Quick History Podcast

@quickhistory.bsky.social

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Every week I give a little history lesson about stuff you might not know about, in 10 minutes or less! https://open.spotify.com/show/6TRjN7AC1JYVMGlbus5UM2

Spotify Wrapped stats for Quick History, 2025. Total audience has gone up 177%, total new audience went up 999%, and the total listening time went up 221%.
Today in history, July 30 1923-Italian actress Eleonora Duse becomes the first woman, and first Italian, featured on a "Time" magazine cover. 1954-Elvis Presley gives his first professional performance. The advertisement for the show misspelled his name, "Ellis Presley." 1956-The phrase "In God We Trust" is adopted as official US motto. 1965-US President Lyndon B Johnson signed The Medicare Bill, which was to provide healthcare to the elderly, starting in July, 1966. The first recipients were former President Harry Truman, and his wife, Bess. 1975-Ex-teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa is last seen outside a restaurant in Detroit, Michigan. He had gone there to meet two Mafia leaders. Presumed dead, he was declared legally dead in 1982. What actually happened to him is still a mystery.
Today in history, July 29 1966-The Tour de France begins drug testing the riders. 1966-US teen magazine "DATEbook" reprints an earlier quote from March by Beatles' member John Lennon stating The Beatles were more popular than Jesus. 1966-Folk singer Bob Dylan crashes his Triumph motorcycle in Woodstock, New York, prompting him to take an 8 year break from touring. 1973-Rock band Led Zeppelin had $180,000 in cash stolen from their safety-deposit box at their NYC hotel. The crime has never been solved. 1976-Serial killer "Son of Sam" David Berkowitz claims his first murder victim. 1981-Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Spencer. 1993-The first memorial in Washington DC to honor women's military services breaks ground. It honors the over 270,000 women who served during Vietnam. It was dedicated on November 11, 1993.
Today in history, July 28 1933-American singer Rudy Vallee receives the first singing telegram. 1943-The World War II coffee rationing ends. 1945-A US B25 bomber accidentally crashes into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building in New York. 14 people were killed, but elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived a 75-story (over 1000 feet) elevator plummet, which still stands as the Guinness Record for the longest survived elevator fall. 1964-"Ranger 7" is launched. Three days later it sent back over 4300 pictures of the Moon. 1978-National Lampoon's Animal House debuts in theaters. Produced on a $2.8 million budget, it grossed over $141 million, making it one of the most successful comedies of all time. 1982-San Francisco becomes the first major US city to ban the sale and possession of hand guns.
Today in history, July 27 1869-Amos Tyler of Toledo, Ohio receives the first patent for chewing gum, pertaining to the production of gum in slices and packaged for sale. 1890-Postimpressionist painter Vincent van Gogh commits suicide. 1940-Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the cartoon "A Wild Hare." He had appeared in several shorts previously, but was unnamed. 1953-The Korean War ends. Both sides claim victory. 1987-The song "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley is released. 20 years later it birthed the term "Rickrolling." 1993-Windows NT is officially released. It was the first purely 32-bit version of Windows. 1996-Right-wing extremist Eric Robert Rudolph commits the first of four bombings, this one at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
Today in history, July 26 1775-Benjamin Franklin is chosen Postmaster General by the Continental Congress. 1788-New York becomes the 11th US state. 1878-George Hoyt is shot by Wyatt Earp, though it is unclear if Hoyt died that day, or weeks later. 1908-The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) is formed, changing to the FBI in 1935. 1938-The first televised footage of a suicide was aired, of John Warde jumping from a NYC building. 1943-British rocker Mick Jagger is born. 1943-The first case of eye-irritating smog in Los Angeles is reported. 1947-The National Security Act is signed into law, creating the National Military Establishment, later becoming the Department Of Defense, since "NME" sounded like "enemy." The act also created the CIA, and formed the Air Force as its own military branch.
Today in history, July 25 1184-Over 60 nobles drown in a pool of liquid excrement when the floor beneath them collapsed from their weight, and they fell into the latrine below. 1909-French aviator Louis Bleriot makes the first airplane flight across the English Channel. 1959-A manned hovercraft crosses the English Channel. 1960-After losing $200k from protests after the "Greensboro Four" refused to move from a North Carolina Woolworth's lunch counter after being denied service, Woolworth's officially desegregated by opening its lunch counters to Black people. 1965-Renowned for his acoustic folk music, Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival. 1976-"Viking I" takes the famous "Face on Mars" photo. 1990-Roseanne Barr screeched the US National Anthem at a Padres baseball game. Afterwards, she grabbed her crotch and spit on the ground.
Today in history, July 24 1846-Author Henry David Thoreau is jailed for refusing to pay his poll tax, which led to the writing of his essay "Civil Disobedience." He had opposed the Mexican-American War, and slavery. In the essay, he said the government must end unjust actions in order to have the right to collect taxes. 1851-First levied in 1696 in lieu of an income tax, England's window tax is repealed. Some houses of the era bricked up their windows to avoid paying the tax. 1967-A full page ad calling for the legalization of marijuana is placed in the London Times. The Beatles were among the signatures. 1992-Japanese tire maker Yokohama Rubber Co. recalls their tires after discovering the tread resembled the Islamic word for Allah. 1993-Vince Coleman of the NY Mets throws an explosive at fans after a game, injuring 3 people.
Today in history, July 23 1886-Steve Brodie becomes the first person to survive jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge. Some doubted he actually did it, but the term "do a Brodie" was coined after. 1904-Some accounts claim Charles Minches of St. Louis invented the ice cream cone on this day, though others also made that claim, including Arnold Fornachou, who apparently created it that same year. 1982-A helicopter crashed while filming a stunt scene for the Twilight Zone movie, which killed actor Vic Morrow and two children. John Landis and a few others involved with the movie were tried and acquitted on charges of manslaughter. 1984-Vanessa Williams, the first Black Miss America, became the first Miss America to resign her crown after Penthouse Magazine announced it would publish nude photos of her with another woman.
Today in history, July 22 1587-117 colonists land on Roanoke Island, and three years later they are gone without a trace, other than the word "CROATOAN" carved on a post. What actually happened to the colonists is still a mystery. 1934-American bank robber John Dillinger is reportedly killed by FBI agents outside a Chicago movie house. During the autopsy, doctors noticed many discrepancies with the body that didn't match Dillinger, and it was believed the body belonged to another criminal, Jimmy Lawrence, who looked like Dillinger. 1980-The American Federation of Television and Radio (AFTRA) joins the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike, boycotting the Emmy awards, and causing the delay of the start of the fall TV season. It lasted 3 months. 1991-Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is caught when Milwaukee police discover human body parts in his apartment.
Today in history, July 21 1861-The first major battle of the Civil War, the first battle of Bull Run, takes place. 1873-Brothers Jesse and Frank James, and the Younger brothers, rob their first train, near Adair, Iowa. This was also the first time a moving train was stopped by robbers in the US. They made $3000. The engineer and fireman died as a result of the wreck. 1923-20 year old John Dillinger steals a car in Indiana, his first criminal offense. He abandoned it 17 miles away. 1931-NY CBS station W2XAB becomes the first TV station to broadcast seven days a week. 1972-Comedian George Carlin is arrested in Milwaukee for performing his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television" routine. The case was dismissed. 1983-Vostok, Antarctica enters Guinness Book of World Records for coldest day, -128.6° F (-89° C).
Today in history, July 20 1903-The Ford Motor Company ships its first car. 1924-Future Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller wins Olympic gold medals for swimming. 1938-American actress Natalie Wood is born. 1947-Mexican-born musician Carlos Santana is born. 1950-TV show "The Arthur Murray Party" debuts on ABC. Hosted by famous dancers Arthur and Kathryn Murray, it ran for 10 years, and some called it "the longest running commercial on TV," since it strongly promoted their dance studios. It was one of only six shows to appear on all four major networks. 1969-The Apollo 11 crew lands on the moon, and mankind took its first steps on it shortly after. 1973-Actor and martial arts expert Bruce Lee passes away from cerebral edema. He was 32 years old. 1976-"Viking I" lands on Mars and sends back the first pictures sent from the planet's surface.
Today in history, July 19 1860-American murder suspect Lizzie Borden is born. 1862-The Swift-Tuttle Comet, AKA The Doomsday Comet, is discovered by Horace Tuttle in Massachusetts. It has a 1 in 10,000 chance of hitting Earth in 2126. If it does, it will probably end civilization. 1900-The main line of Paris' underground railway, the Metropolitain, opens. 1957-14 year old Black singer Frankie Lymon dances with a white teenage girl on the TV show "The Big Beat." The ensuing scandal caused the show to be cancelled. The 1998 movie "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" is based on his life, and named after his 1956 hit song. 1961-TWA begins regularly showing in-flight movies to its first-class passengers. The first movie was "By Love Possessed." 1985-NASA's space shuttle, Challenger, exploded shortly after lift off.
Today in history, July 18 64-Two-thirds of Rome is destroyed by fire. 1863-During the assault on Fort Wagner during the Civil War, former slave and Union Sgt. William Harvey Carney was seriously wounded while carrying the Union flag across the battlefield. This led to him being awarded the Medal of Honor in 1900. This battle is portrayed in the 1989 movie "Glory." 1933-Bonnie and Clyde and their gang are confronted by the law in Platte City, Missouri. The gang escaped. 1938-American aviator Wrong-Way Corrigan flew nonstop from New York to Ireland without a permit. He claimed he wanted to fly to Los Angeles, but followed the wrong end of his compass. 1984-James Oliver Huberty enters a San Diego McDonald's and kills 21 people while wounding 19 others, setting the record for the most people killed by one person in a single day. He was killed by police.
Today in history, July 17 709-The Chinese make the first records of a total solar eclipse. 1842-Pictures of P.T. Barnum's "mermaid" appeared in New York newspapers. It was a hoax to bring people to his museum. It worked. 1941-Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak comes to an end. He had 91 hits for a .408 average, 15 home runs, and 55 RBI's. It still stands as the longest hitting streak in MLB history. 1955-Arco, Idaho becomes the first town completely powered by atomic energy. For one hour. 1955-Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California. 1984-Soviet "Soyuz T-12" launches with cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya on board, and 8 days later she became the first woman to walk in space. 1989-After 10 years of development, the $22 billion B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber made its first flight.
Today in history, July 16 1862-The first federal law officially allowing African Americans to serve in the US military is introduced in Congress. President Abraham Lincoln signed it into law the following day. 1902-The first electric air conditioner is installed in Brooklyn, NY, and was invented by Willis Carrier. 1945-The first atomic blast is detonated in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and was visible 180 miles away. 1963-Paul Winchell, from TV's "The Paul Winchell Show, receives the first US patent for an implantable artificial heart. He developed it with Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver. Winchell is also famous for being the voice of Tigger in several Winnie The Pooh movies. 1967-American actor Will Ferrell is born. 1969-The first manned flight to land on the moon, Apollo 11, launches.
Today in history, July 15 1606-Dutch painter Rembrandt is born. 1789-Future US President Andrew Jackson signs a loyalty pledge swearing allegiance to Spain. He became President in 1829. A copy of his oath was discovered in 1995. 1815-Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders to the British at Rochefort after losing The Hundred Days War at the Battle of Waterloo a month prior. 1834-The Spanish Inquisition ends. It started in 1478. 1881-Jesse James commits his last murders, a railroad engineer and a passenger, while robbing a train near Winston, Missouri. 1989-US Vice President Dan Quayle confuses Buzz Aldrin, who walked on the moon, with Buz Lukens, a Congressional sex offender. 1993-An 82-year-old Texas man is the first in the US to be killed by a swarm of "Killer Bees."
Today in history, July 14 Happy Bastille Day, France! 1865-British explorer Edward Whymper becomes the first person to reach the top of the Matterhorn, the third highest peak in the Alps. 1881-21-year-old Billy The Kid is reportedly killed in New Mexico by County Sheriff Pat Garrett. 1965-NASA's Mariner 4 flies by Mars and returns with the first images of another planet ever returned from deep space. 1969-Made on a budget of less than $400,000, the movie "Easy Rider" is released in the US, grossing $60 million worldwide. 1972-The first woman to head a major US political party, Jean Westwood is named head of the Democratic Party. 1992-Presidential candidate Bill Clinton declines an aborted fetus that an Operation Rescue supporter tried to give him.
Today in history, July 13 1787-The Northwest Ordinance is enacted, banning slavery north of the Ohio River. It also guaranteed freedom of worship and trial by jury. 1832-The source of the Mississippi River is discovered by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. 1923-The Hollywood Sign is officially dedicated. Originally it was a temporary advertisement for a new housing development, and said "Hollywoodland." 1944-Inventor of the world's best selling puzzle, the Rubik's Cube, Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik is born. 1977-A riot ensued after lightning caused a New York City blackout. 4500 people were arrested after causing $61 million in damages. 1985-Live Aid, two concerts held in Philadelphia and London, is seen by 1.5 billion people on TV, and raises $120 million to provide for those affected in the 1983-1985 Ethiopian famine.
Today in history, July 11 1656-The first Quakers arrive in America, and were imprisoned, then expelled from Boston. Massachusetts later enacted punishments for being a Quaker, including mutilation, then later, the death penalty. 1804-US Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounds former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Hamilton died the following day. 1871-American inventor Margaret E. Knight patents a machine to produce flat-bottomed paper bags, which are still used today. It is her most famous invention. In her life she was granted at least 27 patents. 1892-The US Patent Office declares Joseph Swan of England invented the carbon filament incandescent lamp, a year before Thomas Edison. 1962-American Fred Baldasare used SCUBA gear to become the first person to swim the English Channel under water.
Today in history, July 10 1856-Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla is born. 1890-Wyoming becomes the 44th US state. 1913-The hottest day on record in the US was in Death Valley, California, where it reached 134°F (57°C) 1926-Herman Munster actor Fred Gwynne is born. 1962-Telstar I, the first privately financed satellite, is launched into space. 13 days later it was used for the first commercial transmission of live TV, and was also used to send the first satellite phone call. It worked for 7 months before it was damaged by an American high-altitude nuclear test, but it still remains in Earth's orbit. 1985-Coca-Cola brings back the original formula and calls it "Coca-Cola Classic." The formula had changed less than 3 months prior and everyone hated it. "New Coke" hung around until 1992 when it was renamed "Coke II" and was discontinued in 2002.
Today in history, July 8 1831-American pharmacist and inventor of Coca-Cola, John Pemberton, is born. 1870-The first US trademark law is passed by the US Congress. It was later declared unconstitutional. 1889-The last US Bareknuckle Boxing Match took place. John L. Sullivan KO Jack Kilrain in the 75th round to keep his US heavyweight championship. 1889-The first issue of the famous paper, The Wall Street Journal, is published. 1924-American DeHart Hubbard became the first Black person to win an individual Olympic gold medal, for the running long jump in the Summer Olympics. 1934-English funny man Marty Feldman is born. 1947-The Roswell Daily Record newspaper reported "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer On Ranch in Roswell Region"
Today in history, July 7 1865-Four conspirators in the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln are hanged in Washington DC, including Mary E. Surratt, who was the first woman executed by the US Federal Government. 1907-"Starship Troopers" author Robert A. Heinlein is born 1928-The first machine-sliced bread is sold by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri. 1940-The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is born 1947-Major Jesse Marcel, and head of Roswell Army Counterintelligence Corps, Sheridan Cavitt, retrieve UFO crash debris from William Brazel's ranch. 1949-American actress Shelley Duvall is born 1981-First solar-powered flight across the English Channel