The Himalayan Gathering; Wannsee

ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE: We are holding another contest! Please send us entries for an Alternate Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2006. You may send us up to three entries for the day, and we will choose the best 10 to appear on February 14th. Enter now - deadline will be February 10th! By entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on February 14th, 2006, 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. And, another cool thing - Let us know where you are on Frappr!

January 20th, 2006

in 1000 Post-Creation, Ariel visits Lucifer in the Abyss, and asks to speak on his behalf before the Creator. Ariel wishes to end all the conflict that is building between the rebellious angels and the Creator, and feels that Lucifer is best equipped to lead the rebellious ones back to the graces of Yahweh. Lucifer, though tormented by the lake of fire, tells Ariel that he will serve this punishment for as long as Yahweh wills him to. Ariel leaves, his hopes for the future dashed.

in 902, the Christian zealot Lebuin attacks the fortress of Rhonwen, mistress of the sea, with a force of over three hundred men. He had meant to have a thousand, but his men had been slowly decimated by harassments the wizards had placed along his path, and now he was left with only those who had survived and had no fear of the wizards of Wales.

in 1791, descendants of the Speaker’s Line gather in the Himalayas to discuss the recent advances in balloon travel. The Himalayan Gathering produces the first documented evidence of the Speaker’s Line, as they wrote out a manifesto, of which only three copies survive; the manifesto details their plan to utilize their vast network to encourage governments to develop air travel over the next century.

in 4557, Li-Chen Guan is born in Nanking Province. The second man on the moon was perpetually in the shadow of the first, but he was an important figure in the Star Sailor program throughout his life; he directed the program that eventually made contact with the Chdo Democracy.

in 1925, James “Pa” Ferguson was inaugurated as the first male governor of the state of Texas in its history. He was mainly a figurehead for his wife, Miriam Ferguson, who had been driven from the office by scandal after scandal. He served one term before being defeated, and accomplished nothing of importance.

in 1936, Pope George V, ailing and not long for this world, was killed by his personal physician in order to make room for a successor. The fact that Pope Edward VIII had arranged for his father’s death did not surface until the doctor, laden with guilt, published a memoir in the 1970’s, detailing the cruelty of young Edward and his callous disregard for the traditions of the Holy British Empire.

in 1942, German Underground officials gather in Wannsee, a small suburb of Berlin, to discuss their plans for the coming domination of Europe. It is here that Adolf Hitler and Reinhard Heydrich inform the leaders of the G.U. that they plan to exterminate the Greater Zionist Resistance utterly, and non-Aryans with them. Although some are secretly appalled at this plan, none dare speak against it; Hitler’s enemies in the G.U. had a habit of “disappearing”.

in 1960, Roboticist Will Wright was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Born into wealth, Wright spent most of his young adulthood satisfying a boundless curiosity about how things work – and making strange creations to illustrate his thoughts. His bizarre but beautiful robots single-handedly turned to field of home robotics into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today.

in 1961, Comrade President Joel Rosenberg is inaugurated into his second term as President of the Soviet States of America. The day shines with promise as Comrade Robert Frost recites a poem for the occasion and Comrade Rosenberg gives a speech outlining a heady agenda for his coming administration. Sadly, it all comes to an end with his assassination the following November.

in 1964, international superstar Pete Best releases his first LP album, Pleased to meet you, I’m Pete. The album goes multi-platinum within a couple of months of release and launches Best on a world tour to promote it.

in 1981, the Iranian Hostage Crisis ended as Ronald Reagan’s successor was sworn into office. True to their word at last, the Iranians released the embassy personnel they had been holding for over a year once Edward Kennedy was sworn in as President of the United States. To thumb his nose at the Iranians, Kennedy lent Ronald Reagan Air Force One to fly overseas and retrieve the hostages.

in 2005, after gathering a few Ingredients surreptitiously, Chelsea Perkins, Alma May Watson and Geraldine McRae perform a small spell to let the Council of Wisdom know where they are. Within a few hours, a car pulls into the small village and McRae tells them all to hop in. Just as her father's car had driven into a tunnel and appeared on the other side of North America, this car drives into a tunnel and appears at the Council's headquarters. The three of them give a report to the Council, which feels that Elsbeth Danwich might possibly have been vanquished for good.

in 2008, in a boat laden with scuba gear, Velma Porter and Mikhail von Heflin head towards the distortion in the time-space continuum that both of them can feel off the coast of Bermuda. “Some vacation,” Porter says to her husband. Just before they reach the distortion, they don the scuba gear and dive into the water. They are quickly sucked into the rift and disappear from the ocean.

Timelines in today's post: the Wizards of Wales, the Chinese Empire, the Holy British Empire, the Fall, von Heflin, the GZR, Pete Best, the Chelsea Perkins timeline. and Communist America.

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!

The Forum lives again! My esteemed Co-Historian has brought the forum back to life, and in spite of the issues we've had with the forum in the past, we think that this time, it'll stay 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

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!

Agincourt; People's Republic Of China Expelled From UN

TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST: THIS IS IT! - no donation required, just send us your stuff! This is the final day to submit your entries! We will check our email before posting for October 26th, and then the contest will be over!

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 now while you still can!

October 25th, 2005

in 1415, the English and the French clashed at Picardy. The Battle of Agincourt, though seen by many as King Henry V's finest hour, was also his last. His bowmen carried the field, obliterating half of France's noblemen, but King Henry himself was killed when he led a charge against the French cavalry. His wife, Queen Catherine, took control of England and proved a surprisingly strong monarch, retaining England's possessions in France during her 20-year reign.

in 1854, Lord James Cardigan refuses an order to lead his Light Brigade against a heavily-defended Russian position in the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Although the order had actually been a mistake, Lord Cardigan is brought before a court-martial for disobeying it. He lives out the rest of his days in England in disgrace.

in 1870, R’Tegumar, Mlosh candidate for First Minister of the North American Confederation, is assassinated by French actress Sarah Bernhardt while visiting that country. Bernhardt had been associated with a Human League-funded group of actors since her teens, and had spoken out recently about the Mlosh’s visit to her native country.

in 1890, Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson launches an assault against Mormon rebel Charles Brigman's main base, killing several of Brigman's chief lieutenants and capturing a large number of his supporters. Brigman himself eludes capture, and retaliates by attacking the caravan with his former wife; she manages to escape as several soldiers give their lives to defend her.

in 1917, comrades in Russia attempted to wrest power from the reactionary Czar Nicholas. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Ulyonov, were crushed by the Russian Army, but left behind a legacy that inspired many labor unions, or soviets, to organize in the coming decade. These soviets, in turn, inspired American Communists with their spirit so much that they renamed the country after them in the 1930’s.

in 1923, President Harding issues a blanket pardon for everyone involved in the Teapot Dome scandal, thus derailing the prosecution of Interior Secretary Albert Fall. Harding quietly buried the investigations with what can only be termed blackmail against the prosecutors and politicians still calling for the scandal to be investigated. When Harding turned up dead a couple of months later, there was wide-spread speculation in Washington that it was murder in retaliation.

in 1954, a presidential cabinet meeting was televised for the first time. The meeting broke into chaos when John Foster Dulles revealed his hid[CENSORED][CENSORED][CENSORED]

in 1971, the United Nations expels the People's Republic of China and seats the Taiwanese ambassador as the true representative of China. The People's Republic looks to the other Communist nations for support, but the Soviet Union had been behind the deal; Soviet leader Brezhnev had become wary of China's influence in the world. The People's Republic of China, cut off from the rest of the world, began to experience civil strife and fell apart in the Civil War of 1974-78.

in 1990, Buster Douglas successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Evander Holyfield. Although floored by a devastating blow in the 3rd round, Douglas managed to make it back to his feet and recover the strength to take the fight 4 more rounds, when he knocked Holyfield to the mat with a shattering right to the jaw. Holyfield didn’t come back up.

in 2002, the small armada from earth reaches the Pleiades and deploys around one of the planets. Although they see craft flying all around the system, they are undisturbed until Dr. Courtney sends a communication to the planet in a strange language. Then, 4 ships take off from the planet and attack them. The Air Force pilots do well, and none are lost as they successfully battle the Pleiadeans.

In addition to the Halloween Contest, 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!

The Himalayan Gathering; The Wannsee Conference

January 20th, 2005

in 1791, descendants of the Speaker’s Line gather in the Himalayas to discuss the recent advances in balloon travel. The Himalayan Gathering produces the first documented evidence of the Speaker’s Line, as they wrote out a manifesto, of which only three copies survive; the manifesto details their plan to utilize their vast network to encourage governments to develop air travel over the next century.

in 4557, Li-Chen Guan is born in Nanking Province. The second man on the moon was perpetually in the shadow of the first, but he was an important figure in the Star Sailor program throughout his life; he directed the program that eventually made contact with the Chdo Democracy.

in 1925, James “Pa” Ferguson was inaugurated as the first male governor of the state of Texas in its history. He was mainly a figurehead for his wife, Miriam Ferguson, who had been driven from the office by scandal after scandal. He served one term before being defeated, and accomplished nothing of importance.

in 1936, Pope George V, ailing and not long for this world, was killed by his personal physician in order to make room for a successor. The fact that Pope Edward VIII had arranged for his father’s death did not surface until the doctor, laden with guilt, published a memoir in the 1970’s, detailing the cruelty of young Edward and his callous disregard for the traditions of the Holy British Empire.

in 1942, German Underground officials gather in Wannsee, a small suburb of Berlin, to discuss their plans for the coming domination of Europe. It is here that Adolf Hitler and Reinhard Heydrich inform the leaders of the G.U. that they plan to exterminate the Greater Zionist Resistance utterly, and non-Aryans with them. Although some are secretly appalled at this plan, none dare speak against it; Hitler’s enemies in the G.U. had a habit of “disappearing”.

in 1961, Comrade President Joel Rosenberg is inaugurated into his second term as President of the Soviet States of America. The day shines with promise as Comrade Robert Frost recites a poem for the occasion and Comrade Rosenberg gives a speech outlining a heady agenda for his coming administration. Sadly, it all comes to an end with his assassination the following November.

in 1964, international superstar Pete Best releases his first LP album, Pleased to meet you, I’m Pete. The album goes multi-platinum within a couple of months of release and launches Best on a world tour to promote it.

in 1981, the Iranian Hostage Crisis ended as Ronald Reagan’s successor was sworn into office. True to their word at last, the Iranians released the embassy personnel they had been holding for over a year once Edward Kennedy was sworn in as President of the United States. To thumb his nose at the Iranians, Kennedy lent Ronald Reagan Air Force One to fly overseas and retrieve the hostages.


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Uncle Bob's Software

The state of TIAH

May 22nd, 2007

Digg this

Alternate Historian's Note: C'mon people! In just 5 days, we'll hit TIAH's third anniversary. As before, that calls for a contest! Please send in your alternate versions of the Academy's beginnings (May 27th, 2004 was the date in this timeline). You can even use the fact that we lost the original day and had to restart on the 28th – whatever you can think of to provide a twist to our start. Send 'em in, and we'll print 'em! Be sure to tell us how you want your credit for the post to appear, as well as any links you want to be connected with your entry. Thanks for reading and get researching those alternate timelines! And, just as an addendum – if we don't get any entries, we're going to consider printing some of our more interesting emails...

in 1891, President Harrison sees off the first battalions of soldiers drafted from the east coast to fight in Kansas. “Today, my friends, you are heroes,” he says at the ceremony. “You are giving up part of your freedom today so that our people can enjoy freedom in perpetuity. We salute you, and pray that the Almighty watches over you and grants you victory, swift and clean. The hopes of our nation ride along with you.” The trains pull out from Washington and head west to Nebraska to be placed under General Theodore Monteith's command.

in 1959, Bob Strawn was born in Austin, Texas. Strawn's parents settled in the Texas capitol when his father was offered a position at the University of Texas. Bob graduated from UT in the 1980's, just in time to join the computer revolution growing in the heart of the Lone Star State. His Uncle Bob's Software concept, a software store that kept programmers on staff for custom orders, made him millions as franchisees bought stores across the country through 1993, when Strawn sold the business to Microsoft for a reported $1.1 billion. In his retirement, Strawn has done quite a bit of work popularizing the hobby of role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons and the game invented by fellow Austinite Steve Jackson, GURPS.

in 1999, an agent of the Illuminati, traveling under a flag of truce, is brought to Sir Lance du Lac's headquarters outside of Budapest, Hungary, to offer him an end to the war. “We feel that this conflict was with Emperor Pierre, who has been deposed,” the agent said. “The now-independent nations of the former Central European Empire would just like to have their sovereignty respected. We are prepared to cease all hostilities against the people of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth; we are even prepared to give reparations for the cost of the war. Would you carry this offer to your king, Sir Lance?” The carefully-formulated sentence triggers something inside du Lac's mind, and he accepts the offer, ordering his troops to enforce a ceasefire while he flies back to London to carry the Illuminati's offer to King Arthur II.

In 1941, in the caves of Fundindelve, the wizard Cadellin watched over the enchanted sleep of one hundred and forty knights. The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, the heart of the magic that bound them, had been lost. The Wizard had been searching for the stone for more than seventy years, unaware that the bracelet was now in the possession of Susan who had just been evacuated to Alderley Edge.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

In 1939, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter Pevensie entered a dusty old wardrobe. The children ventured into the Land of Narnia. The land was under the spell of the evil White Witch Jardis who had created an eternal winter where Christmas never came. The true ruler of Narnia, Aslan, helped the children fight to defeat Jardis’ and free Narnia from her icy spell.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

Coleridge	In 1947, Senator McCarthy set out his discovery in plain speech. Guderian pursued the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) to a 5 km wide coastal strip from De Panne through Bray-Dunes. His sense of Montgomery's trail of sorcery was incredibly strong. At Dunkirk; he permitted the BEF to escape, in exchange for Montgomery's glamour...
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1989, there was a corner of the British Empire that not even the House of Stuart would describe as a Pax Britannica. In that province there was a group of men whose direct action would shortly bring to an end the three hundred and eighty-seven years of Stuart Rule in Great Britain. You could not really call them a ..	Free Derry
.. political party. In fact, the only party they were interested in was the 2003 quad-centennial celebration of Stuart rule. And their interest was cancelling that party.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

North Beach, Eilat..	In 2001, in Eilat he hunkered down dejectedly at North Beach, staring into the Red ..
.. Sea. The water has saved Moses once, and he needed a similar break himself. Having come agonisingly close to the huntress, he had drawn a blank for three whole years. He did not know it yet, but something was about to change. Some huge. It was all about the child really.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1998, during the Lewinsky scandal, a federal judge ruled that United States Secret Service agents could be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the scandal, involving President Bill Clinton. In keeping with contemporary heterophobia, Clinton had falsely stated “I did not have sex with that – or any other ..	Monica Lewinsky
.. – woman”. The testimonies of the Secret Service agents would accelerate the impeachment of Clinton as Womangate scandalised the nation.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Human League Kidnaps Mlosh Doctor; Brezhnev Scandal In Soviet Union

November 10th, 2005

in 12-9-12-16-9, even as the Osage nation gave its most fertile land to the Oueztecan Empire, the Oueztecans began a massive program of buffalo domestication. Within a generation, the mighty herds of the buffalo, who had once darkened the plains of the Oueztecan continent, were penned and broken of their wild habits and turned into a simple meat animal for the Empire.

in 1861, the Human League commits its first terrorist act with the kidnapping of Doctor Pri’Kato’Mli of Edinborough. Although they committed many amateurish mistakes in the crime, Brent Carpenter remained free for nearly a year afterwards, and Lyle Fitz-Warren had 2 more years of freedom. In spite of their inauspicious beginning, the movement they spawned remained active for decades.

in 1863, Swiss Immigrant Henry Wirz was hung for the murder of hundreds of Union soldiers during his tenure as commander of the Andersonville Prison Camp in Georgia. When the Southern Rebellion broke out against President Walt Whitman, the rebels sent any Union prisoners to Andersonville, a small stockade that had no facilities for the care of any prisoners at all. Over the months of incarceration, Wirz allowed horrific deaths by disease and starvation to thin out the prisoner population. President Whitman, on hearing of the conditions at the camp, said, “There are deeds, crimes that may be forgiven, but this is not among them.”

in 1890, with three hundred followers at his heel, rebel Mormon Charles Brigman storms into Salt Lake City and attacks the jail that is holding his men. Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson personally defends the jail, and the two adversaries actually meet for a brief moment on the field. “I will be your end,” Brigman vows to Jackson before the tide of battle sweeps them away from each other. Brigman manages to free a few prisoners, but loses many more men in the fight and is forced to flee in defeat.

in 1917, 41 Suffragettes, in a staged protest in front of the White House, commit suicide as the police arrive to arrest them. The horror of the nation at the desperation this action speaks of makes Congress rush through legislation granting universal suffrage throughout the United States.

in 1973, a church group in Rugby, North Dakota burned all the copies of the novel Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut that were in the town’s library. Reverend Jonathan Clark of the First Church of Christ then announced that they would “burn all the wickedness out of our town,” and the local library itself was burned to the ground, followed by the personal libraries of several citizens of Rugby. The National Guard had to be called in to prevent the Reverend Clark's followers from burning more than a few citizens of Rugby, as well.

in 1982, Comrade Leonid Brezhnev, General-Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party, dies in the arms of a young lover in Moscow. The scandal taints the entire hierarchy of the Soviet Union, allowing the dissident Aleksei Morrikov to rise to power over his comrades. His repressive rule of the Soviets is only ended by the nuclear attack on Moscow by American-supplied Afghani terrorists in 1998.

in 1373, Islam Saro-Wiwa, outspoken playwright and leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People is executed by his Nigerian Caliph. Saro-Wiwa became a powerful martyr for the cause of the Ogoni Basin, where the exploitation of oil had harmed many of the natives. Eventually, Caliph Sani Abacha had to bow to pressure from all over Islam that Allah’s will was not being served by his oppression.

in 2002, after several hours of attempting to sabotage the robot ship carrying them, Professor Thomas and Air Force Captain Trent Laughlin sink exhaustedly into the seats on the bridge; the ship seems completely unaffected by their best efforts. Dr. Courtney tells them to try to find some way of bringing the shields down so that he can disable the engines and transport them off. They begin exploring the ship.

in 2004, Chelsea Perkins had her fateful meeting with her father Terrence at a diner in Jackson, Arizona. He essentially kidnapped her from the diner, taking her to his home west of the town and introducing her to the ancient rites of her ancestors, which she promptly refused to cooperate 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

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!

Daddy

Idi Amin	In 1971, Commander of the King's African Rifles, Idi Amin Dada was appointed the first indigenous Governor General in the British Empire. Dada's apppointment was a cycnical measure by British Imperialists, intended to head off nationalist pressures in Uganda. Imperial troops sealed off Entebbe airport and there are reports of tanks and soldiers on the streets of the capital, Kampala. The governor's residence was surrounded and major road links blocked. The whereabouts of Pan-African independence guerrilla Milton Obote remained unknown.
Gov. General

Idi Amin joined the King's African Rifles (KAR) of the British Colonial Army in 1946 as an assistant cook. After serving in the Burma Campaign, he transferred to Kenya for infantry service as a private in 1947 and served in the 21st KAR infantry brigade in Gilgil, Kenya, until 1949. That year, his unit was deployed to Somalia to fight the Somali Shifta rebels who were rustling cattle there. In 1952 his battalion was deployed against the Mau Mau rebels in Kenya. He was promoted to corporal the same year, then to sergeant in 1953. In 1954 Amin was made effendi (Warrant officer), the highest rank possible for a Black African in the colonial British army. Amin returned to Uganda the same year, and in 1961 he became one of the first two Ugandans to become commissioned officers with the rank of lieutenant. He was then assigned to quell the cattle rustling between Uganda's Karamojong and Kenya's Turkana nomads. In 1962, Amin was promoted to captain and to major in 1963. The following year, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Army. Amin was an active athlete during his time in the army; the 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) soldier was the Ugandan light heavyweight boxing champion from 1951 to 1960 and a swimmer and rugby player. Subordinate to the ceremonial ruler Kabaka (King) Edward Mutesa II of Buganda, the British Foreign Office promoted Amin to colonel and army commander in 1967. In 1971, Idi Amin was appointed Governor General of Uganada. "I am not an ambitious man, personally," Amin said after taking power, "I am just a soldier with a concern for my country and its people." In 1972, determined to make Uganda "a black man's country", Amin expelled the country's white population in the closing months of the year, reportedly after receiving a message from God during a dream. "I am going to ask Britain to take responsibility for all whites in Uganda who are holding British passports, because they are sabotaging the economy of the country," Amin declared at the start of August. Afterwards, Amin flamboyantly described himself as Defender of the British Empire in Africa (in general), and Uganda (specific).

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Nasa Rovers	In 2004, the second of two Nasa rovers sent to explore Mars landed on the surface of the planet, where it looked for signs of water. The Opportunity rover touched down at 0505 GMT, on the opposite side of Mars from where its sister rover, Spirit, landed three weeks ago. Tantalising photos of canals and ancient cities were transmitted back to Earth. Unfortunately, the Mars Armaggedon in January 2008 caused by WD-5 prevented further investigations of life on Mars.
Mars

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In 2003, anxious scientist Seth Brundle poured his heart out in a letter to US Vice President Dick Cheney. Brundle ended the piece with a quote from the Bhaghavad Gita - 'I am death, become the destroyer of worlds'.

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In 1995, years after the Soviet Union had collapsed, and peace was the order of the day, the Russian missile defense system detected a launch from Norway. Although it was a mistake, and a simple call for verification from Moscow would have confirmed that it was a mistake, the commander at the switch that day was an unreconstructed hardliner, and ordered every missile launched. This triggered a launch from European bases, and before anyone could stop them, nuclear devastation wasted northern Europe.

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In 1971, Idi Amin, a general in Uganda’s military, seized power from Milton Obote in a bloody coup. The British Foreign Office view was that '[Idi Amin is] a splendid type and a good football player'.

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In 1792, the London Corresponding Society (LCS) was established as a moderate-radical body concentrating on parliamentary reform in the 1790s. In reality it was a secret society full of rabid socialists who overthrew the monarchy, dismantled the British Empire and executed Queen Victoria as it dragged the country kicking and screaming into the enlightened age of the nineteenth century.

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In 1994, the Ames dossier provided in some detail the inbound smuggling of narcotics and firearms into the African-American community. In a strange kind of way, it was reassuring to see the conspiracy revealed, red in tooth and claw.

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In 1349, Idi Amin, a general in Uganda’s military, seized power from the rightful ruler, Caliph Mutessa II, in a bloody coup. He abolished Islam during his short reign, alienating Uganda from all the nations surrounding it. In 1352, when he began slaughtering old tribal enemies, the Islamic nations surrounding him invaded and removed him from power.

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In 1994, Jeanne Dixon, shortly after predicting that she would be raptured with other true believers in the year 2000, died in New York City. She had stepped in front of a car that she hadn’t seen coming.

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In 1993, one-term US President George Bush prepared for 'the grandfather' business as he returned to a life of retirement following his defeat by Bill Clinton. Its maddening really, by recovering Extraterrestrial Technology from Panama and Iraq he had won the Cold War and set the scene for the American Century. In fact he had been SO focused on the programme he developed as CIA Director in the mid-70s that he had largely ignored domestic concerns. At sixty-eight he was told old for a comeback. There was nothing else for it, he would have to get W elected to nurture his legacy.

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In 1565, at Talikota battle is joined between soldiers of the Vijayanagara Empire and the Islamic sultanates of the Deccan. At stake is the future the Hindu Kingdom, which would shortly require vital unity in repelling the European Colonial Powers. The modern superstate of Hindustan was about to be born.

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In 1971, the BBC ran footage of British industrialist Frank Spencer facing the cameras after mechanical failures onboard the British spacecraft Marie Celeste had been traced to his Factory. 'We've had a spot of bother..' started Spencer. 'Its not fair to blame my Frank, he'd had a lot on his mind recently' piped in wife Betty.

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	In 1999, six members were expelled from the International Olympic Committee following an inquiry into a corruption scandal which has deeply shaken the Olympic movement. The six were identified at the end of an investigation by the IOC into allegations of corruption during the awarding of the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City, in Utah. In all, the investigation named 13 IOC officials who were alleged to have taken cash or services in return for helping Salt Lake City win the right to host the Olympics. Three had already resigned, and six had been suspended ahead of this formal decision by the IOC to expel them.

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