Today on July 31, 1588, English fleet beats Spanish Armada

on July 31, 1588 the English fleet beat Spanish Armada


This is what happened after Elizabeth turned down Phillip's marriage proposal!

BBC History  - The Spanish Armada

On 30 July 1971, the Apollo 15 lunar module

Today, on July 30, 1971, the Apollo 15 lunar module, Falcon, touched down on the moon carrying the first lunar rover.



AWESOME PHOTO!

Apollo 15: In the Mountains of the Moon 1971 NASA 4th Moon Landing, First Lunar Rover Mission

Today in history, Sir Walter Raleigh brings 1st tobacco to England from Virginia

Wikipedia - Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh BBC -History

Sir Walter Raleigh: and the history of pipe tobacco

Jamestown & Tobacco: America the Story of Us

Detroit founded today in 1701 by a Frenchman

Today on July 25 1701, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac founded the city of Detroit.

DETROIT - Wiikipedia

The city's name originated from the Detroit River (French: le détroit du Lac Érié, meaning the strait of Lake Erie), linking Lake Huron and Lake Erie; in the historical context, the strait included Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
France offered free land in an effort to attract families to Detroit, which grew to 800 people in 1765, the largest city between Montreal and New Orleans.



High unemployment was compounded by white and middle-class flight to the suburbs and further afield, and the city was left with a reduced tax base, depressed property values, abandoned buildings, abandoned neighborhoods, high crime rates, and a pronounced demographic imbalance. The crisis resulted in the state of Michigan taking over administrative control of the city.^[58] The state governor declared a financial emergency in March 2013, appointing an emergency manager. On July 18, 2013, Detroit became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy, awaiting approval by a Judge

Black troops of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry win “glory” in Civil War 1st time - Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina, on July 18, 1863, 150 years ago. 218 out of 600 were killed, captured or wounded. 

Civil War's First African-American Infantry Remembered In Bronze

'Glory': Civil War Fight By Black TroopsRecalled

Glory (6/8)

The start of the Islamic Calender

Today, July 16 in 622 A.D. was the beginning of the Islamic Calendar. Muhammad and his Muslim followers left Mecca and migrated to Medina, a trip that is traditionally called the Hijra. 


The Islamic Calendar.

I could not find a clip of the Hijra from the 1977 film "The Message" (with Anthony Quinn as Muhammad's uncle) so I choose this clip of the entrance of the Islamic Ummah into Mecca, which took place in 632 A.D.

The 2nd Battle of the Marne began today in 1918

World War 1 was unimaginably bloody ... on both sides there were nearly a million casualties in both the battles of the Somme and the Marne. Nearly 8 million people died in WWI, including civilians. Up to 1918, there had been nothing like it in history ...

The Turning Point of 1918

All's Quiet on the Western Front

Today in 1099, the knights of the Frist Crusade captured Jerusalem

The Siege of Jerusalem (Wikipedia)

"Jews had fought side-by-side with Muslim soldiers to defend the city, and as the Crusaders breached the outer walls, the Jews of the city retreated to their synagogue to 'prepare for death'."

Fulk of Chartres:
The Capture of Jerusalem, 1099

here is an eyewitness description of the carnage by Fulk of Chartres archived at Fordham University ..

"Count Raymond and his men, who were attacking the wall on the other side, did not yet know of all this, until they saw the Saracens leap from the wall in front of them. Forthwith, they joyfully rushed into the city to pursue and kill the nefarious enemies, as their comrades were already doing. Some Saracens, Arabs, and Ethiopians took refuge in the tower of David, others fled to the temples of the Lord and of Solomon. A great fight took place in the court and porch of the temples, where they were unable to escape from our gladiators. Many fled to the roof of the temple of Solomon, and were shot with arrows, so that they fell to the ground dead. In this temple almost ten thousand were killed. Indeed, if you had been there you would have seen our feet colored to our ankles with the blood of the slain. But what more shall I relate? None of them were left alive; neither women nor children were spared."

The Kingdom of Heaven is not actually about the 1099 Crusade, but it deals with Saladin and the Battle of Hattim in the Third Crusade in 1187. Nevertheless,  it still gives sight and sound to the whole crusading chapter of history:

July 14, 1881 Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid

On this day in 1881, outlaw Sheriff Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid to death in New Mexico.



BILLY THE KID (Wikipedia)

And here is one of my all time favorite songs, written by Bob Dylan specifically for the above movie about Billy the Kid. Knockin' on Heaven's Door. I have often felt like I have been knocking on heaven's door during the last 7 years, especially the moment I knealt by my dear Debbie's bedside as she breathed her last ... (Debbie's Journal). The song captures the feeling well, we will, everyone one of us, come to this moment at some point in our lives. 

50 years ago today, the Rolling Stones played their first gig!

on July 12 1962, at London's Marquee Jazz Club.

"It is quite amazing when you think about it," Mick Jagger recently told Rolling Stone, reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones first show 


ROLLING STONE on the Rolling Stones

50 AND COUNTING! THE ROLLING STONES LIVE!

Today on July 11, John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) 6th President of the U.S. was born, son of John Adams.

John Quincy Adams Addresses the U.S. Supreme Court

The Battle of Britain: July 10 1940.

Began on this day, July 10, in 1940.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Prime Minister Winston Churchill in a speech to Parliament on August 20, 1940 as the Battle of Britain raged overhead.

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

BBC: ON THIS DAY

BBC HISTORY

Wikipedia: THE BATTLE FOR BRITAIN

Bob Dylan and ♪ "Blowin in the Wind"

Bob Dylan recorded "Blowin in the Wind" today, July 9, in 1962.

July 9 1962, "BLOWIN IN THE WIND"

Blowin' in the Wind 

Today in 1497, Vasco da Gama ...

Today, on July 8, 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on the first direct European voyage to India. It is a good thing he did not run into the massive Chinese fleet of Admiral Cheng Ho! (also written as Zheng He).

Comparison of the Portuguese ships to the Chinese flag ship of Zheng He

Vasco da Gama BBC

Vasco da Gama Wikipedia



Vasco da Gama's route (below):














Zheng He's massive Chinese fleet sailed the Indian ocean about 60 years before Vaco da Gama's arrival ... from 1405 to 1433.

Zheng He (Wikipedia)

John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time in 1957

On July 6, 1967, 16-year-old John Lennon met 15-year-old Paul McCartney for the first time in Liverpool. I wish I could have been there, but I was only 6, and lived on a farm in Ohio. Also, I really didn't have much musical talent, although I tried, lol.

In Paul's words:

I remember coming into the fete and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band.

I remember I was amazed and thought, 'Oh great', because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called Come Go With Me. He'd heard it on the radio. He didn't really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself.

I just thought, 'Well, he looks good, he's singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.' Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good. He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away.

Paul McCartney, 1995
Record Collector

Taken from the BeatlesBible

Today in history: The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence

On this day in 1811 (July 5), Venezuela declared its independence from Spain.

RIGHT: 1876 painting by Martin Tovar y Tovar depicting the signing of the Venezuelan declaration.



The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence (wikipedia)

Voting on the declaration of Independence

On July 4th, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson and Adams died on this day in 1826

Both former Presidents and Patriots, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence. They were fellow patriots, then friends, and then political enemies, and then friends again as old men.

Pickett's charge failed and the Confederates were defeated on July 3

The Battle of Gettysburg ended with a Confederate defeat 150 years ago today.



This Day in History

Pickett's Charge Wikipedia

July 2, 1863, Joshua Chambers leads the critical defense in the Battle of Little Round Top

and thus changes the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg and even possibly the whole Civil War.
Never underestimate the power of courage my friend!



Gettysburg 150 Years Later: NPR

July 2 1839, slave uprising on the Amistad

The uprising on the slave ship Amistad took place on July 2, 1839

Teaching With Documents:The Amistad Case

La Amistad (from Wikipedia)

"Nothing will ever be the same" ~ Theodore Roosevelt

On July 1, 1998, 

U.S. forces (including Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders") won the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba.

Rough Riders - Charge Up San Juan Hill 

Notice the scene 4 and a half minutes into the clip when Roosevelt (Tom Berenger) says "Nothing will ever be the same."

Pay attention to the symbolism of the American flag flapping over a water tower that says "Empire" on it... this was a turning point for American history and for the Unites States' stature as a world power.

Whether it was good or not, I leave to you, oh dear reader, to decide. 

~  J. Holbrook

Battle of San Juan Hill (Wikipedia)

By-the-way,, a little know fact is that Theodore Roosevelt and his son got lost in the Amazons in 1913. Roosevelt got sick and was unable to walk. He considered taking a vial of poison he had with him to commit suicide and to give the rest of the party a better chance of surviving. His son Kermit talked him out of it. Roosevelt survived but lost 50 pounds. Years later, his son Kermit would commit suicide.