WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - This Week In History with Michaela and Gavin: July 21-27

Episode Date: July 23, 2024

We will be here all summer keeping you up to date with a week's worth of historic trivia ranging from world history to pop culture! Stick around for the end of the episode to see whether Gavin or Michaela wins our "Guess That Year" portion of the show. Do you know what year Ernest Hemingway was born? 

Welcome to this week in history with Michaela and Gavin. The show where we highlight historical events from world American and pop cultural history. All right, we're back with another week of historical facts. What's your first world history date? My first world history date. I get to go first? Do I? Sure.

Ladies first. Two weeks in a row. Let's go. One in doubt, ladies first. All right, July 24th, 1943, the beginning of Operation Gomorrah, which was basically an allied attack, so Britain and the United States, the British attacked with bombers through the night, and then American troops raided the next day. So it's like a...

This is World War I? Two. Sorry. 1943. I don't know if I said that. Gotcha, I gotcha, 1943. Gamora. The name, yeah, Sodom and Gomorrah.

That caught my eye and I was like, no way. So I don't know. I didn't see anything based on the name, but I wonder if the city, Hamburg, which is where they were attacking, they thought it was Gamora. Awkward. And it was like Berlin was Sodom or something. Right. Yeah. Anybody turned to Pillars of Salt? Oh, I wish. I didn't see it.

That would have been that cool ending for Hitler. Instead of committing suicide, he just turned into... Just turned into salt. Honestly, that should have happened. Would have been a great biblical reference. I love it. All right, what's yours? My name is July 24th, 1911. American explorer Hiram, Hiram, Bingham. The third, rediscovers Machu Picchu in Peru.

Wow. So obviously, it wasn't built. in 1911. It was built much earlier than that. And a very cool place. The people who live there were very small. So all the doorways. I'm uneducated on this. So it's like an old Incan civilization built in the mountains on the kind of a, it's all a mountain range, but there's a very small part of it that you can kind of build on if you really try hard. And they tried really hard. And so they got this town on top of this mountain with terraces. Oh my. And there's very few flat places because it's just built like on the mountain. Wow. Okay. But this is sure.

Short Incan people who built it and then eventually, I guess, died or left it because it wasn't uninhabitable. But. Do you know how short is short? I mean, when I went, I was like six years old. You went? I did. Whoa. Yeah. So it was very exciting.

That's cool. It was a cool experience. Yeah. Okay. I would say the doorways weren't taller than five feet. Okay. Wow. That's tiny.

Very small people. I would be tall there. That's awesome. So exciting. Yeah. You get us like doorways in most houses are like seven feet. feet. Or more, yeah, seven or eight feet. And so people were probably shorter than that, which is crazy. Wow. But yeah, so that's Machu Picchu. Wow, that's really cool. My next day is July 27th,

nope, 1794, was the overthrow of Robespierre. I never say his name, right? Robespier. The next day he was guillotined. Man, so the main, he guillotined a bunch of people and then in one day he was guillotined. Man, got a dose of his own medicine. Right. own guillotine. That thing would be so scary. Yeah. It's quick, though. That's what I've heard.

Quick and painless. Yeah, sure. Maybe. I mean, no one's told us if it's painless. If it's a clean cut, we'll see. All right. My next one is July 27th, 1953. The Korean War Armist is signed effectively ending the war.

Oh, let's go. Yeah, very exciting, except for the fact that, you know, a couple years later we'd be in Vietnam and, you know, be stuck there for another decade. or so. It's just crazy that we end World War II. I know. We end World War I thinking it's going to end everything. End World War II.

The 20th century. Yeah, geez. What are they going to say about the 21st century? That's the question. Yeah. Well, I think, I feel like there's going to be a breaking point soon and a bunch of stuff's going to happen. But that's just me.

I was thinking, not enough has happened recently. Recently? Like to America. Oh, you mean worldwide? Yeah, yeah. Okay. Because I was like recently in like the past week of our, of our. Country has been kind of wild.

That's great. On like a global war scale, you know. Yeah, no, I get it. Don't drink so, Gavin. That's true, that's true. I'm sure we're way more involved than the government lets us believe. But that's just my conspiracy. No, that's a good take.

It's fair. A theorist. All right, my last date for world history is July 28th, 1914. We literally just referenced this. It's the beginning of World War I because Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. So the beginning of World War I and then, basically all the other wars that followed. That's crazy.

So. Yeah. Wow. All because of treaties, right? That's kind of... Like, they shot, um, random Serb shot the Duke of Austria. Yeah.

And then they declared all these wars. And then, yeah, all the treaties brought everyone in. All the force to fight. It's crazy. It's great for keeping peace, but then also it's like a domino effect. Right. I know.

No one wants to make the first move. But once you do, it's, you're forced to join. Yeah, that's true. Well, jumping up, jumping up. Jumping forward one more to World War II, July 25th, 1943, Benito Mussolini is arrested and deposed from power in Italy during World War II. Wow. I didn't know who was arrested. He was hung from a balcony, like outside, like they took him outside his house and hung him.

Wow. Wait, who's they? Like who? Well, like the Italian people. They just turned against him. I did not know that. Yeah, they were like, we've had enough of you in your fascism. Yeah, he wasn't great.

Let's be honest. I'll take. All right, should we go to America? American history. Yeah. No one's getting hung out of windows yet. Yet. All right, July 27, 1974, the House of Representatives begins the impeachment of President Nixon.

Wow. Pretty sad times. It's so funny. Impeachments I used to think was like, that's crazy. And then how many times does Trump had impeached like twice? I think at least, yeah. Or at least he was on trial. And everyone's always threatening to like, this is an impeachable offense.

I know. I feel like we use it a little lightly now. Probably. We don't take it very seriously. But yeah, no. I bet that would have been a hard. I don't, was Nixon maybe the first one who was impeached? Actually, I'm not going to say that. I'm not going to say that either. Someone's correcting us, like, listening in their car and they're like, no. I have this worst fear that every time this show airs, like the history department and like, and like huddles around the radio. I was like, get a load of this.

Can you imagine? That would be so funny. Honestly, we deserve it. Just spouting like false facts. Like, we need to do better so that these two idiots learn something. Oh my gosh, that's hilarious. Well, as long as we get the dates right, you know. Yeah.

That's right. And the next day is July 27th, 1996. Okay. A bomb explodes in Centennial Olympic Park during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta, yeah. Resulting in two deaths and many injuries. Wow. I don't know who did it, but I've driven past the place that had happened many times.

That's where I live. Wow. Oh, okay. He's not from now. I don't claim Atlanta. He obviously does not like Atlanta. You shouldn't see his face. He's like, absolutely not.

Don't speak that over me. But no, you can still see the Olympic torch. Did the Olympics continue there even though there was an attack? I think so. Wow. Okay. It was a good games from what I can tell. Hey, the Olympics are coming up.

Yeah. Did they just start? Did they? I thought it was August. Yeah, that sounds right. August. Okay, cool. The trials are happening, I think.

All right, what's my next day? July 28th, 1868, the 14th Amendment was adopted. So the 13th freed all the slaves, and then the 14th gave them rights to life, liberty, property, all of that. Rights to be an American. Exactly. We love those rights. Those are good American rights.

My next date is July 20th, 1976. Okay. Viking 1 in American spacecraft successfully lands on Mars and sends back the first close-up images of the Martian surface. Oh my. So just once again cementing our places, kings of space. We'll go to the moon and then we go to Mars. Kings of space. I like that term.

America is the king of space. That's crazy. I remember being absolutely panicked. I don't remember why I chose to. In 1976 when that happened? Yeah, definitely. Yeah. I was reincarnated actually.

No, I'm kidding. Like, as an elementary school girl, I don't know why I chose to freak out about this, but I thought that I was going to be deported to Mars because they wanted to, like, start colonies there or whatever. I was really scared. So anyways, kind of cool that we landed there now, and I know that I can stay safely on Earth. Well, don't you know that girls go to Mars to get more chocolate bars? Do you remember that? Did you just make that up?

No, as a kid, do you remember that? No. Okay. Did guys say that in your school? People would say that. That's funny. Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider. And girls go to Mars to get more chocolate.

I've never heard that. That must have been really weird if you didn't. That is. I was like, wait, what? That's hilarious. Yeah, I remember getting really angry about that. I'm like, I'm not going to Jupiter. I'm not getting stupider.

I'm not getting more stupider. I'm going to Mars and getting me a chocolate bar. It was like in the same vein As like sugar Girls are made of sugar and spice Everything nice Right right And guys are made of you know

Everything horrible Yeah So anti-man slander As an elementary student Like revolting He's like no Still has an effect on me She's still upset about it

Okay my last day Back to America Instead of our education I guess In elementary school Is July 23rd 1885 The death of UlyssS. Grant

He was only 63 which is crazy. Did a lot though. He did do a lot. Good man. Good man. They're actually by my house. There's an old covered bridge, historical covered bridge, and then there's a pink house.

And it's like the only old house in the area because it was the house he stayed in when he marched through Atlanta. And the only house he didn't burn because he was sleeping there. Wow. That's crazy. So Sherman's March, you can definitely see the effects or, you know, the lack of houses. Except there's a pink house. There's the pink house, which I don't think was pink when he was there. but it's still there.

It's just crazy. Wow, that's crazy. All right. My last day is July 26, 1990. President George H.W. Bush signs the American with Disabilities Act, ADA, into law, prohibiting discrimination based on disability, ensuring equal opportunity for people with disabilities. So another great step for equality. Against discrimination.

Yeah. There you go. We'll love to see it. Move on to pop culture. What's your first day? My, oh my gosh. This is so embarrassing. I think you're going to laugh at this.

So you already did, though. So, okay. July 22nd, 2005, have you heard of the March of the Penguins? No. Okay. I'm sorry. It's okay. No, it's fine.

I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not surprised that you have. And that, yes, that's right. It's a movie about how penguins find their meat. And I know this sounds really weird. Is this like a documentary? Yeah, basically. Wait.

And the voice is Morgan Freeman. Oh. Oh, I've seen clips of this. Like, you would probably recognize the cover. Yes. Yes. Well, it was like in the Estreuth family household when I grew up. It's like a cult classic.

Well, I've only seen it once, but I just like the cover is very nostalgic for me. So when I saw this, when I was preparing for this show, I was like, I have to include that. Very important. So anyways. That's funny. But there you go. I have to watch that. I love animal documentaries.

Like, they're kind of fun. They're always just kind of on, especially like if you go to a hotel and you turn on the TV. It was like always the random one about elephants or something. I love that that's what you choose to watch it on a hotel. It was either that or like home improvement or like impractical jokers. All right.

After this, you have to watch the trailer because it is really funny. I will do that. Speaking of trailers and movies, July 19th, 1985, the film Back to the Future is released becoming a major hit and a cultural icon. I know what Back to the Future is. You do. That's good. That's good.

We don't have to explain that to you. Thanks, Kevin. No, that's a great movie. I love that actor Michael J. Fox. He's great. He just played recently with Coldplay on stage. Oh, whoa. That's cool.

I saw a video of it, and they were like, they were singing Johnny Be Good. Wow, and that's so funny. Maybe just sitting up there with a guitar. But, yeah. Wow. All right, what's your next day? Okay, July 23rd, 1982, an actor and two children, who I'm assuming were also actors, were killed on the set of the Twilight Zonel.

in the movie. Oh, what year was that? 1982. 1882. So they were producing the movie. Yeah. What a, oh, that's so eerie. It's super eerie.

Imagine that making, like, your alarm. Oh, my gosh. No, I would wake up in an instant. Terrified. Holy stank. That's so sad. I know. Does it say how they died?

It was also, there was a helicopter, like, crash scene or whatever, and then it actually they actually crashed. I think something like that. That's what I read. Anyways. Also, it was the last day of shooting. It was the last day. It's so sad.

At least they got all. I mean, at least they got the film films. It did. They still released it. I was like, I wonder if they just suspended it, but they didn't.

I was like, wow. It makes sense because like, why not? But also it's so sad. It's really sad. They just went on it, on with it.

Anyways. Oh, geez. All right. Pick us up. All right. This one is also kind of, sad, but in like a pathetic way. July 23rd, 1984, Vanessa Williams

becomes the first African American to resign the Miss American title due to a scandal involving unauthorized photographs. I saw that when I was researching. So my mom was, this was actually a trivia question at Hillsdale brewing the other day. No, really? And my mom was here, and she was

saying that it was because she did a photo shoot with Playboy, like after she won and they like revoked it. Whoa. And so, kind of sad that she would do that. Vanessa. You're better than that, Vanessa. Come on. Come on. Tough, awkward. All right. Our last, my last

pop cultural date is July 24th, 1998. This is a good one. Year my sister was born, because that's very important. Oh, that's great, too. Honestly, year my sister was born. Whoa. Look at us go. We have sisters here with the age. Crazy. Saving Private Ryan opens in theaters. A great film.

Man, that's a movie I've only ever seen. once and it's still like one of the most vivid movies in my mind that I've ever seen. That's a really good way to say it. It's just like the scenes are stuck in your brain. They move, yeah. What a good one. All right, what's your last date? My last date is the album in utero by Nirvana is completed and later released becoming

one of the defining albums of the 1990s. Do you know it, Nirvana? Do you like them? I don't know them. You don't know them? Okay. Help me out. In utero is like one of their best albums.

Okay. That or never mind. So it's like peak grunge, like going into the mainstream the first time. So my parents love this album. But Kurt Cobain's vocals are great. Yeah, Nirvana and you grow. In case you guys didn't know. And I like Nirvana.

Very great. That's so cool. Gavin, what time is it? It's guest that year. The part of the show, I guess. Yeah, where we guess the dates associated with. Uh, famous? Famous events.

There we go. We got it. We know what time it is. All right. Who's first today? You'll go first because I have what. So you're reading to me or am I reading to you? You're reading to me.

Okay. First trivia date. Ernest Hemingway, the famous American author and journalist, is born, known for his adventurous life and distinctive writing style. Hemingway pen, classics like the old man of the sea and for whom the bell tolls. I've read Ernest Hemingway. He's really good. So he's.

He's older than when you read it, obviously. Thanks, yeah, that's helpful. It's really helpful. Didn't he also commit suicide? Sorry, that's a side note. I don't know if that... I think he did. I don't know if that...

At a very young age, but maybe I'm wrong. We can cut that out. Maybe. Well, now people are going to go look it up and learn about Ernest Hepping. That's true. Okay. It was either like the beginning of the 20th century or the end of the 19th century. Somewhere in there.

Yeah, you're like on it. Exactly. Let's go. 1898. Thank you. 1899. Oh, man. I was right there.

Like you said at beginning and end. I was like, yep, exactly. She's got it. In July too. So it was like pretty midway. All right. Good job. Wow.

So you're that I would, one year away. I would say half a year. I'll give you a half a year away for that. Oh, thanks Gavin. That's so kind of you. All right. Let me get this right on the head.

Okay. I have so many options this time. So maybe I should let you choose because you've let me do that. I have. And give me one where I'm not going to guess the wrong century and embarrasses. Do you want a really old date or do you want a more recent date? Recent. Recent.

Yeah. Okay. This is the year that the FBI was founded. Oh, boy. It's okay. This is the kind of thing that it's been around a lot longer than I think it has. Yes. So it's not like immediately recent.

Yeah. But it's not like ancient history. 18? No. One more. 19. Yeah, there you go. Okay.

1933. No. Earlier. Oh, really? Yeah. 1917? Earlier. What? 1906.

1908. There you go. There you go. All right. It was 100 years off. No, you were close. It's okay. It's okay.

All right. Let's throw you. I'm going to hopefully throw you off. Throw me off. It's not because you're going to get it right from the first word. President Harry S. Truman issues executive order 9981 desegregating the U.S. military. This was a significant step towards civil rights and equality. America.

Okay, well, the question is, was that, like, during World War II after? Oh, Gavin's making it face like, I'm totally off. I mean, you're going to be close to matter what, because it's Truman, so you know around where he is. Well, kind of, but then it's embarrassing if I get it off. That's true. Ninety-two. Ah, no.

48. 48. Yeah, so you're still closer than I was, but. So it was after, it was after World War II. Interesting. Okay. Because World War II ended in 1945.

We got it. I think I said 49 in the show once. It's okay. We're learning. We are keeping our mind sharp during the summer. I'm never going to have to study for another date quiz ever. Oh my gosh. Okay.

Mine for you. Let's see. I'll give you another choice. You can do something about Constantine or something about airplanes. Airplanes. Okay. All the way. Okay.

I'll give you another hint. This is really close to the last day you just gave. Oh, geez. Okay, now I can't mess this up. July 27th, blank year. Yep. Orville, I think I said his name right? Right.

Successfully test the right military flyer. I'm also going to throw in this stat because it's really funny. Yeah. It was the world's first military airplane, and it flew at a record speed of an hour and 12 minutes and 40 seconds in over 4. 40 miles, which is like not that fast at all, but that's okay. Jeez. So pretty cool. Wow.

So first military airplane. End of the 1800s. Or I would say the beginning of the 1900s. There you go. There you go. But also it was the military airplane. So think like World War I had those. So narrows it down.

1910. You basically got it. No, you did. I'm doing the same thing you did. It was July of 1909, so you're six months off. There you go. We're already in January. Apparently we think ahead too much on the show.

Yeah. No, that was great. Well, done. Well, I think you still won because you did the first date without any guessing. Any hints at all. Only Ernest Hemingway. I gave you a hard one with FBI. I wouldn't have gotten that.

That's okay. All right. Well, I would say that's a win, but you guys can decide as you see fit as the listener. You judge us at the history department listening to us right now. Yeah, decide who gets an A in our next class. If we pass our capstone, we'll see. If we even graduate, a really big risk. Well, there's always next week to try again,

and we will see you next week on This Week in History with Michaela and Gavin. Thanks for joining, guys. Bye.