V-J Day

 

Canadian Winter

 

VJ Day

 

81: Fronts

 81: All Fronts

2026 is the 81^st Anniversary of the end of World War 2.

The United States is the only country that fought in every single Theater of World War 2.

The US fought from December 7, 1941 until August 14, 1945.

16,112,566 Americans served in the United States Armed Forces, with 291,557 killed and 671,278 wounded.

130,201 Americans became Prisoners of War, of whom 116,129 returned home after the War.

19,000 American Civilians (Men, Women and Children) were interned by either the Germans or the Japanese during World War 2 (1941-1945.)

5,000 American Civilians were interned by the Germans and 14,000 American Civilians were interned by the Japanese.

The US fought in the Atlantic Ocean Theater from 1941-1945 (US Occupied Iceland; US Occupied Greenland, Sank German U-Boats; Sent US Troop Ships to Europe with Soldiers, Weapons and Supplies, etc.)

The US Fought in the Caribbean Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Protected Shipping and Raw Materials, built American Bases on Non-American Islands, Protected Dutch Curacao and Aruba Oil from German Attacks, Len Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the North American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats off the coast of the US – Torpedo Alley; Protected Shipping Troops and Raw Materials; Stopped German Attacks on the US under Operation Pastorius , Stopped Japanese Attacks on the US – along the West Coast and The Aleutian Islands of Alaska which were occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1943,  Won the Battle of the Saint Lawrence, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Latin American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Built American Bases on Non-American Countries, Carried out Espionage on the Germans, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Western European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Undercover Agents of the Office of Strategic Services to German-Occupied Territory, Bombed Germany, D-Day Landings in northern France, Liberation of France, Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, Crossing the Rhine River into Germany, Meeting with the Soviets at the Elbe River, the Liberation of Concentration Camps, etc.)

The US Fought in the Eastern European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Arctic Conveys to supply the USSR, Warsaw Airlift, etc.)

The US Fought in the Mediterranean Theater from 1942-1945 (Sent Conveys to break the Siege of Malta, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of the rest of Italy, Invasion of southern France, Battle of Anzio, Liberation of Rome, etc.)

The US Fought in the North Africa Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Torch – Invasion of Morocco and Tunisia, etc.)

The US Fought in the African Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against German Attacks, Shipped Raw Materials, etc.)

The US Fought in the Middle East Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Materials and Men to British Mandatory of Palestine, Protected Egypt, etc.)

The US Fought in the Antarctic Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Tabarin, etc.)

The US Fought in the Australia/New Zealand Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against Japanese Invasion, Built US Bases, etc.)

The US Fought in the Pacific Theater from 1941-1945 (Fought the Japanese Island-To Island, The American Territories of the Philippines and Guam were Occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1945, Bombed Japan including the Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle of Guadalcanal, Sank Japanese Subs, Burma Campaign, Battle of Saipan, Liberation of the Philippines,  Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa, Dropped Atomic Bombs, etc.)

 

5: Fall

It has been Five Years since the Fall of Kabul (August 15, 2021.)

Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:

February 29, 2020  - President Trump negotatied and signed the United States–Taliban Deal which reduced America’s Influence in Afghanistan and allowed the Taliban to retake the country (when the US ended Economic Sancations against the Taliban.)

Aug. 15, 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.

Aug. 26, 2021 — Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.

March 23, 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.

May 7, 2022 — The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says Women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.

June 22, 2022 — A powerful earthquake hits a remote region of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggle with rescue efforts, underscoring a lack of resources and a reliance on aid groups.

July 31, 2022 — The U.S. kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul. American officials accuse the Taliban of sheltering him.

Sept. 30, 2022 — A suicide bomber strikes an education center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people, including teenagers taking university entrance exams.

Nov. 10, 2022 — A nationwide ban on Women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.

Nov. 20, 2022 — The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.

Dec. 8, 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.

Dec. 21, 2022 — The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female education.

Dec. 24, 2022 — The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.

July 4, 2023 — The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.

Sept. 13, 2023 — The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.

Oct. 4, 2023 — Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. The Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups condemn the policy.

Oct. 7, 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.

Nov. 15, 2023 - FlyDubai becomes the first international carrier to resume flights to Kabul after a two-year hiatus. AirArabia and Turkish Airlines follow suit.

Jan. 4, 2024 — The Taliban arrest Women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.

Feb. 22, 2024 — The Taliban hold a double execution at a stadium in the country’s southeast while thousands of people watch.

March 2024 – The Taliban reinstate flogging and death by stoning for Women.

May 11, 2024 — Flash floods in Afghanistan’s north from unusually heavy seasonal rains kill more than 300 people.

May 17, 2024 — Shooters open fire in central Bamiyan province killing six people, including three Spanish holidaymakers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.

June 4, 2024 — The Taliban publicly flog at least 60 people, including more than a dozen women, accused of crimes such as sodomy, theft and immoral relations.

June 4, 2024 — The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official with a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.

June 30, 2024 — The Taliban attend a U.N.-sponsored meeting in Qatar. Although it’s the third such gathering, it’s the first time the Taliban are attending. There’s backlash after Afghan women and civil society representatives are excluded.

July 30, 2024 — The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.

August 2024 - New law barring women from raising voices in public

In December 2024 -  the Taliban's Health Ministry banned women from being trained in Nursing and Midwifery.

July 4, 2025 - Russia becomes the first Country to officially recognize the Taliban.

September 2025 - The Taliban bans books written by Women from Afghan universities.

May 2026 - The Taliban publishes Decree No.18, which writes into law rules that imply legal approval of child marriage, and in which a girl's silence is allowed to be interpreted as consent to marriage.

 

Five years on and life in Afghanistan remains horrible.

The Taliban continues to force Women out of Public Life.

Half of Afghan Women only leave the house once or twice a month due to the Taliban’s strict Laws on movement.

The Taliban forces Girls as young as 8 to marry Taliban Soldiers.

The Taliban kills Homosexuals.

The Taliban continues to hunt down and kill the thousands of Afghans who worked with the US, the UK and any other Western Country from 2001-2021.

The US and other Countries continues to little to nothing to help those Afghans who helped the Americans and other Westerners.

The Taliban hunts down non-Muslims (mostly Christians) and forces them to convert to Islam or be killed.

The Taliban hunts down Muslims of other Sects and forces them to convert to their Sect of Islam or be killed.

212,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 remain inside Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan still waiting for the United States to keep its promise to help them

They remain hidden under the threat of arrest and being murdered for working for us.

60,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 are in 90 different Countries still waiting for the United States to keept its promise to help them.

In November 2025 President Trump ended all Visa Processing and Admittance of Afghans into the US (including those that worked for the US Government) with no timeline to restart.

In 2025 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 402 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan.

So far in 2026 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 104 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan .

Tedde Moore

 

Tedde Moore is best known for playing the Teacher Miss Shields in the 1983 Movie “A Christmas Story.”

She died August 5, 2026 at the age of 79.

100 Wildfires

 

AC

With Summer Coming next week and  Heat Waves in the US and Canada – Something to think about:

5% of all Europeans have air conditioning (Out of a population of 751 Million.)

1% of Brits have air conditioning (Out of a population of 67 Million.)

50% of Canadians have air conditioning (Out of a population of 39 Million.)

90% of Americans have air conditioners (Out of a population of 330 Million.)

Don’t forget to check-on: the Elderly, Children, Babies, the Sick, the Disabled, Animals and Pets.

Stay cool!

65: Michael J Fox

 

D-Day

 

Illegal To Serve

Gays In World Militaries

Homosexual Men and Women have long Silently Fought and even Died in their National Armies.

Here are the Countries and Territories where Homosexuals are NOT allowed to Openly Serve in their National Military:

Abkhazia (Russian-Occupied Georgian Territory)

Afghanistan

American Samoa (US Territory)

Algeria (has Conscription)

Angola (has Conscription.)

Armenia (has Conscription.)

Azerbaijan (has Conscription.)

Bangladesh

Bahrain

Belarus (has Conscription.)

Bhutan

Brunei

Burundi

Cameroon

Chad (has Conscription.)

Comoros

Crimea (Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Territory)

Egypt

Eritrea (has Conscription.)

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Gambia

Guyana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau (has Conscription.)

Honduras

India

Indonesia

Iran (has Conscription.)

Iraq

Jamaica

Kenya

Kuwait (has Conscription.)

Lebanon

Liberia

Libya (has Conscription.)

Malawi

Malaysia (has Conscription.)

Maldives

Mauritania

Morocco (has Conscription.)

Mozambique (has Conscription.)

Myanmar (has Conscription.)

Northern Cyprus (Turkish-Occupied Cypriot Territory) (has Conscription.)

Niger (has Conscription.)

Nigeria

Oman

Papua New Guinea

Qatar (has Conscription.)

Russia (has Conscription)

Saudi Arabia

Senegal (has Conscription.)

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Korea (has Conscription.)

South Ossetia (Russian-Occupied Georgian Territory)

South Sudan

Sri Lanka

Sudan (has Conscription.)

Syria

Tanzania

Transnistria (Russian-Occupied Moldovan Territory)

Trinidad and Tobago

Togo

Tonga

Tunisia

Turkey (Has Conscription.)

Turkmenistan (has Conscription.)

Uganda

United Arab Emirates (has Conscription.)

Uzbekistan (has Conscription.)

Yemen

Zambia

Zimbabwe

 

Grenada has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Gaza has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Kiribati has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Samoa has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Solomon Islands has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Tuvalu has no Military, but it is illegal to be Homosexual.

Allowed To Serve

Gays In World Militaries

Homosexual Men and Women have long Silently Fought and even Died in their National Armies.

Here are the Countries and Territories where Homosexuals ARE allowed to Openly Serve (and the year it was Officially allowed if known):

Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK Territory) since 2000.

Albania since 2008.

Anguilla (UK Territory) since 2000.

Antigua and Barbuda since 2022.

Argentina since 2009.

Aruba (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

Austria since 1971 (has Conscription.)

Australia since 1992 with 3,000 Openly Gay Soldiers currently serving.

Barbados since 2022.

The Bahamas since 1998.

Bermuda (UK Territory) since 1994.

Belize since 2016

Belgium

Bolivia since 2015 (has Conscription.)

Bonaire (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1996.

Botswana since 2019.

Brazil since 2008 (has Conscription.)

British Indian Ocean Territory (UK Territory) since 2000.

British Virgin Islands (UK Territory) since 2000.

Bulgaria since 2003.

Canada since 1992.

The Cayman Islands (UK Territory) since 2000.

The Canary Islands (Spanish Territory) since 2007.

Ceuta (Spanish Territory) since 2007.

Chile since 2012.

China (has Conscription.)

Christmas Island (Australian Territory) since 1992.

Cook Island (New Zealand Territory) since 1993.

 Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australian Territory) since 1992.

Colombia since 1999 (has Conscription.)

Croatia (has Conscription.)

Cuba (has Conscription.)

Curaçao (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

The Czech Republic

Cyprus since 1998 (has Conscription.)

Denmark since 1978.

The Dominican Republic since 2025.

El Salvador (has Conscription.)

Estonia from 1935-1940 and since 1992 (has Conscription.)

Faroe Islands (Danish Territory) since 1978.

The Falkland Islands (UK Territory) since 2000.

Finland since 1971 (has Conscription.)

France since 2016.

French Guiana (French Territory) since 2016.

French Polynesia (French Territory) since 2016.

Germany since 2000.

Gibraltar (UK Territory) since 2000.

Greenland (Danish Territory) since 1978.

Greece since 2002 (has Conscription.)

Guam (US Territory) since 2011.

Guadeloupe (French Territory) since 2016.

Guernsey (Uk Territory) since 2000.

Hong Kong (Chinese Territory)

Hungary

Ireland since 1993.

Isle of Man (UK Territory) since 2000.

Israel since 1993 (has Conscription.)

Italy since 1986.

Jersey (UK Territory) since 2000.

Kazakhstan since 2022.

Kosovo since 2002.

Latvia since 1992 (has Conscription.)

Lithuania since 1993 (has Conscription.)

Luxembourg

Macau (Chinese Territory)

Madeira (Portuguese Territory) since 1999.

Malta since 2002.

Martinque (French Territory) since 2016.

Mayotte (French Territory) since 2016.

Melilla (Spanish Territory) since 2007.

Mexico (has Conscription.)

Moldova (has Conscription.)

Mongolia (has Conscription.)

Montserrat (UK Territory) since 2000.

Montenegro

The Netherlands since 1973.

Nepal since 2008.

New Caledonia (French Territory) since 2016.  

New Zealand since 1993.

Nieu (New Zealand Territory) since 1993.

Norfolk Island (Australian Territory) since 1992.

North Korea (has Conscription.)

North Macedonia

Northern Mariana Islands (US Territory) since 2011.

Norway since 1979 (has Conscription.)

Paraguay (has Conscription.)

Peru since 2009.

Poland since 1990.

Portugal since 1999.

The Philippines since 2009.

Puerto Rico (US Territory) since 2011.

Romania

Reunion (French Territory) since 2016.

Saba (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

San Marino since 1864.

Saint Barthélemy (French Territory) since 2016.

St. Helena (UK Territory) since 2000.

Saint Kitts and Nevis since 2022.

Saint Martin (French Territory) since 2016.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French Territory) since 2016.

Serbia since 2010.

Singapore (has Conscription.)

Sint Eustatius (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

Sint Maarten (Dutch Territory) since 1973.

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain since 2007.

South Africa since 1998.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (UK Territory) since 2000.

Sweden since 1976 (has Conscription.)

Switzerland since 1992 (has Conscription.)

Taiwan (has Conscription.)

Tokelau (New Zealand Territory) since 1993.

Thailand since 2005 (has Conscription.)

Turks and Caicos (UK Territory) since 2000.

Ukraine (has Conscription) with 10,000 Openly Serving Soldiers.

United Kingdom since 2000.

United States since 2011 with 82,000 Openly Gay Soldiers, Airmen/women and Sailors currently serving and 1,090,000 Openly Gay Veterans.

US Virgin Islands (US Territory) since 2011.

Uruguay since 2009.

Venezuela since 2023.

Vietnam (has Conscription.)

Wallis and Futuna (French Territory) since 2016.

 

Andorra has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 1990.

Costa Rica has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 1971.

Dominica has no Military, but Homosexuality has been legal since 2024.

Haiti has no Military, but Homsexuality has been legal since 1791.

Japan has no Military, but Homosexuality has been legal since 1882.

Iceland has no Military, but Homosexuality has been legal since 1940.

Liechtenstein has no Military, but Homosexuality has been legal since 1989.

Mauritius has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 2024.

The Marshall Islands has no Military, but it is legal to be Homosexual.

Monaco has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 1793.

Micronesia has no Military, but being Homosexual is legal.

Nauru has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 2016.

Palau has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 2014.

Panama has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 2008.

Vatican City has no Military, but being Homosexual has been legal since 1890.

81: All Fronts

All Fronts

2026 is the 81st Anniversary of the end of World War 2.

The United States is the only country that fought in every single Theater of World War 2.

The US fought from December 7, 1941 until August 14, 1945.

16,112,566 Americans served in the United States Armed Forces, with 291,557 killed and 671,278 wounded.

130,201 Americans became Prisoners of War, of whom 116,129 returned home after the War.

19,000 American Civilians (Men, Women and Children) were interned by either the Germans or the Japanese during World War 2 (1941-1945.)

5,000 American Civilians were interned by the Germans and 14,000 American Civilians were interned by the Japanese.

The US fought in the Atlantic Ocean Theater from 1941-1945 (US Occupied Iceland; US Occupied Greenland, Sank German U-Boats; Sent US Troop Ships to Europe with Soldiers, Weapons and Supplies, etc.)

The US Fought in the Caribbean Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Protected Shipping and Raw Materials, built American Bases on Non-American Islands, Protected Dutch Curacao and Aruba Oil from German Attacks, Len Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the North American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats off the coast of the US – Torpedo Alley; Protected Shipping Troops and Raw Materials; Stopped German Attacks on the US under Operation Pastorius , Stopped Japanese Attacks on the US – along the West Coast and The Aleutian Islands of Alaska which were occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1943,  Won the Battle of the Saint Lawrence, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Latin American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Built American Bases on Non-American Countries, Carried out Espionage on the Germans, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Western European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Undercover Agents of the Office of Strategic Services to German-Occupied Territory, Bombed Germany, D-Day Landings in northern France, Liberation of France, Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, Crossing the Rhine River into Germany, Meeting with the Soviets at the Elbe River, the Liberation of Concentration Camps, etc.)

The US Fought in the Eastern European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Arctic Conveys to supply the USSR, Warsaw Airlift, etc.)

The US Fought in the Mediterranean Theater from 1942-1945 (Sent Conveys to break the Siege of Malta, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of the rest of Italy, Invasion of southern France, Battle of Anzio, Liberation of Rome, etc.)

The US Fought in the North Africa Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Torch – Invasion of Morocco and Tunisia, etc.)

The US Fought in the African Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against German Attacks, Shipped Raw Materials, etc.)

The US Fought in the Middle East Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Materials and Men to British Mandatory of Palestine, Protected Egypt, etc.)

The US Fought in the Antarctic Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Tabarin, etc.)

The US Fought in the Australia/New Zealand Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against Japanese Invasion, Built US Bases, etc.)

The US Fought in the Pacific Theater from 1941-1945 (Fought the Japanese Island-To Island, The American Territories of the Philippines and Guam were Occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1945, Bombed Japan including the Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle of Guadalcanal, Sank Japanese Subs, Burma Campaign, Battle of Saipan, Liberation of the Philippines,  Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa, Dropped Atomic Bombs, etc.)

81: VE Day

 

Quebec Vs Metro

Quebec French vs Metropolitan French

Quebec French (français québécois) is different from Metropolitan French (français métropolitain.)

Metropolitan French refers to the French spoken in France.

Quebec French is the French used around the World until the 1760s (when the British gained control of the French Colony in Canada – Quebec.)

The Articles of Capitulation of Montreal of 1760 (when the British took Montreal from the French) stated, among the 55 Articles, that the French in Quebec could no longer have direct contact with the French in France since they were now British Subjects.

That meant that any new Words or Pronunciations made in Paris were no longer included into Quebec French.

To adapt, Quebec French started using First Nation, British or American Words and turned it into Quebec French.

Quebec French also uses the Informal “You” (Tu) more than the Metropolitan French Formal “You” (Vous.)

Here are some examples:

Quebec French          Metropolitan French             English

un char                         une voiture                              car

une blonde                    copine                                   Girlfriend

la fête                           l'anniversaire                           Birthday

magasiner                    faire du shopping                   to go shopping

abrier                           couvrir                                    to cover

banc de neige              congère                                  snow bank

 

Quebec French Speakers can generally understand Metropolitan French Speakers because of its usage in International Media (Films, TV Shows, etc. from France.)

Metropolitan French Speakers have a harder time to understand Quebec French Speakers especially if the Metropolitan French Speaker doesn’t also under English.

When my Mother took French in High School her French Teacher asked her Father (my Grandfather) who was from Quebec to not help her with her French Homework because it was not Standard or Metropolitan French and so she was getting the answers wrong.

My Mother became Semi-Fluent in Metropolitan French and had a hard time speaking to her Father or her Cousins.

100: Queen Elizabeth II

 

Today (April 21, 1926) would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100^th Birthday.

When she was born she was Third in Line for Succession.

It wasn’t until she was 10 years old  in 1936 that she became the heir Apparent when he uncle King  Edward VIII abdicated.

During World War II she was going to be evacuated to Canada to avoid the German Bombs and threat of Invasion but her Mother declared:  "The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the King. And the King will never leave."

The Queen spent most of the War Years in Windsor Castle.

In February 1945 she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and trained as a Driver and Mechanic.

She married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947 and they were married for 73 years until his death in 2021.

In 1948 Prince Charles (today King Charles III) was born.

She became Queen, when she was 25 years old, on February 6, 1952 when her Father, King George VI, died.

She became the First Canadian Monarch and the First Canadian Queen in 1953.

She was Queen Regnant of 32 Sovereign States during her lifetime and was the Monarch of 15 Realms (including Canada) at her death.

Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the longest of any British Monarch, the second-longest of any Sovereign State, and the longest of any Queen Regnant in history.

Her reign saw the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Devolution in the United Kingdom, the Decolonization of Africa, the United Kingdom's Accession to the European Community (European Union) as well as its subsequent Withdrawal the Falkland islands War, the First Gulf War, the Fall of Communism in Europe, the War in Afghanistan, the Second War in Iraq, the death of her former Daughter-in-Law Diana in 1997 and Covid and National Lockdown.

She was the Patron of more than 600 Organizations and Charities.

She died on September 8, 2023. She was 96 years old.

33,000 People filed past her Coffin in Edinburgh, Scotland.

250,000 People filed past her Coffin in London, England.

2,000 Royals and Foreign Dignitaries from 168 Countries and Territories attended the Service in Westminster Abby.

St Pierre & Miquelon

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French: Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) are an archipelago of 8 islands, with the largest 2 islands being Saint Pierre and Miquelon, is an Overseas Collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, located 18 miles from the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon are the last vestiges of New France which once covered land from Quebec, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

The islands cover 93 square miles of land and have a population of 6,008.

Its Capital is Saint Pierre, its Citizens are full French Citizens, use the French Language and the Euro Currency.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon has harsh, cold and snowy Winters that keep it isolated from nearby Newfoundland, Canada (when the Ferry Service stops.) It can only be reached from the outside world through the Saint-Pierre Airport with flights to Canada (Halifax, Montreal and Saint John’s) and Summer Service to Paris, France.

History:

The first Europeans (the Portuguese) landed on the islands in 1520 and the French came in 1536 when Jacques Cartier claimed them from France.

In the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession, France ceded the islands to Britain which sent British Colonists from its Colonies in Canada and the United States to settle there.

Under the terms of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which put an end to the Seven Years' War, France ceded all its North American possessions to Britain, though the British granted fishing rights to French Fishermen along the Newfoundland coast, and as part of that arrangement returned Saint Pierre and Miquelon to France's control.

After France entered the American Revolutionary War on the side of the United States and declared war on Britain, a British force invaded Saint Pierre and Miquelon and briefly occupied them, destroying all Colonial settlements on the islands and deporting 2,000 colonists back to France.

When the United Kingdom lost the American Revolution the islands returned to France. 

In 1793, during the French Revolutionary Wars, another British force landed in Saint Pierre and, in the following year, again deporting the French Colonial Population, and tried to establish a community of Anglophone Settlers.

The Treaty of Amiens of 1802 returned the islands to France, but Britain reoccupied them when hostilities recommenced the next year.

 The 1814 Treaty of Paris gave the islands back to France, though the UK occupied them yet again during the Hundred Days War in 1815.

 France then reclaimed the now uninhabited islands, in which all structures and buildings had been destroyed or fallen into disrepair.

The islands were resettled in 1816 and fishing brought prosperity to the French Colony. 

Submarine Trans-Atlantic Telegraph Cables from France in the 19th century typically were routed from the French Mainland through stations on Miquelon or St. Pierre, and then on to Nova Scotia or the United States.

The first was laid in 1869. Of the 12 French Trans-Atlantic Submarine Telegraph Cables laid between 1869 and 1897, 6 of them passed through Miquelon or St. Pierre.

In 1903, American Senator Henry Cabot Lodge advocated that the United States should purchase the islands from France.

Lodge was concerned about the French influence on Saint Pierre and Miquelon, possible political or cultural effects on Canada and the United States, and the effect of French fishing fleets on New England fisheries.

In response, some Canadians asked Great Britain to purchase the islands from France instead.

The People of Saint Pierre and Miquelon decided to remain part of France.

The 1914 Draft Law crippled the fishing industry as all able-Men had to go to fight in the French Military during World War 1.

400 Men from Saint Pierre and Miquelon fought in World War 1 with 25% of them killed.

The Islands gained prosperity during Prohibition in the US from 1920-1933 by smuggling alcohol from the French Colony to the United States.

In 1931, the archipelago was reported by The New York Times to have imported 1,815,271 U.S. Gallons of Whiskey from Canada in 12 months alone.

Many Gangsters including Al Capone and Bill McCoy set up operations in the islands, using them as a base to smuggle  Canadian Whisky, Caribbean Rum and legally imported French Wines and Spirits into the US.

During World War II, despite opposition from Canada, Britain and the United States, Charles de Gaulle's Free French Forces seized the archipelago from Vichy France (allied with Hitler’s Germany), to which the Local Administrator had pledged its allegiance from May 1940-December 1941.

After the invasion the Male Population (only Men 18+ could vote in France until 1946) endorsed the takeover by Free France by over 98%.

After the 1958 French Constitutional Referendum, the Territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon was asked to choose one of three options: becoming fully integrated with France, becoming a self-governing state within the French Community, or preserving the status of an Overseas Territory; it decided to remain a Territory.

The Islands became a French Overseas collectivity in 2003.

Education:  The Islands have 4 Primary Schools (Sainte Odile, Henriette Bonin, Feu Rouge, les Quatre-Temps), 1 Middle School (Collège de Miquelon/Collège Saint-Christophe) with an annex in Miquelon, 1 State (Government) High School (Lycée-Collège d'État Émile Letournel) and 1 Vocational High School.

The Students who wish to further their studies after High School are granted access to scholarships to study overseas. Most Students go to metropolitan France, although some go to Canada, mainly New Brunswick.

Health Care: There are basic hospital services provided on the islands. The island's first hospital was military in 1904 and became a civilian facility in 1905. L'Hôpital-Hospice-Orphelinat opened in 1937.

Since 1985 Hôpital François Dunan provides basic care and emergency care for residents of both islands.

Residents requiring more extensive health care are transported (by air) to Saint John’s Newfoundland, Canada.

Defense: Is the responsibility of the French Military.

Law Enforcement: Is the responsibility of a branch of the French Gendarmerie Nationale. There are two Gendarmerie Stations on the islands.

Tourism: In recent years the islands have become important places for Canadians and Americans wishing to take Full Immersion French Classes while at the same time being in France (without crossing the Atlantic Ocean.