The Gory Way Japanese Generals Ended Their Battle on Okinawa

Article: Drought Ended Mayan Civilization

The link below is to an article that explores the end of the Mayan civilization in Central America.

For more visit:
http://www.livescience.com/28655-mayan-calendar-dating-confirmed.html

Article: 1258 – the Year the World Ended for Many

The link below is to a very interesting article concerning the year 1258, with a focus on London. It was a year when many people died.

For more visit:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/05/medieval-volcano-disaster-london-graves

Today in History: 07 April 1862

American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh Ends

On this day in 1862 during the American Civil War, the Battle of Shiloh ended in Tennessee, when Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant defeated Confederate troops under General Albert Sidney Johnston and P. G. T. Beauregard.

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

Books:
The Illustrated Comprehensive History of the Great Battle of Shiloh, by Samuel Meek Howard

Today in History: 04 March 1804

Australia: The Castle Hill Rebellion

On this day in 1804, in Castle Hill, Irish convicts revolted against British colonial rule in New South Wales. The revolt would continue for ten days, with many people killed. The rebels were led by Phillip Cunningham, a veteran of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 which resulted in the Battle of Vinegar Hill. On the 6th March, Cunningham was appointed the first sovereign of Australia by the rebels, a position which would soon be lost and his life ended with his hanging.

For more, visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill_convict_rebellion
http://www.dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/castle_hill_convict_rebellion_1804
http://www.hawkesburyhistory.org.au/articles/Battle_of_Vinegar.html
http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/exhibition/objectsthroughtime/1804-convict-uprising-at-castle-hill-watercolour/

Today in History: 02 March 1855

Russia: Alexander II Becomes Tsar

On this day in 1855, Alexander II Nikolaevich, became the Tzar of Russia. Alexander II was born in Moscow on the 29th April 1818 and died (assassinated) in Saint Petersburg on the 13th March 1881. His reign was ended in a series of bomb blasts that assassinated the Tsar, an assassination that followed a number of failed attempts in previous years.

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

Today in History: 26 February 1815

France: Napoleon Escapes from Elba

On this day in 1815, Napoleon escaped from his exile on the island of Elba and began his return to France. His return to France and his time as the renewed Emperor of France ended with the Battle of Waterloo on the 18th June 1815. Napoleon was eventually exiled to the island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, where he died in February 1821.

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

Today in History: 23 February 1836

Texas: San Antonio – the Battle of the Alamo

On this day in 1836, the Battle of the Alamo begins in San Antonio, then part of Mexican Texas. This battle was part of the wider Texas Revolution. The siege of the Alamo ended on the 6th March 1836 with a Mexican victory. Killed in the battle were James Bowie, William B. Travis and Davy Crockett.

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

Today in History – 22 May 1840

Australia – New South Wales: Transportation of Convicts to New South Wales Ended

On this day in 1840, the transportation of convicts to the colony of New South Wales in Australia ended. Transportation of convicts to New South Wales began with the departure of the first convicts from England on the 13th May 1787, with the first convicts arriving at Botany Bay on the 20th January 1788. Transportation of convicts continued in to other areas of Australia until the last ship arrived in Western Australia on the 10th January 1868.

 

Today in History – 29 April 1672

Louis XIV: Franco-Dutch War – France Invades the Netherlands

The Franco-Dutch War was more than a war between France and the Netherlands, then known as the United Provinces. It involved a host of other nations including Sweden, Spain, England and other less known regions/countries. The war lasted from 1672 to 1678 and ended with the Treaty of Nijmegen.

This day in 1672 saw the beginning of the war with the French invasion of the United Provinces and they quickly made progress into the country. However, as the war continued it quickly became a stalemate-type situation, though the French did gain territory from the Treaty of Nijmegen.

For a more detailed treatment of the war, see the Wikipedia page at:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Dutch_War