First Punic War

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 7, 2021 is First Punic War. The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 23 years they struggled for supremacy, primarily on the island of Sicily and its surrounding waters, and also in North Africa. After immense losses on both sides the Carthaginians were defeated. The war began with the Romans gaining a foothold on Sicily. In 260 BC they built a navy to challenge Carthage’s, and inflicted several defeats. Taking advantage of their naval victories, the Romans launched an invasion of North Africa, which failed. In 249 BC they besieged the last two…

Lion-class battlecruiser

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 6, 2021 is Lion-class battlecruiser. Two Lion-class battlecruisers were built, for the Royal Navy before World War I. Lion served as the flagship of the British Grand Fleet’s battlecruisers during most of the war, and Princess Royal became the flagship of the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron in 1915. The two ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors in terms of speed, armament and armour. They both participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, where Lion sank the German light cruiser Cöln. In the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915, Lion was badly damaged and Princess Royal scored several hits, one crippling the German armoured cruiser Blücher, which allowed the enemy vessel…

Imaginative Tales

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 5, 2021 is Imaginative Tales. Imaginative Tales was an American fantasy and science fiction magazine launched in September 1954 by William Hamling’s Greenleaf Publishing Company. It began as a vehicle for novel-length humorous fantasy, with initial issues featuring stories by Charles F. Myers and Robert Bloch. After a year, Hamling switched the focus to science fiction, and it became similar in content to its sister magazine Imagination, publishing routine space operas. In 1958, with public interest in space high, Hamling changed the title to Space Travel, but there was little effect on sales. Magazine circulation was suffering because of the rise of the paperback, and the liquidation in 1957 of American News Company,…

Fort Concho

The Wikipedia article of the day for July 4, 2021 is Fort Concho. Fort Concho is a former United States Army installation and a National Historic Landmark located in San Angelo, Texas. It was established in 1867 and was an active military base for 22 years. The fort was the base of the 4th Cavalry from 1867 to 1875, and of the “Buffalo Soldiers” of the 10th Cavalry from 1875 to 1882. The fort was abandoned in June 1889 and over the next twenty years was divided into residences and businesses, with the buildings repurposed or recycled for their materials. Efforts to preserve and restore Fort Concho began in the 1900s and the Fort Concho Museum was founded in 1928. Fort…