October 30 - The Armistice of Mudros

This Day in History: 30 October 2020

 

30 October 1918

 

102 years ago, today, the Armistice of Mudros concluded, ending hostilities in the Middle East between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War One the following day. The treaty also effectively marked the dissolution of a once mighty empire. It was signed between the Ottoman Minister of Marine Affairs, Rauf Bey, and the British Admiral Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe. By its terms, Turkey had to open the Dardanelle and Bosporus straits to Allied warships and its forts to military occupation. They were also forced to demobilise their army, release all prisoners of war and evacuate its Arab provinces.

 

During World War One, the Ottoman Empire initially stayed neutral, but soon formed an alliance with Germany and entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. The Turks subsequently fought successfully to defend the Gallipoli Peninsula against a massive Allied invasion in 1915-1916. However, by 1918, defeat by invading British and Russian forces and an Arab revolt had combined to destroy the Ottoman economy and devastate its land, leaving millions dead and millions more starving. The Ottoman government and several Turkish leaders felt the need to contact the Allies to search for peace.

 

Want to find out more about the Armistice of Mudros? Click here for more information, or here for a video with more about the Ottoman Empire during World War One.

Black History Month - Ottobah Cugoano

Black History Month: 28 October 2020

 

Ottobah Cugoano was an African abolitionist who was active in England in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Captured and sold into slavery at the age of 13 in present-day Ghana, he was shipped to Grenada. In 1772 he was purchased by an English merchant who took him to England, where he was freed. Later working for the Cosways, he became acquainted with British political and cultural figures, and joined the Sons of Africa, abolitionists who were Africans.

 

In England, Cugoano became very prominent in the abolitionist movement. In 1786, he joined the African-British William Green in successfully appealing to Granville Sharp to save Harry Demane from being forced into slavery. With Olaudah Equiano and other "Sons of Africa" he continued to write against slavery, contributing public letters to London newspapers. His most important published text was "Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species" (1787), later published in a shorter version, "Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil of Slavery" (1791). The book excoriated slavery, calling for immediate abolition of the trade and emancipation of the enslaved. It was the most radical abolitionist text of its time.

 

Want to learn more about Cugoano's story? Click here for more information.

October 29 - The Suez Crisis Begins

This Day in History: 29 October 2020

 

29 October 1956

 

64 years ago, today, the Suez Crisis began when Israel invaded Egypt. They would soon be joined by French and British forces, initiating a serious event during the Cold War in the Middle East. The joint attack had been motivated by Egypt's nationalisation of the Suez Canal in July. Prior to this, also, the Egyptian military had been pressuring the British to end their military presence in the canal zone. The Egyptian leader, General Nasser, had also been engaged in sporadic battles with Israeli soldiers along both nations' border. Nasser did nothing to hide his hostility towards the Zionist nation.

 

After the Israelis attacked, they were shocked to find that British and French forces did not immediately follow behind them. Instead of a lightning strike by overwhelming force, the attack simmered down, and the United Nations quickly passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire. The Soviet Union began to issue ominous threats about coming to Egypt's aid, and a dangerous situation developed. The United States sternly warned the Soviet Union to stay out of the situation, but also pressured the British, French and Israeli governments to withdraw. In late 1956 and early 1957, they did so, ending the Suez Crisis.

 

Want to find out more about the Suez Crisis? Click here for more information, or here for more about General Nasser and Israel.

Black History Month - Sislin Fay Allen

Black History Month: 27 October 2020

 

Sislin Fay Allen, known as Fay Allen, was the black woman police constable in the United Kingdom, serving in the Metropolitan Police in London from 1968 to 1972. Allen was born in Jamaica before moving to the UK. Here she went on to work as a nurse at Croydon's Queens Hospital before deciding to switch careers after seeing a recruitment advert for male and female police officers. After training at Peel House, she was posted to Fell Road police station in Croydon. After a year in Croydon, she was posted to the Missing Persons Bureau at Scotland Yard for a while before being transferred back to the beat at Norbury police station.

 

In 1972, she resigned from the Metropolitan Police to return to Jamaica with her family. In Jamaica, she continued her policing career and joined the Jamaica Constabulary. She later returned to the UK with her family and moved to South London. Sislin has since returned to Jamaica again where she now lives.

 

Want to find out more about Sislin Fay Allen? Click here for more information.

October 28 - The Cuban Missile Crisis Ends

This Day in History: 28 October 2020

 

28 October 1962

 

58 years ago, today, the Cuban Missile Crisis came to an end when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove Russian missiles from Cuba, in exchange for an American promise to respect Cuba's territorial sovereignty. This agreement ended nearly two weeks of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that was close to provoking a nuclear conflict. The crisis was initiated in response to the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, and the discovery of American missiles in Italy and Turkey, when Khrushchev placed nuclear missiles in Cuba to prevent a future invasion. A naval blockade was ordered by President Kennedy to prevent further missiles from entering Cuba in retaliation.

 

The consequences of the crisis varied. Relations between the communist nations of Cuba and the Soviet Union were insecure for some time after Khrushchev removed the missiles, as Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader, accused him of deserting the Cuban revolution. European allies of the United States were also angered, but not due to the American stance, but because Kennedy's administration kept them virtually in the dark about ongoing negotiations that may have led to a devastating nuclear war. Inside the Soviet Union, hard-liners were disgusted by Khrushchev's withdrawal of weapons. He was removed from power two years later.

 

Want to find out more about the Cuban Missile Crisis? Click here for more information, or here for an animated video about the crisis.

October 27 - The New York Subway Opens

This Day in History: 27 October 2020

 

27 October 1904

 

116 years ago, today, the New York City subway opened. The first line, operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, travelled 9.1 miles through 28 stations. It ran from City Hall in lower Manhattan to Grand Central Terminal, before heading west to Times Square. The line finished by travelling north to Harlem. New York City's Mayor George McClellan took the controls on the subway and stayed at them all the way through City Hall to 103^rd Street. More than 100,000 people paid a nickel to take their first ride under Manhattan when the subway opened to the general public at 7pm that evening.

 

While London's underground train network is the oldest, opening in 1863, and America's first subway opened in Boston in 1897, the New York subway soon became the largest American system. In 1905, the service expanded to the Bronx, to Brooklyn in 1908, and to Queens in 1915. The subway now has 26 lines and 472 stations. Every day, around 4.5 million passengers take the subway, and is one of the only rapid transit systems that runs 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, with the New Jersey PATH train being the other.

 

Want to find out more about the history of the New York subway? Click here for more information.

Black History Month - Don Barden

Black History Month: 25 October 2020

 

Don Barden was born December 20, 1943, in Detroit, Michigan. Instead of continuing with university, he decided to start a business and with just $500 started a record store which did well enough that he put on concerts and founded his own public relations business. A lucrative army contract and subsequent property sale made him rich, which led to him cofounding the Lorain County Times newspaper. In 1993, when Indiana legalised riverboat casinos, he teamed up with President Riverboat Casinos and sold his share of Barden Cablevision to raise $300 million; he used this to open the Majestic Star in 1996. In 2002, after Fitzgerald's casinos filed for bankruptcy, Barden took ownership of them, securing $135 million to his stake. Crucially, one of those was in Las Vegas, making Barden the first black casino owner in Las Vegas. Beyond the worlds of gambling and television Barden was also involved in the development of new technologies, including digital voting machines and video jukeboxes that played music videos. He died on May 19, 2001 of lung cancer.

 

Want to find out more about Don Barden? Click here for more information.

Black History Month - Ira Aldridge

Black History Month: 26 October 2020

 

Ira Aldridge was the first black Shakespearean actor, who made his career on the London stage. His father had initially intended him for the church, and sent him to New York's African Free School, where many future leaders of the American abolition movement were educated. However, Ira was attracted to the theatre, at a time when British actors were playing in New York, and the city's free black community had launched its own African Theatre. He made his debut as Rolla in 'Pizarro', but the only way for Ira to succeed was to emigrate. Therefore, when he was around 17, he worked his passage to Liverpool as a ship's steward.

 

His first known British performance in 1825 had a mixed reception. The Times commented on his apparent difficulty to pronounce English due to the shape of his lips, but The Globe found his enunciation interesting and distinct. Due to Ira's race, he received a hostile response, preventing him from establishing himself in London. Outside of London, he won respect, and was able to perform as Othello. His contemporaries praised his work, but was boycotted by the West End stage, and so sailed for Europe. While on a lengthy tour, visiting many places no foreign actor had been to, he died aged 59. The whole town of Lodz turned out to mourn his passing.

 

Want to find out more about Ira Aldridge? Click here for more information.

October 26 - Brazil Enters World War I

This Day in History: 26 October 2020

 

26 October 1917

 

103 years ago, today, Brazil declared war on Germany, and thus entered the First World War on the side of the Allies. The nation had been increasingly threatened by Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare over the course of the first two years of World War One. Brazil's government subsequently sought to amend its constitution to allow it to declare war. The Brazilian foreign minister, Dr. Nilo Pecanha, justified his country's decision to enter the struggle by noting Germany's attacks on international trade. He also spoke about the higher purpose of creating a more peaceful and democratic post-war world.

 

Although Brazil's actual contribution to the Allied war effort was limited to one medical unit and some airmen, its participation was rewarded with a presence at the post-war negotiations. However, Brazil's three official delegates at the Paris Peace Conference angered Portugal, who had sent 60,000 soldiers into war but only had one delegate. Since Britain supported Portugal in the disagreement and the US backed Brazil, no change was made. In June 1919, Brazil was one of the 27 nations to sign the Versailles Treaty, along with many other Allied Latin America nations, including Cuba, Haiti, Peru and Uruguay.

 

Want to find out more about Brazil's role in World War One? Click here for more information, or here for a video instead.

October 25 - The Charge of the Light Brigade

This Day in History: 25 October 2020

 

25 October 1854

 

166 years ago, today, the Charge of the Light Brigade occurred. This was a failed military mission involving the British light cavalry, led by Lord Cardigan, against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. A miscommunication in the chain of command caused the Light Brigade to instead be sent on a frontal assault instead of their original task of removing captured guns from overrun Turkish positions. They reached a different artillery battery under withering direct fire and were forced to retreat immediately. The assault ended with very high British casualties and hardly any decisive gains. Nevertheless, Lord Cardigan was hailed as a national hero in Britain.

 

The events of the incident were the subject of Alfred Lord Tennyson's narrative poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade', that was published only six weeks afterwards. The verses of the poem emphasise the honour and valour of the cavalry when they bravely carried out their orders, despite the nearly inevitable outcome. Tennyson also wrote this while he was acting as Poet Laureate for Great Britain. This was not Tennyson's only patriotic poem, however, as he wrote several under various pseudonyms, such as 'Riflemen Form!'.

 

Want to find out more about the Charge of the Light Brigade? Click here for more information, or here to read Tennyson's poem.