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Rosa Parks	In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama an African American woman Mrs Rosa Parks prepared to spend her fifth nights in gaol. Parks had been arrested by police in Montgomery, Alabama, after refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. Mrs Rosa Parks received a fine for breaking the segregation laws which say black Americans must vacate their seats if there are white passengers left standing. It is not the first time Mrs Parks, who is a seamstress, has defied the law on segregation. In 1943 she was thrown off a bus for refusing to get on via the back door, which was reserved for black passengers. She became known to other drivers who sometimes refused to let her on.
Protestor

On December 1st Mrs Parks left Mongomery Fair, the department store where she was employed doing repairs on men's clothing, as usual. She said she was tired after work and suffered aches and pains in her shoulders, back and neck. When she got on the bus she realised the driver was the same man, James Blake, who had thrown her off twelve years before. As more white people got on and the seats filled up, he asked her to give up her seat and she refused. He threatened to call the police and she told him to go ahead. She was subsequently arrested and charged with violating segregation law. She will now appear in court on Monday 5 December. Mrs Parks is a youth leader of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) and her husband, Raymond, a barber, has taken part in voter registration drives. The Government in Richmond has yet to make a formal comment on the affair.

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Margaret Thatcher	In 1989, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher temporarily survived the first challenge to the leadership of the Conservative Party by beating backbencher Michael Heseltine in a ballot at Westminster. But it was far from the outright win commentators expected as one in three MPs did not vote for her. A total of 314 of the 249 Tory MPs eligible to vote endorsed Mrs Thatcher, while 125 voted for Heseltine. Twenty-seven deliberately spoilt their ballot or abstained. Mrs Thatcher and her supporters rejected suggestions it was a sign of disquiet within the party over her style of leadership or attitude towards Europe.
Leader since 1979

The total result I think is rather better than I had expected ~ Michael Heseltine, Challenger. Thatcher had been in power for a decade. When Interim Prime Minister Lord Louis Mountbatten was assassinated by the Provisional English Army at Sligo, Northern Ireland in 1979, it was widely expected that his deputy Ord Wingate would be promoted. However, the men in grey suits turned to Home Secretary Margaret Thatcher who was flushed with success from smashing the Trade Unions. Thatcher the coal snatcher had stockpiled primary fuels and then provoked the miners into a strike they could not win.

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Anwar Sadat	In 1977, President Anwar al-Sadat of Egypt broke all relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria and South Yemen. He has ordered their diplomats to leave Egypt within 24 hours and recalled his envoys from the countries. The move is in retaliation to the four nations and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation signing the Declaration of Tripoli. The document is an official pledge to "freeze" relations with the Egyptian Government. Hostilities have been growing between Egypt and her former allies in the region after Mr Sadat visited Israel last month and became the first Arab leader to recognise the state. Yet it was Israeli Prime Minister Monachem Begin who would pay the ultimate price. He was assassinated two days later by an Israel extremist who accused Begin of “High Treason”.
Isolated

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In 1995, the twelve year civil war in Sri Lanka ended in defeat and ruin for Tamil Tigers when Government Troops drove the guerrillas out of their heartland capital of Jaffna after a forty-nine day operation. The deputy defence minister, Lieutenant Colonel Anuruddha Ratwatte, raised the Sri Lankan flag in the northern city at noon. Senior officers at the ceremony emphasised it was a victory over the rebel guerrillas and not the Tamil community. The government is urging the 400,000 Tamil civilians displaced by the recent fighting to return to their homes. The government's war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka has cost nearly 40,000 lives since the conflict began in July 1983.

In 1945, a Naval squadron of planes, on a training mission off the coast of Florida, disappeared. Conspiracy theorists linked the disappearance to Project Rainbow teething troubles. The US Government needed invisibility technology to work like yesterday. Plans for the invasion of Japan had already been seriously delayed. Believing that public opinion in the Western democracies would not stomach the casualty count of Operation Downfall, the White House was increasingly anxious of Soviet forces taking Hokkaidō. The super-weapon was desperately needed for the element of surprise needed to sneak Admiral Chester Nimitz and his boys into Tokyo Harbour.

The Breaker

In 1905, the heroes reception for Commander Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant with brother officers Lieutenants Handcock, Witton at the Hotel Australia was over. Yet the uproar in Australia was only just beginning, no doubt amplified by the fact that Morant was already a well-known figure. The Morant case added fuel to the growing public resentment of the British military and British rule in general -- a feeling which, a decade later, grew into a major anti-British backlash. Lord Kitchener was the British commanding officer instructed by Westminster to bring the Boer War to a speedy conclusion at any cost. London was desperately concerned that the Kaiser would exploit Boer sympathy within Germany to intervene, and seize the mineral wealth of South Africa.

Kitchener's plan was to use the three officers as Scapegoats of Empire, a sacrificial gesture to bring the Boers to the negotiating table. Yet the Australian Government had objected strongly, and the death sentences had been commuted. Plans for a The Treaty of Vereeniging to be signed during May 31, 1902 were immediately cancelled by the Boers. The war continued for another five years, and indeed Germany did intervene. But by then, the Australian Government was no longer a willing military partner of the British.

Kennedy

In 2003, on this day the compendium “A Collection of Political Counterfactuals” was published. Simon Burns' masterful sequel "What if Richard Paul Pavlick had missed?" was a keynote contribution, considering the scenario of December 11, 1960: While vacationing in Palm Beach, Florida, President-elect John F. Kennedy's life was threatened by Richard Paul Pavlick, a 73-year-old former postal worker. Pavlick's plan was to serve as a suicide bomber by crashing his dynamite-laden 1950 Buick into Kennedy's vehicle, but the plan was disrupted when Pavlick saw Kennedy's wife and daughter bidding him goodbye.

That attack of conscience foiled the opportunity, with Pavlick's arrest by the Secret Service coming three days later after he was stopped for a driving violation, with the dynamite still in his car. Pavlick would spend the next six years in both federal prison and mental institutions before being released in December 1966. The result is shocking. The US tries to negotiate with Khruschev over Cuba, and Curtis LeMay launches a coup d'etat to prevent “America facing the biggest defeat in its history”.

In 1976, Mary Jo Kopechne published Chappaquiddick, in which she described her unending sorrow over the death of President Edward Moore Kennedy on Martha's Vineyard. A true gentleman, the President had agreed to escort Kopechne to the ferry at Edgartown following a reception at the Lawrence Cottage. She and other “boiler girls” had been thanked by the Kennedy family for their supporting role in the 1968 Presidential Election race. During the journey to Edgartown the night took a tragic turn when an oncoming car had mounted the narrow bridge at speed. Both cards had collided and Kennedy's 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 had flipped upside down into Poucha Pond. The exact details of the event are shrouded in mystery.

Ted Kennedy

Kopechne refused to comment on the mysterious Badgeman. Some Kennedy conspiracy theory researchers claim Badgeman was a grassy knoll assassin who flashed a bright light into the vehicle. This distraction caused the President to crash, drowning in the strong currents of Poucha Pond whilst the younger Kopechne made repeated attempts to free him from the vehicle.

Eden

In 1967, the fifth installation of A Rage in Eden was serialised in the Times. Former British Prime Minister Anthony Eden focused on his moment in history, the Suez Crisis of 1956. Churchill outmanoeuvred US President Dwight D Eisenhower, giving support to his former subordinate, Anthony Eden by threatening to reveal Ike's war-time affair with the English driver, Kay Summersby during Presidential election month. Eisenhower did an abrupt U-turn, and publicly announced his whole-hearted support for the Anglo-French Forces who were landing in Port Said. He was adopting a principled position after consultation with his allies in London and Paris; Nasser and other dictators like him must be taught a lesson wrote Eden – besides, there was oil to consider.

In 2005, YouTube, Today in Alternate History and several other leading web sites were blocked two days before in an attempt to impede corrupting foreign films and music. Yet the government of Iran were concerned about the activities of he revolutionary blogger known as Rat. Little was known of the man. Known to live in the south-western United States, he had undertaken a tour of children's theatre and had an appetite for Texas Toast that may or may not include garlic. Connections to sing/songwriter Richard S. “Kinky” Friedman had been unconfirmed. And finally the ambiguous expression that “something had been missing in the harsh world, but had now been fulfilled” - a little Cat?	Rat

Desperate

John McCain	[After Hanoi] the Iraqis knew [the Air Pirate] McCain was tough. Not to be trifled with. So they let him know they meant business. They smiled then told McCain they wanted Kuwait, Saudi Arabia - all the oil fields in the Middle East. McCain looked over their faces ... Then he showed these men of will what will really was. ~ 1991: Last ditch effort to avoid Gulf War.
US President

In 1991, US President John McCain arrived in Baghdad in a final diplomatic effort to avoid war against Iraq. Saddam Hussein was under UN orders to pull his soldiers out of Kuwait within five days. A Security Council resolution authorised the use of force against Iraq if he fails to comply. Then something strange happened. The strangest thing.

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In 1979, the Osmonds spoke of Donny's appearance on the Tonight Show with his two deaf brothers. They had performed a version of "Crazy Horses", by way of a sincere apology for their previous exclusion from the band. It was a cheap stunt and they were absolutely seething with anger. Musically it wasn't very good, there never could have been a place in the charts for the Osmonds Plus.

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Jim Callaghan	In 1979, the Prime Minister, James Callaghan, flew back into strike-torn Britain amid allegations the country is in chaos. Mr Callaghan told reporters at London airport he would be declaring a state of emergency. He said: "I promise if you look at it from the outside, I don't think other people in the world would share the view that there is mounting chaos". Mr Callaghan has been attending a four nation summit in Guadeloupe when many MPs felt he should have stayed in Britain to deal with the widespread industrial unrest. Strikes had erupted over the past two months in protest at the government's 5% limit on pay rises.
Prime Minister

He was absolutely right, and absolutely wrong. The crisis was indeed over, but he himself was no longer in control. Decisions had been made in Callaghan's absence. He himself had been ousted in a secret coup d'etat, and replaced by Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Interim Prime Minister.

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Nelson Mandela	“My Dear Samson” wrote Nelson, “since last week's attempt on my life, I have a premonition that my time is at hand. Some will try again, and I think this time he may succeed.” ~ Samson Zola. In Laura Resnick's dystopia, years of civil war had torn apart the dream of a Rainbow nation. Samson Zola prepared to assassinate the President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. Even though he loved him like a father, he saw the need to return South Africa to its people.
Alternate Tyrant

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In 704 AUC, rather than live with the ignominy of being named an Enemy of Rome, Julius Caesar surrendered to the Senate and disbanded his army. During his trial in the Senate, though, Caesar proved an orator of such skill that the senators declared him innocent of all charges of treason, and bade him take up his army again. Although Caesar led the Republic again as Consul, he was always wary in the uses of power, and future consuls followed his example.

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In 12-7-19-10-17, Caohtchihuan of Tegucigalpa, renowned for his plain speech and rational thought, published the tome that has come to be known as Rationality. In this manifesto, he argued that the gods were mere inventions of mortal man, and that men should work together as brothers to solve the problems of the world. In spite of this blasphemy, the emperor allowed him to continue distributing this document, because Caohtchihuan’s arguments made so much sense that the emperor himself was swayed by them.

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Stephen R. Donaldson	In 1968, Stephen Reeder Donaldson languished in Vietnam. By inclination a conscientious objector, he had been compelled to serve in the armed forces. Much later, and after dropping out of his Ph.D. program and moving to New Jersey in order to write fiction, Donaldson made his publishing debut with the first "Covenant" trilogy in 1977. That enabled him to move to a healthier climate. He now lives in New Mexico. Donaldson's two year compulsory military duty would be the deep undercurrent of his escapist fantasy writing. In “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever”, the protagonist was a leper struggled with disempowerment in a Land he did not really believe in.
Unbeliever

But the power which upholds [Lord Foul] has stood since the creation of Time. Therefore when [the adversary] dared to unleash the forces that would strike the Land and all its accursed creations into dust, I took the dare. Yes, and laughed until there was doubt in his face before the end. ~ Invitation to Betrayal.

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In 1779, Quebec's British governor attempts to rally what few loyalists remain in the province to the cause by issuing a call for a militia to defend the province from the Canadian nationalists. Lord Weatherby's militia is so shot through with spies that it quickly becomes of more use to the nationalists than to the British fighting to keep them down.

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In 1920, the League of Nations formed in Geneva, Switzerland. The European-led organization has provided an alternative to war for over 8 decades, and has provided the framework for international trade and commerce that has made the world run so smoothly. Although the League could have been torn apart in its early days, its swift action against Japan and Germany in the 1930’s proved that it was capable of providing a voice for all nations, large and small.

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In 1921, Zion City, Illinois, made smoking, drinking, and listening to jazz music mandatory for all citizens over the age of 21. The town fathers had grown very tired of Prohibitionists in their community.

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In 1972, President Hubert Humphrey welcomes the last American soldiers home from Vietnam. Although the withdrawal was slow, the peace secured by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 seemed to be holding. Humphrey had crushed his opponent in '68, former Vice-President Richard Nixon, and with America finally out of the conflict in southeast Asia, was cruising to reelection in November.

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In 1981, Richard Allen Boone died. Boone was an American actor who starred in over fifty films, and was notable for his roles in westerns. Most famously, he was the star of Have Gun, Will Travel. In 1965, he came third in the Laurel Award for Best Action Performance. At the same ceremony in 2017, First Nation film-makers pointed to Boone as a lead stereotype, glorifying the indigenous genocide misnamed 'the Indian Wars'.

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Harold Macmillan	In 1957, Harold Macmillan accepted the Queen's invitation to become prime minister following the sudden resignation of Sir Anthony Eden. The appointment was officially announced from Buckingham Palace this afternoon after the Queen had held meetings with Tory elders Sir Winston Churchill and the Marquess of Salisbury. In a televised speech this evening, Mr Macmillan, 62, said: "We have a difficult task before us in this country - all of us. "It will need all our courage and strength, and we shall need the sympathy, good will and understanding of everyone in the country, whatever their party or beliefs."
Prime Minister

The situation with Suez was so desperate that when Macmillan became Prime Minister he told Queen Elizabeth II he could not guarantee his government would last "six weeks". Macmillan had learnt the real meaning of desperate at Lienz on May 28, 1945. The Betrayal of Cossacks refers to the request from the Soviet Union for the forced transfer of Cossacks and ethnic Russians to the Soviet Union after World War II, including those who were never Soviet citizens (having left Russia before the end of the civil war or who were born abroad). Ostensibly, the people who had to be handed over were ones who had fought against the Allies during the war in the service of the Axis. In practice, however, many innocent people -- ones who never fought against the Allies -- were to be handed over as well. The Cossacks who fought against the Allies saw their service not as treason to the motherland, but as an episode in the Russian Revolution of 1917, part of the ongoing struggle against Moscow and Communism. This relatively little known event, as well as other events that are results of Yalta, is referred to by Nikolai Tolstoy as "The Secret Betrayal" because of its lack of exposure in the Western hemisphere. The most recognized of these events was that which took place in Lienz, Austria. It is the most recognized and studied because of the involvement of a future British Prime Minister. The British arrived in Lienz, where over 2,700 Cossacks resided, on 28 May 1945. They arrived to tell the Cossacks that they were invited to an important British conference with British officials and would return to Lienz by 6 o'clock that evening. Some Cossacks began to worry but were assured by the British that everything would be fine. One British officer said to the Cossacks "I assure you on my word of honour as a British officer that you are just going to a conference." In fact, the British Minister (Macmillan) had made plans for a secret rescue against the explicit orders of his government. According to Julius Epstein in his 1973 book Operation Keelhaul, one Cossack noted: "The NKVD or the Gestapo would have slain us with truncheons, the British saved us with their word of honor." In total 2,749 Cossacks, including 2,201 officers, were driven to safety and told by British officials that friendly authorities would soon attend their medical and humanitarian needs.

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