Touring History Podcast Script - June 24th, 2025
Opening
LANE: Welcome back to Touring History, the podcast where we prove that any random date contains enough constitutional upheaval to power a Supreme Court documentary. I'm Lane—
DAVE: And I'm Dave, and this is our third episode of Touring History "X, Y, and Z"—our shorter format designed to entertain and educate across the three largest generations.
LANE: Three days in, and this format is really clicking. We're focusing on the events that shaped how each generation sees the world, rather than just listing everything that happened.
DAVE: Think of it as historical pattern recognition with better snacks. And before we dive into a day that gave us everything from space exploration breakthroughs to reproductive rights controversies to social media justice movements, we need to talk about Ike's Love & Sandwiches.
LANE: Are we really segueing from constitutional law to sandwich architecture?
DAVE: Lane, when you're about to discuss Sally Ride, the Dobbs decision, and the power of viral activism all in one episode, you need sustenance that understands complexity. Ike's Love & Sandwiches doesn't just make sandwiches—they engineer edible experiences.
LANE: Since 2007, they've been proving that creativity scales. Over 600 sandwich combinations, each one named after someone who matters—from "The Tony Soprano" to "The Menage a Trois."
DAVE: Check them out at ikessandwich.com, because when history gets this consequential, you deserve food that's equally intentional.
LANE: And today's history is definitely consequential. June 24th—the day America sent its first woman into space, overturned constitutional precedent, and showed how social media can drive real-world change. Three moments about breaking barriers, changing rules, and organizing resistance.
Birthdays
DAVE: Let's start with birthdays, because June 24th is basically a creativity showcase. Lionel Messi turns 38 today—arguably the greatest soccer player ever and proof that artistic genius can exist in any medium.
LANE: Plus we've got Mindy Kaling at 46, who went from "The Office" writer to creating her own shows and proving that representation in comedy isn't just nice to have—it's essential.
DAVE: Mick Fleetwood's 78—the drummer who held Fleetwood Mac together through enough interpersonal drama to fuel several reality shows.
LANE: Carly Simon at 81, who gave us "You're So Vain" and made speculation about song subjects into a decades-long cultural mystery.
DAVE: And Solange Knowles at 39, creating art that's both deeply personal and politically powerful, often in ways that complement and challenge her sister's work.
LANE: Plus some TikTok and YouTube creators like Nick Bencivengo and Brooke Morton, proving that creative platforms keep evolving even when the talent pool stays consistently impressive.
1983 - Sally Ride Returns from Space
DAVE: June 24th, 1983, Sally Ride returns to Earth after becoming the first American woman in space, and this is peak Gen X representation right here.
LANE: Oh, here we go. Dave's connecting space exploration to generational identity again.
DAVE: No, seriously! Sally Ride became the symbol of Gen X possibility—she was 32 years old, had a physics PhD, and literally broke the ultimate glass ceiling by leaving Earth's atmosphere.
LANE: And the media coverage was... something. "Do you weep when things go wrong on the job?" "Will the flight affect your reproductive organs?" Questions that no male astronaut ever got asked.
DAVE: Right! But Gen X kids watching this saw someone who just handled the sexism with competence and humor. She didn't waste energy fighting stupid questions—she just did the job better than anyone expected.
LANE: That became the Gen X template for dealing with institutional barriers—don't argue with the system, just outperform it so thoroughly that the barriers become irrelevant.
DAVE: Exactly! Sally Ride showed Gen X that you could break into exclusive spaces not by demanding inclusion, but by being so obviously qualified that exclusion became absurd.
LANE: And she did it with this matter-of-fact attitude that really resonated. No drama, no speeches about making history—just "Yeah, I'm going to space, and yes, I'm qualified."
DAVE: What's fascinating is how this shaped Gen X women specifically. They grew up assuming that competence plus persistence could overcome almost any barrier.
LANE: Although let's be honest—Sally Ride dealt with way more scrutiny and pressure than her male colleagues. The "first" always carries extra weight.
DAVE: True, but she handled it so well that she made it look effortless. Which created unrealistic expectations for every Gen X woman who came after her.
LANE: "Just be Sally Ride" became an impossible standard. Not everyone can be a literal rocket scientist with perfect media training.
2022 - Dobbs v. Jackson Overturns Roe v. Wade
LANE: June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court issues the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, and this is the defining Millennial political moment.
DAVE: Wait, how is this specifically Millennial?
LANE: Because Millennials grew up assuming reproductive rights were settled law! For their entire lives, from birth until their 30s and 40s, access to abortion was constitutionally protected. Then suddenly it wasn't.
DAVE: That's a uniquely destabilizing experience—having a fundamental right you've never questioned just... disappear through judicial fiat.
LANE: Exactly! Older generations remembered when abortion was illegal, younger generations grew up knowing rights could be precarious. But Millennials experienced this as a complete betrayal of institutional trust.
DAVE: And it happened right as many Millennials were making their own reproductive decisions—having kids, delaying kids, dealing with fertility issues. The timing made it intensely personal.
LANE: Plus this was the generation that believed in working within the system—vote, volunteer, donate to campaigns, trust that democratic institutions would protect established rights.
DAVE: Then they watched six Supreme Court justices, appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, overturn 50 years of precedent that most Americans supported.
LANE: The Dobbs decision basically told Millennials that all their civic engagement and faith in institutions was naive. The system they'd been taught to respect was actively working against their values.
DAVE: What's remarkable is how quickly they pivoted to direct action—abortion funds, mutual aid networks, legislative campaigns in individual states.
LANE: Because when you can't trust federal institutions to protect basic rights, you build your own support systems. Very Millennial response to systemic failure.
DAVE: Although the geographic disparities created by Dobbs are staggering. Access to reproductive healthcare now depends entirely on which state you live in.
LANE: Which puts Millennials in this impossible position—stay in places where your rights are protected, or move to help people in places where rights are under attack?
2018 - Saudi Arabia Lifts Driving Ban for Women
DAVE: June 24th, 2018, Saudi Arabia lifts its ban on women driving, and this is absolutely peak Gen Z energy—incremental progress amplified by social media activism.
LANE: Okay, I'll bite. How is Saudi women getting driving rights a Gen Z story?
DAVE: Because Gen Z was watching this happen in real time on social media! They saw Saudi women posting videos of themselves driving for the first time, sharing these incredibly emotional moments of basic freedom.
LANE: And it wasn't just passive observation—Gen Z was amplifying these stories, making them go viral, putting international pressure on governments that prefer to operate without scrutiny.
DAVE: Right! The Saudi government made this change partly because global attention made the driving ban embarrassing. Young people with smartphones made it impossible to hide regressive policies.
LANE: What's fascinating is how Gen Z understands that individual rights and global connectivity are linked. A woman in Riyadh getting her license becomes everyone's victory.
DAVE: And they're not satisfied with symbolic progress. Gen Z immediately started asking about the male guardianship system, political prisoners, other women's rights issues.
LANE: That's very Gen Z—celebrate the victory, but don't let it distract from ongoing problems. They're suspicious of governments that offer limited reforms to avoid deeper changes.
DAVE: Plus they understand how authoritarian governments use social media for surveillance. Some Saudi women's rights activists were arrested even after the driving ban was lifted.
LANE: So Gen Z learned to celebrate progress while staying aware of the risks that activists face for demanding basic rights.
DAVE: It's this sophisticated understanding of how social media can be both a tool for liberation and a tool for oppression.
LANE: Although let's acknowledge the courage of the Saudi women who fought for this right. They faced real consequences for activism that Gen Z could only support from a distance.
DAVE: Absolutely. Gen Z's role was amplification and solidarity, but the actual risk was taken by women who couldn't rely on international attention to protect them.
Mid-Episode Ad Break
LANE: Speaking of supporting positive change, let's talk about Ike's Love & Sandwiches—a business that's been challenging expectations since 2007.
DAVE: While other places stick to predictable combinations, Ike's pushes boundaries—over 600 different sandwiches, each one named after someone who made an impact.
LANE: "The Sally Ride"—turkey, avocado, and Swiss, proving that excellence doesn't need to be complicated. "The Ruth Bader Ginsburg"—chicken with all the fixings, because some legends deserve maximum respect.
DAVE: Founded with a simple philosophy: great ingredients, creative combinations, and enough personality to make ordering lunch feel like making a statement.
LANE: Check them out at ikessandwich.com, where every sandwich proves that innovation and tradition can work together perfectly.
Closing
LANE: So there you have it—our third Touring History "X, Y, and Z" episode. June 24th gave us three different approaches to breaking barriers: individual excellence, institutional failure, and collective action.
DAVE: What strikes me is how each generation experienced systemic change differently. Gen X saw Sally Ride prove that competence could overcome exclusion, Millennials watched the Dobbs decision prove that institutions couldn't be trusted, and Gen Z saw Saudi women's rights show how global solidarity could pressure governments.
LANE: And all three lessons remain relevant. Sometimes you need individual pioneers, sometimes you need to build alternative systems, sometimes you need international pressure campaigns.
DAVE: Although the timeline is sobering—it took 40 years for the first American woman to reach space, 50 years for reproductive rights to be overturned, and decades for Saudi women to get basic mobility rights.
LANE: Progress isn't linear, and it's definitely not permanent. Every generation has to defend and expand the rights they inherit.
DAVE: Speaking of consistency you can count on, Ike's Love & Sandwiches has been proving that creativity and quality never go out of style—check them out at ikessandwich.com.
LANE: Thanks for joining us! This X, Y, and Z format is really finding its rhythm, and we love how each episode reveals different patterns in how generational experiences shape worldviews.
DAVE: Until then, I'm Dave—
LANE: And I'm Lane, reminding you that history is just people making decisions about who gets to drive, who gets to fly, and who gets to decide what's constitutional.
[END OF EPISODE]
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