Originally a German plan to maintain order in the case of emergencies, it was modified by 20th July Bomb Plotters as part of a planned military coup.
Operation Valkyrie
Fact of the Day
32.4% of Shakespeare's plays contain non-Christian deities.
Quote of the Day
"If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.
"
~ Voltaire
On This Day
43 BCE The assassination of Cicero, requested by Marc Antony. When his head was delivered to Anthony, his wife, Fulvia, spat on it and jabbed hairpins into his tongue.
1732 The Theatre Royal, now known as the Covent Garden Opera House, opened with a performance of the Beggar's Opera.
1787 Delaware became the first state of the modern United States.
1817 Rear-Admiral William Bligh died. He had been captain of HMS Bounty during the mutiny.
1941 The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the American naval base a Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, killing 2,403.
1982 Charles Brooks Jr became the first person to be executed by lethal injection, with a huge dose of 'truth serum'