1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: If you're a history fanatic like I am, then you 7 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: know that the past is not gone. It's not even past. 8 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 1: History lives on in the present, influencing the very shape 9 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: of our world. The city of Hong Kong is a 10 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: perfect example of that idea. Hong Kong is located on 11 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: China's southeast coast. Today it's considered a Special Administrative Region 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: of China, but that wasn't always the case. The story 13 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: of Hong Kong involves multiple wars, occupations, and treaties, as 14 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: well as one of the strangest lease agreements in world history. 15 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,960 Speaker 1: Beginning in prehistory and yes, there is such a thing, 16 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: Hong Kong was a territory of Imperial China for many centuries. 17 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: The country was sparsely populated. It wasn't until the late 18 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: sixteen hundreds, during China's Qing dynasty that more people moved 19 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: there and the region grew into an important trading port. 20 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: Now fast forward about one hundred years to the late 21 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: seventeen hundreds. China was trade partners with Great Britain, but 22 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: the British Empire felt like it was getting the short 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: end of the deal. They bought a lot of Chinese 24 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: products like tea, porcelain, and silk, but China didn't buy 25 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: many British items in return. That meant that instead of 26 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,199 Speaker 1: bartering for goods, British traders had to pay in silver, 27 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: and this was threatening to create a silver shortage in 28 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: the UK. Britain's solution to this problem was well unethical, 29 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: to say the least. You see, at the time the 30 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: British Empire exercised colonial rule over India, the climate there 31 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: just so happened to be perfect for growing poppies. If 32 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: you were big into world history in high school or college, 33 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: you probably know where this is headed. Poppies were used 34 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: to manufacture opium, a highly addictive and dangerous narcotic. The 35 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: British Empire began creating huge quantities of opium and exporting 36 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: the drug to China, and because it was so addictive, 37 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: people bought it once and then kept buying it very quickly. 38 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: The trade imbalance between Britain and China flipped. Beyond the 39 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: fact that its own silver stores were now running low, 40 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: China was worried about its people opium use spread like 41 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: wildfire in the country. In an attempt to counteract this, 42 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: the nation banned opium entirely in seventeen ninety six, but 43 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: British traders weren't interested in following Chinese law. They continued 44 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: shipping opium into the country for decades. Finally, in eighteen 45 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: thirty nine, tensions came to a head. The First Opium 46 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: War broke out. The fighting lasted for three whole years 47 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: until the British Army claimed victory. They negotiated a treaty 48 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: that favored them and not only allowed for British merchants 49 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: to trade freely, but it also gave Britain ownership of 50 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: Hong Kong Island. Still, though the British Empire wasn't entirely happy, 51 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: it wanted opium to be legalized across China. When China refused, 52 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: the Second Opium War began. It lasted until eighteen fifty 53 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: six and ended in another Chinese loss. This time, Britain 54 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: gained a mainland territory called Kowloon, which was directly north 55 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: of Hong Kong Island. Over the next few decades, the 56 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: British Empire changed the region significantly. It expanded trade and 57 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: turned the area into a bustling business center. At the 58 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: same time, thousands of migrants were seeking an escape from 59 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: political upheaval in mainland China, and many chose to move 60 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: to these British owned territories. And then came the strangest part. 61 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety eight, the British Empire approached the Chinese 62 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: government with a proposition. Once again, they wanted to expand 63 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: their colonial rule. They didn't just want ownership over Hong 64 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: Kong Ia and Kowloon. They wanted total control over the 65 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: two hundred and thirty five islands that make up modern 66 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: day Hong Kong. But they also made a slight concession. 67 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: They didn't ask for total control of Hong Kong forever. No, 68 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: they just wanted to lease it for ninety nine years. 69 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:18,919 Speaker 1: It had to be one of the strangest power grabs 70 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,359 Speaker 1: in history. It seemed pretty obvious that this was an 71 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: attempt to expand their landholdings, But who knew if the 72 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: UK would actually give Hong Kong back. Nevertheless, China agreed 73 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: to these terms, and it doesn't appear that they started 74 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: getting antsy about it until around nineteen eighty, when Chinese 75 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: and British officials entered into negotiations about the future of 76 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: Hong Kong. Perhaps because of how much the world had 77 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: changed since the eighteen hundreds, Britain did something kind of shocking. 78 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 1: They agreed to return Hong Kong when their lease was up. 79 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: All they asked that China do in return was allow 80 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: the city to maintain its capitalist economy and partially democratic 81 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: political system. China said, okay, but only for the next 82 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: fifty years, and after that they would do whatever they wanted. 83 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 1: Hong Kong was passed back to China in nineteen ninety seven, 84 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: becoming the Special Administrative Region that it is today. While 85 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: the city's future is unclear, one thing is certain. History 86 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: is decidedly curious. When we think of New Year's Eve, 87 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 1: we often think of glitz and romance, champagne bubbles, midnight kisses, 88 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: and of course that famous ball drop. Whether gathered at 89 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: home watching the Times Square festivities on TV or gathering 90 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: in Times Square, most Americans have counted down to midnight 91 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,280 Speaker 1: alongside the ball. Time Square is the perfect location for 92 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: such an event. The lights bade the city goers with 93 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: the promise of a brighter future. It's easy to get 94 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: lost in the glow for a moment. You might even forget. 95 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: All Those promises come in the form of advertisements, nothing 96 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: more than what you'd see while scrolling through social media. 97 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: In fact, the first ever ball drop was itself one 98 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: big advertising scheme, and it drew its inspiration from an 99 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: iconic landmark. The first New Year's Eve ball drop occurred 100 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: in Times Square in nineteen oh seven, but ball drops 101 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: weren't a new concept at the time. The first time ball, 102 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: as it became known, was constructed on top of the 103 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, in eighteen thirty three, and 104 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 1: it wasn't just for show. The ball drop signaled the 105 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: hour of one pm. In a time when people had 106 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: to go to a professional to get their wristwatches properly timed, 107 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: the ball allowed them to clock it themselves. When the 108 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: ball dropped, people on the ground nearby would just stop, 109 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: adjust the time on their watches and then keep moving. 110 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: But why one pm, Well, the ball didn't just help 111 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,720 Speaker 1: those on foot. It was especially useful to nearby sailors. 112 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 1: This was important because if chronometers were even just a 113 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: few minutes off, ships could go way off course. This 114 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: original time ball functioned a lot like the New Year's 115 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: Eve ball that we know today. First, it was hoisted 116 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: up a flagpole by rope, and that it was held 117 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: in place by an electro magnet until it was released 118 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: at one PM. Unlike the New Year's Eve ball, this 119 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: one was made of paper light leather. It wasn't glamorous, 120 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: but it got the job done. Given the success of 121 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: the time ball in Greenwich, others were built around the UK. Then, 122 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 1: in eighteen seventy seven, the US erected its first one, 123 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: atop the Western Union Telegraph Building in Lower Manhattan. At 124 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: ten stories high, it was the tallest building in the 125 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: city at the time. The ball could be spotted from 126 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: blocks away. It was more stylish than those before it. 127 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,840 Speaker 1: Multiple copper sheets in the shape of crescent moons formed 128 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 1: a sphere, while the slats between them allowed for the 129 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: wind to flow. You can imagine the copper gleaming in 130 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: the sun while the East and Hudson Rivers glittered not 131 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: far away. Perhaps this site inspired the use of a 132 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: time ball or celebration, but not without some healthy competition. First. 133 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: You see, for centuries Trinity Church, also located there in 134 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: Lower Manhattan, hosted a New Year's Eve ringing of the bells. 135 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: It was the city's main event by the end of 136 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century. The celebration often drew thousands of people. Then, 137 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh four, The New York Times opened a 138 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: new headquarters in what was then known as long Acre Square. 139 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: The paper's owner, Adolph Ox, lobbied to change the name 140 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: of the square, and thus Times Square was born. But 141 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: this was just the beginning of ox publicity campaign. He 142 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: didn't just want to stamp the paper's name on the city. 143 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: He wanted to steal the show. That year. He sought 144 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: to outshine Trinity Church, and that he did. Ox put 145 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: on an all day street festival and set off fireworks 146 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: when the clock struck midnight. The time celebration repeated for 147 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: the next two years until the city banned fireworks due 148 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: to the hot ash they created. But Ox wasn't willing 149 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: to step aside. Instead, he came up with a new idea. 150 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: The Western Union timeball had become a source of both 151 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: spectacle and pride, and its whole purpose was to mark 152 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: the passage of time. This seems to have inspired Ox. 153 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: The newspaper man hired someone to construct a ball made 154 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: of wood, iron, and twenty five watt bulbs. The final 155 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: product was seven hundred pounds and five feet in diameter. 156 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: That might seem small to us now, but at the 157 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: time it was quite a feat and just like a 158 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: time ball, it gave everyone a reason to pause and 159 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: take stock of time together. The original New Year's Eve 160 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: ball remained in use until nineteen twenty. Over the next 161 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: few decades, the ball grew in size and style. Wood 162 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: and iron gave way to stronger metals. Light bulbs were 163 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: replaced with crystals and computerized LEDs. Today's ball weighs almost 164 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 1: six tons, measures twelve feet in diameter, and is decorated 165 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: with over two thousand crystals and thirty thousand high powered LEDs, 166 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: and each year it to send sixty six feet and 167 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: usually has some sponsors signage nearby. It is Times square 168 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: after all. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of 169 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:13,439 Speaker 1: the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 170 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 171 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey 172 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 173 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore which is a podcast, book series, 174 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: and television show and you can learn all about it 175 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 1: over at the Worldoflore dot com. And until next time, 176 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: stay curious.