#OnThisDay 1973 The Siege of #WoundedKnee came to an end. The #AIM leaders were put on trial but were acquitted because of prosecutorial misconduct- the FBI had manipulated key witnesses and mishandled evidence.

#OnThisday 1945 The German High Command officially surrendered to the Allied Powers, thus ending #WWII in Europe. Although the Japanese would fight on for another 3 months, and many thousands more would die, this day is still celebrated throughout most of Europe as #V-EDay; Victory in Europe Day.

#OnThisDay 1429 The Siege of #Orléans. The triumph at Orléans proved a decisive victory for the French, and a turning point for the 100 Years’ War. The victory was due in larger part to the brave actions of the 17-year-old woman who bravely helped to lead the French forces, #JoanOfArc.

#OnThisDay 1915: The RMS #Lusitania is sunk by a German U-Boat. The public outcry against the sinking, and the death of almost 2000 passengers (including 128 Americans), was instrumental in turning public opinion against Germany, and was a contributing factor in America’s entry into #WWI.

#OnThisDay 1763: A loose confederation of Native American tribes from the Great Lakes region, led in part by Odawa warleader Pontiac, took up arms in an effort to drive British soldiers and settlers out of the region in what came to be known as #PontiacsWar.

#OnThisDay 1527 The city of #Rome was sacked by the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V when Around 6,000 Spanish soldiers and 14,000 German #Landsknecht mutinied due to continued lack of pay. Most of the Swiss Guard died buying time for the Pope to escape. #payyourmercenaries

#OnThjsDay 1945: Six picnickers were killed in Oregon when a #BalloonBomb they dragged from the woods exploded. These were the only known fatalities occurring within the U.S. during WWII as a direct result of enemy action. Japan launched 9,000 balloons carrying mostly in an attempt to start fires.

Its #CincoDeMayo! For those who are not aware of the origins, it commemorates the #BattleOfPuebla in 1862, when Mexican soldiers defeated a larger French Army. It's a reminder of the strength and indomitable will of people fighting for their freedom in the face of tyranny and oppression.

#OnThisDay 1848: The middle-class workers of Dresden, Saxony took up arms and marched in the streets in protest, demanding freedom of the press, democratic participation in government, and an end to government corruption. The #MayUprising was part of a larger movement called the #RevolutionsOf1848

HAPPY #MAYDAY! Known in many countries #LabourDay, it is a celebration of labourers, and the #solidarity of the working class, serving as a reminder that workers are strongest when we work together for the good of all against those who would oppress us. #Workers of the World, #Unite!!

Joyous #Beltane, One and All! As the Wheel of the Year turns toward Summer, let us rejoice in the renewal and rebirth of the Earth, and revel in the liveliness that is Spring! Good wishes for fruitfulness and fecundity as well! Bright Beltane blessings be upon us all!

Glücklich #Walpurgisnacht! Happy #Hexennacht! This #Beltane Eve, let us all hope for a brighter and better Spring Time! Wherever you may be this evening, light the bonfires (or perhaps just a candle), pour the mead (or maybe just some rootbeer), and let the feasting and the festivities begin!

#OnThisDay 1945: His regime in shambles & after days of nervous breakdowns and paranoia, German dictator Adolf Hitler cowardly took his own life rather than face any accountability for his many atrocities. In order to avoid the same humiliation as Mussolini, he ordered his body burned.

#OnThisDay 1945: Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini was killed. With his regime in tatters, a general uprising of freedom fighters taking hold in the cities, and the Allied armies closing in, Mussolini fled, but was captured by partisans. After his death, his body was hung in a town square.

#OnThisDay 1503: The Battle of #Cerignola, one of the earliest battles won by guns, was fought between the Spanish and French. 2000 German #Landsknechts fought for Spain, and 3500 Swiss #Reisläufer fought for France. The French lost when a large combined assault was routed by gunfire.

#OnThisDay 1777: Yet again it fell to a brave #patriot to risk life and limb on a daring ‘night ride’ to warn the Colonial Militia of an impending attack by the British. This time 16 year old #SybilLudington rode across the countryside warning of the imminent arrival of British Regular troops.

#OnThisDay 1916… The #IrishRepublican Brotherhood, an organization of militant Irish nationalists, launched the #EasterRising against British rule in Dublin. Irish militants rioted and attacked British provincial government headquarters across Dublin and proclaimed the independence of Ireland.

#OnThisDay 1885: #AnnieOakley joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. She started shooting competitively at the age of 15. In the show, she would split playing cards from 30 yards away and shoot cigars from people’s mouths. She was more popular in the show than everyone except #BuffaloBill himself.

#OnThisDay 1917: The only recorded instance of #AirshipPiracy occurred when the German #Zepplin L23 captured the Norwegian schooner “Royal”. They weren’t actually airship #pirates at all, but uniformed military. However it remains the only time an airship crew successfully captured a naval vessel.

#OnThisDay 1855: The Lager #BeerRiot occurred in Chicago. #Anti-immigrantPolicies resulted in the arrest of many immigrants. When people took to the streets in protest the police responded by firing on the crowds. The politicians eventually relented but anti-immigrant sentiment remained.

#OnThisDay 1914: The #LudlowMassacre occurred; a mass killing perpetrated by an #antiunion militia from the Colorado National Guard and private troops employed by the CF&I Co. They attacked a tent city of striking coal miners and their families. 20 people were killed, primarily women and children.

#OnThisDay 1900… One of the most famous “magical duels” in history occurred; the Battle of Blythe Road, between #AlisterCrowley and #WilliamButlerYeats, over who would control the #HermeticOrderOfTheGoldenDawn. Although a magical duel, it ended when Yeats kicked Crowley down a flight of stairs.

#OnThisDay 1775: Angered by a #tyrannical government, the people of what would become the United States took to the streets to protest. The government sent troops to Lexington and Concord in order to forcibly pacify the people #resisted. These were the first shots of the #AmericanRevolutionaryWar.

#OnThisDay 1746: The Scots lost the Battle of #Culloden & the #Jacobite Rebellion. The British abolished the #Scottish Highland Clans, burned many Catholic meeting houses, outlawed the wearing of traditional Highland dress like #kilts, & forcibly banned and confiscated any an all “warlike” weapons.

#OnThisDay 1865: President #AbrahamLincoln was shot in the head while watching a play. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, was part of a larger conspiracy to re-establish the Confederate States. Booth then jumped onto the stage, shouting “Sic semper tyrannis!”(Thus always to tyrants)

#OnThisDay 1561: The people of #Nuremberg Germany witnessed SOMETHING in the sky above their city. The people at the time attributed this to a sign from God, although the meaning was unclear. Modern-day paranormal researchers consider this one of the earliest descriptions of a #UFO/UAP sighting.

#OnThisDay 1945: A train filled with 2,500 prisoners being taken to a #ConcentrationCamp further from the front lines was abandoned by the Nazis near #Magdeberg, Germany. U.S. troops of the 743rd Tank Battalion freed the prisoners, and escorted them to a nearby town for medical attention.

#OnThisDay 1204: #Constantinople was sacked by Christian soldiers of the 4th Crusade. This resulted in what the Crusaders called the Empire of Romania, but the Byzantines called the Frankokratia- or Latin Occupation. The #Byzantine splinter state, the Empire of Nicaea, would recapture it in 1261.

#OnThisDay, 1865: A Confederate army under the command of General Robert E. Lee fought against a U.S. army commanded by Ulysses S. Grant. Demoralized, hungry, and outnumbered, the Confederates lost the battle, and General Lee surrendered at the #Appomattox courthouse. #U.S.CivilWar

#OnThisDay 1783: The #TreatyOfParis was ratified by King George III, officially ending the American Revolutionary War. The majority of the treaty is now irrelevant, as it established new national borders which were almost immediately extended at the expense of the numerous Native American nations.

#OnThisDay 1933: Germany passed The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service. It established ‘acceptability’ for jobs in government service. Loyalty to the government was paramount; ability to do the job wasn’t mentioned. Minorities, and political opponents were excluded.

#OnThisDay 1968: The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered. The day before, he delivered his final public address, a speech called “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” If you have not heard or read this speech, then I encourage you to do so. www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlk...

#OnThisDay 1945: The #Ohrdruf #ConcentrationCamp was liberated by U.S. forces. When they entered the camp, they discovered piles of bodies, some partially incinerated on pyres. General George Patton described it as "one of the most appalling sights that I have ever seen."

#OnThisDay 845: #Vikings led by #Ragnar Lodbrok Sigurdsson besieged & sacked the city of Paris on Easter Sunday. In order to get them to leave, King Charles the Bald paid them a ransom of more than 5000 pounds of gold and silver. They would return to Paris again, multiple times.

#OnThisDay, in the final year of the Third Age, 3019 (1419 in Shire Reckoning)... The #OneRing was destroyed, along with #Sauron and the #Nazgûl. This is recognized as the 1st day of the 1st year of the Fourth Age, under the new reckoning of King Elessar Telcontar.

#OnThisDay 1420: The Battle of #Sudomĕř occurred. 400 #Hussites -mostly farmers, and including women- defeated a force of 2000 heavily armored Crusading Knights. The Hussites used superior tactics, such as heavy wagon forts and early firearms, to defeat their numerically superior enemies.

#OnThisDay 1911: 123 women and 23 men died in one of the worst industrial accidents in U.S. history, the #TriangleShirtwaistFire. Most of the victims were recent immigrants, aged 14 to 23. many jumped to their deaths due to locked doors. This led to legislation which improved safety standards.

#OnThisDay 1933: The #EnablingAct was passed, giving Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his cabinet the power to enact laws without the involvement of the legislature, thus making him a defacto #dictator. It was claimed to be a "temporary measure" to "protect the nation." In fact, it was neither.

#OnThisDay 1933: The concentration camp at #Dachau, Germany was established. Initial prisoners were political opponents, Social Democrats, trade unionists, and Communists. Also gay men, repeat criminal offenders, blacks, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and "asocials:" homeless, drug addicts, & prostitutes.

#OnThisDay 1765... The #StampAct was passed by the British Parliament. It levied a tax on all materials printed for commercial and legal use. Along with other intolerable Acts, it was seen as an attempt by the government to undermine the economic strength and independence of the people.

Joyous Ostara, One and All! As the Day and Night balance, let us all rejoice for the coming of Spring, and the Turning of the Wheel towards Summer! Let us all hope and pray that the coming season of light and warmth will bring much needed hope, health, and healing, to one and all!

#OnThisDay 1244… The #Albigensian Crusade came to its bloody end with the fall of #Montsegur after a year-long siege. 200 #Cathars were burned alive. There was no need to tie them to stakes, however, as they willingly stood amongst the flames, singing hymns as they died for their faith

#OnThisDay #IdesOfMarch 44BCE #JuliusCaesar was assassinated by a group of Roman Senators. He had consolidating power under his sole control & exercised governmental power without the traditional checks & balances built into the republican system. He claimed he did it to restore Rome to greatness.

Happy International #Women'sDay In honor of the day, let us remember #AnneBonny and #MaryRead. These bold & brave women defied the strictures and stereotypes of their time, living lives of adventure and plunder at sea as #pirates; sailing, drinking, fighting, and more!

#OnThisDay 1932 The #FordHungerMarch, also called the #FordMassacre occurred. 3000 unemployed auto workers in Detroit marched in protest. Police and the security guards employed by Ford Motors shot and killed five workers and wounded many others.

#OnThisDay 1770 5 people were shot and killed by British troops in an event which became known as the #BostonMassacre. This event, the #propaganda surrounding it, and the subsequent outcry that the propaganda caused, would prove pivotal in garnering support for the American War for Independence.

#OnThisDay 1943 The #RosenstrasseProtest took place. A #resistance protest against the persecution of Jews by the Nazis. The protesters- mostly the wives of men arrested because of their race- gathered every day for a week, facing down the armed Gestapo, and shouted at them to release the men.

#OnThisday 1579 #Privateer #FrancisDrake captured the Spanish treasure ship ‘Nuestra Señora de la Concepción.’ (AKA the 'Cacafuego.') Months later, he would land in modern day California, claiming the land for England, calling it Nova Albion. He would go on to circumnavigate the globe.

February 28th 1933 The #ReichstagFire Decree was passed. The decree nullified many #civilliberties in Germany, suppressed publications not friendly to the government, and was used as a pretext to imprison opponents of the government. It was key to the rise of the Nazi party in Germany.

#OnThisDay 1973… The Siege of #WoundedKnee began when members of the American Indian Movement #AIM staged a protest in the town of Wounded Knee. Federal agents besieged the town using military armored vehicles & exchanged gunfire with the protesters, killing two Sioux men & wounding several more.