This Day in
History
The London Underground
By: Brodie Silles
01/10/2025
On January 10, 1863, the London Underground’s first railway opened. The first line in the London Underground, instituted to lessen street congestion, stretched between Paddington and Farringdon and housed six stations along the way. The London Underground, also known as the “Tube” by some Londoners, now includes 11 lines and a whopping 272 stations! It also has been crucial to London’s development in the past three centuries, as the development would have been much more grueling and slow-moving without the mobility that the London Underground offered.
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In the first 50 years of the Underground’s existence, the majority of Central London’s network was completed. In the following 50 years, the lines were extended to London’s suburbs. Some suburbs were actually created because of the creation of the underground, some even being developed by the railway companies themselves.
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In 1968, the first new line across London in over 60 years was opened. Known as the Victoria Line, its opening was followed by the creation of the Jubilee line in 1997. When the Jubilee line was extended to London’s “Docklands” in 1999, it helped regenerate and grow the business district of Canary Wharf. The Bakerloo Line was rumored to have been created after a group of rich businessmen complained that they couldn’t travel to and fro the Lord’s Cricket Ground fast enough. It was instantly successful, as when it opened on March 10, 1906, more than 36,000 passengers used it, even though it wasn’t even cricket season yet! The Central Line, also called the Central London Railway, was opened on July 30, 1900 as a route from Bank to Shepherds Bush. Successful from the beginning, one of the more famous aspects of it was that it only cost two pence to travel. This led to the nickname “Tuppenny Tube.” It was also the second Underground line to be automated (after the Victoria Line).
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The London Underground, one of the most well known underground railway systems, has had a pivotal role in London’s development. It helped speed up the advancement of London by leaps and bounds. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll ride it too.
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Sources:
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/culture-and-heritage/londons-transport-a-history/london-
The U.S. Invasion of Panama
By: Brodie Silles
12/20/2024
In December of 1989, the U.S. began its invasion of Panama. The main purpose of the invasion was to remove the dictatorial ruler, General Manel Noriegia. Noriega was to be shipped off to the U.S. to face charges of money laundering and drug trafficking. The former president, Omar Torrijos, had been killed in a military coup for power, in which Noriega participated. When the results of the new leader’s election were reviewed, Noriega had Guillermo Endara (the winner of the election) and his supporters beaten in the street, allowing Noriega to install his former classmate Francisco Rodríguez into power as a puppet president. In response to seeing this, the Organization of American States called for a peaceful transition of power to an elected government.
To prosecute Noriega for his crimes and fight the Panamanian government, the president at the time, George Bush, sent two thousand troops to fight in Panama. Meanwhile, Noriega had convinced the Panamanian National Assembly to name him the “maximum leader” of Panama on December 15, 1989. On his demand, the Assembly also declared there was a state of war between Panama and the United States. Sadly, not even days after, an unarmed United States Marine dressed in civilian clothes was ambushed and brutally murdered by soldiers of the Panamanian Army. President Bush did not take kindly to this and sent 11,000 soldiers to the Panama Canal Zone, bringing the total number of U.S. troops in Panama to 24,000 strong.
In the small hours of December 20, 1989, the 24,000 United States soldiers began their invasion of Panama. During the first day of combat, Endara was rightfully sworn in as the leader of the country alongside his two vice presidents. The U.S. dispatched an additional two thousand troops to restore order in the next few days. Noriega escaped capture for four days until taking refuge in an embassy. He stayed there until the third of January 1990, when he surrendered during a sonic assault by the U.S. troops, who blasted rock music such as “I Fought the Law” and “If I Had a Rocket Launcher” at ear-shattering volumes outside Noriega’s refuge. He was shipped off to Miami, where he went on trial and was sentenced to U.S. prison. Roughly 500 to 600 Panamians were killed in this incident, and only twenty-three American soldiers, but countless were wounded on both sides.
In the end, it was Noriega’s crimes and wrongdoings that brought him up and took him down. It just goes to show that building yourself up on misdeeds will only cause your fall from power.
St. Nicholas Day
By: Brodie Silles
12/06/2024
Saint Nicholas Day is a religious holiday instated in the early year of 800. It is a Chrisian festival meant to celebrate the life of St. Nicholas, a Myra-hailing generous bishop from the fourth century, who was known for his gift-giving and love of children. It is celebrated in many ways, including putting boots in front of the fireplace, hanging stockings, feasting, dressing as bishops to beg for the poor, and exchanging small gifts. In the Netherlands, there are even parades devoted to St. Nicholas’ (known as Sinterklaas there) arrival from Spain! Instead of leaving out milk and cookies like some do in the United States, children leave out carrots, hay, and bowls of water for Sinterklaas’s horse. In the aforementioned St. Nicholas’s Feast, there are many special foods prepared, like St. Nicholas soups, pizzas, pastries, and more!
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St. Nicholas’ day shares similarities to Christmas, with good children being given gifts. But one major difference is Krampus. Krampus is a half man, half goat. He is seen around the world as a disciplinary figure, punishing children who have been naughty. Some legends say that Krampus travels with St. Nicholas, leaving coal or a stick in the fireplace boot or stocking of naughty children. For especially naughty children, it is said he kidnaps them in his sack. In some European countries, the day before St. Nicholas day is Krampushnat, also known as Krampus Night, when Krampus is said to roam the streets, visiting the homes of naughty children. If the threat of Krampus can’t keep kids motivated to stay good, it’s possible that nothing can!
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St. Nicholas Day bears much resemblance to Christmas, from gift-giving to big feasts, though the legend of Krampus and how he gives coal and sticks, as well as kidnaps children with his sack, is just a little bit more extreme than the normal coal from Santa Claus.
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The Kuril Islands Earthquake: We Need to Conserve our Earth
By: Brodie Silles
11/15/2024
On November 15, 2006, the 8.3 magnitude Kuril Islands Earthquake hit the Kuril Islands in Russia. It was the largest recorded earthquake to hit the Kuril Islands since the 20th century, and it ended up leading to huge tsunamis around the world. Tsunami warnings and advisories were issued to over 6 different locations. In Crescent City, California, a tsunami caused over $20 million in damage, with the tsunami’s waves reaching over 70 feet high. Surprisingly though, the tsunami caused no fatal or disastrous damage.
The tsunami that hit the Kuril Islands had several after effects. For example, it caused severe shoreline erosion, exposed remnants of World War II equipment, and drained lakes. The tsunami stripped the vegetation off the shoreline and cut through ridges. The economy of the Kuril Islands was largely unaffected by the tsunami as the tsunami hit the mostly uninhabited islands. However, the effects produced by the other tsunamis (that resulted from the earthquake) stretched far across the Pacific Ocean and caused large sums of damage across the world.
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The devastation of the earthquake was mainly confined to the Kuril islands and caused little damage to the economy, but the tsunamis caused much more damage. A tsunami in California caused property damage, though thankfully no deaths.
An earthquake occurred in January 13th, 2007, and is considered the doublet, or twin, of the 2006 Kuril Islands Earthquake. Evidence shows that the 2006 tsunamis hit every island except for certain parts or Rasshua.
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Though seemingly insignificant, the Kuril Islands earthquake happened during a tense time, with Israel locked in combat with Lebanon and train bombings in Mumbai killing hundreds. As global warming spreads across the Earth and humans tear the Earth apart, small disasters like this are just stepping stones to more destructicon. This small example of devastation shows that we need to protect our Earth before it’s too late. Sometimes, the smallest things have the biggest impacts on our lives.
Sources:
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Author, Unknown. “2006 Kuril Islands Tsunami.” 2006 Kuril Islands Tsunami, wsspc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/TsuCenSigEv_2006Kuril.pdf. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.
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MacInnes, Breanyn T., et al. “Field Survey and Geological Effects of the 15 November 2006 Kuril Tsunami in the Middle Kuril Islands.” SpringerLink, Birkhäuser Basel, 1 Jan. 1970, link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-0346-0064-4_2.
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“November 15, 2006 Kuril Islands Earthquake.” National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 15 Oct. 2024, www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/natural-hazards/tsunamis-earthquakes-volcanoes/tsunamis/recent-significant-events/kuril-island-nov-2006-earthquake-dart-summary.
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“The 2006–2007 Kuril Islands Great Earthquake Sequence - Lay - 2009 - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth - Wiley Online Library.” AGU: Advancing Earth and Space Sciences, agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2008JB006280. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
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“The 2006–2007 Kuril Islands Great Earthquake Sequence - Lay - 2009 - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth - Wiley Online Library.” AGU: Advancing Earth and Space Sciences, agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2008JB006280. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.
Was Purchasing Alaska Worth it?
By: Brodie Silles
10/18/2024
On October 18, 1867, Alaska became a part of the United States. This event marked the end of Russia's efforts to expand their trades and settlements to North America. It was an important step for the U.S. towards becoming a great power.
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For context, when the Americans began to expand throughout North America in the early 1800’s, they began to find themselves in competition with the Russians. However, the Russians did not have the financial resources to support major settlements or military power overseas. Due to that, the permanent Russian settlers in Alaska were never more than four hundred.
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In 1859, Russia offered to sell Alaska to the U.S.A. to make sure Britain did not try to take a hold of the territory. The Civil War ended up delaying the purchase, but after the Civil War had ended, the Secretary of State at the time, William Seward, agreed to a renewed offer from the Russian Minister, Edouard de Stoeckl, to purchase Alaska for a sum of 7.2 million dollars, meaning the United States bought Alaska for two cents per acre!
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For thirty years after the United States made the Alaska Purchase, the U.S. paid little to no attention to Alaska, which was governed under the rule of the military, navy, or Treasury, though sometimes it had no rule at all. To put U.S. mining laws in place, the U.S. finally constituted a civil government in 1884. Meanwhile, the purchase was being criticized, and some even called it Seward’s Folly. The New York Times even proclaimed that, “Russia has sold us a sucked orange!” Alaska was even mocked as Seward’s Icebox and Seward’s Polar Bear Garden! However, much of the criticism ended when a large sum of gold was found in Alaska, leading to the Alaska Gold Rush and the Klondike gold field’s establishment.
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Fun fact: October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day and National Mashed Potatoes Day!
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October 4th Through the Years
By: Brodie Silles
10/04/2024
23 A.D.
Chang’an, also known as the departure point of the Silk Road and the gateway from Asia to Europe, was a city in Neolithic Age China that was the capital of ten dynasties. On this date in 23 CE, it was captured and sacked in a rebellion of the peasants. The emperor of Chang’an, Wang Mang, was killed and decapitated by the rebels two days after the rebellion.
1302
The Byzantine-Venetian War, an offshoot of the second Venetian-Genose War, was between the Byzantines and Venetians, and took place in Europe from 1296 to 1302. On this date in 1302, the Byzantines signed a peace treaty with the Venetians that forced the Venetians to return most of the land they had claimed during their conquests, except for four locations: the islands of Kea, Santorini, Serifos, and Amorgos. The four islands were kept by the privateers that had captured them. The Byzantines also repaid the Venetians for the losses the Venetians had sustained during the massacre of Venetian residents by the Byzantines in 1296.
1957
Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite, and it was launched by the Russians on this date in 1957. Very few people in the U.S. anticipated it, and it came as a shock to many American citizens and experts alike. This event also started the Space Race, marked the beginning of the Space Age, and prompted the U.S. to found NASA, launch its own satellites, and eventually launch spaceships with humans on them.
2022
On this date in 2022, Hurricane Orlene made landfall in Southwestern Mexico’s Pacific Coast as a category 1 storm. Orlene had formed over the far eastern Pacific as a tropical storm on September 29, 2022, and moved south over the next few days. When it made landfall in Mexico, it was a relatively small storm, but it forecasted 6 to 14 inches of rainfall.
Fun Fact:
National Golf Lover’s Day, which was established in 1957, is celebrated on this date!
Sources:
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Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture; by Bowman, John Stewart, 1993.
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https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/content/did-you-know-cosmopolitan-city-changan-eastern-end-silk-roads