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[Note: This was updated from 2023 for grammar, punctuation, and better source identification. Also revised the dates used to include the old date and new date after implementation of Gregorian calendar.]
On 8 Aug 1588 (29 July 1588) * naval forces of England and Spain engaged in an 8-hour furious battle off the coast of France that determined the fate of both countries control of the seas. Spain had created the armada to not only gain control of the English Channel but also to land an invasion force in England. England since the early 1580s had been conducting raids against Spanish commerce and had supported Dutch rebels in Spanish Netherlands. The other reason was to restore Catholicism that had been outlawed since the reign of King Henry VIII.
The invasion fleet was authorized by King Philip II and was completed in 1587 but delayed by a raid by Sir Francis Drake on the Armada’s supplies. It did not depart until 29 May 1588 (May 19, 1588) The fleet consisted of 130 ships under the command of the Duke of Medina-Sidonia. It had 2,500 guns, 8,000 seamen, and 20,000 soldiers. The Spanish ships though were slower than their English counterparts and lighter armed as well despite their guns. Their tactic was to force boarding when their ships were close enough. They believed with the superior numbers of Spanish infantry they could overwhelm the English ships.
The English were commanded by Charles Howard, 2nd Baron Howard of Effingham. Like his counterpart, he was an admiral with not much sea experience but proved to be the better leader. His second in command was Sir Francis Drake. The English fleet was at its height 200 ships but in the actual combat was at most 100. Only 40 were warships and the rest smaller, but they were armed with heavy artillery that were able to fire at longer ranges without having to get close to the enemy to be effective. The English strategy was to bombard their enemy from a distance and not give them the opportunity to get close and possibly board their ships (which had smaller number of soldiers aboard than the Spanish had).
As the Spanish Armada made its way, it would be harassed by English ships that bombarded them at a distance negating Spanish attempts to board. The Armada anchored near Calais, France on 27 July (16 July). The Spanish forces on land were in Flanders and would take time to get Calais. However, since there was no safe port and enemy Dutch and English ships patrolled the coastal shallows, it meant those troops had no safe way to get to the Armada.
Around midnight on 7- 8Aug 1588 ( 28-29 July), the English sent 8 fire ships into the anchored Spanish fleet. The Spanish were forced to quickly scatter to avoid the fire ships. This meant the Armada formation was now broken making them easier targets for the English to attack. They closed to effective range and attacked. Surprising to the English, the return fire was mostly small arms. It turns out most of the heavy cannons had not been mounted. And those that were did not have properly trained crews on how to reload. Three Spanish ships were sunk or driven ashore. Other ships were battered and moved away. The English also were low on ammunition, so they had to drop back and follow the Spanish fleet.
The Spanish fleet had to flee north and around Scotland and from there head back to Spain. The English fleet turned back for resupply. It was a long road back to Spain for the Armada. Autumn had arrived and gales in the North Atlantic made passage tough. Ships were lost to bad weather, navigational errors, foundered near Ireland, and possibly battle damage as well. Only 60 of the 130 survived with an estimated loss of 15,000 men. The English losses were much smaller with fewer men wounded or killed in battle. It appears most of the deaths that came later were due to disease (possibly scurvy). Damages to the English ships were negligible.
Significance
With the defeat of the Spanish Armada, England was made safe from invasion. The Dutch rebels the English backed in Spanish Netherlands were saved as well. Spain up to that point had been the greatest European power, so it was a major blow to their prestige that would have ramifications down the road for them. Also, it heralded a major change for naval battles. This was the first major naval gun battle where the combatants fought at a distance rather than closing and boarding. Warships that could move quickly and had artillery that fire at long range would become the norm on the seas from that point on. England would now become a major world power. Spain still was in the game for several decades (the English were not successful either in trying their own invasion) and was still a major colonial power. England and Spain formally ended their conflict in 1604. Spain, however, would eventually go into decline as England and other European powers would successfully expand into Asia and establish their own colonies and trade routes.
*England was still under the old Julian calendar in 1588, so the original date is shown in parentheses. England adopted it in 1752 and had to skip ahead 11 days accounting for the difference. Wherever possible, the original and new date are shown.
Sources
Cartwright, M., & Van Wieringen, C. C. (2023). Spanish armada. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Spanish_Armada/
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1998, July 20). Spanish Armada | Definition, defeat, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Armada-Spanish-naval-fleet#ref284702
The Spanish Armada, 1588. (2023, November 24). Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Spanish-Armada/
Elizabeth I and the Spanish armada. (n.d.). Royal Museums Greenwich. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/elizabeth-i-spanish-armada
Sullivan, M. (2024f, July 25). Spanish Armada defeated. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/spanish-armada-defeated
Suggested Reading
Fernández-Armesto, F. (1989). The Spanish Armada: The Experience of War in 1588. Oxford University Press, USA. This is written from the Spanish point of view. Some have criticized it as glorifying the Spanish Armada, which failed all its strategic and tactical aims. Worth reading though to see it viewed outside of the normal British view on the event.
History, C. (2020). History of Spain: A Captivating Guide to Spanish History, Starting from Roman Hispania Through the Visigoths, the Spanish Empire, the Bourbons, and the War of Spanish Independence to the Present.
Martin, C., & Parker, G. (1999). The Spanish Armada: Revised Edition. Manchester University Press. This is an update to an earlier book by the same authors. The prior book was well researched and considered the standard for this subject. This revised edition has updated information both from Spanish Armada shipwrecks that have been found and more archival data found. If you really want to know the full details as to what led up to the battle, the battle itself, and its aftermath, this would be the book to read.
Sheane, M. (2023). Ireland, 1588: Wreck of the Spanish Armada. A H Stockwell Limited.
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Beginning near midnight on August 8 and in the early morning of August 9 1969, Sharon Tate, the wife of movie director Roman Polanski, was killed along with four others in their Beverly Hills home. The murders made national headlines and two days later a second series of murders would occur. The savage murders were done by followers of Charles Manson and the murders would make him a criminal icon.
Charles Manson was born in 1934 to an unwed 16-year-old mother; he would never know his father. After his mother was imprisoned for armed robbery, he went to live with an aunt and uncle in West Virginia. He would spend much of his youth getting into trouble and being put into prison in his early adult years. He moved to California in 1967 after being released from jail. In San Francisco he used his charm and other things to attract a small group of followers from the youth rebelling the standards of the day. By 1968, he had become the head of a group who called themselves his “Family.”
Manson’s beliefs were an odd mix of religion, fringe psychology, and even science fiction. He believed in a coming apocalyptic race war that would devastate the country. Blacks would rise up to kill whites but would still need a leader after it was done. Manson would become that leader and his Family would be the nucleus of a new order. He would adopt the term “Helter Skelter,” taken from the Beatles’ record White Album, to refer to this order.
While he was not present when the murders occurred, he certainly planned and directed it. Roman Polanski was not the target on 8 August, and he was out of town during that period of time. His intended target was Terry Melcher, a music producer that had been introduced to him through a chance encounter with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Manson was a singer-songwriter and one of his songs had been performed by them (though uncredited for it). Melcher considered and then decided to not produce a record by him. Melcher had leased the home that Polanski and his pregnant wife Sharon Tate now occupied.
Sharon Tate was a fledging actress who had come to fame in Valley of the Dolls (1967) and also in the British horror-comedy The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). While her husband Roman was off in Europe shooting a movie, Tate, now eight months pregnant, was living in the home with his friend Wojciech Frykowski and his girlfriend Abilgail Frykowski (coffee heiress). On 8 August Manson ordered Charles “Tex” Watson and several other members of the family to go there and kill everyone as gruesome as possible. They would arrive near midnight or just a little after and encounter Steve Parent, an 18 year old boy visiting the caretaker, in his car and kill him. Then Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian entered the main house. There were four people in the home-Tate, Frykowski, Folger and celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring. They were assembled in the living room.
Sebring was both shot and stabbed to death. Frykowski and Folger managed to escape but were tracked down and killed by Krenwinkel and Watson. Sharon Tate was stabbed to death after being hung from a ceiling beam. The rope was found wrapped around her neck and there were no post-mortem injuries found. Her blood was used to write the word “PIG” on the front door. The following night Manson ordered that grocery store executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary be murdered. Manson was involved in this action as he and Watson tied up and robbed. He then left with three others of his Family leaving Watson, Leslie van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkel in the home. They stabbed the couple to death and left words written in blood on the walls.
The murders shocked Los Angeles considering that Frykowski had been stabbed fifty times as well as shot. The police were baffled as to the motives and who the assailants were. The two crimes were not connected at first. There was a belief that a drug transaction gone bad may have led to the gruesome deaths at the Polanski home. What broke the case and connected both murders were the arrests of Manson’s family at the Spahn Ranch in Death Valley for vehicle theft and burning equipment. One of those arrested would implicate Susan Atkins in a murder. Atkins apparently boasted of the Tate murders to cellmates. All of the killers would be arrested including Charles Manson. Although he did not personally commit the murders, he ordered his Family to do them. All were brought to trial in June 1970. Linda Kasabian was given full immunity and was the main prosecution witness. All were convicted of murder and given the death penalty. However, those sentences were changed to life imprisonment when capital punishment was abolished in 1972. Although eligible for parole at various times, none of their requests were granted. Charles Manson would die in prison in 2017 at age 83.
Sources
Bauer, P. (2024, August 1). Tate murders | Victims, Perpetrators, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Tate-murders
Jenkins, J. P. (2024, July 28). Charles Manson | Biography, Murders, Family, Sharon Tate, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Manson
Mullen, M. (2021c, August 6). Charles Manson cult kills five, including actress Sharon Tate. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/manson-cult-kills-five-people
Suggested Reading
Bugliosi, V., & Gentry, C. (2001). Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. W. W. Norton & Company. I highly recommend this book as it covers all the details of the case. And a lot of background investigation as well. The author was the actual prosecutor on the case.
Guinn, J. (2014). Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson. Simon and Schuster.
Statman, A., & Tate, B. (2013). Restless souls: The Sharon Tate Family’s Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice. It Books.
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Harland & Wolff got bad news the other day according to various news reports. It was a preferred bidder for a Falkland Island contract to redevelop Port Stanley. However the Falkland Islands government announced that after having discussions with the company, they have decided to end the contract. It is a blow to the beleaguered company that was unable to get British government to guarantee a loan. They have received a short term loan but its ability to fulfill a UK Royal Navy contract could be in jeopardy. Additionally the company has stopped a ferry service it was running as well.
Sources
Taylor, G. (2024b, August 6). Harland & Wolff crisis deepens: Titanic shipbuilder loses £120m Falkland Islands port contract. CityAM. https://www.cityam.com/
Oliver, M. (2024b, August 1). Harland & Wolff abandons ferry service amid scramble to survive. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/08/01/harland-wolff-abandons-ferry-service-in-scramble-to-survive/
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During the recent Titanic expedition, a plaque honoring Paul-Henri Nargeolet was placed at the wreck site. Nargeolet was aboard the submersible Titan that imploded last year taking the lives of everyone aboard. Nargeolet was a well known and respected deep sea explorer and Titanic expert. RMS Titanic issued a statement about the plaque:
At the heart of #TITANICExpedition2024 is our beloved colleague and friend PH Nargeolet. “His memory has been etched into the DNA of this Expedition from the start. PH was intended to be on board, but his life was tragically cut short last summer. “
Source
Guinness, E. (2024b, August 6). Titan submersible victim honoured with plaque at Titanic wreck site. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/titan-submersible-titanic-oceangate-plaque-b2591272.html
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Rory Golden, who was on the support ship for the Titan submersible, has been giving interviews about that tragic day. He relates their fear and the false hope they would be found alive. They had an image in their minds that they were trapped down there running out of oxygen, but it was a false hope.
“We had this image in our heads of them being down there, running out of oxygen in the freezing cold, getting terribly frightened and scared,” Golden told BBC News
And when the remains were found, they all cried as they had formed a bond with all those who had been aboard that submersible. They had gotten to know them on the ship during the week.
Source
Sainato, M. (2024, August 1). Witness to Titan sub disaster tells of rescue effort: ‘We lived in false hope.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/titan-submersible-witness-rescue-effort-oceangate
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It looks like Dolly Parton, or rather her company, has bought the Titanic properties of John Joslyn, which includes the well known Titanic Pigeon Forge Museum in Tennessee. Apparently the deal was inked a little while back. So now Parton can include Titanic in her entertainment repertoire. No one is commenting on any impending changes to either this one or its sister location in Branson, Missouri. With Dolly now part of it, you can bet she will find time to visit.
Source
Morgan-Rumsey, C. (2024, August 1). Pigeon Forge’s Titanic Museum purchased by Dolly’s Stampede parent company. https://www.wvlt.tv. https://www.wvlt.tv/2024/08/01/pigeon-forges-titanic-museum-purchased-by-dollys-stampede-parent-company/
Suggested Titanic Reading
Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.
Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.
Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
[Editors note: This was updated from last year to correct punctuation, grammar, updated sources, and suggested reading.]
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks;
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.
The sensational murder trial of Lizzie Borden would galvanize the nation but ended up in her acquittal in 1893.
Lizzie Borden and her older sister Emma were the daughters of a well-to-do businessman Andrew Borden of Fall River, Massachusetts. Their mother died when they were young, and he married Abby Gray who ended up raising them to adulthood. Their father, though wealthy, was not liked by a lot of people in the community. He was seen as both parsimonious (a fancy word meaning excessively frugal) and dour. Both daughters grew to dislike their stepmother believing she was trying to enrich herself over their father’s money. Lizzie was well liked in the community and involved in charitable works. Both daughters helped manager their father’s properties.
On Thursday 4 August 1892, Andrew Borden left home to conduct business. In the home was the maid Bridget Sullivan, his wife Abby, and his daughter Lizzie. Emma was out of the home on business of her own. Andrew would return later than morning and lie down on the couch to take a nap. Lizzie would him dead on the couch around 11:15 am. His head had been repeatedly hit by a sharp object and there was considerable amount of blood. Police were summoned and it was during this time it was discovered the stepmother was found dead face down in the guest room. Her head had been horribly mutilated. Police interviewed Lizzie but she gave conflicting statements. A search of the basement found two hatchets, two axes, and a hatchet-head with a broken handle with the latter the suspected murder weapon. It appeared to have been coated with ash and other things to make it look like it had not been used for a while.
The police failed to make a full search of the house at the time. Lizzie went to stay with a friend of her sister. Later she was seen by a police officer detailed to guard the house entering the cellar with this friend and seemed to be hunched over a sink. The police learned that Lizzie had tried to get hydrocyanic acid in a diluted form from a drugstore. There had been a recent mysterious illness in the home that raised the possibility of poisoning. Both bodies were tested and found no poison in them. The illness may have been food poisoning from contaminated meet rather than a deliberate poisoning. However, since Andrew Borden was not well liked, his wife had suspected that perhaps someone in Fall River had poisoned them.
The police focused on Lizzie Borden as the likely suspect due to her contradictory statements, the attempt to purchase a poison, the burning of a dress, and the hatchet-head that was found during a more through search later on. She would be arrested and formally indicted in December 1892. However, her trial would not begin until June 1893. Just before her trial started, another sensational murder done with an axe occurred. It bore striking similarities to the Borden case but a suspect was caught and arrested. It was on the minds of many in the courtroom when the trial started.
Unfortunately for the prosecution, all the evidence they had was circumstantial. There was no direct proof she had handled the axe that killed the Borden parents. Nor was the burning of a dress she said had been covered in paint as well proof she did the murder. While everyone knew she and her sister did not like her stepmother much, proving she had done the murders was hard to do. The police had failed to gather any fingerprints. This had become more common especially in Europe, but the local police didn’t believe in its use. So, they lacked any fingerprint evidence that might have helped in prosecuting Lizzie Borden. And the jury as a result acquitted her on 20 June 1893 since the evidence was not strong enough to convict on.
Aftermath
Lizzie Borden would continue to live in Fall River for the rest of her life, though in a different home with her sister Emma. Both sisters, after all the probate was concluded, received their inheritance from their father’s estate. Lizzie changed her name to Lizbeth A. Borden. The new home they moved into was more modern and they also have live -in servants and a coachman. Fall River mostly ostracized her and apparently had little involvement in the community afterwards. Her sister Emma would move out in 1905 after they argued over a party Lizbeth held for an actress. Emma would never see her sister again. Both sisters remand reclusive until they both died. Lizbeth died of pneumonia on 1 June 1927. Emma died 9 days later at her home in New Hampshire from chronic nephritis as a result of a fall she suffered ironically on the day her sister died. Both are buried in the family plot at the Oak River Cemetery in Fall River.
Speculation over the murders continues to this day with Lizzie the prime suspect. Motivations for the murders, aside from disliking the stepmother are many. Highly speculative theories exist without much or any proof offered. There is an unproven allegation that the maid on her death bed many years later that she had changed her testimony to help Borden. John Morse, Lizzie’s maternal uncle, was sleeping in the house the night before, was also considered a suspect by the police but had an alibi that disproved in their eyes he was the murderer. The maid Bridget Sullivan is considered a suspect as well. It is thought she may have gotten angry with them over tasks they asked her to do and killed them. One author has suggested it was William Borden, Andrew Borden’s illegitimate son who had tried to extort money from his father Emma too is considered a possibility as she secretly snuck into the house, killed her parents, and then quickly returned to Fairhaven to receive the telegram of her parents’ murders.
The Borden House still stands as both a museum and a bed and breakfast. The Fall River Historical Society has pieces of evidence used in the trial at the Fall River Historical Society.
Sources
Crime Museum, LLC. (2021, May 18). Lizzie Borden – Crime Museum. Crime Museum. https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/famous-murders/lizzie-borden/
Lizzie Borden. (2024, February 22). Biography. https://www.biography.com/crime/lizzie-borden
Mullen, M. (2021b, August 3). Lizzie Borden’s parents found dead. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/borden-parents-found-dead
Lizzie Borden. (2023, May 5). Official Lizzie Borden House. Home – Lizzie Borden. https://lizzie-borden.com/
Suggested Reading
Miller, S. (2019). The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century. Yearling.
Spencer, W. D. (2022). Lizzie Borden Uncut: A Casebook of Theories.
Robertson, C. (2020). The Trial of Lizzie Borden. Simon & Schuster.
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On 1 Aug 1944 Poles in Warsaw launched a major uprising against the Nazi occupation. The Soviet Army had advanced to the Vistula River on the eastern suburb of Warsaw prompting the revolt. Polish General Tadeusz Bor-Komorowski, commander of the Home Army (an underground resistance group of around 40,000). The Home Army had ties to the government-in-exile in London, which was anti-communist. The hope was to gain at least partial control of Warsaw before the Soviets arrived.
By this time, the German Army had been pushed back considerably from its gains in Russia. And their taking Warsaw seemed likely. Despite this, Adolf Hitler ordered that the uprising be suppressed at all costs. The Nazi SS directed the defense force and engaged in brutal street fighting. The Polish Home Army fought back hard despite having limited supplies and no support from the Soviet Army (which cause friction between Poland and the Soviet Union for years).
The Red Army did capture several bridgeheads across the Vistula River in preparation to take Warsaw but held back doing anything more. Only under intense pressure from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American President Franklin Roosevelt did Stalin relent and allow Allies to drop supplies to the rebels. But it was too late as by that time, both the rebels and the citizens ran out of food, supplies, and medical supplies. The uprising came to an end on 2 October when the remaining forces surrendered. The revolt had lasted 63 days but the cost for both sides was high. An estimated three-fourths of the Home Army died along with 200,000 civilians. The Germans suffered 10,000 dead, 9,000 wounded, and 7,000 missing. In keeping with their dislike of the Polish people (they were seen as just a notch above the Jews but were slated for either slavery or death by the Nazis) the survivors were deported.
Deploying demolition squads, most of the remaining intact buildings in Warsaw would be destroyed over the next several months. All of Warsaw’s treasures were looted, burned, or destroyed. Meanwhile the Red Army sitting outside Warsaw did nothing to stop the Germans. They would not move until January 1945 when their final offensive was launched. On 17 January 1945, the ruins of Warsaw were liberated by the Soviets who faced little or no opposition. Thus, making it easy for them to establish a Communist state in Poland. After suffering from Nazi occupation, the Polish people would suffer a longer one under the Communists.
Sources:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024f, July 31). Warsaw Uprising | Summary, Dates, & Monument. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Warsaw-Uprising
Sullivan, M. (2024f, July 31). Warsaw Uprising begins. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/warsaw-revolt-begins
August is the eight month on the Gregorian and Julian calendars. One the old Roman calendar this was the sixth month called Sextilis since that calendar start in March. It is named for the Roman emperor Augustus and this month was chosen as many important battles he won were done during this month. It is the last full month of summer in the Northern Hemisphere but in the southern the equivalent of February. In Europe, it is often the month where many workers take vacations.
The adage about August is “Dry August and warmth doth harvest no harm.” August is when the first harvests begin and when the first harvest festivals begin. Typical produce to find in August are cantaloupe, cucumber, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, bell and jalapeno peppers. The first day of August was called Lammas Day by the Celts to mark the annual harvest of wheat and corn. It was typically celebrated with a festival and feast.
The Perseid Meteor shower which began in July continues to August 24. The best viewing days are between August 9-13th. The August full moon is sometimes called Sturgeon Moon but since harvesting begins in the Northern Hemisphere it has also called Grain Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. For the people that live in the town of Ny-Ålesund in Norway, August is very important. As the northernmost town in the world, the summer has been one long day. The sun has been staying above the horizon since April and finally during August Polar Day occurs. That often occurs on August 24 though it can vary year to year. Tourists often visit between May-August. The sun does not rise between late October to mid-February.
August is the last full month of summer. Some schools start reopening during the month, which is why parents are often shopping for school items in late July and early August. Many though, if they can, try to use the last month of summer as a time for vacations. It is usually the high tourist season in Europe where many workers get the time off. All the major cities are packed and getting into museums and historical sites can take a while unless you buy a pass (available to tourists) to bypass the line and enter. Also remember if visiting the Vatican, there is a dress code for entering the museum and Sistine Chapel. Generally, men and women must wear clothing that fully covers their shoulders, not wear dresses or shorts that go above the knee, hats & caps must be removed, no tattoos can be visible, no ripped jeans or ripped t-shirts, and if wearing t-shirts make sure it has nothing offensive on it. Women cannot wear any sleeveless or low-cut tops. Full rules can be viewed here. Also be sure to wear comfortable shoes or sandals. The Vatican Museum is large and requires a lot of walking. Flip-flops are not recommended. Also be sure to store your money securely (a money belt is the safest) and watch out for thieves who try to distract you in front while someone quickly opens your backpack or bag to steal.
Sources
Boeckmann, C. (2024, July 24). Month of August 2024: fun facts and holidays! Almanac.com. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-august-holidays-fun-facts
The month of August. (n.d.). https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/august.html
Wikipedia contributors. (2024c, June 28). August. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August
Travel Tips
Travel Tips | Rick Steves’ Europe. (n.d.). https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips
Corrias, A. (2023, November 28). Vatican dress Code – What to wear when visiting Vatican City. Rome Actually. https://www.romeactually.com/vatican-dress-code/
Taylor, G. (2024, July 29). Harland & Wolff at risk of losing £120m Falkland Islands port contract. CityAM. https://www.cityam.com/harland-wolff-at-risk-of-losing-120m-falkland-islands-port-contract/
Harland & Wolff is at risk of losing out on a £120m contract to redevelop a major port in the Falkland Islands, in what marks the latest struggle for the embattled company. But as it battles to stave off collapse after the new Labour government refused to guarantee a vital £200m loan, officials in the Falkland Islands are reconsidering the decision.
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O’sullivan, J. (2024, July 27). Scenic Irish village that “hid” the Titanic owner after the infamous sinking. Irish Star. https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/titanic-owner-hides-irish-village-33339629
After his reputation was left in ruins, Ismay, who had been exonerated from blame in the Titanic disaster by a British inquiry faced public scorn, with incidents of him and his wife being mocked in the streets of both the UK and the US. In 1913, the Lancashire-born mogul and his partner, Julia, sought solace in Connemara, making their new home at Costello Lodge in Casla. Locals in the Irish-speaking region of Co Galway greeted the Ismays warmly, seeing them as employers and remarking on their generous nature. Nonetheless, J Bruce was given the moniker “Bru sios me”, an Irish phrase meaning “lower me down,” a nod to his infamous role in the Titanic saga regarding lifeboat provision.
(Note this article gets some basic facts wrong about the lifeboats on Titanic. It directly says that Ismay declined a Board of Trade request for more lifeboats and slashed them. However, the number of lifeboats did meet (and exceed) the then Board of Trade rules which used tonnage rather than the number of people aboard for setting the number of lifeboats. It did turn out later White Star wanted to reduce the number so they would not clutter up the deck, but that didn’t occur. Ismay did reject adding more lifeboats for that reason (cluttering up the deck).
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Ramanand, L. (2024, July 25). This gripping Titanic exhibit is finally open & anchored in Seattle. Secret Seattle. https://secretseattle.co/titanic-exhibit-seattle-open/
The compelling experience that is “Titanic. The Exhibition” is now open to guests at the Maritime Building at 906 Alaskan Way and tickets are available! The space displays numerous artifacts from passengers and other historical items connected to the ship and it’s open in Seattle all summer long.
For information and tickets, go to https://titanicexhibition.com/seattle/.
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TACKY TITANIC ALERT!
You know there have been a lot of tacky Titanic products over the years. Titanic shaped ice cube maker so you can have the ship in your cocktail. And don’t forget the infamous Titanic slide. Shaped like Titanic in its final moments, you can slide down on it in your backyard. So, it seems fitting they got around to the iconic end scene in James Cameron’s Titanic. You know what I am talking about. It is the scene where our heroes, Jack and Rose, are in the water. Rose is able to get on a floating door, but Jack cannot jump on as it may not hold the both of them. Well, the folks at SCS Direct decided to create a door float inspired by the movie so you can find out if both could have been saved. It sells for $35 on Amazon (note the price is subject to change) and appears to have some good things said about it.
Here are a few things posted about it on Amazon:
“My son wanted this for Christmas last year & im so glad I got it for him! First off, when it comes in the box, it’s HEAVY. Not like a normal floatation device heavy, heavier than that! It is HUGE which he was hoping for & he absolutely LOVES using it! Best $30 ever spent on a floatie!”
This was a gift for a friend who was throwing a pool party. It was a hit and everyone wanted to try to see if they could fit on it. Blowing it up was a bit difficult, but easy with a ball airpump. My friend has had it for over a month and has used it daily and it is still holding up well.
I am Huge Titanic fan and I bought this instantly upon seeing it . Yes, Jack could have fit. But the question is with the waves would buoyancy would it work? Oh well my Heart Will Go On.
There were a few negatives as well. Some said it did not hold air long, changed color when out in the sun, and was defective. The UK Sun did an article about it. James Cameron did a test to see if two could fit on the door. The short answer-yes, but just long enough for a lifeboat to reach them. But why speculate when you can have your own inflatable Titanic door to answer that question for yourself. And I bet the company has made some decent money on this product. Yet it once again trivializes the fact that over 1,500 died on that cold night. If only they did have some flotation devices like this, some might have survived.
Source
Jiang, N. (2024, July 25). ‘It’s the king of the world,’ Titanic fans rave about iconic door-shaped pool float that proves ‘Jack could. . . The US Sun. https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/12011854/titanic-door-pool-float-jack-saved-survive/
You can view the product on Amazon.
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On 26 July 1931 swarms of grasshoppers would descend on the American Midwest resulting in millions of acres of farmland to be destroyed.
In 1931 the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression with many out of work, rural banks closing, capital to invest in industries limited, and the cost of living hard for most Americans. The American Midwest, which supplied much of the nation’s needed grain and other foods, was hit hard not only by the bad economic times but a drought as well. Agriculture faces many threats but one of the most serious are voracious insects such as grasshoppers and locusts. There had been such pestilence before in America. There had been one in July 1874 when Rocky Mountain Locusts swarmed through North Dakota to Texas destroying crops. There too the Midwest was beset by drought, which is considered to be a cause of large swarms being formed to find food.
Locusts and grasshoppers are similar to each other, can look the same in many cases, but have differences as well. Both belong to the same family- Acrididae- and can look the same but have differences as well. Grasshoppers are found worldwide while locusts are generally found in Africa and Asia. Both are solitary meaning after they are born, except for mating, they do not have much contact with others of their kind. Both eat plants and will devour the entire plant. Grasshoppers tend to eat a more varied diet than locusts. Both however can swarm when foods become scarce. Locusts though actually change color, unlike grasshoppers, when they swarm. Both though are a pestilence to farmers.
By July 1931, severe drought had devastated Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. On July 26, swarms of grasshoppers descended and began eating all the cornstalks right down to the ground. The swarms were so massive that they actually blotted out the sun in some areas. They covered everything and seemed everywhere. You could not walk without stepping through them as they ate their way across the land. Anything that stored grains, unless well sealed, would be targeted as well if they could find a way in.
The result were farms completely devastated once the grasshoppers were finished. The grasshoppers consumed every part of the cornstalk leaving nothing behind before they moved on. President Hoover allocated federal aid to help farmers after the crisis. However, the combined problems of the drought, the Great Depression, and the grasshoppers caused many to close up and move elsewhere to start over. Grasshoppers are still a threat today, somewhat minimized with pesticides, but can still swarm when drought limits their food supply.
Footnote
There was a major grasshopper swarm near Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2014. Due to drought and limited vegetation, the swarm headed to both urban and suburban centers. The swarm was so thick that it was picked up on radar. The grasshoppers destroyed or damaged home lawns, outdoor gardens, and just like in 1931 were everywhere.
ABC News. “Grasshopper Swarms so Dense They Show up on Radar.” ABC News, 2 June 2014, www.abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/06/grasshopper-swarms-so-dense-they-show-up-on-radar
Sources
Grasshopper Plague of the Great Plains – Legends of Kansas. (n.d.). https://legendsofkansas.com/grasshopper-plague/
Green, J. (2021, May 14). The Most Devastating Plagues in US History Caused by Insects. 24/7 Wall St. Retrieved July 25, 2024, from https://247wallst.com/special-report/2021/05/14/the-most-devastating-plagues-in-us-history-caused-by-insects/
Mason, K. (2022, July 27). Iowa History Daily: July 27 – Great Grasshopper Horde of ’31. Notes on Iowa. https://www.notesoniowa.com/post/iowa-history-daily-july-27-great-grasshopper-horde-of-31
Sullivan, M. (2024e, July 23). South Dakota governor begs for federal assistance over grasshopper plague. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/grasshoppers-bring-ruin-to-midwest
Documentaries
Nebraska Public Media. (2012, May 11). A Plague of Locusts | Nebraska Stories [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To48K5E4ULM
The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered. (2020, August 17). The Great Kansas Grasshopper Plague of 1874 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqgBWxLZa0
Suggested Reading
Atkins, A. (1984). Harvest of Grief: Grasshopper Plagues and Public Assistance in Minnesota, 1873-78. Minnesota Historical Society.
Lockwood, J. A. (2005). Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier. Basic Books.
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On 25 Jul 1943 the Fascist Grand Council formally voted Mussolini from power and was arrested later after meeting with King Victor Emmanuel III. So, what happened to the once all-powerful Duce? Let’s find out.
Italy had entered into the Pact of Steel with Germany in 1939 which committed Italy to fighting along with Germany if it declared war or was attacked. Mussolini entered the agreement knowing full well Italy did not have the resources or industrial capability for a sustained military conflict. Mussolini had grand ambitions about expanding the Italian sphere of influence in the region and even into central Europe. Mussolini believed that Fascism was on the march and aligning with Hitler seemed a good choice at the time. Italy had successfully invaded Ethiopia (1935-1937) though not without them putting up a strong fight. Using mustard gas against troops and civilians had gotten Mussolini severely criticized and international sanctions.
The war in Ethiopia and his intervention on the side of Franco in the Spanish Civil War had brought Italy closer to Germany with a treaty of mutual interest in 1936. And he needed coal from Germany since international sanctions over Ethiopia had made acquiring it more difficult. Mussolini believed a German-Rome Axis would be how Europe would turn but relying on Germany to supply items like coal meant Italy was more dependent on Germany rather than a true partnership. Mussolini tried to get all kinds of concessions from the British and French after the Munich Agreement in 1938; none were given. He made it clear in speeches (and those by others) that they wanted territory in France, Tunisia, a small part of Switzerland, and Albania. He upped his demands to demand free access to the world’s oceans by breaking British control of key places such as Gibraltar.
From the viewpoint in London, Paris, and elsewhere, his bellicose talk signaled major territorial ambitions. The Fascists mostly supported this though some, like his foreign minister Count Galeazzo Ciano, were concerned about aligning with Germany. Taking on both Britain and France became accepted since they were the major colonial powers that Italy saw as blocking them from achieving their rightful position in the world. On 7 April 1938, Italy invaded Albania and took control in three days. The formal military alliance with Germany (the Pact of Steel) was signed on 2 May 1939 cementing further the military ambitions of both countries together. The Italians thought war with Britain and France would not occur for years but dreadfully miscalculated Hitler’s ambitions.
Italy was not ready for major war operations until 1942 according to his own advisors. The Pact of Steel had said neither side was to enter war until 1943. Italy desperately needed this time in order to get its industry running and lacked critical military industrial production. Both Britain and France had highly developed military industrial production, but Italy was woefully behind in key areas such as automobile production (key to making tanks and other mobile artillery). Additionally, Italy needed to acquire all the needed raw resources needed for war production. Italy was primarily an agriculturally based economy with small pockets of industrial sectors. They needed to setup a supply chain to bring in all the raw materials like coal and import steel. Italy’s merchant marine was not managed in preparation for war and would lose those ships as they were in foreign ports when war was declared by Italy in 1940.
Prior to that, raw materials being sent from European ports to Italy were subject to seizure. Coal, for instance, was shipped out of Rotterdam. The British declared it contraband and seized it, infuriating Mussolini. The Germans offered to ship by train over the Alps while the British countered saying they would supply all of his country’s needs if Italy supplied them armaments. The British hoped to lure Italy away from its alliance with Germany. And it appeared to work as Mussolini had approved a draft contract to provide military equipment. It was suddenly scrapped under intense pressure from Germany caused Mussolini to fold. This decision would come back to haunt him much later down the road.
Italian debt, already large when Mussolini, came to power, had increased thanks to his generous support of General Franco in Spain that increased it. The blockade of coal was strengthened and deeper reliance on German imports of raw materials occurred. The economy was bolstered by the important of goods from Germany, but inflation was occurring causing basic goods and service to become more expensive. When Italy entered the war in 1940, its merchant marine in foreign ports were seized leaving the country without hardly any means of getting needed supplies by cargo vessels.
Adding more to the woes, the warnings of his advisors were accurate. Italy’s army was huge making it a major land force on paper but in reality, lacked modern transport and weapons. The army, because of the weak economy, did not have the needed armaments or supplies for war, and was the major reason it failed. Lightly armored infantry is no match for a fully equipped company of troops with full battle-ready equipment like the British had. Along with both a navy and air force that did not work together well, Italy was ill-prepared for general warfare except for a country that had a worse military than it had. There was poor leadership as well at the top that never had clearly defined military objectives and seemed to go at the whim of whatever Duce wanted them to do. They easily took the lower portions of Vichy France and Corsica. About the only good thing they did in taking that was providing a refuge for fleeing Jews. The Italians did not follow the German lead much regarding the Jews, which caused the Germans frustration over the Italian non-compliance in this area.
The succeeding campaigns in North Africa and Greece ended badly. In North Africa the British put up a good fight and had routed the Italians. Then the Germans arrived with Rommel in charge making it a much tougher campaign for the British and later the Americans; Greece was a total debacle. They invaded from Albania, but the Greeks pushed them back into Albania ending up in a stalemate that cost both sides. Once again, the Germans invaded (the British were using Greece to fly bombing raids into Romania) and successfully took Greece and Crete. Only Yugoslavia was a success but that was because the Germans were part of the campaign and once the country was divided up, Italy got the coastal area.
By 1943 though, things had gotten worse for most Italians. Food and other items were rationed, wartime inflation made everything more expensive, and the war itself was unpopular with most Italians. Mussolini was no longer seen as the great leader and the recent bombing of Rome showed how his boasts were hollow. The invasion of Sicily and later the south by Allied forces showed the proverbial “writing was on the wall.” Mussolini knew that his military could not successfully fight the Allies but stuck to the war because he saw no other option but to fight it out. The Fascist Grand Council knew the war was lost and that Mussolini had lost his stature with the people.
On the night of 24 July and in the early morning of 25 July, the Grand Council met with Mussolini. Accounts of the meeting indicate he was sick, tired, and felt the burden of the military reverses suffered by the Italian military. To some, it seemed he was looking for a way out and it was given to him. The Grand Council voted to remove him from power and transfer some of his duties to the King. While some opposed it, the vote was carried by the majority. Even his son-in-law Count Galeazzo Ciano voted for his ouster. Mussolini seemed dazed by the vote and while his supporters tried to get him to act, he seemed unable to do anything. He would go to his meeting with the King (unshaven and groggy) where he would be arrested. The King told him that General Pietro Badoglio would be taking over as Prime Minister and that the war was lost. He and his family were assured of their safety, and he was whisked away. Mussolini accepted his fall as it absolved him of any more responsibility for the war.
When it was declared Mussolini was out, the general response was one of relief. His fellow Fascists did not stage marches or protests over his dismissal and did nothing to release him from his incarceration on La Maddalena (he would be moved elsewhere). Hitler was furious and knew that the Italians would seek an armistice with the Allies (which was true but in public said otherwise to keep the Germans at bay). For the Allies his dismissal was good news as they hoped it might bring an end to the Italian campaign. And many Italians thought it would as well, Unfortunately the Germans had other plans and that would drag out the war in Italy until June 1944, but that is a story for another time.
Sources:
Foot, J., & Hibbert, C. (2024, July 8). Benito Mussolini | Biography, Definition, Facts, rise, & Death. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benito-Mussolini
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2009, March 18). Pact of Steel | Italy–Germany [1939]. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Pact-of-Steel
Mullen, M. (2020b, July 23). Benito Mussolini falls from power. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mussolini-falls-from-power
Italy between 1922-1945 – The Rule of Mussolini. (n.d.). Life in Italy. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://lifeinitaly.com/italy-between-1922-1945-the-rule-of-mussolini/
Warfare History Network. (2023, November 29). Mussolini’s Fall from Power – Warfare History Network. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/mussolinis-fall-from-power/
Axis Alliance in World War II. (n.d.). https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/axis-powers-in-world-war-ii
Wikipedia contributors. (2024d, July 23). Military history of Italy during World War II. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Italy_during_World_War_II
Suggested Reading
Bosworth, R. J. B. (2006). Mussolini’s Italy: Life Under the Dictatorship, 1915-1945. Penguin Press HC.
Haynes, D. (2023). A brief history of Italy: Tracing the Renaissance, Unification, and the Lively Evolution of Art and Culture.
Hearder, H., & Morris, J. (2001). Italy: A Short History. Cambridge University Press.
Hibbert, C. (2008). Mussolini: The Rise and Fall of Il Duce. St. Martin’s Griffin.
Kertzer, D. I. (2015). The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe. Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Moseley, R. (1999). Mussolini’s shadow: The Double Life of Count Galeazzo Ciano. Yale University Press.
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