Episodes

August 1, 1774. English chemist Joseph Priestley changes the world forever when he isolates a mysterious new gas: oxygen.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we raise the Jolly Roger, unfurl the sails, prime our cannon and hit the seas searching for plunder with The Pirate History Podcast. Link to The Pirate History Podcast: https://piratehistorypodcast.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 29, 1954. After years of struggle, JRR Tolkien publishes the first installment of The Lord of the Rings.

July 28, 1821, The Legendary Military Commander, José de San Martín, liberates Peru and proclaims its independence from Spain.

July 27, 1890. Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh shoots himself in the chest, a tragic end to a complicated life that will make him one of the most important painters in Western art.

July 26, 1990. Disability rights activists’ achieve a major victory for equality when President George HW Bush signs into law the Americans with Disabilities Act.

July 25, 1917, Exotic dancer Mata Hari is convicted of spying for Germany in World War I and sentenced to die in Paris.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we head West to explore how Annie Oakley was *not* a thieving cocaine addict, no matter what publisher William Randolph Hearst said. Link to Wild West Extravaganza: www.wildwestextra.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 22, 1942, The Nazis begin the evacuation of the Warsaw Ghetto, transporting hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths at the Treblinka Extermination Camp.

July 21, 1969. American astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon.

July 20, 1974. After a coup d'etat by the Greek military, Turkish forces launch an invasion of Cyprus, dividing the country in two.

July 19, 1941. The Tuskegee Airmen begin their training as the first class of Black pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

July 18, 64 AD. When the Great Fire of Rome reduces two-thirds of the city to ashes, Emperor Nero uses the catastrophe as an excuse to persecute a new religious group: the Christians.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we explore the pandemic that changed the world forever, with season five of Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis Link to Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis: https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiasco-The-AIDS-Crisis-Podcast/B09SVPH27K See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 15, 1815. After suffering a crushing defeat in the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte surrenders to the British.

July 14, 1698. An ambitious plan by Scotland to found a colony in Panama goes disastrously wrong.

July 13, 1923. Real estate developers dedicate the Hollywood sign to advertise a new housing devleopment, inadvertently creating an iconic American landmark.

July 12, 1804. American founding father, Alexander Hamilton, dies from a fatal wound he suffered during a duel with his longtime adversary, Aaron Burr.

July 11, 1833. An Australian Aboriginal warrior named Yagan is murdered by colonists after leading a war of resistance against British settlers.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we discover the startling truth about Africa: It’s a Continent. Link to the It's a Continent podcast: https://www.itsacontinent.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

July 8, 1776. Colonel John Nixon gives the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, spreading word that the American colonies have declared themselves free from British rule.

July 7, 1947. The discovery of mysterious debris on a sheep ranch near Roswell, New Mexico sparks a national obsession with UFOs.

July 6, 1699. The arrest of Captain William Kidd ends the reign of plunder of one of history's most infamous pirates and sparks rumors of buried treasure.

July 5, 1954. Elvis Presley records his first single "That's All Right" at Sun Records in Memphis, introducing rock and roll to mainstream America.