Don Carlos, Prince of Asturias (b. 1545; d. 1568), was an unfortunate result of incest which seemed to plague the Spanish monarchy.

The Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs tended to intermarry, especially after the Reformation which reduced the pool of suitable Catholic partners. As a result, particularly in Spain, they ended up with some rulers barely able to function as humans into the 17th century.  

I have noticed that before & posted about it. Same here in West Virginia.

14 May 1922 - Franjo Tuđman, President of Croatia 1990-99, born. 100 years ago today.

The first President of the post-Communist Croatia. As leader of the Croatian Democratic Alliance he won a majority in the 1990 election becoming President of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, autonomous within the rapidly disintegrating Yugoslavia. 

He organized a referendum on independence in May 1991 which resulted in 93.2% in favour and an independent Republic was proclaimed the following month. A war with the rump Yugoslavia/Serbia erupted which lasted for four years with over 23,000 from both sides dead or missing. Peace was proclaimed in 1995. 

He died in 1999.

14 May 1922 - Franjo Tuđman, President of Croatia 1990-99, born. 100 years ago today.

The first President of the post-Communist Croatia. As leader of the Croatian Democratic Alliance he won a majority in the 1990 election becoming President of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, autonomous within the rapidly disintegrating Yugoslavia. 

He organized a referendum on independence in May 1991 which resulted in 93.2% in favour and an independent Republic was proclaimed the following month. A war with the rump Yugoslavia/Serbia erupted which lasted for four years with over 23,000 from both sides dead or missing. Peace was proclaimed in 1995. 

He died in 1999.

Their was a lot of Genicide carried out in that war. The Canadians were always coming across mass graves and having to dig them up to be examined and documented. It was the first time since the second war that people were tried on war crimes and convicted.

As each country fought for independence from Serbia/Yugoslavia the wars became increasingly bloody and violent. Slovenia had a fairly easy ride, Croatia found it harder then Bosnia had the toughest fight of all. 

As each country fought for independence from Serbia/Yugoslavia the wars became increasingly bloody and violent. Slovenia had a fairly easy ride, Croatia found it harder then Bosnia had the toughest fight of all. 

I had a close friend in the Airborne Field Engineers who spent 3 tours there in charge of the Canadian EOD teams.( Explosive Ordnance Disposal ). He said every one was laying mines out and no where was safe to walk.. School yards, path ways, in fields with live stock, houses, barns etc. No one seemed to know or remember where they had layed their own mines which made it worse. A lot of civilians did find then though, but the hard way. Was not Diana over there after the war?

May 14, 1804

The Lewis & Clark expedition started. President Jefferson ordered to map a water route to the Pacific for the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase by the United Sates.

May 14, 1804

The Lewis & Clark expedition started. President Jefferson ordered to map a water route to the Pacific for the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase by the United Sates.

Johnny come latelys again Tommy I'm afraid.

Alexander Mackenzie followed this advice of natives and reached the Pacific coast on 20 July 1793, at Bella Coola, British Columbia, on North Bentinck Arm, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean.^[17] Having done this, he had completed the first recorded transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico, 12 years before Lewis and Clark. He had unknowingly missed meeting George Vancouver at Bella Coola by 48 days. He also explored many of the rivers lending up to the Arctic Ocean. 

By Sea, the Spanards and Russians were first, followed by Cook and Vancouver to explore the west coast of the continent from Alaska to California looking for the north west passage. None of them managed to find it. Both Mackenzie and Lewis and Clark were smart enough to use native guides. If not, they would all still be out there.

As each country fought for independence from Serbia/Yugoslavia the wars became increasingly bloody and violent. Slovenia had a fairly easy ride, Croatia found it harder then Bosnia had the toughest fight of all. 

I had a close friend in the Airborne Field Engineers who spent 3 tours there in charge of the Canadian EOD teams.( Explosive Ordnance Disposal ). He said every one was laying mines out and no where was safe to walk.. School yards, path ways, in fields with live stock, houses, barns etc. No one seemed to know or remember where they had layed their own mines which made it worse. A lot of civilians did find then though, but the hard way. Was not Diana over there after the war?

She was filmed in anti-mine operations in Angola the year she was killed. 

15 May 1922 - Sir Leslie Ward "Spy" died. 100 years ago today.

Under the pseudonym "Spy" Ward was chief caricaturist for the British magazine Vanity Fair 1873-1911 during which time he produced over 1300 portraits of society figures, Royalty, politicians, the Arts etc. They were generally sympathetic drawings with little or no malice. 

He was knighted in 1918.

Mark Twain by Spy 1908.

As each country fought for independence from Serbia/Yugoslavia the wars became increasingly bloody and violent. Slovenia had a fairly easy ride, Croatia found it harder then Bosnia had the toughest fight of all. 

I had a close friend in the Airborne Field Engineers who spent 3 tours there in charge of the Canadian EOD teams.( Explosive Ordnance Disposal ). He said every one was laying mines out and no where was safe to walk.. School yards, path ways, in fields with live stock, houses, barns etc. No one seemed to know or remember where they had layed their own mines which made it worse. A lot of civilians did find then though, but the hard way. Was not Diana over there after the war?

She was filmed in anti-mine operations in Angola the year she was killed. 

Your right Mark, it was Angola.

15 May 1922 - Sir Leslie Ward "Spy" died. 100 years ago today.

Under the pseudonym "Spy" Ward was chief caricaturist for the British magazine Vanity Fair 1873-1911 during which time he produced over 1300 portraits of society figures, Royalty, politicians, the Arts etc. They were generally sympathetic drawings with little or no malice. 

He was knighted in 1918.

Mark Twain by Spy 1908.

Generally sympathetic eh? Not a common trait for journalism in the British press.

The home stretch! It's still six months away! Over here the home stretch would begin in October, although of course politicians would be quietly trying to indoctrinate us to their way of thinking from late summer, we consider three months the maximum we allow our politicians to get into our heads. 

Sounds perfectly reasonable and acceptable to me (the covid bit not Halley's Comet) I'll have any jab and booster available so long as it keeps the threat of lockdown and masks away. 

I was watching a programme on the railways in North America, both US and Canada and the narrator believed that without the invention of the steam train, both Canada and the US would be more than one country, maybe up to three in each. The railways unified them both in a way nothing else ever could have because they connected both nations from end to end.

Manifest Destiny was not just from east to west Tommy. You forgot about earlier in 1812 when America thought it could take Upper and Lower Canada by just marching in with a band playing Yankee doodle and the locals would be in the streets cheering you on.

I was watching a programme on the railways in North America, both US and Canada and the narrator believed that without the invention of the steam train, both Canada and the US would be more than one country, maybe up to three in each. The railways unified them both in a way nothing else ever could have because they connected both nations from end to end.

The railway did unit our Nation from east to west and Provinces in the west wouldn't join the Confederation unless one was going to be put in place. It wasn't an easy project to take on with the shear size of the country and a lot of the terrain that has to be crossed. There was also a shortage of man power to take on such a job and that's where the Chinese workers enter the picture. Canada remembered American and the war of 1812 and knew if a rail line wasn't built with speed from east to west we would be facing Manefest Destiny in our west. Travel from east to west took months and was done by water when it could but a rail line right across was what really opened up the country to settlement and the moving of goods and trade both ways.

Australia was also vast in size and a railroad system is what opened it up from north to south. India was the same and also Africa. The train opened up all countries around the world when you really think about it.

Manifest Destiny was not just from east to west Tommy. You forgot about earlier in 1812 when America thought it could take Upper and Lower Canada by just marching in with a band playing Yankee doodle and the locals would be in the streets cheering you on.

Well I guess we figured Canada was not worth fighting for eh?