Episodes

March 1, 1872. President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law, making Yellowstone the world’s first national park.

February 28, 1972. After six weeks of struggle, the 1972 UK Miners’ Strike ends in victory for Britain’s working class.

February 27, 1933. Exactly eight years after he relaunched the Nazis as a political party, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler uses an arson attack on Berlin’s parliamentary building to seize power and purge his political opponents.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we try to pick fact from fiction with an episode on the pirate Blackbeard from the podcast 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries. Link to 1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries: https://podfollow.com/956154836 Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February 24th, 1917. The British present the Zimmermann Telegram to US President Woodrow Wilson, an intercepted message that reveals new threats against the United States and persuades the nation to enter World War I.

February 23, 1820. An agent provocateur helps British police foil a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister and his entire cabinet.

February 22, 1983. After opening and closing on the same night, the play "Moose Murders" becomes the most catastrophic flop in Broadway history.

February 21, 1965. Civil rights leader Malcolm X is assassinated while giving a speech in New York.

February 20, 1281. The Japanese Imperial Court orders all temples and shrines to pray for victory in the face of a Mongol invasion and, in an unlikely twist, a massive typhoon saves the country.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, Chris Wimmer and the podcast Infamous America tells the story of the largest hotel robbery in American history, netting the thieves an estimated 28-million dollars worth of stolen jewelry and cash. Link to Infamous America: https://podfollow.com/1437525441 Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February 17, 1972. The Volkswagen Beetle becomes the world's best-selling car, breaking a record held for decades by the Ford Model T.

February 16, 2003. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre is robbed of over $100 million in loose diamonds, gold and jewelry in what is considered the biggest heist of all time.

February 15, 399 BC. Athenian philosopher Socrates is sentenced to death for impiety and corrupting the city’s youth.

February 14, 1349. After being blamed for the spread of the Black Death, hundreds of Jews are executed in the Strasbourg Massacre.

February 13, 1935. Carpenter Bruno Hauptmann is convicted of the abduction and murder of the 20-month old son of famous American aviator, Charles Lindbergh – a case that will make kidnapping a federal crime.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, Bob & Ben speak with Author Amy Argetsinger about Miss America’s origins, how the pageant both shaped and was shaped by American society, and why it might be okay that the pageant’s significance in American culture has faded. Link to The Road to Now: www.theroadtonow.com/ Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

February 10, 1962. At the height of the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union agree a spy exchange.

February 9, 1897. In response to the massacre of a trade delegation, a British army invades Benin in a campaign known as the Punitive Expedition, overthrowing Oba Ovonramwen and marking the end of his independent kingdom.

February 8, 1925. Leader of the Pan-Africanism movement, Marcus Garvey, enters federal prison for mail fraud, initiating a steep decline in his influence.

February 7th, 2005: British sailing sensation Ellen MacArthur smashes the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe.

February 6, 1958. Twenty-three people die, including eight members of Manchester United's championship-winning football team, when an airplane crashes on take-off in Munich.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, Bears! Telling the story of two such animals and how they changed the life of one president, and the course of history of a nation. Link to The Past and the Curious: https://thepastandthecurious.com/ Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February 2, 1943. The Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest of WWII, ends in defeat for Nazi Germany.