This Day in History

[Sir Slash]

Those 1955 Elementary School desks were excellent protection. You could drive a Sherman tank over one and it wouldn't give an inch, as our school Janitor did a few times for demonstration. Made from solid steel WWII Nazi Dragon's Teeth Tank Traps, they could also be assembled into an Anti-Aircraft Platform if needed. They don't make them like THAT any more.

[besilarius]

1813.  Although not so famous as his elder brother the great Shawnee war chief Tecumseh (1768-1813), Tenskwatawa (1775–1836) was actually the spiritual leader of the Ohio Indians during their long resistance to "pacification" by the United States.

A rather misspent and dissipated youth led the young man to be named Lalawethika ("The Noisy One"), but in May of 1805, while overindulging in whiskey, he had vision and became a great spiritual leader. Soon renamed Tenskwatawa (one interpretation of which is "The Open Door"), and soon known among the whites as "The Prophet," the young man preached that the whites were the children of the Great Serpent, the source of evil in the world, and urged his people to return to the ways of their ancestors, abandoning all European customs and goods, including alcohol (though, like other retro-religious movements in some corners of the world, not firearms), while initiating the persecution of Christian Indians.

In 1806, William Henry Harrison, then governor of the Indiana Territory, challenged Tenskwatawa to offer proof that he had supernatural powers.

Now it happened that a government-sponsored expedition had been sent into the Ohio country in order to observe a total solar eclipse that was to occur on June 16th. Tenskwatawa was aware of this, though Harrison apparently was not.

So, responding to Harrison's challenge, Tenskwatawa prophesied that he would darken the sun and then restore it on June 16. Naturally, this came to pass.

And so Harrison's attempt to discredit Tenskwatawa backfired, helping to confirm his spiritual power among the Shawnee.

[besilarius]

For many years the Second regiment of the British army was n
cknamed the “Sleepy Queen’s Royal Regiment.”

This curious nickname came about as a result of the escape of the French garrison from Almeida, Spain, on the night of May 10-11, 1811.
Despite allowing the French to escape, the men of the Queen’s Regiment, as well as those of the 4th and 36th Foot (all of whom had been tasked with keeping the enemy bottled up) had laid on an impressive pursuit, even abandoning much equipment in order to lighten their burdens. They actually managed to catch up with the French, albeit just as the latter were crossing the River Puerco into the safety of Marshal Massena’s army.
News of this untoward development was brought to Lt. Gen. Thomas Picton by an Irish officer.  Picton, who had a fiery temper, bellowed, “What the devil were the 2nd doing?”
“Faith,” replied the Irishman, “I suppose they were asleep.”

“Asleep!  What, then, was the 36th about?”

“Devil a one can tell, but maybe they were watching the 2nd, for fear somebody would waken them."

[Sir Slash]

That was pretty, 'Cheeky'. 

[besilarius]

From about 1313 the city of Florence engaged in a series of wars with neighboring Pisa in an effort to subdue the latter and thus gain control of a valuable seaport and merchant fleet. The wars went on for years and years, with neither side gaining the upper hand, though in a war fought 1362-1364 Pisan forces under the command of the redoubtable Giovanni Acuto - Sir John Hawkwood - inflicted a serious defeat on their rival. A long peace resulted. But in 1392, by which time Hawkwood was in his dotage, the Florentines decided to give it another try.

The Florentines spared no effort, investing heavily in mercenary forces to supplement their citizen militia levy. To make certain that everything went properly, the city fathers even consulted several astrologers and soothsayers to ascertain the most propitious day for the army to march. The conclusion was that if the troops marched out the gate in the Borgo SS. Apostoli [Ward of the Holy Apostles] at mid-morning on June 20 they would meet with the greatest possible success. In consequence, the host mustered in the Piazza della Signoria - where today hosts of tourists muster - early that morning for a round of speeches and religious ceremonies to accompany the distribution of standards. When all was concluded, the army marched off to the cheers of the happy folk who weren't going with them.

As the army began making its way through Borgo SS. Apostoli, some of the astrologers realized that the various ceremonies had run overlong, and that the astrologically most favorable moment for the army to leave the city was almost past. Although the troops picked up the pace, it soon became clear that they would not sally forth from the city at precisely the right moment. The astrologers hastily reassessed their data and concluded that the best possible alternative route was through the Porta Rosa. Immediately orders were issued redirecting the troops to the new line of march. Unfortunately, people living along the new route had not had time to clear the way for their brave boys. As a result, shop awnings overhung the street and market stands narrowed the way.

The troops very quickly ran into problems, as lances and standards and pikes became entangled in the various obstacles, while men and horses found themselves crowded against each other. By the time the army reached the Porta Rosa it was already demoralized and in dismal condition, far different from the brave host that had stood in the Piazza della Signoria scant hours earlier.

Needless to say, the Florentines lost the war, though whether because they had failed to carefully adhere to the vaticinations of their astrologers, or because they had consulted them in the first place cannot be determined.

 

[Tolstoi]

... in 1392, by which time Hawkwood was in his dotage, the Florentines decided to give it another try.

Needless to say, the Florentines lost the war, though whether because they had failed to carefully adhere to the vaticinations of their astrologers, or because they had consulted them in the first place cannot be determined.

Hmm, my knowledge of medieval battles and games about them is meager, so I didn't find a game for this particular day in history. I did find Poitiers 1356 et Formigny 1450 (1999) and The Black Prince (1992) which both cover that time period. Interesting piece of history.

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1502  Cesare Borgia captures Urbino.  The siege is made easier by his use of revolutionary siege weapons designed by an engineer from Vinci.

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The first aerial combat in history occurred on June 22, 1808 in the
skies above the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It seems that in late June of 1808, a certain M. de Grandpre and a certain M. le Pique, both acquaintances of Mlle Tirevit, a diva at the Imperial Opera, quarreled over her "favor." Challenges were exchanged. The two gentlemen agreed to settle the matter with pistols in an aerial duel to take place in one month's time, and Mlle Tirevit agreed that her "favor" would belong to the victor.

On the appointed day the two duelists, accompanied by their seconds, boarded identical, specially made hot-air balloons tethered 80 meters apart in the Tuileries gardens. As a considerable crowd looked on, the gallant idiots began their ascents. At about 400 meters, a pre-arranged signal was given from the ground, in the form of a gunshot.

Le Pique fired first, but his ball went wide. At that, Grandpre took careful aim and cleverly sent a ball through his rival's balloon. Le Pique's gas bag rapidly deflated, sending him and his second crashing to their deaths on the ground before the crowd of horrified onlookers. Meanwhile, Grandpre's balloon broke its tether and was wafted away by a gentle breeze, alighting some 35 miles distant from Paris. Securing a coach, Grandpre returned to Paris post haste in order to enjoy the "favor" of Mlle. Tirevit.

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Per tab Singh (1845-1922) was one of the prominent Indian princes during the English Raj.
was quite a character. A younger son of the Maharaja of Jodhpur, he was in his own right Maharaja of Idar (1902-1911), in what is now Gujarat, in western India, which he abdicated to his nephew, having no son of his own of princely rank, and three times served as regent of Jodhpur after the death of his brother and the latter’s successor. Eventually the holder of three knighthoods, Sir Pertab was an enthusiastic supporter of British rule. Commissioned an officer in the Jodhpur Army, one of the princely forces that supported the British Indian Army, Sir Pertab served in the field during the Second Afghan War (1878-1880), earning a mention in dispatches, fought gallantly in the Tirah Campaign on the Northwest Frontier (1897-1898), during which he was severely wounded, and earned a promotion to colonel. In 1900 he commanded the Jodhpur contingent during the Boxer Rebellion, and was promoted to major-general in 1902.

In 1907, a British officer serving in Jodhpur died, and when no fourth Christian of appropriate rank was found to assist at his burial, Sir Pertab voluntarily served as a pall bearer. , Brahmin priests claimed that he had thus broken caste, and demanded that he undergo a purification, to which he replied “I will do nothing of the sort, the deceased and I belong to the highest caste of all, that of a soldier.”

Sir Pertab believed that “a soldier’s death, wherever won, is the best and greatest gift of life,” and so, when World War I broke out, though pushing 70, volunteered for service. He led the Jodhpur Imperial Service Troops, essentially a brigade of two lancer regiments and a medical detachment, on the Western Front in the Indian Corps (1914-1915), and later in the Sinai and Palestine (1917-1918). The Jodhpur Lancers took a prominent role in the capture of Haifa (September 23, 1918), where Sir Pertab told them, "You can go forward and be killed by the enemy’s bullets, or you can fall back and be executed by me." Two of his sons and a nephew served with the lancers, and one son was killed at Haifa, an operation still commemorated annually in the Indian Army. Sir Pertab emerged from the war as a lieutenant-general and Knight Commander of the Bath.

During the course of his long and faithful service to the British Empire, Sir Pertab became a personal friend to Queen Victoria, her son Edward VII, and the latter’s son George V. So when, in 1921, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), toured India, he quite naturally looked up the old family friend.

Sir Pertab took the young prince pig sticking, a favorite sport among the Indian horsey set, and one at which he was quite adept. The prince, although an accomplished polo player, was much less experienced in the pig sticking business, and made a careless mistake; He dismounted during the hunt, before the pig had been killed, which could have cost him dearly.

At that, Sir Pertab told him, “I know you are the Prince of Wales, and you know that you are the Prince of Wales, but the pig doesn’t know you are the Prince of Wales.”

[besilarius]

1295. Lippoo Mannelii, in Siena by partisans of the Velluti family, in vendetta for a murder committed in 1267.

1445  Annibale I Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna(1438-1445), assassinated while leaving church by Battista Canneschi, an agent of the Canetoli & Ghisiliere families, many of whom are promptly lynched by the populace.

1502  First meeting between Cesare Borgia and Niccola Machiavelli.  Machiavelli arranges for his friend, Leonardo da Vinci, to become Cesare's senior military engineer.

[besilarius]

1483.  Richard of Gloucester deposes his nephew Edward V as illegitimate and becomes Richard III.
1943.  US su bmariners finally persuade their leaders that their torpedoes suck.
1956.  Fleet Admiral Ernest King dies.  His daughter defends his memory, "He was the most even tempered man In the world. He was furious with everyone all of the time."
2015.  John Steed, partner of Emma Peel, permanently retired.

[besilarius]

1483.  Richard of Gloucester deposes his nephew Edward V as illegitimate and becomes Richard III.
1673. Capt a n-Lieutenant D'Artagnon  of the King's Musketeers dies assaulting Maastricht.
1943.  US su bmariners finally persuade their leaders that their torpedoes suck.
1956.  Fleet Admiral Ernest King dies.  His daughter defends his memory, "He was the most even tempered man In the world. He was furious with everyone all of the time."
2015.  John Steed, partner of Emma Peel, permanently retired.

[besilarius]

Near and dear to all city dwellers, today is International Rat Catchers Day.
In 326 BC, the Macedonian army first engaged elephants
., Alexander the Great promptly began incorporating them in his army. By the time he died, in 323 B.C., he had about 200 of the beasts at Babylon. Elephants took part in the Wars of the Successors (323-301 B.C.), and soon became a common place of military life around the Mediterranean basin. Several states maintained large numbers of war elephants. Pyrrhus of Epirus used many during his war against Rome (280-275 B.C.), finding them less than effective against Roman valor. Carthage reportedly maintained 200 on active duty at all times, and often fielded 100 or 150 for particular campaigns, though Hannibal only brought 37 on his march across the Alps in 218 B.C., and most of those died soon afterwards. Thereafter the use of elephants in warfare tended to decline.

1588.  English fireships are sent into the Spanish Armada at Calais.  Fireships rarely destroyed any ships, other than themselves, but the terror of a ship being set afire, was overwhelming.

There were a number of reasons for this decline. Despite their fearsome appearance, as the Romans demonstrated to Pyrrhus, they were no match for well disciplined, intelligent troops. They are also unsuited to operations in colder environments; in fact, most of Hannibal’s elephants perished during their first winter in Italy, hardly the coldest place in the world. In additional, elephants can sometimes go berserk, with unpleasant consequences. But there were also logistical problems connected to the use of elephants.

Depending upon size, elephants require 200 to 300 pounds of fodder a day, and typically will eat lots of fruit, grain, and leaves as well. They also drink 20 to 40 gallons of water a day. As a result of an inefficient digestive system (they only get about half the food value out of their rations that cows do), elephants “go” rather often. On average, an elephant will defecate about every 90 minutes and urinate about every two hours, and in prodigious amounts. Daily “productivity” can easily reach about 250 pounds of feces and about 15-30 gallons of urine.

Now consider the problems associated with (1) feeding and watering and (2) cleaning up after, several hundred elephants every day.

[besilarius]

1940.  Generalissimo Francisco Franco arrests his Ministern of the Air for plotting a pro Axis coup.

1949.  Captain Video and his Video Rangers debut on the Dumont network.  Runs for six seasons,  inspiring lots of kids about space.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kWOJrUFQoDE&pp=ygUNQ2FwdGFpbiB2aWRlbw%3D%3D

[besilarius]

1651.        Battle of Berestechko, Day 1 of 3: Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky's c. 200,000 Ukrainian Cossacks & Crimean Tatars skirmish with Casimir II's c. 150,00 Polish-Lithuanian army.

1799. Francesco Carracciola, Neapolitan admiral, hung by Lord Nelson.
When allied troops entered Naples,  the Germans clung fiercely to the city, battling Italian partisans for days while trying to destroy its extensive harbor facitilities. As a result, there was much devastation. Food, water, medical supplies were all scarce, there were thousands of wounded civilians. Allied civil affairs personnel attempted to cope with problem, but were themselves beset by a shortage of resources.

The Prince of Caracciolo, scion of one of the noblest Italian families and head of the Italian Red Cross, knew of the location of extensive stocks of food, medicines, and other supplies that had been kept hidden from the Germans. But when he approached the Allied occupation authorities, he got nowhere; everyone either ignored him or fobbed him off on someone else, and his polite attempts to submit a written proposal explaining his purpose were ignored..

Finally the Prince hit upon a clever idea. He penned a note to the senior British naval officer in the city, which included the lines, “One of your admirals hanged one of my relatives. I demand an immeidate meeting.”

One can immagine the consternation this caused. Within a very short time the prince was ushered into the British admiral’s office. Before anyone could speak, the Prince said, “I am the head of the Italian Red Cross in Naples, and have access to large stocks of food and medical supplies.”

Taken aback, the British admiral, said, “But what about this relative you say was hanged by one of our admirals?”

“Oh,” replied the Prince, “that was my kinsman Admiral Francesco Caracciolo, who was hanged by your Admiral Nelson in 1799