Interesting Day in History

I love history! I actually majored in history in college because of it. So, each day I like to see what significant things happened on this date in history, also I like to see what famous people were born on this day. So, here is a little history lesson for January 8, 2006. Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Soupy Sales, and Stephen Hawking were all born on this day. You may not know Stephen Hawking who is a physicist.

On this date in American history is an interesting battle in the War of 1812, the battle actually happened in 1815. It was the battle of New Orleans, which did not have to occur since the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed on December 24, 1814. This battle which was a complete defeat of British regular army, by American militia and volunteers led by Colonel Andrew Jackson. In fact it was the battle that thrust Andrew Jackson into the national spot light more and he eventually became President of the United States in 1829. Jackson is also the co-founder of the Democratic Party. The United States forces were aided in the battle by pirates who were led by Jean Laffitte. Interesting note about Laffitte and his band of pirates is they wore red, like the British, and actually marched with small pockets of British troops before they would kill them. So, today I will probably sit back and enjoy a song of my childhood about this battle. I will listen to Johnny Horton's song "The Battle of New Orleans." Side note on the song is that my wife hates when the song comes on in a public place because I know it word for word...Thanks Dad for introducing me to the song.

Of interest more to me than anything would be that of what happened on a sand bar in Ecuador on this date in 1956. Five men had been dropping leaflets and gifts from a plane to the Huaorani people of that country hoping to get an opportunity to tell them about Christ. The Huaorani people were a violent group to other tribes and even to themselves. Missionaries Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully,Peter Fleming, and Roger Youderian were all speared to death by a group of Huaorani warriors. God in his providential wisdom used the deaths of these men to inspire people around the world to serve God as missionaries, give to mission causes and prayer for missionaries.

So, today as you go through this day, take time and thank God for the freedom that you have in this country and pray for those who have made a great sacrifice and are serving God around the world to spread the Good News of what Jesus did.