********************************************************
1938
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May 12, 1938 - USS Enterprise (CV-6) commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)
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December 31, 1938 – Maiden flight of the Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_307
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1939
********************************************************
January 1, 1939 – Doc Savage issue 71, “Mad Mesa,” is published.
The slow slide to mediocrity begins with this story. The next two years mark an era in which twelve of the twenty-four stories are by Dent's contemporaries. To make matters worse, many of Dent's stories use ideas recycled from prior adventures. The first comes from “The Red Skull.” A criminal gang wishes to sabotage construction of a damn. Their goal is to obtain control of mineral deposits that the dam's lake will flood. In the original story a large gas deposit lay beneath the lakebed. Now it is a gold vein.
Secondly, “Mad Mesa” uses the idea of poisoning the water supply so as to discredit the dam. The idea is to create the impression that a naturally occurring mineral deposit has been dissolved by the rising waters thus poisoning it. A similar idea was used in “The Giggling Ghosts” whereby a gang devised a scheme to make everyone believe poison gas was naturally leaking from the ground on some very desirable real estate. Once the gang had bought up the land they would conveniently solve the problem. To make matters worse, half the adventures from this period -- January 1939 through December 1940 are not authored by Dent.
“Mad Mesa” is very insightful regarding admission to the Crime College. A couple of small time criminals are sent to the institution. One of them is a waitress. She was not much of a criminal, and she had received such a scare that she would probably reform. But the course of training would benefit her, so Doc was putting her through the place. Draconian is an apt description for the punishment here and it would be such to an ordinary person. But Doc is a "superman" who is above the standards observed by ordinary mortals.
********************************************************
January 5, 1939 – Missing aviatrix Amelia Earhart is declared legally dead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Earhart
********************************************************
January 7, 1939 – Part one of a six-part serialization of “The Synthetic Men of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs begins in “Argosy.”
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January 24, 1939 – A major earthquake in Chile kills 30,000 people.
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January 27, 1939 – First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning
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February 1, 1939 – Doc Savage issue 72, “The Yellow Cloud,” is published.
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February 21, 1939 –San Francisco, California hosts the Golden Gate International Exposition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_International_Exposition
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March 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 73, “The Freckled Shark,” is published.
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March 2, 1939 – Cardinal Pacelli becomes Pope Pius XII.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Pacelli
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March 15, 1939 – German forces occupy Czechoslovakia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany
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March 24, 1939 – Movies: British actor, Basil Rathbone plays Sherlock Holmes for the first time in “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_(1939_film)
********************************************************
March 27, 1939 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament ends.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_NCAA_Men%27s_Division_I_Basketball_Tournament
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=56981
********************************************************
March 28, 1939 – The Spanish Civil War ends.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Civil_War
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March 29, 1939 - Clark Gable marries Carole Lombard.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3118
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May 22, 1939 – Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pact_of_Steel
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April 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 74, “World's Fair Goblin,” is published.
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April 1, 1939 – First flight of the Mitsubishi Zero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Zero
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April 4, 1939 – The reign of Faisal II begins in Iraq.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_II_of_Iraq
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April 4, 1939 – Comedian Jack Benny is fined $10,000 after pleading guilty to buying smuggled gems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Benny
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April 7, 1939 – Italy invades Albania.
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April 10, 1939 – Radios: “Doctor IQ” begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_IQ
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April 11, 1939 – Hungary withdraws from the League of Nations.
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April 13, 1939 – Movies: “Wuthering Heights” opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights_(1939_film)
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April 14, 1939 – John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” is published.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath
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April 17, 1939 – The heavy cruiser USS Astoria (CA-34) arrives at Yokohoma, Japan with the ashes of Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Saito.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Astoria_(CA-34)
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April 30, 1939 - The 1939 New York World’s Fair opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_New_York_World%27s_Fair
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May 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 75, “The Gold Ogre,” is published.
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May 2, 1939 – Comics: Batman makes his first appearance in “Detective Comics # 27.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detective_Comics
********************************************************
May 9, 1939 – Spain withdraws from the League of Nations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations
********************************************************
May 11, 1939 - Lester Dent petitions La Plata Lodge #237, F &AM of LaPlata, Missouri for membership.
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May 20, 1939 – The Yankee Clipper begins its trans-Atlantic flights for Pan-American Airways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_American_Airways
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_314
********************************************************
June 1, 1939 – Doc Savage issue 76, “The Flaming Falcons,” is published.
In this story Hobo Jones finds some plants that are cultivated under mysterious circumstances in a secluded area of Arizona. As we find out at the end of the adventure, the secrecy surrounds an attempt to develop a new type of rubber plant that will grow in the arid desert country. During this time period rubber was a strategic item of national importance. The entire supply of rubber for the United States was imported. The world was in chaos. The Japanese Empire was growing in China while Germany was slowing absorbing Europe. A rubber producing plant that could grow in the U.S. would have been an item viewed with great interest. The fact that it would grow in the arid regions of the country was an additional boon. Eventually, synthetic rubber was developed, but until that time, the dependence of the America on imported rubber was matter of national defense.
There is a plant named Gray Rabbitbrush, which contains a high quality rubber. The fictional plant in The Flaming Falcons was yellow. It seems likely the basic idea for the story was derived from this little plant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Para_rubber_tree
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysothamnus_nauseosus
“The Flaming Falcons” also recycles devices used in prior plots. The first is the idea of a new rubber plant. This idea first appeared in “The Land of Fear.” Next is the idea of air-born killing machines embodied in the strange birds that burst into flames once there dastardly work is accomplished. Readers first saw this trick in “The Seven Agate Devils.” The infernal machines used in this story zeroed on in a victim. Instead of the poison gas used in The Flaming Falcons, the machines carried a stabbing device. In both stories, once their work was done, the death instrument burst into flames, thus destroying the evidence. Even with its bastardized origins this is really an excellent story.
********************************************************
June 1, 1939 – First flight of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-Wulf_Fw_190
********************************************************
June 8, 1939 - Lester Dent receives the Entered Apprentice Degree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
********************************************************
June 16, 1939 – Movies: “Tarzan Finds a Son!” starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan_Finds_a_Son!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Weissmuller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maureen_O%27Sullivan
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June 17, 1939 – The last public execution by guillotine occurs in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine
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June 24, 1939 – Siam changes its name to Thailand.
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July 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 77, “Merchants of Disaster,” is published.
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July 15, 1939 – Carl G. Fisher dies. Fisher is largely responsible for the creation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_G._Fisher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Motor_Speedway
********************************************************
June 16, 1939 – Movies: “Tarzan Finds a Son!” starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O’Sullivan opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarzan_Finds_a_Son!
********************************************************
June 17, 1939 – The last public execution by guillotine occurs in France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine
********************************************************
June 24, 1934 – Siam changes its name to Thailand.
********************************************************
July 1, 1939 - The “Scientists Revolt” by Edgar Rice Burroughs is published in “Fantastic Adventures.”
********************************************************
August 1, 1939 – Doc Savage issue 78, “The Crimson Serpent,” is published.
Criminals are hard at work again to prevent construction of a dam in this story. The proposed dam would flood their secret hideout which is a storehouse for stolen goods. It is a variation of the same theme used in “The Red Skull” and “Mad Mesa.”
********************************************************
August 2, 1939 - Physicist Albert Einstein writes President Franklin Roosevelt warning about the dangers of a German atomic weapon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_atomic_bomb
********************************************************
August 4, 1939 – Ernst Shafer returns to Berlin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Sch%C3%A4fer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_German_expedition_to_Tibet
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August 15, 1939 – Movies: “The Wizard of Oz” premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)
********************************************************
August 27, 1939 - The Heinkel He 178 turbojet makes the first flight by a jet-powered aircraft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_178
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September 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 79, “Poison Island,” is published.
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September 1, 1939 - Germany invades Poland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland_(1939)
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September 3, 1939 - Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war_2
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September 14, 1939 – Igor Sikorsky flies the VS-300 helicopter in a tethered flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought-Sikorsky_VS-300
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Sikorsky
********************************************************
September 15, 1939 - Jacqueline Cochran sets a new speed record of 305.9 mph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Cochran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seversky_SEV-3
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September 17, 1939 – The USSR invades Poland..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland
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September 20, 1939 – The German cruiser Blücher is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Bl%C3%BCcher
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September 28, 1939 - Lester Dent receives the Fellowcraft Degree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
********************************************************
September 23, 1939 - Sigmund Freud dies in London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud
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October 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 80, “The Stone Man,” is published.
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October 14, 1939 – HMS Royal Oak is sunk in the fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow in a daring move by U-47.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Royal_Oak_(08)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapa_Flow
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-47_(1938)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_Prien
********************************************************
October 15, 1939 – The New York Municipal Airport is dedicated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGuardia_Airport
********************************************************
November 1, 1939 - Doc Savage issue 81, “Hex,” is published.
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November 4, 1939 – The US implements the Neutrality Act of 1939 (cash-and-carry).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_and_carry_(World_War_II)
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November 5, 1939 - A Sunday Superman strip began November 5, 1939. In episode 35 the reader encounters another trademark Doc Savage feature. Clark Kent needs to make a quick exit: "Acting swiftly, Clark touches a certain nerve at the back of Ronaldson's neck, rendering him unconscious…"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Kent
********************************************************
November 11, 1939 - German Jews are ordered by the Nazis to surrender all weapons - firearms, ammunition, clubs, and daggers.
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November 30, 1939 - The USSR invades Finland.
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December 1, 1939 – Doc Savage issue 82, “The Dagger in the Sky,” is published.
In “The Dagger in the Sky,” the black stone is never described in any kind of detail. It is only referred to as a cursed occult object of Incan origin. What I am really wondering is if Dent was making an oblique reference to the works of Robert E. Howard. That is, was he also playing the game in his own way, given that he was not a Weird Tales author?
In the introduction to “Bran Mak Morn, The Last King,” Rusty Burke comments on the habits of Howard, Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith of working ideas from one another's works into their own work. The “Black Rock” also plays prominently in Worms of the Earth (Weird Tales, November 1932).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Ashton_Smith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worms_of_the_Earth
The Crime College: In a deviation from the standard treatment, this story provides an opportunity to work with a group of men who control much wealth. Doc explains that they can be trained to become philanthropists.
********************************************************
December 13, 1939 – The Kriegsmarine scuttles the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsmarine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_battleship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_pocket_battleship_Admiral_Graf_Spee
********************************************************
December 14, 1939 – The USSR is expelled from the League of Nations as punishment for invading Finland during the Soviet-Finish War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Nations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish-Russian_War
********************************************************
December 15, 1939 – Movies: “Gone with the Wind” premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind_%28film%29
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December 26, 1939 – First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-24_Liberator
********************************************************
December 27, 1939 – An earthquake in Anatolia, Turkey kills 30,000 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_Erzincan_earthquake
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1940
********************************************************
January 1, 1940 – Doc Savage issue 83, “The Other World,” is published.
Dent seems to be toning down the larger-than-life aspects of Doc Savage. “The idea of being unarmed in this phantasmagoria of a place was not pleasant. As he crept along—he was as human as the next man—he had a great deal of difficulty with his courage. Fear wanted to overwhelm him. Complete panic surged at his nerves. He had an almost overwhelming desire to surrender sanity and plunge shrieking through the fabulous jungle.” Reading this passage one sees that Doc Savage is just like any other man. This is a big change from the early persona.
It is mentioned that the Russian aviator, Veselich Vengarinotskovi, uses “large bills” in payment. Prior to 1929, U.S. currency was physically larger in size. Smaller bills were issued in 1929 and all the older larger sized bills were called in by the Department of the Treasury and destroyed.
A jitney is mentioned. It is a slang term for a small bus.
Religion: Dent is tosses a little Sunday school in with the story. Lanta explains her people are currently observing a religious holiday. She believes her people are more sincere in their observances of such days than the outside world.
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January 24, 1940 – Movies: “The Grapes of Wrath” is released.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_(film)
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February 1940 - Doc Savage issue 84, “The Angry Ghost,” is published.
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February 7, 1940 – Movies: The animated feature, “Pinocchio” is released by Walt Disney.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio_%281940_film%29
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February 10, 1940 – Cartoons: Tom and Jerry debut in Puss Gets the Boot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry
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March 1, 1940 – Part one of three parts of “The Terrible Tenderfoot” (The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County) by Edgar Rice Burroughs begins in Thrilling Adventure Stories.
http://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0777.html
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March 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 85, “The Spotted Men,” is published.
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March 10, 1940 - US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles leaves from a meeting with German Chancellor Adolf Hitler and travels to London to meet with British Prime Mister Chamberlain.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6737
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumner_Welles
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March 12, 1940 – Russian and Finland sign a peace treaty.
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March 13, 1940 – Movies: “The Road to Singapore” premieres. The movie featured Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_to_Singapore
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March 23, 1940 – Radio: “Truth or Consequences” debuts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_or_Consequences
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March 27, 1940 – English director Alfred Hitchcock debuts his first American film, Rebecca.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_%281940_film%29
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March 30, 1940 – Japan establishes a puppet government in Nanking, China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Jingwei_regime
********************************************************
April 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 86, “The Evil Gnome,” is published.
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April 9, 1940 – Germany invades Norway and Denmark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Weser%C3%BCbung
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April 12, 1940 – British troops land on Faroe Islands.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faroe_Islands
********************************************************
April 16, 1940 – Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians pitches a no-hitter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Feller
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April 21, 1940 – Radio: “Take it or Leave” it debuts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_It_or_Leave_It_%28radio_show%29#Take_It_or_Leave_It
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April 23, 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire in Natchez, Mississippi kills 198 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_Night_Club_fire
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April 25, 1940 - Lester Dent receives the Master Mason Degree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry
********************************************************
May 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 87, “The Evil Gnome,” is published.
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May 10, 1940 – German forces move into the Low Countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Countries
********************************************************
May 10, 1940 – Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
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May 13, 1940 – First free flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought-Sikorsky_VS-300
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May 15, 1940 – The Dutch army surrenders.
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May 20, 1940 – German tanks make a rapid dash though the “impassable” Ardennes Forest to the English Channel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardennes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkreig
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Guderian
********************************************************
May 26, 1940 – British troops begin evacuating from Dunkirk.
********************************************************
May 29, 1940 – The F4U Corsair prototype makes its first flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F4U_Corsair
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June 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 88, “The Awful Egg,” is published.
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June 3, 1940 – The German Air Force bombs Paris.
********************************************************
June 4, 1940 - The last British and French troops are evacuated from the Belgian coast near Dunkirk. Over 300,000 soldiers escaped being captured by the advancing German army.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation
********************************************************
June 10, 1940 – Italy declares war on France and Britain.
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June 10, 1940 – Norway surrenders.
********************************************************
June 14, 1940 - German forces occupy Paris.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6486
********************************************************
June 17, 1940 – The USSR invades the Baltic States.
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June 17, 1940 – Allied troops begin evacuating from France.
********************************************************
June 30, 1940 – German troops land occupy Guernsey in the English Channel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guernsey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Channel
********************************************************
July 1, 1940 – Doc Savage issue 89, “The Flying Goblin,” is published.
Beginning with the July 1940 issue, fans are subjected to five ghosted stories in a row. This "reign of terror" is only broken by Dent's story titled “The Men Vanished “even though it is not one of his best. The gadget in this story first appeared in “The King Maker.”
The Crime College: The most remarkable thing about this story is the appearance of failed crime college graduate Birmingham Jones. Considerable speculation has arisen concerning the final disposition of Mr. Jones. My personal opinion is that Doc Savage simply turned him over to the authorities where he was tried, convicted, and executed for the murders committed in this story.
“The Flying Goblin” gives readers a glimpse of the crime college. It is no longer so remote that an unknown car cannot simply drive up to the gate. The story begins with the escape of one of the patients. Birmingham Jones turns out to be an odd patient. His hobby, it appears, is killing people. He is a particularly bloodthirsty individual. He is also the first person to flunk out of the Crime College. Birmingham Jones' therapy is unsuccessful because of certain head injuries he had received earlier in his criminal career. I guess he has a mental short circuit of sorts that blocks any kind of medical treatment. For a story with a Crime College graduate taking center stage “The Flying Goblin” is a pretty flat. Birmingham Jones, who has the potential to be the most interesting character in the story, has a limited appearance.
One of the more debatable items in the book is the ultimate fate of Mr. Jones. Near the end of the story Doc explains that Birmingham Jones will not return to the Crime College. “All understood what the bronze man meant.” The last sentence is the kicker. Just what did “The Man of Bronze“ mean? Was Doc going to euthanize him? Was Birmingham Jones going to get an express ticket to hell courtesy of Doc Savage? This may appear to be a complex problem but in my opinion it has a simple answer. Birmingham Jones had committed two murders on the high seas. There is a witness to this crime. At the time of the novel, murder was punishable by death in practically every major country in the world. I feel confident that Doc Savage simply let the legal authorities handle the situation. It should also be noted, at least in the US criminal justice system, that executions followed close behind convictions during this era.
The history behind Birmingham's Jones "enrollment" in the Crime College is also another untold adventure.
********************************************************
July 8, 1940 – The Boeing Stratoliner goes into service for TWA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_307
********************************************************
July 31, 1940 – Japanese Vice Consul Chiune Sugihara, acting on his own ideals and against official orders, begins issuing hundreds of travel visas to Jewish refugees at the Japanese Embassy in Lithuania. Ultimately over 6,000 people escaped the Nazi concentration camps through his actions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiune_Sugihara#Lithuania
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August 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 90, “Tunnel Terror,” is published.
********************************************************
August 3, 1940 – Russian announces the absorption of the Baltic States into the USSR.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_States
********************************************************
August 19, 1940 – First flight of the North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25
********************************************************
September 1, 1940 – Doc Savage issue 91, “The Purple Dragon,” is published.
The Crime College: Two months later in the September issue the Crime College takes center stage again with “The Purple Dragon.” Hiram Shelleck is a graduate who is firmly entrenched as an upright citizen in a small Colorado town. Hiram, we learn, has been a decent hardworking citizen for ten years.
What does that mean? It means the Crime College has been in operation since at least September 1930 -- at least two and half-years before “The Man of Bronze.” Then we learn that Hiram Shelleck believes it to be 1929 rather than 1940! It would be logical to assume 1929 was the date he "enrolled" in the Crime College so apparently the thing has been going on for some years now.
Another interesting fact comes to light. Doc Savage is a heroic figure to Hiram Shelleck. It is mindful of the attitude expressed by the taxi driver in “The Vanisher.” This further reinforces the idea that the Crime College regimen includes a strong indoctrination of loyalty to Doc Savage.
It is clear from the events told in this story that the "decriminalization" process employed at the Crime College followed a regimen of psychological and chemical treatments. The surgical aspects of the curriculum dealt only with the removal of past memories.
The Shadow: “The Purple Dragon” from has another Shadow-like cameo. A dark clad figure roams the night as he "shadow's Fielding Falcan who enters an office. This unknown being laughs "mirthlessly" as he trails his man. The figure, who is completely clothed in black, enters an office directly above Falcan's. This office belongs to a "John Jones." The Jones name bring to mind the B. Jonas name used in many of the Shadow stories.
The black garb, the laugh, the name on the door...
Do you suppose someone was having a little fun?
Gadgets: The two-way infra-red wrist communicator appears in this story.
********************************************************
October 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 92, “Devils of the Deep,” is published.
********************************************************
October 26, 1940 – First flight of the P-51 Mustang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-51
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November 1, 1940 - Doc Savage issue 93, “The Awful Dynasty,” is published.
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November 3, 1940 – Aircraft designer Alexander de Seversky patents a new pursuit craft.
********************************************************
November 7, 1940 - High winds destroy the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacoma_Narrows_Bridge
********************************************************
November 11, 1940 – Movies: Walt Disney’s animated feature “Fantasia" premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_%28film%29
********************************************************
November 12, 1940 – The US Navy submits the Plan Dog memorandum to President Roosevelt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Dog
********************************************************
November 25, 1940 – The de Havilland Mosquito makes its first flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito
********************************************************
December 1, 1940 – Doc Savage issue 94, “The Men Vanished,” is published.
This is a mediocre tale but it does provide some relief from ghosted stories. Marilyn Cannady in “Bigger Than Life” writes that in December 1940 Dent received a letter from John Nanovic. The Doc Savage editor wrote that Dent's pay was being cut by one hundred dollars due to a sales slump. It was a severe blow to Dent.
I don't know the mechanics behind the slump but from July 1940 through November of that year all the stories were by William G. Bogart or Harold A. Davis. Unfortunately, neither of these guys could exactly duplicate the type of yarn Dent produced and most readers undoubtedly came to expect. Try reading them one after another. It will put a slump in anyone's enthusiasm.
Then again, Dent was basically acting as a contractor, paying other authors to write many of his stories, which he then cleaned up and sent in to the magazine. Street & Smith may have decided there was no point in paying extra money to Dent simply to have him act as a clearinghouse for other authors. Hence, the pay cut.
Across the Atlantic, the Battle of Britain was being fought in the skies over the beleaguered island nation. Churchill described the RAF effort as "their finest hour." The same cannot be said for the stories appearing in “Doc Savage Magazine” during this same time.
Batman: A couple of more interesting twists exist. Consider District Attorney Harvey Dent who becomes the villain Two-Face. Now read this passage from the December 1940 issue of “Doc Savage Magazine.”
“Then he took another look, and his mouth became round with shock. It was a little appalling, his first look at the face of the man who had just said he was a photographer. The man’s face was really two faces—that is, the left side of it was radically different from the right side. The right side was an ordinary face, rather young, almost handsome. The left side was heavy, thick-lipped, darker of cast, with an aboriginal cast to the features. The line of demarcation—the line where one half face left off, and the other began—was sharply defined, like a line drawn down through the middle of the forehead, down the nose, and on down the middle of the chin.”
Here is one of the literary ancestors of Two-Face. The man in the story casually remarks that his appearance was much worse before the plastic surgery. Harvey Dent is well acquainted with plastic surgery but it just never seems to work out for the unfortunate man. Two-Face made his debute in “Detective Comics #66” (August 1942).
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December 18, 1940 – First flight of the SB2C Helldiver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SB2C_Helldiver
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1941
********************************************************
January 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 95, “The Devil’s Playground,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
This story recycles an idea first seen in “The Crimson Serpent.“
Mental Telepathy: The "telepathic" exchange between Monk and Ham in part of the story is ludicrous.
Another untold adventure crops up. Readers learn Dutch Scorvitch would like revenge for the part Doc played in solving an air-kidnapping case Dutch was involved with.
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January 6, 1941 – Construction begins on the battleship Missouri at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Navy_Yard
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January 20, 1941 – Franklin Roosevelt begins his third term as President of the United States.
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January 21, 1941 – British troops launch an assault on Tobruk, Libya.
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February 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 96, “Bequest of Evil,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
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February 19, 1941 – The Luftwaffe bombs Swansee, South Wales in England. Over 200 people are killed.
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February 23, 1941 – Plutonium is discovered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plutonium#Discovery
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February 25, 1941 – The German Navy commissions the battleship Tirpitz.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz
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March 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 97, “The All-White Elf,” is published.
The Crime College: Doc's crew heads for a refuge to regroup. Monk is surprised to find two men he knew from a previous encounter. They are Alec and Joe and they are successful oyster fishermen. The significant fact here is that Doc knew where they were while Monk did not.
There is possibly another untold adventure here. Just who are Alec and Joe and do we know them as someone else?
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March 1, 1941 – Comics: The first issue of Captain America is published.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_America
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March 11, 1941 – the Lend-Lease Act is signed into law by President Roosevelt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease_Act
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March 15, 1941 - North Dakota and Minnesota are hit by a blizzard.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=373
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March 22, 1941 – Grand Coulee Dam, in Washington begins generating electricity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Coulee_Dam
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March 25, 1941 – The Kingdom of Yugoslavia sides with the Axis powers.
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March 26, 1941 – British ships at Suda Bay on the island of Crete are attacked by the Italian Navy using special manned torpedoes. HMS York, a heavy cruiser, is severely damaged and has to be scuttled.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decima_Flottiglia_MAS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_York_(90)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6754
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March 28, 1941 – Construction on the Willow Run Plant begins. The plant increases production until they are producing a new airplane every 63 minutes. The plant produced 428 B-24 bombers in August 1944.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Run
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=7336
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Air_Museum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_aircraft_production
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March 30, 1941 – The US impounds all German, Italian, and Danish ships in US waters.
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April 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 98, “The Golden Man,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “The Wizard.”
Lester Dent the punster is at work here. Monk encounters Mrs. H. Courtney van Stigh who is noted for her snobbery. Checking the dictionary reveals that "stigh" is more commonly spelled as "sty.” That is s-t-y as in pig sty. Mrs. H. Courtney van Stigh is a pig. The man with the scar is named Pollo. In Spanish, this means chicken. It is not a very inspirational name for a villain. The man in charge of the Intra-marine Lines is named Mr. Elezar. In Hebrew this means God is my help.
Readers learn that Clark Savage, Jr. was born on the schooner Orion off Andros Island. Up until now, this has been a very well kept secret. Doc Savage is literally flabbergasted as he considered this a secret known to no living man.
There are two Andros Islands. One is located in the Greek archipelago while the second is in the Bahamas. Dent was probably familiar with the one in the Bahamas from his days of sailing in his ship the Albatross.
What is really interesting is the name itself. Andros is of Greek origin. It means male or masculine; valiant; courageous. The English variant is Andrew
Edgar Cayce: This story deals directly with spiritualism, prophecy, and the organization that benefits from such an activity.
Monk and Ham, while passengers on the Virginia Dare, encounters the Golden Man in the middle of the Atlantic. Supernatural events enter into the story early on. A black star tinge with a blood-red color is spotted in the night sky. The ship changes course to investigate and encounters an acre-sized spot of water that glows with a weird phosphoresce.
A naked golden man is spotted in the water and a rescue craft dispatched. Monk obtains a sample of the glowing water. Monk and Ham engage in a lengthy debate about "ectoplasm.” The reader becomes well informed on ectoplasm's spiritual properties. The debate ends with Ham remarking that many people consider spiritualism a valid belief. The ectoplastic glow follows the Golden Man as he is rescued and surrounds the Virginia Dare.
In short order the Golden Man begins making unusual predictions. These predictions are especially unusual in the fact that they are true. The story progresses until the reader is back in New York. The Golden Man is now the centerpiece of a new organization known as the Dark Sanctuary whose members are called Believers. His followers see the Golden Man as something just short of a "supreme deity.”
Doc Savage pulls no punches as he questions the group's financial manager. He bluntly refers to the association as a cult. Members appear before the Golden Man to hear his sage counsel. Further inquiry reveals that believers are not charged fees. Rather, the make donations. The Dark Sanctuary is a going concern. It is housed in an impressive quarters and even has a mountain sanctuary. It is a money machine. As could be expected, the whole thing is a fraud. There is a good solid explanation for every strange phenomenon encountered in the story.
This story has a lot in common with Edgar Cayce. When Doc first encounters the Golden Man he is sleeping. In fact, during most of the time Doc is with him, he is sleeping. Cayce just happens to be called the sleeping prophet. The ship on which the adventure begins is named the Virginia Dare. The Cayce Hospital was located in Virginia Beach. Like the Golden Man, Cayce never charges for his services, only accepting voluntary donations.
It's hard to say exactly what Dent's feelings were on this subject. The choice of a black star with red tint has very negative connotations. In general, black is usually associated with evil while red is the color of blood. Not a very admirable combination for an emblem. Neither does the name, Dark Sanctuary, instill a feeling of warmth and wholesomeness. All in all, the entire business is not put forth in a very favorable light.
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April 2, 1941 – Radio: “The Life of Riley,” featuring actor William Bendix, begins its ten-year run.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_Riley
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April 6, 1941 – Germany invades both Greece and Yugoslavia.
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April 10, 1941 - The U.S. Navy conducts a depth charge attack on a German U-boat while rescuing torpedoed Dutch seamen.
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April 11, 1941 – Movies: “The Road to Zanzibar” opens. This is the second of the “Road to” movies featuring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_to_Zanzibar
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April 13, 1941 – Nazi Germany and the USSR sign a nonaggression treaty.
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April 15, 1941 – China begins receiving Lend-Lease materials from the US.
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May6, 1941 - Igor Sikorsky sets a new endurance record of 92 minutes in a VS-300 helicopter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought-Sikorsky_VS-300
http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/
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April 17, 1941 – The Yugoslavian Royal Army surrenders.
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April 21, 1941 – Germany surrenders.
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May 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 99, “The Pink Lady,” is published.
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May 1, 1941 - Movies: “Citizen Kane,” starring Orson Wells, premiers in New York City at the RKO Palace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles
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May 5, 1941 – The Italian military is forced to withdraw and Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie returns to Addis Abada.
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May 15, 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 jet aircraft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_E.28/39
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May 20, 1941 – German paratroops land in Crete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crete
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May 24, 1941 - The most famous ship in the British Fleet, HMS Hood engages the German pocket battleship Bismark in the North Sea. Hood explodes from a hit on a forward powder magazine and sinks leaving only three survivors out of a crew of 1,418 sailors. Many people considered it the most shocking news of the entire war-time period.
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May 27, 1941 - The British navy hunts down and sinks Bismark.
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June 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 100, “The Headless Men,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
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June 7, 1941 – The American battleship South Dakota is launched.
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June 8, 1941 – Allied forces land in Syria.
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June 19, 1941 – Archeologists open the tomb of Tamerlane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamerlane
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June 20, 1941 - The U.S. Army Air Force is created.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army_Air_Force
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June 22, 1941 – Italy and Romania declare war on Russia.
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June 22, 19941 – Germany invades Russia.
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June 23, 1941 – Hungary and Slovakia declare war on Russia.
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June 25, 1941 – Finland attacks Russia.
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June 28, 1941 – Albania declares war on Russia.
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July 1, 1941 - Doc Savage issue 101, “The Green Eagle,” is published.
The appearance of the first Green Eagle puzzle raises some questions. It is obvious that Albert Panzer regains consciousness before Ben Duck. Why then would he give the Green Eagle puzzle to Ben Duck? If Panzer knew it was a fake then why did Panzer's men come and steal it from Ben Duck later that night?
Another weak spot was having the crooks spot Doc in the napkin holder reflection. That is simply very weak. Likewise, there is no explanation as to how Doc discovered the trap when Panzer planned to dynamite the canyon walls down on them.
Carl D'Orr is a walking pun. His name, D'Orr is a play on the word "door.”
"I jumped out of bed and bumped into a blasted door," said D’Orr shortly.
Not only that, but an older dictionary (Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary -1913) states that "dorr" means, "to deceive.” How appropriate considering the part D'Orr plays in the story.
Casey the elder and Casey the younger are another interesting point. The old man is named Pilatus Casey. Checking around one will find that Pilatus is most often written in English as Pilate, as in the same Pontius Pilate who sentenced Christ to death. Sebastian Casey has the same name as Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of soldiers and archers. It's just an odd pairing of names for a father and son -- a Roman governor and a saint.
I thought this story had an abnormal flavor. Doc appears to act out of character several times.
1. Ben Duck spots McCain (Doc) as he is examining the unconscious Panzer.
2. The sheriff spots McCain in his headlights resulting in his arrest for the robbery.
3. Johanna Hickey gets away from Doc after she escapes from Mr. Smith.
4. Doc gets caught spying at the Columbus, Ohio airport.
5. Doc informs the sheriff that he is also "McCain.” There's no good reason for doing this.
6. Renny spots Panzer's hat as he looks over the ridge. Doc casually dismisses it as a buzzard sighting.
7. Doc forgets to use the "Elmer" code when talking to Johnny.
8. Doc uncharacteristically avoids following the trail because it is too dangerous.
Seems like a lot of sloppy work. Of course this may be part of the Dent "take-down" of Doc's abilities as is more apparent in later stories. Ham's bitter statement concerning the lack of progress also strikes me as out of character.
Chapter Ten is titled "The Newsboy" but this doesn't have any apparent bearing on the story. My curiosity is mightily piqued. I suspect a lot of chopping here. I also wonder if this was a severe rewrite by Dent of someone else's less than perfect effort or it could be a non-Doc story that was converted.
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July 1, 1941 - Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to ferry a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacqueline_Cochran
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July 3, 1941 – First flight of the Northrop N-1M Flying Wing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_N-1M
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July 5, 1941 – Peru and Ecuador fight.
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July 7, 1941 – US forces land in Iceland.
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July 7, 1941 – Germany conquers Estonia.
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July 15, 1941 – German spy Juan Pujol Garcia begins transmitting information from England to Germany. Pujol was also working for British Intelligence where he had the codename “Garbo.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pujol
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July 19, 1941 – The first fighter squadron of black pilots is formed in Tuskegee, Alabama.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen
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July 26, 1941 – Japanese assets in the US are frozen.
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July 26, 1941 – President Roosevelt nationalizes the Philippine Commonwealth Army.
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July 30, 1941 – Japanese planes attack the USS Tutuila at Chungking, China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tutuila
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August 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 102, “Mystery Island,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title for this story was “The Ice Age.”
Series Continuity: The Man Who Shook the Earth is reincarnated. The list goes on and one until it seems like every other story has some part or idea that has already been used once before.
Marilyn Cannady, in “Bigger Than Life,” writes that in December 1940 Dent received a letter from Doc Savage editor John Nanovic. The editor wrote that Dent's pay was being cut by one hundred dollars due to a sales slump. It was a severe blow to Dent. Exactly what was done before Nanovic's letter and afterward is debatable.
What isn't in question is the basic plot in the story. It is all about electrically induced earthquakes just as was portrayed in “The Man Who Shook the Earth.”
Electrically induced earthquakes first appeared in “The Man Who Shook the Earth” (February 1934). The disappearance of Ingento Island seems to a "fantastic" idea when first presented to Doc Savage. This seems incongruous with the fact that he understood the concept well enough in the earlier story to employee it against the mastermind.
Comics: There is another area that should be looked at and that's the Fleischer Superman Cartoons. One episode released in July 1943, “Electric Earthquake,” uses the same plot device as the February 1934 issue of Doc Savage titled “The Man Who Shook the Earth.” That plot device, however, was itself recycled in “Mystery Island” from August 1941. In both stories, man-made earthquakes are used as terror weapons. Electric current applied to rock formations causes the tremblors.
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August 9, 1941 – The Atlantic Charter is created.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Charter
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August 25, 1941 – British forces invade Iran.
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August 28, 1941 – Russian forces, practicing a strict “scorched earth” policy, destroy the Dnieper River Dam.
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August 31, 1941 – Radio: “The Great Gildersleeve” debuts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gildersleeve
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September 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 103, “The Mindless Monsters,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
This story was one of the four ghosted by Alan Hathaway.
It follows a chemically induced mind control them similar to that in “The Men Who Smiled No More.” It also bears similarities to The Monsters in that the super-strong men are used to commit robberies.
The Decline: Readers seeking to craft a logical explanation for Doc's declining abilities should note the tremendous mental and physical trial the bronze man undergoes in this adventure.
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September 4, 1941 - The United States destroyer USS Greer is attacked by a German U-boat south of Iceland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Greer
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September 8, 1941 – The Siege of Leningrad begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Leningrad
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September 23, 1941 – The American battleship Massachusetts is launched.
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September 27, 1941 – The first Liberty Ship is launched.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Ship
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October 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 104, “Birds of Death,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The working title for this story was "Those Golden Birds."
This story has many similarities to two prior adventures: “The Thousand- Headed Man” and “The Green Death.” The suspended animation theme was first used in the later story. In both stories Doc wins through primarily by the use of an antidote he had previously prepared.
The ending here is very suggestive of “The Thousand-Headed Man.”
Ghost Writer? Here is a very interesting passage. Monk, who in previous stories swung through the trees like Tarzan of the Apes, is now terribly afraid. In fact, he can't do this for himself but instead has to hold on to Doc's back and ride along piggyback style.
“Monk squawked in horror, but the bronze man, seemingly unconcerned, fastened to a passing limb, and a moment later was walking through space on a narrow, swaying limb.”
Excuse me but this is a terrible inconsistency. Something funny is going on here. I find it difficult to put this off to editorial meddling. Likewise I find it difficult to think Dent would make such monumental change to Monk's character.
According to Will Murray's article Other Ghosts in “Comic Scene Yearbook Volume 2,” he comments that Mort Weisinger and Jack Schiff came up with a plot titled Dead Man's Club which Dent bought. This evolved into Birds of Death. Weisinger later became editor or Superman while Schiff served the same role for Batman at DC.) That still doesn't explain Monk's sudden fear of heights and the loss of his ape-like ability to swing through the trees.
Supermachine Pistols: Perhaps this story reveals the most about the super machine pistols. We have been told the ordnance is delicate and not suitable for military use. In this story, the bad characters use a pair of the machine pistols in a desperate attempt to escape from hostile warriors. And, sure enough, the inexperienced shooter jams the weapons by firing bursts that are too long. Monk anticipates this as they listen to the long bursts being fired.
Ethnicity: Lester Dent may have been giving some clues to Doc’s origins. Skin coloring from solar radiation is not permanent. No matter how much time Doc Savage spent in the sun his tan would not be permanent. No tan is -- the color fades once you are no longer exposed to the sun.
This is the main problem that got me to thinking about Doc's heritage. Doc Savage himself verifies this very concept in Birds of Death. The subject at hand is the deep tan several of the main characters in the story possess.
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October 8, 1941 – German forces reach the Sea of Azov.
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Oct. 17, 1941 - USS Kearny is torpedoed off the coast of Greenland by a German U-boat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kearny
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October 21, 1941 – The American escort carrier Copahee is launched.
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October 23, 1941 – Movies: Walt Disney’s “Dumbo” premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbo
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October 25, 1941 – The American light cruiser Juneau is launched.
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October 31, 1941- USS Reuben James is torpedoed and sunk by a U-boat while on convoy duty as part of Lend-lease. This was the first US ship to be sunk by a German submarine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Reuben_James_(DD-245)
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November 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 105, “The Invisible Box Murders,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: This story’s original title was “The Invisible Box.”
Deadly insects similar to those first seen in “Quest of the Spider” appear in this story.
A watch is used as a special communication device. This idea first appeared in “Merchants of Disaster.”
THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOR
Many times Doc gives misleading answers to questions. Dent goes out of his way to explain that Doc is technically telling the truth. This is explained very well in The Invisible Box Murders. “The distinction between deceiving a man, and not actually lying to him, was one which Doc Savage was careful about. Monk and the others were moved gleefully to declare that Doc Savage had never actually told a lie.”
The Spirit: A couple more interesting stories have recently surfaced in “The Spirit Archives Volume 8.” The first is “Murder by Magic” from January 23, 1944. People are being murdered after opening packages mailed to them. The boxes are empty upon inspection by the police authorities. It turns out that a Dr. Hoodoo is including a deadly tsetse fly in the package. The fly is one specially bred by the mastermind whose bite is instantly fatal. This idea is very similar to that in The Invisible Box Murders. In that Doc Savage story, mosquitoes are used to carry poison that immediately kills the victim.
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November 14, 1941 – HMS Ark Royal sinks after being torpedoed by U-81 on the prior day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterseeboot_81_(1941)
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November 19, 1941 – HMAS Sydney sinks. The ships compliment of 645 men are all killed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Sydney_(1934)
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November 21, 1941 – Radio: “King Biscuit Time” premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Biscuit_Time
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November 21, 1941- The American battleship Indiana is launched.
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November 26, 1941 - Thanksgiving becomes the fourth Thursday in November.
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December 1, 1941 – Doc Savage issue 106, “Peril in the North,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The working title for this story was “Man Afraid.”
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December 1, 1941 - The Civil Air Patrol is created.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Air_Patrol
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December 6, 191 – Soviet troops launch a counter-attack against German forces near Moscow.
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December 6, 1941 – Great Britain declares war on Finland.
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December 7, 1941 - Japanese planes bomb the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The US loses many ships in the attack including five battleships: USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, and USS Utah. The Japanese also attacked Hickman Field destroying most of the aircraft there. The battleships Arizona, Oklahoma, and Utah badly damaged. Arizona becomes a war memorial along with Utah. The Oklahoma was raised in 1943 and her guns and superstructure removed. The hull sank while being towed to the mainland. USS California and USS West Virginia were both salvaged and returned to service in 1944.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_7,_1941
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona_(BB-39)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oklahoma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_California_(BB-44)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_West_Virginia_(BB-48)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Utah
At sea during the Japanese attack were the three Pacific Fleet carriers USS Enterprise, USS Lexington, and USS Saratoga.
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-9.htm
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December 8, 1941 - The United States declares war on the Empire of Japan.
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December 8, 1941 - China and the Netherlands declare war on Japan.
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December 8, 1941 – Japan attacks Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya, and the Philippine Islands.
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December 10, 1941 – HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales are sunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Repulse_(1916)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53)
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December 11, 1941 – Germany and Italy declare war on the United States.
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December 11, 1941 – Japanese soldier land on Wake Island but are repulsed.
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December 12, 1941 – Romania and Hungary declare war on the United States.
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December 12, 1941 – The United States seizes the French liner SS Normandie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Normandie
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December 23, 1941 – Japanese troop launch a second invasion of Wake Island.
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December 25, 1941 – US forces on Wake Island surrender.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island
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December 25, 1941 – British forces at Hong Kong surrender.
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December 27, 1941 – The United States imposes rubber rationing as part of war-time restrictions.
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December 31, 1941 – Automobile manufactures stop using chromium in new car construction due to its value as a strategic metal for war use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium
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1942
********************************************************
January 1, 1942 – Doc Savage issue 107, “The Rustling Death,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
The adventure starts out while Ham is in Washington, D.C., tending to a case for his legal practice.
Gadgets: Doc’s men are using small compact radios, chemical sheen on the floor (infra-red). Each man in Doc’s crew has a ring that is thermally activated. A similar device was used in “The Bride of Fu Manchu” by Sax Rohmer.
The Decline: The stress on his mental system from the exposure to the beam weapon could be one of the factors affecting Doc's abilities in later stories. After his immediate exposure, Monk finds Doc after his exposure he is walking around and acting like an idiot. Doc Savage does recover but the cumulative impact of this has to take a toll.
Nikola Tesla: Beam weapons continue to appear in the series with a powerful beam weapon taking center stage in this story.
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January 2, 1942 – Japanese forces capture Manilla in the Philippine Islands.
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January 11, 1942 – Japan invades the Netherlands East Indies.
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January 19, 1942 – Japanese forces invade Burma.
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January 25, 1941 – Thailand declares war on the US and UK.
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January 26, 1942 – US forces arrive in Northern Ireland.
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January 31, 1942 – Allied forces withdraw from Malaya.
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February 1, 1942 – Doc Savage issue 108, “Men of Fear,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: Working title – “Skull Cay.”
This could be the same material that Sherlock Holmes encountered in “The Adventure of The Devil’s” Foot by A. Conan Doyle.
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February 2, 1942 – President Roosevelt orders the internment of Japanese-Americans.
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February 7, 1942 – The US government orders the halt of all automobile production as part of the transformation to war production.
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February 9, 1942 – The French passenger liner SS Normandie catches fire and burns at its berth in New York Harbor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Normandie
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February 9, 1942 – The Federal government enacts “War Time” (Daylight Savings Time) as part of the war effort.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_Savings_Time
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February 15, 1942 – Singapore surrenders to the Japanese.
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February 16, 1942 – Battleship Alabama is launched.
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February 19, 1942 – Japanese planes bomb Darwin, Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin
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February 20, 1942 – The escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-14) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Croatan_(CVE-14)
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February 23, 1942 - Japanese submarine I-17 shells an oil refinery in Elwood, California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-17
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February 25, 1942 – The Battle of Los Angeles occurs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Los_Angeles
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February 27, 1942 – Allied ships are defeated at the Battle of the Java Sea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Java_Sea
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February 27, 1942 – British troops raid the German radar facility at Bruneval, France and capture important components.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruneval_Raid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%BCrzburg_radar
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March 1, 1942 – Doc Savage issue 109, “The Too-Wise Owl,” is published.
“Men of Fear” dealt with a "fear" vitamin. This story deals with an "intelligence" vitamin. The vitamin angle is simply too similar to have these stories appearing back-to-back. The editor is to blame here.
The Vitamin "M" developed here in this story may be the very thing talked about in “The Mental Wizard.” In that story, the Pharaoh Klantic, in ancient times, had developed a compound that greatly increased the powers of the human mind.
The color red also connects the two stories. Klantic's compound is red. The labels for the mental vitamin in the later story are also red.
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March 1, 1942 – USS Houston (CA-30) and HMAS Perth (D29) sunk during the Battle of Sunda Strait.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Houston_(CA-30)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Perth_(D29)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sunda_Strait
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Java_Sea
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March 8, 1942 – Dutch forces on Java surrender to the Japanese.
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March 11, 1942 – General Douglas MacArthur departs from Corregidor.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6833
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March 18, 1942 - War Relocation Authority is established.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Relocation_Authority
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6746
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March 27 1942 – Radio: The last episode of “Myrt and Marge airs.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3114 ********************************************************
March 28, 1942 – British commandoes raid St. Nazaire in France to destroy the great Normandie dry dock in a move to restrict the operational area of the German battleship Tirpitz.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forme_Ecluse_Louis_Joubert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz
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April 1, 1942 – Doc Savage issue 110, “The Magic Forest,” is published.
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April 3, 1942 – Japanese forces launch a massive assault against Bataan.
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April 5, 1942 – HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk at Colombo, Ceylon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Sunday_Raid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Ocean_raid
********************************************************
April 9, 1942 – US forces on the island fortress of Corridor in the Philippine Islands surrender to the Japanese.
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April 18, 1942 - Land-based U.S. Army B-25 bombers, commanded by Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle make aviation history by launching from the USS Wasp. The planes arrive unopposed and unexpected over major Japanese cities with their cargo of bombs. Militarily it was a small thing but psychologically it was the boost Americans need to know they could win the war. President Roosevelt makes a reference to Lost Horizon when he explains that the raiders came from our secret base in “Shangri-La.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolittle_raid
********************************************************
May 1. 1942 – Doc Savage issue 111, “Pirate Isle,” is published.
Lord London shares many of the characteristics of the pirate leader Tom Too from “Pirate of the Pacific.”
A red herring appears in the form of gold-from-seawater. This idea first appeared in “The Sea Magician.”
Dent touches on the subject of marital infidelity through the medium of Captain Hargrove's parrot. It seems fairly obvious that his wife is enjoying considerable attention from other men while he is away.
It is later explained in “Pirate Isle” that Doc Savage has never killed a man. Clearly Johnny is talking about a deliberate act and not including self-defense in this statement.
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May 1, 1942 – USS Pope (DD-225) sinks during the Battle of the Java Sea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pope_(DD-225)
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May 3, 1942 – The Battle of the Coral Sea begins in the Pacific.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Coral_Sea
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May 6, 1942 - U. S. military forces in the Philippine Islands surrender unconditionally to the Japanese.
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May 7, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho sinks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Sh%C5%8Dh%C5%8D
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May 8, 1942 - The American aircraft carrier USS Lexington, damaged in the Battle of Coral Sea, sinks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lexington_(CV-2)
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May 14, 1942 - The Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) is created.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Army_Corps
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May 21, 1942 – Mexico declares war on Germany.
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May 26, 1942 – First flight of the P-61 "Black Widow.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-61_Black_Widow
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May 31, 1942 – Japanese submarines launch an attack on Sydney Harbor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Sydney_Harbour
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June 1, 1942 - Doc Savage issue 112, “The Speaking Stone,” is published.
Ethnicity: Throughout the series, the Mayans are always described admirably throughout the series. Likewise is the description of the inhabitants of Arriba. These people are healthy, disciplined, and intelligent. Rather than being the sole descendants of a lost race they are an amalgam, a mixture of several races. Their skin coloration is dark complexioned with many of them sharing the same texture as Doc. Bigots would call them mongrels but Dent puts a positive spin on it.
Arriba is a Spanish word. Strictly speaking it means up, upwards; above, overhead; upstairs. It is also used in Spanish in the interjective case to express pleasure or approval.
James Hilton: This story is an adaptation of “Lost Horizon” by James Hilton. The story is peppered with clues to its origins. The novel was adapted into a 1937 film, Lost Horizon, directed by Frank Capra.
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June 1, 1942 – Mexico declares war on German, Italy, and Japan.
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June 1, 1942 - Grand Coulee Dam goes into operation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Coulee_Dam
********************************************************
June 4, 1942 – High ranking Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich dies from his wounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Heydrich
********************************************************
June 4, 1942 - The Battle of Midway begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway
********************************************************
June 4, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu is sunk at the Battle of Midway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_S%C5%8Dry%C5%AB
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June 4, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi is sunk at the Battle of Midway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Akagi
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June 4, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga sinks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Kaga
********************************************************
June 5, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu is sunk at the Battle of Midway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Hiry%C5%AB ********************************************************
June 5, 1942 – President Roosevelt promises “complete retribution” should Japan use poison gas or other forms of “inhumane warfare.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=645
********************************************************
June 6, 1942 – The American destroyer USS Hamman (DD-412) is sunk during the Battle of Midway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hammann_(DD-412)
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June 7, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho is sunk at the Battle of Midway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Sh%C5%8Dh%C5%8D ********************************************************
June 7, 1942 - The American aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), damaged in the Battle of Midway, sinks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yorktown_(CV-5)
********************************************************
June 7, 1942 – Japanese forces invade the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
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June 8, 1942 – The Australia ports of Sydney and Newcastle are both shelled by Japanese submarines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Sydney_Harbour
********************************************************
June 21, 1942 – English troops surrender at Tobruk in Libya.
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June 21, 1942 – A Japanese submarine shells Fort Stevens in Oregon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_North_America_during_World_War_II#Fort_Stevens_attack
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June 29, 1942 – The German Army captures Sevastapol.
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July 1, 1942 - Doc Savage issue 113, “The Man Who Fell Up,” is published.
Series Continuity: This is a repeat of the anti-aircraft missile first seen in “The King Maker.” It is not the last time it will be used as a plot device.
********************************************************
July 1, 1942 – The First Battle of El Alamein.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_El_Alamein
********************************************************
July 3, 19942 – Japan captures Guadalcanal.
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July 18, 1942, The Messerschmitt Me 262 “Schwalbe” becomes the world’s first operational jet fighter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262
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August 1, 1942 Doc Savage issue 114, “The Three Wild Men,” is published.
Here is another nod at The Shadow. One trait the wild men possess is an unpleasant kind of laugh. “He lets out the awfulest laugh that ever came out of a radio.” So in regards to The Shadow it looks like Lester Dent was having a little fun.
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August 7, 1941 – US forces invade Guadalcanal.
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August 19, 1942 – Allied forces raid Dieppe, France.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid
********************************************************
August 24, 1942 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo sinks after an attack by US aircraft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Ry%C5%ABj%C5%8D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Eastern_Solomons
********************************************************
August 30, 1942 – The American destroyer USS Colhoun (DD-85) is sunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Colhoun_(DD-85)
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September 1, 1942 - Doc Savage issue 115, “The Fiery Menace,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: This story was originally named “The Lost Vampire.”
********************************************************
September 5, 1942 – Japanese forces are defeated at Milne Bay.
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September 15, 1942 - The aircraft carrier USS Wasp, severely damaged in route to Guadalcanal, sinks near San Cristolbal Island in the South Pacific.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wasp_(CV-7)
********************************************************
September 21, 1942 – First flight of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-29
********************************************************
October 1, 1942 - Doc Savage issue 116, “The Laugh of Death,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The working title for this manuscript was “Death Laughed and Laughed.”
Series Continuity: This story uses an idea first seen in “The Czar of Fear.” In that story the device in question was a simple machine designed to make people insane. It works well. Doc feels the effects so severely he seeks refuge in a bank vault.
Pat Savage is in the story. After she is captured, Doc tells the authorities that she is his only living relative.
Doc pulls off a clever trick by modifying an air raid siren.
The Decline: Strange developments surface here. Doc Savage seeks refuge in a bank vault and is inadvertently trapped. He cannot be released until the time lock on the vault opens it. Uncharacteristically, Doc has a temper tantrum while thusly trapped. Yes, Doc Savage has a fit of temper, but I suspect the person who was really gnashing his teeth was Lester Dent. This may have been one way he expressed his displeasure with the pay cut.
********************************************************
October 1, 1942 – First flight of the Bell P-59 Airacomet.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2215
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-59_Airacomet
********************************************************
October 3, 1942 – The Germans successfully launch the first A-4 rocket from Peenemunde.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-4_rocket
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peenemunde
********************************************************
October 11, 1942 – Japanese naval forces are defeated at the Battle of Cape Esperance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Esperance
********************************************************
October 23, 1942 – The Second Battle of El Alamein begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein
********************************************************
October 26, 1942 – The American aircraft carrier USS Hornet, damaged in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands, sinks. Two Japanese aircraft carriers are sunk.
********************************************************
October 28, 1942 – The Alaskan Highway is finished.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Highway
********************************************************
November 1, 1942 - Doc Savage issue 117, “They Died Twice,” is published.
Religion: Albert Jones enthusiastically explains the idea of using his "memory machine" to retrieve the teachings of Christ.
Valley of the Vanished: This is Doc’s third and final visit with the Mayans although not his last visit to Hidalgo.
The Valley of the Vanished is filled with mysteries. Only during the third trip to the valley did Doc learn of the "high" Mayans living in the valley. What the actual facts are relating to Doc's heritage remains part of that mystery
Ethnicity: King Chaac's statement here adds to this mystery. Two times the elderly ruler uses the term "son" when referring to Doc. It turns out this word is tossed around quite a bit in the story. During Doc's fake memory experiment, his father naturally uses the word "son.” Secret Stevens also uses "son" several times. However, Savage, Sr. and King Chaac both refer to Doc as "my son.” The elderly ruler distinctly marks out the relationship between Doc and the Mayans and the relationship between Doc and himself. Clearly the two are different. A familial relationship would explain this statement.
Pat Savage: Patricia Savage has the same physical features as Doc. Her skin and hair coloration are described in this story as being the same as Doc's. Her eyes even have a touch of the same gold coloration as her famous cousin.
********************************************************
November 3, 1942 – German forces retreat from El Alamein.
********************************************************
November 8, 1942 – Operation Torch begins. Allied forces land in North Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch
********************************************************
November 6, 1942 - The German Heinkel He 219 night fighter goes into service.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_219
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November 11, 1942 – Movies: Actors Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour star in “The Road to Morocco.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Morocco
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November 12, 1942 – The Battle of Guadalcanal begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Guadalcanal
********************************************************
November 13, 1942 – Naval planes from USS Enterprise sink the Japanese battleship Hiei.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Hiei
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)
********************************************************
November 15, 1942 – The Battle of Guadalcanal ends with US forces in control of the island.
********************************************************
November 19, 1942 – The Battle of Stalingrad begins.
********************************************************
November 19, 1972 – British forces mount Operation Freshman against the heavy water plant at the Norsk Hydro plant in Norway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freshman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_water
********************************************************
November 26, 1942 – Movies: Casablanca premiers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
********************************************************
November 27, 1942 – German forces being Operation Lila in an attempt to seize the French fleet at Toulon. The French Navy reacts by scuttling the fleet. Some 77 ships were sunk including three battleships, seven cruisers, and fifteen destroyers. Several French submarines ignore the order to scuttle, choosing instead, to defect to allied-controlled French North Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuttling_of_the_French_fleet_in_Toulon
********************************************************
November 28, 1942 – The Coconut Grove fire in Boston kills 492 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_Grove_fire
********************************************************
November 30, 1942 – USS Northampton (CA-26) sinks at Battle of Tassafaronga.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tassafaronga
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Northampton_(CA-26)
********************************************************
December 1, 1942 – Doc Savage issue 118, “The Devil’s Black Rock,” is published.
Series Continuity: This story recycles many of the same elements first seen in The Red Skull.
1. Dogs with poisoned mechanical fangs.
2. Cowboys are the bad men.
3. Arizona local.
4. Guns in golf bags.
5. A new mineral that a criminal gang seeks to control.
6. Doc's gyro reappears.
7. Villains are killed in an explosion.
The Cole brothers make an appearance -- Wickard and Devlin. The names seem to a pun on "wicked" and "devil" especially given the brother's character.
The million-dollar reward idea first appeared in “The Lost Oasis.”
********************************************************
December 1, 1942 – Gas rationing begins in the US.
********************************************************
December 2, 1942 – Enrico Fermi and his team achieve critical mass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pile-1
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1943
********************************************************
January 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 119, “The Time Terror,” is published.
This is one of the first stories to focus on the war and on Japan in particular. At stake is nothing less than racial supremacy via scientifically induced evolution. The main Japanese character is known as Saki. He is in military command of the Japanese troops in the story. A little wartime propaganda is in play here. Saki is also a Japanese wine made from fermented wine. Calvin Western is the other main guest character. His name is a play on western civilization.
Calvin was a Swiss theologian whose tenets defined Presbyterianism. The surname of Western simply emphasizes western civilization. Even though World War II is going strong when this story was written, the tale is not new. It is about western civilization battling the eastern yellow peril.
Series Continuity: Here is another interesting point about this story. It is a rewrite of “The Other World” and continues with many of the same basic elements.
1. The lost world is in the same general geographical location as that in the prior story.
2. It is populated with dinosaurs.
3. There are two distinct races of cavemen.
4. There is a beautiful cave girl.
5. The prehistoric skunk gag occurs in both stories.
6. One of the expedition members forms a romantic attachment to the cave girl and elects to remain in the lost world.
There is one other fact concerning this story that should not be omitted. In it Doc and his men appear to encounter prehistoric animals for the first time. Despite the fact that they have encountered dinosaurs in two prior adventures, “The Other World” along with “The Land of Terror,” they all appear astounded to find living examples.
Just three months earlier in “The Laugh of Death” we are told that Pat Savage is Doc’s only living relative. Now we are told that she is “one of Doc's few living blood kin.”
It can be argued this is simply an editorial oversight. It can also be argued that the author is revealing Doc's heritage in small bites. Doc's statement concerning Pat is based on his own personal knowledge. While the author's statement of fact in “The Time Terror” reveals that Doc may not know all the facts about his relatives.
The Decline: Doc makes a boner and wrecks the airplane they are flying.
********************************************************
January 4, 1943 – Earl Warren becomes governor of California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Warren
********************************************************
January 7, 1943 – Nikola Tesla dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
********************************************************
January 14, 1943 – The light aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVL-22) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence_(CVL-22)
********************************************************
January 14, 1943 – Churchill and Roosevelt meet at the Casablanca Conference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_Conference
********************************************************
January 15, 1943 – The Pentagon is dedicated.
********************************************************
January 23, 1943 – The British capture Tripoli in Libya.
********************************************************
January 27, 1943 – Wilhemshaven, Germany is bombed by US planes.
********************************************************
January 30, 1943 – USS Chicago sinks during the Battle of Runnel Island.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Chicago_(CA-29)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rennell_Island
********************************************************
February 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 120, “Waves of Death,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: “Death in a Flash” was the working title for this story.
Edgar Cayce: Another reference to Edgar Cayce appears in this story. In a footnote, the author goes into some detail describing Doc's training. Among the experts mentioned is "a Virginia experimenter in supersensory activity.” That would be Cayce who was operating out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nikola Tesla: Yet another powerful weapon appears here. The editor's footnote in this story points directly at Tesla's articles dealing with the same subject.
********************************************************
February 2, 1943 – The Battle of Stalingrad ends with the surrender of the German 6th Army.
********************************************************
February 8, 1943 – Japanese forces are defeated at Guadalcanal.
********************************************************
February 9, 1943 – Shoe rationing is imposed in the US.
********************************************************
February 14, 1943 – US forces are defeated at the Battle of Kasserine Pass in North Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kasserine_Pass
********************************************************
February 17, 1943 – The aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lexington_(CV-16)
********************************************************
February 20, 1943 – The escort carrier USS Barnes (CVE-20) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Barnes_(CVE-20)
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February 20, 1943 – The volcano Paricutin is born.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paricutin
********************************************************
February 25, 1943 – The light aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CVL-23) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Princeton_(CVL-23)
********************************************************
February 27, 1943 – A mining explosion in Montana kills 74 people.
********************************************************
February 28, 1943 – The heavy water plant at Vemork, Norway is attacked by commandos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_heavy_water_sabotage
********************************************************
March 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 121, “The Black, Black Witch,” is published.
Here is another story that deals with "sleeping prophets." The ending is very intriguing. All together the happenings in the book lend credence to the seer's predictions. The author even recommends Nostradamus' book, “Centuries,” albeit with a warning that it might frighten the reader. This is nothing less than a ringing endorsement of Nostradamus and his predictions.
Readers should note that the predictions revealed in the story are genuine within the context of that book. No suitable mechanism is revealed to explain the events. The best anyone can offer up is Pat's statement wondering if MacChesney's dreams were just a "wonderful coincidence."
It is difficult to imagine a suitable explanation for events in “The Black, Black Witch.” Dent comments on the accuracy of the predictions cited in Nostradamus' book. Weighing all these facts this reader concludes that Dent intended the mystic elements in this book be viewed as genuine.
Edgar Cayce: It should be noted that this business of sleeping, dreaming, and predictions is also the very thing Edgar Cayce, The Sleeping Prophet, was noted for doing.
A book on Nostradamus, “Oracles Of Nostradamus” by C. Ward was published by the Modern Library in 1940. It may have inspired Dent to write the subsequent story.
********************************************************
March 2, 1943 – The Battle of the Bismark Sea begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bismark_Sea
********************************************************
March 3, 1943 – Radio: Comedian Milton Berle's radio show premieres.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Berle
********************************************************
March 8, 1943 – The escort carrier USS Block Island (CVE-21) is commissioned.
********************************************************
March 26, 1943 – US Navy ships intercept and defeat Japanese reinforcements attempting to land at Kiska in the Aleutian Islands.
********************************************************
March 31, 1943 – The Broadway musical “Oklahoma” opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma!
********************************************************
April 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 122, “The King of Terror,” is published.
The working title for this story was "His Majesty, King Terror."
Series Continuity: This story employs a gimmick that was originally used in “The Evil Gnome.”
A remarkable character in this adventure is the black man, Robin. Even though he is allied with Abraham Mawson, Doc Savage acknowledges several positive characteristics the man possesses. Both Robin's intelligence and nerve are noted as being superior. Also, out of the entire criminal gang, Robin is the sole member to recognize Doc Savage for who he really is. Readers get to meet a distant cousin of Monk's -- Handsome Mayfair.
Doc has saved the Mayans in three prior adventures: “The Man of Bronze,” “The Golden Peril,” and “They Died Twice.” Now this time, the Mayan's save Doc.
Comments in “The King of Terror” now make me wonder if the blood relationship is stronger than this. In that story the author reveals this about the Mayans in Hidalgo: “No living person is more important to these descendants of ancient Maya than is Doc Savage.” This is an incredible statement! Logic would seem to dictate that this person would be the King. Is it possible that Doc Savage's mother was King Chaac's daugher? Is it possible that Doc is next in line to become King of the Valley of the Vanished?
Atlantis is mentioned again. It seems an explorer, one Walton Stagg, was disgraced from respectable scientific circles for attempting to put over some kind of hoax involving Atlantis. Dent doesn't seem to be putting a very favorable spin on this subject in this story.
Series Continuity: Again Doc and his men encounter something they have seen before. Yet there is no recognition of the fact. It is a type of anesthetic gas similar to that seen in “The Evil Gnome” back in April 1940.
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April 9, 1943 – The escort carrier USS Prince William (CVE-31) is commissioned.
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April 10, 1943 – The destroyer escort USS Edsal (DE-129) is commissioned.
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April 12, 1943 – The escort carrier USS Brenton (CVE-23) is commissioned.
********************************************************
April 15, 1943 – The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yorktown_(CV-10)
********************************************************
April 16, 1943 - The hallucinogenic drug LSD is discovered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LSD
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April 18, 1943 – Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, is killed when US Army Air Corp planes intercept his transport and shoot it down. The attack is conducted using P-38 Lightnings. The planes are at the very extreme limit of their range due to fuel limitations and only have a few minutes flying time once they reach their target point.
“SQUADRON 339 P-38 MUST AT ALL COSTS REACH AND DESTROY.
PRESIDENT ATTACHES EXTREME IMPORTANCE TO MISSION."
Signed Navy Secretary Frank Knox
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April 28, 1943 – The escort carrier USS Croatan (CVE-25) is commissioned.
********************************************************
May 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 123, “The Talking Devil,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: “The Speaking Satan” was the working title for this manuscript.
The Crime College makes another big appearance in The Talking Devil from May 1943. Recidivism amongst graduate and blackmail are at the heart of the story that involves discrediting several graduates from Doc's facility. A couple of very interesting things also crop up. Apparently the facility isn't nearly the secret that it should be. Rumors and inklings of its function abound. Several newspapers launch an attack on Doc with questions about the College raising the most concern.
Series Continuity: Graduates begin popping up all over the place. Here's a statement by Long Tom: "Sam Joseph is No.1," Long Tom said. Doc Savage has no idea what Long Tom is talking about. It turns out that Sam Joseph is a graduate. This is astonishing. Long Tom gives Doc names of several other individuals whom he does recognize. Same Josephs is an anomaly.
Long Tom's remark about being No. 1 could be interpreted in two ways. He may mean that Sam Joseph was the very first patient processed by the Crime College. The other alternative is that he is simply the first of the other graduates who are being framed. These are the same graduates whom Doc Savage recognizes by name, but not Sam Joseph.
To think that Doc Savage would forget that Sam Joseph was a graduate leaves one flabbergasted. It just would not happen, especially since it appears that Sam was apparently the very first patient. So what is going on here? One possible answer is that the Crime College has been in operation much longer than supposed. That it was the elder Savage, Doc's father, who started up the strange institution and began rehabilitant criminals before Doc ever became aware of its existence. Also note the obvious lack of awe Sam Joseph has for Doc Savage. This attitude is completely unlike that of the prior graduates we have met in prior stories.
The account seems to further verify that many of the authorities are perfectly aware of exactly what the Crime College is but are more than willing to turn a blind eye. The local District Attorney should be included in the list of people in the know. His statement is little more than a wink and a nod at the Crime College operation.
If there were any doubt about it, that notion is quickly dispelled when the gang leader's fate is explained.
We are left with the fundamental question of what exactly motivated Doc Savage to operate such an institution as the Crime College. Was he a proto-superman operating under the ideals espoused by Nietzsche? Perhaps, but then again countless other convincing arguments can surely be made to rationalize such methods. They only need someone to lay them out.
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May 11, 1943 – US troops mount an operation on Attu in the Aleutian Islands against occupying Japanese troops.
********************************************************
May 13, 1943 – German troops in North Africa surrender.
********************************************************
May 16, 1943 – British RAF bombers carry out the “Dam Buster” missions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise
********************************************************
May 31, 1943 – A riot in Los Angeles occurs between service men and the Zoot Suits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots
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June 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 124, “The Running Skeletons,” is published.
Series Continuity: Here is “The Spook Legion” revisited only this time the process is not nearly so perfect. These new batch of stories occur as if we are living through a second kind of alternate Doc Savage universe.
It is a universe where old stories are replayed in an imperfect form. Thus it is so here with these skeleton men. Monk acts as if he had never seen anything like this before even though he and Doc were both subjected to the invisibility process in The Spook Legion. These are strange days indeed.
********************************************************
June 1, 1943 - Actor Leslie Howard who was best known for his role in Gone with the Wind was killed. His plane was shot down by German fighters after it left Lisbon, Portugal on its way to London, England. There were no survivors. A rumor later surfaced that the Germans shot the plane down in the mistaken belief that Winston Churchill was on board.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Howard_(actor)
********************************************************
June 8, 1943 – The Japanese battleship Mutsu sinks under mysterious circumstances at its anchorage in Japan after a tremendous internal explosion. Naval forces scour the harbor for enemy submarines or x-craft but none are found. A court of inquiry ultimately determines that the destruction of the battleship was caused by “human interference.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mutsu
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July 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 125, “Mystery of Happy Bones,” is published.
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July 5, 1943 – The Battle of Kursk begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kursk
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July 8, 1943 – Sir Harry Oakes is murdered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Harry_Oakes
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July 10, 1943 – Allied troops land at Sicily.
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July 19, 1943 – Allied planes bomb Rome.
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July 24, 1943 – Operation Gomorrah: The RAF begins the firebombing of Hamburg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gomorrah
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July 25, 1943 - Italian dictator Benito Mussolini is voted from power by the government and arrested.
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August 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 126, “The Metal Monster,” is published.
This story has a lot in common with “The Midas Man.” The central theme in both is a machine for reading thoughts.
This story recycles many of the same elements seen in the previous version.
1. A machine for reading thoughts.
2. The device is used for financial gain.
3. Large overstuffed chairs are used to hide the devices so they can be used on unsuspecting victims.
4. The lead female character is connected through a marriage engagement.
5. Thermite is used to destroy the chairs in both stories.
6. The story's climax occurs on a boat.
The history behind Doc's trilling is revealed in a little more detail. It is a trick he adopted from an old Hindu from whom he was learning mind control techniques. The reader is told that Doc was very young at the time so it is a safe bet to assume this was part of the training regimen implemented by his father.
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August 1, 1943 – US Army Air Force planes bomb Ploiesti in Romania.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_Campaign_of_World_War_II
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August 6, 1943 – Battle of Vella Gulf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vella_Gulf
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August 13, 1943 – Rome is declared an open city.
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August 16, 1943 – The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CV-11) is commissioned.
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August 17, 1944 – The aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) is commissioned.
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August 17, 1943 – Allied forces control Sicily.
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August 23, 1943 – The Battle of Kursk ends with a serious defeat for the German Army.
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September 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 127, “Hell Below,” is published.
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September 3, 1943 – English troops land on the Italian mainland.
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September 5, 1943 – American paratroops land in Papua New Guinea.
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September 8, 1943 – Italy surrenders.
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September 12, 1943 – Mussolini is rescued by German commandos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Sasso_raid
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October 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 128, “The Goblins,” is published.
eries Continuity: “The Seven Agate Devils” revolved around an assassination machine that burst into flames after completing its mission. A similar trick was used in “The Flaming Falcons”.
In this story targets were marked for death by a special chemical. The deadly machine had special sensors that allowed it to "home in" on a victim who had been marked. The same idea is used again in this story.
Tin, a strategic metal is the real secret. The Japanese have paid a gang to keep this deposit a secret. A variation of this idea was used before in “The Devil's Playground.” In that case, nickel was the metal in question. This is also an idea that was used only a few months earlier in “Mystery of Happy Bones” with tungsten being the strategic metal the story centered on.
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October 1, 1943 – US troops secure Naples, Italy.
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October 13, 1943 – Italy, under a new government, declares war on Germany.
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October 16, 1943 - The Sikorksy R-4B is accepted by the Navy after a successful test flight.
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October 18, 1943 – Chiang Kai-shek becomes president of China.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek
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November 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 129, “The Secret of the Su,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The working title for this story was "Death Wore a Golden Bell."
Series Continuity: This story is essentially a rewrite of a prior story -- Fear Cay. The mystery is presented as an entirely new concept with no reference to the events in the parent story.
1. Pat Savage is in both stories.
2. A strange healing herb is the prize.
3. A criminal gang is trying to gain control of the herb.
4. Flesh eating ants guard the herb in “Fear Cay.” Here is a lost race that uses trained hawks whose claws are capped with drugged points.
5. The final scenes take place on an island in both stories. In “Fear Cay” it was an island in the Caribbean while here it is an island in the Florida everglades.
An unusual comment is made concerning Ham's nickname. Ham didn't like pork or pigs in any form. It was this dislike that earned him the nickname of Ham. This account is markedly different from the other versions explaining the nickname's origin. All other stories explain that Ham was hauled up on charges of stealing hams when he and Monk were both in the army.
Similarly, no mention is ever made of silphium, the herb encountered in Fear Cay.
Comics: The Spirit has an adventure that is remarkably similar to that of Doc Savage. The story is “Double Eagle” from March 12, 1944. An Indian chief shows up with a pet bear. He possesses a secret that a criminal gang is trying to obtain. He explains at the story's conclusion. "My tribe has long had a secret herb that can cure many diseases!" It turns out Chief Double-Eagle has developed a serum from the herbs and inoculated his pet bear with it. The new serum is turned over the National Health Association.
This is all too similar to the Doc Savage Story. The Su are a reclusive tribe secretly living in the Florida Everglades. Their secret is an herb with miraculous healing powers. This is a wartime story and it is quickly explained how this new drug will save the lives of American soldiers. In both stories, a criminal gang plans to capture the secret and then cash it in for big bucks.
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November 1, 1943 – US troops land in the Solomon Islands.
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November 16, 1943 – A large US Army Air Force bomber group attacks and bombs the heavy water plant at Vemork, Norway.
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November 20, 1943 – US Marines land at Tarawa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tarawa
December 1, 1943 - Doc Savage issue 130, “The Spook of Grandpa Eban,” is published.
Series Continuity: Here is another great example of strange forces at work regarding series continuity. The mystery in this story is force field very similar to that first seen in “The Motion Menace” (May 1938). Monk is the first of Doc's group to encounter the invisible barrier. Yet it is a new concept for him despite his familiarity with the force fields in “The Motion Menace.” For all practical purposes, in relation to this story, the prior adventure never happened.
This is one of those stories that is a problem for folks that want a continuous universe as the concepts are presented as new and novel. My personal theory on all this is that Dent was still terribly ticked-off about the $100 per story pay cut S&S foisted on him.
Ham Brooks' nickname is explained as deriving from his dislike of pigs or anything to do with them. The Monk-Ham feud is again explained as simply resulting from Monk's tormenting Ham over pork. Readers learn that Ham has a mental horror against pork. This is a different origin tale from that of the earlier stories. Going back to the original version of this story where Ham was hauled up on court martial charges of stealing hams. Well that would indeed be a quite a joke on the lawyer if he were indeed Jewish.
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December 4, 1943 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Chunyo sinks after being torpedoes by the USS Sailfish (SS-192).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Ch%C5%ABy%C5%8D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sailfish_(SS-192)
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December 14, 1943 – Dr. John Kellogg dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey_Kellogg
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December 22, 1944 – Author Beatrix Potter dies.
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1944
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January 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 131, “According to Plan of a One-Eyed Mystic,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: This story’s original title was “The One-Eyed Mystic.”
Series Continuity: This is a repeat of the same idea of a guided missile previously seen in “The King Maker” (June 1934), “The Flying Goblin” (July 1940), and “The Man Who Fell Up” (July 1942). It is presented as an entirely new concept in this story. There is no mention of these prior encounters.
“The Man Who Fell Up” ends up on the coast of Maine and a German submarine. “According to the Plan of a One-Eyed Mystic” moves further to the north and ends up on the coast of Labrador along with a German submarine.
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January 4, 1944 – The Battle of Monte Cassino begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monte_Cassino
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January 15, 1944 - A massive earthquake hits San Juan, Argentina. Over 10,000 people are killed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944_San_Juan_earthquake
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January 22, 1944 - Allied troops land at Anzio, Italy.
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January 27, 1944 – The Siege of Leningrad ends.
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January 30, 1944 – US troops land in the Marshall Islands.
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January 31, 1944 – US troops land on Kwajalein Atoll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kwajalein
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February 1, 1944 - Doc Savage issue 132, “Death had Yellow Eyes,” is published.
Series Continuity: Invisibility is the key here. Previously, this issue centered on actually making the human body invisible. This time the mechanism is a cloth that is probably a more feasible idea in a real practical sense. Still, there is some questionable editorial philosophy here as “The Running Skeletons” appeared only eight issues prior. It is a bit early to recycle the same kind of idea
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February 3, 1944 – US troops secure the Marshal Islands.
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February 17, 1944 – The Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Eniwetok_Atoll
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February 18, 1944 – Operation Jericho: RAF Mosquito bombers come in on a low-level bombing mission in an attempt to free French imprisoned resistance fighters from the Amiens prison. German authorities were planning to execute 120 of the prisoners on February 19.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Jericho
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February 22, 1944 – US forces secure Eniwetok.
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February 29, 1944 – US troops land in the Admiralty Islands.
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March 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 133, “The Derelict of Skull Shoal” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Skull Shoal.”
Series Continuity: “The Derelict of Skull Shoal” shares several rudiments with “The Sargasso Ogre.” In this tale, ships are hijacked to a remote location where they are ransacked. Castaways from the wrecks populate the ghost yard of wrecked ships. Finally there is a physical fight between Doc and the pirate leader. One can even make an analogy between the drug thimbles Doc uses in earlier story and the curare tipped arrows used by the natives in this story.
This time Doc Savage has a tough go of it. He is no longer the larger-than-life figure from the thirties. Rather he is more like a regular tough guy who is also suffering the after effects of a severe head wound. Doc wins but is left breathless. Dent is pulling a funny here.
Given that this story shares many traits with “The Sargasso Ogre” it is especially interesting to look at Doc's opponent, ex-Hollywood movie-man, Samuel Woll. He is a fat little man with funny ears, extremely large feet, and a stomach described as a watermelon.
In the fight, Doc lands a blow to Woll's stomach. The little man simply takes it and wraps around the bronze man like a constrictor. Doc finally overcomes Woll, but it is a difficult fight. Part of this could be attributed to Doc's head injury. The rest is Lester Dent setting up a foe the exact opposite of Jacob Bruze. It's a good joke.
However there are other problems with consistency. The story comments that piracy just doesn't exist anymore except for some on the China coast and that was twenty years ago. What about “Pirate of the Pacific,” “The Sargasso Ogre,” and even “Pirate Isle?” The last story was less than two years before.
A comment is made about Doc laying in wait until the ship makes its destination. We are told it is something he has never done before and it is something he doesn't like doing. That wasn't the case in two stories I recall offhand – “Mystery Under the Sea,” “The Lost Oasis,” or “The Motion Menace.”
********************************************************
March 4, 1944 - Louis Buchalter, the head of Murder, Inc. is executed, along with two of his paid assassins, Emanuel Weiss and Louis Capone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder,_Inc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Buchalter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Weiss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Capone
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March 18, 1944 – Mount Vesuvius erupts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius
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March 24, 1944 – British Major General Orde Wingate is killed in a plane crash. Wingate was leaded of the famed Chindits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orde_Wingate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chindits
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April 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 134, “The Whisker of Hercules,” is published.
The chemical compound appearing in this story is a variation of that first seen in “The Mindless Monsters.”
********************************************************
April 14, 1944 – An explosion on the SS Fort Stikine kills over 1,300 in Bombay, India.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Explosion_(1944)
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=403
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April 29, 1944 - The “Our Gang” film series ends with the release of the last film.
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May 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 135, “The Three Devils,” is published.
Series Continuity: There's a funny part where Monk speaks french thinking the enemy wouldn't understand. Wonder why he didn't use Mayan. I've seen several odd things like this over the last twenty or so issues that make you wonder just exactly who wrote what.
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May 12, 1944 – Soviet troops secure the Crimea.
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May 18, 1944 – The Battle of Monte Casino ends.
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June 1, 1944, Doc Savage issue 136, “The Pharoah’s [sic] Ghost,” is published.
This story’s title was misspelled because of the editor’s steadfast belief in her own infallibility.
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June 1, 1944 – The BBC begins broadcasting coded messages to resistance fighters in Europe that D-Day is near.
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June 4, 1944 – The US Navy capture U-505. A boarding from USS Pillsbury seizes the U-boat before it can be scuttled. It is the first time since the War of 1812 the order had been given on a US Navy vessel. The American boarding party captures a top-secret German Enigma encryption machine along with current code books.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pillsbury_(DE-133)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine
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June 5, 1944 – The BBC begins broadcasting coded messages to resistance fighters in Europe that D-Day is imminent.
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June 6, 1944 – D-Day begins as the BBC reports: “Thousands of Allied troops have begun landing on the beaches of Normandy in northern France at the start of a major offensive against the Germans. Thousands of paratroops and glider-borne troops have also been dropped behind enemy lines and the Allies are already said to have penetrated several miles inland.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Day
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June 9, 1944 – Soviet forces launch a land assault against Finland.
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June 11, 1944 – The five separate D-Day attack forces link up forming a single body consisting of over 300,000 Allied troops. German forces will surrender unconditionally eleven months later.
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June 13, 1944 – Germany launches V-1 flying bombs at England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb
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June 15, 1944 – US troops invade Saipan.
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June 17, 1944 – Iceland declares independence.
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June 19, 1944 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku is sunk by the submarine USS Cavalla.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Sh%C5%8Dkaku
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June 19, 1944 – The Japanese carrier Taiho sinks during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Taih%C5%8D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Philippine_Sea
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June 22, 1944 – Soviet forces launch an assault against Germans units in Belarus.
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July 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 137, “The Man Who was Scared,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: Original title – “He Was So Scared.”
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July 6, 1944 – Hartford Circus Fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Circus_Fire
*********************************************************
July 20, 1944 – Operation Valyrie: High ranking officers in the German Army, believing Adolph Hilter has been assassinated, attempt to seize control of the government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Valkyrie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_20_Plot
*******************************************************
July 21, 1944 – US troops land in Guam.
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August 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 133, “The Shape of Terror,” is published.
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August 15, 1944 – A second invasion by Allied troops lands in southern France.
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August 24, 1944 – Allied troops liberate Paris.
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August 31, 1944 – The Mad Gasser of Mattoon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Gasser_of_Mattoon
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September 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 139, “Weird Valley,” is published.
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September 3, 1944 – Allied troops secure Brussels.
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September 8, 1944 - The first V-2 rocket hits London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2_rocket
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September 17, 1944 – Operation Market-Garden begins.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market-Garden
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September 17, 1944 - The Japanese aircraft carrier Unyō sinks after being torpedoes by the submarine USS Barb.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Uny%C5%8D
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September 19, 1944 – The Soviet Union and Finland sign an armistice.
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September 26, 1944 – Operation Market-Garden ends with allied troops withdrawing.
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October 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 140, “Jui San,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: “The Jui San Man” was the working title.
There is a three-week period between the time Monk and Ham leave Japan and Doc Savage returns to Dutch Harbor. It could make an interesting tale.
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October 8, 1944 – Radio: “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” debuts.
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October 12, 1944 – Allied troops land in Athens.
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October 20, 1944 – American troops land in the Philippines.
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October 21, 1944 – Achen, Germany is secured by US soldiers.
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October 23, 1944 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf begins.
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October 24, 1944 – USS Princeton (CVL-23) sinks during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Princeton_(CVL-23)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Leyte_Gulf
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October 25, 1944 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Chiyoda sinks during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Chiyoda
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October 25, 1944 – The Japanese
aircraft carrier Zuikaku sinks in battle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Zuikaku
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October 25, 1944 - The Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō sinks in battle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Zuih%C5%8D
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October 26, 1944 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf ends.
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November 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 141, “Satan Black,” is published.
Series Continuity: This story is full of ridiculous statements. Monk is incredulous about being shot at in the middle of New York City in the front of their headquarters. Monk acts as if this is the first time something this incident has ever happen. Forget about the fact that they have been routinely shot at on the street in front of Doc’s office over the last dozen years. It’s all a new story and new ideas.
There is Renny doing some pondering about how the group originated. There is really no explanation of how they all came together. This is all part of the reinvention of Doc Savage. The old story about meeting in The Great War is forgotten.
Then there is the central object of the story -- a knife. The story strongly implies this knife was made by a convict in the state prison and given to a visitor as a gift. That is a pretty amazing thing to happen. Maybe prisons were being run differently in 1944.
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November 7, 1944 - President Franking Roosevelt is elected to a fourth term in office
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November 12, 1944 – RAF bombers sink the German battleship Tirpitz.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz
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November 29, 1944 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano sinks after being torpedoed by the USS Archer-Fish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Shinano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Archer-Fish_(SS-311)
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December 1, 1944 – Doc Savage issue 142, “The Lost Giant,” is published.
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December 1, 1944 - Lester Dent speaks to wounded soldiers at O'Reilly Rehabilitation Center in Springfield, Missouri as reported in the Springfield Daily News. "Doc Savage is made up of the limb-to-limb strength of Tarzan -- but without the call; the scientific detecting ability of Craig Kennedy; the clue-following ability of Sherlock Holmes; and the morality of Jesus Christ."
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December 16, 1944 – The Battle of the Bulge begins.
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December 19, 1944 – The Japanese aircraft carrier Unryu sinks after being torpedoed by the submarine USS Redfish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Unry%C5%AB
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December 30, 1944 – The Japanese aircraft carrier submarine I-400 is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-400_class_submarine
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December 31, 1944 – Hungary declares war on Germany.
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1945
********************************************************
January 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 143, “Violent Night,” is published.
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January 3, 1945 – Edgar Cayce dies.
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January 8, 1945 – The Japanese Navy commissions the aircraft carrier submarine I-401. It is the largest submarine in the world at the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_submarine_I-401
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January 22, 1945 – Franklin Roosevelt begins his fourth term as US President.
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January 23, 1945 – Hungary signs an armistice with the Allied Powers.
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January 28, 1945 – The aircraft carrier USS Antietam (CV-36) is commissioned.
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January 30, 1945 – US Army Rangers aided by 800 Filipino guerilla fighters seize the prisoner-of-war camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabanatuan_Raid
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January 23, 1945 – Hungary signs an armistice with the Allied Powers.
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February 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 144, “Strange Fish,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “The Fish Was Strange.”
Series Continuity: The war in Europe is nearly over. Doc is afraid, so afraid he forgets to count the number of shots fired at him. He has a bad case of "nerves." Gone are the days when Doc lays a foe out with a single blow. There is nothing extraordinary about Doc, Monk, or Ham in this story.
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February 3, 1945 – Nazi scientists test an atomic device at Ohrdruf, Thuringia in central Germany.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article419433.ece
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February 4, 1945 – The Yalta Conference.
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February 13, 1945 – Soviet troops enter Budapest, Hungary.
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February 16, 1945 – US and Filipino troops capture Bataan.
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February 19, 1945 – US troops invade Iwo Jima.
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February 20, 1945 – Saltwater crocodiles eat Japanese troops in Ramree, Burma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ramree_Island
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March 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 145, “The Ten Ton Snakes,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Jungle Strange.”
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March 2, 1945 – Germany tests the Bachem Ba 349 Natter manned rocket.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachem_Ba_349_Natter
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March 7, 1945 – Advancing US troops capture the Rhine bridge at Remagen, Germany and cross over into Germany.
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March 9, 1945 –American B-29 bombers launch an intense attack on Tokyo, Japan that lasts two days.
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March 16, 1945 –Combat on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima ends.
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March 21, 1945 – British forces liberate Mandalay, Burma.
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March 22, 1945 – The Arab League is formed in Cairo, Egypt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_League
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March 23, 1945 – The German battlecruiser Gneisenau is deliberately sunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battlecruiser_Gneisenau
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March 30, 1945 – Soviet troops enter Vienna, Austria.
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April 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 146, “Cargo Unknown,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Thirty Fathoms to Hell.”
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April 1, 1945 – US troops land at Okinawa.
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April 7, 1945 – The largest battleship in the world, the Japanese ship Yamato is sunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_class_battleship
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April 12, 1945 – President Roosevelt dies unexpectedly.
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April 16, 1945 – The aircraft carrier USS Boxer (CV-21) is commissioned.
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April 17, 1945 - The US Army captures 1,000 pounds of uranium oxide from the Germans at Strassfut, Germany. Colonel Boris Pash commands a special American front-line unit whose purpose was to seize German atomic scientists and materials.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Pash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Alsos
********************************************************
April 18, 1945 – Famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle is shot and dies at Okinawa.
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April
21, 1945 – Rapidly advancing units of the Soviet Army capture the German High
Command HQ.
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April 25, 1945 - The US and Soviet armies meet on the Elbe River.
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April 28, 1945 - Deposed Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, is executed by Italian partisans after being captured while trying to flee to Switzerland.
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April 30, 1945 – Radio: Arthur Godfrey’s morning radio show begins.
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April 30, 1945 – Adolph Hitler commits suicide.
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May 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 147, “Rock Sinister,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Death in the Book.”
Series Continuity: This story doesn't have much going for it. Throughout the entire story Doc Savage could be characterized as little more than a "sharp" guy. Precious little of the things that made him larger-than-life in the previous decade's stories are to be found within the pages of this story. Doc Savage has certainly been taken down several notches from his prior status.
Monk Mayfair is his usual rough self. Ham Brooks seems to be wearing lace panties beneath that suit. After all the action ends Doc oversleeps the next day. Upon awakening he uses Renny's pet expression “Holy cow!” which seems completely out of character.
Series continuity is askew as the story about Ham’s nickname differs from the original. It is explained that he had a tantrum about his dislike for pork while inspecting a mess hall.
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May 2, 1945 – Soviet troops capture Berlin, Germany.
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May 3, 1945 – US forces capture German rocket scientist Werner Von Braun.
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May 4, 1945 – German land forces are ordered to stand down.
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May 4, 1945 – The Battle of the Atlantic ends. German U-boats are ordered to stand down:
ALL U-BOATS ATTENTION ALL U-BOATS
CEASE-FIRE AT ONCE
STOP ALL HOSTILE ACTION AGAINST ALLIED SHIPPING DÖNITZ
http://uboat.net/fates/at-sea.htm
********************************************************
May 4, 1945 – The German Northern Army agrees to surrender.
“All hostilities on land, on sea, or in the air by German forces in the above areas to cease at 0800 hrs. British Double Summer Time on Saturday 5 May 1945.”
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May 5, 1945 – Ezra Pound is arrested.
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May 5, 1945 – An adult and five children are killed when a Japanese fire balloon explodes in Oregon.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=4976
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_balloon
********************************************************
May 7, 1945 – Germany surrenders. General Jodl signs an unconditional surrender at Rheims, France.
“The German High Command will at once issue orders to all German military, naval and air authorities and to all forces under German control to cease active operations at 2301 hours Central European time on 8 May and to remain in the positions occupied at that time.”
********************************************************
May 8, 1945 - V-E Day
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May 8, 1945 – Rioting begins in the Algerian town of Setif leading to the Setif massacre.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9tif_massacre
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May 9, 1945 - Nazi leader Herman Goering is captured.
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May 16, 1945 – A force of US Navy ships capture U-234 after it disregards the official surrender by German forces. The U-boat is headed to Japan with over 1,000 pounds of uranium oxide, V2 rocket apparatus, and a disassembled ME 262 Jet Fighter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-234
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June 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 148, “The Terrible Stork,” is published.
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June 21, 1945 - Japanese forces on Okinawa surrender.
********************************************************
July 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 149, “King Joe Cay” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Flight Into Fear.”
There are a couple of funny scenes in this book. Doc goes around quoting poetry. He must have looked pretty nutty.
After hiding some papers in the men's restroom, Doc returns to retrieve them. A fellow traveler is busy working on a bottle of whisky and has no intentions of leaving. Doc gets wild-eyed and begins quoting poetry to this guy. it takes a couple of more lines but finally the guy gets scared and leaves. I wondered if he thought Doc was a homosexual. That is, I wonder if that was the impression Dent was trying to create.
There is an odd scene in this book when Doc is trying to get into another adjoining room in a hotel. The bed is against the door and Doc has to push it out of the way. It is dark in the room and the bed is occupied.
“Here, here!” an angry female voice said. “What in hell are you doing now?”
A man's voice, also from the bed, said, “It ain't me, Myrtle.”
My imagination went into high gear here and I literally laughed out loud.
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July 6, 1945 – First flight of the F-82 Twin Mustang.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-82_Twin_Mustang
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July 16, 1945 - The first atomic bomb is successfully tested at the White Sands Proving Ground near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
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July 24, 1945 - The Japanese aircraft carrier submarine I-402 is commissioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-400_class_submarine
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July 26, 1945 – The Potsdam Declaration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Declaration
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July 28, 1945 - An Army B-25 crashes into the Empire State Building's 79th floor. Eleven people are killed.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92987873
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July 30, 1945 - The USS Indianapolis is sunk by a Japanese submarine after delivering the first atomic bomb to Tinian. Most of the crew survived the attack and abandoned ship only to face days of relentless attacks by sharks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)
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August 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 150, “The Wee Ones,” is published.
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August 6, 1945 - Hiroshima is bombed with a 20 kiloton atomic bomb named Little Boy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy
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August 8, 1945 - Russians launches a massive assault in Manchuria after declaring war on Japan.
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August 8, 1945 – President Truman signs the United Nations Charter.
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August 9, 1945 - The second atomic bomb, Fat Man, is dropped on Nagasaki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_Man
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August 9, 1945 - The Soviet Union declare war on Japan and advances in to Manchuria.
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August 10, 1945 – Japan accepts the Potsdam declaration. President Truman stops further atomic bombing.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6546
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August 14, 1945 – During the early hours of the morning, a group of Japanese Army officers attempt to stage a military coup in order to prevent Japan from surrendering.
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August 14, 1945 – With no public follow-up of Japan’s surrender message of August 10, President Truman discusses the atomic bombing of Tokyo as the next target.
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August 14, 1945 – Japanese radio broadcasts a noon-time message from Emperor Hirohito that Japan surrenders. Imperial Army and Navy units are ordered to stand down. Some units refuse to surrender.
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August 14, 1945 – Radio: “Japan accepts Allied terms. . . . .Japan surrenders.”
News comes in sporadically to American radio listeners. The announcer emphasizes that the dispatches are all unofficial but the excitement in his voice is unmistakable.
Listen to the broadcast: http://www.otr.com/ra/news/vjdaymix.mp3
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August 14, 1945 – V-J Day: Japan surrenders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrender_of_Japan
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August 17, 1945 – “Animal Farm” by George Orwell is published.
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August 19, 1945 – Viet Minh rebels, led by Ho Chi Minh, seize control of Hanoi in Indochina.
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September 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 151, “Terror Takes 7,” is published.
This is a rewrite of “The Squeaking Goblin.”
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September 2, 1945 - Official surrender of Japan aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Harbor.
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September 24, 1945 – Johannes Hans Geiger dies
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October 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 152, “The Thing that Pursued,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Mr. Calamity.”
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October 13, 1945 - Milton Hershey dies.
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October 17, 1945 – Peron is freed.
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October 18, 1945 – Venezuelan President Angarita is overthrown by a military coup.
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October 19, 1945 – N. C. Wythe dies.
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October 21, 1945 – Women gain the right to vote in France.
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October 29, 1945 – Brazilin president resigns.
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November 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 153, “Trouble on Parade,” is published.
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December 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 154, “The Screaming Man,” is published. December 23, 1942 – light cruiser Reno
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Mystery at Parade.”
Series Continuity: There is a scene with Doc on a plane where he unsuccessfully trying to use self-hypnotism to get some sleep. This statement is inconsistent with the series. Doc has certainly slept with one eye open before in the earlier novels. That was back when he was a superman. OK, that's fine. But how do you reconcile statements like these if you are trying to create a continuous Doc Savage universe?
November 16, 1945 – Movies: “The Lost Weekend” is released.
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November 20, 1945 – The Nuremburg War Trials begin.
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November 28, 1945 – Balochistan earthquake.
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November 29, 1945 – ENIAC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC
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December 1, 1945 – Doc Savage issue 154, “The Screaming Man,” is published.
This was a pretty good story, but it could have been a great story.
This exploit is one of those later, wartime stories that becomes a little mixed up. You can accept these type stories on face value but I prefer not to. Instead it seems more reasonable to me to consider the possibility that these adventures are incomplete in documentation due in large part to wartime censorship.
Jonas Sown is world-class villain. Unfortunately we find out precious little about him. When we first meet him in his guise as Jack Thomas we learn that he is an ex-college professor whose area of expertise is social sciences. Professor Thomas has of late been in China where he has been studying philosophy.
Doc Savage sizes him up shortly after meeting him. Doc quickly decides the man is an "intellectual giant." Jonas Sown has been compared to John Sunlight before as a master villain. After finishing this story I considered several angles concerning this tale. In the course of all these ruminations, a shocking thought occurred to me. Jonas Sown was not just a peer of John Sunlight. Jonas Sown was John Sunlight!
Supposedly John Sunlight was killed at the conclusion of The Devil Genghis. But was he? It is possible that he escaped, leaving a double to die in his place. The man was extremely capable.
Jonas Sown is spoken of as if he were some kind of human monster. The idea that a "human mind" could be responsible for the last decade of war was an inconceivable thought. It was something out of the impossible, just as was John Sunlight.
Apparently Sown's ability to create mass psychosis lies with some type of machine. Unfortunately we never get to find out anything about this device. This could be an advanced version of some machine that was stored in the Fortress. My vote goes for the sonic device first seen in The Czar of Fear.
In “The Devil Genghis,” John Sunlight states his goal is to rule the earth in order to create peace. Exactly what Jonas Sown's goals are remain unknown but he obviously had some ultimate purpose in his devilish machinations.
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December 5, 1945 – Flight 19 disappears.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_19
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December 21, 1945 – General Patton dies.
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December 28, 1945 – Theodore Dreiser dies.
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1946
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January 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 155, “Measures for a Coffin,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Three Dead Danes.”
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January 10, 1946 – The first meeting of the United Nations convenes in London England.
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February 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 156, “Se-Pah-Poo,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “They Stood Dead.”
February 27, 1946 – Movie: “The Road to Utopia” featuring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour opens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_to_Utopia
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March 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 157, “Terror and the Lonely Widow,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Flight Into Fear.”
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April 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 158, “Five Fathoms Dead,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Cavu is Dead.”
This was a well written story but it has its weaknesses. A low word count is the main problem here. There are only 32,000 words in this story and it just is not long enough.
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April 1, 1946 – An Alaskan earthquake creates a large tidal wave that kills 159 people in Hawaii.
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April 16,
1946 - Arthur Chevrolet dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Chevrolet
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May 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 159, “Death is a Round Black Spot,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Death Came Solo.”
Lester Dent gives a tip of the hat to Superman here. In the story Monk and Ham pass themselves off as reporters from “The New York Planet.” In the DC universe it happens that Clark Kent works at the “Daily Planet.”
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June 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 160, “Colors for Money,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Jonah Had a Whale.”
The main plot idea from “Spook Hole” is reused.
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June 5, 1946 – The US proposes the Baruch Plan for the control of nuclear devices.
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June 13, 1946 – Edward Bowes dies.
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July 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 161, “Fire and Ice”, is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Deuces Wild.”
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August 1, 1946 – Doc Savage issue 162, “Three Times a Corpse,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Sea Snare.”
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August
6, 1946 +++ Two B+++17 bombers, minus pilot and crews, are flown nonstop from
Hilo, Hawaii to Muroc Lake, California, controlled entirely by radio
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August 23, 1946 - Movies: Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled detective story, “The Big Sleep,” makes its movie debut. The film stars Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe. Actress Lauren Bacall plays the female lead character.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Chandler
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Sleep_(1946_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_Bogart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Bacall
********************************************************
September 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 163, “The Exploding Lake,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: This story is attributed to Harold A. Davis. The material in the archive indicates a rewrite by Dent. There are two original titles listed – “The Hair on End” and “Chemistry of Death.”
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October 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 164, “Death in Little Houses,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
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November 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 165, “The Devil is Jones,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “The Terrible Jones.”
Doc shows that he is an excellent marksman and is a strong guy.
Mayan is used for private communication between the group.
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May 1, 1946 - Doc Savage issue 166, “The Disappearing Lady,” is published.
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1947
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January 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 167, “Target for Death,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
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February 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 168, “The Death Lady,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: There are no materials for this story.
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March 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 169, “Danger Lies East,” is published.
This is March-April issue as the series goes to a bi-monthly publication schedule.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Devil Takes the Last.”
********************************************************
March 6, 1947 – The last episode of the television variety show “Hour Glass” is shown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour_Glass
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March 12, 1947 – President Truman announces the Truman Doctrine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Doctrine
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March 18, 1947 – William C. Durant, founder of General Motors and Chevrolet, dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_C._Durant
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March 21, 1947 – President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9835. The order was a response to the Cold War and Soviet influence in American. The order required federal employees to undergo checks for communist influences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_9835
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March 26, 1947 – Radio: The “Pot O’Gold” radio show ends.
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March 28 1947 – Radio: The Buck Rogers radio show ends after a 15-year run.
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April 9, 1947 – The town of Woodward, Oklahoma is completely destroyed by a tornado which killed over 100 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_Glazier-Higgins-Woodward_tornadoes
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April 16, 1947 - Fertilizer aboard a ship in the harbor of Texas City, Texas, catches fire and explodes, killing six hundred people.
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April 16, 1947 – The term “Cold War” is used for the first time in public by Bernard Baruch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Baruch
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April 28, 1947 - Thor Heyerdahl and five other men set sail on the “Kon-Tiki” from Peru across the Pacific Ocean on a balsa raft.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki
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May 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 170, “No Light to Die By,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “The Lost Ones.”
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June 4, 1947 – Movies: “Miracle on 34th Street” opens.
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June 5, 1947 – US Secretary of State George Marshall proposes a massive plan to rebuilt post-war Europe.
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June 25, 1947 First flight of the Boeing B-50 Superfortress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-50_Superfortress
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July 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 171, “The Monkey Suit,” is published.
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September 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 172, “Let’s Kill Ames,” is published.
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September 18, 1947 - The United States Air Force is established.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force
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October 14, 1947 – US Air Force Captain Charles Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 rocket plane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_E._Yeager
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-1
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November 1, 1947 - Doc Savage issue 173, “Once Over Lightly,” is published.
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December 25, 1947 – Movies: Actors Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour star in “The Road to Rio.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_to_Rio
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1948
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January 1, 1948 - Doc Savage issue 174, “I Died Yesterday,” is published. This is the January-February issue.
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January 30, 1948 - Orville Wright dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_brothers
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March 10, 1948 - Czechoslovakia Foreign Minister Jan Masaryk dies under mysterious circumstances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Masaryk
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March 14, 1948 – The” New York Times Book Review” section takes a look at “Lady Afraid” by Lester Dent.
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March 22, 1948 - The T -33 Shooting Star makes its first flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-33_Shooting_Star
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_LeVier
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March 3, 1948 - Progressive Party presidential candidate Henry Wallace criticizes President Truman's policies on the Cold War.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=2622
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April 1, 1948 – Russian military forces block Allied military trains in Soviet zone in occupied Germany.
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April 3, 1948 – President Truman signs the Foreign Assistance Act into law. It will become commonly known as the Marshall Plan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan
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March 1, 1948 - Doc Savage issue 175, “The Pure Evil,” is published. This is the March-April issue
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April 30, 1948 - The Organization of American States is established.
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May 1, 1948 - Doc Savage issue 176, “Terror Wears No Shoes,” is published. This is the May-June issue.
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June 24, 1948 – Soviet forces block land routes to West Berlin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_blockade
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June 26, 1948 - The first US aircraft leaves for West Berlin thus beginning the Berlin Airlift.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_blockade#The_Airlift_begins
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July 1, 1948 - Doc Savage issue 177, “The Angry Canary” is published. This is the July-August issue.
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August 16, 1948 – Babe Ruth dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Ruth
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September 1, 1948 - Doc Savage issue 178 “The Swooning Lady” is published. This is the September-October issue.
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April 1, 1948 – Russian military forces block Allied military trains in Soviet zone in occupied Germany.
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1949
********************************************************
WINTER 1949 - Doc Savage issue 179 “The Green Master” is published.
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April 4, 1949 – The NATO pact is signed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO
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April 5, 1949 – TV: “Fireside Theatre” debuts.
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May 12, 1949 – The Berlin Blockade ends.
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June 1, 1949 – Radio: Lawrence Welk and his band plays on the “High Life Review” radio show.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=3323
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Welk
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June 8, 1949 – “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell is published.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-four
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June 8, 1949 - The FBI releases a report naming famous Hollywood actors communists.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=1029
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July 27, 1949 - The DeHavilland Comet makes its first flight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeHavilland_Comet
********************************************************
Spring 1949 - Doc Savage issue 180, “Return from Cormoral,” is published.
Western Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “Miracle by Williams.”
********************************************************
April 3, 1949 - The “New York Times Sunday Section” has a review on “Young Mrs. Savage by D. E. Stevenson.”
********************************************************
Summer 1949 – Doc Savage 181, “Up From the Earth’s Center” is published. The magazine ceases publication.
Historical Manuscript Collection: The original title was “The Devilish Mr. Wail.”
This story is often cited as the only Doc adventure to have unexplained supernatural elements. Jeff Deischer offers a plausible explanation for these events in his book.
********************************************************
July 27, 1949 - The first commercial jet airline, the British De Havilland Comet, makes its first test flight.
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1950
********************************************************
March 19, 1950 – Edgar Rice Burroughs dies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Rice_Burroughs
********************************************************
August 26, 1950 - The Dick Tracy newspaper comic strip features a villain whose name is T.V. Wiggles. He is a former wrestler who was kicked out of the ring for underworld dealings. In describing Wiggles the newspaper sports editor tells Tracy, "He had a secret hold that was absolutely paralyzing. He could black-out a man by seizing a certain nerve [in the back of the neck]." One other theme throughout Dick Tracy's career is the never-ending doom brought upon criminals, often as a direct result of their own infernal plans backfiring. Sound familiar?
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1951
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********************************************************
1953
********************************************************
1954
********************************************************
May 6, 1954 - Roger Bannister runs the first four-minute mile.
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1957
********************************************************
October 4, 1957 – The USSR launches Sputnik 1 into space.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1
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1958
********************************************************
March 5, 1958 – Russian dictator Joseph Stalin dies.
********************************************************
July 29, 1958 - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is established.
********************************************************
1959
********************************************************
March 11, 1959 - Lester Dent dies at the age of 54.
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finis
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