Thomas Jefferson's Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence

Remember, when we see the (glorious) finished product, we see only the final result of a long, arduous process of writing and editing and rewriting and re-editing and compromise and debate. Here is a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence!

D-Day: June 6, 1944

73 years ago on this day the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and changed the course of history for the better. It's a good day to spare a moment to be thoughtful and thankful.

On Objectifying History, or, 2016 is Not a Sentient Thing Out to Get You

Indeed. Note this too:

Something incredibly important is missing here: the human agent. The very thing, the only thing, that makes history. The objectification of history represents a negation of human agency, of our operation of intelligence and will, of our shaping and reshaping of the nature of society through ideas, engagement and revolution. This negation has been explicit in 2016. The investment of this year with a kind of menacing power, the treatment of it as a uniquely disruptive year, the according to it of the qualities of cruelty and unkindness, is fundamentally a means of nullifying, or at least mystifying, the cause of political disruption over the past 12 months — which was electorates, individuals, conscious and alert, thoughtful and engaged. And decisive too.

So, knock it off.

While I'm at it, let me say here what some historian friends and I were discussing recently: STOP SAYING THAT 2016 IS "THE WORST YEAR EVER." This hyperbolic nonsense boils down to the unwitting admission of the complainer's own vast ignorance. Is 2016 worse than 1347 when the Black Death burst on the scene in Europe and began its destruction of some 30% of the population? Is 2016 worse than 1939 when Hitler's invasion of Poland started World War II, a conflict that would kill tens of millions? That's just 2 years for example. I'm sure you can come up with many more. 

On a related note, stop saying that "the country has never been more divided." Regardless of how you feel about Trump or Hillary or whatever else, this statement is obviously silly. Is the country more divided than it was during - oh, let's say - 1861-1865? Pfft.

Help Wanted in Japan

Think you're up to it?

Today in History: Galileo Discovers 4 Jovian Moons

Using a homemade (!) telescope, Galileo discovered 4 moons of Jupiter on this day in 1610.  Today the moons Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, and Io are also called the Galilean moons in his honor.

200 Years After Waterloo, "The Nearest Run Thing"

June 18, 1815: Napoleon back from exile versus a coalition force under England's Duke of Wellington and Prussia's Gebhard von Blücher.  It was Wellington, by the way, who supposedly called the victory "the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life."

There are all sorts of commemorations and related news items, but since I'm in a hurry today, I'll leave you with three that stood out to me:

• A magnificent scale model
• A conversation on the battlefield
• The epic reenactment 

800 Years of Magna Carta

June 15, 1215 at Runnymede: King John agreed to the terms of the Magna Carta and acknowledged that no one is above the law, not even the king.  The document has become a powerful symbol of liberty and resistance to the arbitrary - and therefore tyrannical - (ab)use of power by rulers.

The celebrations are in full swing!  Yes, bells and all!

Need a refresher about the Magna Carta?  Here is the text.  Here is a fun little video from the British Library. (Recognize the voice?  It's Terry Jones from Monty Python!)


Want more?  Take a look at the resources of the Magna Carta Project.  Go on a field trip to the US National Archives and visit one of the few remaining copies of the charter!

Happy 2015!

Delightful Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has a great message about optimism and the conscious resolution to do some good this year to make the world a better place:

MM in the Kitchen: History via Recipes!

Specifically, recipes from 1600-1800.  Edible research!

History in Photos: The Fall of the Berlin Wall 25 Years Ago

A picture is worth a thousand words.  25 years already have gone by?!

150 Years Ago Today: Sherman Captures Atlanta

Hitting the Confederacy where it hurt.

Mapping Millennia of Cultural History

Emus 1, Australian Army 0

Educate yourself about the Great Emu War of 1932.

Retracing a Route from the Days of Genghis KHAAAAAAAAN

It's like an insane combination of the Pony Express, the rodeo, and the Iditarod.  Well, you only have 10 days to cover 600 miles of punishing Mongolian plain on horseback, so you better steppe on it!

2100-Year-Old Royal Tomb Discovered in China

Liu Fei must have looked snazzy in his jade burial suit.

Awesome: The First Space Selfie!

Did you know I took the first space selfie during Gemini 12 mission in 1966? BEST SELFIE EVER http://t.co/JfPAiVXmLk pic.twitter.com/DuwDXvcDmp
— Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 19, 2014

A Letter From 1944

Extraordinary letter to Mom and Dad from a son shipping out to war.  Here's a piece of it: "Do not pray only that I shall return, but that I will have the power to do my duty."

If You Can't Stand The Dissent, Get Out Of The Kitchen

Dinner wasn't the only thing cooking in Soviet kitchens.

National Archives To Put Entire Collection On Wikimedia Commons

Access!

The Secret History of Life Hacking

"Self-optimization."