1 JANUARY 2015. WHAT’S GOING ON? AND WILL YOU REMEMBER IT?

Let’s see now. What happened on 1 January 1915?

HMS Formidable was sunk by a German U-boat.

What happened on 1 January 1815?

The British started the bombardment of New Orleans.

What happened on 1 January 1715?

A homeless Scot was sentenced to be transported to a plantation in Virginia (Yes, there is a Directory of Scots Banished to the American Plantations). But really, who cares?

As David Hume pointed out in his treatise Of Personal Identity: Our memory is short. Who can tell me, for instance, what were his thoughts or actions on the 1^st of January 1715?

There you go. Whatever happens on 1 January 2015, don’t worry. You’ll soon forget it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!