The letters of William Barret Travis from the Alamo between 23 February and 3 March 1836 provide a first-hand account of the famous siege of the Alamo. Travis became the sole commander of the garrison after James “Jim” Bowie fell ill on 24 February 1836. Travis repeatedly called for assistance that never came and was killed, along with all the other Alamo defenders, on 6 March 1836 at the Battle...| World History Encyclopedia
Halloween is the most popular holiday in the world, after Christmas (based on level-of-celebration and consumer spending) and, increasingly, the most lucrative. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend $13.1 billion on Halloween in 2025 despite higher prices for everything from candy to costumes to decorations (NRF, 1). The modern observance, though based on...| World History Encyclopedia
'Course Over Ground' is the debut novel by Bill C. Wilson, Bronze Medal Winner of the 2024 Ink of Ages fiction contest. A gripping work of historical fiction, the novel is set in Mobile, Alabama, against the backdrop of the American Civil War, and follows Captain Alan Chambers, a family man who soon finds himself embroiled in a high-risk venture that threatens his family and his livelihood. The...| World History Encyclopedia
William Barret Travis (1809 to 1836) is best-known as the commander of the Alamo during the 13-day siege (23 February to 6 March 1836), dying in the Battle of the Alamo on 6 March at the age of 26. Arguably, however, Travis should receive greater recognition as the man who almost single-handedly started the Texas Revolution with the Anahuac Disturbances of 1832 and 1835. Travis’ conflict with...| World History Encyclopedia
Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) was the second major colonial conflict in North America, fought between the colonies of England – Great Britain after 1707 – and those of France and Spain, each side aided by their respective Native American allies. An extension of a larger European conflict, the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Queen Anne’s War had its own unique origins, stemming from the...| World History Encyclopedia
'Relics of War', authored by Jennifer Raab, is a fascinating and, at the same time, poignant book, studying the American Civil War through the lens of one photograph. Profoundly insightful and replete with moral weight, the study makes for an engaging read. It will be of interest to general readers, art historians, history enthusiasts, photographers, as well as specialists of American Civil War...| World History Encyclopedia
King William’s War (1688-1697) was the first of four major colonial conflicts fought between England, France, and their respective Native American allies in the 17th and 18th centuries. Though the war had its own unique origins, it coincided with a larger European conflict – the Nine Years’ War – marking the first time that Colonial America was swept up in the imperial struggles of the Old World...| World History Encyclopedia
Clava Cairns is an early Bronze Age site in Scotland, located east of the city of Inverness, consisting of three well-preserved cairns (two of which are passage graves) and a number of free-standing stones strategically placed for astronomical purposes. The full name of the site is the Prehistoric Burial Cairns of the Balnuaran of Clava which is usually shortened to The Balnuaran of Clava and, informally...| World History Encyclopedia
John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) was a 19th-century American stage actor who assassinated US President Abraham Lincoln on 14 April 1865. Born to a family of famous actors, Booth was a rising star on stages across the United States, known for his leading roles in William Shakespeare's plays. He sympathized with the Confederacy during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and denounced Lincoln as a tyrant...| World History Encyclopedia
Set on the North African coast, Tunisia is home to some of the finest Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. After the fall of Carthage, Rome transformed the region into the prosperous province of Africa, enriched by its fertile plains and bustling cities. This land, shaped by dramatic events that influenced ancient history, has left behind an extraordinary archaeological legacy with ruins scattered...| World History Encyclopedia
Owain Gwynedd (c. 1100-1170), also known as Owain ap Gruffudd, was a Welsh leader and ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd, best known for his resistance against Henry II of England (reign 1154-1189). He is not to be confused with the later Owain ap Gruffydd, known as Owain Cyfeiliog. Owain became tywysog (leader, ruler) of the Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd after his father's death in 1137, ruling until...| World History Encyclopedia
Toward the end of The Ballad of the Alamo (1960), recording artist Marty Robbins sings: Now the bugles are silent And there's rust on each sword And the small band of soldiers Lie asleep in the arms of the Lord. When we visited the Alamo in 2004, we drove around town listening to that song almost on repeat as it had become a favorite of my daughter, Emily, then age nine. At the same time...| World History Encyclopedia
The Legend of Ticonderoga is among the most famous ghost stories of the last 200 years and remains a favorite among folklorists and, especially around Halloween, storytellers at seasonal events. Any summary or discussion of the plot would ruin the tale, which is given below, but the story involves the Scottish nobleman Duncan Campbell, mortally wounded at the Battle of Carillon, 8 July 1758, when...| World History Encyclopedia
Sherman's March to the Sea (15 November to 21 December 1864) was a significant military campaign in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Hoping to cripple the Confederacy's ability to make war, as well as to crush its will to keep fighting, Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman led 62,000 men on a march from Atlanta, Georgia, to the coastal city of Savannah. In between, he conducted a 'scorched...| World History Encyclopedia
From 985 until sometime in the 1400s, Greenland was the farthest, most isolated outpost of medieval Scandinavian society. For nearly 500 years, the Norse Greenlanders built churches, kept livestock, and wore the same clothes as their contemporaries in faraway Europe. Then, for reasons that are still debated today, they vanished. The disappearance of the Norse Greenlanders – apparently without anyone...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Bentonville (19-21 March 1865) was among the last major battles of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Having cut swathes of destruction first through Georgia, then through South Carolina, Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman next invaded North Carolina, with the goal of pushing up into Virginia to join forces with Ulysses S. Grant's army outside Richmond. The Confederates...| World History Encyclopedia
During the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon England was split into several kingdoms, the most powerful of which was Mercia. In an engaging and detailed new book, "The Mercian Chronicles," Max Adams explains how the Mercian kings were able to dominate the English Midlands and beyond.“There was in Mercia in fairly recent times a certain vigorous king called Offa, who terrified all the neighbouring kings and...| World History Encyclopedia
The Yalta Conference of 4-11 February 1945 was a meeting of the 'Big Three' Allied leaders: President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Russian...| World History Encyclopedia
It all began with a farmer shooting at a 'something' in a field. Or it may have started from a dispute with a neighbor. Or it may have never happened at all. However it began, the legend of the Bell Witch has been a popular tale in the United States since the mid-19th century, and today, it attracts an international audience. The feature film An American Haunting (2005), though panned by critics...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Nashville (15-16 December 1864) was the last major battle in the western theater of the American Civil War (1861-1865). After suffering a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Franklin (30 November), Lieutenant General John Bell Hood led the once-proud Confederate Army of Tennessee onward in a desperate attempt to capture Nashville, a major supply and manufacturing center. He clashed...| World History Encyclopedia
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914) in the Balkans in the summer of 1914 set off a chain of events that led to the First World War (1914-18). For over a decade before, imperialistic...| World History Encyclopedia
The pre-First World War arms race between Britain and Germany was fuelled by Britain's desire to protect its empire, Germany's desire to build an empire, and a general atmosphere of suspicion amongst...| World History Encyclopedia
The Moroccan Crises were two international incidents, the first in 1905-6 and the second in 1911, when Imperial Germany, eager to expand its empire, threatened France's presence in Morocco. France's...| World History Encyclopedia
The Schlieffen Plan, prepared by German Chief of Staff General Alfred von Schlieffen (1833-1913) in 1905, was a secret plan of attack by German armed forces against France, should the two countries...| World History Encyclopedia
The January Uprising of 1863 was a conflict between Tsarist Russia and Polish insurgents striving for independence. The uprising continued until October 1864, when it was suppressed by the Russian forces...| World History Encyclopedia
The alliance system in Europe was one of the causes of the First World War (1914-18), although it did not make war inevitable. In the first decade of the 20th century, the Triple Entente powers of Great...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Gonzales in October 1835 is recognized as the official beginning of the Texas Revolution, even though armed conflict between Texians and the Mexican government had already erupted during...| World History Encyclopedia
The Constantinian Excerpts, or Excerpta Constantiniana is the conventional name given to the mid-10th Century Byzantine palace encyclopedia commissioned by the scholar emperor Constantine VII ‘Porphyrogenitus’...| World History Encyclopedia
Although the Battle of Gonzales (2 October 1835) is recognized as the first of the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836, hostilities actually began in 1832 with the Anahuac Disturbances and the Battle of Velasco...| World History Encyclopedia
The Texas Revolution (Texas War of Independence, 1835 to 1836) was a conflict between the Anglo and Tejano residents of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas (Texas) and the Mexican government over...| World History Encyclopedia
Sultan Razia (Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din, r. 1236-1240) was one of the few women rulers in the Indian subcontinent and the first and only female Sultan of Delhi. Despite facing Herculean challenges...| World History Encyclopedia
People have been sending letters to each other ever since paper and pen were invented, but it was not until 1840 that a new idea was introduced where people could prepay the cost of delivering their...| World History Encyclopedia
Charles VI (lived 1368-1422) reigned as King of France from 1380 to 1422, during an important phase of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) against England. Known as the 'Mad King' due to his frequent...| World History Encyclopedia
The history of Italian colonialism unfolded in a relatively short period, between the late 19th century and the Second World War (1939-45). After the unification of Italy, the young kingdom sought to...| World History Encyclopedia
The Bolshevik Revolution occurred on 7 November 1917 (old calendar 25 October) and established a new republic: Soviet Russia. The Bolsheviks were radical socialists led by Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924...| World History Encyclopedia
Josef Mengele (1911-1979) was a Nazi doctor who performed horrific pseudo-scientific experiments on detainees in the Auschwitz concentration camp where he was a medical officer from 1943 to 1945. Thousands...| World History Encyclopedia
Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) was the head of the Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) organisation. One of the most powerful individuals in Nazi Germany, Himmler built up the SS from a small paramilitary unit to...| World History Encyclopedia
Tamahay (Tahama, Tamaha,| World History Encyclopedia
The Gestapo was the secret political police organisation of Nazi Germany. Created in 1933, the Gestapo became one of the most feared instruments of state terror, its members having few or no legal restrictions...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Lundy's Lane (25 July 1814) was one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812. Fought near the location of present-day Niagara Falls, it saw a US army under Jacob Brown clash with a...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Chippawa (5 July 1814) was a major battle in the War of 1812, in which a US army proved its newfound discipline by defeating British regulars during the Americans' third attempted invasion...| World History Encyclopedia
Einsatzgruppen ('deployment groups') were secret Nazi killing units, who systematically sought out and murdered civilians identified as enemies of the Third Reich. Operating without any legal restrictions...| World History Encyclopedia
Adolf Eichmann (1906-1962), a lieutenant-colonel in the Nazi SS, was responsible for organising the transportation of Jewish people and other victims of Nazism to concentration, labour, and death camps...| World History Encyclopedia
The Battle of Crysler's Farm (11 November 1813) was a major battle in the War of 1812. Fought along the banks of the St. Lawrence River, it saw a British and Canadian force defeat a much larger American...| World History Encyclopedia
Operation Torch (aka the North Africa landings) landed Allied troops in French Morocco and Algeria on 8 November 1942 with the aim of removing German and Italian forces from North Africa. The first...| World History Encyclopedia
The First Battle of El Alamein (1-27 July 1942) was a series of encounters during the Second World War (1939-1945) in Egypt between Allied and Axis forces. The battle, focussed around the El Alamein...| World History Encyclopedia
Operation Compass (9 Dec 1940 to 7 Feb 1941) was an Allied offensive in North Africa, which pushed Italian forces out of Egypt and then Cyrenaica (Eastern Libya). The Allied Western Desert Force, led...| World History Encyclopedia
The siege of the port of Tobruk in Libya (April to Dec 1941) by Axis forces during the Second World War (1939-45) lasted 242 days and became a symbol of Allied resistance. Besieged by land but still...| World History Encyclopedia
The Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' was a two-seater dive-bomber plane used by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in various theatres of the Second World War (1939-45). The Stuka, with its distinctive angled wings...| World History Encyclopedia
An army of 250,000 volunteers, both men and women, working in many different services, ensured life went on during the London Blitz, a period of sustained bombing by the German Air Force on the British...| World History Encyclopedia
Omaha Beach was one of two beaches attacked by the US armed forces on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Strong German defences on the bluff overlooking the beach made this area the most difficult of the Normandy...| World History Encyclopedia
Gold Beach was the central of the five Allied D-Day Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. Primarily British units, with massive naval and air support, were set the task of taking the beach, a feat achieved...| World History Encyclopedia
Juno Beach was attacked primarily by forces of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division as part of the Allied D-Day Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. The Canadian troops initially suffered heavy casualties...| World History Encyclopedia
Sword Beach was the easternmost beach of the Allied D-Day Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. The 3rd British Infantry Division was given the task of taking the beach while paratroopers and Royal Marine...| World History Encyclopedia
D-Day was the first day of Operation Overlord, the Allied attack on German-occupied Western Europe, which began on the beaches of Normandy, France, on 6 June 1944. Primarily US, British, and Canadian...| World History Encyclopedia
I’m rebuilding the site and completing the transition to a pandoc| “You can’t do that online anymore!” Hugo Roy’s Blog
I unintentionally broke my HP Touchpad. It was useless and would not boot any more. Here is all I needed to restore it and boot into webOS 3.0.5| “You can’t do that online anymore!” Hugo Roy’s Blog
