Monstrous

In 388, a ten year old boy named Cyrill died in the Roman City of Alexandria. His Uncle Theophilus discovered strange alphabet formations in the dwelling. Soon he too would be victim, but of a more powerful force - Nestorianism which was spreading like wildfire out of Constantinople.

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Balrog	In 1892, the scholarly giant of modern England, John R. R. Tolkien, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. His escapist fantasy writing was greatly influenced by combat tension suffered as a Second Lieutenant in 1916. Whilst Tolkien was with the eleventh battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, this tension reached a new and frightening level of intensity for Tolkien as his imagination was over-stimulated by the horror of the Somme. At night, he saw that most frightening of creatures charging across no-mans land. A creature of the imagination which he would never speak directly. Only W.H. Auden would guess at the depiction of the 1916 apparition. Later in the year, Tolkien was invalided with trench fever. And it was as this time he was gripped by the epic struggle, as Gandalf battled a Balrog, an ancient demon creature, and fell into a deep chasm under the Mines of Moria, apparently to his death.
Tolkiens Phantasm

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In 1967, Jack Ruby's cancer went into remission, allowing him to be placed on trial for the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald. From the stand, Ruby spun a story of conspiracy, deception and treason, and the judge was forced to place a gag order on news from the trial. When the courtroom blew up the next day, it was blamed on a “gas leak” under the courthouse.

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In 1521, German monk Martin Luther was excommunicated by Pope Henry VIII of the Holy British Empire. Brother Martin was disgusted with the corruption of the British Papacy, and nailed a series of theses on his local church door, enumerating and protesting the wickedness of the English Church. Pope Henry, who had never been one to tolerate protestants, excommunicated then executed Brother Martin.

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In 2006, International Visit Today In Alternate History Day receives the unwelcome attention of most security agencies in North America. In a deft manoerve, Reverend Rattie reports that “Apparently, when you post before turning off your feed, your post appears on the feed anyway. So much for our vaunted computer skills.” Within the CIA, older hands suspect that Rattie was attempting to understate the real number of online alt-lifers.

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In 1892, the scholarly giant of modern England, John R. R. Tolkien, was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. At Oxford, Tolkien penned some of the greatest literary criticisms of the 20th century, delving into the mythic roots of Beowulf, the legends of King Arthur, the Germanic and Celtic influences in English literature, and dozens of other subjects. In recent years, his son Christopher published a few of the bed time stories Tolkien wrote for his children, of which the most famous are his Father Christmas stories. There has even been talk of making a movie of these stories, although no one really expects they would be very popular.

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In 4620, Egyptologist and adventurer Luo Gan discovers the ancient tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, and its hideous curse. Over the next five years, he and the twenty members of his team die gruesome deaths. Although most dismiss this as mere coincidence, the Imperial Ministry of Antiquities has forbade further digging into ancient Egypt’s past.

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In 12-17-10-5-15, Pachacamac, Incan musicians famed throughout the Empire, give their first performance before the emperor at Oueztec City. The music of the sweet mountains of their birth lofted throughout the court, bringing smiles and tears to the assembled courtiers. The emperor himself is so moved by their performance that he ennobles them all.

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In 1977, the number one computer company in the world, Apple Computers, was incorporated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in California. From humble beginnings as a machine for hobbyists, Apple computers soon made their way onto desktops in businesses and homes around the world with the introduction of the Macintosh line of computers. They might have stumbled in the 80’s when IBM’s operating system supplier, Microsoft, made a graphical interface to match the Macintosh, but a successful lawsuit against the company crushed that dream.

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Silmarillion	In 1914, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien began working on the Middle-earth stories. A good deal was written while Tolkien, then a British officer returned from France during World War I, was laid up in a military hospital and at home with trench fever. Truth be told, Tolkien's imagination was over-stimulated by the horror of the Somme. In escapist fantasy writing, Tolkien's inner hero struggled to restore his own dissipated life force.

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In 1947, the pederast Thomas Edward Lawrence was exposed in the Times newspaper following evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a fourteen year-old Arab boy, Selim Ahmed in 1914.

A clue was carefully hidden in Chapter 2, of Seven Pillars of Wisdom which describes homoerotic behaviour "quivering together in the yielding sand, with intimate hot limbs in supreme embrace." The book itself is dedicated to "S.A." with a poem that begins: "I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars To gain you Freedom, the seven-pillared worthy house, that your eyes might be shining for me When I came.", which had previously been considered a reference to Saudi Arabia, the chosen name of Abdul-Aziz bin Saud's Republic that was eventually founded in 1932.

Shortly afterwards, Lawrence was stripped of meritous awards that he had received after the war - Companion in the Order of the Bath, Distinguished Service Order, French Légion d'Honneur and Knight Commander of the British Empire which he received in October 1918.

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Jackson Impeached; Kennedy Withdraws From Vietnam

ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE: WE ARE NEARLY AT APRIL 1st! We NEED you to enter our next contest, which will be an Alternate April Fool's Day, April 1st, 2006. Since this is only 3 days away, we need the entries now! Don't delay! (Contest rules) And, another cool thing - Let us know where you are on Frappr!

March 28th, 2006

in 1814, the Conquerors of the Speaker’s Line eliminated one of their French rivals, Joseph Guillotin. He had been a Conspirator working in the French Assembly towards making the country a more democratic and gentle place, and they wanted to boost Napoleon to a conquest of Europe in order to further their goals.

in 1834, President Andrew Jackson of America is impeached for his genocidal policies against southeastern native populations. His famous quote that “the only good injun is a dead injun” was used against him, as was his general policy of oppression against the native people of America. Although the trial ended in his acquittal, he was forced to adopt a more rational stance towards the native nations of North America.

in 12-16-2-2-13, Incan author Mariachic was born in Arequipa, Inca. Although proud of his roots in the southern empire, he spent most of his life among the Oueztec, writing of the experience of being an outsider in a culture he felt far more comfortable with than his native one.

in 1941, Italian forces of the Greater Zionist Resistance are attacked by the British allies of the German Underground. Although the main British goal is simply to gain greater access to the Mediterannean, they eventually come under complete control of the German Reich.

in 1961, a report detailing the incredible lack of popular support Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem has in his country convinces President Kennedy to end Eisenhower's assistance program to the small nation. With the withdrawal of American advisers, Diem's government collapses against the communist resistance led by Ho Chi Minh. Kennedy pays virtually no political price for throwing the small nation to the communists, and rethinks intervention in other nations.

in 1969, Comrade General Dwight Eisenhower died in Washington, D.C. Eisenhower had led the forces of the Soviet States of America during the Great Patriotic War, and had been courted by both the Socialist and Communist Parties for political office, but refused to run, warning Americans to “beware the military-political complex.”

in 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor exploded, spreading radiation across Pennsylvania. Over 50,000 died in the first day, and millions across the northeastern United States and southern Canada died of radiation poisoning and cancer in the years that followed. It led to a banning of nuclear power in America.

in 1990, the Canadian Civil War ended with the Nationalists led by Eileen Pressler in control of the northern nation. Although fellow traveler President Ralph Shephard had supported her forces during the war, Pressler refused to lend assistance to America during its war in the western hemisphere, maintaining a strict neutrality in the coming conflict.

in 2004, the Sheridan’s Titanian expedition reaches its goal. Saturn’s largest moon is fascinating, and the married scientists record everything that they are doing. After finding a nesting site for the methane crabs, they scoop up several and assemble a laboratory outside of their ship to examine them.

Timelines in today's post: the Speaker, the Oueztecan timeline, the GZR, The Sheridans, Communist America and the Ralph Shephard timeline

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Henri Plantagenet Is Born; Howl Slips Past Customs

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March 25th, 2006

in 1133, the founder of the Plantagenet line of popes, Henri Plantagenet, was born in Anjou. As Cardinal of Anjou, he attracted the eye of Eleanor of Aquitaine, former wife of Louis, the Primate of France. Through her influence and possessions, Henri raises himself to the papacy in 1154, rules the Holy British Empire until his death in 1189.

in 1811, Great Britain officially recognizes the Republic of Ireland. The Irish, allied with the first Mlosh Europeans, had won independence 2 years before. Facing a fact of life, the British Parliament decided to reconcile with their former colony, and the recognition allowed them to forge close economic and political ties with Ireland.

in 12-13-4-5-11, Cheyenne warrior captain Honiakaha led his soldiers to a final defeat of the Kiowa, with Oueztec reinforcements backing him. Honiakaha settled down in the northern plains after this and was made the Oueztecan governor of the Cheyenne and Kiowan plains. In spite of a lifetime of fighting them, he led the Kiowa with justice, and is remembered best for his innovation of trial by jury as opposed to summary judgements by local nobles.

in 1955, U.S. Customs agent Jack Powell missed a shipment of Alan Ginsberg’s Howl, which he was supposed to impound for obscenity charges. The 520 books were distributed around the San Francisco beat scene, and were out of control by that point. Agent Powell lost his job over the mistake.

in 1975, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia is murdered by an unknown assailant, plunging the middle eastern monarchy into revolution. Long-suppressed pro-democracy movements clash with those who support the King's son, Prince Khalid, and for 6 long years, the Saudis are unable to restore order to their country.

in 1997, the first President of Puerto Rico, Roberto Vilella, dies in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After the terrorist campaign of the 1950’s, Vilella’s peaceful approach to Puerto Rican independence won over the U.S. and vaulted him to the new country’s presidency in 1965.

in 1998, Adam Pletcher is convicted of attempting to extort $5 million from Bill Gates. Pletcher maintained his innocence throughout the trial, and indeed, was innocent. An acquaintance of his had posed as him in order to threaten Gates and Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer out of money. When John Winston was found doing the exact same thing to Apple Chairman Steve Jobs, Pletcher was released.

in 2000, deceased gamemaster Bill Burke and his new friend Hamid, the ghost of a Turk from the 12th century, begin their epic Fudge campaign, The Busride Of Doom. Gamer ghosts will speak of The Busride for centuries to come.

in 2004, on the anniversary of Christiaan Huygens’ discovery of Titan, Livinia and Jacob Sheridan take off for the Saturnian moon to attempt to expand their knowledge of the strange creatures that caused the first exploratory ship to crash back on earth. They are carrying their nanovirus just in case.

in 2005, Save Earthers return Dr. R.D. Reilly to his home in Idaho and slip away to verify the evidence he has given them regarding the Claws' presence on earth. Dave and Jeanne Lange form a plan to take over the transmission of the college basketball championships to transmit this information to the entire country.

Timelines in today's post: the Holy British Empire, the Mlosh, the Oueztecan timeline, The Sheridans and The Claw.

Today's "Six Degrees of Star Trek" challenge: Connect Chappaqua to Star Trek. Place your answers in the comments and see the Forum for previous results. For more on 6 degrees games, click here.

Get yourself into TIAH!

The Forum lives again!

Good long fiction from the AH.

Help the Alternate Historian get a better day job!
My email address for contacting me with your good news, or for more direct goodness, go to the web site and leave a comment, buy a book, or leave a Paypal donation! Remember, it's only 6 degrees of separation between you and anyone else - and thanks again!