LANE: Welcome to Touring History, I'm Lane—
DAVE: And I'm Dave, and today we're exploring August 5th, a date that really shows history's range – from incredible achievements to absolute tragedy.
LANE: Yeah, we've got Neil Armstrong being born on this day in 1930, literally the first human to walk on the moon, and then we've got Marilyn Monroe found dead in 1962 at just 36 years old.
DAVE: Plus the first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed on this date in 1858, basically creating the first instant communication between Europe and America. Talk about shrinking the world.
LANE: And on a lighter note, it's National Underwear Day, because apparently even August 5th needs some levity after all that heavy history.
DAVE: From the sublime to the ridiculous. Speaking of personal moments, let's hear from one of our listeners.
SEZSO (as Coach Brock): [friendly, slightly nostalgic coach voice] Hey Lane and Dave, this is Coach Brock! So you guys mentioned that photo history trick a few episodes back – where you check your phone's photo library by entering specific dates to see what happened that day in past years. Well, I tried it and man, it's become my new morning routine! I punch in the date and just see what memories pop up. August 1st brought up this amazing kayaking trip I took in Marina del Rey with one of my former high school students who graduated in 2019. Kid wanted to show me around the water since I'm definitely not a "water guy" – more of a land-based coach, you know? But we saw sea lions, seals, even some stingrays! It was incredible. Such a fun memory I'd completely forgotten about until that photo showed up on my phone. Now I start every day with a little time travel. Thanks for the tip, guys – you've made this old coach a little more nostalgic!
LANE: Coach Brock sounds like he's got the right idea! There's something beautiful about rediscovering those random moments.
DAVE: Plus I love that he admitted he's not a water guy but still went kayaking. That's good coaching – stepping outside your comfort zone.
LANE: Speaking of stepping outside comfort zones, let's talk about today's birthday legends. Born August 5th, 1930, Neil Armstrong – the first human being to set foot on the moon in 1969.
DAVE: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Though apparently he wanted to say "one small step for A man" but the transmission cut out the "a." Still iconic.
LANE: Also born today in 1850, Guy de Maupassant, the French writer who basically perfected the short story. If you've ever read "The Necklace," that's his masterpiece about vanity and irony.
DAVE: And Patrick Ewing was born on this day in 1963 – the basketball legend who dominated the NBA in the '90s, primarily with the New York Knicks. Seven feet tall and absolutely unstoppable.
LANE: Three guys who were literally the best in the world at what they did. Armstrong conquered space, Maupassant conquered literature, and Ewing conquered the paint.
DAVE: Time for some salacious history, and today we're talking about something that happened exactly on August 5th, 1962 – the death of Marilyn Monroe, which sparked one of the most enduring scandals in American history.
LANE: Oh boy, here we go. I assume this involves the Kennedys somehow?
DAVE: You assume correctly! Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood home on the morning of August 5th, 1962, after a barbiturate overdose. Officially ruled a probable suicide, but here's where it gets juicy – she had been having affairs with both President John F. Kennedy AND his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy.
LANE: Both brothers? That's... messy.
DAVE: Extremely messy. Just three months before her death, Monroe had sung that famous sultry "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to JFK at Madison Square Garden, which basically confirmed the affair rumors to the entire world. But according to recent documentaries and investigations, Robert Kennedy was actually at Monroe's house the day she died, and they had a massive fight.
LANE: What were they fighting about?
DAVE: Monroe was reportedly threatening to go public about her relationships with both Kennedy brothers, potentially revealing state secrets she'd learned through their pillow talk during the Cold War. Some theories suggest she was silenced to protect national security, though others point to organized crime connections through Frank Sinatra.
LANE: So her death potentially changed the entire trajectory of the Kennedy presidency?
DAVE: Absolutely. If she had gone public, it could have brought down JFK's administration, changed the 1964 election, altered civil rights progress, Vietnam War decisions – all because of a love triangle that got out of control. Her death remains one of the most consequential "what-ifs" in American history.
LANE: Well, speaking of changing the world, let's talk about a much more positive historical moment that happened on August 5th!
DAVE: Please tell me someone invented something that didn't involve political cover-ups or organized crime.
LANE: Actually, yes! On August 5th, 1858, the first transatlantic telegraph cable was completed, allowing instant communication between Europe and North America for the first time in human history. Before this, news took weeks to cross the ocean by ship.
DAVE: That's actually huge! Imagine being the first person to send a message across the Atlantic in real-time. What did they say?
LANE: The first official message was from Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan – it took 16 hours to transmit and said "Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace and goodwill toward men." Very diplomatic.
DAVE: Sixteen hours seems slow by today's standards, but considering it previously took two weeks by ship, that's revolutionary.
LANE: And also on August 5th, 1914, the world's first electric traffic light was installed in Cleveland, Ohio – featuring just red and green lights at the intersection of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street. Before this, intersections were basically just chaos.
DAVE: I've been to Cleveland. Some might argue they still are.
LANE: Hey, give Cleveland credit! They literally invented organized traffic. That's civilization right there.
DAVE: Speaking of things that have stood the test of time, let's talk about our sponsor, Carhartt.
LANE: For over 135 years, Carhartt has been the go-to brand for hardworking Americans who need clothing that can handle anything. Founded in 1889 by Hamilton Carhartt in Detroit, Michigan, they started with a simple promise: "Honest value for an honest dollar."
DAVE: What I love about Carhartt is their consistency. The legendary Carhartt Chore Coat has been virtually unchanged since 1917 – because when you build something right the first time, you don't need to keep fixing it.
LANE: During both World Wars, Carhartt stepped up to clothe the people defending America – producing uniforms for the military, coveralls for soldiers, jungle suits for Marines, and workwear for the women who entered factories on the home front.
DAVE: And when they introduced the Active Jac in 1975 – that heavy-duty hooded jacket – it became their top-selling item and remains so today. During the construction of the Alaska Pipeline, Carhartt proved their gear could handle the most extreme conditions on Earth.
LANE: Carhartt is still family-owned by the descendants of Hamilton Carhartt, still based in Dearborn, Michigan, and still committed to making workwear for the people who build America.
DAVE: Whether you're an astronaut like Neil Armstrong, a coach like our listener Brock, or just someone who needs clothes that work as hard as you do, Carhartt has been "True to This" for over a century. Check them out at carhartt.com.
LANE: You know what strikes me about August 5th? It's a day that shows how individual moments can echo through history in completely unexpected ways. Armstrong's first steps on the moon inspired generations, Monroe's death changed politics, and a simple telegraph cable connected the world.
DAVE: That's really profound, Lane. I was going to say something about how it's also National Underwear Day, but yours is better.
LANE: Though honestly, your point about everyday things being important isn't wrong. Traffic lights, telegraph cables, underwear – civilization is built on things we take for granted.
DAVE: Plus, Coach Brock's photo trick shows how our personal history matters too. Those kayaking memories with his former student are just as historically significant to him as Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.
LANE: Exactly! History isn't just the big moments – it's also Coach Brock overcoming his fear of water to spend time with a kid he helped raise.
DAVE: That's our show for August 5th! If today taught us anything, it's that every day is full of history – both the kind that makes it into textbooks and the kind that makes it into our photo libraries.
LANE: So take Coach Brock's advice and check your photos from this date in previous years. You might rediscover some history worth remembering.
DAVE: Don't forget to like and subscribe, and send us your voice memos at touringhistory@whatever. Tell us about your own historical moments – whether they involve moon landings or Marina del Rey!
LANE: Until next time, remember: history is just life being lived, one day at a time.
DAVE: I'm Dave—
LANE: I'm Lane—
BOTH: And we'll see you next time on Touring History!