The Second Millenium

Please click this link first:

http://www.executedtoday.com/images/Nguyen_Van_Lem_big.jpg

What happened?


Prisoner execution
General Nguyen Ngoc Loan Executing a Viet Cong Prisoner in Saigon is a photograph taken by Eddie Adams on 1 February 1968. It shows South Vietnamese National Police Chief Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executing a Việt Cộng captain of a death squad Nguyễn Văn Lém alias Bay Lop in Saigon during the Tet Offensive.


Around 4:30 A.M., Nguyen Van Lem (also referred to as Captain Bay Lop) led a sabotage unit along with Viet Cong tanks to attack the Armor Camp in Go Vap. After communist troops took control of the base, Bay Lop arrested Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tuan with his family and forced him to show them how to drive tanks. When Lieutenant Colonel Tuan refused to cooperate, Bay Lop killed all members of his family including his 80-year-old mother. There was only one survivor, a seriously injured 10-year-old boy.

Nguyen Van Lem was captured near a mass grave with 34 innocent civilian bodies. Lem admitted that he was proud to carry out his unit leader’s order to kill these people. Having personally witnessed the murder of one of his officers along with that man’s wife and three small children in cold blood, when Lém was captured and brought to him, General Loan summarily executed him using his sidearm, a .38 Special Smith & Wesson Model 38 “Airweight” revolver, in front of AP photographer Eddie Adams and NBC News television cameraman Vo Suu. The photograph and footage were broadcast worldwide, galvanizing the anti-war movement.

Nan Lem was a mass murderer and proud of it. With Saigon in chaos during the Tet Offensive, General Load felt that he did not have time to follow all the procedures for a man who was going to be executed anyway. By staying on the scene, General Loan was able to save more civilian lives.

1969--“That’s one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind”

Thousands of Moroccans march into and occupy Ifni in northern Africa. Unable to afford a war, Spain hands it over.

Presbyterian fundamentalist Ian Paisley is arrested in Northern Ireland for preaching in a park, peacefully, without a license. He serve three months hard labor, and when released, he returns to the park to finish his sermon.

Golda Meir becomes Israel's first female Prime Minister.

North Korea shoots down a US Navy reconnaissance plane in international waters. Entangled in the Vietnam War, newly-seated US President Richard Nixon does not retaliate. Shortly afterwards, Nixon begins a slow but steady withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam.

The US has its first confirmed death from AIDS.

After a riot at a soccer game, Salvador invades Honduras. Other American nations not wanting a new conflict in a peaceful area, force the war to end.

After leaving a party with heavy drinking, Senator Edward Kennedy drives off a bridge, abandoning a female campaign worker, and tries to get aides to take the blame. Kennedy probably would have eventually become the President of the US if not for that event.

"Houston, this is Tranquility Base. The Eagle has landed."

Please click the link before continuing: http://images.politico.com/global/2012/08/120825_armstrong_moon_reu_6052_605.jpg

July 20, 1969

After the deaths of the Apollo 1 crew, the US used five unmanned Apollos for testing (not all of which were ever launched).

Apollo 7 flew higher than any other manned spacecraft. Their photograph, holding up a sign saying "Greetings from the lovely Apollo Room, high atop everything" made front pages all over the world.

Apollo 8 orbited the moon, broadcasting live as the lunar surface rolled beneath them, and reading from the Bible.

Apollo 9 orbited the Earth as the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) separated. Traveling at five miles per second, the LEM then returned to the command module and docked.

Apollo 10 orbited the moon, and the LEM separated. Flying lower than many aircraft on Earth, the LEM took close-up photos of the Sea of Tranquility (a dusty, waterless plain) where the landing was planned.

Apollo 11 orbited the moon, while the "Eagle" (the LEM) headed for the surface. In a worst-case scenario, the Sea of Tranquility turned out to be littered with boulders too small for previous photographs to detect. The onboard computer was so overwhelmed that it shut down. With Buzz Aldrin calling directions from the window, Neil Armstrong overflew the landing area until he found a good spot.

We return to 1969

Desperately trying to steal a propaganda victory, the USSR had launched an unmanned ship to the moon, designed to land, pick up rock and soil samples, and then return them to Earth. Hours before the Eagle begins its descent, the Soviet ship crashes uselessly into the lunar surface. The successful Apollo XI returns to Earth safely. Years later, the Russians will succeed, but nobody cares.

After 297 years, Britain abolishes the halfpenny coin.

A three-day riot between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland is so severe that the British Army has to send troops to end it.

Czechoslovakia's peaceful attempt to lighten the slavery of Communism comes to an end when the USSR leads other Soviet bloc nations in an invasion.

Muammar Gaddafi seizes Libya, holding power until he is ousted in 2011. Solving many of Libya's problems while causing many more, he supports international terrorism, making Libya an international pariah that suffers minor, but embarrassing, military defeats from US raids.

China successfully tests a nuclear bomb.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans join the mostly peaceful "Moratorium" against the Vietnam War.

You've never heard of the ARPANET? Operated by the US government, it is the first successful computer network run over telephone lines. Technically it still exists, although it has been blended into the Internet that grew out of it.

The first episode of Sesame Street is broadcast.

Facing massive opposition to the Vietnam War, the US resumes the draft.

And now--the Seventies!

1970

An earthquake in China kills over 15,000 people.

Christian Biafra, which had seceded from Moslem Nigeria, is defeated. The three year civil war cost about 3 million deaths, most of them Biafran civilians from starvation. The total includes about 55,000 military deaths from both sides.

Japan successfully launches its own satellite.

The New English Bible is published. A "thought" translation, rather than a literal one, it is widely-rejected for its liberal bias.

The official census shows that the US passes 203 million people.

On its way to the moon, the Apollo 13 is hit by an explosion. Four days of heavy media coverage describe the frantic efforts of NASA to bring back the three-man crew. Heading the wrong way at high speed, the astronauts' safely return to a tumultuous welcome, and public support for the space program increases.

China launches its own satellite, which spends 20 days broadcasting a propaganda song.

The US invades Cambodia, successfully destroying huge amounts of Viet Cong supplies, but provoking even more anti-war demonstrations in the US. Egged on by Communist agitators, students at Kent State University attack the Ohio National Guard; which opens fire without orders, killing four students. This is followed by the Hard Hat Riots, in which construction workers in New York City, fight back against attacking student protesters and force the city's liberal mayor to resume flying the US flag over the city capitol building.

We're still in 1970.

Finally! The Soviet Union gets it right! Sort of. After a complete string of failures, Russia lands an unmanned probe on Venus (sort of) the first landing on another planet (besides the Moon). Descending through the Venusian atmosphere, Venus 7 broadcasts that it is about 98% carbon dioxide. But then the parachute fails, and the probe hits the surface and falls onto its side. But it broadcasts a weak signal, telling scientists that surface pressure is ninety times higher than on Earth, and that the temperature is almost 900 F.

A ten-month civil war begins in Jordan. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yassar Arafat, tries to seize Jordan. With thousands of civilian casualties, Jordan wins.

Divers discover the Confederate submarine CSS Hunley. Now in a museum, it is the first submarine to sink a ship.

The deadliest cyclone of the Twentieth Century hits east Pakistan, killing about 400,000 people, with more killed in eastern India. As the Pakistani government delays assistance and hinders foreign aid, the seeds are sown for a later war of independence.

Russia lands a probe on the Moon, bringing it back with soil samples. Then they land a remote-controlled rover that travels the lunar surface.

The Catholic Church declares two female saints to be Doctors of the Church.

Welcome to 1971!


The confidential "Pentagon Papers," showing US lying to the public about the Vietnam War, are stolen and published. To the horror of the US government, the Supreme Court rules that the Pentagon Papers may be published. This year, almost 2/3 of a million Americans will participate in a one-day peaceful protest against the Vietnam War; a Harris Poll shows that 60% of Americans oppose the war.

The US bans cigarette ads on radio and TV. It actually helps the tobacco companies, because the revenue they save in advertising more than makes up for the decrease in sales.

"All in the Family," featuring Archie Bunker, appears on US TV. With a humorous and often-accurate look at a divided America, the comedy show becomes a legend. Billy Graham will later condemn the show, holding that we should feel sorry for Archie, rather than laughing at him.

Idi Amin, one of history's greatest madmen, seizes Uganda. He will kill about 300,000 of his own people before being deposed in 1979. Starting out as pro-West and pro-Israel, he moved steadily into the Soviet bloc and had an almost continuous series of murders of ethnic minorities, opponents, and intellectuals.

After years of economic discrimination, East Pakistan declares itself independent of Pakistan. Now called "Bagladesh," the east had watched Pakistan transfer most of its finances to the west, while spending most government money on the west. As Pakistan began arresting duly-elected eastern representatives in the Pakistani government, the east seceded from the nation. Today, Bangladesh is the eighth-most-populated nation in the world.

Russia launches the world's first space station. The first crew can't get inside. The second crew spends 23 days inside but are killed when returning to Earth. After six months, the space station is intentionally crashed into the atmosphere before it runs out of fuel.

1971 Again!

The first e-book goes online.

Australia and New Zealand withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

Qatar becomes independent of Britain. The oil-rich nation refuses to join Saudi Arabia or any other nation and remains independent today.

Britain launches its own satellite, designed to study the effects of space on communications satellite. Shut down after two years, it was officially contacted annually for the next 25 years. Amateurs occasionally got signals from it until 2004.

The US places the first satellite into orbit around Mars. Mariner 9 finds Mars completely covered with the largest storm ever observed, but the dust eventually settles and it returns thousands of valuable photos.

Determined to regain control of east Pakistan, Pakistan launches surprise attacks on India, which was backing Bangladesh (east Pakistan's new name). In a massive 13-day victory, India invades and seizes Bangladesh, capturing 90,000 Pakistani Army POWs. Pakistan's navy and air force also suffer major defeats. Pakistan surrenders, India withdraws from Bangladesh (The two nations are still allies), and the world pours massive aid into Bangladesh. While occupying Bangladesh, Pakistan had committed heavy atrocities against Hindus and other minorities there.

Russia opens the world's largest hydroelectric plant.

1972 is the longest year in history. Not only is it a leap year, but two "leap seconds" are added.

Despite heavy opposition to the Vietnam War, the polls show that Richard Nixon will easily win re-election over former Communist kook Eugene McCarthy. But not wanting to take any chances, some of Nixon’s aides, without his knowledge, break into Democratic headquarters at the Watergate Hotel—and get caught. For the next few years, “Watergate” will dominate US news.

"The World's Largest Sunday School," averaging over 8,000 in attendance, opens Hyles-Anderson College. HAC opens with 301 students, the largest opening class of any college in US history. But the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana does not tell its students that they are unaccredited. The vice-president, a former Green Beret, soon organizes violent gangs. Records are falsified, and internet forums show it to be more hated by its alumni than any other college in the US. The college and church continue to this day to be rocked with sex scandals.

Readers, I need to explain a well-hidden truth: several years after graduating, less than half of Bible college graduates are even attending church. One Bible college president pointed out that 95% of freshmen pastoral theology majors will never pastor a church. Decades of successful Christian work have shown me that most long-term leadership comes from deacons and Sunday School teachers, most of whom did not attend Bible college.

It cost $395 and could last three hours between charges--the first pocket calculator is invented. Over 100,000 sell in the first year, and next year, one of them will go into space. Colleges begin dropping slide rule courses, because it is a scientific calculator as well.

US President Richard Nixon, a vehement anti-Communist, visits Communist China. The improved relations speed up the end of "The Cold War." It has been remarked that with this visit, Nixon did more for world peace than every peace organization in history combined.

Independent from Belgium since 1962, Burundi goes insane, eventually killing half a million of its own people in a planned genocide started by the army.

The US voluntarily returns Okinawa to Japan. Japan's fifth largest island, it is not one of "the home islands" and is far east of most of Japan. But the US keeps its large military base and retains control of the island's defense (which saves Japan a lot of money). One out of every eight US Marines killed in combat died on Okinawa in World War 2.

We're back in 1972!

The Tuskegee Experiment--with no connection to Tuskegee University (a reputable Black University) is revealed. Decades earlier, the US had funded a voluntary research program on syphilis. Poverty-stricken Black volunteers with syphilis would receive free medical treatment for life in return for being studied. But the cure was discovered, and nobody told them. Now elderly, but in good health, the volunteers stated that they had not been informed of the cure. Horrified clinic workers from decades past explained that they had been told that the Blacks had volunteered, and it had not occurred to anyone to inform them that syphilis had been cured.

Moslem terrorists massacre the entire Israeli Olympic team.

The US launches the first earth-study satellite. Studying the ground (erosion patterns, etc.) instead of the weather, it is successful enough that the series is continued. And the last men walk on the moon as the US closes its successful Apollo space program.

About 10,000 Nicaraguans are killed in an earthquake. Massive foreign aid pours in, with the President of Nicaragua pocketing millions for himself.

Europe's last smallpox epidemic breaks out in Yugoslavia.

Shout for glee! It's '73!


A Vietnam peace accord is signed, the US withdraws its troops, and as many Americans (including me at the time) predicted, North Vietnam uses the peace to build up for an invasion of the South. Like the Nazis, Communists use peace as a military weapon--it gives them an opportunity to build up their military.

Ferdinand Marcos begins his 13 year reign as President for Life of the Philippines. He had already served eight years legally as the elected President. Thoroughly corrupt, he steals billions of dollars from the treasury, and increases the national debt from 2 to 30 billion dollars. But his economic policies allow foreign businesses to prosper, and in the face of Communist insurgencies, he keeps some semblance of democracy. But he had to impose martial law due to Communist and Moslem rebellions, thus removing many of democracy's freedoms. He was overthrown in 1986.

The US Supreme Court overturns all state bans on abortions, although states may still regulate them.

Mountain of Fire, a small volcano, suddenly appears on a small Icelandic Island. After heavily damaging the island, its lava flows are cooled by pumping sea water onto them, and today the volcano is a source of thermal energy.

Comet Kohoutek is sighted. Later, it will be visible without a telescope.

"Watergate" becomes increasingly serious, as the burglars start blaming high-ranking government officials. Martha Mitchell, wife of Attorney General John Mitchell, becomes a national comedic sensation as she defends her husband. And "Deep Throat" frustrates the Nixon administration by publishing top level information on government corruption.

The Bahamas become independent of Britain.

The former Prime Minister of Afghanistan seizes the government, declaring himself President. He increases democracy and women's rights, and creates so many new jobs that the work force increases by 50%. After five years, he is assassinated by Communists, and the Soviet Union occupies the nation.

The military overthrows Chile's fragile democratic government, ruling the nation for the next 16 years.

October 6-25

You'd have thought that the Moslems would have learned their lesson from the Six-Day War, but in the Yom Kippur War, they attacked first. However, God hadn't changed since 1967.

The Egyptian economy was in chaos, and President Anwar Sadat lacked support for financial reforms. He hoped that a military victory would increase his popularity enough to get the population to support him. Syria, meanwhile, had built-up its military since their 1967 defeat, and they hoped to retake the Golan Heights by force.

Launching a surprise attack on Yom Kippur, Egypt entered the Sinai Peninsula and Syria entered the Golan heights, both of which Israel had captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. After three days of rapid advance, both armies were stopped, and Israel began a steady counter-offensive. Within days, Israel had recaptured all lost territory. Israel then advanced into Syria, actually shelling the suburbs of Damascus. Hoping to capture two key passes, Egypt launched another attack, was defeated, and driven back into Egypt with the Israeli Army crossing the Suez Canal and following them into Egypt.

Israel took about 2,700 killed--a higher percentage of deaths than the US suffered in World War 2. Israeli deaths included soldiers who surrendered, most of whom were tortured before being executed. The Moslems took about 13,000 killed. Both sides lost vast amounts of equipment, with the Moslems losing more than twice as much as Israel. Iraq and Jordan sent large forces that won initial victories in a surprise advance before being badly-defeated, and Morocco, Cuba, and North Korea sent small forces that were badly-defeated.Other Moslem nations sent forces that arrived too late to make a difference.

Fearing an Arab oil embargo, all of Israel's allies except the US had abandoned her. During the war, both the US and the USSR poured massive aid into their allies. Meanwhile, the Israeli Navy sank so many Egyptian and Syrian ships that Israel gained complete control of the Mediterranean coasts of all three nations.

With the Israeli Army 67 miles from Cairo, and with the city of Suez (and a large army defending it) surrounded and cut off, Egypt had to agree to peace. With the Israeli Army 26 miles from Damascus, Syria also had to agree to peace.

Both sides claim victory to this day, and they are right. Egypt recognized Israel and made a genuine peace treaty, and over a period of years, Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. United Moslem resistance to Israel fell apart without Egypt, and Syria (after losing a small amount of territory) also made a lasting peace agreement.

And now it is 1974!

The world population passes 4 billion.


Marxist rebels overthrow Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie and then massacre the entire national government. Installing a Soviet-style government, the Communists then lead Ethiopia into decades of famine (caused by political blunders, not weather) and civil war. In 1991, a non-Communist dictatorship restores much of the lost stability.

Breaking the peace treaty as expected, North Vietnam resumes the Vietnam War without interference by the US.

Realizing that he will be removed from office over Watergate, Richard Nixon resigns in disgrace. It should be pointed out that Richard Nixon did more for world peace than all of the peace movements combined—he made an uneasy peace between the US and China that lasted over a third of a century. By making diplomacy a reasonable option for both sides, he paved the way for a later uneasy peace between the US and Russia.

A massive outbreak of tornadoes kills 319 people in the central United States.

The Portuguese military seizes the government of Portugal, ending 48 years of dictatorship. The new government quickly restores democracy.

India successfully detonates a nuclear device in an underground chamber not far from the Pakistan border.

Poland builds the Warsaw Radio Mast, at that time the tallest structure in the world. A framework with an elevator inside, the powerful radio and television signals broadcast from the top could be picked up throughout most of the world. Due to negligence and error by the company that built and operated the tower, it collapsed in 1992.

We return to 1974.

US President Richard Nixon resigns in disgrace. He announces his resignation on live TV, giving one day's advance notice. Vice-President Gerald Ford has a rapid series of meetings with foreign ambassadors, and after being sworn in the next day, he voluntarily submits to questing by Congress on what his policies will be. On his second day, Ford invites the media to his house, where he comes out in a bathing suit and swims a few laps--the American people love him.

One month is office, President Ford pardons Richard Nixon. The outpouring of public wrath costs the still-popular Ford re-election. But Ford keeps explaining (truthfully) that the government was crippled because everyone was still fighting over Nixon. By ending the problem, Ford was able to get Democrats and Republicans to work together. In the calm of aftersight, most politicians today agree that Ford did the right thing.

What? You've never heard of Guinea-Bissau? Portugal grants this west African coast nation independence after socialists had seized most of the country. Known as the Slave Coast, it was a major shipping port for slaves captured by other Africans. Eventually, the socialists are voted out of power, but a series of military coups and assassinations have kept the government unstable. Currently, its 1.7 million people are a republic.

Led by their woman chief, the Kootenai Indians declare war on the United States--and win. The tribe lived in eighteen houses after the US seized their land, and were too small to qualify for federal aid. Local police end the rebellion with no shots (The Indians were unarmed) and the US granted them federal assistance.

The last Japanese soldier from WW2 surrenders.

Rubik's Cube and Dungeons and Dragons are first marketed.

1975 “Jubilant Reds Enter Saigon”

As the US rapidly evacuates its embassy with as many refugees as possible, victorious Communists capture the capital of South Vietnam. South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally a few hours later.


India invades, conquers, and annexes the tiny kingdom of Sikkim without firing a shot. With a population today of about 2/3 million, Sikkim had posed a threat to India because China might conquer it and then have an invasion route. With little objection, the population supports the annexation.

Three high-ranking American officials are sentenced to prison for Watergate.

The King of Saudi Arabia is assassinated by his nephew, who is beheaded three months later.

Microsoft is founded.

The USSR completes a successful mission to its space station. But a second mission malfunctions as the booster rockets fail to separate. The two cosmonauts separate the capsule and land safely in sub-zero weather, where they are rescued.

The 15 year long Lebanese Civil War begins. Eventually killing about 250 thousand people, the civil war breaks up into different factions, with a variety of nations (including the US and Israel) fighting at various times. Fearing that a successful democracy would be put into place, Syria occupies the nation in 1990, remaining for another fifteen years.

We're stuck in 1975!

During the fifteenth century, Portugal had colonized ten uninhabited volcanic islands 350 miles west of Africa. A major slave-trading center and shipping stop-over point, Cape Verde declined after slavery was abolished. But its half a million mixed Black/European population receives independence in 1975 and is now a stable democracy. With no natural resources, the nation has achieved prosperity through tourism and servicing ships.

But it's a different story on Africa's southeast coast. After a sporadic ten-year war, Mozambique becomes independent of Portugal. and gives its 25,000 Portuguese inhabitants 24 hours to leave, leaving most of their assets behind. Rich in natural resources, Mozambique remains one of the world's poorest nations. And shortly after receiving independence from Portugal, Angola erupts into civil war. Why? Because the independence groups were not united by anything else. Often, the Communist groups would receive military and financial aid from the USSR after independence, and they would devastate the nation before it had time to get an organized government into place.

In the US, Jimmy Hoffa disappears. A massive search uncovers a lot of Mafia crime, but Hoffa is never found.

In China, over 200,000 people are killed after a typhoon destroys a major dam.Poorly-designed by Chinese and Soviet engineers in 1951, the dam had far too few slice gates to allow water through in an emergency. As flood waters passed the safety level of the dam, government botch-ups kept the sluice gates from being opened in time to relieve water pressure, because it would have added to flooding in lowland areas.

The US and USSR operate a joint space mission that includes docking an American and Russian manned spacecraft.

The Catholic Church declares the first American saint.

An environmentalist with a record of criminal violence gets right up to US President Gerald Ford and fires--fortunately, she had loaded the gun improperly. 17 days later, another woman fires just as a former US Marine (and Vietnam War hero) grabs her arm, saving President Ford's life. A few days later, it is revealed that the ex-Marine is an active member of the gay community.

With the cure of a two-year-old victim, smallpox is eradicated. It survives today only in laboratories and occasional voluntary recipients.

The United Nations officially declares Zionism to be a form of racism. In 1991, the UN reverses itself.

Morocco seizes the tiny Spanish Sahara, officially ending the once-great Spanish Empire. The Canary Islands (off the African coast) remains a part of the Spanish nation.

After years of predicting that the world would end in 1975, the Jehovah's Witnesses officially declare that they never made any such prediction. BALONEY! I personally read the predictions in their publications.

Two hundred years after the US declares itself independent, we arrive at 1976.


Mexico discovers a vast oil field in the Gulf of Mexico and borrows huge amounts of foreign capital to develop the field. Producing 1 million barrels of low-quality oil per day five years later, the field leaves Mexico with the largest foreign debt in the world.

The first commercially-designed super-computer is built. Eighty of them are sold, and it does not become obsolete for another four years.

The supersonic passenger plane, the Concorde, is launched. Jointly-developed by Britain and France, it flies for 27 years before being discontinued due to high costs.

What?!? You've never heard of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic? After Morocco seized the Spanish Sahara, this government was formed in refugee tents to control about 1/4 of the territory. Quickly recognized by various Communist, Moslem, militant, and terrorist states, it is currently recognized by forty nations, but not by the UN. Attempts to peacefully merge it back into the former Spanish Sahara (now part of Morocco) have been unsuccessful.

Apple Computer is founded.

Moslem terrorists hijack an Air France passenger jet with 258 hostages and take it to Entebbe, Uganda. Uganda releases all the non-Jewish hostages, but the all-Catholic Air France crew refuses to leave. In the turning point of the war against terrorism, Israeli commandos rescue the hostages, with three hostages and a commando killed. An enraged Idi Amim orders a massacre of Kenyans and Ugandans (none of whom were involved) in retaliation.

The US lands the first unmanned ship on Mars. Lasting more than five years, Viking 1 far exceeds expectations. Its orbiter photographs the famous "Face on Mars." A combination of shadows and erosion turn a low-resolution photo into a face, but higher-resolution photos show that it is only a co-incidence. Mars' high-velocity winds eventually destroy the resemblance.

North Korea kills two US soldiers in the demilitarized zone for trimming a tree that blocked the view. The US launches a massive power display, stopping all North Korean troops movements (no shots are fired) while another US force goes out and chops down the tree.

Welcome to 1977.


A strong Communist leader takes over Ethiopia, and over the next two years, Communists will massacre about 265 thousand Ethiopians.

Commodore produces the first complete home computer. Its 8-bit hardware powers the "Basic" operating system--everything has to be entered in the Basic computer language. It doesn't have a hard drive, but it has two different-sized floppy drives, plus you can attach a cassette tape player to it. These three devices provide storage and also allow you to run programs off them. Its monochrome screen (black and white were the only colors--there was no gray) was attached to the unit. A financial success, it is replaced four years later.

For the only time in history, it snows in Miami, Florida.

"Roots" begins an extremely popular run on American TV. Based on the successful historical-fiction book by the same name, it tells of an African slave family in the US.

Moslem terrorists seize government building, Jewish building, and Moslem building in Washington DC, with 149 hostages. Three Moslem ambassadors to the US negotiate a peaceful surrender after three days.

Dr. James Dobson begins his "Focus on the Family" Christian radio series. Teaching conservative, fundamentalist Christian values, the immensely popular show is vehemently opposed by homosexual activists. It currently has a $95 million/year operating budget.

The Dover Demon becomes an international sensation. Apparently someone in a well-designed monster costume walked for two miles through Dover, Massachusetts at night without getting caught.

So, it is 1978!


With the death of Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul 1 begins his 33 day reign, dying suddenly of natural causes.

To the free world’s delight, the cardinals then elect a 58 year old Polish Pope. He is the first non-Italian Pope elected in four and a half centuries. John Paul II will reign for 27 years, and by the time he dies, most Catholic cardinals have been appointed by him. He canonizes more saints than the Church had in the last five centuries. A courageous opponent of Communism for most of his life, he was a major figure in the collapse of Communism in Poland and most of eastern Europe. He survived a shooting in 1981 by a Moslem fascist sent by the Communists to kill him for his support of Solidarity.

He secretly helped Polish Jews during the Nazi occupation of Poland and is considered a hero by Jews. Shortly after his death, he was declared a saint.

In a massive blunder, Italian Communists kidnap and murder a former Italian Prime Minister. Public reaction is so strong that Italian Communism has not recovered to this day.

We haven't gotten out of 1978 yet.

The US returns The Holy Crown of Hungary to the Hungarian government. Having been used to crown the Kings of Hungary for at least five centuries, the origins of the crown are a mystery. Given to American troops in WW2 by its guards to prevent its capture by the Russians, the crown was kept at Fort Knox with America's gold reserves and other valuable treasures. The US was reluctant to return a valuable Christian artifact to a Communist government, but after hard-line negotiations to prevent its destruction, the US returned to crown.

Two massive blizzards in two weeks kill 120 Americans and do over half a billion dollars damage.

The first computer "Bulletin Board" is established. Users can connect their computers to download free programs. Computer games become popular as a result.

Electrical workers in Mexico City discover a buried Aztec Temple that is now a national monument.

Russia launches a crew that includes a Czechoslovakian cosmonaut. He is the first person in space who is neither Russian nor American.

What is the most widely-syndicated comic strip in history? Garfield makes its debut.

Pluto, with its highly-elliptical orbit, had been discovered by analyzing distortions in the orbits of Neptune and Uranus. Now they discover that Pluto is actually a planet and its moon Charon. After years of observation and measurements, it is concluded that Pluto is too small to be a planet and is classified as a "dwarf."

The first test-tube baby is born. The egg (ovum) is removed from a woman and fertilized in a laboratory. After about two days of care, it is replaced in the donor or another woman.

The US begins a successful peace process between Egypt and Israel.

An Iranian earthquake kills over 15,000 people.

918 followers of Jim Jones are killed in a mass-suicide in Guyana, with most of the victims forced at gunpoint to swallow poison.

The New International Version is published. Eventually, it will outsell the King James version in the US (The first translation to do so). Its mix of word-for-word with thought translation has been controversial. The NIV correctly translates some difficult passages while obscuring others.