Dark Earth Timeline Discussion

[jemhouston]

I figured out a third way whilst driving to work today: Age him up based on the character of B.A. Barracus and adjust it for a (slightly) different Vietnam War.

In The A Team, Bosco Albert Baracus was a US Army Special Forces sergeant as of 1972, which would put him in his early to mid 20s, or between 3 and 5 years older than his actor at the same time. Applying this to a war ending in 1970 and the A Team trial would make him a 1945 or 1946 drop.

There is a particular in-universe precedent where I have changed up ages to suit storyline purposes in the form of the Crown Prince of Sweden, Gustav Adolf (the @ future King Carl XVI Gustav), who is born in 1936 as compared to 1946. This was to wangle a basis for his marriage of Princess Margaret on May 30 1959 after a protracted engagement; there is no Peter Townsend question here and, to reinforce a difference for the House of Windsor, no Abdication Crisis due to the death of the Prince of Wales in 1930.

So, I've decided on the following:

Sergeant Baracus is 25 years old as of 1970. His doppelganger, the erstwhile Laurence Tureaud, is a bit older at 29.

The factor which would put him in the picture for a SecDef job is some form of special ability or superpower, given that the previous two holders of the job have been Doc Savage and Bruce Wayne.

An utterly infallible BS detector, even if the guy pushing the BS sincerely believes it.

They wouldn't let him near DC if that was possible.

[Simon Darkshade]

There are already very effective lie detection spells, but dealing with organisational BS is a bit more refined, particularly if someone believes it. Further, it doesn't seem to gel with Mr. T's style entirely, although some element could make an appearance.

[Simon Darkshade]

1970 World GDPs

1.) USA 10,608,144,009,891 (+ 5.29%)
2.) USSR 4,960,161,796,672 (+ 8.87%)
3.) Germany 4,093,122,180,171 (+ 4.97%)
4.) Britain 3,958,828,222,343 (+ 5.25%)
5.) Japan 3,538,247,610,571 (+ 9.62%)
6.) France 2,260,691,555,954 (+ 8.15%)
7.) India 1,966,967,043,165 (- 0.88%)
8.) Canada 1,957,853,379,512 (+ 7.84%)
9.) China 1,894,884,537,803 (-2.65%)
10.) Italy 1,443,231,408,096 (+ 4.57%)

11.) Austria-Hungary 1,233,186,607,912 (+ 10.75%)
12.) Brazil: 1197.2634 (+9.74%)
13.) Benelux: 1119.6642 (+6.23%)
14.) Spain: 947.9694 (+4.98%)
15.) Australia 915,816,288,968 (+8.325%)
16.) Mexico: 836 (+ 6.26%)
17.) Argentina: 824 (+ 7.62%)
18.) Sweden: 659 (+ 5.8%)
19.) South Africa: 646 (+ 6.98%)
20.) Turkey: 615 (+ 5.84%)

21.) Poland: 598 (+ 6.79%)
22.) Indonesia: 586 (+ 10.61%)
23.) Persia: 552 (+ 9.26%)
24.) Greece: 487 (+ 7.89%)
25.) Korea: 456 (+ 7.24%)
26.) New Avalon 429 (+ 4.96%)
27.) Switzerland 425 (+ 5.82%)
28.) Venezuela 407 (+ 7.15%)
29.) Yugoslavia: 384 (+ 4.33%)
30.) Philippines 359 (+ 4.26%)

31.) Colombia 336 (+ 4.302%)
32.) Chile 325 (+ 3.346%)
33.) Thailand 320 (-1.26%)
34.) Peru 306 (3.76%)
35.) Nigeria 284 (7.52%)
36.) Denmark 273 (5.49%)
37.) Romania 260 (6.65%)
38.) Arabia 254 (+ 6.457%)
38.) Taiwan 247 (+ 8.83%)
39.) Iraq 239 (+ 8.29%)
40.) Portugal 238 (+ 4.95%)

41.) West Indies Federation 225 (+ 6.38%)
42.) Egypt 215 (+ 7.57%)
43.) Rhodesia 208 (+ 9.92%)
44.) Norway 192 (+ 3.5%)
45.) New Zealand 187 (+ 6.41%)
46.) Israel 179 (+ 10.87%)
47.) Finland 170 (+ 4.17%)
48.) Bulgaria 161 (+ 5.56%)
49.) Malaya 159 (+ 6.35%)
48.) Newfoundland 156 (+ 3.89%)
49.) Ethiopia 125 (+ 9.82%)
50.) Morocco 118 (+ 6.37%)

51.) South Vietnam 115
52.) Prydain 111
53.) Ruritania 106
54.) Ceylon 98
55.) North Vietnam 91
56.) Libya 87.93
57.) Ashante Federation (GC + IC): 82.73
58.) Congo 64.79
59.) Bolivia 53
60.) Ecuador 46

61.) Tunisia 43.54
62.) Uruguay 42
63.) Mongolia 42
64.) Kenya 41.68
65.) Sudan 37.547
66.) Cambodia 35
67.) Uganda: 33.8
68.) Guatemala 33.57
69.) Tanganyika: 32.78
70.) Paraguay 32

71.) Senegambia 30.47
72.) Jordan 29.62
73.) Cameroon 29.58
74.) El Salvador 24.83
75.) Afghanistan 23.84
76.) Dominican Republic 23.75
77.) Mali Federation 22.48864 (Mali and Upper Volta)
78.) Costa Rica 21.22
79.) Madagascar 19.6
80.) Albania 19.5

81.) Nicaragua 18.94
82.) Aranguay 18.35
83.) Somalia 17.45
84.) Yucatan 17.28
85.) Lebanon: 17.1
86.) Tibet 16.49
87.) Los Altos 15.4125
88.) Rwanda-Burundi 15.28
89.) Niger 14.6196
90.) Honduras 13.2

91.) Liberia 12.9
92.) Orungu 12.7872
93.) People's Republic of Bukovina 12.53
94.) Togoland 12.482
95.) Yemen 12.25
96.) Haiti 11.2
97.) Equatoria 10.25608
98.) North Laos 10.13
99.) People's Republic of Moldavia: 9.32
100.) Iceland 8.75

101.) Chad 8.6
102.) People's Republic of Galicia 8.584
103.) French Guinea 8.549
104.) Dahomeny 7.8435
105.) Ubangi-Shari 7.29
106.) Democratic Republic of Ruthenia: 7.15
107.) Azania 5.23
108.) South Laos 4.95

- The figures next to the top 50 are the 1970 economic growth/shrinkage
- Note that Oman, Qatar and the Trucial States/UAE are all still British protectorates; Bahrain, Southern Arabia and Kuwait are Crown Colonies; and Nepal and Burma are part of India
- The West Indies Federation consists of Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Gran Dracaria (largish island near the Caymans), British Guiana, British Honduras, the Caymans, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Anguilla, St. Christopher Nevis, the Virgin Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia and any other small specks as appropriate
- Aranguay is an independent Rio Grande do Sul
- Sinkiang is the Soviet puppet state of Tartary, so is excluded from calculations for now
- Collective GDP for 51-108 is $1,809,189,520,000, or less than China or numbers 41-50 in the list
- Collective GDP for 20-50 is $10,475,000,000,000, or less than the USA, which also outweighs 11-20 comfortably

[Simon Darkshade]

The standout performers for each 'group':

Top 10
- Here, it is Japan, which is going forward with a wet sail and plenty of momentum. It will overtake Britain in a few years and probably Germany in the latter half of the decade
- Austria-Hungary should overtake Italy soon enough
- France is on a good wicket, but isn't in a position to overtake Britain to crack into the top 5
- India and China have decent prospects, but neither will have quite the same leap ahead as they have already built fairly strong foundations

11-20
- Brazil is on course to jump into the Top 10 fairly soon
- Australia has a very decent position and excellent prospects
- Argentina and Mexico, provided they avoid internal troubles, are very well set

21-30
- Persia has oil and a large population. If it avoids @ troubles, it could rise significantly
- Indonesia is somewhat constrained by its status as a Communist state, but has a lot of inherent potential
- Korea, as a united and increasingly prosperous country, has a lot going for it

31-40
- Arabia and Iraq have potential
- Thailand has very strong prospects for growth, but her region isn't the most stable
- Taiwan is creeping along very steadily

41-50
- Egypt is definitely a country to watch with a growing population
- Rhodesia and Israel have relatively small populations and security issues, but decent potential
- The West Indies have an advantageous position in a number of ways

51-60
- South and North Vietnam will see a lot of recovery growth and, if there is a lasting peace, have decent positions
- The Ashante Federation, whatever it changes its name to, has a very firm foundation for the future

61-70
- Here, it is all about East Africa, with all three states having good positions for future growth

71-80
- Things start to get harder at this point, but Jordan, provided there is no war, has decent prospects

81-108
- Beyond here, they are either too small, too far behind in development or too bereft of readily available resources to make firm predictions

[Simon Darkshade]

January 1971
January 1: A truckload of snakes is accidentally driven across the Irish Sea through the Victoria Tunnel from Holyhead to Dublin, with the serpents spilling out onto a warehouse floor and promptly expiring, showing that the Forbidding of Saint Patrick still remains strong almost 1600 years after it was enacted. The responsible business, Riddle's Sorcerous Supplies, is fined under the Arcane Materials Act 1807.
January 2: British oil prospectors in the far south of Libya discover a strange spicy dust present atop the trackless dunes of the middle of the Sahara, taking samples for examination back in London.
January 3: Beginning of a NATO aerial combat training exercise at Nellis AFB in Nevada, pitting the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle up against the Supermarine Spitfire, the Saab Viking, the prototype Dassault Super Mirage 2000, the Avro Arrow 4 and the Messerschmitt Me-529.
January 4: The Open University begins early morning television broadcasting of courses over the BBC.
January 5: After the first three days of the Third Test in Melbourne were washed out, Australia and England play the first international limited overs cricket match, with each side having a maximum innings of 55 overs; Australia made a total of 289/8 with Greg Chappell scoring 102, defeating England by 4 runs, debutant Dennis Lillee taking 5/32 and the Honourable Peter Ratcliffe scoring 125.
January 6: French Premier d'Ambreville summarily rejects the prospect of supranational economic integration in Europe, citing the vital importance of France's national sovereignty and her destiny as a world state.
January 7: A USAF B-52 crashes into Lake Michigan, with the eight crew escaping through use of their new escape pod.
January 8: French cruise liner SS Antilles runs aground on a reef north of Mustique, forcing the evacuation of her passengers and crew by Royal West Indian Navy ships and aircraft.
January 9: Uruguayan guerilla group the Tupamaros kidnap British Ambassador Sir Geoffrey Jackson in Montevideo, ambushing his Rolls Royce as it travels through the streets. The Royal Navy cruiser HMS Cleopatra is redirected across the Plate from Buenos Aires in response.
January 10: Debut of Monsterpiece Theatre, a high class sophisticated drama programme broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service presented by renowned Anglo-American journalist and blue furry monster Alistair Cookie.
January 11: The lowest ever temperature in the United States is recorded at Jeremiah Johnson Pass in Montana, with a chilly −87 °F.
January 12: Former US federal agent Angus MacGyver prevents a terrible accident at a hydroelectric power plant in Mexico using a paperclip, a child’s yo-yo and his Swiss Army knife.
January 13: The United StatesComics Code is revised to allow for the depiction of vampires, werewolves and various other creatures of the night, provided that it is done in a tasteful and classical manner without connections to real world figures or incidents; the latter clause is seen as continuing the prohibition on depictions of zombies after the Haitian Intervention and the Kananga Affair.
January 14: US crude oil production continues to grow from it 1970 record of 15,400,000 barrels per day with the discovery of new fields in Wyoming and the Dakotas. The Arab states of the Middle East as a whole has overtaken the USA and the British Empire but America remains the world’s largest state producer by a comfortable margin.
January 15: Completion of the final stage of the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
January 16: US Department of Magic sorcerers begin joint arcane development work in conjunction with Latin American wizards on a proposed effort to decimate the coca plant in South America.
January 17: The Boy Scouts Association purchases 50,000 Armalite AR-15s from the United States in .256 British for use in marksman training, pest hunting and elementary firearms badges, describing the American rifle as well suited to the needs of younger Scouts.
January 18: Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil are spilt into San Francisco Bay after the collision of two oil tankers.
January 19: King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden abdicates at the age of 88, with his grandson the Crown Prince ascending to the throne as King Gustav VII Adolf. The vigorous new monarch has great personal popularity and charm and embodies many hopes for Sweden's burgeoning future.
January 20: A article in The Times explores 'The Future(s) of Association Football', noting a slight shift in popularity over the last five years beyond its traditional heartlands of the British Isles, Europe and South America and its continuing inability to penetrate the North American or Indian markets. In Britain, it remains the most popular sport for spectators according to recent surveys, with 34% nominating it as their sport of preference over cricket (27%) and rugby (20%); the most recent statistical data has seen Imperial or Australian Football recorded for the first time, albeit at very low levels largely due to the presence of antipodean military personnel in Great Britain and their exhibition display competitions.
January 21: A special team of Royal Navy personnel, Church of England missionaries and anthropologists conduct a first conduct protocol with a primitive tribe on isolated North Sentinel Island in the Andaman Islands, overawing the hitherto hostile natives with their rotodynes and wizardry.
January 22: President Kennedy delivers his State of the Union address, hailing the ongoing transition to peace in South East Asia and not shying away from the economic, industrial and social challenges of demobilisation, describing them as ‘America’s next battle.’ He also outlines his proposal for the extension of Medicare to all US citizens in a further reform of the national health care system.
January 23: The United States Air Force conducts a formal ceremony to mark the retirement of the last Lockheed C-130 Hercules in active service, with the new and superior McDonnell-Douglas C-15 acting as a welcome replacement; the Hercules remains the backbone of Air National Guard and USAFR transport wings.
January 24: A British SAS team attacks the Montevideo hideout were Tupamaros guerillas were holding Sir Geoffrey Jackson hostage, killing all eight terrorists and freeing the Ambassador, who is whisked away to the British Embassy in a helicopter dispatched from HMS Cleopatra. The Uruguayan government issues an official note of protest at the British action, whilst being privately relieved at the resolution of the crisis.
January 25: Novelist Peter Benchley is commissioned to write an account of the 1947 Amity Shark Attacks by noted reclusive investor and property tycoon, D. D. Denham.
January 26: The Ottoman Vizier of War announces that Angora has the German bid has been successful in the expansive Turkish arms contract competition.
January 27: Observers in Tibet note an aerial procession of very high flying dragons across the border in China.
January 28: Erstwhile famed actors Christopher Lee and Max von Sydow defeat a long dormant vampire whilst filming a medieval mystery picture in Styria and are dubbed Imperial Knights of the Golden Spur by the thoroughly impressed Kaiser Otto, who was staying in a nearby hunting lodge.
January 29: Singapore is formally incorporated into the United Kingdom, becoming the latest small overseas possession to become joined to the mother country.
January 30: A report on the current circumstances of British museum ships finds that HMS Hood in Portsmouth remains the nation’s most popular vessel for visitors, no doubt assisted by the presence of Victory, Warrior and Dreadnought in port with her, and that Southern England is well supplied with historical ships, boding favourably for bids from Northern, Scottish and Irish ports for recently decommissioned wartime battleships such as King George V, Prince of Wales and the Fighting Temeraire.
January 31: American armaments corporation Stark Industries announces that it has been forced to declare bankruptcy.

[Belushi TD]

Spicy dust? I wonder what it is, and what it should be called?

What happened to retire the C-130? Is it a similar plane to @? I know there's some commonality between the two worlds, but its far from certain that the identically named analogue is a similar item.

Stark had to declare bankruptcy due to the lack of or cancellation of orders due to peace in Vietnam, or are there other reasons?

It was interesting seeing the various contributions to the NATO exercise. The really jarring one was the Me-529. The others were either actual aircraft, or at least planned, correct? Again, the same thing as above, similar name does not imply similar item.

The coldest temp in the US is -87F? I guess that makes sense, since Alaska is part of Canada in Dark Earth. More importantly, that's about 17 degrees lower than @ coldest temp. Why the difference? Is it a result of a climate issue, or is it just the nature of the beast, since the planet is significantly larger than @?

Thanks for this!

Belushi TD

[Simon Darkshade]

Belushi,

They can’t quite identify it without testing, as it seems to be a bit of a melange of different spices.

Quite simply a better plane came along in schedule. This is the C-130 from @ being replaced as originally planned. The C-15 filled the role as the C-130 was taking a few attritional losses in/en route to South Vietnam and the combination of wartime budgets and increased production through partial mobilisation got the process completed a few years ahead of schedule. We are so very used to the longevity of the Hercules and other planes that we see them as special and eternal, when they are just good aircraft for their time.

Yes, the cessation of Vietnam orders forces the move to bankruptcy. It is a corporate move to get support rather than a complete liquidation.

The Spitfire and Viking are complete originals, whilst the Arrow 4 is very much the definition of napkinwaffe and the Super Mirage 2000 a mixture of the Mirage 2000, Mirage G8 and Mirage 4000.

The colder temperature comes from the ‘interior of the continent’ effect being more marked due to size.

Thanks,

Simon

[jemhouston]

One little change effect more than you know.

[Simon Darkshade]

That really is one of the central points that comes through in Dark Earth. Many little changes over many decades give substantial changes.

[Simon Darkshade]

January Notes

- Saint Patrick really did drive the snakes away here, with an actual physical effect still killing serpents centuries later. Riddle's Sorcerous Supplies is run by one Tom Riddle, who was influenced into another path by a different magical education system
- The spice found in the Sahara is similar to Frank Herbert's spice melange, albeit much, much less potent and without an apparent use; the blue eyes stay. It's future? I'm not fully committed, but probably a recreational narcotic and something that people put on their chips, as it goes extremely well with fried potatoes
- The various Western air superiority fighters have characteristics based on the circumstances of their individual nations. Germany is on the frontline, so needs a plane that can get up very, very fast. Sweden is in a similar boat, but has more of an all-round/multi role emphasis. The French and British have a requirement for a bit more range so that they can both protect their airspace and fight over Central Europe, whilst Canada and the USA emphasise range and endurance even more
- The first ODI is a bit more high scoring and features some familiar names
- France putting the kybosh on any (very faint) prospects of European unit is driven in part by the Bonapartist instincts of their Premier and by the general interests of France; with a stronger postwar position, they lean more towards the de Gaullist position of the era of the Fouchet Plan and 'Europe des patries' at the very most. On top of this is the lack of the same degree of Franco-German rapprochement and the British playing funny buggers behind the scene with Austria-Hungary, the Benelux states, Italy and Scandinavia to make sure that a Big Continental Bloc doesn't emerge
- The Lake Michigan B-52 crash results in no casualties due to a more advanced ejection pod. By the by, the crew on board is larger, consisting of pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radar-navigator, EWO, WSO and two air gunners
- Sir Geoffrey Jackson's abduction is historical, but the outcome certainly isn't. The British are rather more aggressive against international terrorism in the aftermath of the 'Battle of London' and when third party countries are rather small and inconsequential, they are willing to tread on toes in order to send a broader message to Moscow
- Historically, January 71 saw the debut of Masterpiece Theater, but there really was not option other than the version with Alistair Cookie. He is somewhat more restrained and introduces conventional high brow dramas, but is given to certain flourishes of speech and the occasional devouring of his pipe
- The lower temperate comes from the larger continental mass. Rather than Rogers Pass, it is named after Jeremiah Johnson (cue the image of Robert Redford smiling and nodding)
- Rather than US oil production starting to dwindle down, it is still rising. Exports from the Middle East are quite smaller, as there are more diverse sources around the Western Hemisphere. There isn't the basis for the @ oil shock, but even if there was, there wouldn't be one
- The Cross Florida Barge Canal is built, with national defence trumping environmental concerns
- Whilst there isn't anywhere near the type of drug problem that existed in @ 1971, there is still a general disapproval of narcotics by the USG and this particular effort is driven by depriving the various revolutionary groups across Latin America from one of their sources of funding
- English Scouts and Cubs to be issued with AR-15s for the elementary training before moving onto proper rifles when they are older enough; there was something of a desire to outgun the Girl Guides and their Sterling SMGs, just in case
- The King of Sweden abdicates rather than passes away 2 years down the line, being replaced by a slightly older grandson (the @ Carl Gustaf) who has a different wife (Princess Margaret) and won't be rapidly losing his non-ceremonial roles and duties
- Soccer remains strong and popular in its heartlands, but isn't really penetrating large parts of the world; The Times is creating a bit of a mountain out of a molehill. Cricket remains a very close second and will be experiencing a very good 1970s thanks to extremely strong Australian, West Indian, South African and Indian teams. The emergence of Imperial Football/Aussie Rules as having more than a statistically insignificant profile beyond antipodean shores is a very small butterfly, but one beating its wings as fast as it bloody can.
- The North Sentinelese are forcibly bought into the modern world
- JFK's National Healthcare System/Medicare for All might be policy too far even for him, but there was quite a bit of bipartisan support in @ at this stage for somewhat similar measures
- The C-130 Hercules is retired after an honourable 18 year career, being replaced by the result of the Advanced Medium STOL Transport project, which has its roots back in a story set in 1960 (From Sea to Shining Sea) which set out the requirement for better transports and got the ball rolling
- Peter Benchley starts writing Jaws, but at the behest of shadowy English multi millionaire D.D. Denham. If the name doesn't ring a bell, type it into Google Images and have a look at the second picture that pops up. I'll just say he is from a 1973 British film...Something of an Easter Egg within an Easter Egg, even for me
- Turkey buys German weapons, making for a lot of lira going to Berlin
- Christopher Lee and Max von Sydow linking up to go vampire hunting is a bit of a set up for a potential story down the line
- Singapore joins Malta, Gibraltar, Heligoland and various other postage stamps, with a bit of a difference and inherent political issue
- In a very different development to @, Britain has kept a lot of famous ships as museum ships. Not mentioned are Warspite, Belfast and Ark Royal (the 1930s and WW2 carrier) which are on the Thames
- Stark Industries is trying to get a bit of help from Uncle Sugar

[Simon Darkshade]

February
February 1: Opening of the first business administration school in the Communist world at the Plekhanov Russian Institute of Economics in Moscow.
February 2: Formation of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries at a meeting in Teheran, consisting of the United States, Britain, Canada, Arabia, Persia, Iraq, Venezuela, India, Libya and Mexico.
February 3: The National Post Office Savings Bank launches a new public campaign promoting children’s savings’ accounts, with the government to contribute towards accounts at certain thresholds.
February 4: Rolls-Royce signs an agreement for the sale of 500 units of its new 64,000lbf RB.250 turbofan engine to Lockheed-Martin, marking its greatest postwar success in the U.S. market to date.
February 5: Beginning of the week of the Hajj, with the number of pilgrims this year being the highest yet due to expanded Arab infrastructure and assistance of the USAF and RAF.
February 6: Italian carabinieri arrest over 300 communists and socialists in a series of dawn raids, alleged by some to be motivated by the recent right wing electoral successes, whilst others ascribe them to a recent defection by a Romanian diplomat. No comment emerges initially from the usually loquacious Commanding General of the Carabinieri and Italy’s most decorated soldier, General Alberto Bertorelli.
February 7: Death of Sir Thomas Andrews, noted shipbuilder and designer, at the age of 97.
February 8: The NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market) stock exchange begins operations in New York.
February 9: In a confused incident, a gang of armed robbers evading police in a stolen cabin cruiser on the Hudson River are somehow apprehended and deposited on Wall Street.
February 10: The Chilean senate approve Prime Minister Allende’s plan for the partial nationalisation of foreign owned copper interests. Three USN and RN cruisers are conducting exercises off Bolivian waters.
February 11: Commonwealth defence ministers sign an agreement for the coordination of training and organisation of their various national special operations forces.
February 12: The Home Office confirms the long-standing prohibition on the construction of American-style ‘skyscrapers’ in London beyond the current ‘Twelve Sisters’ and reaffirms the primacy of historical views.
February 13: Release of the Ninth Five Year Plan in the USSR, with major increases in consumer goods and emergent industries set as the main goals.
February 14: California Governor Ronald Reagan forms an exploratory committee to plan his anticipated 1972 run for the Republican nomination for the presidency. He is widely considered to be the favoured candidate.
February 15: The government of Communist Poland announces the reversal of previously announced rises in food prices and cuts in wage rises.
February 16: Wandering poet mage Robert Zimmermann subdues a rogue dragon on a watchtower on the Mexican border.
February 17: England secure the Ashes 2-0 with a victory in the 7th and final Test Match in Sydney, thanks to centuries from Ted Dexter, Geoff Boycott and Colin Cowdrey.
February 18: A grand conclave of military orders begins in Jerusalem, hosted by the Templars.
February 19: Ottoman Turkey signs an agreement for the purchase of 80 Tupolev Tu-16 Badger bombers from the Soviet Union, leading to an announcement later in the day for the transfer of 60 surplus Valiants by Britain to the Kingdom of Egypt and the Royal Israeli Air Force ordering 50 new Vickers Vimy supersonic bombers.
February 20: Almost half of US television and radio stations go off air in an accidental early morning test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
February 21: President Kennedy unveils the full details of his plan for a universal health care system in an expansive televised national address from the Oval Office.
February 22: Royal Navy gunboat HMS Pansy engages and sinks three pirate ships in the South China Sea, with some of the footage of the sea battles, boarding action and rescue of a merchant steamer captured by onboard film cameras. It leads to the popularity of the phrase “tough as the Pansy”.
February 23: A diving team lead by Commander Sir Lionel Crabb discovers the wreck of the White Ship off the coast of Barfleur, following on directions from a new arcane underwater detection system.
February 24: George Lucas starts formulating the base idea for a space opera film based on Flash Gordon and the real life deeds of Dan Dare.
February 25: A spokespriest of the Vatican Secretariat of State indicates that it will not pursue possession of the hydrogen bomb in an interview with a Rome newspaper.
February 26: 12 university students are killed in riots in Calli, Colombia.
February 27: Private gold ownership in Britain is estimated at 2456 tons, not counting elven, dwarven or draconic hoards.
February 28: Evel Knievel jumps over a world record 30 cars at a stock car race in Ontario, California.

[jemhouston]

February 9: In a confused incident, a gang of armed robbers evading police in a stolen cabin cruiser on the Hudson River are somehow apprehended and deposited on Wall Street.

Super, man.

Does the Vatican have an A-bomb?

[Bernard Woolley]

Hopefully the Carabinieri have not arrested the wrong people. Because that would be “what a mistake-a to make-a”!

[Simon Darkshade]

February 9: In a confused incident, a gang of armed robbers evading police in a stolen cabin cruiser on the Hudson River are somehow apprehended and deposited on Wall Street.

Super, man.

Does the Vatican have an A-bomb?

Exactly.

That is left a little unclear, but there are all sorts of devices within the archives and subterranean storage, a couple of which were particular devices given as gifts from the Italian government.

[Simon Darkshade]

Hopefully the Carabinieri have not arrested the wrong people. Because that would be “what a mistake-a to make-a”!

Indeed it would. He is quite the decorated soldier- one row of medals for service in Abyssinia, one row of medals for service in North Africa and one row of medals for servicing Fiats.

[jemhouston]

February 9: In a confused incident, a gang of armed robbers evading police in a stolen cabin cruiser on the Hudson River are somehow apprehended and deposited on Wall Street.

Super, man.

Does the Vatican have an A-bomb?

Exactly.

That is left a little unclear, but there are all sorts of devices within the archives and subterranean storage, a couple of which were particular devices given as gifts from the Italian government.

Which begs the question, they decided they didn't need the H-bomb since it didn't fit their needs or they had something better?

Better: a device which would pull the correct size meteor into the target and not leave a trace.

[Simon Darkshade]

They have a few things that are better than nuclear weapons. They probably wouldn’t go down the meteor path, after the 1960 attack on Rome’s airport featuring a small (magic) one.

[Simon Darkshade]

March
March 1: A large tsunami in Southern Mars causes widespread flooding on the continents of Qobal and Elysium and substantial disturbance of oceanic trade, resulting in a delay to the Martian Convoy.
March 2: Over 20,000 Uruguayan Army and police personnel launch a series of sweeps through Montevideo aimed at tracking down and eliminating various Tupamaros cells and investigating reports that Carlos Marighella and Che Guevara are in the metropolis.
March 3: Indian and Chinese fighters engage in a brief aerial skirmish over the Burmese border, with the RIAF claiming to have downed five Chinese planes, whilst Peking claims to have eliminated an entire enemy fighter squadron.
March 4: In what was later called the ‘Century's Snowstorm’, Southern Quebec is blanketed by an average 20 inches of snow over the day and night, leading to cars being abandoned on the streets of Montreal, thousands of people being stranded in bars, hotels, restaurants, train stations and churches and police forced to patrol on snowmobiles. Canadian Army wizards are called in to clear roads and rail lines with magic, including fireballs usually seen only in pitched combat.
March 5: Australia and Britain conducts an underground nuclear test at the Maralinga Test Site in South Australia, with Christmas Island being prepared for the potential return to atmospheric testing.
March 6: Beginning of Exercise Brave Defender, a large scale nation-wide home defence exercise involving every branch of the British Armed Forces. RAF Fighter Command and the Army’s Anti-Aircraft Command are to conduct a two week simulated campaign against bombers and cruise missiles under the auspices of Air Defence of Great Britain, whilst the Royal Navy are to engage in mining, countermining and ASW operations and over 600,000 personnel from the Regular Army, Army Reserve, Territorial Army and the Home Guard engage enemy commandos, airborne landings and sabotage operations along with other tasks of home defence.
March 7: Die Sendung mit der Maus debuts on German television, after a brief and unsuccessful attempt at a legal injunction by an American entertainment company heavily associated with mice.
March 8: Joe Frazier defeats Cassius Clay in the so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ at Madison Square Garden, knocking him out in the 15th round with a tremendous blow that sends Clay clear out of the ring and en route to hospital. After the bout, a beheaded man is found in the parking garage, sparking an investigation by the NYPD Special Division.
March 9: The American Safety Razor Company ends its novel advertising campaign of including sample of actual razor blades with Sunday newspapers across 59 American cities after a sharp public response and much cutting criticism beyond the intended market slice.
March 10: A full squadron of RAF Avro Vulcan bombers sets off for a round the world flight, to culminate in a live fire exercise in Western Australia testing new air launched cruise missiles and the newest Blue Steel variants.
March 11: After an initiative begun by two 11 year old boys in Tennessee, a national simultaneous morning prayer is held in more than 10,000 elementary and high schools across the United States for the safety and success of Orion 6 on its voyage to Neptune and Uranus.
March 12: Simultaneous coup attempts are launched in Ottoman Turkey, causing considerable confusion and their eventual failure due to mutual interference. Embarrassingly, both factions try to capture the central television broadcasting studios at the same time, entering through different sides of the building during the live broadcast of a comedy variety programme.
March 13: Wales defeats Ireland 25-10 to win the Home Nations Rugby Championship, cementing its position as the leading rugby nation in the British Isles.
March 14: American and Soviet diplomats fail to resolve intractable differences over a proposed treaty on the militarisation of the seabed and oceans, but ongoing strategic arms negotiations achieve something of a milestone, with the U.S. delegation signalling that it would be willing to consider capping its land based and sea based missiles at 3000 and 2000 respectively; given that the Soviet Union currently deploys 1426 LRBMs and 964 modern SLBMs on 32 Yankee, 20 India and 10 Hotel class atomic ballistic missile submarines and 12 battleships, this provides the beginning of an opportunity to catch up with the West.
March 15: A disaffected Chilean Army colonel is arrested for planning to assassinate Prime Minister Allende in the manner of the death of Julius Caesar, being identified by his toga and clumsily concealed dagger.
March 16: The Royal Israeli Air Force places an order for 250 Hawker-Siddeley P.1204 Hurricanes to replace its current fleet of Merlin fighter-bombers, with the British Hurricane being currently in production being the first of two decisive factors in its success over the Convair YF-16, with the other being its subsidised cost under Commonwealth defence agreements. Rigorous operational and simulated combat testing of the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle, Supermarine Spitfire and Dassault Super Mirage 2000 for the frontline air superiority role is ongoing, with the new aircraft planned to provide a long range compliment to the RIAFs English Electric Lightnings and the multi-role swing fighter force of F-4 Phantoms and de Havilland Tornadoes.
March 17: New York Senator and former Attorney-General Robert F. Kennedy gives a lengthy and noteworthy speech in Baltimore on urban renewal, which many political commentators see as the beginning of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President in 1972; his brother, President John F. Kennedy, has already indicated he will not seek a fourth term in office.
March 18: A landslide in Peru causes a localised flood that destroys an entire mining camp, killing over 200 people. Some strange metallic artifacts are later found in exposed portions of Yanawayin Lake and taken to Lima for examination.
March 19: The US Army and the CIA begin development of a powerful new helicopter with a number of innovative attributes in Project Airwolf, with a goal of fielding the world's most versatile VTOL aircraft to equip various special operations groups.
March 20: A delegation of high ranking Byzantine Greek military officers arrives in London for talks on a broad and extensive plan of military modernisation of the Imperial Armed Forces, including possible large orders for modern aircraft, tanks and missile systems.
March 21: The federal general election in Austria-Hungary results in a hung lower house of the Imperial Diet, with a proliferation of regional and minor parties drawing support away from the previously dominant Conservatives and Social-Democrats. Talks commence for the formation of a grand coalition to prevent the necessity for an additional expensive election.
March 22: CBS renews a number of its popular and successful rural-themed situation comedies and variety shows for the next three seasons, including The Beverley Hillbillies, Have Gun - Will Travel, The Andy Griffith Show and Lassie, as well as acquiring the rights for US broadcast of the renewed Australian series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, which had been on temporary hiatus due to the star marsupial's unfortunate opium issue.
March 23: The Soviet Union conducts nine Peaceful Nuclear Explosions as part of the construction of a canal between the Pechora and Kama Rivers, but elects to pause the process to fully consider the number needed for successful completion of the project.
March 24: The Jewish Legion is formally transferred to Israeli command, ending a 35 year old legal fiction that saw it formally operate under British Army control. The elite international volunteer formation, equivalent to a reinforced division in strength, won renown in the Second World War and Korea; Israeli Army High Command indicates to London that it will remain at its current basing in the Sinai for the foreseeable future.
March 25: Retirement of former Yugoslav Prime Minister Josip Broz, the Kingdom's dominant political figure since the last war and a bulwark of socialist opposition to Soviet communism.
March 26: The Fukushima Daichi Atomic Fusion Power Plant begins experimental operations, becoming the first operating fusion facility outside of the United States, USSR, Britain and Canada and signalling to some the re-emerging strategic significance of the Empire of Japan, which is rapidly growing to match its economic, industrial and technological clout.
March 27: Death of former Haitian dictator François Duvalier at a U.S. military prison in Panama; his son and erstwhile heir is held separately in a facility on Guam.
March 28: Expansion of the British air, naval and army base at Trincomalee, Ceylon is completed; the project is seen as a key in cementing British power East of Suez along with the so-called 'superbases' in Aden and Singapore and supporting island facilities.
March 29: South Africa tests its first indigenously developed space rocket from a range in the Kalahari Desert, with the launch apparently perturbing local Bushmen tribes to no end and leading to one elder being sent south as an emissary to find out what was the cause of the apparent cosmic disturbance; SADF patrols encounter the fellow who is revealed to be none other than the individual who handed an empty Coca-Cola bottle to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their 1947 tour of Southern Africa.
March 30: Establishment of the first 'Starbucks' coffee shop in Seattle, with the local chain increasing to some 17 Washington outlets before folding in 1975.
March 31: The BBC broadcasts the first episode of a new children's science-fiction programme, Doctor Who, showing the adventures through time and space of a mysterious yet kindly doctor and his companions. It is noted for its strange and innovative electronic theme music and outstandingly realistic special effects; a few viewers question the necessity of the brief legal disclaimer at the end of the closing credits that 'the story, all characters and events are purely fictitious and any resemblance with actual persons, places, events, buildings, planets and products is coincidental', but a BBC spokesgnome explains it as a diplomatic measure to alleviate ruffled feathers, both literal and figurative, in the Tharsisian Empire on Mars.

[jemhouston]

How much damage was done to the garage by the beheading?

Who's lead on Project Airwork. I hope they have a FIRM hand the budge.

[Bernard Woolley]

After the bout, a beheaded man is found in the parking garage, sparking an investigation by the NYPD Special Division.

I guess there can be only one, eh?

The US Army and the CIA begin development of a powerful new helicopter with a number of innovative attributes in Project Airwolf, with a goal of fielding the world's most versatile VTOL aircraft to equip various special operations groups.

Flown by a Hawke?

It is noted for its strange and innovative electronic theme music and outstandingly realistic special effects

Well, that's certainly from a different world!