History Schmistory: August 25. Life on the Moon?
Monday, August 25, 2025
1835: The New York Sun begins to perpetuate what later became known as the Great Moon Hoax, six articles written by a fictitious doctor who claimed that he viewed the moon through “an immense telescope of an entirely new principle” and discovered it was inhabited by, among other things, bat-people…
![See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Great-Moon-Hoax-1835-New-York-Sun-lithograph-298px.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The articles caused quite a stir, not seen again until another bat-like hoax hit the mainstream many moons later…
![By Vinya [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2007-Michael_Clayton-George_Clooney102824.jpg)
By Vinya [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 24. More Gospels Omitted!
Sunday, August 24, 2025
1456:  The Gutenberg Bible, the first major book produced on a moveable-type printing press, is complete.
![By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) (originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Gutenberg_Bible_Lenox_Copy_New_York_Public_Library_2009._Pic_01.jpg)
By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) (originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 23. Silence! The Mad King Speaks!
Saturday, August 23, 2025
1775: King George III declares that the American colonies exist in a state of open and avowed rebellion. And that his teacup has turned the sugar against him.
History Schmistory: August 22. “My kingdom for a horse!”
Friday, August 22, 2025
1485: Richard III is killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Sadly, no horse arrived in time to take advantage of the swingin’ deal.
![See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/427px-King_Richard_III.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Happy Birthday, Jackie!
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Jacopo Peri, the original opera man, was born today in 1561. Play it again, Marco!
History Schmistory: August 20. Who brought the cannon?
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
1882: Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky premiers the 1812 Overture in Moscow, with a section of real cannon blasting away during the finale. Six months later a cannonball falls out of the sky and kills Wagner. It was that awesome.
Don’t think you know it? Skip to 3:05….
History Schmistory: August 19. To go where no man would dare go before…
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
1960 – Sputnik Program: Sputnik 5  – the Soviet Union launches a satellite with 2 dogs, 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants. The first animals to be launched into orbit and return safely. Not to take anything away from the first animals ever in space, fruit flies. Seriously. They did so well we sent them back a few years ago. Poor little guys…
![By Jack Dykinga, U.S. Department of Agriculture [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Female_Mexican_fruit_fly_insect.jpg)
By Jack Dykinga, U.S. Department of Agriculture [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
-We should give a shout to Laika, the original space dog, who unfortunately didn’t make it back. RIP widdle buddy!
![Laika Monument By Laika ac from USA (Laika) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Laika_ac_Laika_6982605741.jpg)
Laika Monument
By Laika ac from USA (Laika) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 18. Truth or Dare?
Monday, August 18, 2025
1587: Virginia Dare, the first American child of English descent, is born. Sad news for the Truths, across the road, who are two weeks overdue.
![Henry Howe [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Baptism_of_Virginia_Dare.jpeg)
Henry Howe [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 17. Moving stick-people? One please!
Sunday, August 17, 2025
1908: Fantasmagorie by Emile Cohl, debuts as the first animated film in history. Try it with your own soundtrack! … …Or don’t.
History Schmistory: August 16. Can you hear me now?
Saturday, August 16, 2025
1858: The United States exchanges overseas greetings with the United Kingdom for the first time through the transatlantic telegraph cable.
![See page for author [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Atlantic_cable_Map.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[Portrait of Wildman Whitehouse, 1856-1865, Maull and Polyblank, Science Museum, 1856-1865. Object No. 1980-2/50. © This image is available for use under the following license: CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0]
His complaint was it didn’t work fast enough, so he turned up the juice too high and fried the thing. Way to go, Wildman.
He tried to make it up to everybody with a communications device of his own…
No one was amused.
