27 OCTOBER 1948 THE BERLIN AIRLIFT After the surrender of the Axis, the major Allied powers occupied Germany’s territory under a divided arrangement. Then shortly, France, England, the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg began working to rebuild the tattered German Read More
21 OCTOBER 1805 THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (cont.) Watching the British advance, Villeneuve ordered his fleet into a traditional line-ahead (historians suspect a lack-luster execution was made in spite of Villeneuve’s suspicion that Nelson might break his line). The vacillating Villeneuve Read More
21 OCTOBER 1805 THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR It was the fifth year of Napoleon Bonaparte’s fifteen-year empire-building reign in France. Having already conquered Belgium, the Low Countries, Spain, and much of Italy, Napoleon’s next target was England. He planned a cross-channel Read More
16-18 OCTOBER 1775 THE BURNING OF FALMOUTH Royal Navy North American theater commander, VADM Samuel Graves, took a hardline against the rebellious activities of Patriots in New England’s coastal towns. He ordered Royal Navy LT Henry Mowat in HMS CANCEAUX, 6, Read More
12 OCTOBER 2000 USS COLE BOMBING On January 3rd, 2000, the destroyer THE SULLIVANS (DDG-68) moored in the port of Aden, Yemen, for refueling. While her crew worked, unseen Al-Queda operatives pushed a small boat loaded with explosives into the harbor. But Read More
6-16 OCTOBER 1859 SECOND FIJIAN EXPEDITION American traders plying the Pacific in the 19th century occasionally ran afoul of angry natives. Such was the case in the summer of 1859 with two sailors from a US merchant freighter. They were captured Read More