Shooter on the grassy knoll turns out to be Baseball Hero Joe Di Maggio and this is over the death of his woman Marylin Munro at the Hands of the President and his Brother.
This makes more sense than any other conspiracy I have heard on this point!
|
The US doesn't enter the First World War and the conflict resolves through peace negotiations backeed by the Americans with Germany in remaining reasonably strong. As a result of American troops not fighting in Europe, however, and influenza outbreak occurs in Kansas and becomes known as the Kansas flu but doesn't spread too far beyond the state due to quarantine measures. The flu outbreak in our timeline was called the Spanish flu because the Spanish King was one of the more prominent victims, but it actually originated on a farm in Kansas.You have a problem there. The US only entered the First world war late because quite a few of US citizens were volunteering to Join of their own activities. If anything a stronger Germany might push for the prosecution of US Citizens fighting with the Commonwealth as Mercenaries and freebooters.My post was actually intended to be a what would have happened if the Spanish Flu pandemic hadn't occurred because the virus that caused it was contained but I went a bit off track. So let's try again
The US doesn't enter the First World War. As a result, massive numbers of young men stay on the farms in Kansas and other neighbouring states. A local influenza epidemic, the Kansas Flu, occurs, but quarantine measures prevent it from spreading too far and the rest of the world has millions of people live past 1918-1919.
THe Spanish flu? Didnt they recently decide that the Spanish flu was infact an asian Birdflu epedemic? As I recall the Japanese unleashed som pretty nasty plagues on the chinese from their Biological Weapons research stations. THe Spanish flu may have even been one of theirs.
The British put a competent commander in charge of the defence Singapore during World War 2.
Force Z consisting of the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales were ordered to accept the offer of a combat air patrol and at least one of the ships were able to escape the Japanese torpedo bombers.
Forward defences were built and defence in depth was built on Singapore Island.
The Japanese were held at the end of the Malay Peninsular.
The Siege of Singapore becomes a terrible meatgrinder as the Japanese are forced to throw more resources into taking the City.
The Japanese obtain Air superiority and bomb Singapore constantly the citizens and solders dig themselves in and hold out for 8 months until they are revealed by Major General Sir Leslie Morshead at he head of the 9th and 6th Divisions who had successfully held out against Rommel in Tobruk and were instrumental in the Montgomerys victory at El Alimein.
Morshead and Bennett tell Prime Minister Curtin that Cut and run Doug is a glory seeker and demand that he is replaced and that Australians have a greater share of the command of the war against the Japanese. Blamey is retired and Morshead is made Field Marshall.
Australian troops participate in the liberation of the Philippines. Allied units in still in Europe after the victory over the Germans and Italians begin to arrive in Malaya.
The Japanese dig in and bitterly hold on to their territory, the allies push the Japanese back inch by bloody horrific inch until the US drop atomic weapons on Horoshima and Nagasaki ending the WWII.
THe Spanish flu? Didnt they recently decide that the Spanish flu was infact an asian Birdflu epedemic? As I recall the Japanese unleashed som pretty nasty plagues on the chinese from their Biological Weapons research stations. THe Spanish flu may have even been one of theirs.The US doesn't enter the First World War and the conflict resolves through peace negotiations backeed by the Americans with Germany in remaining reasonably strong. As a result of American troops not fighting in Europe, however, and influenza outbreak occurs in Kansas and becomes known as the Kansas flu but doesn't spread too far beyond the state due to quarantine measures. The flu outbreak in our timeline was called the Spanish flu because the Spanish King was one of the more prominent victims, but it actually originated on a farm in Kansas.You have a problem there. The US only entered the First world war late because quite a few of US citizens were volunteering to Join of their own activities. If anything a stronger Germany might push for the prosecution of US Citizens fighting with the Commonwealth as Mercenaries and freebooters.My post was actually intended to be a what would have happened if the Spanish Flu pandemic hadn't occurred because the virus that caused it was contained but I went a bit off track. So let's try again
The US doesn't enter the First World War. As a result, massive numbers of young men stay on the farms in Kansas and other neighbouring states. A local influenza epidemic, the Kansas Flu, occurs, but quarantine measures prevent it from spreading too far and the rest of the world has millions of people live past 1918-1919.
There has been some controversy about this but the first cases were apparently recorded in the US and a significant amount of the death toll was in the western world. Also the Japanese were just barely making inroads in China in 1919 and wouldn't invade Manchuria until 1931. Now in the SECOND World War the Japanese did conduct biological warfare attacks but 1918-1919 was pretty early.
247) In a fit of pique, King George travels to the rebellious colonies to oversee the warfare himself at least in part. George Washington, sensing an opportunity, challenges his royal namesake to a duel, which is accepted. What starts off as sabers at sunset devolves into a knock down, drag out brawl between the two, which ends only when George Washington snaps King George's neck. This act keeps personal duels alive as a primarily American tradition long into the 21st century.I would have thought the failure of both parties to adhere to the Umpire's ruling would have undermined the credibility of the Duel as a legitimate method of conflict resolution - proving it little more than the excuse of the more violent to seek victory thorough violence instead of the Written Words of Diplomacy and Law.
Firstly King George would not have engaged rifraff like Washington directly but through a Second who would have been very skilled at the Weapons of Choice. So Washington would have been met by at least his equal if not better.
There are far too many vested interests in this matter to allow it to fall to the prowess of one or the Other by Sword so at some point a Sniper attempts to hit one Goeorge or the other with a bullet forcing the conflict to break up and plunging the two nations into mistrust and eventualy Open War this time with an understanding that American Diplomacy must be assumed to be a delaying Tactic as they manouver their troops.
WIthout continuous attempts at diplomacy the Americans continue to be considered 'Terrorist Rabble' and more millitary effort is focused on the Civilian Population supporting American Troops resulting in the Poisoning of water supplies and the use of Biological Weapons. A wagon Load of blankets from Small Pox and Plague Victims is used to descimate the American Populations.
Good point on the Second...didn't consider that. Oh well.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
248. Jesus, hurt and enraged by the knowledge of Judas' upcoming betrayal, and stabs him to death in the opening course of the Last Supper.
249. Judas suffers a bout of guilt, and decides to kiss Peter instead of Jesus at the Last Supper, not wanting to deny the world its savior.
213) George Lucas makes 3 prequels to Star Wars that don't suck. Millions of people don't want their time and money back.215) Gary Kurtz convinces George Lucas not to take the short term investment of toys profits and instead to keep with his original vision. 1983 Starwars VI Revenge of the Jedi opens. The ending has people clamoring for more. The surprise death of Han Solo and the destruction of the rebel forces on Kashyyk with the Emperor laughing over the rebel dead means a second trilogy is made 10 years later.
Gary Kurtz takes 5 more years to make The Dark Crystal but instead of a single movie it is also a trilogy. Considered the best fantasy movies ever. It is co-produced by George Lucas.
The final prequels are released years later but like Revenge there is no sweet simple funny childish toy characters. The toys and other merchandise are on the shelves for years thereafter and the TV series in released in 2000 during the release of the prequels.
Can't believe I missed this one first time 'round. How was RoTJ supposed to end originally?
Can't believe I missed this one first time 'round. How was RoTJ supposed to end originally?213) George Lucas makes 3 prequels to Star Wars that don't suck. Millions of people don't want their time and money back.215) Gary Kurtz convinces George Lucas not to take the short term investment of toys profits and instead to keep with his original vision. 1983 Starwars VI Revenge of the Jedi opens. The ending has people clamoring for more. The surprise death of Han Solo and the destruction of the rebel forces on Kashyyk with the Emperor laughing over the rebel dead means a second trilogy is made 10 years later.
Gary Kurtz takes 5 more years to make The Dark Crystal but instead of a single movie it is also a trilogy. Considered the best fantasy movies ever. It is co-produced by George Lucas.
The final prequels are released years later but like Revenge there is no sweet simple funny childish toy characters. The toys and other merchandise are on the shelves for years thereafter and the TV series in released in 2000 during the release of the prequels.
Gary Kurtz has said publicly that Han Solo was to have died at the beginning of Jedi. That the first half of the movie was scripted and thrown out, with major revisions. The second half was to have been on Kashyyk not Endor. That there was not initially a second Death Star. But otherwise was not fleshed out other then themes of revenge and redemption. Dark Crystal was waiting since he was instead doing Jedi. But had a falling out with Lucas. The Cast, specifically Carrie fisher, says it was like Mom and Dad getting a divorce.
Now most of this is easily found with a google search since Kurtz had an interview on this about 3 or 4 months ago. Nothing new really just that he gives some credence to rumors that have been going around for years. The only cast member that I know of who has commented on it was Carrie Fisher, and this on a biography channel program.
Still I find it fascinating as to what may have been. In the end though even if Lucas had done things different there would be some rumors of what might have been.
43) Orville and Wilbur Wright stay content running a bicycle shop.
Later invent motorcycles.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
243. The US Government decides that a ban on the Sale of Alcohol is not the Solution. The real cause of the problem is Lewdness and Clothing of a Sex accentuating style. As of Monday it is illegal for anyone to wear anything other than Overalls and work-boots. This new ruling forces Women to Wear Overalls just like men.
With Overalls and Work Boots being incredibly common place, Kevin Rowland, of Dexy's Midnight Runners, never decides that "Everybody else is dressing up sort of straight-laced and we come in wearing these and it's like, y'know here we are, a bit of hoedowning is even possible".
Instead, the video clip for Come on Eileen is shot with the band dressing as characters from the Disney Film Tron, which was to be released shortly after, giving the band enough time to view the trailer.
Backed up by such an awesome band, Tron then becomes a runaway success, influencing an entire generation of gamers, programmers, and scientists to put more effort into immersive gaming and Virtual Reality technology, which becomes increasingly prevalent throughout the world.
International disputes are now settled by online wargames, in which professional gamers replace the more traditional soldier in slightly less bloody, yet far more entertaining warfare.
Blizzard Entertainment never bothers to create the Warcraft franchise, having already sold a similar system to various world governments, gaining them far more cash than they know what to do with.
Early man takes steps to eradicate any members of wolf populations that venture too close to human settlements; later fear of the creatures pushes them to extinction as man expands and hunts them. The wild boar is quickly cultivated as a useful guard and foraging companion.
By the twentieth century, hundreds of distinct swine varieties, from horse-sized guard boars to rat-sized lap pigs, are internationally recognized by breeding societies and sold ad naseum to consumers.
Western society considers the very idea of "pork" as a food to be revolting to the extreme.
*ahem* Let us continue numbering here, people...
252) Alexander Graham Bell meets with misfortune during his court case. Antonio Meucci is accused of having something to do with Bell's death, but he flatly denies this to his dying day, ironically, a few weeks after Bell. Faced with two grieving and angry widows, the telephone is considered to be a joint invention of Bell and Meucci by the court.
Fact. there was a world wide Hyborian age wargames campaign in operation as far back as 1965 involving such luminaries of the hobby as Duke Siegfried and Tony Bath Duke I believe knew both Dave Areneson and Gary Gygax..we might still have had D&D but without halflings ... ergo no Kender..hoorayAn English scholar by the last name of Tolkein decides not to write fiction, preferring to concentrate on English scholarship. Not a huge impact on the world in general, but the hobby that brought all of us here either wouldn't exist or would look radically different, wouldn't it?Without LotR a couple of bored wargamers mix standard tabletop wargame with the writings of Richard Addams creating a rollplaying game called Bunnies & Burrows. Bunnies & Burrows becomes the most popular rollplaying game of all time. The current 4th edition caused a rift in the gaming community with many players switching to an updated and re-branded version of B&B 3rd edition called Pathhopper.
Never! KENDER FOREVER!!!!
Oh yeah, bringing this back too for 2011
253) Ronald Reagan does not fire the air traffic controllers for going on strike, and instead opens negotiations through his vice president, George H.W. Bush. This costs him votes from his conservative power base and as such he does not win a second term.
254) The Spanish Inquisition focuses its efforts less on conversion and more on punishing internal heresies. The Catholic Church in Spain fractures along Pro-Marian, Semi-Gnostic and Orthodox lines.
255) King William IV takes his daughter, the future Queen Victoria on a tour of British colonial possessions in North America. The future Queen is entranced by the natural beauty of the land and promotes environmental conservation once she becomes Queen, and allows a number of species that went extinct in our timeline to continue to thrive.
256) During the Crusades, a schism develops amongst the Muslim leadership and several factions attempt to assassinate Saladin for being too honourable towards the Christians. As a result, Saladin sides with the Crusaders in opposing his rivals and the combined force defeats the Muslim forces.
259. Gustavus II Adolphus doesn't die at Lutzen and continued to expand Sweden into one of the greatest powers in Europe.
The Spanish Inquisition focuses its efforts less on conversion and more on punishing internal heresies. The Catholic Church in Spain fractures along Pro-Marian, Semi-Gnostic and Orthodox lines.What do you mean with conversion?
Focusing less on converting Jews and Muslims(who were the Muslims in Spain again? The Moors or some other group?) to Christianity.
Focusing less on converting Jews and Muslims(who were the Muslims in Spain again? The Moors or some other group?) to Christianity.The Spanish Inquisition focuses its efforts less on conversion and more on punishing internal heresies. The Catholic Church in Spain fractures along Pro-Marian, Semi-Gnostic and Orthodox lines.What do you mean with conversion?
The Moors were the Muslims that invaded Spain. The Spanish Inquisition didn't worry about them, though, since virtually every Muslim got expelled. Instead, it focused on the "Falsos Conversos" ("False Coverts"), Sephardi Jews who had converted to Christianity after the Reconquista (or otherwise they would have been expelled as well), but were suspected of continuing their original religion.
Few people know why was the Spanish Inquisition summoned: The Bishop of Seville (southernmost Spain, a mayor foothold of the Moors and with a large Sephardi population), noticing the growing restlessness of the population (which began accusing each other of being false converts, mostly in order to get their properties or settle disputes), requested the Archbishop to contact the Holy See, in order to ennact an Inquisition to properly carry out said accusations (which had already exploded in a series of bloody upheavals of the population) and control the still-recovering region of Andalusia.
The Inquisition "went awry" when the Kings of Spain managed to attain full patronage from the Holy See (ie, the Kings would be able to appoint the Inquisitors and have a lot of direct influence over them), and began using the Spanish Inquisition as a tool for galvanizing the Reconquista, rather than keeping it to its original goal of avoiding a social breakdown in southern Spain.
260.- Blasco de Garay is taken more seriously by Charles V's finance minister, and thus his plans for constructing a submarine and a steam-powered ship get the funding they needed. As a result, steam power becomes a reality in Barcelona during the late 1500's.
261.- The Chilean Government never pays attention to Charles Darwin and decides not to grant the eastern side of the Patagonia to Argentina, thus preserving what would later on be found out to be one of the largest natural gas desposits in the world.
262.- The French come out victorious from the Battle of Sedan, and thus Napoleon III doesn't need to recall his troops set to protect the Pope. This results in Garibaldi not being able to take Rome by surprise, thus allowing the Papal States to continue existing in their full extent (rather than the current-day form as the Vatican City).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
263- Due to problems of scale, Eli Whitney's plans for the Cotton Gin fail utterly. Slavery in America ends due to lack of long-term profitablity.
264- Perhaps due to a more stable psyche or more careful planning, John Brown's raid goes off without a hitch. He forms an army of over a thousand freed slaves, born-free blacks and religous zealots and attacks plantation after plantation, not stopping until he is finally slain by a lucky shot during one of his raids. The army crumbles without a head, but within a fortnight there are dozens upon dozens of mysteriously well-armed slaves revolting all over the south. The Civil War never occurs as the United States Army through state militias are called in to restore order.
265- Lincoln does not say “no” to any of the strange suggestions he gets on weaponry for the Civil War. He ends up rubber-stamping everything from Elephant Cavalry to water-walking shoes, and American military science becomes incredibly eclectic- but due to simple American know-how and ingenuity, ahead of the rest of the world by war’s end (a year early due to elite Union Elephant Cavalry charges) by about ten years. Later wars end anywhere from a few months to entire years earlier due to this increased technology base.
266- Lincoln does not win his re-election bid. The Confederacy does indeed have a new president to treat with.
267. During the War of 1812, the New England states become far more annoyed and agitated about warring with their trading partners in British North America and successfully draw up and ratify a declaration of secession from the United States much earlier and act as intermediaries between the British and American governments in signing a treaty to end the war. New England remains an independent country up to the modern day, acting as sort of a North American Switzerland.
268. The German aircraft industry in the Second World War, under orders from Goering, focused work on the radical Horten 229 flying wing fighter and with Heinkel joining in the design and construction work, the aircraft are combat ready by early 1944. The 229s devastate the Allies bomber raids against Germany and strike British air defences hard, prolonging the war significantly and allowing Horten and Heinkel to continue and complete work on the 229s bigger brother, the Horten 18 flying wing bomber.
269. Due to an unsuccessful raid on a far off planet, the Rebel Alliance finds themselves strapped for credits when planning the assault on the first Death Star. They are forced to use the BTL-S3 Y-Wing instead of the BTL-A4 Y-Wing. Jon "Hutch" Vander, Tyree, and Davish "Pops" Krall thereby all have gunners when they make their trench run on the Death Star, and Darth Vader and his wingmen are kept at bay by ion cannon fire while the Y-Wings slowly make their way to the access port to drop off their proton torpedo package. Gold Squadron are hailed as heroes, while Luke Skywalker- no longer the poster child of the Rebellion, but still highly valued- and the Jedi Order that he later returns to the galaxy function in a far more subdued.
270. Luke Skywalker accepts his fathers offer and works with him to overthrow the Emperor, although he is eventually destroyed along with the second Death Star. Leia Organa encounters visions of her brother, father, Yoda and Ben Kenobi, who quietly train her to become the first of a new order of Jedi.
271. Kal-El gets the Kryptonian Council to listen to his theory on how the planet might be destroyed. He moves ahead with his plan to put the vast majority of the people on the planet into the Negative Zone to be freed later. However, whilst in the Negative Zone, General Zod and his followers lead something of a coup on the general population, and he eventually builds the army he always dreamt of. When a young Clark Kent realizes his destiny and frees the captive Kryptonians in the Negative Zone, he unleashes an army of people just as powerful as he is lead by a man bent on conquering his adoptive planet.
|
|
272. Due to a miss calculation the ship sending baby Kal-el to earth is lost and flung into an orbit around the sun for several years.
When his cousins ship finally comes to earth the teenage Kara sets up looking for the infant who has spent years charging up from the light of a yellow sun. Deemed to dangerous to release from his ship he is sent back into the empty regions of space.
Years later when an interspacial conflict causes rifts to form to other "worlds" the now grown and empowered yet quite insane kryptonian lands on a different version of earth to find a different version of himself. He snaps and beats this perfect version of himself earning the name DOOMSDAY.
273. Instead of saving his lucky black arrow for something more important than a DRAGON ATTACKING HIS HOME TOWN, Bard the Bowman uses it much earlier preventing much of the destruction of Lake-Town.
Lake-Town is later twinned with Melnibone.
Invoked Alternate history combined with Today in History
276. Gene Roddenberry dies in a car crash on his way to talk to executives about this new concept he has for a tv show he calls "a wagon train to the stars." As a result Star Trek doesn't exist.
278. The Russian Empire decides to stay out of the conflict between Austria and Serbia in 1914. Austrias war with Serbia remains localized to the Balkans and as a result the First World War doesn't happen.
279. During the French and Indian wars a native sniper gets lucky and takes out one local British leader. Said leaders name? George Washington.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
280. The historic vote in 1894 goes the other way, and Brooklyn does not become a borough of New York. They remain an independent city, and development of said city continues in the other direction until Brooklyn annexes almost half the townships of Long Island. Eventually the entire island is referred to as Brooklyn.
281. An over eager newspaperman discloses the time and date of president elect Lincoln's arrival into Baltimore MD in early March 1861. Lincoln and his personal bodyguard, Pinkerton are shot dead at Mt. Royal Station.
With Lincoln no longer blocking any attempts at compromise, one is reached, and slavery continues to exist until farm mechanization replaces huge amounts of human labor.
282. Jean LaFitte's girlfriend refuses his advance, and LaFitte decides not to help Andrew Jackson at New Orleans, and even though the American defeat does not affect the war of 1812, The peace treaty had already been signed and the Star Spangled Banner already written, Andrew Jackson does not become a war hero, and the Second bank of the USA is still not chartered, the Indian removal act is still passed, Roger Brooke Taney, writer of the Dred Scott decision might still become Chief Justice of the Supreme court, although that case was decided on a 7-2 vote all this because Calhoun from South Carolina probably would have been president instead of the Tennessean.
283. The meteorite never hits. Dinosaurs are never wiped out, and sentient dinosaur-descended Humanoids rule the Earth. Mammals never evolve past the livestock phase.
281. An over eager newspaperman discloses the time and date of president elect Lincoln's arrival into Baltimore MD in early March 1861. Lincoln and his personal bodyguard, Pinkerton are shot dead at Mt. Royal Station.
With Lincoln no longer blocking any attempts at compromise, one is reached, and slavery continues to exist until farm mechanization replaces huge amounts of human labor.282. Jean LaFitte's girlfriend refuses his advance, and LaFitte decides not to help Andrew Jackson at New Orleans, and even though the American defeat does not affect the war of 1812, The peace treaty had already been signed and the Star Spangled Banner already written, Andrew Jackson does not become a war hero, and the Second bank of the USA is still not chartered, the Indian removal act is still passed, Roger Brooke Taney, writer of the Dred Scott decision might still become Chief Justice of the Supreme court, although that case was decided on a 7-2 vote all this because Calhoun from South Carolina probably would have been president instead of the Tennessean.
Intriguing, these.
The major change we get from Calhoun's presidency, is we don't get Jackson's tariff, and we probably don't get van Buren as president, van Buren replaced Calhoun as Jackson's vice president after Calhoun resigned to oppose Jackson over the tariff, and anti nullification. van Buren was pro tariff, Calhoun, anti; although van Buren came to oppose tariffs during his administration.
If not van Buren, who then?
Probably either Daniel Webster or William Henry Harrison. Harrison , who would be elected 4 years later, was in favor of making Texas a state; while Webster was opposed. Given the times and the nation, my guess would be Harrison, but it would be a close election, and may have tipped the country into civil war earlier, regardless who won.
Why would Jean Lafitte refuse to help Jackson over a woman? Because the woman he helped Jackson and risked arrest and a death sentence for, was the daughter of the governor of Louisiana.
Also with the death of Pinkerton we don't get the Pinkerton detective agency, but if he didn't start it, probably a figure out of the early west would have started their own private security company that would be used for union busting.
