1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,599 Speaker 1: Hey y'all, Eve's here. We're doubling up today with two 2 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: events in history, one from me and one from former 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,960 Speaker 1: host Tracy V. Wilson. On with the show. Welcome to 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: this day in History class from how Stuff Works dot 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: com and from the desk of Stuff you Missed in 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: History Class. It's the show where we explore the past 7 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: one day at a time with a quick look at 8 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: what happened today in history. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 9 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson and it's September. Sir Alec Jeffries 10 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: discovered DNA fingerprinting on this day, in completely by accident. 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: Jefferies had been inquisitive and really interested in science from 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: a very early age. Some of his favorite toys in 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: quotation marks when he was a child were a microscope 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: and a chemistry set. This was back in a time 15 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: when chemistry sets were a lot more involved than they 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: tend to be when given to children today. He earned 17 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: a BA in biochemistry from Oxford in two and a 18 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: pH d into netics, also from Oxford. He was studying 19 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: the way inherited diseases and conditions are passed down through families. 20 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: As part of this work, he found a short stretch 21 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: of DNA that was repeated across different chromosomes in one sample, 22 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: and he had a hypothesis maybe this little repeated length 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: of DNA was unique to a particular individual. So he 24 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: extracted some DNA from both people and animals, attached it 25 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: to pieces of photographic film, added radioactive probes to spot 26 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: these repeated sections of DNA, and then left it in 27 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: a developing tank over the weekend. When he got back 28 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,639 Speaker 1: to work on Monday, September tenth, he pulled this film 29 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: out of the developer and his first thought was that 30 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: he had a completely unusable mess. It wasn't what he 31 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: had been trying to make at all. It was this 32 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: jumble of bars and blobs. But then as he looked 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: at it a little more, he realized he was seeing 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: each person an animal whose DNA he had used in 35 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: this experiment. They had a unique pattern of bars and blobs. 36 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: It was like a bar code that could accurately identify 37 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: who that DNA had come from, and to take it 38 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: a step further, people in the same family had similar 39 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: but still unique patterns. He discovered this at about five 40 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: minutes past nine in the morning. It was pretty much 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: first thing in the day. He immediately told the rest 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: of his team that he thought they were onto something 43 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: really important. This was the first DNA fingerprint and Jeffreys 44 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: and his team published their discovery and the journal Nature 45 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: in March of There was some initial disbelief, even among 46 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: geneticists and among other scientists. People thought this idea that 47 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: you could identify someone based on a tiny sample of 48 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: their DNA was a little far fetched. But almost immediately 49 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: DNA fingerprinting started to revolutionize everything from the British citizenship 50 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: process to criminal investigations to paternity disputes. A lot of 51 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: the first uses of DNA fingerprinting were about proving that 52 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: immigrants to the United Kingdom were related to a citizen 53 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: of the UK and were entitled consequently to becoming British citizens. 54 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: A lot of times these were disputed cases. They were 55 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: people who had tried to immigrate to the UK and 56 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: been turned down. The first use of DNA fingerprinting in 57 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: a criminal case was in the murders of Lynda Man 58 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: and Don Ashworth. DNA fingerprinting was first used to establish 59 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: that they had been murdered by the same culprit, and 60 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: then it was used to confirm the identity of that culprit, 61 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: a man named Colin Pitchfork. Since then, DNA fingerprinting has 62 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: become a major part of criminal investigations, both to identify 63 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: suspects and to exonerate people who are wrongfully convicted. It has, 64 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: of course, also raised a lot of questions about ethics 65 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: and privacy. This was a massive change in the ability 66 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: to identify people based on things that you might be 67 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: able to gather from them covertly. DNA fingerprinting has also 68 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: been used to identify the remains of historical figures, people 69 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: of historical note or even infamy. In DNA fingerprinting strongly 70 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: suggested that a set of human remains found in Brazil 71 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: belonged to Nazi Dr Josef Mengela. It's also been used 72 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 1: to confirm the identities of remains believed to be the 73 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: Romanov family. Jeffrey's earned a knighthood for his work in 74 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: he was awarded the Copy Medal of the Royal Society, 75 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: and he's earned numerous other awards as well. Thanks to 76 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: Eve's Jeff Cope for her research work on today's episode, 77 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,280 Speaker 1: Antatari Harrison for all her audio work on this podcast. 78 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: You can subscribe to the Day in History Class and 79 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and wherever else you get podcasts, 80 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: and you can tune in tomorrow for an address on 81 00:04:51,480 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: sisterhood and brotherhood. Welcome to this Day in History Class, 82 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: where we bring you a new tip bit from history 83 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: every day. The day was September nineteen sixty. Ethiopian marathon 84 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: runner Abebe Bikola became the first black African to win 85 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: a gold medal in the Olympics. Bikola was a private 86 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: in the army and in the bodyguard of highlight Selassie, 87 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: the Emperor of Ethiopia. When Bikola was training, Swedish coach 88 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: Ony Niskanen recognized his running skill. He would often run 89 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: twenty miles and do repeated sprints of fift and he 90 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: would often run those distances barefoot. Pikola won Ethiopia's Olympic 91 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: selection marathon in Addis Ababa in July of nineteen sixty 92 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: at high altitude. Next month, he won another marathon with 93 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: a time of two hours twenty one minutes in twenty 94 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 1: three seconds. Niskanen was convinced that Bikola could win at 95 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: the Olympics. He entered Vikola in the nineteen sixty Olympics 96 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 1: in Rome. The September ten marathon was staged to pass 97 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: a bunch of Roman landmarks. The course would begin in 98 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: the evening at the Campidogo on Capitoline Hill and meander 99 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: through Rome. Bikola chose to run barefoot, as that is 100 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: how he was used to running and the running shoes 101 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: he came to Rome with we're causing blisters. Soldiers held 102 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: torches to light the path along the Appian Way. By 103 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 1: the sixteenth mile of the marathon, Vikola and Moroccan Roddy 104 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: bin Abdessalam were tied for the lead, but Vigola had 105 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: saved his surge for the last mile or so of 106 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: the race, as he had discussed with his coach. The 107 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: Obelisk of Axim was an old Ethiopian artifact stolen by 108 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: invading Italian troops during World War Two. As he passed 109 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: the obelisk a second time, he made it out in 110 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: front of Roddy. The marathon finished at the illuminated Arch 111 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: of Constantine, just outside the coliseum. Bikola won the marathon 112 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: with a world record of two hours, fifteen minutes in 113 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: sixteen point two seconds. The next year, Bikolo won marathons 114 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: in Greece, Japan, and Czechoslovakia. After he finished fifth in 115 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: the Boston Marathon in nineteen sixty three, he returned to 116 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: the army in Ethiopia, but by nineteen sixty four, Bikolo 117 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 1: was back at the Olympics after running two hours sixteen 118 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: minutes in eighteen seconds at altitude in the Olympic Trials 119 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: in Oddis Ababa. Just six weeks before the Tokyo Olympics, 120 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: he had surgery for appendicitis. Though he was not expected 121 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: to compete, he joined the marathon anyway, and he won 122 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: the Olympic gold medal again with a record breaking time 123 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: of two hours, twelve minutes and eleven point two seconds. 124 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: Bikola continued to run marathons and made it to the 125 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight Olympics, but he had to drop out 126 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: of that Olympic marathon after about ten miles or sixteen 127 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: kilometers because of an injury. That was the last time 128 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,239 Speaker 1: he would compete in the marathon. In nineteen sixty nine, 129 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 1: Bikolo was in a car crash that paralyzed him. After that, 130 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: he began participating in archery competitions and games for disabled athletes. 131 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: He was an honored guest at the nineteen seventy two 132 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: Munich Olympics. He died in October of nineteen seventy three 133 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: of a cerebral hemorrhage. Bikolo was not the first ever 134 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: black African to win an Olympic medal. That was like Corte, 135 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: a Ghanaian boxer who became the first Black African Olympic 136 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: medalist when he got silver in nineteen sixty. I'm each 137 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,839 Speaker 1: Chef Coote, and hopefully you know a little more about 138 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. Get more Notes from 139 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: History on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at t D I 140 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: h C podcast tune in tomorrow for another Day in History. 141 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart 142 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 143 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: favorite shows.