Dark Earth Timeline

I only just realised that I hadn't answered these points and questions from back in April!

My apologies for having missed these in the hustle and bustle of writing, the football season and work, as they feature some salient points.

I had a bit of time this afternoon, lying low in preparation for a weeklong interstate school trip (Eek!) As such, even though we've seen 1963 and 1964 and some points have been developed, I will address them now, in order to flesh out the broad picture of the 1960s and provide a bit of a tithe whilst I'm away from my writing for a week.


January

1.) Salt and vinegar will follow, but the presence of rather more advanced flavours are one aspect of accelerated/new culinary development.

2.) The only lotteries legal in 1962, and 1964/5 for that matter in the United Kingdom are small-scale ones used for community fundraising.

3.) Malta and Gibraltar aren't the last crown colonies that will be directly incorporated in the UK, which is following something similar to French practice from @ as the formal empire transitions into Commonwealth Dominions. Once East and West Africa become independent in the late 1960s and 1970s, only the smaller islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans will remain. The question of Cyprus will be difficult when it eventually arises, but Heligoland, Minorca, Bermuda and the Azure Islands/Azores are likely to be incorporated quite soon. The Falklands will be an interesting question, with the option of being transferred to Prydain, but they are quite distinct at this time.

4.) King Kong came from a more southerly isle. The new Pacific island is a similar occurence to the emergence of the new Atlantic islands - a byproduct of some extremely powerful experimental magics.

5.) The arrest of the wizard who ran off at the mouth is a symptom of institutional paranoia combined with not wanting to let any threat slip by, after the circumstances of 1956 and 1960.

6.) The Brazilian and East African incidents are historical, with the Malta snowstorm being a freak event rather than the product of sorcery.



February

7.) If anything, there is even more interest in chemical warfare defoliant agents.

8.) The potion formula was located in the remains of a small ancient Gaullish settlement in Britanny that had no fewer than four Roman camps in the immediate vicinity.

9.) The Grand Conjunction of the planets resulted in much ado about very little, at least in 1962-1964.

10.) It does reflect some advances in the British press, as well as being a bit of a distraction from the more consequential changes to Fleet Street, such as the Manchester Guardian being something of a right-wing paper.

11.) The US did conduct nuclear tests on Christmas Island in @, Operation Dominic.

12.) Algeria is somewhat later in kicking off due to the absence of some earlier catalytic events and lacks the support supplied by Nasser, but it is going to hit a high level of intensity in the 1960s.

13.) Fusion will end up being successful, with some very significant consequences.

14.) Some extremely important discoveries will be made in the tomb, along with some other problems emerging from it. The details come out in 1965.

15.) Powell did a good job in his role as India Secretary in 1962-64, reflecting his interest in the subcontinent and intellect.

16.) The threat of the killer bees is a worry from @ and does have a few more developments to come.

17.) Dutch development of atomic weapons was primarily aimed at deterring Indonesia, but will play a role in the defence of Europe.

18.) Britain begins building up Egypt and the Arabs in general with modern weapons through the 1960s, which then have some mixed consequences.

19.) The Indian population is quite larger, but the process of enrolling all eligible voters across a vast area is one that won't be completed for another election cycle or so.



March

20.) The move against smoking does occur earlier and will happen with greater intensity. By the late 1960s, smoking rates will be well down from @.

21.) This Orion is very much the nuclear powered version; their engines will not be started until they are just beyond Luna.

22.) Something strange is going on the Andes and this continues to build up for the next several years.

23.) It is Aslan.

24.) The longevity of the chariot wheels suggests something to do with the circumstance of their destruction.

25.) Indeed. It is not the first or last mention of the Goodies.



April

26.) I wouldn’t recommend getting Count Dracula angry. You wouldn’t like him when he is angry…

27.) It is the Great Train Robbers from @. Here, they are simply caught during one of their earlier jobs and get the book thrown at them, albeit more lightly that what they copped in @.

28.) Mexico has a number of problems regarding its situation with the Colossus of the North, the most vexsome of which is that it is right next door to it. That puts paid to any dreams of a more independent policy or its own growth as anything more than a regional power.

29.) The various fascist leftovers of the Second World War find very short shrift in 1960s Britain, where memories are still very fresh.

30.) The lack of follow up information on the Ice Station is more a factor of it being covered up than any other.

31.) Schindler will get a bit more recognition in his own lifetime here.



May

32.) The use of geases has been employed, but not on an organised basis. Barton’s proposal attracts interest because he is in a position to put it into formal policy.

33.) You are exactly right – it does have an interesting amount to do with ‘amber extraction’. Future developments will be forthcoming.

34.) As we later see, Presley has a longer life that rapidly becomes very, very interesting.

35.) The early 1960s see Anglo-Chinese relations enter a general chill after a late 50s thaw, but Peking knows that it cannot act decisively against Hong Kong without risking general strategic retaliation, not to mention the suspected presence of tactical nuclear weapons.

36.) You do hit the nail on the head here – they will end up reducing hurricanes, but cause some ‘interesting’ events elsewhere.

37.) It does give some urgency to the need to develop new technologies for deep space flight.



June

38.) The Soviet actions in Novocherkassk indicate that, whilst reforms are happening and there seems to be a gradual move towards certain liberalization, it is backed up by naked force and the will to use it.

39.) The 1962 Republican gubernatorial nomination in @ was won by Richard Nixon, who lost and gave his ‘last’ press conference in an embittered mood. Here, Nixon is already on the Supreme Court and is out of political calculations; who knows how high he will rise on the court, though...

40.) The arrested “spider-man” was the real deal and found out unfortunately that he couldn’t simply do whatever a spider can. He got away with a fine, though, which was paid by a Daily Planet reporter.

41.) It sets Lucas back for the moment, but there will be developments coming on that matter in 1965.

42.) Duncan Edwards isn’t the only member of a very powerful England XI, which also included the likes of Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Roger Byrne, Gordon Banks and Johnny Haynes. Brazil also has a few players missing.

43.) Stalin Jr. heeds the lessons that his father did not learn – messing in the Middle East without fulsome preparation is a recipe for disaster.



July

44.) Correct on both accounts. The Dutch are using newer British multiple rocket launchers that are hardly a precision weapon, but more of a grid square removal service! Overkill, even on the jungle, indicates that the Dutch (and Commonwealth) are sending a direct lesson to the Indonesians. It doesn’t really sink in, even by 1965.

45.) Little Feller was underground, whereas Starfish Prime was up in space. All sides seem to be holding to the letter of the Atmospheric Test Ban agreement.

46.) The Egyptian programme gets revealed in 1965, leading to consequences.

47.) Finch and Savage, as well as being enjoyable references, are both very good at their jobs. There are some similar precedents to the Atticus Finch situation, going from a former Vice President to SecState, but nothing direct.

48.) The ABM problem is getting a lot of money put into it in order to be the first to have a viable defensive screen in place, even if it isn’t an impenetrable one for the moment.

49.) Launching Orion from Earth or orbit would have too many negative consequences. The additional utility is that building in the lower gravity of the moons is a bit easier.

50.) Whilst that is a historical incident, the progress of medicine is going to be moving a fair bit faster.

51.) It is a very similar equivalent to the Skaven, albeit not as superpowered. Warhammer Fantasy had many interesting elements, but I never cared to the ‘grimdark’ atmosphere, the slightly juvenile tone or the unstoppable superpowers of every single villainous faction.

52.) The air raid was very, very nasty. There was no treaty banning chemical weapons in Dark Earth, but rather a gentleman’s agreement between the world wars. They were used both in Europe and the Far East and, in Korea, there was considerable use from mid 1951 onwards, starting with Operation Sanitation. Even then, the use of chlorine trifluoride was seen as pretty rough.

53.) Johansson did regain his title due to a combination of injuries and fortune; Cooper did not stay World Champion for long. There is going to be a bit more variety at the top of world boxing, though.

54.) The Star Blazer is fully detailed in the first part of Space: The New Frontier.



August

55.) The nasty accident indicates that Britain has an extremely active biological and chemical weapons programme.

56.) There were a few other non-Soviet nuclear powered merchant ships in @ - NS Savannah, the West German Otto Hahn and a Japanese one. Here, they have a bit more of a niche with the larger world.

57.) Historically, there were some experiments with underwater exploration and research stations by the USN and NASA. They have some reasons for trying a more extensive programme here.

58.) It is a manned flight, but only a small-scale one as a proof of concept mission. Consider it an equivalent to Apollo 8’s flight around the moon without all elements of the spacecraft.

59.) The South Seas Federation would be a very nasty proposition in rugby, as well as providing for more regional cooperation and development.

60.) The Soviet statement is taken as a compliment; they regularly brand the USA, French, Western Alliance and other groupings in similar terms. They are nothing if not consistent.



September

61.) Wanda was completely natural, although some future typhoons will not be.

62.) A giant Labrador would be both terrifying and inordinantly friendly. It was finally distracted by a truckload of basketballs overturning on a nearby highway.

63.) Historically, filming of War and Peace began in mid 1962.

64.) The absence of the Beeching Axe will have so many different social consequences that it stands out as one of the really significant events of the year. I am glad that you noticed this one.

65.) Liberman’s ideas are gradually tried in 1963 and 1964 and then move on to the next level in 1965 and beyond.

66.) The Swallows in @ were not military. They are extremely powerful and revolutionary aircraft, but won’t be the last that Barnes Wallis designs.

67.) This is another very significant event, as no incidents of proven healing or clerical magic had been observed since the 1700s.



October

68.) Leprosy will be gone by the end of the decade.

69.) We definitely will hear from Archbishop Wojtyla, quite a bit.

70.) The minotaur at Knossos may well be that met by Theseus; Charlie Chan had been enjoying a comfortable retirement since WW2.



November

71.) Turing has a long and successful career still ahead of him.

72.) Moss remains active, not having his accident. He has quite the rivalry with Graham Hill through the mid 1960s.

73.) Biggles is a young and sprightly 64 by this time, although he looks to be twenty years younger.

74.) There isn’t any French involvement in the Concord, but the name is chosen as a means of mending bridges with both the French and USA post 1956. It is a bigger and faster plane.

75.) The processions of elves are a sign that the world is changing and that some communities of elves feel it is changing too much for their tastes.



December

76.) Definitely. The war will need to be won through the correct strategy and leadership in South Vietnam; extra allies help, but won’t be a panacea.

77.) As is later revealed, the apparent destruction of the Mona Lisa is an insurance fraud. The perpetrators get the book thrown at them.

78.) The Sharpe Report is extremely important for the changing and reforming British Army, creating an extremely formidable field force in Germany. Facing the Red Army, it needs to be.

79.) Captain Pugwash was not a truly bad pirate.

80.) The German offer does result in quite a windfall of Red propaganda.

81.) It is a cold and long winter, but any means of ameliorating it were essentially used up in 1947.

82.) They were extinct in @. Here, they were preserved as the playthings of North African potentates, before benefitting from the period of European colonization, unlike the human residents.

83.) The interception attempts on Father Christmas are a fun-filled tradition, but also a cause of vexation for certain NORAD commanders.

84.) Moss was successful, IIRC, but he and Hill start to have quite the competition over the coming years.

85.) The Test Ban is a good step, showing a slight thaw in the Cold War.

86.) Colonel Fawcett’s circumstances are left a bit mysterious here in a deliberate move. He did find what he was looking for and seemed to be alone, for now. It will eventually come out, both in the timeline and stories.

1965


January
January 1: North Vietnamese troops withdraw from the Battle of Binh Gia in the face of heavy USAF bombing attacks.
January 2: Opening of the first Luftwaffe airbase on non-German territory since the Second World War in Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam, operating in support of the German Brigade.
January 3: Indonesia announces its intention to leave the League of Nations.
January 4: President Kennedy delivers State of the Union address to a joint sitting of the United States Congress, describing the importance of fulfilling the goals of the New Frontier and defending freedom in South Vietnam.
January 5: Aspiring racecar driver George Lucas has his sight restored after experimental surgery in San Francisco.
January 6: Completion of Milan Cathedral after 567 years.
January 7: The ELN launch a new series of bloody ambushes of government forces in Colombia.
January 8: The Bank of France requests that the US Treasury convert $250 million of its holdings in French francs into gold.
January 9: Four people are killed in the 'Hope Slide', the largest landslide in Canadian history, which buries British Columbia Highway 3 under 1.6 billion cubic feet of rock and earth.
January 10: An Indonesian tugboat is sunk by patrolling RN MTBs off the coast of Malaya after straying into Malay waters. 18 crew members are rescued, but over 50 commandoes are thought to have drowned.
January 11: Announcement of dispatch of a Royal Navy task force lead by the new atomic supercarrier HMS Victorious to reinforce the Far East Fleet.
January 12: Israeli undercover agent Eli Cohen successfully escapes Syria in a predawn helicopter extraction.
January 13: RAF Bomber Command announces the deployment of 10 Valiant and Vulcan heavy bomber squadrons to Malaya, Burma and India in response to the Indonesian Crisis.
January 14: Egyptologists trying to penetrate the Tomb of Ramesses the Great report a dread mummy emerging from a secret passage through the walls. All involved fall sick with a terrible plague within the hour.
January 15: President Kennedy telephones Reverend Martin Luther King and discusses call for Negro to be included in his Cabinet.
January 16: The Soviet Union carries out his first official 'peaceful nuclear explosion' in the Kazakh SSR as part of the excavation of a dam on the Chagan River.
January 17: Activation of the first test unit of the Royal Swedish Air Force equipped with the new Saab Viking supersonic air superiority fighter. The Viking is described by Swedish aviation journalists as the best performing and most manoeuvrable fighter in the Free World.
January 18: Italian economic growth in the South and Sicily reaches its highest level since the Second World War.
January 19: The British 6th Airborne Division begins deployment to Malaya by skyship.
January 20: President John F. Kennedy is sworn in at his second inauguration in Washington D.C., pledging a renewed focus on strength abroad and reform at home.
January 21: Commissioning of the Royal Navy atomic super battleship HMS Victoria in Newcastle-on-Tyne.
January 22: Soviet newspapers accuse the western powers of placing a nuclear land mine belt along the German-Polish border.
January 23: Imperial Chinese great wyrm Shi Hzu Teng becomes the world's largest dragon.
January 24: A Liberian cargo ship attacked by megalodons in the North Pacific.
January 25: Discovery of the fossil remains of a new hitherto unknown species of hominid in East Africa.
January 26: The Antonov An-24 'Antei' strategic six-engine turboprop transport enters into service with the Red Air Force.
January 27: Defence Secretary Clark Savage presents a detailed paper on the United States' Basic Policy in Vietnam to President Kennedy, calling on a heavier commitment of military forces to force a change of Communist policy in South East Asia.
January 28: Signing of the Treaty of Turin, a Franco-German-Italian trade agreement on the lowering of tariffs and restrictions on the import of certain goods.
January 29: Bolivian peasants report a UFO crash near Lake Titicaca; Bolivian Army forces seal off the alleged crash site in conjunction with foreign advisors.
January 30: The de Havilland Tornado variable geometry strike fighter enters service with the Royal Air Force.
January 31: President Kennedy authorises the dispatch of a reinforced brigade of US troops to the Congo to protect Western interests.

February
February 1: The remains of a broken ancient statue found in by uranium prospectors in Colorado.
February 2: Royal Air Force TSR-2s conduct several overflights of Sumatra at high altitude throughout the day.
February 3: Belgium signs an extensive military training and supply agreement with the Congolese Government.
February 4: Queen Elizabeth II is awarded the honour of the freedom of the city of Addis Ababa on her state visit to Ethiopia
February 5: Lufthansa announces its intention to purchases 80 Vickers VC-10s and 20 Hawker-Siddeley Concords in one of the largest civil aviation orders of the decade..
February 6: President Kennedy arrives in Stockholm for a state visit to Sweden, being met by a crowd of over 200,000.
February 7: Viet Cong forces conduct a damaging mortar attack on a US air base at Camp Holloway, Pleiku, destroying twelve US helicopters and aircraft. In response, President Kennedy orders Operation Flaming Dart, a major bombing attack by USAF F-105s and USN carrier aircraft on Đồng Hới and other North Vietnamese targets around the Gulf of Tonkin.
February 8: Twenty-four South Vietnamese Air Force A-4 Skyhawks bomb targets in Quảng Bình Province, North Vietnam, returning to a heroes welcome.
February 9: Mobs of Soviet citizens spontaneously conduct riotous attacks on the US Embassy in Moscow in response to the bombing of North Vietnam. The Moscow Militsiya arrests one elderly grandmother.
February 10: Viet Cong forces conduct a mortar attack on a US base at Qui Nohn, sparking heavy airstrikes on Vinh in response. General Abrams authorises the creation of safe zones around US military facilities in South Vietnam.
February 11: A Soviet nuclear attack submarine goes missing off north of the Azure Islands.
February 12: The United States Air Force announces that it has selected the strategic electronic warfare variant of the British TSR-2 to replace the EB-47 in SAC service.
February 13: A joint declaration by the German Democratic Republic, the People's Republic of Poland and the People's Republic of Romania announces that they will aid North Vietnam in whatever way possible.
February 14: USAF B-47s and B-52s and RAF Valiants and Vulcans strike North Vietnam in the latest mass raids of Operation Rolling Thunder in coordination with massive carrier air strikes launched from the USN carrier task force in the Gulf of Tonkin. Heavy damage is inflicted on Haiphong, Vinh and the air base complex around the Red River Delta. Two B-47s crash in a navigation accident on their egress route, whilst a further Stratojet is shot down by a North Vietnamese SA-2 surface-to-air missile after being forced down from their operational altitude.
February 15: Release of The Greatest Story Ever Told, an expansive Biblical epic on the life of Jesus Christ, starring Max Von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton and Anthony Quayle.
February 16: Launch of Orion 3 from the orbit of Luna, a new extensive test flight to the outer reaches of the asteroid belt prior to the Jovian missions.
February 17: US Army medical helicopters spot an unknown trawler unloaded arms in Vung Ro Bay, South Vietnam and sink it with machine-gun fire. Over 150 tons of arms are discovered in the wreck.
February 18: President Kennedy meets with a group of top-ranking American bankers, arguing successfully for a voluntary limit on foreign lending in the United States.
February 19: Discovery of the remains of Saint Peter by archaeologist Margherita Guarducci in the Vatican.
February 20: Three USN battleships conduct extensive gunfire strikes on North Vietnamese and Viet Cong targets in the Central Highlands.
February 21: An editorial in Pravda sets out new guidance on the encouragement of scientific and intellectual creativity and curiousity, representing the latest development in apparent ongoing Soviet liberalisation efforts.
February 22: Spanish students riot in Madrid and Barcelona against the powers and role of the Spanish Inquisition; over 200 are arrested in a subsequent wave of predawn raids.
February 23: Rangers report spotting a walking forest in the middle of the night on the Yorkshire Moors.
February 24: The French cabinet decides to withdraw from Hainan by 1969 in a decision regarded as a shock by US and British officials, but is predicated on the need to concentrate their forces in the Far East on Kwang-Chou-Wan and the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam.
February 25: Restrictions are issued by the US National Association of Broadcasters on the content of alcoholic beverage advertisements on American television, with excessive quaffing, guzzling and smacking of lips forbidden as not in the best interests of good taste and discretion.
February 26: The Polish government in exile commissions a strategic study on the long term viability of the Free Polish Army.
February 27: Singapore is granted responsible domestic self-government within the British Empire.
February 28: Commissioning of the first Project 667 atomic submarines of the Red Navy, the 14,000t 'Yankee' class SSBNs, equipped with 20 SS-N-6 ballistic missiles.

March
March 1: Stirling Moss wins the Australian Grand Prix.
March 2: Premiere of The Sound of Music, an adaption of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, at the Rivoli Theater in New York City.
March 3: The Gloster Lion ground-attack fighter enters service with the RAF.
March 4: Initiation of Operation Market Time, the maritime blockade of South Vietnam.
March 5: Eruption of Mount Kilauea in Hawaii.
March 6: The Times reports that Egypt has an active secret rocket programme underway, sparking frenzied protests and denials from Cairo.
March 7: Death of Queen Louise of Sweden at the age of 75.
March 8: Authorisation of a new, more flammable form of napalm for use in US incendiaries.
March 9: Launch of OSCAR 3, an artificial satellite carrying a transponder for communication between amateur radio operators, by the United States.
March 10: Suspected Indonesian saboteurs plant a bomb at MacDonald House in Singapore; it is detected and removed by Imperial Police forensic sorcerers before it can explode.
March 11: British and South African police recover 20 missing gold bars in Durban that had been reported missing from a South African liner some twenty days earlier.
March 12: French Premier Charles de Gaulle announces that he will retire in November after 20 years in office.
March 13: The Surgeon General of the United States reports that chasing road-runners is hazardous to one's health.
March 14: Interpol agents come within minutes of arresting Che Guevara in Constantinople.
March 15: Imperial Police arrest two Indonesian agents over the attempted MacDonald House bombings in Singapore.
March 16: An alleged Soviet spy is uncovered in London in a series of Special Branch and Security Service raids.
March 17: Indonesia officially leaves the League of Nations.
March 18: The United States Marine Corps take delivery of their first Hawker Siddeley Harriers.
March 19: Britain breaks diplomatic relations with Indonesia.
March 20: Maiden flight of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic jet airliner.
March 21: A task force of the Royal Navy Far East Fleet moves through Indonesian waters in freedom of navigation exercise.
March 22: The RAAF conducts several heavy air strikes with Vickers Valiants on suspected Viet Cong bases in South Vietnam.
March 23: Royal Navy and Indonesian ships come close to an open confrontation at sea as the former passes through the Sunda Strait, with US and Soviet ships moving towards the region. In the afternoon, Britain conducts an underground test of a hydrogen bomb in South Australia and launch a Blue Streak missile on a test flight from Australia to Christmas Island in the Pacific as a demonstration of their intent and capability.
March 24: An emergency international crisis summit is held in Manila to attempt to head off an Anglo-Indonesian War.
March 25: Indonesia's Foreign Ministry issues a statement to the effect that it respects the borders and sovereignty of Malaya.
March 26: Egypt offers the dismantled Temple of Dendur to the United States as a goodwill gesture.
March 27: Norwegian tanker SS Nora collides with the Liberian cargo vessel MV Otto N. Miller off the coast of Eastbourne, leading to a large oil spill in the English Channel
March 28: Federal elections are held across the Congo amid tight security and widespread violence.
March 29: A report by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff concludes that total victory in Vietnam will require commitment of a further 750,000 men over five more years.
March 30: US Space Corps satellites detect a Chinese ICBM test in the Gobi Desert.
March 31: Public unveiling of the Vinland Map at Yale University.

April
April 1: Strategic Air Command announces that the Atlas ICBM will be fully retired by the end of the year in light of increased production of Minutemen missiles.
April 2: Chinese diplomats reach an agreement with North Vietnamese authorities on the greatly increased provision of military aid.
April 3: US and North Vietnamese jet fighters clash over the Thanh Hoa province of North Vietnam.
April 4: In what is termed the Air Battle of the Thanh Hóa Bridge, USAF F-105s and F-111s succeed in destroying the strategic bridge, with three Thunderchiefs shot down by extremely heavy anti-aircraft artillery.
April 5: My Fair Lady wins Best Picture and Best Director at the 37th Academy Awards, with Rex Harrison winning Best Actor and Julie Andrews winning Best Actress for her titular role in Mary Poppins.
April 6: The US battleships Montana, Kansas and Pennsylvania conduct a series of very long range gunfire support missions in Central Vietnam and Laos.
April 7: An attempted communist uprising in Bulgaria is quashed by a swift reaction by loyalist troops.
April 8: Goblins attack the Orient Express in Southern Yugoslavia, sparking calls for a punitive response.
April 9: The 100th anniversary of US Civil War is marked by attendance by the few living veterans.
April 10: A Royal Jordanian Airlines Handley-Page Herald flying between Beirut and Amman comes near to crashing, but is saved by a flying man in traditional Arab costume.
April 11: 47 tornadoes ravage the American Midwest on Palm Sunday, killing 271 and causing $250 million worth of damage to homes and properties.
April 12: Soviet astronomers issue an announcement of the discovery of an extraterrestrial civilisation, but are unable to provide full details to international journalists.
April 13: The United States and South Vietnam begin Operation Fact Sheet, a psychological warfare program of dropping leaflets over North Vietnamese cities.
April 14: A secret meeting of the Majestic 12 is held in Washington D.C.
April 15: Germany pays its final reparations payment of $125 million to Israel.
April 16: Orion 3 sends a television broadcast back to Earth from the asteroid belt as it continues its ongoing exploration mission.
April 17: The International Revolutionary Army launches a rocket attack on League of Nations offices in Geneva, outraging the world.
April 18: Conclusion of the World Halfling Conference in Middlesbrough.
April 19: Anglo-American agents arrest a number of suspected Nazis in Berlin after directions by an agent named Quiller.
April 20: Nationalisation of all foreign businesses in Indonesia.
April 21: Reopening of the New York World's Fair for the year.
April 22: The United States issues a comminque that states that it reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in Vietnam in response to a major escalation by the enemy.
April 23: Across England, celebrations are held to mark St. George's Day, including the annual Royal Archery contest and several jousting tournaments.
April 24: An attempted counter-coup is launched by supporters of the former government in the Dominican Republic.
April 25: Arrival of a large Soviet aid convoy in Haiphong, along with the signing of an air bridge agreement with China on the Soviet use of Chinese airspace.
April 26: The Prime Minister of Persia is assassinated by anti-government dissidents.
April 27: Launch of the France's first atomic super battleship, France, at Toulon.
April 28: US forces launch an invasion of Dominican Republic to restore the legitimate government.
April 29: Maiden flight of the Lockheed XC-150 strategic superheavy jet transport.
April 30: Men suspected of being ODESSA agents rob a bank in Madrid.

May
May 1: Liverpool beat Leeds United 2-1 to win FA Cup in front of 120,000 spectators at Empire Stadium.
May 2: Taiwanese and Imperial Chinese Navy gunboats clash in the Straits of Taiwan, with several vessels from each side severely damaged.
May 3: An earthquake registering 7.5 on the Richter scale hits San Salvador, killing 121 people.
May 4: Launch of a new Italian spaceship on a flight to Mars.
May 5: Canadian Prime Minister Sir William Richardson engages in a lengthy discussion with CBC journalists in a televised interview in response to the contention that he is becoming increasingly out of touch with younger voters due to his advanced age.
May 6: Opening of the World Wizarding Conclave in Salamanca.
May 7: President Kennedy authorises an additional $1.5 billion in defence spending for the war in Vietnam, stating that "America keeps her promises."
May 8: Beginning of a new major Atlantic Alliance exercise in Western Germany, involving the airlifting of troops across the Atlantic Ocean from the United States to pre-positioned equipped stocks.
May 9: Marshal Zhukov takes the prime position in the review of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, sparking speculation among several Western intelligence agencies as to any potential meaning to this development.
May 10: US Marines land in Haiti in a series of predawn amphibious operations, supported by carrier-based aircraft. President Kennedy states that the United States has intervened in the strife-torn nation in the defence of regional security and in the interests of all mankind.
May 11: Percy Fawcett publishes an article in The Times, telling the highly redacted tale of his decades-long disappearence. Apparently, he found himself the victim of a strange magic that obscured the passage of time; most of the account is based around natural observations rather than definite facts, to the frustration of readers and foreign intelligence operatives alike.
May 12: The Italian superliner SS Michaelangelo enters service with the Italian Line.
May 13: US Marines destroy hundreds of zombies in a running battle in Haiti, making copious use of napalm, artillery and close air support.
May 14: Germany and Israel formally open fully normalised diplomatic relations.
May 15: A USAF B-56 Canberra waiting to take off at Bien Hoa Air Base explodes, setting of a chain of explosions that destroys 20 other aircraft.
May 16: Godzilla attacks the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai, emerging from the East China Sea to ravage the port and commercial district, inflicting devastating damage. Hundreds of Imperial Chinese Air Force fighters are scrambled to attack the beast, but it escapes after shrugging off their vain attempts to damage it.
May 17: The world reels in shock at the news of the Shanghai Attack. The Emperor of China orders his fleet to sea to chase down and destroy the Pacific Monster once and for all.
May 18: Scotland Yard detectives arrest a half-elven petty criminal on suspicion of being the infamous 'Jack the Stripper'.
May 19: Godzilla sinks the Chinese battleship Pingyuan 85 nautical miles north of Yonaguni, with only 367 of the 2240 crew rescued. Imperial Chinese Navy patrols fail to locate the monster.
May 20: A White Paper on Civil Defence is released by the War Ministry and the Home Office, outlining the improvements made in British civil defence capabilities and preparations over the last five years and the improvements still to be made.
May 21: President Kennedy formally approves the scheduling for the Orion flight to the Jovian system.
May 22: The Social-Democratic government is returned to power in the Austro-Hungarian general election, establishing a majority government in its own right for the first time since the Second World War.
May 23: A monstrous salt-water crocodile is killed in Australia by a daring bushman, who dispatched the 39ft beast with his knife.
May 24: Bolivian communist guerillas begin an insurgency against the government.
May 25: Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston by knock-out to claim the World Heavyweight Championship in a highly anticipated fight in Baltimore.
May 26: Release of J.R.R. Tolkien's new novel, The New Shadow, the first in a long awaited sequel trilogy to The Lord of the Rings.
May 27: Australian troops ambush Indonesian forces at the Battle of Sungei Koemba on Borneo, inflicting substantial losses.
May 28: The Prime Minister of Korea addresses the League of Nations on Korea's progress since the end of the Korean War and reunification.
May 29: Discovery of the Samotlor oil field in Siberia, one of the largest oil deposits in the world.
May 30: President Kennedy arrives in Australia, becoming the first US President to visit the country.
May 31: The global dragon population is estimated at 1248.

June
June 1: Formal establishment of the division of Allied naval forces off South Vietnam, with the Commonwealth carrier task force operating at 'Dixie Station', whilst the United States operate forces at 'Yankee' Station in the Gulf of Tonkin and the French Marine Royale maintains its force in the Gulf of Siam.
June 2: Inauguration of a satellite telephone connection across the Atlantic, providing a new means of communication between Europe and North America.
June 3: The Japanese Farmland Reward Bill is passed by the Imperial Diet.
June 4: Three people are killed in a Big Springs, Nebraska bank robbery.
June 5: The Italian oil tanker SS Luisa catches fire in Bandar-e Mahshahr, Persia, and subsequently sinks.
June 6: Two divisions of Soviet troops begin deployment to North Vietnam.
June 7: A methane gas explosion in Bosnia kills 128 coal miners.
June 8: American physicists from Johns Hopkins University announce the discovery of the 'four corners of the Earth'.
June 9: Outbreak of the Dhofar Rebellion in Oman.
June 10: British troops defeat a large Viet Cong force at the Battle of Đồng Xoài.
June 11: President Kennedy declares that the promotion of the English language should be a key objective of US foreign aid policy and directs the Freedom Corps to take appropriate measures to this end.
June 12: Australian troops ambush Indonesian forces in the attle of Sungei Koemba in Borneo.
June 13: The 1965 Belgian Grand Prix is won by Jim Clark.
June 14: Introduction of 24 hour time in British Railway timetables.
June 15: A USAF B-58 crashes at the Paris Air Show, killing the three crew.
June 16: The USAF and RAF carry out their heaviest bombing strikes on North Vietnam to date, with bothB-52s and Vulcans hitting targets in Hanoi; substantial parts of the city are severely damaged.
June 17: Opening of an Imperial Conference in London, Prime Minister Barton’s first in his time in office.
June 18: The last of the Garabandal Apparitions is witnessed by Conchita Gonzalez.
June 19: Opening of the first atomic power plant in the Netherlands.
June 20: The USAF launches its first SRBM strikes from Thailand at targets in North Vietnam.
June 21: President Kennedy signs a bill substantially reducing tariffs on a range of manufactured and consumer goods.
June 22: Divers discover a sunken Spanish galleon from the 1715 Treasure Fleet off the coast of Florida.
June 23: Ethiopia and the British Empire reach an agreement for tariff reductions and directing the flow of capital investment towards Ethiopian business.
June 24: An Anglo-American agreement on basing in Ceylon for US Navy vessels is signed in Colombo.
June 25: Japan and Korea sign a Treaty on Basic Relations between the two states.
June 26: 32 Western missionaries and civilians are rescued by mercenaries in the Congo from the clutches of Simba rebels.
June 27: The US 1st Air Cavalry Division launches Operation Moss, an extensive airmobile sweep along the Laotian border.
June 28: Pan Am Flight 843 lands safely at Travis AFB, despite losing an engine, one third of the right wing and being on fire.
June 29: New York State becomes the first state to require all apartment doors to incorporate peep holes.
June 30: President Kennedy signs the Social Security Act of 1965 into law at a ceremony at the White House.

July
July 1: Imperial China establishes its Strategic Missile Force, the Dier Paobing or Second Artillery.
July 2: A secret M15 paper declares that there is clear evidence of extensive Spetsnaz activities in Britain.
July 3: The Football Association alters its rules to allow the substitution of injured players during a game.
July 4: Reverend Martin Luther King delivers a speech entitled 'The American Dream' at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
July 5: The world's largest superliner is laid down at John Brown on Clydeside.
July 6: Australia calls up two CMF divisions to free up Regular Army manpower for overseas deployment.
July 7: US signals intelligence reports the presence of at least 40,000 Chinese advisors in North Vietnam.
July 8: Nigerian rebel groups attempt to sabotage oil pipelines near Lagos, but are caught by RAF surveillance aircraft.
July 9: The United States Senate passes the Medicare Act.
July 10: A USAF fighter sweep over North Vietnam shoots down 11 Mig-17s for the loss of 2 F-4 Phantoms.
July 11: Establishment of the People's Revolutionary Alliance of Central America.
July 12: A US Navy sailor accidentally releases 3000 tons of fuel oil from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt to
July 13: US Army Sergeant First Class Isaac Camacho arrives safely in South Vietnam, having escaped Viet Cong captivity.
July 14: The United States Treasury proposes the elimination of silver from US coinage to address the national silver shortage, which has confounded observers.
July 15: An unidentified flying object is spotted 5000ft over Canberra Airport.
July 16: Opening of the Mount Blanc tunnel by the Kings of France and Italy.
July 17: Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition Sir Anthony Eden announces his retirement from politics, sparking a Conservative leadership contest.
July 18: Unveiling of a domestic Greek tank prototype in Constantinople.
July 19: Germany signs a treaty on the civilian use of space with the United States, Britain, France and Canada.
July 20: John Profumo becomes Leader of the Conservative Party after a number of backroom discussions.
July 21: End of the Yemen Rebellion.
July 22: Delivery of 50 MiG-23s to North Vietnam.
July 23: The World Archery championship is held at Nottingham, with the Grand Prize of a Silver Arrow being won by an elderly longbowman from the West Country.
July 24: Singapore is formally granted domestic self-rule within the British Empire.
July 25: RCAF Canadair Swiftsures strike at Viet Cong targets using napalm in support of Canadian Army ground operations.
July 26: A panel of US doctors and medical researchers hold a press conference in Washington D.C. hailing what appears to be an effective cure for cancer.
July 27: USAF aircraft strike suspected SA-2 surface to air missile sites in North Vietnam in Operation Spring High.
July 28: The Royal Navy launches several dozen aircraft sorties from a Far East Fleet carrier task force on manoeuvres off Singapore to warn off Indonesian naval aircraft.
July 29: President Kennedy signs the Medicare Act of 1965 at the White House in front of President Truman.
July 30: FBI detectives investigating rumours of a travelling miracle worker named Jonathan Smith can find no trace of him across 18 states.
July 31: Buckingham Palace announces that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is pregnant.

August
August 1: Jim Clark narrowly wins Formula One Championship over a tight field of contenders headed up by Stirling Moss.
August 2: US Marines destroy a number of suspected Viet Cong strongposts and sniper positions in the Battle of Cam Ne, with striking pictures of the action provided by Marine photographers.
August 3: Californian highway inspector Rex Heflin takes several clear Polaroid pictures of a UFO and the alleged alien pilot.
August 4: British and Gurkha troops destroy an estimated battalion sized force of Viet Cong in a running battle in Phuoc Long Province, South Vietnam.
August 5: Republican members of the House of Representatives urge President Kennedy to declare war on North Vietnam.
August 6: A nationwide civil defence exercise in Germany is hailed by foreign observers as a masterwork of precision and efficiency.
August 7: Two KGB agents defect to Canada in Toronto in a carefully orchestrated operation.
August 8: The CIA issues a report on the potential power of Korea, concluding that, should it be able to avoid open conflict with China or the Soviet Union over the next 20 years, it will advance considerably in economic, industrial and military strength.
August 9: An explosion and fire inside a Titan II missile silo in Arkansas is extinguished at the cost of the lives of 53 workers trapped inside.
August 10: Madasgascar indicates that it is willing to provide a contingent for the Free World Military Forces in South Vietnam, aiming to secure lucrative US investment and aid.
August 11: Japanese Prime Minister Akira Tanaka gives a well-received speech to the Imperial Diet on the future development and modernisation of Japanese economic and industrial power, giving it the full capacity to defend itself, its interests and its allies.
August 12: French paratroopers conduct a series of heliborne raids on Algerian rebel command targets in the Atlas Mountains.
August 13: The British spaceship Dreadnought arrives at the asteroid of Vesta with with a substantial mining mission component.
August 14: Britain offers to mediate between Israel and the Arab Union on the Jordan River issue in an attempt to defuse regional tensions.
August 15: The Australian Federal Government announces that it will purchase a number of short and medium range ballistic missile systems from Britain and exercise its option for the purchase of a further 80 McDonnell F-4 Phantoms.
August 16: 72 Nazi war criminals are convicted at the latest Frankfurt Auschwitz Trial, with 38 receiving death sentences.
August 17: President Sukarno announces his 'Proclamation of Indonesian Independence', withdrawing from the World Bank.
August 18: In Operation Starlite, two regiments of the US 3rd Marine Division launch attacks on Viet Cong strongholds and suspected base areas on the Van Tuong peninsula.
August 19: Greece declares that it should be regarded as a nuclear-weapons state.
August 20: British economic growth reaches its highest monthly rate of the decade thus far at 1.4%.
August 21: China conducts a successful ICBM test, televising footage across the Empire.
August 22: First broadcast of the United Television Network, a fifth major network in United States television.
August 23: French Foreign Legion forces launch a large scale combined operation in Vinh Long Province, South Vietnam.
August 24: KGB agents arrest three dozen Ukrainian nationalists in a series of raids in the Ukrainian SSR.
August 25: The Admiralty places orders for the construction of eight new atomic submarines with Vickers, Beardmores and Armstrong-Whitworth.
August 26: Brazilian state media reports that Leon Trotsky is gravely ill at his home in Rio de Janeiro.
August 27: The Soviet Union launches the Kosmos 3 spaceship on a mission beyond the asteroid belt from lunar orbit.
August 28: Establishment of the first branch of 'Peter's Super Submarine Sandwiches', later known as 'Subway', in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
August 29: RAAF Vickers Valiants strike Viet Cong positions and area targets in Phuoc Toy Province.
August 30: Commissioning of the newest atomic supercarrier in the United States Navy, USS Yorktown.
August 31: US protests against Vietnam War countered by FBI raids

September
September 1: The United States announces that it will base a number of USAF and USN units in Hong Kong as part of an expanded regional presence.
September 2: Two homes are damaged after a Thor test launch goes awry near Vandenburg AFB.
September 3: The Imperial Chinese Government declares a new international doctrine of 'national support', whereby it will offer aid and succour to those new nations trying to emerge from colonial domination.
September 4: Tens of thousands flock to the Royal Indian Navy's first major Fleet Day, which also sees the announcement of the construction of two new domestically built aircraft carriers.
September 5: Pravda publishes an editorial entitled 'The Friendship of Peoples', which condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms.
September 6: 96 B-52s raid Haiphong overnight, inflicting severe damage to the port and warehouse district.
September 7: US Marines launch Operation Piranha, a regimental sized offensive sweep against Viet Cong guerillas on the Batangan Peninsula.
September 8: Tensions between Israel and the surrounding Arab states begin to rise after the collapse of talks on the waters of the Jordan River.
September 9: USAF skyships go into action over Laos for the first time in the Vietnam War, conducting a number of air raids on Pathet Lao held territory.
September 10: The Arab Union issues a military declaration that it will seek to modernise its collective forces with all sources of equipment and expertise.
September 11: Unveiling of the prototype of a domestically developed Yugoslav airliner.
September 12: Jackie Stewart wins the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of Graham Hill and Sterling Moss.
September 13: Very long term construction of a United States starship begins on Minerva.
September 14: PM Stanley Barton arrives in Australia for the first leg of a tour of the Commonwealth
September 15: US Space Corps ships engage Space Nazi forces in a running battle near Ceres.
September 16: All six major New York newspapers are closed down in a strike called by the American Newspaper Guild.
September 17: Debut of Hogan's Heroes, a gritty World War Two POW drama, on CBS
September 18: Discovery of the wreck of the French sailing ship Le Chameau off the coast of Nova Scotia
September 19: The CDU/CSU/DKP coalition records a crushing victory in the German Federal Election.
September 20: A USAF F-104 is shot down by Imperial Chinese Air Force jets after it strays into Chinese airspace.
September 21: Field Marshal Lord Harding is nominatrd as Governor-General of Australia by Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies.
September 22: President Kennedy signs the Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1965 into law, beginning a new front in his administration's 'War on Crime'.
September 23: The Aviation Ministry reports that more Boeing 707s are operated by world airlines than British jets, such as the de Havilland Comet and Super Comet 5, for the first time since the Second World War.
September 24: Jane's All the World's Forces publishes an update on the largest independent non-government armed adventuring entities, with The Silver League leading the table, followed by the Free Fighters, the White Order, the Warriors of Freedom and the Sons of the Dawn.
September 25: The Vought A7 Corsair II transonic fighter-bomber enters USN and USMC service.
September 26: TASS announces that a series of economic policy reforms will be unveiled in the new year.
September 27: Launch of the world's largest ship, the 'supertanker' Tokyo Maru in Yokohama, Japan.
September 28: Eruption of the Taal Volcano off the coast of Luzon, killing almost 600 island residents.
September 29: A meeting of several millionaire adventurers in New York City proposes the establishment of an International Rescue Organisation.
September 30: The USAF awards Boeing a contract for the development of a new very long range strategic transport.

October
October 1: The world's first undersea telephone conversation occurs between US aquanauts living in SEALAB off the coast of California and French oceanauts living in a bathyscaph off the coast of Monaco.
October 2: A reshuffle of the Politburo reportedly takes place in Moscow according to American intelligence assets.
October 3: President Kennedy gives a notable speech on US immigration policy, emphasising the value of the cultural melting pot.
October 4: Pope Paul VI becomes the first Pope to visit the United States, appearing at a Mass for 100,000 people at Yankee Stadium and meeting President Kennedy.
October 5: A South African Railways train narrowly avoids derailment near Durban thanks to the swift intervention of a local wizard.
October 6: Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium reach an agreement on the maritime boundary between their sectors of the continental shelf in the North Sea.
October 7: The US House of Representatives pass the Highway Beautification Act.
October 8: The 82nd Airborne Division conducts a combat drop in South Vietnam near the 'Iron Triangle' region.
October 9: Construction begins of a new capital city in British Honduras.
October 10: Fighting in Northern Rhodesia intensifies, with Rhodesian Army patrols eliminating two suspected rebel encampments.
October 11: Farmer's Party leader Per Borten appointed Prime Minister of Norway by King Olav.
October 12: Egyptologists discover a strange metallic ring in the desert near Cairo, which carries partially legible hieroglyphs describing a gate of some description.
October 13: Unknown rebels attempt to assassinate the President of the Congo in an attack on the Presidential Palace.
October 14: SAC B-70s conduct their first forward deployment to Britain.
October 15: The Vatican Council issues notice of a decision removing any blame from Jews on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
October 16: A time capsule is buried at the New York World's Fair containing 120,000 pages of microfiched records and 50 other artifacts. It is to be uncovered in 6965 A.D.
October 17: The Arab Union begins a series of large military exercises in Western Iraq.
October 18: US troops launch Operation Shining Brass in Laos, raiding suspected Pathet Lao positions.
October 19: The Siege of Plei Me begins.
October 20: The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 is signed into law.
October 21: Robert Burns Woodward is awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry and Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger and Sinichiro Tomonaga are awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for their work on quantum electrodynamics.
October 22: Reverend Elvis Presley receives disturbing news from a relative of a parishoner of a fey presence haunting the dreams of the occupants of a small Tennessee town.
October 23: Relief of the beleagured US Special Forces outpost of Plei Me.
October 24: US military commanders hold a major conference in Honolulu on the strategy and progress of the Vietnam War.
October 25: Burglars in Syracuse use a 25mm cannon to break into a bank vault; they are subsequently aprehended by a man in a bat costume.
October 26: A mouse working for British intelligence foils an attempt to steal the Crown Jewels.
October 27: Viet Cong guerillas attack two US airbases with mortars, destroying 20 helicopters and 3 fixed wing aircraft, sparking calls for increased defences of USAF field facilities.
October 28: Inauguration of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
October 29: Indian officials report the outbreak of tribal unrest in Afghanistan.
October 30: A massive march of over 40,000 takes place in New York City in favour of the Vietnam War.
October 31: Twenty-one people are injured in a car pile up involving over 100 vehicles on a Californian freeway near Norwalk.

November
November 1: Unveiling of a new baby Tyranosaurus Rex at the Paris Zoo, with the excited crowds cooing over its heartwarming consumption of two aurochs.
November 2: Commissioning of Royal Navy atomic super battleship HMS Britannia at the Cammell Laird yard at Birkenhead by Queen Elizabeth II.
November 3: The Vickers Thunderbolt strike bomber enters active service with the RAF.
November 4: President Kennedy signs the Food and Agriculture Act of 1965 into law,
November 5: Launch of an expedition of three British mining spaceships on Luna.
November 6: First RAF use of Fairey Rotodyne gunships in South Vietnam in support of British troops.
November 7: British and Commonwealth troops launch a two divisional sweep against Viet Cong forces in the vicinity of Bien Hoa, South Vietnam.
November 8: Two murderers are hanged at Pentonville Prison.
November 9: Large parts of the North Eastern United States and Canada are left without power for almost twelve hours, leading to widespread disruption.
November 10: German troops in South Vietnam defeat a battalion sized force of Viet Cong in Go Cong province, inflicting heavy losses through the use of artillery and armour and sustaining 15 KIA and 78 WIA in exchange.
November 11: Arrival of the first West Indian units in South Vietnam.
November 12: French Premier de Gaulle retires from power at the age of 75, with Michel Debre succeeding him to the Premiership pending new elections.
November 13: The cruise ship SS Yarmouth Castle catches fire and sinks off Nassau, the Bahamas, killing 40 people onboard
November 14: Beginning of the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, the largest battle to date between US and North Vietnamese forces in the Vietnam War.
November 15: Britain conducts an underground nuclear test in South Australia.
November 16: Three 13 and 14 year old boys are arrested by the Merced Police Department in California for breaking into Castle AFB, stealing officer's uniforms, documents and a military automobile over several days.
November 17: The US Army begins operational deployment of the Sentinel ABM system, initially around SAC bases and ICBM fields in the Northern United States, consisting of the long range Spartan missile system and the and the short range Sprint missile. It is to operate in conjunction with the existing Excalibur very long range missile defence operated by the USAF.
November 18: Shadow Chancellor Enoch Powell gives an address to City of London financiers on Conservative economic policy, sparking considerable interest and consternation in equal parts.
November 19: First use of F-105F 'Wild Weasels' in air strikes over South Vietnam.
November 20: Paramilitary forces of the Indonesian Communist Party launch a crack down on dissident members of the military in concert with loyal intelligence forces and Soviet advisors.
November 21: End of the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley, with US troops of the 1st Air Cavalry Division inflicting a crushing defeat on North Vietnamese forces.
November 22: The South Vietnamese Army begins a series of operational and organisational reforms in the light of foreign advice.
November 23: Death of Dowager Queen Elisabeth of Belgium at the age of 89.
November 24: Labour opposition figures begin a lengthy debate on Spanish colonial policy in the Congress of Deputies in Madrid.
November 25: Peruvian troops launch a new offensive against ELN rebels in the Ayacucho region of Peru.
November 26: Three French and two British intelligence officers defect to the German Democratic Republic.
November 27: The West Indies Ministry of Development publishes its four year plan for industrialisation of the Federation.
November 28: Launch of the Saint Louis, a major interplanetary spacecraft of the French (Space Agency).
November 29: Prime Minister Stanley Barton gives an expansive speech on British colonial holdings in Cape Town, declaring that they will be granted independence only when they are fully prepared and ready.
November 30: Birth of a Japanese imperial prince and second son to Crown Prince Akihito.

December
December 1: The Chinese Imperial High Command orders the deployment of over 150,000 troops to North Vietnam
December 2: The Washington Post publishes a list of the world's 20 richest individuals, which includes 6 dragons
December 3: Opening of the first Robin Hood prime rib restaurant in Indianapolis.
December 4: Talks open in Kuwait City regarding progress towards internal self-government
December 5: Spontaneous political protests occur in the Soviet Union, with over 200 writers and students rallying in Pushkin Square, Moscow, to protest against the arrests of two writers.
December 6: The USAF and RAF launch a 24 hour maximum effort in the strategic bombing of North Vietnam, with over 300 heavy bombers hitting targets in Hanoi, Haiphong and the Red River Delta and inflicting severe damage.
December 7: Representatives of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches meet in Athens in the first step towards the reconciliation of the Great Schism.
December 8: Signing of the Arab Union-Persian Mutual Cooperation Treaty in Baghdad; this step is seen as a rebuff both to the British and Ottomans by some outside observers.
December 9: A fireball streaks across the skies of Ontario, Michigan and Ohio before crashing to the ground at Kecksburg, Pennsylvania. Firemen report seeing strange sights in the conflagration before all evidence is confiscated by Federal government officials.
December 10: Australian cricketer Doug Walters scores an unbeaten century on his Test debut against England.
December 11: NASA carries out a series of major rocket launches from Cape Caneveral and Vandenburg for Orion program
December 12: US troops in Haiti clash with bands of zombies in the rugged mountains of the island state.
December 13: The United States carries out an underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site.
December 14: Sir Donald Campbell regains the world land speed record in a jet propelled car on Lake Eyre, South Australia.
December 15: Soviet investigations of Plesetsk, some nine years after the events of 1956, determine that it is still too radioactive for any safe use.
December 16: Astronomers report the discovery of an anomalous comet entering the inner solar system.
December 17: Opening of the Houston Astrodome, the first fully enclosed sports stadium in the world.
December 18: President Kennedy authorises a major reinforcement of US Army forces in Vietnam in preparation for a series of planned decisive offensives in the new year.
December 19: Imperial Airways begins regular supersonic Concord services between London and New York and Singapore and Tokyo.
December 20: Establishment of the World Food Programme under the auspices of the League of Nations.
December 21: The British Ministry of Transport puts in place a 125mph speed limit on Royal Highways.
December 22: Release of the film adaption of Boris Pasternak's award-winning novel Dr. Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif and Julie Christie.
December 23: A meteorite scatters debris over the village of Barwell, Leicestershire, causing a number of strange results and reactions. Police and British Army units seal off the town as a precautionary measure.
December 24: Representatives of North and South Vietnam agree on a Christmas truce in Vietnam.
December 25: Queen Elizabeth II issues her annual Christmas to the British Empire, Commonwealth and wider world, hailing the great advances in progress for the year whilst offering up her own prayers for peace and goodwill among the nations.
December 26: Launch of Orion 4 from Lunar orbit for the Jovian system.
December 27: The US Treasury Department announces a full embargo on Chinese wigs.
December 28: Solemn celebrations in London mark the 900th anniversary of Westminster Abbey.
December 29: Ronald Reagan indicates that he will run for Governor of California in 1966.
December 30: AFP reports that the government of Ubangi-Shari has been overthrown in a military coup.
December 31: Scientists at the Jodrell Bank Observatory detect an interstellar signal.

A lot of great points and questions, Steve, which I will answer later on. For now, some statistics:




1965 Statistics


1966 Largest GDPs

1.) USA: $7,724,685,884,777 (+ 6.29%)
2.) USSR: $3,174,931,061,608 (+ 8.94%)
3.) Germany: $2,908,779,301,775 (+ 6.21%)
4.) Britain: $2,873,470,030,836 (+ 5.62%)
5.) Japan: $2,114,820,357,359 (+ 9.83%)
6.) India: $1,660,555,054,464 (+ 4.06%)
7.) France: $1,581,683,040,009 (+ 6.98%)
8.) China: $1,546,414,189,724 (+ 3.94%)
9.) Canada: $1,424,679,814,086 (+ 7.01%)
10.) Italy: $1,033,096,028,844 (+ 5.75%)
11.) Austria-Hungary: $842,433,470,379 (+ 4.38%)
12.) Benelux: $798,676,390,208 (+ 4.72%)
13.) Spain: $793,428,523,368 (+ 6.49%)
14.) Brazil: $750,573,172,901 (+ 8.87%)
15.) Mexico: $696,177,894,122 (+ 9.46%)
16.) Argentina: $642,643,819,527 (+ 6.42%)
17.) Sweden: $534,536,827,407 (+ 5.29%)
18.) Australia: $528,603,777,720 (+ 5.93%)
19.) Poland: $463,397,693,045 (+ 5.59%)
20.) Indonesia: $455,819,240,926 (- 1.45%)

1966 Largest Populations

1.) China: 847,214,985
2.) India: 594,368,129
3.) Soviet Union: 346,764,298
4.) USA: 305,995,256
5.) Japan: 234,822,117
6.) Indonesia: 202,637,912
7.) Germany: 172,955,025
8.) France: 132,894,742
9.) Brazil: 130,562,673
10.) Britain: 130,287,347
11.) Mexico: 119,015,664

1965/66 Defence Spending

1.) USA: $834,266,075,556 (10.8%)
2.) USSR: $571,487,591,089 (18%)
3.) Britain: $287,347,003,083 (10%)
4.) Germany: $226,884,785,538 (7.8%)
5.) China: $211,858,743,992 (13.7%)
6.) Japan: $167,070,808,231 (7.9%)
7.) France: $139,188,107,521 (8.8%)
8.) India: $122,881,074,030 (7.4%)
9.) Canada: $102,576,946,614 (7.2%)
10.) Italy: $67,151,241,875 (6.5%)
11.) Austria-Hungary: $58,970,342,927 (7%)

1965/66 Share of World Industrial Output

1.) USA: 29.6%
2.) Soviet Union: 13.8%
3.) Germany: 10.1%
4.) Japan: 8.4%
5.) Britain: 7.6%
6.) China: 5.2%
7.) France: 5%
8.) Canada: 4.1%
9.) India 3.9%
10.) Italy: 3.7%
10.) Austria-Hungary: 3.6%

Steel Production 1966 (million tons)

1.) USA 156
2.) USSR 132
3.) Germany 76
4.) Japan: 60
5.) Britain 56
6.) China: 50
7.) AH: 45
8.) Canada 42
9.) Poland 39
10.) France: 34
11.) Benelux 30

Coal Production 1966 (million tons)

1.) USA: 613
2.) USSR: 597
3.) Germany: 435
4.) Britain: 396
5.) China: 378
6.) Poland: 287
7.) Austria-Hungary: 223
8.) India: 184
9.) France: 179
10.) South Africa: 118
11.) Canada: 87

Automobile Production 1965/66

1.) USA: 12,074,636
2.) Germany: 4,263,473
3.) Japan: 3,436,325
4.) USSR: 3,115,743
5.) Britain: 3,087,449
6.) France: 2,536,967
7.) Canada: 2,084,754
8.) Italy: 1,925,012
9.) Austria-Hungary: 1,243,625
10.) Spain: 1,094,960
11.) Benelux: 812,346

Merchant Shipbuilding 1965/66

1.) USA: 4,255,664 tons
2.) Britain: 3,649,472 tons
3.) Japan: 3,145,346 tons
4.) USSR: 2,336,962 tons
5.) China: 1,984,124 tons
6.) Germany: 1,347,918 tons


Aircraft Production 1965/66

1.) USSR: 5248
2.) USA: 4029
3.) China: 2936
4.) Britain: 2138
5.) Germany: 1862
6.) France: 1767
7.) Japan: 1298
8.) Italy: 789
9.) Canada: 752
10.) Austria-Hungary: 725
11.) India: 596

Tank Production 1965/66

1.) USSR:8685
2.) USA: 5236
3.) China: 4418
4.) Germany: 2890
5.) Britain: 2569
6.) France: 2378
7.) India: 1632
8.) Italy: 1355
9.) Japan: 1275
10.) Austria-Hungary: 1254
11.) Canada: 1187

1966 Nuclear Arsenals
USA: 48,239
USSR: 15,842
Britain: 8236
France: 1635
China: 1277
Canada: 734
Italy: 219
Sweden: 154
Australia: 128
Spain: 105
India: 87
Israel: 82
South Africa: 49
Brazil: 27
Netherlands: 25
Greece: 24
Turkey: 18
Argentina: 16
Indonesia: 12
Yugoslavia: 8
Switzerland: 6

Strategic Bombers
1.) USA: 4392 (1968 B-47s/RB-47s, 1562 B-52s/RB-52s, 776 B-58s/RB-58s, 86 B-70s)
2.) Britain: 2012 (818 Valiants, 684 Vulcans, 426 Vengeances, 84 Vindicators)
3.) Soviet Union: 1537 (694 Tu-95s, 428 M-50s, 255 M-4s, 108 Tu-100, 52 Su-100)
4.) China: 864 (132 Hong-4 Kunpengs, 226 Xian Hong-3 Changyings, 506 Xian Hong-2 Shendiaos)
5.) France: 705 (429 Chevaliers, 234 Mistrals, 42 Foudroyants)
6.) Canada 420 (182 Valiants, 160 Vulcans, 78 Vengeances)
7.) Sweden 338 (284 Mjolner, 54 Valiants)
8.) India 268 (184 Valiants, 84 Vulcans)
9.) Australia 220 (124 Valiants, 96 Vulcans)
10.) Italy 219 (219 Piaggio P.182s)

ICBMs/LRBMs
USA: 2066 (256 US Army Jupiters; 1526 USAF Minuteman I/IIs, 284 USAF Titan IIs)
Soviet Union: 549 (187 SS-7s, 162 SS-8s, 74 SS-9s, 126 SS-10s)
Britain: 250 (250 Blue Streaks)
France: 96 (96 S-2s)
China: 80 (80 Dong Fengs)
Canada: 75 (75 Blue Streaks)
Australia: 50 (50 Blue Streaks)

SLBMs
USA: 1448 (1448 Polaris)
Britain: 672 (672 Green Knights)
USSR: 640 (192 SS-N-4, 352 SS-N-5, 96 SS-N-6)
France: 120 (120 M1)

MRBMs
Soviet Union: 1076 (268 SS-3s, 596 SS-4s, 178 SS-5s, 34 SS-14)
USA: 960 (480 USAF Thors, 384 US Army Pershings, 96 US Army Redstones)
Britain: 560 (320 RAF Black Arrows, 240 British Army White Knights)
China: 326 (326 Kai Shans)
France: 184 (184 S-1s)

There is a huge amount going on, with the wars in South East Asia in general really kicking off.

1.) George Lucas will have an interesting career ahead of him.
2.) The idea of infiltrating its neighbours with agents is still important to Israel, albeit not as vital.
3.) China is beginning to pull ahead in the global draconic stakes.
4.) It could well be Lucy, or perhaps something else.
5.) Austria-Hungary wanted to participate, but ran into issues with Italy. The lack of Franco-German reconciliation makes anything concrete next to impossible.
6.) It was a case of an extra word, rather than one missing. It is an indicator of things interesting...
7.) Little old ladies are all evil masterminds, yes.
8.) It is a dramatic development, but points to the utility of the TSR-2. It mirrors in many ways the earlier acquisition of the Canberra as the Martin B-56.
9.) It is quite the concerning development, pointing towards escalation.
10.) Kennedy asked them to restrict lending to abroad, which has, as you say, positives and negatives.
11.) It will be a very interesting story.
12.) Exactly.
13.) Not quite Treebeard at this time, but something similar. The Ents are long gone or long asleep.
14.) France is facing some economic issues and needs to minimise its commitments to what can be defended. Arguably, Kwang-Chou-Wan is not really defensible.
15.) Singapore has a different path ahead of it.
16.) It is a defensive blockade of South Vietnam to keep out North Vietnamese infiltration.
17.) The situation was not good for Egypt, as the future will show.
18.) Exactly.
19.) Indonesia had to back down in the face of a much stronger power that was prepared to go to the wall.
20.) It surprised me as well.
21.) Oil spills become more common as more tankers are on the sea.
22.) China isn't in close cahoots with NV, but rather wants to manipulate them for their own ends and turn the South East Asian conflict into one where it can extend its control and influence over that of Moscow.
23.) Indeed. They are not limited by ethnicity or wealth either.
24.) We will hear more on this.
25.) It did not go down well at all.
26.) There isn't a blockade of North Vietnam at this time, given that a blockade is an act of war.
27.) Yes.
28.) The Chinese dragons in the area tried and failed.
29.) This reflects the enhanced capabilities of law enforcement.
30.) It hurt the Chinese badly and leads to a reaction.
31.) This isn't the first CD reference, but the most overt one; the knife scene already occurred in New York a while back.
32.) I shall see what can be arranged. The end of Sauron does not mean the end of evil in the hearts of men and elsewhere.
33.) It is a big change, reflecting on what happened in Korea.
34.) This is an OTL event, whereby "the mythical "four corners of the Earth" actually existed, in the form of giant bulges on the Earth's surface, confirmed by satellite radar measurements of the pull of gravity. The locations of the four sites where the pull of gravity was 0.002% greater than expected were in an area centered on Ireland; one centered in the Pacific Ocean between New Guinea and Japan; an area between Africa and Antarctica; and a fourth corner off the coast of Peru."
35.) He will be around for a while.
36 and 37.) Escalation upon escalation.
38.) Nice catch. It is onto the beaches of the French Riviera.
39.) It is an OTL event, but a lesser known one.
40.) Profumo makes for an interesting way to explore a different path.
41.) February was the announcement, whereas July is the formal ceremony.
42.) It is a huge development.
43.) He is a former President, so is formally addressed as 'President X'.
44.) It is a completely new pregnancy.
45.) There is quite the strong field at this time.
46.) Dreadnought is using it as a waystation to fuel up for its next journey.
47.) Turkey has its own repost.
48.) It is a bit of a spike, rather than an indicator of a 9-10% year at this time.
49.) These are the first tranche of the equivalent to the Swiftsure class SSNs.
50.) The Soviets and Americans are going for the same objective.
51.) There are some students involved, but mainly marginalised left wing groups at this time. It hasn't made a jump to general society at this point.
52.) There isn't a huge amount of space in expanded Hong Kong, but there is just enough for another airbase.
53.) They are sticking around like mosquitoes.
54.) It is still a bit early for the same level of outright comedy, but there are notes of black humour, like Colditz.
55.) Economies of scale.
56.) It is always going to involve a fair bit of guess work.
57.) This may not be a Stargate, at least not as we know it.
58.) It is a completely original event rather than a link to literature.
59.) Syracuse, New York.
60.) He's a bit of a danger.
61.) Their opinion wasn't requested.
62.) It is a major programme and costs a lot.
63.) Not Rivers of Blood, but an argument for a different economic approach than that popular in the 1960s, both in @ and on Dark Earth.
64.) It is as bad as you think.
65.) There is a link.
66.) The French don't quite have something capable of going beyond the Belt at this time. Saint Louis is the first step, though.
67.) It is a big escalation, but the ChiComms did have a large presence there in @.
68.) Most of the dragons consider themselves above such petty concerns. Most.
69.) You are quite right.
70.) There is a lot going on with the Arab-Persian dalliance, both that can be seen and that which can't be seen.
71.) Perhaps.
72.) He will live for quite a bit longer.
73.) It seems to be on a parabolic orbit.
74.) It is rather high, but reflects pressure from some groups that want the Royal Highways to 'keep up' with the expanded capacity of the most modern railways. Turf wars.
75.) The strange reaction is the big change.
76.) This is the big one from the USA.
77.) It is an OTL event from earlier in 1965.
78.) It is a bit older, but is an OTL event.
79.) This is something completely different.

Thank you kindly, lordroel. There is a lot going on in 1965 and writing it has proved a good distraction over a rough few days.

There are some definite trends coming to fruition as well as the Vietnam War starting to go very differently.

Not only the Germans, but British, French, Canadians, Spanish and others. In this way, it is more like Korea.