Article: World War I – Russia’s Promise to Attack Germany

The link below is to an article that reports on the lead up to World War I and Russia’s promise to attack Germany.

For more visit:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/133709

Article: Nuclear Attack on the Moon

The following link is to an article concerning a once planned nuclear launch on the moon.

For more visit:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/the-united-states-once-planned-on-nuking-the-moon/

Today in History: 14 May 1943

Australia: Queensland – The AHS Centaur is Sunk by a Japanese Submarine

On this day in 1943 off the Queensland coast (Australia), the AHS Centaur is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk. The Centaur was a hospital ship, with 268 of the 332 people on board killed as a result of the attack. The submarine responsible for the attack was the I-177.

For more, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AHS_Centaur

Today in History: 19 February 1942

War Comes to Australia: The Bombing of Darwin

On this day in 1942, Japan launched the first of a number of air raids on northern Australia, striking Darwin in the Northern Territory. The bombing of Darwin on the 19th February 1942 resulted in the deaths of over 250 people, hundreds more wounded, the destruction of 23 aircraft and 10 ships, with an
additional 25 ships damaged. The Japanese lost 7 aircraft in the attack.

Australia suffered more than 60 attacks from Japanese aircraft during World War II.

For more visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin

Today in History: 19 January 1839

Aden: Captured by the British East India Company

On this day on the 19th January 1839, Royal Marines were landed by the British East India Company, to seize territory including Aden (now part of Yemen) that had been ceded to the British in 1838 by Sultan Muhsin bin Fadl. The area was being used by pirates to attack British shipping bound for India. It remained under British control until 1967.

Today in History – 8 May 1821

Greece: Greek War of Independence – The Battle of Gravia Inn

Today in 1821, during the Greek War of Independence (against the Ottoman Empire), the Battle of Gravia Inn took place. In this amazing battle, Odysseas Androutsos led 120 men against an army of 9 000 men belonging to the Ottoman Army.

Fresh from victory over Greek forces at the Battle of Alamana, the Ottoman Army under Omer Vrioni was moving to attack the Peloponnese. However, they ran into the small force led by Androutsos at Gravia (Greece), who had fortified themselves within the inn.

A number of attacks on the inn took place with the Ottoman Army suffering heavy casualties and the Greeks very few (6 only). Vrioni odered up his artillery and during this time the Greeks managed to slip away through the Ottoman lines.

As a consequence of his heavy losses (some 300 dead and 800 more wounded), Vrioni retreated and withdrew. During this time the Greeks consolidated their position in the Peloponnese, including the capture of the Ottoman capital in the Peloponnese – Tripoli.

 

Today in History – 26 April 1865

United States: John Wilkes Booth is Killed

On the 14th April 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated the President of the United States of America at Ford’s Theatre, in Washington D.C. Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, managed to escape the scene of his crime and fled on horseback to a farm in northern Virginia. It was here, 12 days after his attack on the president that Booth was shot and killed.

John Wilkes Booth was born on the 10th May 1838, into the well known Booth family and became a well known actor in his own right. But it would be his assassination of Abraham Lincoln that he would always be remembered for.

Eight other co-conspirators were tried and convicted for their parts in the assassination and other roles in the plot that resulted in the death of the president. Four of these were hung a short time later.

 

Today in History – 19 April 1587

Sir Francis Drake Destroys the Spanish Fleet in Cadiz, Spain

War had broken out (Anglo-Spanish War of 1585 to 1604) between the Spanish and English – between Roman Catholic Spain and Protestant England. But it was more than just a religious war, for there were also political and economic agitations. English privateers were having a major impact on Spanish shipping. English support for the Netherlands in their fight for independence against Spain and also their support for an alternative Portuguese ruler (Portugal were in league with Spain) were a constant annoyance to the Spanish Empire. England saw Spain as a major threat to their security. Soon it was war, with Spain determined to invade England and crush Protestantism in its infancy.

Sir Francis Drake had been one of the thorns in Spain’s side, acting as a privateer in the Spanish Indies and taking many a Spanish ship as a prize. He was given command of an English fleet and set out to attack the Spanish on the 12th April 1587. On the 19th April 1587, Sir Francis Drake carried out what he described as having ‘singed the beard of the King of Spain,’ by sinking the Spanish fleet at harbor in the Bay of Cadiz, Spain. Up to 33 ships were destroyed and four were captured. This occurred the year prior to the sinking of the Spanish Armada during the attempted invasion of England.

When the fleet returned to England on the 6th of July, they had sunk over 100 enemy vessels and suceeded in setting back the planned Spanish invasion of England by a year. Drake had already sealed his place in history as one of England’s heroes, but his work had only just begun.