CFL Update for Early September 2024

    

Okay, so I got a bit sidetracked for probably well over a month now, and have not been keeping up with the CFL. There were the Olympics in late July and into August, then there was the US Open tennis, and maybe a couple of other things.

Right now, most Americans are more preoccupied with the NFL, which is set to begin the regular season on Thursday.

However, the CFL is basically two-thirds of the way through the regular season, and teams are now positioning themselves for the playoffs. 

That said, this seemed like a good opportunity to try and play catch up there. 

So this past weekend, the Alouettes had a bye. Currently, they have the best overall record in the CFL at 10-1, and are decently in the first place in the East Division. In second place in the East are the Ottawa Redblacks, who got rolled by the BC Lions, 38 - 12 in Vancouver on Friday. As a result, Ottawa dropped to 7-3-1 on the season, but that still qualifies them for second place in the East. meanwhile, the Lions improved to 6-6 on the year, and are tied with Winnipeg for first place in the West Division.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who had been the standard bearers of excellence in the CFL for the past four seasons, managed to get back on top (at least tied for first by going on the road in Saskatchewan and squeaking past the Roughriders, 35-33. The Blue Bombers now are now 6-6, while Saskatchewan dropped to 5-6-1 with the loss, and are currently in third place. 

Edmonton blew out the Stampeders in Calgary last night, 35-20, although they still remain in last place in the West Division at 4-8. However, they are now within striking distance of the Stampeders, who fell to 4-7 and are struggling so far this season.

Finally, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats may have entered this weekend with the worst overall record in the CFL, but they looked good in earning an upset win over Toronto. Hamilton improved to 3-9 on the year, but are still far behind everyone else in the East Division. Meanwhile, the Argos dropped to 6-5 on the season to this point, and are in third place in the East Division. 

September 2nd: This Day in History

       

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

On this day in 44 BCE, Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declared her son the co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Also on this day in 44 BCE came the first of Cicero's Philippics (oratorical attacks) on Mark Antony. Ultimately, he made 14 of them in the following months. On this day in 31 BCE during the final war of the Roman Republic, the Battle of Actium was fought off the western coast of Greece, with the forces of Octavian defeating troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian, as Augustus Caesar, became the first Roman emperor. In 911 on this day, Viking-monarch Oleg of Kiev-Russia signed treaty with the Byzantines. Sultan Saladin & King Richard the Lionheart signed a cease fire on this day in 1192. On this day in 1519 was fought the first Battle of Tehuacingo, San Salvador vs Mexico. King Christian III published "Ordinance on the Danish Church" on this day in 1537. The Battle at Lostwithiel was fought on this day in 1644, when Robert Devereux's infantry surrendered. On this day in 1649, the Italian city of Castro was completely destroyed by the forces of Pope Innocent X, ending the Wars of Castro. The Great Fire of London began at 2am in Pudding Lane on this day in 1666. As a result, 80% of London was destroyed. Habsburg armies occupied Buda on Turks on this day in 1686. In 1732 on this day, Pope Clement XII renewed anti-Jewish laws of Rome. On this day in 1743, England/Austria/Savoye-Sardinia signed the Treaty of Worms. In 1752 on this day, the last Julian calendar day in US & Britian/British colonies (no Sept 3-Sept 13th).  On this day in 1789, the US Treasury Department was established by Congress.

The tricolore flag of France (above) which originated during the French Revolution. Below, another symbol of the French Revolution was the guillotine.

On this day in 1792, the September Massacres of the French Revolution broke out: In Paris rampaging mobs slaughtered 3 Roman Catholic Bishops, more than two hundred priests, and prisoners believed to be royalist sympathizers. In 1796 on this day, Jews of the Netherlands are emancipated. A side of Rossberg Peak collapsed into Goldau Valley, Switzerland, killing 500 people on this day in 1806. In 1807 on this day, the Royal Navy bombarded Copenhagen with fire bombs and phosphorus rockets to prevent Denmark from surrendering its fleet to Napoleon. In 1839 on this day, the Salon of Varietes opens in Amsterdam. In 1856 on this day, Tianjing's struggle Incident in Nanjing, China. Gas lighting was introduced to Hawaii on this day in 1859. A solar super storm affected electrical telegraph service on this day in 1859..On this day in 1864 during the American Civil War, Union General William T Sherman captured and burned Atlanta, Georgia. The first Girl School opened in Haarlem, Netherlands, on this day in 1867. 

Painting of Napoleon III, which hangs in the Napoleon III Apartment in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France. 

Napoleon III surrendered to Prussian armies on this day in 1870. In 1885 on this day in Rock Springs, Wyoming, 150 white miners, who were struggling to unionize so they could strike for better wages and work conditions, attacked their Chinese fellow workers, killing 28, wounding 15, and forcing several hundred more out of town. On this day in 1894, the Amsterdam Municipal theater opened. Forest fires destroyed Hinckley, Minnesota, killing about 600, on this day in 1894. "McCall-magazine was first published on this day in 1897. The Battle of Omdurman was fought on this day in 1898, with Lord Kitchener retaking Sudan for Britain. On this day in 1898, the machine gun was first used in battle. Telegraph use between Germany & US began on this day in 1900. On this day in 1901, American Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt famously stated, "Speak softly & carry a big stick"

1902 - "A Trip To The Moon," the 1st science fiction film released

1908 - Tommy Burns KOs Bill Lang in 6 for heavyweight boxing title

1909 - English King Edward VII signs South Africa Bill

1911 - Joao Chagas forms Portuguese government

1913 - Amsterdam reroutes sewage of canals to South Seas

1914 - -3] Gen von Hausen & countess of France regime flees to Bordeaux

1917 - Deutsche Vaterlands Party forms (by admiral Tirpitz)

1919 - Communist Party of America organizes in Chicago

1919 - Italy agress to general voting right/proportional representation

1919 - National Commission recommends a best-of-9 World Series

1920 - W Somerset Maugham's "East of Suez," premieres in London

1922 - Pres Ebert declares "Deutschland uber alas" as German national anthem

1924 - 44th US Mens Tennis: William Tilden beats William Johnston (61 97 62)

1924 - Rudolf Friml's "Rose Marie" opens to rave reviews in NYC

1925 - The U.S. Zeppelin the USS Shenandoah crashes, killing 14.

1926 - Italy signs treaty with Yemen

1927 - Rumour starts that Yankee Lou Gehrig will be traded to Tigers

1929 - Unilever forms by merger of Margarine Union & Lever Bros

1929 - WOR (NYC) ends affiliation with CBS radio network

1930 - 1st non-stop airplane flight from Europe to US (37 hrs)

1935 - A hurricane slams Florida Keys killing 423

1936 - 1st transatlantic round-trip air flight

1937 - US Housing Authority created by National Housing Act

1940 - 23rd PGA Championship: Byron Nelson at Hershey CC Hershey Pa

1940 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park dedicated

1941 - Academy copyrights Oscar statuette

1942 - German troops enter Stalingrad

1944 - Belgium's Emissie bank closes

US President George H. W. BushUS President George H. W. Bush 1944 - During WW II, George Bush ejects from a burning plane

1944 - Holocaust diarist Anne Frank was sent to Auschwitz

1944 - US leaders meet in Belgium

1945 - 59th US Womens Tennis: Sarah P Cooke beats Pauline Betz (36 86 64)

1945 - Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam independence from France (National Day)

1945 - V-J Day; formal surrender of Japan aboard USS Missouri (WW II ends)

1946 - Johnny Neun replaces Bill Dickey as Yankee manager

1946 - Nehru forms government in India

1949 - Fire in riverfront area kills 1,700 (Chungking China)

1951 - Australia, NZ & US sign ANZUS-pact

1952 - Dr Floyd J Lewis 1st uses deep freeze technique in heart surgery

1954 - Hurricane Edna batters NE US, killing 20

1954 - WTVD TV channel 11 in Raleigh-Durham, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting

1955 - KCRA TV channel 3 in Sacramento, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - Collapse of a RR bridge under a train kills 120 (India)

Jewish Victim & Diarist of the Holocaust Anne FrankJewish Victim & Diarist of the Holocaust Anne Frank 1956 - Orioles trailing Red Sox 8-0 come back to win 11-10 in 9 innings

1956 - Washington-Jackson cable line replaced by bus service

1957 - 1st edition newspaper the Ware Time (in Suriname), 1,700 die

1957 - Milwaukee Braves' Frank Torre scores 6 runs in 1 game

1957 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1958 - Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

1958 - Henry Verwoerd appointed PM of South Africa

1958 - KAYS TV channel 7 in Hays, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting

1958 - Minn announces $9 million bond issue to improve Metropolitan Stadium

1958 - National Defense Education Act was signed

1958 - U.S. Air Force C-130A-II is shot down by fighters over Yerevan, Armenia when it strays into Soviet airspace while conducting a sigint mission. All crew lost.

1959 - US President Eisenhower arrives in Paris

1960 - Tamara & Irina Press (USSR) become 1st sisters to win olympic gold

1960 - William Walton's 2nd Symphony, premieres

1960 - The first election of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration, in history of Tibet. The Tibetan community observes this date as the Democracy Day.

1962 - Stan Musial's 3,516th hit moves over Tris Speaker into 2nd place

1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1963 - Alabama Gov George C Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee HS

1963 - CBS & NBC expand network news from 15 to 30 minutes

1963 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Idaho Centennia Golf Tournament

1964 - Indonesian paratroopers lands in Malaysia

1964 - Norman Manley scores 2-consecutive holes-in-one at Del Valley, Cal

1965 - Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his 400th HR (off Curt Simmons)

1965 - Treblinka trial in Dusseldorf ends

1966 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Ladies' World Series of Golf

1967 - KUHI (now KSNF) TV channel 16 in Joplin, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting

1967 - The Principality of Sealand is established, ruled by Prince Paddy Roy Bates.

1968 - Jerry Lewis' 3rd Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1969 - NY Yankee Joe Pepitone is reinstated

1969 - Ralph Houk signs 3-year contract to manage Yankees at $65,000 a season

1969 - The first automatic teller machine in the United States is installed in Rockville Center, New York.

1970 - 1st tennis tie break at a Grand Slam (US Open) (9 pt sudden death)

1971 - Cesar Cedeno hits an inside-the-park grand slammer

1971 - Chris Evert & Jimmy Connors win their 1st US Open tennis matches

1971 - NY's Electric Circus Club goes out of business

1972 - Chicago White Sox Milt Pappas no-hits SD Padres, 1-0

1972 - Renate Stecher runs 100m European female record (11.07 sec)

1972 - Rod Stewart's 1st #1 hit (You Wear it Well)

1972 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1973 - Billy Martin fired as manager of Tigers

1973 - Netherlands wins hockey world's championship

1973 - Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Charity Golf Classic

Singer Rod StewartSinger Rod Stewart 1974 - Jerry Lewis' 9th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1974 - Prest Gerald Ford signs Employee Retirement Income Security Act

1978 - Graham Salmon set worlds record for 100 meters by a blind man

1978 - John McClain performs 180 outside loops in an airplane over Houston

1978 - Reggie Jackson is 19th player to hit 20 HR in 11 straight years

1979 - "I Remember Mama" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 108 perfs

1979 - 79th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Mark O'Meara

1980 - John Arlott calls his last game, England v Australia at Lord's

1981 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

1982 - Rolling Stone Keith Richard's house burns down

1983 - Yitzhak Shamir (Herut) endorsed by Menachem Begin for Israeli PM

1984 - "Zorba" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 362 performances

1985 - Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1985 - Jerry Lewis' 20th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $33,100,000

1986 - Cathy Evelyn Smith sentenced to 3 years for death of John Belushi

Businessman & T.V. Personality Donald TrumpBusinessman & T.V. Personality Donald Trump 1987 - Donald Trump takes out a full page NY Times ad lambasting Japan

1987 - Kevin Bass is 1st NLer to switch hit HRs in a game twice in 1 season

1987 - Philips introduces CD-video

1987 - West German pilot Mathias Rust, who flew a private plane from Helsinki Finland, to Moscow's Red Square, forms trial in Russia

1988 - Amnesty International's Human Rights Now! tour begins in Wembley

1989 - Rev Al Sharpton leads a civil rights march through Bensonhurst

1990 - "Grapes of Wrath" closes at Cort Theater NYC after 188 performances

1990 - Steve Allen, installed as a new abbot of Hartford St Zen Center, SF

1991 - Jerry Lewis' 26th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $45,071,657

1991 - Pat Bradley wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1991 - US officially recognizes independence of Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania

1992 - Nicaragua struck by earthquake/floodings; 118 die

1992 - US dollar valued at 156.50 guilder (record)

1993 - 10th MTV Awards: Pearl Jam, En Vogue wins

1993 - Central African Republic ex-emperor Bokassa freed

Minister and Civil Rights Activist Al SharptonMinister and Civil Rights Activist Al Sharpton 1993 - Day of Peace in South Africa

1994 - Miguel Indurain bicycles world record time (53,040 km)

1995 - Frank Bruno beats Oliver McCall in 12 for heavyweight boxing title

1995 - Southern California begins using new area code 562

1996 - Jerry Lewis' 31st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $49,200,000

1996 - Michelle McGann wins LPGA State Farm Rail Golf Classic

1996 - Soyuz TM-24, lands

1996 - A peace agreement is signed between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front in Malacañang Palace.

1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Montreal Canada on CHOM 97.7 FM

1997 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Toronto Canada on CILQ 107.1 FM

1998 - Swissair Flight 111 crashes near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia. All 229 people on board are killed.

1998 - The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda finds Jean-Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda, guilty of nine counts of genocide.

2012 - A decades-long ban on veiled female news presenters is lifted from State television in Egypt

2012 - 15 people are killed by a car bomb attack at a refugee camp in Sbeineh, Palestine

   1666 - The Great Fire of London broke out. The fire burned for three days destroying 10,000 buildings including St. Paul's Cathedral. Only 6 people were killed.   1775 - Hannah, the first American war vessel was commissioned by General George Washington.   1789 - The U.S. Treasury Department was established.   1864 - During the U.S. Civil War Union forces led by Gen. William T. Sherman occupied Atlanta following the retreat of the Confederates.   1897 - The first issue of "McCall’s" magazine was published. The magazine had been known previously as "Queens Magazine" and "Queen of Fashion."   1901 - Theodore Roosevelt, then Vice President, said "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.   1930 - The "Question Mark" made the first non-stop flight from Europe to the U.S. The plane was flown by Captain Dieudonne Coste and Maurice Bellonte.   1935 - A hurricane hit the Florida Keys killing 423 people.   1938 - The first railroad car to be equipped with fluorescent lighting was put into operation on the New York Central railroad.   1945 - Japan surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri, ending World War II. The war ended six years and one day after it began.   1945 - Ho Chi Minh declared the independence the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.   1961 - The U.S.S.R. resumed nuclear weapons testing. Test ban treaty negotiations had failed with the U.S. and Britain when the three nations could not agree upon the nature and frequency of on-site inspections.   1962 - Ken Hubbs, of the Chicago Cubs, set a major-league baseball fielding record when he played errorless for his 74th consecutive game.   1963 - The integration of Tuskegee High School was prevented by state troopers assigned by Alabama Gov. George Wallace. Wallace had the building surrounded by state troopers.   1963 - "The CBS Evening News" was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.   1969 - Ho Chi Minh died. He was the president of North Vietnam.   1969 - NBC-TV canceled "Star Trek." The show had debuted on September 8, 1966.   1973 - Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Detroit Tigers. Martin was relieved of his duties three days after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs against Cleveland Indians batters.   1985 - It was announced that the Titanic had been found on September 1 by a U.S. and French expedition 560 miles off Newfoundland. The luxury liner had been missing for 73 years.   1986 - Cathy Evelyn Smith was sentenced to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the overdose death of John Belushi.   1991 - The U.S. formally recognized the independence of Lithuania, Lativa and Estonia.   1992 - The U.S. and Russia agreed to a joint venture to build a space station.   1996 - Muslim rebels and the Philippine government signed a pact formally ending 26-years of insurgency that had killed more than 120,000 people.   1998 - In Canada, pilots for Canada's largest airline launch their first strike in Air Canada's history.   1998 - 229 people were killed when a Swissair jetliner crashed into the Atlantic near Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. The pilot had reported smoke in the cockpit a few minutes before the crash.

1666 The great fire of London broke out, destroying much of the city, including St. Paul's Cathedral. 1789 The U.S. Treasury Department was established. 1901 Vice President Theodore Roosevelt gave his "speak softly and carry a big stick" speech, regarding foreign policy, at the Minnesota State Fair. 1945 Japan's formal surrender in World War II was celebrated as Victory over Japan (V-J) Day. 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent republic. 1963 Alabama governor George Wallace prevented the racial integration of Tuskegee High School by encircling the building with state troopers. 1969 North Vietnamese president Chi Minh died.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/sep02.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Djokovic Shared Thoughts Following His Early Exit Out of US Open

   

Novak Djokovic just got knocked out of the US Open days ago. That cemented this being one of those rare years (at least to this point) in the otherwise illustrious career of the Serbian tennis legend that he failed to win so much as one Grand Slam title.

Of course, he did not play his best tennis. Far from it. In fact, he frankly played at a level that, by his standards, was uncharacteristically poor. He had 14 double-faults and 49 unforced errors, all of which contributed to Australian upstart Alexei Popyrin managing a rather shocking 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win.

Yet, Djokovic feels that he played that way almost throughout this US Open tournament, to the point where even making it as far as the third round, under the circumstances, was a bit surprising. These are some of his words in the aftermath of his recent loss:

"I have played some of the worst tennis I have ever played," the 37-year-old said.  

"Honestly, the way I felt and the way I played from the beginning of this tournament, third round is a success."

What that loss assured was that this would be one of those rare calendar years when Djokovic failed to win a single Grand Slam title. That has not happened since pretty way back in 2017, when he was derailed by serious injuries that largely sidelined him. 

However, this year was not a total failure, even by his standards. After all, he managed to win the Olympic gold medal, which was something he had been trying to win for more than a decade and a half. In the aftermath of the jubilation of finally winning Olympic gold, he described it as his "biggest sporting achievement." And that's really saying something. After all, even before capturing the gold medal, Djokovic at this point has some stunning achievements and enjoyed levels of success which most likely qualifies him as the most decorated and successful tennis player in history.

That, however, might be part of the problem for what happened to him here at the US Open. 

How? 

Well, Djokovic stated simply that he had "spent a lot of energy" pursuing, and ultimately winning, Olympic gold earlier in August, to the point where he felt pretty much spent by the time the US Open rolled around later in August. Here again are some thoughts by Djokovic himself after his surprisingly early exit from this year's US Open: 

"I tried my best, I didn't have any physical issues. I just felt out of gas, and you could see that. From the first match, I just didn't find myself on this court." Djokovic added.  

However, he also did not sound overly devastated by these disappointing results. Yes, this is a calendar year where he will have fallen short of winning another Grand Slam title. But he did win that Olympic gold. And by now, we should all know enough not to count Djokovic out, or assume that maybe he is getting too old to compete at the highest levels anymore. He is, I believe, the greatest champion in the sport's history, and that is for a reason. Djokovic himself seemed to approach this with a philosophical outlook that seems to indicate that he will shrug this off and prepare for better results in the future:

"Life moves on. I'll try to recalibrate and look forward to what's next."

Truth be told, I would not at all be surprised if we see him going on a much deeper run, and possibly winning it all again, once the Australian Open comes around. After all, he had proven that he knows how to succeed in Melbourne, more than at any other single Grand Slam tournament, having won 10 Australian Open titles in his career. 

Personally, I suspect that Djokovic is far from done.

Below is the link to the BBC article which I used in writing this particular blog entry, and from which I obtained all of the quotes used above:

'Some of the worst tennis I have ever played' - Djokovic crashes out of US Open by Emily Salley BBC Sport journalist Published 31 August 2024:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/crkm8gr3ey7o

September 1st: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of World War II (at least the European part of it, although it should be noted that Japan had invaded mainland China many years earlier, and so it could be seen to have begun somewhat earlier than that). Still, the European theater of World War II started on this day when Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Poland, setting off chain events that ultimately led to the Second World War. In another war less than a century earlier, Atlanta fell to Union forces on this day, and was completely ravaged and mostly destroyed.

Another thing that happened on this date: Aaron Burr was acquitted of treason.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

This day in the year 69 marks the traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem. This day in 462 marks the possible start of the first Byzantine indiction cycle. On this day in 891, the Northmen (Vikings) were defeated near Louvaine, France. Baldwin VI became the Count of Flanders on this day in 1067. Ubaldo Allucingoli replaced Alexander III as Pope Lucius III on this day in 1181. Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman established a Jewish community in Jerusalem on this day in 1267. On this day in 1355, Tvrtko I wrote in castro nostro Vizoka vocatum from old town Visoki. Krim-Tataren plundered Kiev on this day in 1482. Council to Pisa opened on this day in 1511. On this day in 1547, Charles demanded the creation of Imperial League (German state). In 1598 on this day, Spanish King Philip II received sacraments. On this day in 1609, Pieter Both was sworn in as the first Governor-General of the East Indies.

1614 - Vincent Fettmich expels Jews from Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany

1632 - Battle at Castelnaudary: Henri de Montmorency's rebellion army loses

1638 - -4] French queen-mother Maria de' Medici visits Amsterdam

1647 - French cardinal Mazarin & duke of Modena sign treaty against Milan

1661 - 1st Yacht race, England's King Charles vs his brother James

1689 - Russia began taxing men's beards

1695 - Dutch/English army under king Willem III occupies Names

The Sun King Louis XIVThe Sun King Louis XIV 1715 - King Louis XIV of France dies after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.

1739 - 35 Jews sentenced to life in prison in Lisbon Portugal

1752 - Liberty Bell arrives in Phila

1763 - Catherine II of Russia endorses Ivan Betskoy's plans for a Foundling Home in Moscow

1772 - Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa forms in California

1785 - Mozart publishes 6 string quartet opus 10 in Vienna

1797 - 2nd National Meeting in Hague

1798 - England signs treaty with nizam of Hyderabad, India

1799 - Bank of Manhattan Company opens in NYC (forerunner to Chase Manhattan)

1804 - Juno, one of the largest main belt asteroids, was discovered by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding.

1807 - Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire

1821 - 1st colonies along Santa Fe Trail

1831 - Charles Darwin travels aboard HMS Beagle

1836 - Reconstruction begins on Synagogue of Rabbi Judah Hasid in Jerusalem

1836 - Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington.

Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1849 - California Constitutional Convention held in Monterey

1858 - 1st transatlantic cable fails after less than 1 month

1859 - 1st Pullman sleeping car in service

1859 - R C Carrington & R Hodgson make 1st observation of solar flare

1859 - A solar superstorm affects electrical telegraph service.

1861 - Grant assumes command of Federal forces at Cape Girardeau MI

1861 - Skirmish at Boone Court House WV & Blue Creek WV

1862 - Battle at Chantilly (Ox Hill) Virginia (2100 casualties)

1862 - Federal tax levied on tobacco

1863 - 6th Ohio Cavalry ambush at Barbees Crossroads Virginia

1863 - Federal troops reconquer Fort Smith Arkansas

1863 - RR & ferry connection between SF & Oakland inaugurated

1864 - 2nd day of battle at Jonesboro Georgia, about 3,000 casualties

1864 - Battle of Petersburg VA

1864 - Skirmish at Hood evacuated confederates from Atlanta GA

1866 - Last Navaho chief Manuelito, turns self in at Fort Wingate

1867 - Robert T Freeman is 1st black to graduate from Harvard Dental School

1870 - Napoleon III captured at Sedan

1873 - Cetshwayo ascends to the throne as king of the Zulu nation following the death of his father Mpande.

1874 - 28th Postmaster General: Marshall Jewell of Conn takes office

1874 - Sydney General Post Office opens in Australia

1875 - A murder conviction effectively forces the violent Irish anti-owner coal miners, the "Molly Maguires", to disband.

1878 - 1st female telephone operator starts work (Emma Nutt in Boston)

1886 - Neth's New Code of Criminal law enforced

1887 - Dutch Amateur Photography Cooperation established

1888 - Dutch Railway Deventer-Almelo opens

1890 - 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh

1897 - The Boston subway opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America.

1898 - Dutch soccer team Receiver forms

1898 - Lord Kitcheners army bombs Omdurman Sudan

1901 - Construction begins on NY Stock Exchange

1902 - Tinker, Evers, & Chance appear together for 1st time

1905 - Alberta & Saskatchewan become 8th & 9th Canadian provinces

1906 - Alberta adopts Mountain Standard Time

1906 - British New Guinea becomes Australian Papua New Guinea

1906 - Joseph Harris (Boston) & Jack Coombs (A's) pitch complete 24 inn game

1906 - NY Highlanders win 6th game in 3 days from Wash (3 straight DHs)

1906 - Papua placed under Australian administration

1906 - The International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI) is established.

1911 - M Fourny sets world aircraft distance record of 720 km

Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 1913 - George Bernard Shaws "Androcles & the Lion," premieres in London

1913 - Yuan Shikai captures Nanjing "2nd Chinese revolution"

1914 - 34th US Mens Tennis: R Norris W III beats M E McLoughlin (63 86 10-8)

1914 - Lord Kitchener arrives in Paris

1914 - St Petersburg, Russia changes name to Petrograd

1914 - Von Glucks army meets up with British expeditionary army

1914 - The last passenger pigeon, a female named Martha, dies in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo.

1916 - Bulgaria declares war on Romania

1916 - Keating-Owen Act (child labor banned from interstate commerce)

1918 - Baseball season ends due to WW I

1918 - Ty Cobb pitches 2 innings against Browns

1918 - US troops land in Vladivostok, Siberia, stay until 1920

1919 - Frank Wedekind's "Herakles," premieres in Munich

1920 - France creates Lebanon

1920 - New townhall of Rotterdam opens

1921 - Nederlander Theater opens at 208 W 41 St NYC (Billy Rose, Trafalgar)

1922 - NYC law requires all "pool" rooms to change name to "billiards"

1923 - 18th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in New York (4-1)

1923 - 7.9 earthquake strikes Tokyo & Yokohama, kills 142,000

1923 - US beats Australia in tennis, for their 4th straight Davis Cup

1924 - Kenchoji Rinzai temple in Kamakur Japan, heavily damaged by earthquake

1925 - Pierre de Coubertin steps down as chairman of Intl Olympic Committee

1926 - British Columbia Rugby Football Union forms

1926 - Turkey allows civil marriage

1928 - Albania becomes a kingdom, with Zogu I as king

1930 - NY World reports disappearance of supreme court justice Joseph Crater

1931 - Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days & his 6th HR in consec games

1932 - NYC Mayor James J "Gentleman Jimmy" Walker resigns (graft charges)

1933 - Soccer team DVS '33 forms

1934 - Spelling-Marchand Laws enforced

1934 - SMJK Sam Tet was founded by Father Fourgs from the St. Michael Church, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

1936 - Middleweight Staff Roth KOs Heinz Lazek

1937 - 4th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 6, Green Bay 0 (84,560)

1937 - Battle of Gijon in Spain begins

1938 - Benito Mussolini cancels civil rights of Italian Jews

1939 - Hitler orders extermination of mentally ill

1939 - Last day of 1st-class cricket in England for 6 years

1939 - Physical Review publishes 1st paper to deal with "black holes"

1939 - Switzerland proclaims neutrality

1939 - WW II starts, Germany invades Poland, takes Danzig

1939 - The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers is instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross was also instituted on this date.

1939 - Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization).

1940 - Gen George Marshall sworn in as chief of staff of US army

1941 - Jews living in Germany are required to wear a yellow Jewish star

Military Leader George MarshallMilitary Leader George Marshall 1942 - Fed judge upholds detention of Japanese-Americans

1942 - German troops land on Taman peninsula

1944 - Bulgaria government of Bagrjanow, resigns

1944 - King George VI promotes Montgomery to field marshal

1945 - Japan surrenders ending WW II (US date, 9/2 in Japan)

1945 - Phillies Vince DiMaggio ties NL record with 4th grand slam of season

1946 - 1st US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Patty Berg

1946 - Greece votes for monarchy

1947 - NY Giants 183-185 HR of year breaks Yankee mark of 182 in 1936

1948 - Bradman scores 143 Aust v South of England, 17 fours 1 six

1948 - Communist form North China People's Republic

1948 - UN's World Health Organization forms

1949 - 1st network detective series-Private Eyes-premieres

1949 - KMTV TV channel 3 in Omaha, NB (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - Viljo Heino runs world record 10k (29:27.2)

1950 - 13 North Korean divisions open assault on UN lines

1950 - West Berlin granted a constitution

1951 - PM Ben-Gurion orders establishment of Israeli secret service Mossad

1951 - US, Australia & New Zealand sign ANZUS treaty

1952 - Sutro Baths, SF purchased by George Whitney

1952 - Willem Drees forms new Dutch government

1953 - 101°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in Sept

1953 - Fokker begins building F-27 Fokker Friendship

1953 - WNOK (now WLTX) TV channel 19 in Columbia, SC (CBS) 1st broadcast

1953 - WTCN (now KARE) TV channel 11 in Minneapolis-St Paul, MN (MET) begins

1954 - Hurricane Carol strikes Long Island/New England, kills 68

1954 - Ted Kluszewski is 1st Cin Red to hit 40 HRs en route to 49

1955 - 2 Egyptian fighters shot down over Israel

1955 - KARD (now KSNW) TV channel 3 in Wichita, KS (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - Indian state of Tripura becomes a territory

1956 - KELP (now KCOS) TV channel 13 in El Paso, TX (PBS) begins broadcasting

1957 - Excursion train crashed into a ravine killing 175, injuring 400

1957 - WAVY TV channel 10 in Portsmouth-Norfolk, VA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1957 - WHC (now WPXI) TV channel 11 in Pittsburgh, PA (NBC) 1st broadcast

1957 - WTLV TV channel 12 in Jacksonville, FL (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

1958 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Opie Turner Golf Open

1958 - St Louis Card Vinegar Bend Mizell walks a record 9 men in a shutout

1960 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Eastern Golf Open

1960 - Robert Bolt's "Man For All Seasons," premieres in London

1961 - 1st conference of neutral countries held in Belgrade

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1961 - The Eritrean War of Independence officially begins with the shooting of the Ethiopian police by Hamid Idris Awate

1962 - 12,000 die in an earthquake in western Iran

1962 - KATC TV channel 3 in Lafayette, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting

1962 - UN announces Earth population has hit 3 billion

1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1962 - Channel Television launches to 54,000 households in the Channel Islands.

1963 - Language laws in Belgium goes into effect causing a riot

1963 - St Louis Cards pitcher Curt Simmons steals home plate

1963 - WCTI TV channel 12 in New Bern, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting

1964 - Masanori Murakami is 1st Japanese player in majors (NY Mets)

1965 - India & Pakistan border fights

1966 - KIFW (now KTNL) TV channel 13 in Sitka, AK (CBS) begins broadcasting

1967 - KMNE TV channel 7 in Bassett, NB (PBS) begins broadcasting

1967 - SF Giants beat Cincinnati Reds, 1-0, in 21 innings

1967 - WIRT TV channel 13 in Hibbing, MN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1967 - WJRJ (WTCG, WTBS) TV channel 17 in Atlanta, GA (IND) begins

1968 - Carol Mann wins LPGA Willow Park Ladies Golf Invitational

1968 - Earthquake destroys Ferdows Persia, 2,000 killed

1968 - Pirate Radio Marina (Netherlands) begins transmitting

Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1969 - Jerry Lewis' 4th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1969 - Libyan revolution, Col Moammar Gadhafi deposes King Idris

1969 - A revolution in Libya brings Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi to power, which was later transferred to the People's Committees.

1970 - Failed assassination attempt on Jordanian king Hussain

1970 - Jose Velasco Ibarra re-elected president of Ecuador

1971 - John Newcombe is 1st top-seed man to lose in 1st round of US Open

1971 - Qatar declares independence from Britain

1971 - Rolling Stones sue manager Allen Klein

1972 - Bobby Fischer (US) defeats Boris Spassky (USSR) for world chess title

1972 - Egypt & Libya form federation

1973 - 74-year-old Hafnia Hotel burns, killing 35 (Copenhagen, Denmark)

1973 - George Foreman KOs Jose "King" Roman in 1 for heavyweight boxing title

1974 - Dutch law against pirate radio goes into effect

1974 - Jane Blalock/Sue Roberts wins LPGA Southgate Ladies Golf Open

1974 - Train accident at Zagreb Yugoslavia, 121 killed

Boxing Champ George ForemanBoxing Champ George Foreman 1974 - The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London: 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds.

1975 - All political parties forbidden in Bangladesh

1975 - Gunsmoke resigns the air

1975 - Jerry Lewis' 10th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1975 - KOL-AM in Seattle Wash changes call letters to KMPS

1975 - NY Met Tom Seaver is 1st to strike out 200 in 8 consecutive seasons

1975 - NYC transit fare rises from 35 cents to 50 cents

1976 - NASA launches space vehicle S-197

1976 - NJ Meadowlands racetrack opens

1976 - Wayne L Hays, (Rep-D-Oh), resigns (scandal with Elizabeth Ray)

1977 - 1st TRS-80 Model I computer sold

1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1978 - Indians' Sammy Stewart tosses 7 consecutive strikeouts (vs Balt)

1978 - Last broadcast of "Columbo" on NBC TV

1978 - Jacqueline Smith of Great Britain scores 10 straight dead center strikes on a 4" disk in World Parachute Championships in Yugoslavia

1978 - #4655 Marjoriika, #4814 Casacci, #5344 Ryabov, #6262 Javid & #8064

1979 - Debbie Boone & Gabriel Ferrer wed in LA

1979 - LA Court orders Clayton Moore to stop wearing Lone Ranger mask

1979 - Pioneer 11 makes 1st fly-by of Saturn, discovers new moon, rings

1980 - Dutch embassy in Israel moves from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv

1980 - Jerry Lewis' 15th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,103,787

1980 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1980 - Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope ends in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

1981 - Fiona Brothers sets women's propeller boat speed record (116.279 MPH)

1981 - Milt coup under general Kolingba in Cent Afr Rep, Pres Dacko flees

Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1981 - RKO radio network is 1st to offer 2 separate overnight services

1981 - RKO radio network premieres America Overnight talk show

1982 - Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls," premieres in London

1982 - Max speedometer reading mandated at 85 MPH

1982 - Mexico President Lopez Portillo nationalizes banks

1982 - Palestinian Liberation Organization leaves Lebanon

1982 - The United States Air Force Space Command is founded.

1983 - Korean Airlines flight 007 shot down by Soviets in Russian airspace

1983 - Korean Boeing 747 strays into Siberia & is shot down by a Soviet jet

1983 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1983 - WGH-AM in Newport News VA changes call letters to WNSY

1985 - Cyclist Joop Zoetemelk becomes world champion

1985 - US-French expedition locates wreckage of Titanic off Newfoundland

1986 - Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1986 - Jerry Lewis' 21st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $34,096,733

Pop Star & Beatle Paul McCartneyPop Star & Beatle Paul McCartney 1986 - Paul McCartney releases "Press to Play" album

1986 - Texas Rangers O McDowell & Porter are 7th to hit consecutive pinch HRs

1987 - 15 yr old Michael Chang is youngest man to win US Tennis Open match

1987 - Smoking forbidden in public buildings in Belgium

1988 - Timberlake Westenbaker's "Our Country's Good," premieres in London

1989 - "Anything Goes" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 804 performances

1989 - Princess Anne & Mark Phillips announce their separation

1990 - "Heidi Chronicles" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 621 perfs

1990 - "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" closes at Imperial NYC after 634 perfs

1990 - Gelindo Bordin sets European marathon record (2:14:02)

1990 - Highest combined CFL score (111), Toronto Argonauts beat BC 68-43

1991 - Hiromi Taniguchi wins 3rd world championship marathon (2:14:57)

1991 - Richard J Kerr, serves as acting director of CIA

1992 - NYC police commisioner Brown resigns

1992 - Tommy Smothers undergoes arthroscopic surgery

1993 - "White Liars/Black Comedy" opens at Criterion NYC for 38 perfs

1993 - Goran Ivanisevic & Daniel Nestor play longest tie-break in US Tennis

1995 - Infinity Radio agrees to voluntarily pay $1.7 million to US Treasury

1995 - NYC reinstates the death penalty

1995 - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland Ohio

1996 - Balt Ravens (Cleveland Browns) 1st NFL game, beat Oakland Raiders, 17-14

1997 - "Doll's House," closes at Belasco Theater

1997 - Cartoon Channel premieres in Japan

1997 - Cindy Figg-Currier wins LPGA State Farm Rail Classic

1997 - Jerry Lewis' 32nd Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $50,500,000

2004 - The Beslan school hostage crisis begins when armed terrorists take hundreds of school children and adults hostage in the Russian town of Beslan in North Ossetia.

2005 - Seven members and former members of the AFL-CIO form a new trade union organization, the Change to Win Federation.

2006 - Luxembourg became the first country to complete the move to all digital television broadcasting.

2012 - Islamist rebels seize Douentza, Mali

2012 - Grenade injures 41 festival celebrants in Paquibato, Philippines

2012 - Two suicide bombings kill 12 people and wound 50 in a NATo base in Afghanistan's Sayed Abad district

2012 - US drone strike kills 5 people in North Waristan, Pakistan

1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.   1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.   1810 - The first plow with interchangeable parts was patented by John J. Wood.   1859 - The Pullman sleeping car was placed into service.   1878 - Emma M. Nutt became the first female telephone operator in the U.S. The company was the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston.   1884 - The Thomas A. Edison Construction Department and the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting merged.   1887 - Emile Berliner filed for a patent for his invention of the lateral-cut, flat-disk gramophone. It is a device that is better known as a record player. Thomas Edison made the idea work.   1894 - A forest fire in Hinckley, MN, killed more than 400 people.   1897 - The first section of Boston's subway system was opened.   1905 - Saskatchewan and Alberta became the ninth and tenth provinces of Canada.   1906 - Jack Coombs of the American League’s Philadelphia Athletics pitched 24 innings against the Boston Red Sox. (MLB)   1922 - The first daily news program on radio was "The Radio Digest," on WBAY radio in New York City, NY.   1923 - About 100,000 people were killed when an earthquake hit Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan.   1939 - World War II began when Germany invaded Poland.   1942 - A federal judge in Sacramento, CA, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals.   1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II. In Japan, it was actually September 2nd.   1949 - "Martin Kane, Private Eye" debuted on NBC-TV.   1951 - The ANZUS Treaty, a mutual defense pact, was signed by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.   1969 - Col. Moammar Gadhafi came into power in Libya after the government was overthrown.   1970 - The last episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" aired on NBC-TV. The show premiered was on September 18, 1965.   1971 - Danny Murtaugh of the Pittsburgh Pirates gave his lineup card to the umpire with the names of nine black baseball players on it. This was a first for Major League Baseball.   1972 - America’s Bobby Fischer beat Russia’s Boris Spassky to become world chess champion. The chess match took place in Reykjavik, Iceland.   1979 - The U.S. Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to visit Saturn.   1982 - J.R. Richard returned to major league baseball after a two-year absence following a near-fatal stroke.   1982 - Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo closed all the country's private banks.   1983 - A Soviet jet fighter shot down a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 when it entered Soviet airspace. 269 people were killed.   1985 - The Titanic was found by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel in a joint U.S. and French expedition. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coast.   1986 - The Soviet Union announced the accident involving the Admiral Nakhimov the night before. 448 people died in the ship collision.   1986 - Jerry Lewis raised a record $34 million for Muscular Dystrophy during his annual telethon for Jerry’s kids over the Labor Day weekend.   1993 - Louis Freeh was sworn in as the director of the FBI.   1995 - Illinois Congressman Mel Reynolds announced his resignation. He had been convicted of having sex with an underage campaign volunteer.   1997 - In France, the prosecutor's office announced that the driver of the car, in which Britain's Princess Diana was killed, was over the legal alcohol limit.   1998 - The movie "Titanic" went on sale across North America.   1998 - Mark McGwire, of the St. Louis Cardinals, hit his 56th and 57th homeruns to set a new National League record. He would eventually reach a total of 70 for the season on September 27.   1998 - Vietnam released 5,000 prisoners, including political dissidents, on National Day.   1999 - Twenty-two of major league baseball's 68 permanent umpires were replaced. The problem arose from their union's failed attempt to force an early start to negotiations for a new labor contract.


1807 Former U.S. vice president Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason. 1923 A devastating earthquake struck the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Nearly 150,000 people were killed and more than two million left homeless. 1939 World War II began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. 1969 A coup in Libya toppled the monarchy of King Idris and brought Muammar al-Qaddafi to power. 1983 A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter, killing all 269 people aboard. 1985 A joint U. S.-French expedition located the wreck of the Titanic 560 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. 2004 Chechen terrorists took about 1,200 schoolchildren and others hostage in Beslan, Russia. Commandos stormed the school on Sept. 3.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/sep01.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

September 1st - The Anniversary of the Beginning of World War II in Europe

 

Phot courtesy of Rupert Colley's Flickr Page - Hitler and Rohm, leader of the Nazi SA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/historyinanhour/4810258592

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today marks the anniversary of the beginning of the European part of World War II, even though it could certainly be argued that the war was already being waged in Asia, with considerable Japanese aggression.

Hitler and the Nazis had risen to power in Germany, and once there, they quickly went to work setting up anti-Semitic laws and policies, as well as building up their war machine. Step by step, Hitler calculated (correctly) how the Western democratic powers would react. He took gambles and, at least early on, won each and every one of them, correctly diagnosing that the West would collectively do everything possible to avoid war, and allow Germany all sorts of liberties. He essentially tore up the Treaty of Versailles (which was ill-advised, in any case), and rearmed Germany. Then, he occupied the Rhineland in 1936. Then came the Anschluss with Austria in March of 1938. Hitler wanted more, and he claimed to be fighting for the rights of the Germans in Czechoslovakia during the summer of 1938, leading to the Munich Agreement in September of 1938, giving Hitler the Sudetenland. The Western powers, particularly Britain and France, essentially appeased Hitler, giving him what he wanted, and essentially betraying their ally, Czechoslovakia. Infamously, British Prime Minister held up the paper agreement and declared to supporters back home that this was "peace in our time." That clearly was not the case when Hitler went ahead and occupied all of Czechoslovakia shortly thereafter.

Then came August of 1939, and Hitler took another gamble. He wanted Poland, but this time, the Western powers promised war if he should pursue it. But Hitler found a back way, making a deal with Stalin and the Soviet Union, agreeing to a nonaggression pact, often known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. What it amounted to was a Soviet promise not to get involved when (as opposed to if) the Germans invaded Poland. This they did on this day, 76 years ago, and it led to World War II. The Germans quickly took over Poland, while the Soviets took over what was left of Poland shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, the Western powers of Britain and France officially declared war on Germany. Yet, essentially, they still did nothing, as Poland fought alone against the encroaching Germans, and were powerless to prevent a Nazi takeover. Although the countries were officially at war, the next phase is commonly referred to as the sitztkrieg, or "phony war." Germany took over Poland, and the British and French essentially stood by, officially at war, but with no armed conflicts to show for it. William Shirer even describes how the French troops along the German border would play soccer, and the Germans would watch and cheer them along. That would end soon enough, as the Germans stepped up their aggression again in the spring, and took over most of western Europe. The next year, they would invade much of the rest of Europe to the east, including the western Soviet Union, despite the nonaggression pact that existed between the two countries.

Of all Hitler's gambles, this in my opinion is the one he got dead wrong, and his country and empire paid the ultimate price for it. Essentially, Hitler sealed his own doom with the Soviet invasion. I know that this is difficult for many Americans to understand, let alone accept. But Vice-President Harry Truman, soon enough to ascend to the presidency himself before the war would be done, advocated a policy known as "bait and bleed." Truman insisted that the two warring countries should be allowed to fight "so that they bleed each other white."

Truman elaborated on this a bit more:

"If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible."

(Source of quotes used above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait_and_bleed)

The only problem with this policy is that the Soviet Union were our allies in the war effort against Nazi Germany. They lost 20 million people in the eastern war against Nazi Germany, in what is often described as the most brutal war in history.

Little by little, the German war machine, which up until then had enjoyed only good fortune and scored successes, were stopped dead in their tracks and began to be pounded back westward, eventually back to the borders of the Reich itself, and eventually towards Berlin, the final scene of the European war. The city went to street to street fighting, as the last Nazis held out following the death by suicide of their Führer. Nazi Germany, which only a few years before had ruled over most of Europe, now lay in ruins, with streets of rubble in German cities. There was an unconditional surrender, thus ending the bloodiest war in history.

It was the Soviets who paid the biggest price of the war, and it was the Soviets who essentially sacrificed the most, and contributed the most, towards eventual Nazi defeat. I know a lot of Americans who would have a hard time swallowing that fact, but not liking a fact does not prevent it from being a fact.

A lot of mistakes were made, and it seems safe to say that this is true across the boards. But the major mistake was to allow Hitler and the Nazis to keep winning all of those early gambles and gain ever more confidence and hunger. When not kept in check, the Nazis were allowed to let their war machine grow, and to make war inevitable.

So on this, the anniversary of the bloodiest war in history that they started, it is fitting to remember what happened, and to dissect a bit how they came to power in the first place, and were allowed to grow to the level that they became such a threat. Here are some links that I believe will be useful in doing so:

A Brutal Pageantry: The Third Reich’s Myth-Making Machinery, in Color by Ben Cosgrove  Aug. 5, 2014:

http://time.com/3490218/a-brutal-pageantry-the-third-reichs-myth-making-machinery-in-color/

September 1, 1939: Germany Invades Poland, Beginning World War II      

http://www.thenation.com/article/september-1-1939-germany-invades-poland-beginning-world-war-ii/

World War II Erupts: Color Photos From the Invasion of Poland, 1939

http://time.com/3486074/world-war-ii-erupts-color-photos-from-the-invasion-of-poland-1939/

World War II: The Invasion of Poland and the Winter War by Alan Taylor, June 26, 2011:

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/world-war-ii-the-invasion-of-poland-and-the-winter-war/100094/

Picture of a Demonic Looking Deer

A couple of evenings ago, I went out for an evening stroll. The days are growing shorter, of course, and it was getting to be around that time when dark would soon fall.

I cut across the field by two schools, which is often part of my walking routine here in Hillsborough. There were a group of deer quite close, and they seemed to notice me, but not to be overly alarmed, as deer often tend to be.

There was one deer in particular which was surprisingly close. To be sure, there was some netting across this particular stretch of field, and so I guess it was not as scared as it otherwise might be. When I took out my cell to snap a picture, the flash almost surprised me, having forgotten that I had apparently turned it on earlier in the day when searching for something in a closet that was not particularly well illuminated.

So the end result was that the eyes came out looking....well, unnatural. Creepy, even.

It was unintentional. Still, I thought it looked a bit funny, and that it might be worth sharing here.