History Schmistory: February 11. Science fiction meets Television, and the “robot”.
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
1938: BBC Television produces the world’s first ever science fiction television program, an adaptation of the Karel Capek play R.U.R., (Rossum’s Universal Robots.) The play, first produced in Prague in 1921, introduced the term “robot” to the English language and to science fiction as a whole. The adaptation begins in Rossum’s humanoid factory, where subservient machines called robots are built. These popular robots were so incredibly lifelike and efficient, able to think comprehensively and make their own decisions, that they were often mistaken for humans. Of course, the robots at this point have begun to rebel against their owners and by the end they wipe out the entire human race.
-Oh yeah, spoiler alert! Pretty sure you saw that coming, though.
Well, R.U.R. is really where it all started!
History Schmistory: February 11. The Senate Show!
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
February 11, 1794. First US Senate session opens to the public.
History Schmistory: February 10. Now that’s a riot.
Monday, February 10, 2025
1355: The St. Scholastica’s Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and as many locals dead in three days. And it all started with a bar brawl. Yeah, Oxford was a rough campus.
History Schmistory: February 10. Computer Date Checkmate!
Monday, February 10, 2025
February 10, 1996. Computer defeats a Chess Grandmaster.
History Schmistory: February 9. Lazy-ball.
Sunday, February 9, 2025
1895: William G. Morgan creates a game called mintonette, soon to become volleyball, -because mintonette just sounds silly. 🙂
Having known and worked for James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, Morgan felt confident he could create his own, less physically demanding sport for slightly older kinesthetic folk like himself. His original rules were quite different from those we know today. For one thing there was no limit to the number of players you could have as long as both sides were even. Also, each side could hit the ball as many times as they wanted before sending it over the net. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Thankfully, volleyball has become a much more athletically intriguing sport than it once was. Seriously, how effective could your team possibly be in those dresses?
Wonder what Morgan would have to say about how things have progressed since his day? …
History Schmistory: February 9. Weather Men!
Sunday, February 9, 2025
February 9, 1870. Grant and Congress say yes to weather service.
History Schmistory: February 8. Scout’s Honor!
Saturday, February 8, 2025
1910: Lifelong adventurer, William D. Boyce  incorporates and charters the Boy Scouts of America. Only the year before, Boyce was hopelessly lost one evening on the foggy streets of London, when an unknown Scout came to his rescue and guided him safely to his destination. The boy then refused Boyce’s tip, explaining that he was a Boy Scout and was merely doing his daily good turn. Upon his return to the US, Boyce wasted no time initiating the Boy Scouts of America, which not only compelled mischievous young men to do nice things, but also bussed them out to the forest to learn how to survive.
-Unfortunately, nobody told Smokey they were coming…
 
History Schmistory: February 8. Be Prepared!
Saturday, February 8, 2025
February 8, 1910. Boy Scouts of America is incorporated.
History Schmistory: February 7. “The British are coming, the British are coming!”
Friday, February 7, 2025
1964: The British invade the US. With Rock! The Beatles, already causing Beatlemania in the UK and much of Europe, take their first small steps on US soil at Kennedy Airport. Their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show two days later proved a giant leap for music-kind, marking the beginning of the “British Invasion” in America.
History Schmistory: February 7. Monopoly!
Friday, February 7, 2025
February 7, 1935: Parker Brothers introduces the Monopoly board game.
