased.

in 1914, H.G. Wells organizes London Front, a wargaming convention in London, England. Expecting a few hundred people, Wells is overwhelmed as over 10,000 enthusiasts pour into the convention to play Little Wars and Little Warriors over the next 4 days. Much to Wells’ surprise, Little Warriors is by far the more popular of his 2 games, and this leads Wells to develop more games that are along the role-playing line.

in 1955, the band Bill Haley & The Comets, overcoming a fear of flying, booked their first tour outside the U.S. Ironically, the entire group was killed as the plane they were riding across the Atlantic was struck by lightning and crashed into the water. A young Pete Best, who’d had tickets to the show they had been scheduled to play in Liverpool, wrote a song about it in 1969, called Comet in the waves.

in 1959, the man who had appeared to Huan Yue on the water appears beside Li Huang-Sen’s bed and speaks with her. “I have him now,” the man says. “But I can release him if you will come with me.” Huan Yue agonizes over the offer, but refuses. “Very well. I shall return when you have had more time to realize he will not recover on his own.”

in 1969, anti-Reich terrorist Ho Chi Minh was executed by the New Reich’s Chinese Governor in a public hanging in Hanoi. The death of the highly popular Minh made the next three years a turbulent period for the Reich in Asia, as Vietnamese recruits joined with the remnants of the Greater Zionist Resistance to fight the Reich.

in 1996, in a high orbit over earth, Dr. Melvin Courtney and Professor Malcolm Thomas attempt to decipher the controls of the object they are flying in. They desperately work on translating the rest of the writing on the panels, hoping that enough will be written down to let them know how to return the object to Edwards Air Force base. The fact that the object’s last landing was a crash doesn’t hearten them.

in 2004, the ELS-3, a Lalandian-style vessel keeping watch at the edge of the solar system, detects an Elder power signature streaking past them at the speed of light in the direction of the earth. They send a signal back to the U.N. and the other 2 ELS ships patrolling with them. ELS-1, with a military crew, turns around and heads back to earth at its top speed.


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, voting for the winner is now over. Be sure to watch Sept. 9 for the winner, and watch 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!

The Gregorian Calendar Disrupts Space/Time; Ho Chi Minh Executed

September 3rd, 2004

in 1658, Protector of the English People, Oliver Cromwell, dies at the age of 59. In 1640, Cromwell led a bold experiment in rule by the people without the interference of the nobility, an 18-year period in which all British officials were directly elected by the citizenry. Cromwell had defeated King Charles I and was offered the crown, but refused it in favor of a more democratic form of government, saying, “I am neither heir nor executor to Charles Stuart.” Parliament restored a weakened monarchy after Cromwell’s passing, but Cromwellian England remained a shining standard for many people’s movements, such as the American Revolution and the Communist movements of the 19th century.

in 1752, the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar disrupts the space-time continuum and 10 days vanish for England. People riot in protest at the government’s reckless disregard for the sanctity of time.

in 1791, the great Mlosh poet Klekt’t’kel is born in Clonmacnois, Ireland. The writer of the epic poem, Cries to a lost star, Klekt’t’kel is widely considered the only author of the first Mlosh century who effectively communicated to the human community their profound sense of loss in being unable to return to their homeworld. Klekt’t’kel was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize for literature in 1901, three years before her death.

in 1911, Dynamic Pictures produces Sunset, a touching film about the end of the “cowboy” way of life in the western United States, starring Mary Pickford. This film gave birth to an entire new genre of storytelling that concentrated on the American West of the late 19th century, known as Horse Operas, or Westerns. Thomas Edison reportedly didn’t like the popularity of the genre, and discouraged the studio from making such films, until he saw Carla Lambert in Plainsgirl in 1916. After that, he let Dynamic’s executives make Westerns as much as they pleased.

in 1914, H.G. Wells organizes London Front, a wargaming convention in London, England. Expecting a few hundred people, Wells is overwhelmed as over 10,000 enthusiast pour into the convention to play Little Wars and Little Warriors over the next 4 days. Much to Wells’ surprise, Little Warriors is by far the more popular of his 2 games, and this leads Wells to develop more games that are along the role-playing line.

in 1955, the band Bill Haley & The Comets, overcoming a fear of flying, booked their first tour outside the U.S. Ironically, the entire group was killed as the plane they were riding across the Atlantic was struck by lightning and crashed into the water. A young Pete Best, who’d had tickets to the show they had been scheduled to play in Liverpool, wrote a song about it in 1969, called Comet in the waves.

in 1969, anti-Reich terrorist Ho Chi Minh was executed by the New Reich’s Chinese Governor in a public hanging in Hanoi. The death of the highly popular Minh made the next three years a turbulent period for the Reich in Asia, as Vietnamese recruits joined with the remnants of the Greater Zionist Resistance to fight the Reich.

in 2003, Livinia Nixon, horribly mutated by Martian technology, kills three members of the medical team working on her and escapes the hospital where she is being kept. She steals a captive Martian ship and pilots it to Antarctica, where she attacks Jacob Sheridan and his team. Sheridan barely manages to release the nanovirus he has created that he has designed to reverse the mutation process; his team then blow up the mutation machine and flee Antarctica to wait for the nanovirus to do its work.

Foils

Mahatma Gandhi	In 1948, an attempt by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist to assasinate Indian pacifist and leader Mohandas Gandhi was frustrated by brahmacharya (control of the senses in thought, word and deed). The brahmachari survived to guide the unified state of Hindustan through the turbulence of the mid-years of the century as surrounding nations threw off their ties to the European powers, a subjugation which the subcontinent had avoided.
Brahmachari

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Great Hall Exhibit	In 1942, Air Marshall Arthur Travers Harris received confirmation of his appointment as Air Officer Commanding of Bomber Command, setting the Royal Air Force to the task of large-scale night area bombardment of German cities. The destruction of city centres not only destroyed factories, houses and railways, but damaged and degraded the telephone network. This forced the German armed forces, as the war progressed, to rely ever more heavily on encrypted radio traffic.
Adolf Hitler Platz

Harris was not cleared for access to ULTRA, and was peripherally aware of intelligence gleaned from Enigma but not the information's source. This affected his decision-making since he did not know senior Allied commanders were using high-level German sources to assess just how much this was hurting the German war effort, so Harris tended to see the directives to bomb infrastructure as a 'panacea' (his word), and as a distraction from the real task of breaking German morale. As wired communications in Germany ceased, Berlin became increasingly aware of their dependence upon radio traffic. Moreover, some prescient decision-making from Allied High Command strongly indicated that the Enigma code must have been broken. Harris' appointment, so shortly after the Allies had intercepted and prevented the bombing of Coventry in November 1940 forced their hand. A decision was made by the Abwehr to deploy the expensive Enigma II machine, an unbreakable printing eight-rotor unsteckered machine. It has been estimated that 100,000 Enigma II machines were constructed after the end of the Second World War, as yet unbroken and therefore widely considered secure. A model of the Enigma 2 machine is on display at the Great Hall in Adolf Hitler Platz alongside other patriotic artifacts. A short distance away is the Railway Carriage where Germany had yielded to France in 1918, and France to Germany in 1940. The first Panzer to enter Moscow. Behind thick leaded glass, the twisted radioactive remains of the Liberty Bell, excavated by expendable prisoners from the ruins of Philadelphia in 1970. Harris himself was executed for his war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials in 1946.

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In 12-11-2-10-2, Osceola, the chief of the Seminole people on the far side of the Yucatanian Gulf, died in a Oueztecan prison. Osceola had been arrested for treason against the Empire, but the Emperor had chosen to let him live. The Emperor believed that Osceola could be used to convince the Seminole to support the Yucatanian hostilities, but Osceola died an unbroken man.

In 1933, Kurt voin Schleicher was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany. Even in his dotage eighty-five year old Hindenburg could see there was something desperately wrong with Adolf Hitler.

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In 2003, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleeza Rice arrived for a meeting with George Bush to discover that the President had asphyiated after choking on a pretzel whilst watching the game alone. Now Cheney would have to execute his own recommendations.

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In 1835, President Andrew Jackson is killed when a deranged man named Richard Lawrence shot at him while he was speaking in the House of Representatives. Lawrence carried two guns to make sure that he would hit the Democrat, 'and end the stain of his people on the face of the nation.' President Jackson's assassination opened up hostile feelings between the northern and southern states of the nation, and led to the Civil War of 1841.

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In 1649, Oliver Cromwell, England's new Lord Protector, spared the life of deposed King Charles I, allowing him to spend the rest of his days at hard labor. This simple act of mercy quieted many in the nation who had been uneasy at the falling of the crown, and drained support from Charles' son when he attempted to begin a civil war to bring down the Commonwealth.

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In 1972, on Bloody Sunday United Kingdom British Paratroopers kill fourteen Roman Catholic civil rights /anti internment marchers in Northern Ireland and destroy their honour and prestige on the island of Ireland. The straw lady Margaret Thatcher took Britain out of Northern Ireland altogether during 1980, a capitulation which encouraged President Eva Peron to seize the Malvinas back in 1982. These two defeats stained Thatcher's reputation as the worst Prime Minister of the Twentieth Century who took the 'Great' out of 'Great Britain'. In reality 'Thatcher the Sovereignty Snatcher' was the victim of irreversible historical processes caused by the End of Empire, and she was forced to accelerate Britain's integration into the European Union during her second term of office, finding a new and compelling future for the island state.

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In 1961, Dexter Scott King was born in Atlanta, Georgia and named after the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where his father was a pastor, he was seven years old when his father was killed. In 1997 King visited prison to meet with James Earl Ray, a man he was convinced was innocent of his father's murder. Neither were aware fully that the 'musicians' chatting with Jesse Jackson in the Parking Lot had executed King. Oh, and also lured Ray to Memphis with a phoney 'job' offer of a robbery to set him up as a patsy.

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In 1835, President Andrew Jackson is killed when a deranged man named Richard Lawrence shot at him while he was speaking in the House of Representatives. Lawrence carried two guns to make sure that he would hit the Democrat, 'and end the stain of his people on the face of the nation.' President Jackson's assassination opened up hostile feelings between the northern and southern states of the nation, and led to the Civil War of 1841.

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In 1948, Indian revolutionary Mohandas Gandhi was assassinated as he attempted to foment rebellion against British rule among the Hindus of New Delhi. Randall Stodderly, the British soldier who shot Gandhi, was arrested by Indian authorities, but when he was extradited to Great Britain, he was freed and feted as a hero.

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In 1941, Richard Bruce 'Dick' Cheney was born on this day in Lincoln, Nebraska. Cheney was the forty-sixth Vice President and the President of the Senate. Previously, he has served as White House Chief of Staff, as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming, and as Secretary of Defense. In the private sector, he has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Halliburton Company. In 2006, Cheney was accidently shot by Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney during a hunting trip on a southern Texas ranch. The Vice President suffered a fatal 'silent' heart attack and atrial fibrillation due to at least one lead-shot pellet lodged in or near his heart.

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In 1889, Austria Baroness Maria Vetsera was found shot to death in a hunting lodge near Vienna. Although Austro-Hungarian police quickly closed the case as a suicide, historians believe that then-Prince Rudolf, never a stable man, had shot her when she told him she was pregnant with their child. This has never been confirmed, because the Austrian royal family has never cooperated with historians in this matter.