Today in History: Destruction, Lost, and Separation

Happy Birthday to Alfred Hitchcock! For those who do not know who Hitchcock is, he is a famed movie director with much innovation and creativity that has revolutionized the film industry! Now it's time for history!

Hernán Cortés ends the Aztec empire on this day in 1512,
where he holds Cuauhtémoc hostage and forces him
to surrender Tenochtitlaán to the Spanish

The Aztecs were a large empire that ruled the lands in present-day Central America. Today in 1521 marks the fall of the empire, when last Aztec emperor, Cuauhtémoc surrenders to Spanish Conquistador, Hernán Cortés. Cortés came to the West Indies in 1504, but found Veracruz, a city in present-day Mexico in 1519, where he was elected general of the colony. When Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capitol, Montezuma II, leader of the Aztecs at the time believed that Cortés was a divine form of the Aztec god, Quetzalcatl. With a great Spanish force pulling in by 1520, the Spaniards and the Aztec battled. The Spaniards were forced to pull back after lack of food and being under pressure. Subsequently, Montezuma died in this battle. Cortés returned to Tenochtitlán again in 1521, where he forced emperor Cuauhtémoc surrendered the empire to the Spanish.

German Aircrafts in the Battle of Britain

Following a series of relatively short battles in my past few post, one of the Battle of Britain's largest events escalated on this day in 1940 as part of World War II. This was "the Day of the Eagle" according to Germans, as the Luftwaffe's begin their mission to destroy the British Royal Air Force's advanced radar stations, the Germans began bombing southern England. Though this battle lasted only three months and three weeks from July 10th, 1940 to October 31st, 1940, it was a decisive battle for Great Britain, and a turning point for World War II. Germans sought to take out the over-powering British radars on this day, though the Luftwaffe only managed to take down one radar and damaging five after sending out over 1,500 aircrafts on the first day. Believing that he had put out too many forces into this task, leader of the Luftwaffe, Herman Goering, decided to stale further bombing on the British. Many historians agree that this was a mistake for the Germans. If the Luftwaffe's had continued to destroy British radar stations, British communication could have been cut off, unknowingly when German bombers would strike. By the end, the Royal Air Force would not be defeated, as Britain won one of the most decisive wars in the Second World War.

The Berlin Wall being built by East Germans.
The wall was not formally built until August 15th, 1961. 

Yesterday, I mentioned the beginning of the Berlin Wall. Berlin had been separated by this wall by this day in 1961, as soldiers began laying out barbed wire and bricks in the early hours. East Germany was mostly taken by Soviets, causing nearly 3 millions of East German residents moved to West Germany to find better opportunity. As many residents in Berlin woke up this morning, some were separated from friends and family due to this wall. However, why was this wall built? It was built to separate the Soviet Zones in Germany when the other zones of the United States, France, and Germany began to merge. The Berlin Wall is perhaps the most famed symbol during the Cold War. On November 9th, 1989, this barrier between Berlin saw its demise when East Germany began to be a subject of liberal reform. West Germans and East Germans alike gathered at the wall and began to dismantle it. East and West Germany became one again.


Today was a sad day for baseball fans, as the Yankees great, Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer in Dallas, Texas at the age of 63. Mantle is considered one of the greatest switch-hitters in Major League history. His #7 jersey number is retired by the Yankees, hanging up there proudly with Babe Ruth's #3, Lou Gehrig's #4, and Joe DiMaggio's #5. Mantle was a twenty-time-All-Star along with a seven time World Series champion, and three time American League MVP. At the time of his death, he held many World Series records, including most home runs (18), most RBIs (40), and most runs (42).

                                          Mickey Mantle poses for a photograph ->