11: The Cold War (1962)

An entire world is holding it's breath. Waiting, in fear, for the biggest climax of warfare since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The cold war is definitely not so cold anymore. It's burning hot at the moment. From Tallinn to Timbuktu it is known that the relationship between the White House and the Kreml has been fierce since the end of World War 2, but this is getting really dangerous. I truly believe we are now on the doorstep of another World War. I speak, of course, of the Soviet ships loaded with missiles heading towards Cuba.

Apparently, the American government has spotted Soviet missiles in Cuba and has naturally drawn the conclusion that they are ready to launch an attack against the U.S. As they have taken action on the island, the USSR has sent another load of missiles on ships heading to Cuba. Our national hero, president John F. Kennedy, has ordered the Soviet government to turn the ships around or face an armed conflict. As we speak, the Soviet Union has not answered.

Consequently, the U.S. is freaking out. We are all having emergency training in school in case of an atom war. Like crouching under our wooden desks would help. Every American follows the events closely on the radio every minute, and it seems even Kennedy is heading towards desperation. It was fair enough in the past. Every time some small case appeared, we just cussed and passed it on as a minor trifle in our day. After all, the United States of America does everything better than everybody else, and if we haven't yet, you bet your sweet Russian ass we will do. My dad cursed 'those damn Commies' when they sendt Laika to space, but was soon after confident that we will surpass them by sending an actual human being to the moon. It seems unlikely, indeed, but anyhow that was the general attitude towards the whole situation - literally, a Cold War.

As these Soviet ships power through the North Atlantic, this so-called Cold War gets warmer and warmer every minute. And we all know that a World War with the current firepower these superpowers possess, would be absolutely devastating for the Earth. It would be the end of the world as we know it. We can only pray to God that Kennedy breaks through this Soviet wall of communication. In the meantime, as I said, an entire world is holding it's breath.

10: Interwar period (1929)

Overflowing, forbidden champagne. Exquisite cars. The finest suits a man has seen. A booming wave of wealth and prosperity swept across the United States of America during what we now call the "Roaring Twenties". The stock market was full of ambitious and progressive people trying to realize the American Dream and making themselves increasingly richer every day. The money poured out into an excessive consumption of the worlds finest luxury. While we danced our troubles away in jazz, we were in fact living in a blinding bubble. A bubble that was waiting to consume us all in an economic crisis the likes of which we have never seen before.

T'was a Tuesday. Tuesday the 24th of October. That morning, as every morning, I was in my brand new Mercedes with a smile on my face heading further into the prosperous streets of Manhattan - centre of the city that never sleeps. However, something seemed different this morning. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but a fellow stockbroker later described it as 'the feeling Ramses 2's people must have had before God washed over them with the seven plagues'. The seven plagues were nothing compared to this. After a ravishing party the night before, I was running a bit late and wasn't among the earliest birds to Wall Street that morning. As my Mercedes rolled further towards Manhattans most ambitious workspace, the mood around me started to change. Many New Yorkers seemed to be struck of some kind of discomfort and confusion that morning, and as I got to Wall Street, I could finally get my eyes on the chaos that ravished between the stockbrokers. Just outside the building one could hear the growing desperation, and once inside it struck you that something catastrophic was about to strike the home of the brave and the land of the free. As usual, every stockbroker was clambering on to their phones and shouting, but today it was as if they clambered onto their lives and each shout was a call of desperation. My assistant came running over, screaming to me. It took a couple seconds before it sank in. Wall Street has crashed. We are all doomed. 

The stock market crash struck the global economy with a fierce wave of destruction, and the world turned dark. Millions lost their jobs, their houses, their quality of living - and for some, the darkness is just to hard to handle. It is just to hard to accept that one minute you are floating through life on a river champagne, comfortably floating lifeboat made out of luxurious cars and suits - and the next you're sitting on the streets of Manhattan with a paper cup next to thousands of others and no help to be found. That is why I am standing here on this rooftop. I just want it all to go away. As I leap towards my death, the last thing to flash before my eyes are images of the best days this great nation has experienced - the Jazz age of the Roaring Twenties. 

09: World War 1 (1914)

To:

Mrs Hilda Pilkington

18 Twonk Avenue

4200 Manchester

United Kingdom

My dear Hilda, 

Merry Christmas. I hope you are well and have enjoyed these past days. I am delighted to say I am still alive and as well as I can be in these conditions. As you know, us lads in the West Yorkshire Regiment have been in the trenches at the frontline here in France for some time now. To be honest, I have no recollection of how many weeks or months that have passed since we arrived. We have all been in total and utter misery. Due to the constant sounds of warfare around us we have not been able to sleep, and especially after the Germans surprise attacks at nightfall we have all been afraid for our lives during the nights. As a result, we were all starting to surrender to the desperation and insanity that this war has brought upon the young British lads closest to No man's land. However, we experienced the most incredible thing yesterday. 

Some of the German and French officials did what little they could to make it feel like Christmas in their trenches with some Christmas trees and lights. We were all very skeptical as they started setting up, but solely recognized the small gesture and sat back to prepare for the night as usual. Suddenly, we heard soft and familiar tones from across No man's land. It was the Germans singing Silent Night! We peeked our heads across the top, carefully as not to be fired upon. But it was all peaceful, and some of the British lads started to chime in. Suddenly, the sweet tones of Silent Night surrounded the whole battlefield in English, German and French. But then it got even more amazing. Some of the German soldiers stood up from the trenches and waved their hands in peace. A general from each troop met in the middle of No man's land, shook hands and agreed to a truce in the spirit of Christmas. We all met and shared gifts, food, champagne, and though we often could not understand each other, we shared each others good company. It was an astonishing victory for the good of man kind in the middle of a war which seemed to have eradicated any good in us all. It seems, God has not left us. But as I write to you, the day after, we are back to the old ways and the leaders back in London have of course uttered their disapproval of the whole event. Once again, we will now work towards destruction instead of peace. Once again, we surrender to the horror of this war. The hope of returning to Manchester and the long to see your face keeps me going. 

Love, 

Karl

08: Grunnlovsdagen (1814)

Der. Den siste underskriften. 112 stolte, ambisiøse menn har undertegnet vår egne, norske Grunnlov. 400-årsnatten er over - vi har utarbeidet en egen, demokratisk nasjonalforsamling. 

Det har vært en lang og krevende prosess. 19. februar i år sendte danskekongens stattholder, Kristian Frederik, ut et åpent brev til det norske folk hvor han presiserte at han ville kjempe for Norges selvstendighet i disse krigsrammede og usikre tider. 

"Af Nationen valgte, oplyste Mænd skal samles den 10de April førstkommende udi Eidsvold i Akershus Amt, for at antage en Regjeringsform, som fuldkommen og for bestandig kan betrygge Folkets Frihed og Statens Tarv" 

I brevet presiserte Kristian Frederik hvordan hver enkelt representant skulle bli valgt, og 3. måneder senere sitter jeg som en av de 112 utvalgte representantene her på Eidsvoll som akkurat nå har skapt norsk historie. En grunnlov i den franske revolusjonens ånd, basert på menneskerettigheter, folkesuverenitet og frihet. Ytringsfrihet, religionsfrihet og frihet til å velge statens ledere. Kristian Frederik har riktignok blitt enstemmig valgt som Norges konge, men som den styrende makten vil en nasjonalforsamling bli stemt frem av embetsmenn og menn med eiendom i hele landet.

Det er en stolt dag for Norge, det er som om en høytidelig atmosfære av selvstendighet brer seg fra dette rom i Eidsvoll utover kongeriket. Nå er det bare å be til Herren om at forholdene holder seg stødige. Karl Johan i Sverige vil nok ikke like dette. Kampen for et selvstendig Norge har nok bare såvidt begynt.