Welcome back to another installment of the Watercooler, RedState’s daily Open Thread! Today, we’ve got a short one, as most ofthe day’s big stories have already been covered by better minds than I.

This Week In History

• Sunday, 9/24: Judiciary Act establishes Attorney General post and composes SCOTUS, 1789; first powered airship flight, 1852; USS Enterprise (CVN-65), prototype of the modern nuclear supercarrier, launched, 1960
• Monday, 9/25: Bill of Rights passed by Congress, 1789; final withdrawal from Op. Market Garden disaster, 1944
• Tuesday, 9/26: Einstein publishes first paper on Relativity, 1905; UN troops under MacArthur liberate Seoul, 1950; Kennedy-Nixon TV debate, 1960
• Wednesday, 9/27: Lancaster, PA becomes US Capital for one day, 1777; first Liberty ship launched, 1941; Kassel Raid largest single-mission USAAF losses, 1944
• Thursday, 9/28: Normans invade England, 1066; penicillin discovered,1928; first color TV’s sold, 1951; Strategic Air Command stands down, 1991 (DUMB idea, H.W.!)
• Friday, 9/29: War Dept. est’d. and 1st Congress adjourns, 1789; Nat’l Cathedral cornerstone laid, 1907; first YF-22 prototype’s maiden flight, 1990
• Saturday, 9/30: Edison’s first hydroelectric powerplant opens, 1882; Babe Ruth hits first 60-run season, 1927; Boeing 747 rolled out, 1968

Today’s Birthdays: Founding Father Samuel Adams, 1722; naval historian Alfred Thayer Mahan, 1840; singer Meat Loaf, 1947.

Holidays Around the World: Mexico observes Consumacion de la Indepencendia, Poland has Polish Underground State’s Day and internationally it’s World Tourism Day.

This Week In History is compiled with assistance from History.com and Wikipedia. Something interesting not listed here? Please share in the Comments section–this is an Audience Participation Encouraged featurette.

Gratuitous Gun Giveaways

• *American Handgunner magazine, for a Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm or Coonan Arms .357 Magnum 1911 (ends Saturday!) pistol package: http://americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
• *Guns Magazine, for a Coonan Arms .357 Magnum 1911 pistol, EAA Tanfoglio pistol or BlackSword Scythe AR15 (ends Sunday!) package: http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
• Davidson’s Gallery of Guns, for a Browning 1911-380 Black Label Compact pistol or Maxus Realtree Max-5 12-gauge shotgun (both end Saturday!): https://ggg.galleryofguns.com/
• *Aero Precision, for a custom AR15 (ends Saturday!): http://gvwy.io/xonvd81
• GrabAGun, for a Springfield Armory 1911 “Mil-Spec” stainless .45 (ends Saturday!): http://grabagun.com/giveaway

*Note: FMG Publishing giveaways require you to provide an FFL dealer’s info at entry. Aero Precision giveaways give me one entry each per person who uses my referral link.

Quote of the Day

The fact is we cannot convert every country to our form of constitutional republic. And the fact is that there are always going to be third world hell holes from which terrorists might stage attacks or do bad things. It is far better for us to admit this and make sure those third world hell holes are controlled by allies who will help us destroy our enemies than by our enemies’ allies who will wage war against us.
–Erick Erickson

As always, the Watercooler is an Open Thread. Something on your mind? Sound Off here!