Scott Allsop's Blog, page 263
January 22, 2017
23rd January 1556: Most destructive earthquake on record in Shaanxi
On the 23rd January 1556, the deadliest earthquake ever recorded hit the Chinese province of Shaanxi (pronounced Shensi) and surrounding areas. Scientists have since judged that the earthquake had a magnitude of around 8.0 on...
January 21, 2017
22nd January 1905: Bloody Sunday massacre in Saint Petersburg
On the 22nd January 1905, the Bloody Sunday massacre took place in the Russian capital Saint Petersburg. Soldiers of the Imperial Guard fired on protesters led by the Orthodox Priest Father Georgy Gapon as they...
January 20, 2017
21st January 1793: Louis XVI executed for high treason
On the 21st January 1793, former French King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine at the Place de la Revolution in Paris. The blade fell at 10.22am, after which it’s reported that a number of...
January 19, 2017
20th January 1942: Nazi leaders meet at the Wannsee Conference
On the 20th January 1942, a number of senior Nazis met at the Wannsee Conference where they discussed what was referred to as the Final Solution to the Jewish Question. SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich called the...
January 18, 2017
19th January 1915: Zeppelins bomb Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn
On the 19th January 1915, two German Zeppelin airships known as L3 and L4 dropped bombs on the Norfolk towns of Great Yarmouth and Kings Lynn in Britain’s first experience of an air raid. Four...
January 17, 2017
18th January 1871: Wilhelm I declared German Emperor
On the 18th January 1871, Wilhelm I of Prussia was proclaimed the first German Emperor. The creation of the federal Empire made Wilhelm the head of state and president of the federated monarchies that made...
January 16, 2017
17th January 1991: Gulf War combat begins with Operation Desert Storm
On the 17th January 1991, the combat phase of the Gulf War began as Operation Desert Storm was launched to destroy Iraq’s military and civilian infrastructure through an enormous aerial bombing campaign. Over 2,250 coalition...
January 15, 2017
16th January 27 BCE: Octavian becomes Augustus, Roman Emperor
On the 16th January 27 BCE, the Roman Senate granted Octavian the titles Augustus and Princeps. The title Augustus is understood to roughly translate as “the illustrious one” and, although the title did not grant...
January 14, 2017
15th January 1919: Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg killed by Freikorps
On the 15th January 1919, Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht were killed by members of the Freikorps. The two German socialists were joint-founders of the Spartacist League and the Communist Party of Germany, and were...
January 13, 2017
14th January 1943: Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Casablanca Conference
On the 14th January 1943, the Casablanca Conference began in Morocco. Primarily a military meeting between the USA and Britain, the conference resulted in a declaration of the doctrine of “unconditional surrender”. The conference saw...
