Previously on this day

The MV Braer was an oil tanker which ran aground off Shetland, Scotland. On Tuesday, January 5, 1993, Lerwick coastguard were advised that the tanker, the Braer, en route from Bergen in Norway to Quebec in Canada, laden with 85,000 tons of crude oil, had lost engine power but was in no immediate danger.

The coastguard alerted rescue helicopters from Sumburgh and RAF Lossiemouth and made enquiries about the availability of local tugs. At the coastguard’s suggestion, the master agreed that non-essential personnel should be removed from the vessel – 14 of 34 crew were taken off by the coastguard helicopter. It was feared that the ship would founder near Horse Island but because of strong northwest local currents, the Braer moved against prevailing wind and missed the island, drifting towards Quendale Bay.

Attempts to establish a tow failed and the ship grounded at Garths Ness with oil being seen to flow out into the sea from the moment of impact. Fortunately, the crude oil that the Braer was carrying was lighter and more easily biodegradable than other North Sea crude oils. Some of the worst storms seen in Shetland prevented the event from becoming an even bigger disaster.

Share this page

The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918-1919 was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland against Germany. After 1795, Poland ceased to exist as an independent state. From 1795 through the beginning of World War I, several unsuccessful uprisings to regain an independent state took place.

At the end of World War I, United States President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points proposed an independent Poland but failed to definitively set borders for Poland that could be universally accepted. Most of Poland was still part of Germany with the rest being part of Russia and Austria-Hungary. Poznan, which was part of the Germany portion, was a major industrial city who were uncertain whether they would be repatriated with the proposed new Polish nation.

The defeat of the German Army on the Western Front in the autumn of 1918 ignited Polish hopes for a sovereign Poland. Poles began serious preparations for an uprising after the abdication on November 9, 1918, which saw the end of the German monarchy. The uprising broke out on December 27, 1918 in Poznan after a patriotic speech by Ignacy Paderewski, a famous Polish pianist. The forces consisted of members of the Polish Military Organization of the Prussian Partition and many volunteers – mainly veterans of World War I.

Share this page

Nostradamus was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Porpheties, the first edition of which appeared in 1555.

Since the publication of this book, which has rarely been out of print since his death, Nostradamus has attracted an enthusiastic following, who, along with the popular press, credits him with predicting many major world events. In contrast, most academic sources maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus’ quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as evidence of any genuine predictive power.

None of the sources listed offers any evidence that anyone has ever interpreted any of Nostradamus’ quatrains specifically enough to allow a clear identification of any event in advance. Interest in the work of this prominent figure of the French Renaissance is still considerable, especially in the media and in popular culture and the prophecies has, in some cases, been assimilated to the results of applying the alleged Bible Code, as well as to other purported prophetic works.

Share this page

The Treaty of Paris of 1898 ended the Spanish-American War. American and Spanish delegates met in Paris on October 1, 1898 to produce a treaty that would bring an end to the war after six months of hostilities. The Treaty provided that Cuba would become independent from Spain, but the United States Congress made sure it would be under American control.

Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over Cuba and it was to be occupied by the U.S. The Treaty also assured that Spain would cede to the U.S. the island of Puerto Rico and other islands, as well as the island of Guam. The major conflict concerned the situation of the Philippines. The Spanish argued that it could not be demanded as war conquest, but they eventually yielded because they had no other choice.

The U.S. ultimately paid Spain #20 million for possession of the Philippines. The controversial treaty was the subject of debate in the U.S. Senate during the winter of 1898-1899, and it was approved on February 6, 1899 by a vote 57 to 27, only one vote more than two-thirds majority required. The defeat put an end to the Spanish Empire in America and one year later in the Pacific Ocean, marked the beginning of an age of U.S. colonial power.

Share this page

Pope Innocent VIII issued Summis desiderantes affectibus (Desiring with supreme ardor), a papal bull written in response to the request of Dominican Inquisitor Heinrich Kramer for explicit authority to prosecute witchcraft in Germany, after he was refused assistance by the local ecclesiastical authorities.

The bull recognized the existence of witches and gave full papal authority for the Inquisition to move against witches and permission to do whatever necessary to get rid of them. The bull urged local authorities to cooperate with the inquisitors and threatened those who impeded their work with excommunication. Despite this threat, the bull failed to ensure that Kramer got the support he had hoped for.

This caused him to retire and compile his views on witchcraft into his book Malleus Maleficarum, which was published in 1487. The bull is often viewed as opening the door for the witch hunts of the early modern period. However, its similarities to previous papal documents, emphasis on preaching, and lack of dogmatic pronouncement complicate this view. Some scholars view the bull as “clearly political.”

Share this page

The Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943 in Tehran, Iran. It was the first World War II conference among the Big Three (the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom) in which Stalin was present. The chief discussion was centered on the opening of a second front in Western Europe.

At the same time, a separate protocol pledged the three countries to recognize Iran’s independence. Most importantly the conference was organized to plan the final strategy for the war against Nazi Germany and its allies. The key Allied leaders met together only twice during World War II but when they did confer, their decisions changed the course of history. The first of these two conferences only came about after much pleading and threats from Roosevelt who wished to strengthen the cooperation between the U.S., Great Britain, and the USSR.

Roosevelt wanted this meeting so much that he was willing to make numerous concessions to Stalin, and the choice of location itself was a place more convenient to Stalin. Roosevelt arrived in Tehran with little bargaining power and in poor physical condition. In contrast, Stalin arrived jubilant and swaggering because of the USSR’s most recent victories in Eastern Europe. Churchill was calm and focused, hoping to promote his Mediterranean plan.

Share this page

William Tell is a legendary hero of disputed historical authenticity and who is said to have lived in Switzerland in the early 14^th century. Tell was known as an expert marksman with the crossbow. At the time, the Hapsburg emperors were seeking to dominate the local area.

A pole was raised in the village’s central square with a hat on top and all the townsfolk were demanded to bow before it. Tell passed by it without bowing and was arrested. He received the punishment of being forced to shoot an apple off the head of his son, Walter, or else both would be executed. On November 18, 1307, Tell split the fruit with a single bolt from his crossbow without mishap.

When queried about the purpose of the second bold in his quiver, Tell replied that if he had killed his son in the trial, he would have turned the crossbow on the man responsible for staging the trial. Enraged, the authorities bound Tell and brought him to his ship. In a storm, he was able to escape and shot the man who forced him to perform the trial. Tell’s defiance sparked a rebellion leading to the formation of the Swiss Confederation.

Share this page

The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, in which British, Canadian, South African, and ANZAC units engaged the Imperial German Army. The battle was fought for control of the village of Passchendaele near the town of Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.

The basic plan of the offensive was to capture the high ground to the south and east of Ypres. Despite spells of good weather during the battle lasting long enough to dry out the land, Passchendaele has become known for the misery of fighting in thick mud. Preparatory bombardment and rainy periods produced an impassable terrain of deep liquid mud, into which an unknown number of soldiers drowned.

The Germans were well-entrenched, with mutually-supporting pillboxes and after five months of fierce fighting, the Canadian Corps took Passchendaele on November 6, 1917, ending the battle. In the course of the conflict, the Allied Powers had sustained almost half a million casualties and the Germans just over a quarter of a million dead and seriously wounded. In March 1918 – four months later – the Allies abandoned to the Germans every inch of territory gained in order to free several divisions to cover more strategically valuable terrain.

Share this page

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, took place on November 1, 1755. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami and fire, which caused near-total destruction of Lisbon, Portugal and adjoining areas.

Geologists today estimate that the Lisbon earthquake approached magnitude 9 on the Richter scale, with an epicenter in the Atlantic Ocean. Estimates place the death toll between 60,000 to 100,000 people, making it one of the most destructive earthquakes in history. The earthquake accentuated political tensions in Portugal and profoundly disrupted the country’s 18^th century colonial ambitions.

As the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a large area, it led to the birth of modern seismology. Lisbon was not the only Portuguese city affected by the catastrophe. In particular, destruction was rampant in the Algarve. A tsunami destroyed some coastal fortresses and, in the lower levels, razed several houses. Almost all the coastal towns and villages in the area were heavily damaged. The king and prime minister immediately launched efforts to rebuild Lisbon, hiring architects, engineers and organizing labor.

Share this page

The Siege of La Rochelle was a result of a war between the French royal forces of Louis XIII of France and the Huguenots of La Rochelle in 1627-1628. In the Edict of Nantes, Henry IV of France had given the Huguenots extensive rights. La Rochelle had become the stronghold of the French Huguenot.

Following a Huguenot revolt by Duke Henri de Rohan from 1625, Henry IV’s successor, Louis XIII, declared war against the Huguenots. The Roman Catholic government of France rented ships from the Protestant city of La Rochelle. The Dutch ships transported the French soldiers to La Rochelle. In September 1627, Royal forces besieged La Rochelle, which was the greatest stronghold among the Huguenot cities of France.

Cardinal Richelieu acted as the commander of the besieging troops. French engineers further isolated the city with entrenchments 12 km long, fortified by 11 forts and 18 redoubts. French artillery was used against English ships that tried to supply the city. In September 1628, another English fleet tried to relieve the city. After bombarding French positions, the English fleet had to withdraw. The city surrendered on October 28, 1628.

Share this page