Historical Moments On this day

[mark wake]

On this day 13 September 1814 'Old Glory' is put to music.

Event Date: September 13, 1814
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

An attack on an American fort on this day gave birth to the country's national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner.


Ironically, since the United States was at war with Britain at the time in what became known as the War of Independence, the tune was the work of a British composer, the little known John Stafford Smith.

In 1814, Baltimore was not only America's third largest city (population 45,000), but also a port from where repeated attacks had been made against British ships.

Determined to teach them a lesson, British warships planned to sail into Baltimore harbour and attack the city with cannons, pounding it into submission. First, though, they needed to neutralise a fortress named Fort McHenry which protected the harbour entrance.

At 6.30 on the morning of 13 September the attack began and during the next 24 hours about 2,000 shells and 800 rockets were fired at the fortress.

Above it flew a giant American flag measuring 42 feet by 30 feet.

Watching the action from a distance was American lawyer, author, and amateur poet Francis Scott Key. When he saw that the huge flag was still flying at dawn the next day, signifying an American victory, he was inspired to write the poem, Defence of Fort McHenry.

Later, the words were set to John Stafford Smith's music, and renamed The Star Spangled Banner. It became a popular patriotic song.

Long thought to have originated as a drinking song, it was adopted in 1776 as a club anthem of the Anacreontic Society, an amateur mens’ music club in London. Its original lyrics were written by the Society’s president as an ode to a Greek poet named Anacreon.

With the substitution of Key's lyrics, the work became very popular in America and a powerful expression of patriotism. In 1916 it was proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson to be the national anthem of all the armed forces. Finally, in 1931, under an Act of Congress, it became America's national anthem.

Bloody hell joseph! Now i’m really getting worried! Good stuff.

 

[SnafuSmite]

Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was an unsuccessful Allied military operation planned, and predominantly led, by the British. It was fought in the Netherlandsand Germany in World War II. The success of the operation depended on taking a series of nine bridges, the last being at the city of Arnhem over the Rhine river.Airborne and land forces succeeded in the liberation of the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen, but failed in keeping their farthest positions in and around the city of Arnhem including the bridge over the Rhine.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden

 

[mark wake]

Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was an unsuccessful Allied military operation planned, and predominantly led, by the British. It was fought in the Netherlandsand Germany in World War II. The success of the operation depended on taking a series of nine bridges, the last being at the city of Arnhem over the Rhine river.Airborne and land forces succeeded in the liberation of the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen, but failed in keeping their farthest positions in and around the city of Arnhem including the bridge over the Rhine.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden

What can one say? it was a military gamble that cost the lives of many brave lads! Surrounded by two German ss panzer divisions they had no chance but still fought on! A chapter the paras will forever commemorate. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself!

 

[SnafuSmite]

What can one say? it was a military gamble that cost the lives of many brave lads! Surrounded by two German ss panzer divisions they had no chance but still fought on! A chapter the paras will forever commemorate. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself!

Arrogance and poor planning by high command but exceptional bravery by those who fought!

 

[dusaboss]

Arrogance and poor planning by high command but exceptional bravery by those who fought!

Also,that were different times. Times of ideologies in whole world. Some of those were really extreme. People really believed in it. It's hard to comprehend that time from today's perspective.

 

[voltigeur]

What can one say? it was a military gamble that cost the lives of many brave lads! Surrounded by two German ss panzer divisions they had no chance but still fought on! A chapter the paras will forever commemorate. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself!

From what I remember being told, the Dutch resistance had send warnings about the presence of the German Panzer divisions, but the warnings went unheeded.

 

[Surfguy]

15 August 1769
Date of Birth of Napoleon Bonaparte

"
Napoléon Bonaparte was a French statesman and military leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the French Revolutionary Wars. Wikipedia

Born: August 15, 1769, Ajaccio, France
Died: May 5, 1821, Longwood House
Buried: 1840, Les Invalides, Paris, France
Spouse: Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (m. 1810–1821), Empress Joséphine (m. 1796–1809)"

Some of his quotes:

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.

History is a set of lies agreed upon.

And if I'm not mistaken it is our very own Le petit Caporal's brithday . Happy Birthday !

As a Brit I have to add that on Sunday, 18 June 1815 Wellington put an end to his plans.

 

[Le petit caporal]

On this day, 30 years ago (1988).
Nîmes was seriously flooded (on You Tube)
9 dead (2 rescue helicopter pilotes)
At the time, the 2 REI was on manouvers at the camp of Valdahon
The 3 rd company was rushed back in haste, to lend a helping hand
Luckily for the regiment, most of our equipment wasn't present in the barracks. ..our stores and armoury were situated on the ground floor
Midi Libre (local journo) runs todays number in souvenir (pics inclus)

 

[SnafuSmite]

Battle of Mogadishu 1993
On 3 October 1993, Task Force Ranger began an operation that involved traveling from their compound on the city's outskirts to the center with the aim of capturing the leaders of the Habr Gidr clan, led by Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The assault force consisted of nineteen aircraft, twelve vehicles (including nine Humvees), and 160 men. The operation was intended to last no longer than one hour.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mogadishu_(1993)

 

[Le petit caporal]

On this day, 60 years ago, the 4th of October 1958... France adopts the new constitution and becomes the Cinquième République (Fifth Republic).
The President Charles De Gaule adapts the new regime for his personal interest. Laws can be voted at the assemblée nationale and confirmed by the Senate
Or the country can be governed by “ordonnances” (kind of Executive Order in the US)... Some thing he used and abused.

 

[Rapace]

I won't get into a discussion with le petit Caporal about De Gaulle alleged abuse of ordonnances, but just want to give some background on why we are at the moment under the 5e République regime. So a crash course in French history (for those interested)...
• July 14, 1789 : La Bastille (a prison in Paris) is taken by rioters, after weeks of political crisis and tension. It marks the beginning of the 1789 revolution and the end of the Absolute Monarchy.
• September 22, 1792 : after 3 years under a Constitutional Monarchy regime, with the King Louis XVI that remained in place (but with much less power than before), the Monarchy is abolished and the First Republic proclaimed. King Louis XVI is tried, sentenced to death and executed in Jan 1793. The Ist Republic lasts until 1804, when Napoleon I proclaims the Empire and becomes Emperor.
• February 14, 1848 : After the Restauration, that followed Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo (1815), Monarchy is again abolished after the 1848 revolution and the Second Republic proclaimed. King Louis-Philippe I goes into exile in GB. The IInd Republic lasts until Dec 1852, when Napoleon III (a Napoleon's nephew) becomes Emperor (like his uncle).
• September 4, 1870 : after his defeat at Sedan against the Prussians in the 1870 war, Napoleon III abdicates, leaves into exile (to GB too...) the so-called Second Empire is abolished and the Third Republic proclaimed. Since that date, France has always been under a Republican regime. The IIIrd Republic lasts 70 years and is abolished after the 1940 defeat.
• October 13, 1946 : after WW2, and the Vichy regime of Marshall Pétain, the Fourth Republic is proclaimed after a referendum accepting the new Constitution devised by the Constituant Assembly.
• October 4, 1958 : the weakened IVth Republic, unable to efficiently manage the colonial wars (Indochina and the then ongoing Algeria war) is replaced by the Fifth Republic when De Gaulle, after leaving the government in January 1946, comes back to power. In 1962 an amendment establishes the election of the President by universal suffrage (the PR was previously elected by the National Assembly).
So, since 1958, France is under Vth Republic. Some politicians however demand a change to a Sixth Republic, limiting the power of the President...

 

[Chas]

On this day, Friday 4 October 1957, The Soviet Union launched its first artificial satellite. The spacecraft was called Sputnik. It was launched from the Tyuratam Base in the Kazakh Republic. It was 22 inches in diameter.

 

[dusaboss]

Almost all English speaking folk wrongly pronounce word "Sputnik" and some other words like "Putin" Ex.

https://translate.google.com/#ru/hr/спутник

Just hit little speaker icon below and hear it.

I mean, I understand people's ignorance, but sometimes it's becomes straight up arrogance by English speakers. Great example is when names of people and towns (even capitals) or pronounced in English. OK I get it. English won the battle and become most influential language in the world, but little respect for others would be really nice.

I'm not accusing anyone here, just speaking in general. Worst thing for me is when native people of some country whan spoke English pronounce name of their capital in English.

 

[Chas]

On this day in October 1947, the US President Harry Truman made the first televised presidential address from the White House asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans after the Second World War.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Roland Garros died 100 years ago yesterday

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Roland Garros died 100 years ago yesterday

That is whom the French open tennis championship is named after.

 

[Chas]

On the 9th of October, 1967 when I was attempting to deal with rampaging communists, the socialist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Che Guevara was killed by the Bolivian army. His hands were cut off as proof of his death and his body was buried in an unmarked grave.

 

[Chas]

AD 732, on October 10th. Battle of Tours near Poitiers, the Frankish and Christian leader Charles Martel defeated the large army of Spanish Moors. This resulted in the halting the Muslim advance through western Europe.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

AD 732, on October 10th. Battle of Tours near Poitiers, the Frankish and Christian leader Charles Martel defeated the large army of Spanish Moors. This resulted in the halting the Muslim advance through western Europe.

The word halting is well chosen, Chas.

 

[Chas]

The word halting is well chosen, Chas.

I was going to make further comment on that word but declined. Now I shall put my head above the parapet and say the advance has now been 'sadly' secured by other methods which I for one deplore.