Testament

The Violent yet peaceful death of Marvin Lee Aday Part III ~
Marvin looked up and saw buzzards circling slowly in the sky, like something from a Saturday matinee movie with Randolph Scott, or from a novel by Max Brand. He thought of it written in a novel: Marvin saw the buzzards circling in the sky, waiting. He looked at them calmly for a moment, and then bent to his journal again. He bent to his journal again. At the end, he had been forced to return to the straggling letters which had been the best his shaky motor control could produce at the beginning.
Marvin Lee Aday	And now, at last, he thought (and wrote), he might have been able to make his mother and father happy. He opened his mouth and croaked, "Top of the world, Ma." ~ Stephen King, The Stand Book III Chapter 64. ~ "Bat Out of Hell", Meatloaf, 1976 Click Symbol to Play Clip Meatloaf Aday's father was a Police Officer. A mean one. Orvis Wesley Aday was an alcoholic who would go on drinking binges for days at a time. Marvin and his mother would drive around to all the bars in Dallas, looking for Orvis to take him home. Because of this, Marvin often stayed with his grandmother, Charlsee Norrod.
Meatloaf

But I can't stop thinking of you, and I never see the sudden curve until it's way too late. I never see the sudden curve 'till it's way too late. Then I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun. Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike. And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell. And the last thing I see is my heart, still beating, breaking out of my body, and flying away, Like a bat out of hell.

.

In 1978, the Star Wars Holiday Special premièred on CBS. The two-hour special set in the new and highly popular Star Wars universe, featuring cameos by some of the biggest comedy and musical stars of the day, immediately set an all-time ratings high, only approached by the final episode of M*A*S*H 8 years later. The extreme popularity of the program, due largely to its engaging storyline, clever dialogue and action sequences rivaling that of the first movie itself, spawned a yearly tradition of Star Wars Holiday Specials running through the present day. The long-running, extremely-high-budget yearly series has been instrumental in filling in the story gaps between the various theatrical chapters, as well as portraying flashbacks, flash forwards and introducing dozens of new characters that quickly became as publicly beloved as those of the films themselves. With the completion of both planned Star Wars trilogies, there was some concern that the Specials would soon be discontinued, but creator George Lucas quickly released a statement that as long as the public was in love with Star Wars, the Specials would never be complete.

Radix

In 2009, earth swung into Line, a ray of metafrequency energy jetstreaming from the massive black hole at the galactic hub. The transmuting effects of this atypical energy altered the planet for over a century until the Earth swung fully into line in 2113.

A self-sufficient scientific community on the southern Peruvian coast - Center of International Research for the Continuance of Life on Earth, 2009-2113) - was established to find ways to compensate for the massive morphological changes that began as the earth swung into Line. An ingenious discovery at CIRCLE succeeded in sustaining life - Rubeus, an artifical super-intelligence originally created to manage global weather systems.

Vietnam

In 1968, John Forbes Kerry reported for duty at Coastal Squadron 1 in Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam, where he served as an officer in charge of Swift boats, leading five-man crews on a number of patrols into enemy-controlled areas. Following numerous medals and citations for bravery, Kerry was hand picked for a special mission, to be sent into the jungle to assassinate United States Army Special Forces Colonel Walter E. Kurtz. A decorated officer, Kurtz had gone insane and was commanding a legion of his own Montagnard troops deep inside the forest in neutral Cambodia. Kerry was ordered to undertake a mission to find Kurtz and "terminate his command... with extreme prejudice."

As Kerry lost sight of his purpose in the jungle, he discerned broader parallels with the American mission in Vietnam. Upon his return to the United States, Kerry testified to Senate Foreign Relations Committee asking "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

In 1941, the United States ambassador to Japan, cables the British Foreign Office that Japan has plans to launch an attack against their base on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii (his cable is ignored).

Joseph Grew

Panagoulis

In 1968, Alexandros Panagoulis was condemned to death by the Greek Colonels' Junta. After the restoration of democracy, Alexandros Panagoulis was elected as Member of Parliament as a member of the Union of Centre – New Forcesin 1974. He made a series of allegations against mainstream politicians whom he said had openly or secretly collaborated with the junta. Panagoulis was killed on 1 May 1976 at the age of 36 in a car accident on Vouliagmenis Ave. in Athens. This happened only few days before files of the junta's military police that he was in possession of were to be made public. We now know that the car accident was staged to silence Panagoulis and to cover up the documents in question.

In 1965, on this day “the Butcher of Rhodesia” Ian Henderson and former Prime of the British Crown Colony of Rhodesia Ian Smith were informed that South African Prime Minister Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd had withdrawn his offer of support for 1000 men of the SADF to cross the border in support of Operation Quartz.

Ian Henderson

The Temple Of Jupiter; 2nd Star Wars Trilogy

November 1st, 2005

in 1210, Pope Richard of the Holy British Empire begins what will become official Papal policy until the 20th century; Jews were considered foreign entities within the borders of the Empire, leading to some of the most hideous acts of persecution since the Romans fed Christians to the lions.

in 2265 AUC, the crowning achievement of Roman artist Michelangelus Gaius Buonarus, the Temple of Jupiter, is opened to the public in Rome. The masterpiece of the artwork inside is the story of the creation of the Roman Pantheon of Gods, told in 9 panels of exquisite detail. It draws visitors from across the Roman Republic every year.

in 1765, in the face of harsh opposition to the Stamp Acts, the British Parliament backs down and repeals the effort to make the American colonies pay for the recent wars in North America without consultation from the colonies themselves. Parliament takes the unusual step of giving seats in the House of Commons to colonials, so that they can have representation for their taxation.

in 1890, more reinforcements arrive to bolster Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson's troops in Salt Lake City. Colonel Jackson takes these men into the wilderness surrounding the city on a search for escaped rebel leader Charles Brigman; he is determined that Brigman will pay the price for his crimes.

in 1932, Werner Von Braun is recruited by the German Underground to head the engineering team deciphering the blueprints from the future that the G.U.’s time-traveling neo-Nazi benefactors have given them. Although the blueprints are much more advanced than anything he’s ever seen, the scientist’s dark genius grasps their purpose, and is able to produce weapons of awesome destructive power with the help of the neo-Nazis.

in 1950, President Truman is assassinated by Puerto Rican nationalists at the Blair House. Truman had been staying at the less-secure Blair House because of remodeling at the White House, and the Puerto Ricans had gotten his schedule from a sympathizer on the staff there. Vice-President Alben Barkley assumed the office of President, and ordered the F.B.I. to begin a series of raids to eradicate the nationalists in Puerto Rico. The island possession of the U.S. was a hotspot of political turmoil until it finally gained its independence in 1981.

in 1952, the explosion of a hydrogen bomb on the tiny Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific Ocean causes the mutation of several creatures there, who soon grow to enormous size and attack the western coast of the United States. Only the grit of local military commanders and the plucky resolve of a 10-year old boy keep Los Angeles from being devoured by the monstrous beast they call Sharkon.

in 1955, Pascal-Edison releases the Family Portrait operating system for home users of their difference engines. The scaled-down O.S. has less capabilities than the business version, and a much cheaper price tag. Pascal-Edison sells completely out of its initial stock and continues selling the product well through the end of the decade.

in 1994, George Lucas, after much urging from his mentor Francis Ford Coppola, begins filming his second Star Wars trilogy, set after the Rebellion's triumphant victory at Endor in Return of the Jedi. This trilogy follows the marriage of Han Solo & Princess Leia, the Rebellion's efforts to reconstruct the Old Republic, and Luke Skywalker's new school for Jedi. With the release of the 3rd film in this installment, 2003's Jedi Child, Lucas has announced that he will make yet another trilogy, this time telling the back story of Darth Vader and the fall of the Republic. Fans await breathlessly.

in 2002, in an asteroid field in a system they are completely lost in, Air Force pilots Jim Zeminksi and Al Corwin are taken by the Pleiadean force that has been chasing them since Dr. Courtney and Professor Thomas stole a globe from their planet. Since the pilots had become separated from the scientists and other pilots, they are unable to resist the aliens, and are taken back to the alien world and interrogated.

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!

April Fools' Day

The state of TIAH

April 1st, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: Today, we present our April Fools' Day Contest Winners. In the future, folks, please limit your entries to 300 words or less – a couple of these posts are a touch lengthy. After the contest winners, our Guest Historian Stephen Payne makes his regular appearance. Enjoy the day, everyone, and don't be an April Fool!

in @2900 BCE, the first advanced calendar system appears in the Sumerian city of Nippur. The day "April First" is born and fixed as the first day of the year. The "calendar riots" are unleashed, in opposition to the tendency of the rulers to control time rigidly. The unrest was quickly crushed.

In 2350 BCE, Sargon of Kish usurps the throne, and expands the Akkadian Empire to an unprecedented size: he controls all the port cities on the eastern Mediterranean coast, on the Arabian Peninsula, and Mesopotamia,including all cities along the Tigris - Euphrates valley. Sargon favored the Sumerian scribes, and made the Nippurian calendar the standard for the Empire. Hearing of Sargon's innovations, sages in the East, especially in India, begin preaching the doctrine attributed to Kalinjar, the "Destroyer of Time." Indian merchants, travelers, and sages begin infiltrating the Empire to spread the doctrine: all calendars must be destroyed, all clocks smashed, and men must be freed from the curse of human imposed time. Some argue that time itself can be destroyed.

In 1595 BCE, the more widespread Babylonian Calendar is born, based on the Sumerian system of measuring the passage of time. Again, April 1 is dubbed the first day of the year (At that time the month "April" was named "Nisanu," after the Akkadian King of the Gods, Anu). As the Babylonian Empire extends its influence, the "calendar wars" begin. People of the lower classes and priests of the various gods rebel in virtually all cities, excepting Nippur, Akkad, and Babylon, now capital of the Empire. Rioters overthrow local governments, and small armies spread out to attack cities which adhered to the concept of the calendar. Eventually all calendars are destroyed throughout the Empire.

During the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish calendar was destroyed by an alliance of Jews and Babylonians. In Egypt, the sidereal calendar system came under attack, as the teachings of Kalinjar spread into Northern Africa. People caught observing the star Sirius were put to death by some Pharaohs, and by 1330 BCE, the Pharaoh Iknaten had eradicated the calendar. Iknaten combined the doctrine of the Destroyer of Time with his belief in One Timeless God, called Aten.

The Greeks revived the calendar, until they were conquered by the Romans. Some Roman senators and consuls, inspired by Greek astronomical science, attempted to reinstitute the calendar, the so-called Julian and Gregorian experiments. They were denounced by subsequent Roman and Byzantine popular movements. The Ottoman Empire revived the calendar of the early Arab Muslims, going to the extent of using the name "Nisan"(April) to designate the first spring month. The Ottoman Turks were harkening back to earliest Babylonian calendar. The Sultans succeeded within their domains, until the revolution of the Young Turks, which destroyed the Caliphate, the Sultanate,and the Islamic calendar, once and for all.

Once freed from the calendar, mankind became capable of new advances in Ethics, Philosophy, and the pursuit of the timeless truths.

We now well understand why calendars were destroyed, along with clocks, and detailed written histories. The reasoning given by Kalinjar himself has been passed down with all the world's religious and philosophical teachings in what was called "The New Religious Supplement." The tenets were:

1. Looking to the past was harmful.

2. Looking to the past induced an exaggerated sense of self importance (people took too much pride in the achievements of their ancestors).

3. Revenge and hatred were caused by focusing on past emotions and past actions. Wars were caused by the remembrance of grievances of the races, the nations, and the sects.

4. Forgiveness and striving to forget the past are prime virtues.

5. The measurement of time was a method used by the elite to control the activity and thought of the people.

6, The absence of clocks and calendars allows for a life which is leisurely, unhurried and humane.

These tenets have become combined with the principles of all the main world religions. Believers (in Anu, in Aten, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Lao Tze, Muhammed, and Confucius) embrace the religious supplement, though small groups still try secretly to preserve the Babylonian, Egyptian, Chinese, Hebrew, Islamic, Gregorian, and Hebrew calendars. Rather Lengthy Post By April Fools Contest Winner Wei Enlin

in 1891, William Wrigley Jr. starts his own company, selling soap and baking powder. The following year, he briefly attempts to package chewing gum with his backing powder as a promotional gimmick, but it falls flat; Americans, especially kids, dislike the mouth-feel of the rubbery substance. Duly chastened, he redoubles his efforts to improve his core products. Today, nearly every home in America has a Wrigley product in its pantry or bathroom. Post By April Fool's Contest Winner LeaperBP

in 1917, William Aloysius Butler took a stand against the Louisville Bluegrass Blue law, which prohibited banjo music in public on Sundays. He was arrested in a city park after a brief and violent struggle, in which several officers were physically accosted with a banjo. Later that day citizens stormed the local jail, freeing Butler. The mob was chased and finally cornered in a small farm outside of town. The event escalated into a 2 week stand off, dubbed the Bluegrass Revolution. US military forces were called in and opened fire on the Bluegrass Freedom Fighters (BFF). The BFF returned fire. After an 18 hour fire fight, all the BFF were all slaughtered. Shortly after the citizens voted to remove the Bluegrass Blue Laws from the law books. post by April Fools' Contest Winner V. Burnett

in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi speaks to Muslims at an Ulema urging communal unity, prior to the launch of his most sustained campaign of civil disobedience. In the ensuing days, Gandhi leads the Great March to the Sea, to violate the laws of the occupying British Empire. Gandhi and his followers make salt out of seawater, thus defying the British monopoly on salt.

What followed was a full fledged uprising which lead to the triumph of Gandhi's non-violent satyagraha revolution. His goal was to drive out the British and establish an Indian government based on ahimsa (non-violence). Communal differences were put aside, and the people of India united to defy a wide array of British imposed laws. Countless leaders were detained by the British, in order to break the movement. The wave of arrests only incited the people more, until Gandhi himself was jailed. British authorities outlawed Gandhi's pro-Independence Congress Party, and banned all its publications. In response, the people created their own congresses and published their own pamphlets and bills throughout the country. When the government relented, it was too late. After the release of Gandhi, the movement continued, until India became ungovernable.

By the end of 1931, the Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed. Colonial control was so thoroughly thwarted that withdrawal of all British troops from India was completed in the following 18 months.

During the mid and later 30's, the success of the Indian non-violent revolution made an impact on the rest of the world. In South Africa, where Gandhi had begun his work, Indians and Black Africans united to create the first multi-racial African democracy. In Italy, the trade union movement re-awakened, and pursued a campaign of non-violent civil resistance which resulted in the ouster of Benito Mussolini.

Meantime, Gandhi traveled to Aden, Marseilles, London, Helsinki, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Peking, Singapore, and Rangoon, spreading his gospel of non-violence, socialism, and compassion throughout the world.

In 1931, the Spanish Revolution had erupted, with advocates of Mussolini-style fascism clashing with syndicalist movements, social democrats, and Leninists. The popularity of Gandhi's methods influenced the trade unionists and the cooperativists, most of whom relied on the non-violent techniques, but many fascists and hardline communists continued to act violently. Spain was thus forced into a prolonged civil war. Events there were largely influenced by the subsequent failures of fascism in Europe and Leninism in Russia.

The Gandhi-Tolstoy connection had become popularized throughout Russia, and the Doukhobors, Christian (Quaker-like) non-violent religionists, had organized quietly and secretly, gaining strength since the death of Tolstoy, in 1910. When Lenin died and Trotsky took power, an alliance had formed between the Two Tendencies: The platform communists and factory committees on the one hand, and the bureaucrats along with the vanguard communists on the other hand, managed to prevent the triumph of either a rigid totalitarianism, or a decentralized loose association. The Doukhobors, after 1932, exercised considerable influence, transforming Russia from a society in ideological flux to one which embraced the Tolstoyan non-violent ideal and the Gandhian practical plan. Gandhi was finally able to visit Moscow in 1937, after the most hardline communist elements had left government, or softened their stances.

In Germany, the rise of a Mussolini style fascist party presented a danger to the whole of Europe. Adolph Hitler was greatly disillusioned by the fall of Mussolini, and frustrated by the slow pace of his ally in Spain, General Franco. Hitler decided to concentrate his efforts on the domestic regeneration of Germany. When he focused on the so-called Jewish question, and pushed for a boycott of Jewish owned stores, he was opposed by an alliance of Jewish and German shopkeepers. The antisemitic operatives of the Nazi party failed because virtually every single store was marked "Juden", so that no organized boycott could be sustained. Not long after this, the famous Rosenstrasse incident occurred: hundreds of male Jews married to non-Jewish woman were rounded up for deportation or even execution; and in response, the women organized around the clock non-violent protests. Hitler himself gave the order for these Jews to be released. Soon, Jewish and non-Jewish Germans were getting married by the tens of thousands, Christians were attending synagogues, Jews were attending churches, as the slogan "I am a German, a Christian, and a Jew" became widespread (in imitation of Gandhi's affirmation: "I am a Muslim, a Hindu, a Christian, and a Jew, and so are we all").

The philosophers of fascism shrugged. Giovanni Gentile said, "We thought extreme violence against our opponents would continue to work. However, when Mussolini killed thousands, and Hitler killed more, the truth became obvious over time: Violence is a completely impractical tool to use against the followers of Tolstoy and Gandhi. Violence only works against those who offer violent resistance. The non-violent resisters, when organized, sap the will of the man of violence, and tax his conscience. Today we wonder if even Caesar or Napoleon could have conquered such men."

The stagnation of fascism in Europe, and erosion of Leninism in Russia, gave courage to the non- violent resisters in Spain. Franco continued to fight against the Loyalist elements (those loyal to the Republic of 1931), but international brigades of civil resisters, from India, Italy, Scandinavia, Britain, and America, managed to quell the incendiary flames. Franco killed thousands, who engaged in non- violent non-cooperation in fascist controlled areas. Conservative Churchmen, who were originally Franco's allies, went over to the other side, and joined the ranks of those who had "turned the other cheek." Soon, Franco's ranks were depleted, and the Republic was reestablished in Spain, on the basis of Gandhian democratic socialism, combined with syndicalist and cooperativist economics.

It was not long before most of Europe began to adopt Gandhian political methods and institutions. In the US. the struggle began with A. Phillip Randolph, a black union organizer, who had met Gandhi in 1932 in New York. Randolph paralyzed Washington D.C., with the help of former World War I veterans, who called for a new society based on non-violence.

Taoist and Buddhist currents became vehicles for widespread civil resistances in Sri Lanka, Burma and Indochina, until the Chinese employed nonviolent non cooperation against Japanese invaders, during the mid 30's. The failures of the Japanese aggressors in China caused a local revolution, which started in Hokkaido, and spread to the main Japanese island of Honshu. The Muslim Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan ("the frontier Gandhi") of Afghanistan, had succeeded in converting most Muslims to his non-violent interpretation of the Q'uran (by emphasizing the early career of Mohammed, and the notion of the universality of all religions). By the end of the 1940's, Gandhian, Taoist, Buddhist and New Muslim non-violent regimes has sprung up throughout most of Asia.

Thus began the era of non-violent international warfare. Gandhi had advised the formation of non-violent armies to protect against invaders. In 1962, the Chinese and the Russians fought the first full scale non-violent wars, in which civil resistance campaigns of the 30's and 40's were re-enacted on a gargantuan scale. The disputes were partially territorial and partially ideological: the Chinese population was growing, and moving peaceably into parts of Siberia; while the subtle differences between Tolstoyan and Taoist civil resistance techniques were at odds. China and Russia each sought to convert the other. The Sino-Russian non-violent war continued for 45 years, during which time at least 17 people died (most of these were participants in hunger strikes, including Gandhi himself who died in 1971, just after his hundredth birthday). Another Rather Lengthy Post By April Fools' Contest Winner D. Lanquandria

in 1957, the British news programme Panorama broadcast a story about the latest harvest of Swiss spaghetti. Viewers were treated to a rare glimpse of farmhands plucking the long noodles right from the trees. As presenter Richard Dimbleby said, "there's nothing like fresh, home-grown spaghetti." In an ironic twist of fate, that very May, just as demand for spaghetti reached new heights thanks to Panorama, an infestation of spaghetti weevils devastated the Swiss countryside. Though imports from Rome and the United States helped placate the masses, some citizens resorted to growing their own spaghetti right from empty tomato sauce cans. Post By April Fool's Contest Winner LeaperBP

in 1970, President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law. This law, practically written in the boardrooms of the major tobacco companies, all but defangs the Surgeon General and other anti-smoking forces under the aegis of "fairness and balance in public discourse" by requiring that tobacco manufacturers get "equal time" whenever their product is denounced in the media. The law opens the floodgates, with other industries getting in on the act, confusing the public with hundreds of claims and counter-claims by "experts" and "studies" on every side of even the most minor question. American confidence in the major media and advertising hits an all-time low by the time the law is rescinded in 1974. Post By April Fool's Contest Winner LeaperBP

in 1999, the territory of Nunavut secedes from the Dominion of Canada, declaring itself the independent Republic of Nunavut. The decision was announced by the Nunavut National Assembly (NNA), which had been secretly meeting in Iqaluit since late 1997, motivated by Inuit desires for sovereignty. The Speaker of the Assembly, Paul Okalik, declared, "For over a century our people have tried to live in the shadow of the white man. He shows no concern over our affairs and wellbeing, yet exerts his political will over us from afar. We Nunavummiut must now craft our own destiny." However, given the suspicious date on which the announcement was made, people around the world were skeptical at best. No nation or government, even the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, took the declaration seriously... most ignored it altogether. Prime Minister Chretien made no motion acknowledging the NNA's declaration. One Canadian legislator went so far as to quip, "Really, these April Fool's jokes are quite audacious this year." Horribly embarrassed, the NNA quickly dissolved the Republic, permanently disbanded, and Nunavut carried on as a Canadian territory as if nothing ever happened. Post By April Fools' Contest Winner Ryan Hackel Of The Ryanarium

in 2005, following the death of Arthur Wells, delegates from Moebian churches across the country convene in Hollywood to elect a new leader. At first it appears that Bill Murray—whose hit movie Groundhog Day was inspired by Moebian teachings and who has decided to retire from movie making in order to lead the church—will win easily, but during debates about the proper interpretation of Moebianism, deep and irreconcilable differences among its members are soon revealed. While Murray holds that the true Moebian ethic is to be selfless and loving toward others, David Bowie - who regards Friedrich Nietzsche's doctrine of the eternal return as the proper foundation for Moebianism--proclaims a doctrine of selfishness and self-fulfillment as the true teaching. A third, minority, group—while agreeing with Murray about selflessness--finds the teachings of Moebianism too unbearable to live with. Preaching a doctrine of withdrawal from the world in order to minimize suffering, members of this group finally conclude that the only rational response to Moebianism is suicide—preferably a painless suicide. Soon, however, this group effectively eliminates itself, as members across the country kill themselves. post by April Fools' Contest Winner Richard Reilly

George Bush	In 2008 the Extraterrestrial Technology (ET) has finally been recovered from Iraq and is less over seventy-two hours from entering its rightful home in the United States. The end is in sight for George Bush's thirty-five year mission that started with the forty-first US President's appointment as CIA Director. That position ..
.. gave 'Bush41' unrestricted access to Project BlueBook, the USAAF investigation into UFO Activity since the Roswell Incident in 1947. He set a course for World Supremacy based on ET to climb out of the ashes of defeat in Vietnam.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1983 Journalist Gerd Heidemann met with a number of experts in World War II history, notably the historians Hugh Trevor-Roper, Eberhard Jäckel and Gerhard Weinberg to finalise the authenticity of the Bormann Diaries. Heidemann claimed to have received the diaries from East Germany, smuggled out by a Dr. Fischer. ..	Martin Bormann
.. The diaries were claimed to be part of a consignment of documents recovered from an aircraft crash in Börnersdorf near Dresden in April 1945.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Bosnian Wars	In 1992 the Muslim Holocaust euphemistically called the Bosnian War began in the first days of April. The existence of Islam in southern Europe was of course a direct consequence of the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. Even in the 1990s many Christians still called the Muslims 'the Turks' because of ..
.. the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, which finally dissolved in the second decade of the twentieth century. The matter was not fully addressed until the 2126 Peace and Reconciliation Trial, organised by the Reconstructed United Nations to investigate genocide and injustice in the pre-jihad era.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1873 on this day the RMS Atlantic sank with the loss of 546 lives. RMS Atlantic ..	Burial service for vict..
.. was a steamship of the White Star Line that operated between Liverpool, United Kingdom and New York City. This sad and tragic event gave owners of the White Star Line the inspiration for the idea to switch the RMS Olympic with the sister ship, the Titantic in 1912. The original Olympic had collided with a British Warship HMS Hawke on September 20, 1911 and was severely damaged; repairs at the Harland & Wolff shipyard were prohibitively expensive. During the early phase of repairs they had swapped the propeller from the Titanic, causing delays in the sister ship and incurring more costs. This small cheat led to a bigger cheat as is the nature of such things. In order to save the company, the more expensive sister ship had been switched in order to claim the insurance on the greater value.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Carter's Discovery

The state of TIAH

February 16th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: Our Guest Historian, Stephen Payne, had a great suggestion – we haven't had a good contest in a while, so we're going to have an April Fool's Day Contest! Email us up to 3 entries for an alternate April 1st and we will post the best 10, with your own credit and link to your website (if you have one). We'll also see if we have enough credit for an ultimate winner to get a complimentary TIAH mug, but we can't promise anything on that yet. Get researching those alternate histories now, folks! The deadline will be March 29th.

in 1951, the Soviet Union's leader, Joseph Stalin, announces that his country will enter the war in Korea in support of the northern Communists, in an effort to balance what he calls the “warmongers” of the west. The attack splits the United Nations, crushing the hopes of those who wanted to use the world body as a forum for ending wars, rather than starting them. Soviet troops in North Korea soon overwhelm the meager forces that the UN had in place there, and the United States responds to the escalation by throwing in almost a half-million troops. The war then spills beyond Korea's borders when British troops invade the Chinese mainland, and by 1952, all of east Asia is embroiled in the conflict. China urges the Soviets to use nuclear weapons, but Stalin resists – he wants territory, and feels that irradiated territory is useless to him. Similarly, President Truman of the United States resists calls to “nuke the commies” from the right-wingers in his own ranks. Although in public he supports his decision to use atomic bombs against the Japanese, in private he has vowed never to use such weapons again. The war drags on for 11 years until the two sides finally realize that neither can win, and declare a truce in 1961. Privately, President Johnson of America and Premier Khrushchev of the Soviet Union promise that the proxy wars between their two countries are over.

in 1959, Cuban Prime Minister Miro Cardona has his rival, Fidel Castro, deposed from his position as commander of the armed forces, in an effort to maintain power against the more radical elements in the Cuban revolution. Castro and his supporters temporarily take up arms against Cardona, but was convinced to reconcile with Prime Minister Cardona by his old ally and friend, Ernesto Guevara. Castro entered the Cuban parliament as a representative of his home region, the Oriente province, and became an outspoken check on the moderate wing of the revolution as they pushed democracy forward in Cuba. Prime Minister Cardona stepped down in 1965, and Castro began the first of his 7 campaigns for the office, all losing. He has been quite effective in Parliament, though, pushing universal health care and disaster recovery programs that are the envy of the developing world.

Dalai Lama	In 1931 from the summit of Chomolungma (Mount Everest) that is the highest point on Earth the soul-deep Taa-la'i Bla-ma (13th Dalai Lama) concentrated the harmony of First Nation consciousness into a greeting pulse sent forth into the cosmos; the Mesh had joined the music of the spheres.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1923 in an act of impatient curiosity Howard Carter unsealed the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt. Whilst unwrapping the linens of the mummy the skull of the ancient king fell away from the body causing a dent in the skull. Egyptians believed ..	Tutankhamun
.. a king could only be immortal if the body rested undisturbed, and so it proved to be the case as the wrathful boy king rose to kill not only Carter and fellow grave-robbers Lord Carnarvon and Lady Evelyn Herbert but all the British on the Nile.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

George Bush	In 1991 during the First Gulf War U.S. and UK war planes bombed the suburbs of Baghdad to disguise the main mission of recovering extraterrestrial technology buried in Iraq. It remained elusive, and the allies were forced to talk up the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction for twelve more ..
.. years to build the case for an armed incursion. The best lies are closest to the truth.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1940 the German tanker Altmark is boarded in neutral Norwegian waters by sailors from the British destroyer HMS Cossack, a breach of Norwegian neutrality known as the notorious Altmark Incident at the beginning of World War II. By then the fascist powers of Anglo-America were well set ..	Altmark
.. on the path to war and had stopped trying to keep up appearances to the contrary; rather they were agitators, keen to reverse the unbroken series of misadventures that had beset both nations since the Treaty of Versailles.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Narrow Escape - Almost

The state of TIAH

December 14th, 2006

Digg this

Alternate Historian's Note: Stephen Payne takes up the slack for us as we head down to the conclusion of the first half of our NaNoWriMo novel. We hope you are enjoying this change in format – let us know how you feel about it in comments or by emailing us. This will be the format of TIAH throughout the holiday season, unless we receive a great outcry about it. Speaking of the Holiday Season, keep in mind those who need help year-round and keep yourselves safe and happy, as well. And, should you feel generous inclinations towards our guest historians, you can visit the sites of those who have separate ones from TIAH; generosity towards us here at the Academy is always appreciated, too, and you can find ways to help us out all over the site. Right now, we'd appreciate a lead on a good day job, but my lovely Co-Historian could also use some more memory on her PC, if anyone feels generously inclined. (It's PC133-style – yes, it's an old machine). Any good wishes you have towards us can be emailed here.

in 0, Mullah Elijah Rafsanjani witnesses the star of David over the town of Bayt La (Bethlehem). He is gripped by an unexpectedly strong feeling of anticipation. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 1995, the misnamed Yugoslav Wars reach a stalemate as the Dayton Agreement is signed in Paris by President Slobodan Milošević, President Franjo Tuđman, President Alija Izetbegović, President Jacques Chirac, President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister John Major, Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. Those seeking Justice have to wait another 131 years when all of the signatories appeared for questioning before the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of the Reconstructed United Nations in 2126 to answer for their role in the Muslim Holocaust, the renaming of the Yugoslav Wars in post-jihad society. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

in 2003, President of Pakistan Pervez Musharaf almost narrowly escapes an assassination attempt. He dies the next day and America loses her strongest ally in the war against terror. By the inauguration of John Forbes Kerry thirteen months later, the war is over, closing a short but tragic episode in America's history. -entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!-

Before(cont.)
Kevin looked at the roadblock coming up and sighed. “I'm ready to take this suit off.”
“Just another ten miles or so, and we can.” Sergeant Morris was slowing down. “Hey, do you think there's any way they can trace us through the suits?”
Miss Carbonari piped up and said, “Probably. Hell, they may even have bugs in the suits and be recording everything; but, with so many guys out there to listen to, I doubt they know what you guys are up to. Yet.”
“You're so reassuring,” Kevin said. He pulled out their mission orders as the sergeant pulled the jeep up to the hazmat-suited soldiers guarding the highway. “Now, shut up.”
She was mercifully silent as they rolled to a stop and a guard approached them. The young man asked, “Which team are you?”
“Went to the meteorology building at Baylor,” Sergeant Morris said as he handed the mission orders over. “Real exciting.”
“I bet.” The soldier looked over at Kevin and then back into the jeep. “All this the computer stuff from the meteorology building?”
“Yeah,” Sergeant Morris said. He was perfectly cool, but Kevin felt his face growing hot. He looked away from the soldier to hide it.
Unfortunately, the soldier noticed. “You OK, pal? Is your suit on good?”
“I sure hope so,” Kevin said, checking the zippers.
“Specialist Bradley here's got a lot to worry about,” Sergeant Morris said. “He won the lottery. He just wants to get this mission over with so he can enjoy his money.”
“No kiddin'?” The soldier totally forgot what he was thinking about. “How much did you win?”
“Three million,” Kevin said, sheepishly.
“Holy crap,” the young man said, laughing. He handed their papers back and asked, “Hey, can I get a loan?”
Kevin gave him what he hoped was a convincing smirk and said, “I'll think about it.”
The soldier waved them through the roadblock and Sergeant Morris pulled through nonchalantly. Once their was a bit of distance between them and the checkpoint, he gunned the engine. “You need to work on your skills, boy,” Morris said.
“I'll say,” Miss Carbonari said from under the tarp. “How do you ever get women?”
Kevin blushed. “I don't think that's any of your business.”
Both Morris and Carbonari let out knowing 'ahs'. “So, it's been a while,” Carbonari said.
“Well, he is a computer nerd,” the sergeant said.
“You know, that is such a stereotype,” Kevin said, his cheeks red as apples. “Most of the people I work with are married.”
“Of course, of course,” Carbonari said.
“I think we're far enough away, now,” Morris said, pulling the jeep over to the shoulder. “Let's get these suits off.”
“Finally,” Kevin said. He jumped out, unzipped the helmet and flipped it open. The chill air of the morning had become barely cool in the afternoon, and it brushed his face gently as he shed the hazmat suit. He sat down on the ground to get his feet out of the leggings, and once he was free, tossed it aside.
The sun was starting its slow descent to the horizon, giving the hills a reddish appearance. It was beautiful. A lovely, perfect autumn day. He pulled his cell phone out, turned the camera on, and took a picture of it.
“Hey, hacker-boy, we need to get scootin',” Carbonari called over to him. “We're burnin' daylight.”
He looked at the hills. They were the same as they had been in his childhood, when his parents would take him for those long drives with his brother and sisters. He took a picture of the hills, too.
“Bradley, we need to leave,” Sergeant Morris said, coming over to his side. He looked down at the little view screen on Kevin's phone and said, “Nice picture.”
“My family would drive around out here when I was little,” Kevin said. He stood up and grabbed the hazmat suit. “I just wanted a reminder of what it was all like before.”
Morris nodded. They walked back to the jeep, where Miss Carbonari was waiting impatiently. “Are we done looking at the scenery?”
“Yeah, we're done,” Kevin said, climbing into his seat. “Let's go.”

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Aragon Becomes Jewish State

The state of TIAH

August 19th, 2006

in [time unknown], Najib Kasem tells Commander Patterson that he saw this world while he was in the coma, and that he has been drawn here since then. “I've been changing coordinates every time we jumped, trying to bring us here. I think that these people are the ones who made the jump device. They're the Starwalkers.” Commander Patterson radioed the Eagle and asked if they were all right. When the crew said that they had been under guard, but untouched by the aliens, she asked, “Is the jump device still in the cargo bay?” It was. She then ordered, “Keep 24-hour surveillance on it.”

in 1263, King James of Aragon embraces Judaism, and announces his conversion to the ancient faith. The shock of this announcement sends ripples throughout Europe; James is excommunicated immediately, of course, but Jews flocking to Aragon swell his land into one of the mightiest on the continent.

in 1913, author H.G. Wells releases the followup to his game Little Wars, Little Warriors. In this game, the players are able to take on the role of the individual warriors in a battle, while a War Master plays the part of enemy combatants. It is even more successful than Little Wars, and spawns a new genre of games called role-playing games.

in 1921, television producer Bob Wesley was born Eugene Roddenberry in El Paso, Texas. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Wesley came back to civilian life with a vision of a Wagon Train to the stars, which he turned into his hit series, Star Trek (1964-1973). He is credited with starting the sci-fi craze of 70’s television, as well as bringing real issues and morals to the genre. He died in 1991, and is sorely missed.

in 1977, art impresario Julius Marx dies in New York City. The brother of famed harpist Adolph Marx, he had managed his brother for many years before opening his first gallery. His keen eye for new artists such as Andrew Warhol placed his galleries at the top of New York’s art scene.

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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!

King James Embraces Judaism

August 19th, 2005

in 477, Saracens armed with the one true faith defeated Christian infidels in the Battle of Ascalon. Combined with the defeat of the Crusaders at Jerusalem, this served to push Christians out of the Holy Land altogether.

in 1263, King James of Aragon embraces Judaism, and announces his conversion to the ancient faith. The shock of this announcement sends ripples throughout Europe; James is excommunicated immediately, but Jews flocking to Aragon swell his land into one of the mightiest on the continent.

in the Dreaming, all the great powers of Heaven descend upon the people, both on the land and in Heaven. Unprepared for this assault, they are unable to fight off the powers, even with the aid of the enemies of Wandjina. The powers force them back to the land and cut off all of the webs connecting the people to Heaven.

in 1892, the Curies lead a last-ditch effort to repair the earth’s mantle, with the last ships working on the North American continent. During this heroic effort, both of the Curies are killed as their ship is swallowed by magma in a sudden violent explosion. The rest of the team manages to finish, though, and the remaining population of the earth waits to see if their work was successful.

in 1913, author H.G. Wells releases the followup to his game Little Wars, Little Warriors. In this game, the players are able to take on the role of the individual warriors in a battle, while a War Master plays the part of enemy combatants. It is even more successful than Little Wars, and spawns a new genre of games called role-playing games.

in 1921, television producer Bob Wesley was born Eugene Roddenberry in El Paso, Texas. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Wesley came back to civilian life with a vision of a Wagon Train to the stars, which he turned into his hit series, Star Trek (1964-1973). He is credited with starting the sci-fi craze of 70’s television, as well as bringing real issues and morals to the genre. He died in 1991, and is sorely missed.

in 1959, government soldiers come to Po Zhizuan’s farm, and he hides Li Huang-Sen from them. While Li is hiding, they accost Po’s daughter, Huan Yue, and Li is forced to come to her rescue. He kills the soldiers in his rage; this display of naked power frightens the Po family, but Huan Yue is now even more in love with him.

in 1967, another song by international superstar Pete Best hits #1. She’s not the only girl in town, a mournful tune of lost love, stays on top of the charts until it is knocked down 3 weeks later by another Best song, I can’t do without you, now.

in 1977, art impresario Julius Marx dies in New York City. The brother of famed harpist Adolph Marx, he had managed his brother for many years before opening his first gallery. His keen eye for new artists such as Andrew Warhol placed his galleries at the top of New York’s art scene.

in 1996, Dr. Melvin Courtney is informed by the professional organizations that he belongs to that they no longer consider him a member; he is also contacted by a solicitor from the BBC, telling him that the network is considering charges against him for the hoax. Professor Malcolm Thomas visits him at his home to let him know that his reputation is being trashed throughout the British academia. “I’m sorry, Melvin,” Thomas says. “I don’t know what to do.” Courtney replies, “I do.”

in 2004, the first ship based on Lalandian designs capable of carrying passengers comes off the assembly line at Boeing’s new plant in Washington. A small international crew takes it for a test run; it is capable of a full quarter of the speed of light. For their test, they fly to Mars and back in a day. Virtually every astronomer and astronaut in the world applies for positions on the next ship.


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!

Thanks to everyone for their generosity!

We have raised a lot from your donations, for which we are VERY grateful! Our situation is no longer as dire, so we don't need to beg for help - thanks so much! Because we like including our readers into the site, though, we will still keep our 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 - we need your comments on the possible 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; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy

Star Wars

May 19th, 2005

in 1588, the Invincible Armada of Spain set sail for the English Channel. Once they had obliterated the British navy, they transported Spanish troops to the English mainland, conquering the once-proud island nation for King Phillip.

in 1897, the Marquess of Queensbury shot author Oscar Wilde on the day of his release from prison. The Marquess had been angered by Wilde’s homosexual affair with his son, and wanted the author dead before he could flee the country. Wilde’s intention to leave England for Paris was well known among his associates, and the Marquess was not going to stand for it.

in 1910, Q’Barian supporters of Q’B’Ton’ra attack the Jovian capitol of H’ket’Lika on Europa in an effort to draw Jovian forces away from the Mlosh home system. The plan backfires – the Q’B’Ton’rans are decimated by the Jovian system’s defenses.

in 1925, American leader of the Semitic-African Resistance, Malcolm Little, was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His experience with racism in America forged him into one of the nation’s most effective leaders of the S.A.R., willing to strike back when necessary.

in 4648, Sumo wrestler Yoshio Shirai defeated Chinese champion Xu Beihong to recapture the Imperial Championship for Nippon for the first time in a century. Ever since the sport had gained popularity in the Chinese Empire in 4539, Chinese champions had held the crown; Yoshio’s victory brought dancing in the streets across Nippon.

in 1967, the Senate of the Soviet States of America ratified a treaty with Europe banning nuclear weapons in space. It was assumed by all sides that the world would be better off without having to worry about atomic bombs from the heavens, but the treaty also restricted nuclear-powered spacecraft, a limitation that both sides soon found too restrictive.

in 1999, schlock filmmaker George Lucas released the 4th episode in his space opera series, Star Wars. It had taken him 16 years to find backers willing to fund another bomb, since Lucas’ career had stalled with the original movie in 1977. A small devoted core of fans kept him going, and that’s what the producers were counting on.

in 2003, Worldcom’s offer of $500 million to settle its $11 billion accounting fraud is seen as not just inadequate, but an insult to investors, who press for criminal charges against the company’s management.


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Saracens Defeat The Christians

August 19th, 2004

in 477, Saracens armed with the one true faith defeated Christian infidels in the Battle of Ascalon. Combined with the defeat of the Crusaders at Jerusalem, this served to push Christians out of the Holy Land altogether.

in 1892, the Curies lead a last-ditch effort to repair the earth’s mantle, with the last ships working on the North American continent. During this heroic effort, both of the Curies are killed as their ship is swallowed by magma in a sudden violent explosion. The rest of the team manages to finish, though, and the remaining population of the earth waits to see if their work was successful.

in 1902, tragic poet Ogden Nash was born in Rye, New York. Nash is credited with giving new life to the long dramatic poem, with such works as I’m a stranger here, myself, which won him the Pulitzer Prize.

in 1913, author H.G. Wells releases the followup to his game Little Wars, Little Warriors. In this game, the players are able to take on the role of the individual warriors in a battle, while a War Master plays the part of enemy combatants. It is even more successful than Little Wars, and spawns a new genre of games called role-playing games.

in 1921, television producer Bob Wesley was born Eugene Roddenberry in El Paso, Texas. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Wesley came back to civilian life with a vision of a Wagon Train to the stars, which he turned into his hit series, Star Trek (1964-1973). He is credited with starting the sci-fi craze of 70’s television, as well as bringing real issues and morals to the genre. He died in 1991, and is sorely missed.

in 1950, ABC began airing children’s shows on Saturday mornings. However, so many little tykes slept late on Saturdays that the shows never rated high enough for the network to keep them, and ABC returned to airing regular family fare over the weekends.

in 1967, another song by international superstar Pete Best hits #1. She’s not the only girl in town, a mournful tune of lost love, stays on top of the charts until is knocked down 3 weeks later by another Best song, I can’t do without you, now.

in 2003, certain that similar monsters lie underneath the Arctic, Jacob Sheridan tells the ships depositing ice there to be on the lookout. He is too late, as these monsters burst forth from their Arctic graves and begin attacking the troops at the North Pole. Sheridan sends out a general mayday for all ships to converge on the Arctic Circle.

Alternate Historian's Note: Sorry for the lateness of the post. The Internet is a finicky beast, at times.

Death Of Santa Anna; Little Wars

June 21st, 2004

in 1788, the colony of New Hampshire elects not to join the fledgling United States, and declares itself a free republic. The republic is beset by financial problems, as its small population consisting mostly of farmers can barely sustain itself during the harsh New England winters. During the War of 1812, it is occupied by British troops and forced to become a province of Canada.

in 1876, Emperor Generalissimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, leader of Mexico and the greatest power in North America during his reign, died. In battle, the great general had defeated a rebellion against his rule in the state of Texas, and an invasion of his northwestern borders by the smaller United States of America.

in 1905, young Adolf Schickelgruber entered the Viennese School of Art. On his exit from the famed art college, Schickelgruber led a movement of German artists that attempted to recapture the glory of pagan Germany. His feelings of nationalistic fervor led him into the German army during the Great War, where he was killed in a mustard gas attack. His work has recently sold for as much as US$5 million.

in 1911, noted author H.G. Wells releases a small game he has devised, called Little Wars. It is a wargame where each player takes the side of a small army of miniature figures and leads them in war against the other. It is wildly successful, and spawns an industry of wargame manufacturers

in 1925, hot off the success of his studio’s first talking picture, Thomas Edison releases a new type of record player, as well as a new type of record. The records are magnetic in nature, and the players are able to read the magnetic impulses with an electric stylus. The sound is scratch-free and almost as clear as if you were in the room when it was being recorded. These magno-albums, or Maggies, revolutionize the music industry.

in 1945, American and Canadian forces in the Aleutians surrender to the Japanese. With their capitulation, Japanese forces begin their inexorable march to control of the Canadian mainland.

in 4648, Emperor Dao-Ming flew back to earth with a small group of scientists from the Chdo Democracy. These b’Han, which looked like a cross between grey slugs and dragons, had been trained in chinese culture during their voyage to our solar system, and in spite of the physical difference, Dao felt perfectly at ease with them. This relationship proved valuable to the emperor in the coming years, as his people explored further out into the universe.

in 2003, Russian and Canadian forces engaged the Martians in the Arctic circle, and the world held its breath for the outcome.

Choices

In 2006, Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Acting Commissioner of FDA filed the approval documents for Bluetooth enabled pace makers. Continuous heartbeat monitoring by premium Internet hosted services became a commercial reality. Investors anticipated explosive stock growth from sales of devices which were widely expected to extend the lifespan of the super rich.

~ entry by Steve Payne:

Marvin Lee Aday	"Have a double, it's gettin' late, you'll get home, just rely on fate Place just finally came alive, good old boys just arrived Stools keep changin' faces, and the night just slips away And like a long distance love affair, soon you've got to pay Silver bullets in the jukebox, spin another round Everybody at the back of the line, it's midnight at the lost and found." ~ Meatloaf, lyrics to Midnight at the Lost and Found which went Gold in the UK selling over 100,000 copies.
“Meatloaf”

In his autobiography, To Hell and Back, Meatloaf claims that shortly after his mother died, his father, in a drunken rage, tried to kill him with a knife, and that he barely managed to escape after they had a bad fight. After Marvin got his inheritance from his mother's death, he rented an apartment in Dallas and isolated himself for three and a half months. Eventually a friend found him (a psychology student at the University of Dallas). Marvin bought a car with his inheritance and drove to California. At some point during the journey, a dreadful suspicion started to take shape in the mind of his friend. Was "Meatloaf" really the victim character of a devil-may-care rock 'n' roller? Or the personae of a murderous super ego? A summary of his autobiography, To Hell and Back is detailed at - Wikipedia

~ quotation by Steve Payne

In 2023, Christian missionaries on the Planet Tyrr took grateful receipt of the delivery of a package from Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas, TX. A covering note explained that standard methods had been varied substantially in order to achieve the 2,612th translation of the Bible, into Martian. In a typical translation project, Wycliffe senior workers first request permission to operate from the government in charge of a region. After the organization receives permission to operate, several small teams research a region's linguistic populations. Based on this data, teams are sent to each linguistic group. The team introduces itself to a group, usually with the aid of bilingual helpers such as traders or guides. The team lives on site, and attempts to speak the language. Formal recordings, word lists and grammars are kept, usually on computers, backed up periodically to the national mission. When the phonology is understood, the team selects a writing system similar to those in use by nearby trading languages. At some point, the team begins to translate short portions of the Bible into the native language. The translation is tested and corrected with native speakers, as well as the existing lexicographies and grammars. Once the Bible is translated, printings are arranged, often through one of the United Bible Societies. The length of the entire process varies depending on the portion of the Bible being translated; it can take as long as 20+ years. The Martian version had actually been achieved in a remarkably short period of time, just 15 years. In 2008 at Lacus Soli, Captain von Tromp had located a single survivor from the doomed first mission of the USS Envoy. The innocent Valentine Michael Smith had already grokked the fullness of his water brothers. Shortly afer his arrival on Earth, Smith super-accelerated the translation process for the Wycliffe Mission.

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

Rhett Butler	"I think it's hard winning a war with words, gentlemen .. I'm saying very plainly that the Yankees are better equipped than we .. All we've got is cotton and slaves, arrogance and our British allies." ~ Confederate Captain Rhett Butler, speech at Twelve Oaks
Captain

During a heated debate at Twelve Oaks going on among the gentlemen about the impending War of the States. Excited and patriotic southerners boastfully predicted a quick victory, led by Gerald O'Hara: "The Yankees can't fight and we can!" Ashley Wilkes attempted to cool off the room full of Southern hotheads, hoping that the North will let the South leave the Union without war: "Most of the miseries of the world were caused by wars. And, when the wars were over, no one ever knew what they were about." The rogue of a good family from Charleston, and turned out of West Point, Rhett expressed his lone dissent from the optimistic voices. He disagreed with the fervent patriotism of the Confederates: "I think it's hard winning a war with words, gentlemen...I'm saying very plainly that the Yankees are better equipped than we .. All we've got is cotton and slaves, arrogance and our British allies." He realistically believed that the South's cause was doomed to failure because of its gradually declining resources - he spoils everyone's enthusiasm for war: The full story of Gone with the Wind is described at Film.org

~ quotation by Steve Payne

In 2017, the Regional Municipality of Peel responded formally to the concerns of voters in the Greater Toronto Area. Citizens of Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga had been making increasing use of the growing number of independent medical facilities in the Region's shopping malls and greater regulation was called for. In particular, the age of individuals booking in for an "adjustment" was falling alarmingly.

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

Douglas MacArthur	In 1950, on this day the United Nations made a daring assault, landing up to 50,000 troops behind enemy lines at Inchon, on the west coast of Korea. More daringly, General Douglas MacArthur deployed the Bacteriological weapons of Unit 731 handed to him by Japanese General Otozoo Yamada in 1945. “There's no substitute for victory” the General tells the World by way of justification at a Press Conference the next day.
~ entry by Steve Payne

In 1940, the Battle of Britain ends with a Kriegsmarine victory over the Royal Navy. In How Chamberlain lost the Battle of Britain written in 1995, historian Richard M. Langworth recounted the battle. Critics muted their May 1940 attacks on the Government for the sake of national unity. Chamberlain heeds Reynaud's call for Britain to fling the bulk of her air force into Battle of France.	Kriegsmarine
Failing to group the British Expeditionary Force around Dunkirk, 300,000 British troops are lost in the greatest military disaster in British history. The Battle for Britain is fought first on the English Channel and then on the beaches and the landing grounds. Like the French before him, Chamberlain considers the choice between surrender and going down fighting--and chooses surrender. His successor, Halifax, signs the instrument of surrender while a raging Churchill escapes with the remnants of the fleet and sails to Falkland Islands, there to organize an international resistance movement.
~ entry by Steve Payne

Post Conference	In 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Charles de Gaulle met in Quebec as part of the Octagon Conference to discuss strategy. With the Pacific War heading towards an end game, FDR agreed to land American Forces in North Africa as part of Operation Torch. Unfortunately for de Gaulle, FDR was defeated in the November Presidential Elections, and Charles Lindbergh pursued a very different US Foreign Policy.
Winston Churchill could only wring his hands in New Britain, having refused to travel to New France for the Octagon Conference.
~ entry by Steve Payne

In 1962, the Soviet ship Poltava heads toward Cuba, one of the events that set into motion the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy disregarded forged reconnaissance data presented by hawks who sought open war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Kennedy also ignored warnings that compromise was impossible. Instead he prevented a third world war more horrible than the second, in which he had lost his eldest son.	Cuban Missiles
The President could hardly be accused of inconsistency; he had after all been pro-appeasement since 1940 when he was the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James.
~ entry by Steve Payne