1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, Eve's here. Today's episode contains not just one, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. These are coming from the 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: T D I h C Vault, so you'll also here 4 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: two hosts. Consider it a double feature. Enjoy the show. 5 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Day in History Class from how Stuff 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: Works dot com and from the desk of Stuff you 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class. It's the show where we explore 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: the past one day at a time with a quick 9 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: look at what happened today in history. Hello and welcome 10 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and it's November nine. 11 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: Crystal Knocked or the Night of the Broken Glass, began 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: on this day in This was a massive incident of 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: anti Semitic violence that was orchestrated by officials and Nazi Germany. 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: There was a lot of official participation in this, including 15 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: the s S, the Essay, the Gestapo, and the Hitler Youth, 16 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: but it was made to look like it was just 17 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: a spontaneous civilian uprising in response to outrage at the 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: assassination of Third Secretary Ernst vom Rat by a seventeen 19 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:09,199 Speaker 1: year old Herschel Grinsbun. Herschel was Jewish and he carried 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: out this assassination after learning that his family had been 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,320 Speaker 1: forced out of their home in Hannover, Germany, along with 22 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: thousands of other Jews. They had been forced to leave Germany, 23 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,039 Speaker 1: and they were all trapped at the Polish border with 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: virtually nothing. They weren't being allowed to cross into Poland 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: even though they were Polish citizens. Herschel learned that his 26 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: family was trapped there when he got a postcard from 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: his sister telling him about it. In Herschel's words, quote, 28 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: I have to protest in a way that the world. 29 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: Here's my protest, and this I intend to do. I 30 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: beg your forgiveness. He bought a gun and ammunition and 31 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: he shot Secretary von Rat inside the German embassy in Paris. 32 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: The Nazi government used this assassination as a justification from 33 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: mass violence in cities and towns all over the German Reich. 34 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: The assassination happened to take place just before the anniversary 35 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 1: of the Beer Hall Push, in which Adolf Hitler and 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: Eric Ludendorff tried to overthrow the German government. So Nazi 37 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: leaders were gathered together in Munich to commemorate this anniversary. 38 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: At their gathering, Nazi leaders started talking about how if 39 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: an uprising happened, it shouldn't be stopped, but it was 40 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: really clear that what they were aiming for was for 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: an uprising to happen. So over November nine and ten, 42 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: more than a thousand synagogues were damaged, at least two 43 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: hundred sixty seven of them were completely destroyed. More than 44 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: seven thousand Jewish businesses and homes were vandalized and looted. 45 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: Jewish cemeteries were desecrated, at least nine Jews were killed, 46 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: and an unknown number were humiliated, beaten, sexually assaulted, and raped. 47 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: The name crystal Knock comes from the shattered wind no 48 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: glass that littered the streets of all of these cities 49 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: and towns and the aftermath of this, and in the 50 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: days immediately afterward, the German government started passing laws that 51 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: effectively forced the Jewish population out of German economic life. 52 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,679 Speaker 1: These were on top of the Nuremberg Laws and other 53 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,839 Speaker 1: anti Semitic laws that had been passed in the months 54 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: and years before this. But these laws became increasingly forceful 55 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: and increasingly violent. Jews who had the means to do so, 56 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: fled Germany, but most of the other countries they might 57 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:34,679 Speaker 1: flee to had already reached their quotas for immigrants and refugees, 58 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: so a lot of people could find nowhere that was 59 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: willing to take them in. The international community's response to 60 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: this was overall one of shock and horror, but the 61 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: nations did very little to actually come to the aid 62 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: of Jews and others who were increasingly persecuted in Germany 63 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: and German occupied territories. This continued as Nazi policies became 64 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: more and more violent, targeting Jews as well as Jehos, witnesses, Freemasons, Romani, 65 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: political dissidents, and others, and what has now known as 66 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: the Holocaust. You can learn more about this in the 67 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: November seven episode of Stuff You Miss in History Class. 68 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: That episode also talks about what happened to herschel grin 69 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: Span after this was over. Thanks to Casey Pegram and 70 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: Chandler Mays for their audio work on this show. You 71 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: can subscribe to the Stay in History Class on Apple Podcasts, 72 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: Google Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts, and 73 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 1: you can tune in tomorrow for a coup on US Soil. 74 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: Welcome Back. I'm your host Eves, and you're tuned into 75 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class a show that takes history 76 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: and squeezes it into bite size stories. The day was 77 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: November nine. A huge electrical power failure sent parts of 78 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: Ontario and the northeastern United States into darkness for up 79 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: to thirteen hours. At five six pm, a safety relay 80 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: on a transmission line at Sir Adam Beck Station on 81 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: the Ontario side of Niagara Falls tripps that sent a 82 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: surge of power south and caused nearby power lines to 83 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: overload and fail. The failure caused blackouts in New York, 84 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, 85 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: and the Canadian province of Ontario. Some cities that had 86 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 1: their own electric utilities were not plunged into darkness, though 87 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: around thirty million people were affected by the blackout. The 88 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: full moon that night did provide some light. Since it 89 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: was a weekday rush hour when the blackout began, it 90 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: was particularly disruptive. People were trapped in subways and elevators 91 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: and stop lights were out. Airplanes were unable to land, 92 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: and trains were brought to a halt. Backup generators allowed 93 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: telephone exchanges in some radio stations to keep running. Police 94 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: and the National Guard were called in to stop looting, 95 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: but there were a few instances of writing or looting 96 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: during the confusion. Television networks faced a problem in getting 97 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: news out about the blackout since they relied on electricity. 98 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: CBS's news program, which originated in New York, had to 99 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: turn to a backup studio in Washington, and anchor Walter 100 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: Cronkite had to deliver the blackout story by telephone to 101 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: anchor Roger mud in Washington. The New York Times had 102 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: to print a ten page paper for November tenth at 103 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: the printing presses of a New Jersey publisher. The Times 104 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: was New York City's only major daily paper to put out. 105 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: In addition, on the morning of the tenth, power was 106 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 1: gradually restored to the affected areas throughout the night and 107 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: into the morning. Questions and rumors swirled about the cause 108 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: of the outage, including one that it was an act 109 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: of sabotage. P Bull feared it was an attack, partly 110 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: due to Cold War tensions, but authorities denied there was 111 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: any foul play. Human interest stories were printed in newspapers. 112 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: One story, for instance, reported that a boy in New 113 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: Hampshire hit a light pole at the exact moment the 114 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: power went out, and he ran home, thinking he caused 115 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: the blackout. US President Lyndon B. Johnson sent a memorandum 116 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: to the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, saying, in part, 117 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: today's failure is a dramatic reminder of the importance of 118 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: the uninterrupted flow of power to the health, safety, and 119 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: well being of our citizens and the defense of our country. 120 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: This failure should be immediately and carefully investigated in order 121 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: to prevent a recurrence. It took investigators less than a 122 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: week to figure out the cause of the blackout. The 123 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: faulty relay, and officials announced the failure to the public. 124 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: After the blackout, people were compelled to reconsider their reliance 125 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: on electricity. Electrical engineers re examined the power grid system, 126 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: and regional reliability Counsels that established industry standards, share information 127 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: for systems analysis, and coordinate system design and operation were formed. 128 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: In the wake of the nineteen blackout, A myth emerged 129 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: that a high number of babies were born nine months 130 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: to the day after the blackout, but it was debunked. 131 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 1: Some conspiracy theorists, though still doubt that the relay was 132 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: the reason for the blackout. I'm eave Jeff Coo and 133 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today than 134 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. Send your best history memes to us 135 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: at T D i h C Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, 136 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 1: and Twitter, and you can send your thoughts are comments 137 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 1: to us at this Day at I heart media dot com. 138 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to today's episode. We'll see you 139 00:08:52,640 --> 00:09:03,079 Speaker 1: again tomorrow with another one Good Good Dog.