This Day in History
 

On this day, October 12, 1492, at about 2:00 a.m., a lookout named Rodrigo de Triana spotted moonlight shining off some cliffs or sand. Rodrigo de Triana was aboard the Pinta, one of Christopher Columbus's 3 ships, and his discovery came just as Columbus's crew was threatening to mutiny and return to Spain.

The 3 ships had left Palos, Spain, over two months ago on August 3, 1492, and had now arrived in the Bahamas. Despite having promised a bonus to the first man to find land, Columbus claimed he had seen the land the night before, and kept the bonus for himself.

In a fine example of how the winner writes the history books, Columbus's "discovery" of the "New World" ignores the simple fact that many millions (some estimate as many as 100 million) natives lived on the two continents later dubbed North and South America, as well as vast empires such as the Aztecs and Incas. In addition, some five hundred years earlier Leif Ericsson had followed in the footsteps of a prior Norseman in striking out from Greenland and reaching North America, and even established a colony in present day Newfoundland.

For all that, Columbus's discovery is, of course, tremendously significant for introducing the New World to the all of Europe, and triggering a rush for the riches of the New World in silver, gold and other riches. Ultimately, mostly due to diseases against which the natives had no natural defenses, an estimated 90% of the native population would die before the European settlement of the New World was complete.

Happy Some White Guy Who Got Lost Day!

Columbus was a douchebag.

Yay!!!

ROFL ROFL

If it has to be named for a European, I still think it should be Washington D.E.

October 19, a big day in history, especially for momentous military decisions and results:

202 B.C.: The Battle of Zama. Fought in Africa, where Scipio Africanus had launched an assault to pull Hannibal from continuing the wreaking of havoc on the Italian countryside. The Battle of Zama resulted in a decisive victory of Rome, the defeat of Hannibal, the surrender of Carthage, and the end of the Second Punic War. From this piont onward, Rome is the unrivaled supreme power of the Mediterranean for the next several centuries.

1469: Ferdinand II of Aragorn marries Isabella of Castille, paving the way for the creation of modern Spain.

1781: Lord Cornwallis surrenders to a Franco-American force at Yorktown, effectively signalling the end of Britain's efforts to put down the American rebellion and paving the way to American Independence.

1812: Napoleon I Bonaparte of France begins his retreat from in front of Moscow, Russia. Having commenced the assault on Russia on June 22, 1812, with 650,000 front line troops, attrition by disease, desertion and casualties from numerous small battles (the Russians refused to offer a decisive engagement) resulted in the Grand Armee crossing the Berezina River in November to escape with fewer than 40,000 men.

1873: Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Rutgers draft the first code of rules for American football.

Interesting. They don't note that the entire French army also detacted and left their balls behind, never to be seen again.