February 20, 2000: Aaron Wells becomes the first ever Official Schola Historian.

Welcome to the homepage of the Official Schola Historian. At this site you will be able to view each weekly history article the Official Schola Historian writes as well as browse the old articles. The old articles are compiled in the archives, while this week's is below. Its updated weekly. My apologies for being behind on this for the past couple of weeks. I've been busier than usual with the start of school and working more than usual.

September 17-23

This week in history was the Battle of Antietam, the mostly costly day in US military history with 26,293 casualties from both sides. Also this week in American history, Boston was founded, President George Washington delivered his Farewell Address before concluding his second and last term in office, and the Constitutional Convention finally approves the US Constitution. Also this week, the Soviet Union began its own invasion of eastern Poland in 1939. It was this week in 1944 that Operation Market-Garden began with the parachuting of troops into several places round key bridges in Holland, most notably at Arnhem. Unfortunately, due to the sluggishness of the British advance, the paratroopers that landed at Arnhem were trapped and most were killed or captured. The operation was made famous by Cornelius Ryan's famous book, "A Bridge Too Far" and a movie adaption of the book with such actors as Robert Redford and Gene Hackman. It was also this week that the experimental X-15 made its first flight. The X-15 was used to test flight on the edge of space and at extremely high speeds and was influential in the space program. This week in 1830 the first locomotive built in the US, named "Tom Thumb", lost a nine-mile race to a horse. During the Hundred Year's War between France and England, the Battle of Poitiers was fought this week. The winner of that battle was Prince Edward, known as the Black Prince of Wales, who died shortly before his father, Edward III. The Black Princes son then became king at a young age, and is known as King Richard II. Due to his poor rule his crown was usurped by Henry Bolingbroke, afterwards Henry IV, the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and son Edward III. Henry IV was father to Henry V, who won the magnificent victory at Agincourt. Also this week in English Monarchial history, Edward II was murdered by his wife. It was this week in 480 BC that the primarily Athenian navy decisively defeated the navy of the invading Persians under Xerxes at the Battle of Salamis. Also this week the Louis and Clark expedition returned in 1806 after a journey of roughly 3 years. Lastly, it was this week that John Paul Jones defeated the British ship Serapis in the famous battle. Jones' own ship, the Bonhomme Richard, was so badly damaged during the fight that it sunk afterwards, and he was forced to use the captured British ship.