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Episode 53: Oklahoma Land Rush
Today marks the 126th anniversary of the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Here are some things you might not have known about the Land Rush. One: The Land Rush happened at noon on April 22 when the U.S. government opened two million acres of Oklahoma to settlement. Fifty thousand settlers waited to stake their claim…
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Episode 52: See You at the World’s Fair!
April 21 marks the 53rd anniversary of the Century 21 Exposition, a World’s Fair held in Seattle, Washington. Here are a few facts you may not know about World’s Fairs: First: The first world’s fair recognized by the Bureau of International Expositions was the Great Exposition in London in 1851, a personal project of Prince…
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Episode 51: The Fall of the Red Baron
Today marks the 98th anniversary of the final two kills by German World War I flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. Here are some things you might not know about the Red Baron: First: Richthofen didn’t start the war as a pilot. He was originally a cavalryman, which was not…
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Episode 50: The Simpsons Debut
The Simpsons as they appeared on “The Tracey Ullman Show” in 1989. (Photo courtesy of FOX) April 19th marks the 28th anniversary of the first appearance of The Simpsons on the “Tracey Ullman Show.” Here are some things you may not have known about The Simpsons. First: The characters were created by Matt Groening to…
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Episode 49: The San Francisco Earthquake
April 18th marks the anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Here are some things you may not have known about the earthquake: First: More than 3,000 people are estimated to have died in the earthquake that struck at 5:12 a.m. The quake predated the Richter Scale, but has been estimated to have been between…
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Episode 48: The 335 Years War
Today marks the 29th anniversary of the end of the 335 Years War; a bloodless war of questionable origin between The Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly off southwestern England. Here are a few facts about this obscure war: One: The conflict had its origins in the Second English Civil War in 1651. Cromwell’s Parliamentarians…
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Episode 47: Charlie Chaplin
April 16 marks the 126th anniversary of the birth of Charlie Chaplin in 1889. Here are some things you may not have known about Chaplin. First: Chaplin was born in London and his childhood was marked by poverty. His father abandoned the family and Chaplin spent two spells in a workhouse before he turned nine.…
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Episode 46: Jackie Robinson Debuts
April 15 marks the 68th anniversary of Jackie Robinson making his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Here are some things you might not know about Jackie Robinson. First: Robinson’s older brother Mack earned a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 1936 Olympics in berlin. Second: Jackie Robinson made his professional baseball debut with…
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Episode 45: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
April 14th marks the 150th anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Here are some things you might not know about it: First: Lincoln wasn’t the only target that night. John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators planned to kill Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State…
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Episode 44: Two Dollar Bill
On this date in 1976, the United States Treasury reintroduced the two-dollar bill featuring Thomas Jefferson. Here are some things you might not know about the two-dollar bill: First, the two-dollar bill and the one-dollar bill are the only U.S. currency that do not have enhanced security features, like watermarks and security thread. Second,…