Today is, of course, New Year’s Eve – the last day of 2025. It is the birthday of Henri Matisse, General George Marshall (Marshall Plan), Simon Wiesenthal, Charles Cornwallis (loser at the Battle of Yorktown) and many others. The Vandals began the invasion of Gaul, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease and started brewing Guinness, Baltimore was incorporated as a city, Karl Benz filed for a patent on a gasoline engine, Brooklyn’s last day as a city before becoming a part of New York City, The AT&T/Bell System is broken up by the US Government, The World Health Organization is informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause, detected in Wuhan, China. and many more things.
The Republic seems to have survived another year, although it’s been tough going. We’re looking forward to adventures in 2026. Happy New Year!
Today is the birthday, in 1865, of Rudyard Kipling. He was an English journalist, novelist, poet and short-story writer. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. Kipling’s works of fiction include the Jungle Book duology (The Jungle Book, 1894; The Second Jungle Book, 1895), Kim (1901), the Just So Stories (1902) and many short stories, including “The Man Who Would Be King” (1888). His poems include “Mandalay” (1890), “Gunga Din” (1890), “The Gods of the Copybook Headings” (1919), “The White Man’s Burden” (1899) and “If—” (1910). He is seen as an innovator in the art of the short story. His children’s books are classics; one critic noted “a versatile and luminous narrative gift”.
Kipling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was among the United Kingdom’s most popular writers. Henry James said “Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius, as distinct from fine intelligence, that I have ever known.” In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, as the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and at 41, its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and several times for a knighthood, but declined both. Following his death in 1936, his ashes were interred at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst, Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst; For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea; On the road to Mandalay, Where the old Flotilla lay, With our sick beneath the awnings when we went to Mandalay! O the road to Mandalay, Where the flyin'-fishes play, An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!
BADA BING!
1 out of 3 tRUMP supporters are just as stupid as the other 2.
Just so we’re clear: We wouldn’t be in NONE of this mess if they had just believed Anita Hill.
My Christmas rum and raisin cake is gluten free. It’s also raisin free. And cake free. OK it’s just rum.
If you see a blonde white woman wearing a cross on Fox News, you know you’re about to hear the most anti Jesus shit you’ve ever heard in your life.
When I was 5 I swore that bird seeds grew birds, thus the name. My parents asked me to prove it so I planted a pile of bird seeds in the backyard. The next day there were loads of birds where I planted the seeds, thus proving I was right.
I was sent to HR after saying my coworkers are like Christmas lights… They all hang together, half don’t work, and the rest aren’t that bright.
tRUMP is expected to rename the San Andreas fault to Joe Bidens fault.
Sometimes I feel down. But then I remember I could have been born with an IQ low enough to think tRUMP is an amazing president.
We are at the stage of authoritarianism where we are watching bootlegged news from Canada.
I threw a boomerang a few years back. I’ve been living in fear ever since.
I’m looking for people who are interested in turning $100 into $4000. This is not a pyramid scheme. We will be selling crack.
Never cheat in a limbo contest. It’s the lowest thing you can do.
“How was your blind date?” a college student asked her roommate. “Terrible!” the roommate answered. He showed up in his 1932 Rolls Royce.” “Wow! That’s a very expensive car. What’s so bad about that?” “He was the original owner.”
If you get a link called ‘free porn’ don’t opin it. It’s a virus wich deactivates your spelchek and screws up you witing. I also receibed it but lukily I don’t uaatch porn so I dint opin it. Plaese warm yu frends. Wanks.
I put my bathroom scale in the corner and that’s where that little liar will stay until it apologizes.
Why was the baby strawberry crying? Its parents were in a jam.
Did you know that cows kill more people than sharks? I’m surprised that cows kill any sharks at all.
What do you call a person who tells dad jokes but is not a dad? A Faux Pa!
If a king sleeps on a king-sized bed and a queen sleeps on a queen-sized bed, where does a prince sleep? On an heir mattress.
I got fired from the keyboard factory. They told me I wasn’t putting in enough shifts.
What will be the final product Apple will ever produce? iQuit.
Today is the anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Nearly three hundred Lakota people killed by soldiers of the United States Army. Nineteen soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor specifically for Wounded Knee. The event followed a botched attempt to disarm the Lakota people at the camp.
The previous day, a detachment of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Major Samuel M. Whitside approached Spotted Elk’s band of Miniconjou Lakota and 38 Hunkpapa Lakota near Porcupine Butte and escorted them five miles westward to Wounded Knee Creek, where they made camp. The remainder of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth, arrived and surrounded the encampment. The regiment was supported by a battery of four Hotchkiss mountain guns. The Army was catering to the anxiety of settlers who called the conflict the Messiah War and were worried the ceremonial Ghost Dance signified a potentially dangerous Sioux resurgence.
Today is St. Stephen’s Day. It honors St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr (protomartyr), known for his powerful preaching and forgiveness as he was stoned to death for his faith. It’s a Christian feast day marking the day after Christmas, symbolizing the ultimate sacrifice for Christ, and in some countries like Ireland, it’s known as “Day of the Wren” with traditions like wren boys parading with music, while in the UK, it’s called Boxing Day, linked to charity boxes for the poor or gifts for servants.
Today is the anniversary of the Eggnog Riot in 1826. It took place at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, on 24–25 December 1826. It was caused by a drunken Christmas party in the north barracks of the academy. Two days prior to the incident, a large quantity of whiskey was smuggled into the academy to make eggnog for the party, giving the riot its name.
The large number of small dairy farms in America in the early 19th century made milk, cream, and eggnog more accessible to the American public. George Washington drank eggnog that contained not only rum, but also significant amounts of sherry, brandy, and whiskey. Alcohol possession at the academy was prohibited along with drunkenness and intoxication, both of which could lead to expulsion. the cadets had been informed that, due to the alcohol prohibition on the site, their Christmas eggnog would be alcohol-free, prompting the decision to smuggle liquor into the academy.
The cadets took matters into their own hands. At Martin’s Tavern, cadets William R. Burnley (Alabama), Alexander J. Center (New York), and Samuel Alexander Roberts (Alabama) almost got into a fight with the proprietors of another tavern concerning getting whiskey back to West Point. Private James Dougan, the duty security guard, agreed to let the three cadets take a boat across the Hudson to smuggle the whiskey. The cadets planned to purchase one-half US gallon (1.9 L) of whiskey as an alcohol base for the eggnog party that would take place in the North Barracks. Burnley, Center, and Roberts successfully obtained two US gallons (7.6 L) of whiskey, smuggling them into North Barracks room No. 33. Cadet T. M. Lewis (Kentucky) also returned with one US gallon (3.8 L) of rum from Benny’s Tavern to North Barracks room No. 5.
The eggnog party started among nine cadets in North Barracks room No. 28. Numerous cadets appeared as the party progressed, while another party began in room No. 5, mentioned by seven cadets including Jefferson Davis. Farrelly went again to North’s or Havens’ and returned with another gallon of whiskey early on Christmas morning.
Cadet Charles Whipple (Michigan Territory), the division superintendent during the first part of the incident, went to North Barracks room No. 5 at 02:00 after hearing a commotion, interrupting a round of singing among eight cadets, including Davis. Whipple returned to his room after a verbal exchange with Davis and the other cadets. The party degenerated into fighting between the cadets and some faculty members.
Reveille sounded at 06:05, along with gunfire, the sound of glass breaking, profanity by cadets, cries of pain, and threats to academy officials. Some of the cadets remained in their rooms drinking, although some appeared in parade formation despite being drunk. Following testimony, the inquiry determined that seventy cadets had been involved in the riots. The included Jefferson Davis, future President of the Confederacy, Benjamin Humphries, future governor of Mississippi and John Campbell, future Supreme Court Justice.
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