[embed]https://youtu.be/OAMW7wmpk6g[/embed] (Above: February 27, 1945: Douglas MacArhur and Sergio Osmeña at the ceremony in Malacañan Palace in which the civilian authority of Commonwealth was restored in the capital) This year marks the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II in the Pacific. The Philippine Diary Project contains three..
Read moreMentions of the Philippine Diary Project
Over time, we've been gratified to notice that people are starting to refer to the Philippine Diary Project, in blog posts, columns, and even in scholarly articles. Here are some of these mentions: Columns and articles Corruption in Philippines: Marcos was the worst, by John Nery, September 11, 2013 73 bones, 33 teeth, by Ambeth..
Read more120 years ago: Diaries describe the start of the Filipino-American War, February 4, 1899
[caption id="attachment_14763" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] "Faithful unto death. Filipino color bearer. A touching incident connected with the fight at Paco near Manila, Feb. 5th, 1899." Caption written by John E.T. Milsaps for this photo of a slain Filipino flag bearer which he pasted in his diary.[/caption] February 4 marks the 120th anniversary of the outbreak of..
Read moreThe cavalry and their last charge, December 1941-January 1942
[caption id="attachment_5898" align="alignleft" width="360"] Caption in the Polish-American Journal: "Polish cavalry during maneuvers before World War II. In addition to the lances chosen by some of these mounted cavalrymen, all of them were issued sabers and carried rifles slung on their backs."[/caption] One of the great romantic stories of World War II, is of Polish..
Read moreRailways in Mindanao: Then and Now
News is that the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has approved a Feasibility Study to proceed for the proposed Mindanao Railway Project. The map above gives an indication of the scope of the proposed railway system.It's been a long time coming. An overview of railways in the past can be found in The Colonial Iron..
Read morePhilippine wartime views on the future of Indonesia, China and Japan
This 1942 New World Order map attributed to Maurice Gomberg is interesting in that it gives a snapshot of emerging thought about the United States and its sphere of influence after World War II. The map above also seems to include an expansion of the Philippines. See this detail: Which may have had..
Read moreThe sinking of the S.S. Corregidor, December 16-17, 1941
[caption id="attachment_5656" align="alignnone" width="471"] The S.S. Corregidor of the Compañia Maritima, which sank on December 16, 1941. Photo from Chad Hill.[/caption] On December 16-17, 1941 (around midnight, hence the event straddling two dates), the S.S. Corregidor, an inter-island steamship of the Compañia Maritima, hit a mine off Corregidor Island and sank, resulting in a tremendous..
Read moreHugh Gibson’s Food Mission Diary: Herbert Hoover in Manila, 1946
(above) British Pathé newsreel of a portion of former President Herbert Hoover's mission to assess food requirements for devastated parts of the world, 1946. While this diary is part of the Herbert Hoover papers, the diary of Hugh Gibson gives a useful glimpse into an interesting mission --Hoover's task to survey the globe to see..
Read moreDiary entries on the Leyte Landing: October, 1944
[caption id="attachment_5176" align="alignleft" width="300"] Philippine President Sergio Osmeña (center) and General Douglas MacArthur (right) on board a landing craft en route to the Leyte landing beaches, October 20, 1944.At left are Lieutenant General George C. Kenney and Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland. At the extreme right, with his head turned toward MacArthur, is Brigadier General..
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