June 28, 1914. Probably the saddest anniversary for the human race.

[Octafish]

1. Two Bullets

And it's a whole different world.



From Eyewitness to History

The Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, 1914:

Two bullets fired on a Sarajevo street on a sunny June morning in 1914 set in motion a series of events that shaped the world we live in today. World War One, World War Two, the Cold War and its conclusion all trace their origins to the gunshots that interrupted that summer day.

The victims, Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife Sophie, were in the Bosnian city in conjunction with Austrian troop exercises nearby. The couple was returning from an official visit to City Hall. The assassin, 19-year-old Gavrilo Princip burned with the fire of Slavic nationalism. He envisioned the death of the Archduke as the key that would unlock the shackles binding his people to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

SNIP...

The road to the maneuvers was shaped like the letter V, making a sharp turn at the bridge over the River Nilgacka (Miljacka). Francis Ferdinand's car could go fast enough until it reached this spot but here it was forced to slow down for the turn. Here Princip had taken his stand.

Hairpin turns. History. Hmm. Sounds familiar, for some reason. Back to the present day...