This Day in History Class

The "discovery" of the Piltdown Man was announced on this day in 1912. / On this day in 1892, Tchaikovsky's now-famous ballet "The Nutcracker" premiered. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The observance of Saturnalia begins on December 17, although we don't know precisely which year the first Saturnalia was observed. / On this day in 1790, the Aztec sun stone, a circular stone marked by carvings of calendar signs and images related to the Aztec creation myth, was rediscovered in Mexico City. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American colonists in Boston protested British rule with the Boston Tea Party incident on this day in 1773. / On this day in 755, Chinese General An Lushan proclaimed himself emperor, marking the beginning of the An Lushan Rebellion against the Tang dynasty. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa Lakota leader and seminal Native American figure, was killed at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on this day in 1890. / Filipino revolutionary Emilio Jacinto was born on this day in 1875. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roald Amundsen and his expedition became the first people to reach the South Pole, beating Robert Falcon Scott's expedition, on this day in 1911. / On this day in 1948, two engineers from DuMont Laboratories received a patent for their cathode-ray tube amusement device. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ibn Battuta, one of the most accomplished travelers of the medieval Islamic world, completed his travelogue known as the Rihla, or Journey, on this day in 1355. / On this day, Ella Baker - an organizer in the Civil Rights Movement who worked with the NAACP, SNCC, and SCLC - was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Oaks Colliery exploded on this day in 1866. / On this day in 1899, Dr. George F. Grant, a dentist, received the first ever patent for a golf tee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louis XVI was indicted for treason on this day in 1792. / On this day in 1978, a group of robbers affiliated with organized crime stole around $6 million in cash and jewelry from the JFK International Airport in New York. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan's 300 Million Yen Robbery took place on this day in 1968. / On this day in 1907, riots incited by pro-vivisection medical students in London peaked. The conflict centered around the vivisection of a brown dog, its resulting death, and a memorial erected in its honor. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Cretan Autonomous State was established on this day in 1898 under the Julian calendar. By the Gregorian calendar, it was December 21. / On this day in 1979, members of the Global Commission for the Certification of Smallpox Eradication signed a statement that declared that smallpox had been eradicated worldwide. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christina of Sweden was born on this day in 1626. In the new-style calendar, she was born Dec. 18. / On this day, French sculptor Camille Claudel was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on this day in 1941, bringing the United States into World War II. / On this day in 1963, instant replay debuted in the CBS broadcast of the Army-Navy college football game in Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Halifax Disaster occurred on this day in 1917. / On this day in 1912, the now-iconic bust of Nefertiti was unearthed in Egypt. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mary Celeste was spotted adrift on this day in 1872. / On this day in 1952, a toxic smog that killed thousands of people descended on London. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rainer Maria Rilke was born on this day in 1875. / On this day in 1865, Edith Cavell - a nurse who helped Allied soldiers escape Belgium during World War I - was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The trial of the Kapenguria Six began on this day in 1952. / On this day in 1854, miners seeking reforms in Victoria, Australia, rebelled against colonial authorities. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in an address to Congress on this day in 1823. / On this day in 1984, a leak in a storage tank at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, triggered one of the worst industrial disasters in the world. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus on this day in 1955. / On this day in 1952, the New York Daily News announced Christine Jorgensen's gender confirmation surgery. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth I delivered her "Golden Speech" on this day in 1601. / On this day in 1954, a meteorite hit and bruised a woman in Alabama. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Zong Massacre began on this day in 1781. / On this day in 1847, a group of Cayuse tribespeople killed 13 people at the Whitman Mission, as they believed that physician and religious leader Marcus Whitman was deliberately spreading measles. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne Bonny and Mary Read were convicted of piracy on this day in 1720. / On this day in 1967, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell became the first person to detect a radio pulsar. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

George Moscone and Harvey Milk were assassinated on this day in 1978. / On this day in 1810, Theodore Hook the sent a multitude of goods and service providers to the home of Mrs. Tottenham at 54 Berners Street in London as a prank. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Archaeologists entered the tomb of King Tutankhamun on this day in 1922. / On this day in 1977, a Southern Television news broadcast was interrupted by a cryptic voice claiming to be an alien and advocating for peace on Earth. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mirabal Sisters were assassinated in the Dominican Republic on this day in 1960. / On this day in 1975, Robert S. Ledley was awarded the first U.S. patent for a whole-body X-ray scanner. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man known as D.B. Cooper parachuted out of an airplane and was never seen again on this day in 1971. / On this day in 1914, physical therapist and inventor Bessie Blount was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The St. John Slave Insurrection began on this day in 1733. / On this day in 1883, Mexican painter José Clemente Orozco was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blackbeard was killed on this day in 1718. / Cutty Sark, one of the last tea clippers built, was launched from Dumbarton on this day in 1869. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mayflower Compact was signed on this day in 1620. / On this day in 1953, the Piltdown Man, supposedly the remains of a missing evolutionary link between apes and humans, was revealed to be a hoax in the press. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A whale sank the Essex on this day in 1820. / On this day in 1695, Afro-Brazilian anti-resistance leader Zumbi was executed by the Portuguese. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indira Gandhi was born on this day in 1917. / On this day in 1969, Brazilian soccer player Pelé scored his thousandth goal - though some have disputed the accuracy of this claim. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Steamboat Willie" was released on this day in 1928. / At noon on this day in 1883, railroads launched a system of standardized time zones in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

H.H. Holmes was arrested on this day in 1894. / On this day, Penobscot dancer, writer, and actress Molly Spotted Elk was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Battle of Cajamarca, also called the Massacre of Cajamarca, took place on this day in 1532. / On this day in 1938, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann synthesized LSD. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sherman's March to the Sea began on this day in 1864. / On this day in 1889, Pedro II, Brazil's last emperor, was deposed. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BBC began daily radio broadcasts on this day in 1922. / On this day in 1817, revolutionary spy Policarpa Salavarrieta was executed for treason. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of history's many Bloody Sundays took place on this day in 1887 in London. / On this day in 1906, industrial designer Eva Zeisel was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith, was born on this day in 1817. / On this day in 1970, the deadliest tropical cyclone in recorded history made landfall in East Pakistan. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The armistice that ended the fighting in World War I was signed on this day in 1918. / On this day, Abul Kalam Azad -- a scholar and activist in the Indian Independence movement -- was born. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Wilmington Coup began on this day in 1898. / On this day in 1945, the British retaliated against Indonesian nationaists in the Battle of Surabaya during the Indonesian National Revolution. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristallnacht began on this day in 1938. / On this day in 1965, a major electrical power failure sent parts of Ontario and the northeastern United States into darkness for up to 13 hours. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wilhelm Roentgen observed X-rays for the first time on this day in 1895. / On this day in 1892, workers in New Orleans went on a general strike. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Russian government was overthrown in the Bolshevik revolution on this day in 1917. This date is also noted as October 25, since Russia was using the Julian calendar at the time. / On this day in 1919, the Palmer Raids - which targeted radicals, communists, and anarchists in the U.S. - began. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United Nations condemned apartheid and asked member states to take action against South Africa on this day in 1962. / On this day in 1944, weapons-grade plutonium was created in B Reactor at the Hanford Site in the state of Washington. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shirley Chisholm was elected to Congress on this day in 1968. / On this day in 1857, investigative journalist and biographer Ida Tarbell was born in Pennsylvania. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

St. Clair's Defeat, also known as the Battle of the Thousand Slain, took place on this day in 1791. / On this day in 1956, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Margaret Chase Smith debated each other as surrogates for President Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson in the first nationally televised presidential debate in the U.S. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Willis Menard was elected to Congress on this day in 1868. / On this day in 1793, writer and activist Olympe de Gouges was executed for sedition. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marie Antoinette was born on this day in 1755. / On this day in 1936, the BBC began broadcasting the first regular, high-definition TV service from Alexandra Palace in London. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sistine Chapel ceiling was revealed to the public for the first time on this day in 1512. / On this day in 1879, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an off-reservation school for the assimilation of Native Americans, opened in Pennsylvania. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on this day in 1517. / On this day in 1951, the zebra crossing, or white striped pedestrian crossing, was officially introduced in Slough, England. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds" took place on this day in 1938. / On this day in 1974, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought each other for the world heavyweight championship in Zaire in one of the most memorable boxing matches in history. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.