WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - This Week in History - Nov. 2-8: Spies, space dogs, and Harry Potter

Episode Date: November 3, 2025

Join Ava and Alessia as they dive into the world of espionage, the launch of Sputnik II, and more.

Welcome to This Week in History with Ava and Alessia, your one-stop shop for all things history. Welcome back to this week in history. I'm Alessia, and we're going to dive into some of this week's craziest events, just not the ones from 2025. Ava, what do you have for American history? On November 2nd, 1983, Ronald Reagan establishes MLK Day as a national holiday. MLK Day was established to honor Martin Luther King Jr. as one of the leading advocates of the, nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement in the 60s. And MLK Day was meant to be a holiday in celebration of his birthday, which was January 15th. But as you know, it's not the same day every year. But this is because of a federal act called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

And this act pretty much moves around what exact day a holiday is on. It just makes sure it's on a uniform day of the week every year. And that's why Martin Luther King Day is always on the third day. Monday of January because it's closest to his actual birthday. Interestingly enough, the holiday wasn't officially observed nationally until three years later in 1986. With no further mention of his earlier reservations, President Reagan today signed the bill which makes Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.

Individual states have to decide to make an official observation of the holiday, so like getting off of work or school or stuff. that didn't happen until the year 2000. And fun fact, Martin Luther King is one of only three people to have a federal holiday in his honor. The other two are George Washington and Christopher Columbus. Alessia, what do you have? So for my American History Day, I have, it's more of a month, actually. We're just choosing to put it in this episode. So it's November at some point in 1778. But in November of 1778, George Washington appoints Benjamin Talmadge as his head of intelligence. This is something that I am a total geek about. Benjamin Talmadge is, I think he's a captain when he's

first brought in and then George Washington promotes him to a major so that he can run the intelligence organization. Sir, a captain cannot run the intelligence branch. That's why I have promoted him to major. He creates the Culper Spy Ring, which is made up of several of his friends and people that he knew from when he grew up in Satakit, New York. Talmage is running the in the American camp part of the spying. And then you have Abraham Woodhaw, who's really the lead spy. And he's going, he's originally spying in To Tocotk it. And then eventually he goes to New York to do more work. And he recruits other people, brings them into the fold. And there's allegedly a woman spy who works with them, who's really just referred to as 355. So we don't really know if she was technically or thing,

but it's thought that she was helping to be a courier for information and that she was even hanging petticoats on her property to signal when intelligence was ready to be picked up and things like that. Also troop movements. They were also involved with Benedict Arnold. They were a part of the plot to try to capture him after he betrayed the United States and went over to the English. Specifically when he was in New York, they were trying to figure out what his movements were, how they could capture him, things along those lines. But their story is absolutely fascinating. And they made a pledge to never speak of it. And so no one even knew that it was a thing until, I think the 1920s, when someone found documents relating to the spy organization. And they had known that Talmage was a part of it and then he was the head of intelligence.

But the depth and the members of the Culper spy ring were never known before that. And there's a book and a show about this, right? Yeah, there is. So this is one of my favorite books, actually. So the book is called Washington Spies. and it's by Alexander Rose. This is the OG book. There's also a book written by a Fox News guy, but this is the OG one.

And I actually like this one better. He is, I actually had the chance to meet him too. He's one of the coolest people. And he knows so much about spies, which is kind of my forte, too. Would have never guessed. Today in Ottoman Empire, we were reading about Ottoman spies, and I think it was my favorite topic of the entire year. But anyways, yeah, so he wrote the original book. And then off of that book, there was a show.

show that was made and it was called Turn Washington Spies. And it was really, it's not very true to the original story. There's a lot of things that they make up. They add characters, get rid of characters. The show is actually really good though. I enjoyed it. I've watched it probably four times. And I think there's four seasons, three or four seasons. It's the secret side of the American Revolution. Let's move on to world history now. Eva, what happened this week in history in the world. So on November 3rd of 1957, the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik 2. All the Soviet Union, especially it's very nice that collectiv of the scientific institutes, constructors' bureaus, the provost of the institutions,

who's new rocket, on the sputnik 2nd 21st of Communist Party of Soviet Union. On the Sputnik 2 was, I think I'm pronouncing this correctly, but I also couldn't be at all. Laika, the dog, was on board the Sputnik 2 and became the first living thing launched into space and Earth's orbit.

That's so cool. Do you know what kind of dog it was? Was it one of those, like, target dogs? I think it was a Russell Terrier. Oh, okay. It was some sort of terrier, but going back ever so slightly, the Sputnik 1 launched almost exactly a month prior to the Sputnik 2. But the Sputnik 2 was a conical capsule, so like an upside-down ice cream cone, and it had a section for all of the equipment and then the section that Laca lived in. And the little capsule was launched by a ballistic missile, and it became the second vessel to be launched into Earth's orbit, the first being the Sputnik.

Did Laca the dog survive? We're getting there. Okay. I'm kind of scared. So the Sputnik 2 returned to Earth on April 14th, 1958, but sadly Laca, the dog died shortly after reaching orbit. But that would have been just a few hours after it launched. So it didn't starve? No, but a dead dog in a capsule for a couple months is not the best thing.

They can't have thought that this dog was going to live for a couple of months. They didn't know, like, you know how the astronauts have to be really careful about getting too hot, and they have to add a lot of things to the outside of the spaceship so that the astronauts are safe? Oh my gosh. Did the dog cook? Oh, my gosh. They cooked a dog. Well, they didn't know that for a hot minute until after the spaceship returned, but there's a whole lot of conspiracy theories, though, about Lake's death. And some of them-

A conspiracy theory? Like conspiracy theories. What could they possibly... Like that the Russian government wanted to poison her. It was a dog. Yeah. There's a lot of theories that they were going to euthanize her once she got into orbit, but I don't think she ever made it.

But they weren't put to rest until 2002 when one of the scientists who worked on the project spoke at a conference and said that she had overheeded and died a few hours after the launch before reaching orbit. The whole Sputnik 2 situation posed massive questions. for the United States regarding the whole space race and nuclear warfare in general since it was launched by a ballistic missile. Interestingly enough, the moon landing wasn't until over a decade later. Alessie, I'm going to throw it to you now. All right, so I've got November 7th-ish, the time varies, and it was over a few days as well, but of 1942, and this is when Virginia Hall crosses the Pyrenees.

So Virginia Hall is probably my favorite spy ever. If I could meet anyone, I would probably choose to meet her. You also have another podcast episode about her, right? Yes, everyone should go listen to Undetectad's episode on Virginia Hall, where we go into her whole story. So I'll just do a short version here. You should go check out that episode if you want her full life story and about her exploits as a spy. But she was an American woman who ended up being recruited by British intelligence to go to France. This is right before America enters the war in 1941.

So she went to France as an American journalist, posing as an American journalist, and was gathering information, working with the resistance groups there. And then eventually, once America entered the war, she had to change her cover story. And she actually changed the color of her hair and just changed her look and became a completely new person, essentially. And she was one of the top resistance leaders in the French resistance. Eventually, though, her network was broken up by the Nazis, and I think it was actually, it was a priest who betrayed them. And she had to go on the run, and she ended up going on this really tough journey that a lot of spies and people trying to escape the Nazis had to go on from France through the Pyrenees into Spain, where then she could get a ship and go back to England or America, wherever.

So she had to trek through the Pyrenees in November. So it's a mountain range, so it's freezing cold. And she actually only had one leg. What? That's the trick. I did not know about that. She had a wooden leg because she was involved in a hunting accident when she was a kid. And so her leg had to be amputated and she had a wooden leg named Cuthbert.

That was her friend. That's a fabulous name. It is. But she trekked through the mountains in the snowy November weather. On one leg? On one leg. And she made it to the other side, and she was so dedicated to fighting the Nazis that she went back. She changed her look and disguised herself as more of like an older lady and went back and continued to lead the resistance until D-Day and through D-Day, really, until the liberation of France.

And she is just so inspiring. She went through so much. She was just, she was the definition of a good leader and true courage. I don't believe we've met. Virginia Harle. We could set her up as a journalist. Good Lord Vera. She has a wooden leg.

Would you suspect this girl's a spy? All of my parts have been about espionage. This is my favorite thing to talk about. So we worked out with timing this week. If you're just tuning in, this is this week in history with Ava and Alessia on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. But let's go to a military history now. Eva, what do you have? On November 7th, 1917, the Bolshevik Party officially seized power in Russia with the October Revolution.

But I know I just said it happened on November 7th. But in Russia, they were still following the Julian calendar. So it was technically November, but it was also October. In 1917 during the Russian Revolution, they actually had two major ones, one in February and one in October, which would be March and November, roughly. And the February Revolution overthrew the imperial government of the Tsars, so the Romanov family. And the one in October was where the Bolsheviks would gain power and instate Lennon as their leader. So Vladimir Lennon was already the leader of the Bolshevik Party, but he instated a coup and overthrew the provisional government that had been put in place after the February Revolution. And the Bolsheviks were strategically placed in areas around the city to take government and

establishments and buildings in Petrograd. And the coup was violent, but successful. Lennon became the new leader of Russia and simultaneously the leader of the world's first communist government. This fairly quickly led to a civil war by the end of 1917. But interestingly enough, the Tsars family, the Romanovs, weren't executed until 1918, even though they were taken out of power in the February Revolution. It's really sad. Yeah. When I was reading about this, though I couldn't help but singing the songs from Anastasia the movie in my head in the background. And I felt really bad. But it's a really good movie.

It is. Alessia hit us with some military history. I got you, Ava. So November 5th, 1914, this is very similar to what we had in our episode next week. Or last week. Britain and France declare war on the Ottoman Empire. So last week we talked about the Ottoman Empire's surrender to Britain at the end of World War I. And now we have their entrance into the war.

ironically we did it backwards but it's okay oh well yeah so this is when world war one is really kicking off things are getting pretty bad i feel like this really helps to make world war one a total war and really involve the whole world i mean even the ottoman empire is getting in on it let's go to pop culture now eva what do you have i'm really excited about this one on november fourth of 2001 harry potter and the sorcerer's stone premiered in london Harry Potter. Yes. This was one of my many middle school obsessions. I always forget that you're a Harry Potter fan. I love Harry Potter. It's so great. I finished the first book, which is the Sorcerer Stone, in a day. And when I got home from school, because I read it in my breaks I had in the

day, I got a crappy pencil and my hot glue gun, and I made my own wand and then painted it, the Hufflepuffles. Oh, you're a Hufflepuff. I am a Hufflepuff. puff. Fun fact. Yeah, you can't tell it all when you look at me or ask me to talk about my outlook on life. No, you totally give up a lot. Yeah. Also, if you look in my room, I count it. I have over 20 plants in my room right now. I'm a big huffle puff. But anyway, something I think that's super cool is that in the UK, they don't call it Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. They call it Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Did you know that? That's so British. Well, yes. I can't remember the exact wording of the reason why they change the name for America, but I think

they thought it was because children and general Americans would be scared by the word philosopher. Oh my gosh. And that it would be like too deep for kids. Wow. Harry Potter in itself is a very deep series, TBH. And I love it. Do you like the books or the movies better? It depends on which of them. The books in general win, but the first two movies I like better than the books. How many are there? There are eight Harry Potter movies. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in particular, just the cinematography alone is just chef's kiss. It's fabulous. It does the book complete justice in the filming and coziness of it. I love it. That's awesome. Alessia, what do you have for pop culture. I'm very excited about this one. So November 4th, 1918, Wilfred Owen is killed in action.

You're excited about this? Okay. Okay. Hear me out, though. This is just a chance for me to talk about one of my favorite poets. Okay. So it goes back to that. I'm not happy that he was killed. That's horrible. That came really bad. Yeah, that's, that's not good. So Owen was shot by a German machine gunner during an N6 Festival British operation, and it was only one week before the end of the war. He just had to make it to November 11th. It's so sad. But Owen is famous for his, I guess anti-war would be a good word for it, but for his war poetry. My favorite one is Dulce et decorumest.

That's probably horribly pronounced. But it's just such a good poem. Have you read it before, Eva? I haven't. So here's a clip of one of his most famous poems. Bent double, like old beggars under sacks. Not knee, coughing like hags we cursed through sludge, till on the haunting flares we turned our backs

and towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, but limped on, bloodshod. All went lame, all blind, drunk with fatigue. Death even to the hoots of disappointed shells that dropped behind. Gas, gas, quick boys, an ecstasy of fumbling, fitting the clumsy helmets just in time.

But someone still was yelling out and stumbling and floundering like a man in fire or lime. Dim through the misty pains and thick green light as under a green sea I saw him drowning. In all my dreams before my helpless sight, he plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning, if in some smothering dreams you too could pace behind the wagon that we flung him in and watch the white eyes writhing in his face, his hanging face like a devil's sick of sin.

If you could hear at every jolt the blood come gargling from the froth corrupted lungs, obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, My friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children, ardent for some desperate glory. The old lie. Dolce et decorumest pro patria morey. Wow. Yeah, so that's one of my favorite poets. Actually, he might be my favorite poet outright.

I can't think of anyone else right now who's better. That I like more. And now it's time for... Everyone's favorite game show where two history majors show their inability to guess dates of things that happened. Guess that year. Usually a train wreck. I think it's still 4.3?

It is 4.3 with you in the lead. Amazing. Okay. Ava, you go first. What do you have for me? Okay. On November 2nd of what year, did the BBC launch its first TV show that made it the world's first regular TV company?

Oh my gosh. I have no idea. Here's a random year. Go for it. 1925. 36. Dang. Not even the right decade.

What do you have to stump me today? Oh, there's so many to choose from. Okay, this one's going to be pretty hard. In what year does Susan B. Anthony cast a vote illegally and then get arrested? I actually think I may. I'm not going to say that because I'll say that and then as soon as I say that, I'll get it wrong. But I read about this for a paper that I wrote last semester. Guilded Age.

Yes, about women in the Gilded Age. I want to say it was either like 1893 or 1912. No to both. It was much earlier. It was 1872. Okay, way earlier than I was expecting. Fun fact, that's really close to the time when the first pair of bloomers were ever worn by women in public, which is what I wrote my paper about. You're an expert now.

You might, I think you might know this one. Okay. On November 4th of what year did the archaeologist Howard Carter discover the tomb of King Tut? Oh, man, I knew this at one point. I've read so many things about this. Of course, now that I actually need it, I don't remember. That's how it goes with everything I know. I don't know.

1922. Yep. Wait, actually. Yeah. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah, you got it. Yay.

So 5.3 for me? Mm-hmm. Okay. All right. Last question for this week's episode. Ava, in what year did a German scientist discover x-rays? I have thoughts about this that would be way too long to get into. 1934?

No, too late. It was 1895. Yeah, way earlier than... Oh. Okay, I was thinking about the first photo of the x-ray. No, I was thinking about DNA. That's what I was thinking about. The first x-ray photo of DNA.

Is that possible? I don't think that's possible. Yes, it is possible. Okay, I'll trust you on that. Thanks for tuning into this week in history with Ava and Alessia, the show where we talk about all things history. See you next week on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM.