On October 28, 1628, after a long siege, the Huguenot bulwark at La Rochelle surrendered to Catholic prelate Cardinal Richelieu. A large diaspora of Huguenots (French Calvinist Reformed Protestants) began soon after. They became known as Europe’s first refugees. Facing severe persecution in France and Wallonia, Huguenots arrived in South Africa as early as 1671. By 1692, more than 200 French Huguenots had settled at the Cape of Good Hope. More than 700 Huguenot refugees arrived in Virginia in 1690s. With their wide diaspora, Huguenot surnames are now fairly common in England, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the United States, and Australia. The majority of Australians with French ancestry are Huguenot descendants. One of Avalanche Lily’s relatives in South Africa has the Huguenot surname Malherbe. – JWR
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And on October 28, 2020, a new coral reef 500 meters (1,640 ft) high, taller than the Empire State Building, was discovered north of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
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Today’s feature piece is by SurvivalBlog staff member Tom Christrianson. He is a full-time church pastor and a part-time writer.
Read the full article here