This Day in History Class

On this day in 1996, the centuries-old Stone of Destiny was officially returned to Scotland and put on display in Edinburgh Castle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1898, British literary scholar and children’s book author C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1922, Royal Air Force Captain Cyril Turner became the first pilot in the U.S. to use skywriting as a form of advertising. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1984, a group of celebrity musicians recorded the benefit song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1874, farmer and rancher Joseph Glidden was granted a patent for double-stranded barbed wire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 534 BC, an ancient Greek performer named Thespis became the first known actor to portray a character on stage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1927, American inventor Carl Eliason received a patent for an early version of the snowmobile. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1783, at a public demonstration in Paris, two volunteers embarked on the first free ascent in a hot air balloon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1966, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops loosened the rule requiring Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1913, German monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II forbade his officers from dancing the tango while in uniform. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1974, scientists at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico sent the first message intended for alien lifeforms.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1937, cartoonist Al Capp introduced the pseudo-holiday known as Sadie Hawkins Day in his Li’l Abner comic strip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island was published as a single-volume book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1961, in the rural Dutch village of Staphorst, residents publicly shamed a cheating couple by driving them through the streets in the back of a dung wagon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1969, the pioneering children’s education series, Sesame Street, aired its first episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1961, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America ended its longstanding ban on non-white members. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1291, the Venetian Republic ordered all local glassmakers to relocate to the nearby island of Murano. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1916, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman in American history to win a seat in Congress.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1879, the Ritty brothers of Dayton, Ohio, received the patent for the first mechanical cash register. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1883, Charles "Black Bart" Bowles robbed his 28th Wells Fargo wagon, the last before his capture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1959, Charles Van Doren admitted that his winning streak on a popular TV quiz show had been rigged by the show's producers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America announced its first ratings system for films. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1974, Ronald Clark O'Bryan gave cyanide disguised as candy to five trick-or-treaters, including his own children.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1977, the animated special Halloween Is Grinch Night aired for the first time on ABC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this day in 1962, “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the second week in a row.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.