Welcome back to Touring History, the podcast that rummages through humanity’s attic, dusts off the weird, the wild, and the downright depressing, and says, “Well, we did that.” I’m Alain Touring, and today, we’re diving into March 10th—a day that proves history repeats itself like a bad sequel.
Let’s kick off with birthdays. Chuck Norris, born in 1940, became a martial arts legend and meme icon. If he had invented the telephone, it wouldn’t need wires—because wires are for cowards. Sharon Stone, born in 1958, gave us Basic Instinct, ensuring your dad never changed the channel. And Carrie Underwood, born in 1983, proved American Idol could produce stars, not just cruise ship singers.
March 10, 1876—Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” The first FaceTime request, minus the video. And now, thanks to this, we get daily spam calls about expired car warranties. Progress!
March 10, 1945—The U.S. firebombed Tokyo, the deadliest air raid in history. People often think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but this raid caused more deaths. Like climate change warnings, it’s something we should talk about—but don’t.
March 10, 1959—The Dalai Lama fled Tibet amid a Chinese crackdown. Over 60 years later, he's still in exile, still advocating for Tibet, and still annoying China—something as rare as a billionaire actually being self-made.
March 10, 1969—James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to killing Martin Luther King Jr. to avoid execution, then tried to take it back. Classic Oops-my-bad-can-I-undo-that move—like politicians caught on tape denying reality.
March 10, 1966—France, in peak France fashion, left NATO’s military command because de Gaulle wanted more independence. It was the geopolitical equivalent of storming out of a group project but still wanting credit. France rejoined NATO in 2009, realizing that tantrums don’t make great defense strategies.
March 10, 1964—The Supreme Court ruled on New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, making it harder for public figures to sue for defamation. Decades later, certain news networks are still arguing whether “news” requires facts. Spoiler: it should!
March 10, 1993—Dr. David Gunn was murdered outside a Florida abortion clinic, marking the first assassination of a doctor over abortion rights in the U.S. The debate remains as unhinged as ever, much like the Supreme Court’s recent mood swings.
March 10, 1998—Viagra was approved. The little blue pill changed lives—and ensured every televised golf tournament would be filled with deeply awkward commercials.
March 10, 2000—The Nasdaq hit 5,000 for the first time. Tech investors celebrated—until the dot-com bubble burst. It was the original crypto crash, proving hype is rarely sustainable.
March 10, 2004—Google teased Gmail, promising 1GB of free email storage. At the time, it sounded ridiculous. Now, Google begs us to buy more space because we refuse to delete emails from 2013.
March 10, 2019—Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed, killing 157. The Boeing 737 MAX scandal exposed corporate negligence, proving that, much like Uber’s labor policies, cutting corners never ends well.
That’s March 10th! If you enjoyed today’s episode, subscribe, leave a review, and remember: history doesn’t just repeat itself—it does so loudly while we pretend it’s new. See you tomorrow!
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