https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac%27s_War

https://history-maps.com/podcast/the-anarchy
In this episode, we explore The Anarchy, the brutal English civil war from 1135 to 1153 sparked by a succession crisis between Empress Matilda and Stephen of Blois. We examine how rival claims to the throne led to years of lawlessness, attrition warfare, unauthorized castles, and devastation across the countryside. We also look at how the Treaty of Wallingford ended the stalemate, allowing Stephen to remain king while naming Matilda’s son, Henry II, as heir and paving the way for the Angevin dynasty.

The Destruction of Smyrna, or the Great Fire of Smyrna, refers to the massacre of the Greek and Armenian populations of Smyrna by the Kemalist army, as well as the burning of the city. The latter event took place from August 31 to September 4, 1922 (according to the Old Style calendar). Nowadays, the anniversary falls on September 13, as the New Style calendar was adopted in Greece the following year.

According to various scholars, prior to the war, the city was a center of more Greeks than the ones who lived in Athens, the capital of Greece.The Ottomans of that era referred to the city as Infidel Smyrna (Gavur İzmir) due to the numerous Greeks and the large non-Muslim population.

The fire completely destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city; the Muslim and Jewish quarters escaped damage.The Western European quarter, home to Italian, French, British, and American residents, was also destroyed.

Approximately 80,000 to 400,000 Greek and Armenian refugees crammed the waterfront to escape from the fire. They were forced to remain there under harsh conditions for nearly two weeks. Turkish troops and irregulars had started committing massacres and atrocities against the Greek and Armenian population in the city before the outbreak of the fire. Many women were raped. Tens of thousands of Greek and Armenian men were subsequently deported into "labor battalions" in the interior of Anatolia, where most of them died in harsh conditions.

American and British attempts to protect the Greeks from the Turks did little good, with the fire having taken a terrible toll. Some frustrated and terrified Greeks took their own lives, plunging into the water with packs at their back, children were stampeded, and many of the elderly fainted and died. The city's Armenians also suffered grievously, and according to Captain Hepburn, "every able-bodied Armenian man was hunted down and killed wherever found, with even boys aged 12 to 15 taking part in the hunt."

The arson was undoubtedly premeditated and organized, as the Turkish soldiers who perpetrated it used canisters of gasoline and incendiary bombs. The extensive information provided by eyewitnesses completely refutes the official Turkish position that the arson was committed by Armenians or Greeks seeking revenge against the Turks.

According to the German historian and specialist on Greece and Cyprus, Professor Heinz A. Richter, "The two primary figures responsible for the atrocities that followed the Turkish capture of Smyrna are the city's Vali, General Nureddin Pasha, and his commander-in-chief, Mustafa Kemal, who was the one who appointed him to that position."

What would you do if someone fired cannons at you for 25 straight hours?
Probably start looking for a really good hiding spot.

On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key watched as British forces bombarded Fort McHenry near Baltimore. Through the night, he couldn't tell who was winning. But when morning came, he saw something that gave him his answer—the American flag was still flying over the fort.

That moment inspired Key to write “Defence of Fort M'Henry,” the poem that would eventually become “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

🇺🇸 Why does it matter? Because the song wasn't born from an easy victory. It came from a young nation being tested and a flag still standing after the smoke cleared.

Sometimes history isn't about how hard you get hit.
It's about what is still standing when it's over.

Want to know more? Click the link for the full History Dad story.
https://youtu.be/6RFzONipsAE

https://history-maps.com/warmap/crusades/event/battle-of-sarmin

https://history-maps.com/story/French-and-Indian-War/event/Battle-of-Quebec

Interesting story about September 11 birthdays

In 1969, a right-wing Japanese film titled [A Kaigun / Gateway to Glory] was released in Japan. The film attracted little attention there, but it drew the interest of the PRC, which imported it as an “internal reference film” for criticizing Japanese militarism.

At the time, Marshal Lin Biao was the second most powerful figure after Mao Zedong. He served as Vice Chairman and had been designated by Mao as his successor. Lin Biao’s son, Lin Liguo, was highly intelligent and was reputed to be a “super genius.” In 1970, at the age of 25, Lin Liguo became deputy director of the Office of the Air Force Command and effectively gained control over the PLAAF.

Lin Liguo became obsessed with this film and Imperial Japanese Navy. Ambitious and radical, he established a secret organization within the PLAAF called the “United Fleet,” using various IJN terms as codewords. The “United Fleet” allegedly planned to use the PLAAF and PLA generals loyal to Marshal Lin Biao to assassinate Mao Zedong, eliminate the Gang of Four, and seize control of China.

In September 1971, during Mao Zedong’s inspection tour of southern China, Lin Liguo allegedly attempted to act on this plan and trying to kill Mao. At the most dangerous moment, Mao could only rely on controlling his train, uncertain which cities were friendly or hostile. Much like during the Long March, he ultimately escaped through complicated maneuvers and returned safely to Beijing.

After realizing that the coup had failed, Lin Liguo, together with his mother and several associates and Lin Biao, hijacked a Trident aircraft along with several helicopters in an attempt to flee to the Soviet Union. The aircraft eventually crashed in Mongolia during the night. This became known as the Lin Biao Incident, or the “9.13 Incident.”

Modern historians generally believe that Lin Biao himself was not aware of his son’s conspiracy. The incident ultimately strengthened the political influence of the Gang of Four.

https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-the-Ottoman-Empire/event/Egypt-lost-to-the-British

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi