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This Day in Alternate History
Jenni wrote: "If it is May 7th: On this day in 1937, the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg landed safely in Lakehurst in the early hours of the morning, having delayed it's final approach until the weat..."I know it is "alternative" history but Queen Elizabeth in 1937......I think not !!
Mod
Maybe Elizabeth the first was immortal?
You never can tell with the multiverse, Maybe there is one where the British royal family exists in a weirdly reversed time bubble from the rest of us, with their reigns happening before they could have begun.Or one where if you're a commoner it's impossible to know who the sovereign is at a given point in history because of a protective magic spell crafted by Merlin, so you can only guess.
Mod
Jan 1 1937 King George VI dies after falling off his horse 1 month into his reign.
10 year old Princess Elizabeth becomes Queen.
(Elizabeth was 2nd in line to the throne when she was born in 1926, so potentially could have become Queen any time after that)
Nate wrote: "Nice work Dave"that's what she said.
Mod
25 May 1521 - The Diet of Worms ends without Charles V issuing an edict on Martin Luther. The Diet goes unremarked upon in history books, thus denying generations of school children a good laugh to break up the monotony of 16th Century history.
May 25, 2976 BC: absolutely nothing happened this day and would later be recorded as the most boring day ever.(I believe I stole the basis for this from Douglas Adams.)
Mod
June 8th, 1887: Herman Hollerith applies for US patent #395,791 for the 'Art of Applying Statistics' – his punched card calculator.What he didn't mention in the application is that by altering patterns in his punched cards he could make gentle alterations to reality.
The fact that a Statistician sounds a bit like a Magician is just coincidence.
May 25, 1961: John F. Kennedy, dissatisfied with the seemingly limited suggestion of aspiring towards the Earth's moon, announces his ambitious goal for the United States to colonize the planet Mars by the end of the decade. NASA scientists in response begin work assembling a Mars-bound vehicle which tragically explodes while in its early test phases killing dozens of NASA engineers and scientists. Shortly after JFK is found dead by his own hand in a Dallas hotel clutching a note upon which is scribbled "For I have erred and regretted the Moon."
May 25th, 1977 - "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" opened in theaters. Among the protagonists, Lucas decided to add what he called "Ewoks" to this first movie in what he hoped would be a trilogy. The movie bombed and George Lucas faded into obscurity.
June 8th 1926 the Ford motor company hires 2 brothers named Wright. The flying Mustang debuts 5 years later and the rest is flying car history.
June 8th, 1786 - In New York City, commercial ice cream was manufactured for the first time. It was decided to serve it room temperature instead of cold. It never took off. Today Ben and Jerry sell boat insurance in Utah.
June 8th, 1789 - James Madison introduces eleven amendments to the Constitution. The right to bear arms is strangely absent. Abraham Lincoln is never assassinated, and the course of American history is forever changed.
Wil wrote: "June 8th, 1789 - James Madison introduces eleven amendments to the Constitution. The right to bear arms is strangely absent. Abraham Lincoln is never assassinated, and the course of American histor..."Sorry, I thought that right was listed. However "bear" was mis-typed as "bare". Much later Larry the Cable Guy became the president of the NSFA (National Sleeveless Flannel Assoc.) which lobbies on behalf of the god given right to bare arms.
June 8 1959: the first test of Rocket Mail launched from the USS Babero proves so successful that all mail in the United States is delivered by rocket from then on. By 2012 the skies are so full of mail rockets that the sun is blocked out consistently. Skin cancer rates drop to almost zero, but sunglass manufacturers across the country go out of business.
June 8th 1949 - George Orwell publishes "1984". President Truman views the book as visionary and institutes the "Point Eighty Four Program", resulting in the new Ministry of America.The backlash from such invasive government oversight is immense, leading to the largest civil uprising in American history.
Mod
But I think I settled on one for the June 8th episode. I *almost* went with 1984 being published IN ALL TIMELINES. But I think I'll save my powder on that joke.
I didn't even write this one but:June 22nd 1342 (Shire Reckoning) - Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End,
This one is mine however:June 22nd 1940: As the government of France surrenders to the Germans at Compiègne, a French force arrives and talks control of the town.
The French resurgence then proceeds to smash the German invasion. The new army is lead by a young woman named Joan.
June 22, 1941: Breaking their pact of non-aggression, Hitler attempts a surprise invasion of the Soviet Union. However, Krononavt Lenin arrives to give advance warning, and the Nazi threat is quickly ended under a barrage of plasma cannons and antimatter warheads. Two years later, the Eurasian Soviet Socialist Republic accepts the formal surrender of the United Americas, bringing truth to Lenin's prescient last words before reentering the timestream: "A lie told often enough may become truth, but you know what's truer? Lasers."
22nd June 1944: President Roosevelt refuses to sign the G.I. Bill, indirectly resulting in the Second Great Depression of 1946-8. After WWII, a number of German rocket scientists consequently move to the Soviet Union. Russia wins the race to the moon, and a permanent multinational lunar colony is established in the late 1980s. The first manned expedition to Mars landed on the Red Planet in 2003, and was a joint US-Soviet-Sino mission. The G.I. Bill was eventually enacted in 1951.
7/6/1885Louis Pasteur unsuccessfully tests his vaccine against rabies accidentally causing the first zombie outbreak.
(7/6/1885 was actually the date of his successful vaccine)
7/20/1944
World War II: Adolf Hitler is assassinated by German Army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and takes over the Nazi party and begins Operation: Iron Sky, bringing Nazi Zombies to space.
(7/20 was the failed assassination attempt by von Stauffenberg, Iron Sky is the comedy(?) about Nazi Zombies in space just released in Europe)
8/3/1492
Christopher Columbus sets sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain in his dirgible. His journey makes the dirgible the most fashionable and economic way to travel. Decades later Amelia Airheart completes her trip around the globe by airship which does not run out of fuel.
(8/3 was the date Columbus set sail from Palos de la Frontera, Spain)
Mod
Onward into July! (July 6th to be exact.)
July 6, 1665: Issac Newton, whilst sitting down in his back garden, gets struck on the head by a satsuma, leading him to his theories on the laws of gravitation. Years later, the Satsuma IPad is released, yet fails to gain traction in the market due to it's "silly" company name. Satsuma inc file for bankruptcy soon after.
July 6th, 1785 - In a shocking upset the dollar is not chosen as the monetary unit of the United States. Instead peanuts become the currency of the New World causing peanut butter to never be invented.
6th July, 1957. The flatbed lorry carrying the Quarrymen skiffle group to a church fete breaks down. As a result, John Lennon never meets Paul McCartney and the pop music revolution fizzles out.
July 6, 1483- In what was would later be uncovered "the luckiest food-related accident in history" (next to the Machiavellian noodle incident), a smudge of gruel declares King Edward IV's sons "totally llegitimate", and their bitter uncle Richard dies in relative obscurity. Shakespeare's later play Edward V, which is mainly about the king puttering about amongst the roses, receives lackluster reviews, and Laurence Olivier's later performance of the ill-fated play dooms his career. Without his top spy, Churchill feels forced into a desperate gambit that ultimately wins the war outright and leads to his declaration as Prime Minister-for-Life.
July 20, 1976. Viking 1 succesfully lands to it's secondary landing place in Mars as the first planned landing place was decided to be too rough for safe landing.Landing on top of a memorial honoring a certain John Carter might also have pissed of the surviving Martians.
Tim wrote: "6th July, 1957. The flatbed lorry carrying the Quarrymen skiffle group to a church fete breaks down. As a result, John Lennon never meets Paul McCartney and the pop music revolution fizzles out."Perhaps he could have met another young upcoming musician who played in a skiffle band at that time.. a Mr James Page.
This day in alternate history: after the outbreak of vicious face eating zombies from florida, residents are advised to board up windows and take shelter until the military arrives. Floridians should vacate the state immediately if possible.
July 6, 1887 – King Kalakaua of Hawaii refuses to sign the Bayonet Constitution, resulting in his murder. The resulting chaos eventually strengthens the position of the monarchy and the expulsion of non-Hawaiians such as Americans and white Europeans.
July 6th 1775: Congress issues "Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms," listing grievances but denying intent to be independent.Britain accepts all the demands and the colonies remain part of the British Empire. Almost 250 years later, the Empire has become the one world government.
July 6th, 1869 – The British dirigible R34 lands in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.The crew's claim to also being the first airship to travel fifty years back in time can not be confirmed, although information they provided was important to preventing an assassination attempt on Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914.
Travis wrote: "December 31th, 1854You know they have to be for the specific date Tom needs yeah? So they can be used on the show.
Well from what I gather it's supposed to actually be about a real day in history just altered.
Sporadic Reviews wrote: "May 25, 2976 BC: absolutely nothing happened this day and would later be recorded as the most boring day ever.(I believe I stole the basis for this from Douglas Adams.)"
That "Nothing happened this day" thing wasn't a Douglas Adams thing. It was an X Files thing from one of the episodes within the first two or three seasons. Just saying.
Will add something a bit later.
Mod
July 20, 1977 - An agent with the CIA sends "top secret documents" to major news outlets, revealing the agency had engaged in mind control experiments.President George H. W. Bush, former director of the CIA, addresses the American public on television and reassures them that no such experiements have ever occured, and that "today's events are the result of an unfortunate mental breakdown".
(July 20, 1977 – The Central Intelligence Agency releases documents under the Freedom of Information Act revealing it had engaged in mind control experiments.)
July 20, 1944 - Operation Valkyrie is successful resulting in the assassination of Adolf Hitler. The war in Europe ends after the German leadership surrenders allowing more Allied troops to focus on the Pacific war. This in turn causes Japan to surrender without the need for the use of the atomic bomb.
July 20, 1304 - William Oliphant, commander of the Scottish troops at Stirling Castle, ends the siege by Edward I with a daring strike. He manages to capture the English King which turns the tide in the War of Scottish Independence. The war ends one year later with a free Scotland ruled by Robert I.
Jim wrote: "July 20, 356 BC: Alexander the "Eh" is born in Macedonia. Not much happens after this, so history gets bored and decides to follow the Chinese around instead."Bwahahaha! Love it!
July 20, 1969- With millions watching, Neil Armstrong delivers those famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant... wha- crap!" as he stumbles mid-moonwalk and brings the entire backdrop and lighting arrangement tumbling down around him. As an unidentified technician stares into the camera in stunned disbelief and the cutout of the lunar module flops forward, the Soviet Union sets the world record for the largest collective high-five.
Mod
OK. I chose one. But it was hard.
Onward to August 3rd!
August 3rd, 1958: The nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels beneath the Arctic ice cap discovering the true resting place of the ancient land of Atlantis. They discover giant statues of a rather jolly looking man with a big beard who they believe was King of Atlantis.
August 3rd, 8: Roman general Tiberius is killed in battle with the Dalmatae on the river Bathinus.Centuries later, the television show "Star Trek" follows the adventures of one Captain James Germanicus Kirk.
Kim wrote: "July 20, 1944 - Operation Valkyrie is successful resulting in the assassination of Adolf Hitler. The war in Europe ends after the German leadership surrenders allowing more Allied troops to focus o..."I know the choice was already made, but i wanted to share my insight:
July 20, 1944 - Operation Valkyrie is successful resulting in the assassination of Adolf Hitler. The war in Europe ends after the German leadership surrenders. The Holocaust stops years early. Anne Frank never dies and becomes a acclaimed historical romance writer.
On this day in 2005, large explosions occurred at the Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on the London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch. This resulted in almost 800 people being killed or injured.
Following this incident, the UK government declared martial law. With the army now policing the streets, small resistance cells formed around the country, opposing the increased military presence and subsequently starting another civil war.