1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all. We're rerunning two episodes today, which means you 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: might hear two hosts. Enjoy the show. Welcome to This 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: Day in History Class from how Stuff Works dot com 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and from the desk of Stuff you Missed in History Class. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: It's the show where we explore the past one day 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: at a time with a quick look at what happened 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: today in history. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: Tracy V. Wilson, and it's October. The trial of Mary, 9 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: Queen of Scott's began on this day in fifties six. 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: So that's Mary, Queen of Scott's, also known as Mary Stewart, 11 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: infamous for a series of ill fated marriages and a 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: really turbulent rule over Scotland and her rivalry with her cousin, 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,599 Speaker 1: Queen Elizabeth the First. There was so much to this rivalry. 14 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: There was political power, ongoing tensions between Scotland and England 15 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: in general, and religion. Elizabeth was Protestant and Mary was Catholic. 16 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: In fifteen sixty five, the first of a series of 17 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,720 Speaker 1: events happened that led to Mary's downfall. She married her 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: cousin Henry Stewart, Earl of Darnley, this was just not 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 1: a good match, and as she was considering how or 20 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: whether she could get out of it, Darnley was strangled 21 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 1: to death while trying to escape the house where he 22 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: had been staying, which had blown up. Mary remarried James Hepburn, 23 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: the fourth Earl of Bothwell, a few months later after 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: he had abducted her. He was also the lead suspect 25 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: and the death of Lord Darnley, but was later acquitted. Then, 26 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: in fifteen sixty seven, Mary's new husband was exiled and imprisoned, 27 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: and he died the following year. Mary was forced to 28 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: abdicate in favor of her son, James, who was still 29 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: a baby. She was held captive for a time, but 30 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: fled to England, hoping to take refuge with her cousin 31 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: Elizabeth in spite of their very long rivalry. Instead, though 32 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: Elizabeth imprisoned her in a series of English castles for 33 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: more than eighteen year years. Then, in fifteen eighties six, 34 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: Mary was implicated in the Babington plot, which was named 35 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: for its ringleader Anthony Babington. This was a plot to 36 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: free Mary from her imprisonment and to assassinate Elizabeth. Ciphered 37 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: letters were being smuggled in and out of where Mary 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: was being held, but these letters were intercepted and decoded. 39 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: English authorities actually knew about this plot for a while 40 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: before making any moves to arrest anyone, because they had 41 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: enough information to convict some of the co conspirators, but 42 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: they really wanted to make sure they had enough information 43 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: to also convict Mary. They finally intercepted a letter from 44 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: her that said, quote, when all is ready, the six 45 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: gentlemen must be set to work, and you will provide 46 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: that on their design being accomplished, I may be myself 47 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: rescued from this place. This, of course, was ready as 48 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: her approval for this plot that was being hatched against 49 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: the Queen. Babington and twelve co conspirators were captured, tried, 50 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: and hanged, and then Mary was put on trial for 51 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:10,519 Speaker 1: two days. She was ultimately found guilty. During this trial 52 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: and even before, Mary argued that she was not a 53 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: subject of Queen Elizabeth. She could not commit treason against 54 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: a queen that she was not a subject of. She 55 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: also argued that she just wasn't subject to English jurisdiction 56 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: she was the Queen of Scotland. She also said that 57 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: the evidence that was being used against her had been forged, 58 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: but none of this was to any avail. It did 59 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: take Elizabeth months to sign the death warrant for her 60 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: cousin Mary, but ultimately Mary was beheaded in the Great 61 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: Hall of Fatheringay Castle on February eighth of fifteen eighty seven. 62 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: Her son James did eventually become the King of England, 63 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: though he ascended to the throne after the death of 64 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: Queen Elizabeth the first. Thanks to Terry Harrison for her 65 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: audio work on this podcast, and you can subscribe to 66 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts 67 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: and wherever else that you get your podcasts, and you 68 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: can tune in tomorrow. I know we just had an execution, 69 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: but we're going to have another execution. Welcome back. I'm 70 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: your host, Eves, and you're tuned into This Day in 71 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that takes history and squeezes it 72 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: into bite size stories. The day was October nineteen. American 73 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: test pilot Chuck Yeager piloted the first flight to go 74 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: faster than the speed of sound in a Bell X 75 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: one aircraft. By this point, attempts had already been made 76 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 1: to break the so called sound barrier the UK's Ministry 77 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: of Aviation wanted to develop an aircraft that could achieve 78 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: supersonic flight. Motivated by secret intelligence of Agent Reman Supersonic 79 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: Long Range Bomber project, the British worked with Miles Aircraft 80 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: to create the prototype M fifty two, which was designed 81 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: to go up to one thousand miles per hour or 82 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,119 Speaker 1: one thousand, six hundred nine kilometers per hour in level flight. 83 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 1: The M fifty two employed a lot of innovative technology 84 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 1: and its airframe design and construction, jet engine and flying controls, 85 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: but the project was canceled before it could claim the 86 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: supersonic record. A mock number indicates the speed of something 87 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: by comparing it to the speed of sound. Mark one 88 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: is about seven hundred and sixty miles per hour at 89 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:44,120 Speaker 1: sea level. Since sound moves slower in cold air, the 90 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: speed required to break the sound barrier decreases higher in 91 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: the atmosphere. Other pilots like George schwartz Welch and Hans 92 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:56,239 Speaker 1: Guido Mutka claimed to have broken the sound barrier before Gager, 93 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: but their claims are not officially recognized because the lights 94 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: in question lacked adequate measuring equipment. The bill X one 95 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: was a joint project between the National Advisory Committee for 96 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: Aeronautics later known as NASA and the U. S Air Force. 97 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: It was built by the Bill Aircraft Corporation. The US 98 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: and Bill Aircraft Company were given access to the research 99 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: and design of the M fifty two, and they used 100 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: that information to advance their project. The X one was 101 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: a rocket plane, or an aircraft that uses a rocket 102 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: engine for propulsion. It was originally called the X S one, 103 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: where the X S stood for Experimental Supersonic, but the 104 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: S was dropped early in the program. The X one 105 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,840 Speaker 1: had a four chamber rocket engine that produced twenty six 106 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: thousand five new ends of static thrust. Instead of taking 107 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,040 Speaker 1: off from the ground, it was dropped from the bomb 108 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: bay of a Boeing B twenty nine super Fortress, accelerated 109 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: quickly and then glided to a land day. Yeager was 110 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: chosen to attempt to break the speed record after he 111 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: graduated from Flight Performance School in New Rock, California. His 112 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: first test launch of the X one, which he dubbed 113 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: Glamorous Glennys after his wife, was on August nine nine. 114 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: On each subsequent test launch leading up to his first 115 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: supersonic flight, he increased his speed. There were challenges. For instance, 116 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: he lost control of the plane's elevator in one flight 117 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: and had to cut the engines and dump the fuel. 118 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: But in October fourte the X one reached a speed 119 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: of seven hundred miles per hour or one thousand, one 120 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: d seven kilometers per hour. As he reached mark one 121 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: oh six, controllers on the ground heard the sonic boom. 122 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: The plane traveled at supersonic speed for about twenty seconds 123 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: before it decelerated, making Yeager the first to travel faster 124 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: than the speed of sound and level flight when mark nine, 125 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: Yeager reached mark one four five in the X one. 126 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: Information about Yeager's flights was classified and not revealed to 127 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: the public until nineteen. The series of X experimental projects, 128 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: both crude and uncrude, continues today. The Bell X one 129 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: that Yeager flu is in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. 130 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: I'm Eves Jeff Coote and hopefully you know a little 131 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. Keep up 132 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, at T D 133 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 1: I h C podcast, or if you are so inclined, 134 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: you can send us a message at this day at 135 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. Thanks for listening. We'll see 136 00:08:47,600 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow with another episode. For more podcasts from 137 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 138 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.