Monday, February 16, 2026

Wednesday, February 16, 1916. Russian Army blunders, Lomond established, Kermit Roosevelt Jr. born.

The Imperial Russian Army, which had been seeing success after success against the Ottomans, entered Erzurum, but botched it, allowing the retreating Ottoman Third Army to set up a new defense line less than 10 km away from the city. Losses were heavy on both sides.

Lomond, Alberta was established.

Kermit Roosevelt Jr. was born to was born to Kermit Roosevelt Sr., son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, and Belle Wyatt Roosevelt (née Willard) in Buenos Aires.  He's later work for the OSS and CIA.

Kermit Jr, Theodore Roosevelt, and Richard Derby.

A member of the greatest dynastic American family, he died in 2000.  His father exhibited the occasionally tragic aspect of the family, dying by suicide in 1943 in Alaska.

Anyway you look at it, the Roosevelts stand apart as an American political family, although they have chosen to remain outside of politics since the 1940s.  Never tainted while in office, and highly self sacrificing, their family remains admirable to this very day.  The Adams family may rate a close second (or first?), followed by the Bush family, and perhaps the Kennedy family.  The Trump family stands a chance of being the polar opposite.

Dương Văn Minh, the last President of South Vietnam, was born in French Cochinchina.  A soldier by training and profession, he'd live until 2001.  He spent much of his post Vietnam War exile in France, but immigrated to Pasadena California to be near his daughter in his old age.  He was extremely quiet in exile, and did not produce a memoir.

A gas explosion destroyed Mexia Texas' opera house and damaged a half-block of buildings, killing nine and injuring eight.

Last edition:

Tuesday, February 15, 1916. Chivalry in Africa.

No comments: