245 years ago today, a 35-year-old Spanish nobleman fired a single artillery shell that redrew the map of North America, broke British power in the Gulf of Mexico, and arguably saved the American Revolution. His name was Bernardo de Gálvez. He's not in your textbook. He should be.
When Spain entered the war against Britain in June 1779, the American cause was bleeding out. Washington's army was unpaid and shrinking. The Continental dollar was worth pennies. The British had taken Savannah and were preparing to take Charleston. France was helping, but France alone couldn't bankrupt the British Empire.
Spain could. And in New Orleans sat the man who would prove it.
Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid was 33 years old, the governor of Spanish Louisiana, a battle-scarred career officer who had been wounded fighting Apaches in northern Mexico and Algerians in North Africa. The day he learned Spain had declared war, he didn't wait for orders from Madrid. He raised an army of Spanish regulars, Louisiana Creoles, free Black militia from New Orleans, Acadian refugees, German settlers, and Choctaw scouts, and he went on the attack.
In three months he took Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. The next year he took Mobile. The British presence on the Gulf shrank to one last fortress. Pensacola, the capital of British West Florida, defended by Major General John Campbell with 1,500 redcoats, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment of German mercenaries, loyalist battalions from Maryland and Pennsylvania, and a powerful alliance of Creek and Choctaw warriors led by the brilliant mixed-race chief Alexander McGillivray.
Gálvez arrived off Pensacola in March 1781 with 7,000 men and a fleet. The Spanish naval commander, Admiral Calbo de Irazábal, refused to enter Pensacola Bay. The entrance was narrow, raked by British guns at Fort Barrancas Coloradas, and treacherous with sandbars. So Gálvez did something insane. He boarded his own little brig, the Galveztown, hoisted his personal pennant, and sailed her into the bay alone, in full view of the British batteries, daring the Royal Navy to sink him. The British fired and missed. The Spanish fleet, shamed, followed him in. For this he was awarded the right to put the words "Yo Solo," meaning "I alone," on his coat of arms by the King of Spain.
The siege ground on for two months. Gálvez was shot in the abdomen and the finger directing artillery and refused to leave the field. The British defenses at the Queen's Redoubt, also called the Crescent, held against everything thrown at them. And then, on the morning of May 8, 1781, a Spanish howitzer crew lofted a shell over the parapet. It dropped, by pure luck or perfect skill, directly into the open powder magazine.
The explosion killed roughly 100 defenders in a single instant. Waldeck grenadiers, British regulars, loyalists, all gone. The blast tore the redoubt's wall open like paper. Spanish grenadiers and Louisiana militia poured through the breach within minutes and turned the captured British guns on the inner works. Campbell knew it was over.
The next morning, May 9, white flags went up. By May 10 the entire province of West Florida belonged to Spain. Over 1,100 British troops marched out as prisoners of war.
The strategic consequences were catastrophic for Britain. The Gulf Coast was lost. The Mississippi was a Spanish river from source to sea. Britain could no longer reinforce its southern armies by sea from the Caribbean, and the Royal Navy's Caribbean squadron had to be redeployed. Five months later, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, in a siege funded in part by 500,000 silver pesos that Gálvez and the people of Havana raised in a matter of days to pay French Admiral de Grasse's fleet to come north.
Without that money, no French fleet. Without the French fleet, no Yorktown. Without Yorktown, no independence on those terms.
Gálvez was made Count of Gálvez and Viscount of Galveztown. The bay he charted in Texas still bears his name, Galveston. His portrait hangs in the United States Capitol by act of Congress. In 2014, he was made an honorary citizen of the United States, an honor given to only eight people in American history, including Lafayette, Churchill, and Mother Teresa.
He died of yellow fever in Mexico City at 40 years old, three years after the war ended.
Most Americans have never heard his name.
This Easter, we remember:
Israel obliterated the mausoleum of Simon Peter, the Apostle of Christ, in Shama, southern Lebanon.
A sacred site that stood for over 2,000 years, now in ruins.
This is a war crime.
This is a crime against history.
Germany is now offering a permanent cure for diabetes, a breakthrough that could transform treatment for millions of patients worldwide. Remarkably, while the therapy costs around $40,000 in the U.S., international patients can reportedly access it for free, making this life-changing treatment accessible to a broader population.
The cure works by using advanced stem cell and regenerative therapies to restore the body’s natural ability to produce insulin, effectively treating both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Patients regain full glucose regulation, reducing or eliminating the need for insulin injections, medications, or ongoing disease management.
Early clinical results indicate high success rates, with patients achieving normal blood sugar levels and improved metabolic function after treatment. By targeting the underlying cause of diabetes rather than just managing symptoms, this approach represents a paradigm shift in diabetes care.
Germany’s offer to international patients reflects both a commitment to medical innovation and global healthcare access, allowing individuals from around the world to benefit from cutting-edge therapies without prohibitive costs. This could save countless lives, improve quality of life, and reduce long-term complications associated with diabetes.
The development underscores the potential of regenerative medicine and stem cell technology to cure chronic diseases previously thought permanent, highlighting Germany’s leadership in making advanced medical treatments both effective and widely available.
H/T Techmed Times
#fblifestyle #techmedtimes #DiabetesCure #StemCellTherapy #MedicalInnovation
"The evidence is clear, this is not a Tomahawk
Iran alleged that an American Tomahawk Cruise Missile hit a school (buried in an IRGC compound) in southern Iran, killing 165 people.
Analysis of a newly released video tells a different story.
ANALYSIS:
A-I analysis confirms the wings of the munition in question sit about 40%-45% down the body of the munition. On a Tomahawk, the wings sit roughly 49%-50% down the body of the munition.
The wing to body ratio of the munition in question matches an Iranian Kh-55–derived Land Attack Cruise Missile.
Further, the video shows the munition in a steep dive angle for the final attack phase. This places the attack angle at approximately 70%, which is the max attack angle for a Tomahawk.
The attack angle does not match the KH-55. That angle maxes out at about 55 degrees. So what would have caused this?
CONCLUSION:
The wing positioning alone makes the munition impossible to be a Tomahawk. The attack angle is at the max of the Tomahawk's capabilities. The typical attack angle for a Tomahawk is much lower than 70 degrees. The typical angle is between 20-45 degrees.
This is due to the flight pattern of Tomahawks. They fly very low horizontally to the ground, often only 50-100 meters AGL to avoid detection and interception. In order to achieve that attack angle, the missile would have had to gain altitude several kilometers away, this would leave it vulnerable for interception. This is highly unlikely on the first day of US attacks.
So what could have caused this?
Simply put, GPS jamming of an Iranian KH-55. The USA and Israel were, and continue to actively jam the Iranian airspace.
If the KH-55's signal was jammed, this could result in an uncontrollable dive. Think of GPS jamming more like disorienting the missile.
On 03/07 President Trump stated:
“No, in my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”
Today, I concur with the President."
Via @angertab
Parents, what you see in the photo is a proud young man who served his community. Do you know how? Let me tell you. This young man completed something we call The 50 Yard Challenge. That means going into his community and mowing 50 free lawns for the elderly, disabled, single parents, veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders. Along the way, every act of service earns them a different color T-shirt, much like a karate belt system. They begin with a white shirt, and after completing all 50 lawns, they proudly earn their black shirt. Not only that, but once they finish the challenge they are also rewarded with a brand new mower, weed eater, and blower to continue their journey.
But the real reward isn’t the equipment—it’s the character, leadership, and heart for service these young people develop along the way. Some kids complete the challenge and continue mowing even more free lawns simply because they’ve discovered the joy of helping others. Others take that brand new equipment and turn it into an opportunity, starting their own small lawn care businesses and learning what it means to be young entrepreneurs.
So the question is… will your son or daughter be next? The 50 Yard Challenge is more than mowing lawns. It’s about building character, earning community service hours, learning responsibility, and making a real difference right where you live. Kids can sign up anywhere in the country, and it’s a year-round opportunity to give back. During the fall and winter months, they can continue serving by raking leaves and shoveling snow for those in need.
What do you say, parents? Let’s raise the next generation of leaders and difference-makers. Sign your kids up today. Click the link below to learn more and join the movement.
In the photo is Phoenix who completed the challenge 6 years ago ! Time flies !
Sign up : https://t.co/KAFNXZb1WY
Doesn't matter how cool you think are, you'll never be as cool as this dude driving with a meerkat wearing a sweater while standing on his shoulder. 😎🤣🤣🤣
Few people understand what the war in Ukraine means for big business. It’s not just the weapons and reconstruction contracts. Ukraine’s vast agricultural lands—among the most fertile in the world—are up for grabs, and American companies like BlackRock are at front of the line.
Apparently, if we get 5 million views of our @twitter posts in 3 months, we get a share of @elonmusk creator revenue!
So can we go 'viral' and help our 100 dogs at our rescue in Wales 🇬🇧 ?
Please SHARE SHARE SHARE 🙏 😊
#DogRescue 🐕 🐕 🐕 🐾🐾🐾
In 6 months, I turn 70 years old.
Most days, I get sun, lift heavy things (50 lb meat boxes) in my work, eat beef & eggs and I drink raw milk. I did not get the COVID jab. I still share my bed with the same woman now for 46 years, got a passel of grandchildren and have a deep faith. I don’t live scared. I was made to provide and protect.
The system wants me to retire and spend my savings on scripted travel & old people cruise trips. Our health care system advises me to avoid the sun & to always use sun screen. Food experts tell me to eat Fruit Loops and other cereals instead of beef/eggs and to never drink raw milk. The system wants me on statins, highly vaccinated and spending money on health treatments & pills I don’t need. The system wants me living in fear. I refuse the system…therefore I know nothing about health, well being, and life according to the experts.