Today in History

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Time to bring back the history series. It's a good day for it as today is loaded with great historical events. First, a battle that changed the world's rulers and empires. There are several scenarios about what happened in the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, but one thing that stands out is that Cleopatra and Marc Antony weren't prepared for Octavian's forces, and 4000 years of Egyptian rule came to an end. Marc Antony committed suicide as a result of the war, and Cleopatra soon joined him, and Octavian became the first Roman emperor, known as Caesar Augustus. (Information gleaned from www.ancient-origins.net) Next is a story about a devastating fire. One of the most devastating fires in history happened in London in 1666 over a four day period, starting on Sunday, 2 September and culminating on 6 September. The only part of London not affected by the fire was Westminster, Charles II's Palace at Whitehall, and the suburban slums. It did however, consume 13,200 homes, 87 parish churches, St. Paul's Cathedral, and most of the buildings belonging to city authorities. An estimated 70,000 homes of 80,000 residents were destroyed. And it all started in Pudding Lane at a bakery where a cinder ignited a woodpile and spread to the house next door. A piece of melted pottery on display in the Museum of London shows the temperature reached 1250 C (2280 F, 1520 K) (Information gleaned from Wikipedia) From War to Fire to Natural Disaster. The third story today concerns the worst hurricane to make landfall in Florida. It's called the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. Gale force winds exceeding 186.1 - 188.7 mph making it a category 5 hurricane and the worst in US history. It was also the first of three Cat 5 Hurricanes of intense magnitude. 1969's Hurricane Camille and 1992's Hurricane Andrew being the others. Marking them the worst hurricanes of the 20th Century. Hurricane Gilbert as it was known in 1935 started out as a weak tropical depression in the Bahamas on August 29, before becoming a hurricane on September 1. With a storm surge up to 20 feet, it caused extensive damage to the Upper Florida Keys, destroyed most of the structures of Tavernier and Marathon, and obliterated the town of Islamorada. Caused extensive damage to the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, and moved northward causing damage to Northwest Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. (Information gleaned from Wikipedia) Today also marks the end of World War II in 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur and the Japanese Government signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri, effectively ending the war. The end started with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 respectively. The Soviet Union was getting ready to attack Japan, giving Japan no alternative but to surrender, and the worst war in current history came to an end. (Information gleaned from Wikipedia) Also if you happen to be in Venice today, enjoy the elaborate regatta - Regata Storica di Venizia with it's many gondolas in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Thanks for reading. Image from Bing