November 10th this year was the 246th anniversary of the birth of the United States Marine Corps. At the time of their initial inception, the US Marines were referred to as the Continental Marines. The Second Continental Congress ordered the formation of two battalions of marines on November 10, 1775 to serve as a landingContinue reading “Day of the Devil Dogs: A Haiku Series”
Category Archives: History and Origins
November 7: Victims of Communism Memorial Day
On November 7, 1917, Vladimir Lenin led Bolshevik forces to seize power in Russia by capturing government offices in Saint Petersburg. The Bolshevik Revolution was complete and the Soviet Union came into being. Many have argued that for this reason, November 7th should be the internationally-recognized Victims of Communism Memorial Day. Since that day, numerousContinue reading “November 7: Victims of Communism Memorial Day”
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is the modern-day interpretation of All Hollow’s Eve, the Vigil of All Saint’s Day. Historically, this is a day for people to remember those who have passed on and are now in Heaven, and to pray for those in Hell or Purgatory. The imagery of ghosts, ghouls, and other deathly images was meant toContinue reading “Happy Halloween!”
The Hammer of Man: A Haiku Series
October is host to the anniversary of the Battle of Tours, a less impactful, but no highly symbolic skirmish in human history. Also referred to as the Battle of Poitiers, was a skirmish fought between the Frankish Carolingians and the Umayyad Caliphate on October 10, 732. The exact location of the skirmish is unknown, takingContinue reading “The Hammer of Man: A Haiku Series”
Historic Events: The Battle of Lepanto
Hundreds of years of Muslim conquests came to a head at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7 in the year 1571. Islamic forces had been spreading through force of arms, capturing or pillaging every Christian settlement across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe. The Ottoman Empire had formed out of TurkeyContinue reading “Historic Events: The Battle of Lepanto”
Heroes From History: Hugues de Payens
Recently, I have been reading more about historical knights and their great deeds. This month of October, I also found there to be several important historical events involving knights and other prominent warriors of Christendom. This month marks the 450th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Yesterday was also the 1289thContinue reading “Heroes From History: Hugues de Payens”
The Texas Revolution Began on October 2, 1835
This weekend was the anniversary of the Texas Revolution in 1835. This armed conflict is also known as the “Texas War of Independence.” It was a brief dispute in which the Republic of Texas rebelled against the government of Mexico. The notorious “Gonzales Flag” was born out of this conflict and inspired many reimagined versionsContinue reading “The Texas Revolution Began on October 2, 1835”
Dust Settles Back Where It First Flew: A Haiku Series
As many of you may know, the Star Spangled Banner was written on September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key. September has an eventful month in human history with many prominent occasions to note. It can difficult to decide for which to account on a weekly basis. Yet, I still wished to write something aboutContinue reading “Dust Settles Back Where It First Flew: A Haiku Series”
Constitution Day in the United States
On September 17, 1787, the Founding Fathers of the United States signed the U.S. Constitution. The holiday was originally “I Am an American Day” and was observed on the third Sunday in May, first established as a federal holiday in 1940. Twelve years later in 1952, it was changed to September 17 and renamed “ConstitutionContinue reading “Constitution Day in the United States”
The Value of a Nation
As I saw so many posts remembering the loss and the sacrifice that characterize our collective memories of the September 11 terrorist attacks, I was prompted to ponder the national response and massive relief effort which took place in the wake of the attacks. For those unfamiliar with the context, on September 11, 2001, aContinue reading “The Value of a Nation”
The Pensive Warrior 