[Closed] This day in history

Today is the birthday of Matthew Gilmore, who won the silver medal for Belgium in 2000 Olympic Madision.

Georgi Markov croaked after the famous Waterloo Bridge umbrella incident

1973: Chile's Socialist president Salvador Allende dies during a military coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet and supported by the United States.

1297 - Scotsman William Wallace defeated the English forces of Sir Hugh de Cressingham at the Battle of Stirling Bridge

1836 Register Office marriages were introduced in Britain

1950 Barry Sheene, British racing motor cyclist was born

1995 - The Great Escape by Blur released.

2009 - I posted on a thread called "this day in history"

2009 - I pedantically pointed out that the thread was actually called "This day in history".

My mate's John and Una got married.

2009 - I sneered at a pedant and told him to "grow up", but then felt bad about being so harsh and said sorry.

9 AD - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends.

0.25 BC - Virgin Mary was almost 6 months pregnant. Carpenter Joseph is NOT HAPPY!

On this day I did a reasonable, but not totally satisfying poo.

On this day I felt some remorse for those killed in the 9/11 attacks and still do.

it's my sister in laws birthday she was 21 that day ...it still grates her that it ruined her birthday...yes she is shallow and should get some perspective.

Ian Munro - I said it had to verifiable, but just show someone else if you would.

Bugger! I think most of the evidence has probably disappeared into the murky waters of history.

two forum posters learned that the terms ad and bc are now referred to as ce and bce

My cousin's birthday. I have no excuse for the fact that her card will be late 😳

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yep. truly awful.

Almost 3000 people died. It doesnt matter what nationality they were, they could have been friends or relatives of yours. Stop using this as an excuse to take the piss out of Americans and show a little respect / sympathy for the people that were bereaved.

Almost 3000 people died. It doesnt matter what nationality they were, they could have been friends or relatives of yours. Stop using this as an excuse to take the piss out of Americans and show a little respect / sympathy for the people that were bereaved.

I don't think anyone one was if you read the above posts. 🙄

18th of March 1969 was more far more significant than 9/11

It was on that day that the greatest terrorist bombing campaign in history was launched. Lasting just over a year, it resulted in the region of half a million people being indiscriminately killed. It was also undoubtedly the most coordinated and expensive terrorist bombing campaign ever launched, involving as it did, carpet bombing by B52s.

Despite causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians, those responsible were never brought to justice for their crimes under international law. Needless to say as one would expect from a terrorist operation, the bombing campaign was a complete failure in which the terrorists failed to achieve their stated aims.

Its my wife's birthday.

Ernie - I'm not about to start trying to defend the American government's involvement in Cambodia / Vietnam, etc, just trying to say that the attack on the twin towers isnt (in my opinion) something to take the piss out of. The people who went in to work that morning were just doing that, going in to work, as were, unfortunately, the members of the emergency services who subsequently died just doing their jobs.

I spent almost 5 hours in a swimming pool with my nephew (who was 4)...who just wanted to float about...managed to get him out with a packet of Maltesers only to get home to see some news instead of the Simpsons...both of us were very unimpressed!

Ernie.......the attack on the twin towers isnt (in my opinion) something to take the piss out of

No it isn't in my opinion either. It was an indisputably tragic event. Why do you appear to suggest that I'm taking the piss ? 😕

One does wonder though how many of the Irish/American families of all those brave Irish/American fire fighters, police officers and paramedics who were killed trying to do their job on that fateful day in New York have also put money into collection boxes marked NORAID?

Ernie - I wasnt suggesting you were, just the other twenty odd posts on here. The Americans, due in no small part to their overseas policies, are a fairly easy target (no pun intended), but what I'm trying to say, and not doing very well with, is that I believe there are times you should separate the people of a nation from its administration's politics. God knows, the British government has been responsible for its fair share of atrocities, but that doesnt mean we should make light of such tragedies as 911, and again, I know that's not what you personally were doing.

President G. W. Bush became a hero. god bless.

barnsleymitch, the op wasn't implying that the twin towers wasn't a tragedy, he was implying that the USA reacted in an excessive way to the event.

1709 - In the Spanish War of Succession begins with the Battle of Malplaquet.

Sorry, and I realise that I'm coming over as a little over-sensitive. A friend of mine was killed that day, and I find it difficult to be objective whenever the anniversary comes round. No offence meant to any of the posters.

Happy New Year BTW, to anyone observing the Ethopian calendar.

Actually, no, I'm not that sorry. I've just re-read the original post, and it clearly implies ('what really worthwhile events from history should we be remembering today') that the event was in some way insignificant. I stand by my original statement.

1714 – Barcelona surrenders to Spanish and French Bourbon armies in the War of the Spanish Succession

Get that, An army made out of biscuits, Impressive

doh. it wasn't an army made of biscuits, it was just the first the world knew about the emerging threat of revolutionaries who would later have biscuits named after them. You've got your Bourbon, your Garibaldi, and your Peek Freans Trotsky Assortment.

barnsleymitch - It also says "Other than..." right at the start. 🙄

Is english not your first language?

1973 - CIA supports military putsch in Chile alongside Augusto Pinochet against the government Salvador Allendes.

horay for the CIA!

alpin, i've already covered that, pay attention at the back 😉

11/09/2000

I started work as a real grown up post university

barnsleymitch - It also says "Other than..." right at the start.

And then goes on to add 'the now annual outpouring of grief from the USA to remember the day they became the first ever victims of terrorism'. Obviously, due to English not being my first language, I also need lessons in subtlety and irony. I bow to your superior intellect...

[i]Obviously, due to English not being my first language[/i]

[b]owing[/b] to English not being my first language. HTH.

Dry you eyes sweet cheeks.

I wonder how many Americans (with whom I share a joint nationality) spared a thought for Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick, shot no more than 100 ft from where I was working at the time at Bessbrook Mill, South Armargh, by a US-trained sniper, using a US-made rifle, paid for by US-supplied money?

Or is it a numbers game, this terrorism thing?

AndyP - it only helps to show that youre being pedantic.

no, I'm being helpful. You said English wasn't your first language. Consider that a tip

The are plenty of things regarding America to poke fun at, so could we leave the way they remember 9/11 out of it?

I just watched "Taxi to the darkside" the other night. About the torture of prisoners and the US government playing on the fear of the american people to push through laws allowing the torture to be made legal.

Regardless of WHO is right or wrong (depending on where you were born and with which religion) the overwhelming feeling I get when I see something like this, is that human beings really are fundementally nasty creatures.

I know I'm coming across as overly sensitive, and that this is just going to lead to further piss taking, but what I originally wanted to say was that we should be thinking of the people that died that day, not politics or terrorism. And to the OP - dont tell me to 'dry my eyes', it's patronising and f***ing insulting, and questioning whether english is my first language sounds racist to me.

Asking whether english was your first language is hardly racist dear. You did completely miss 'Other than' at the start of the first post and how you take the rest of it is up to you.

Racist! I was wondering when some over-sensitive type would get around to me. I've been called many things but I never thought I'd get called that. Patronising I'll take and believe me, you're not the first but racist?

Anyway, you didn't answer the question. Is terrorism purely a numbers game with bigger body counts being somehow more worthy of rememberence?

It is the day after my dad would have had his 70th birthday had he not died earlier this year. 🙁

English is my third language. Please feel free to be as racist as you want. In fact I would relish it.

Ernie - English is (apparently) my first language so I usually keep away from being too critical of others considering I'm not exactly brilliant at it myself. I was purely pointing out that Mr Sensitive had, in the well-versed manner that many STW posters do, managed to quote part of a post with which to support his 'outrage' without adding part of it that slightly changes the manner in which the post was meant.

I enquired as to if it was his first language purely to be obtuse.

As for racism, as I've said its the first time I've ever been called it so if you'd like me to dabble further into this apparent racism I am dripping with I'm afraid I'd have to research it in order to have some sort of knowledge on the subject with which to base future comments, although I can't say I have any particular interest in the field so I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you.

Drac - Member

On this day I felt some remorse for those killed in the 9/11 attacks and still do.

Remorse? You are responsible? 😯

Sootyandjim - we could call him many things and be right - but we have no evidence that he is racist.

Picky, argumentative miltaristic, rightwing loony perhaps? Possibly with a penchant for whips and chains.

Sooty - I wasn't having a pop at you 😀 I was just amused at barnsleymitch's suggestion that your comment 'sounded racist' !

Although I meant what I said about relishing anyone trying to make racist comments at my expense - I'm more than happy to dish it back 8)

btw, english might well be my 'third' language, but I've all but forgotten my first two 😯

Lol at rightwing (even more so than 'racist').

Member of a union, married to a union rep, voting record that stays very much to the left (green most recently) and huge supporter of Obama's attempts to create a fairer healthcare system in the US, yep, perfect right wing blue blood me!

Being ex-military, arguementative and picky doesn't a blue job make.

(Though I reckon if there were any stats for it I reckon being a bit of a perv is definately usually a Tory thing). 😉

I had my holiday in Manhattan ruined by some bad people who couldn't land planes properly....

Quite interesting watching the american reaction range from disbelief that anyone could dislike them enough to do such a thing, before quickly becoming the predictable nuke 'em all response.

Saddest part was ordinary folk carrying photos of missing rellies asking anyone and everyone if they had seen them.

'I was purely pointing out that Mr Sensitive had, in the well-versed manner that many STW posters do, managed to quote part of a post with which to support his 'outrage' without adding part of it that slightly changes the manner in which the post was meant.'
Yes, I am being 'mr sensitive' - as I previously stated, my mate died during the attack. You keep on stressing that I only used part of your OP with which to support my outrage - your use of the phrase 'first ever victims of terrorism' later in the post was hardly objective was it? Maybe I shouldnt have used the word 'racist', in hindsight that was a bit of a knee jerk reaction, but your continued insistence on using pleasantries like 'sweetcheeks' and 'dear' is hardly making me warm to you or your argument.

bomb finland....thats what I say!

Fairly new to this STW game, but is it me or do most threads on STW end up in a slanging match where people who probably would get on very well if they met on a ride or in the pub, end up just being rude to each other?

Mmmmmhhh.

Anyway, this 'is terrorism a numbers game' question......

numberist

Fair enough mitch, was just playing the game rather than actually thinking 🙄

In spite of trying my hardest to remain calm and objective, I'll have to admit defeat and revert to type - **** off you objectionable, patronising c**t. And before the mods point out the obvious, I'll get me coat.

most threads on STW end up in a slanging match where people who probably would get on very well if they met on a ride or in the pub

I love the slanging matches on here ........ the best thing about STW imo.

Although I have come to the opposite conclusion.

Because whilst there is absolutely no one on here who I dislike (fotorat doesn't post anymore eh?), I'm pretty sure that there must be a fair few who I wouldn't like, if I were ever to meet them in real life.

barnsleymitch - I'm sorry you felt compelled to use such language.

Whilst I'm not completely heartless and fully understand you harbour grief for a friend lost to the events of 9/11 my 'beef', which I'm sure you might have picked up from the initial post, is that even as many years down the line as we are it still seems that to many in the US and beyond the attacks on the World Trade Centre marked year one of terrorism.

It seemed to me at the time and still does now that after many years of managing to avoid such attrocities happening on its home soil (other than from home-grown extremists) which had been happening in many other countries, often fuelled by US policy if not actual funds, we (being those other countries) were somehow expected to feel sorry for the US (as a country) for what had happened to them.

Yes I feel for the individuals, I'm not that much of a git not to, but I don't particuarly feel for some elements of US society. Such as some Irish/Americans, who for years had funded the IRA and their training camps in Libya who are well-known to have pooled resources with other terrorist organisations (such as those that struck the US on 9/11) and who in a fit of outrage and need to 'get' someone looked beyond their own borders rather within to see who were to blame.

I understand why you felt the need to use such language, I can be a picky git sometime and when I have a bone between my teeth I just won't let go, though as I say I'm sorry you felt the need to. I can honestly say (though if you care I do not know) that what I have said on here I would have said word for word in 'real life' so its not 'internet talk'. The hypocracy of the US approach to terrorism since it found out how much it hurts is just something I have very strong views about and sometimes it pours forth in a torrent rather than in a controlled manner without thinking about those who may be around.

on this day in history (yes today)

the same old few on STW fail to stick on topic and hijack yet another thread to end up in a battle of p*sstycuffs only succeeding in making themselves look like daily mail readers

STFU!!!

oh yeah, back on topic, its also my nieces birthday today

1989 – Cold War: Fall of the Berlin Wall. Communist-controlled East Germany opens checkpoints in the Berlin Wall allowing its citizens to travel to West Germany. People start demolishing the Berlin Wall.

Oh hang on, thats 9th November.

on this day in history my son was born 3 months premature, a reminder of how precious life is.. it makes me look back as to how lucky I am to have him, and meanwhile the STW massive keyboard warriors lower to petty b1tching and name calling over a very sad subject to slag about.

And on 11/09/2010 we will have groundhog day again.

Did anyone see "Wounded" this week, I bet the bike shop owners were cussin' all those potential customers with now legs left. Anyway does anyone know exactly what type of mine/IED blows both legs and sometimes an arm off?

As for expecting sympathy, well I believe in Karma - what goes around comes around - if you go to another country shooting at the locals, dont expect to come home with all you limbs, simple.

Besides I was allways taught to "do unto others, as............." Iw onder how the church reconciles a the crusade in Afghanistan?

18th of March 1969 was more far more significant than 9/11

It was on that day that the greatest terrorist bombing campaign in history was launched. Lasting just over a year, it resulted in the region of half a million people being indiscriminately killed. It was also undoubtedly the most coordinated and expensive terrorist bombing campaign ever launched, involving as it did, carpet bombing by B52s.

Despite causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Cambodians, those responsible were never brought to justice for their crimes under international law. Needless to say as one would expect from a terrorist operation, the bombing campaign was a complete failure in which the terrorists failed to achieve their stated aims.

Ernie if your other languages include Cambodian I might understand you comparing a Sovereign nation at war with a terrorist but by definition they're not the same.

I'm not suggesting carpet bombing was OK either.

enfht - I'm not sure that I fully understand the point you're trying to make. The "definition" of a terrorist act is pretty damn clear I would have thought. It is the act of terrorising a civilian population with the aim of demoralising them so that the terrorist's goals may be achieved. It is generally accepted that this accomplished by the indiscriminate killing of civilians.

Whether this is carried out by an individual, government, or state, is quite irrelevant. Indeed the United States itself, uses the term "terrorist states" quite liberally, as it does the term "State-sponsored terrorism".

Are you suggesting that if the perpetrators of 9/11 were shown to have been employees of the Taliban government (which was in power in Kabul at the time) then 9/11 could not be described as a 'terrorist act' ? 😯

Although I suspect that what you are [i]really[/i] trying to say, is if a person uses a bomb to indiscriminately kill civilians, and that person speaks English with an American accent, then that person cannot be called a terrorist.

Quite what this has to do with whether I speak Khmer, is beyond me though.

.

fotorat - I see that you're still a sick sad case, can the mental health services really not do anything to help you ?
And btw, do you still enjoy killing animals and rare birds to satisfy your deranged psychopathic tendencies ?

This day was never in history, however, tomorrow it will be, but it won't be called today anymore as it will then be yesterday, which isn't today yet either, as today will be tomorrows yesterday, which at this point, neither now or then.

You did miss the point, the Taliban did not bomb the twin towers

Ernie was your hero Che a terrorist?

You did miss the point, the Taliban did not bomb the twin towers

No. It's [i]you[/i] that has missed the point.

Are you saying that if a government had been responsible for the destruction of the twin towers, then it could not be described as an act of terrorism ?

As I said, whether an act of terrorism is carried out by an individual, government, or state, is quite irrelevant - it's still an act of terrorism.

Nope, def you who's missed the point... 😯

Anyhoo, getting back to your hero Che, was he a terrorist?

No. It's [i]definitely you[/i] that's missed the point .......... I'm sure about that 8)

Because you still don't want to answer the question, do you ? ...........finding it a bit tricky are we ?

I mean the question about whether if the perpetrators of 9/11 were shown to have been working for a government, then 9/11 could not be described as a terrorist act ?

You know ....... in reference to your absurd claim that a sovereign state can't commit terrorist acts.

State Sponsored Terrorism, can this be carried out when at war, or does it have to be a "first strike" scenario, because if you're saying the indiscriminate bombing of a countries people is an act of terrorism, does that therefore not make the RAF Bomber Command terrorists, the same for the US Air Force, and the Luftwaffe, I would like to point to point out that I do not think the RAF were terrorists, I think it was war and Germany reaped the whirlwind, however, if a "first strike scenario" can be called state sponsored terrorism, then therefore any invasion of a country by another country is an act of terrorism, until of course it becomes a war then the gloves are off.

Yeah toomanybikes, Cambodia was bombed in violation of international law. It was not at war with anyone.
The targets were civilians, and the intention was to terrorise them.

A bit like 9/11 really.......only a lot more died of course.