1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 2: Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 2: is an open book, all of these amazing tales are 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 2: right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. 6 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 7 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,239 Speaker 1: Ireland suffered under English rule longer than any other colony. 8 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 1: In fact, the English occupied Ireland for over seven hundred years. 9 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: It's a testament to Ireland's strength and the vibrancy of 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: their culture that had endured despite this. The Irish fought 11 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: for their independence throughout the centuries, but sometimes the fight 12 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: took a curious turn. Such was the case in eighteen 13 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: sixty six, when the battle for Ireland's independence spread to 14 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,039 Speaker 1: a whole different continent. Like a lot of pioneers, John 15 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: O'Neill was very sure of himself and didn't like being 16 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: told what to do. He fought on the side of 17 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: the Union during the Civil War, but transferred battalions when 18 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: he wasn't promoted, and then retired before the war was 19 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: even over. He learned how to fight and how to 20 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: run an army during his time in the service, but 21 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: the cause was never really his. He was an Irish 22 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 1: immigrant who had left home during the famine and was 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: just trying to find his place in the world. But 24 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: it seemed that everywhere he went there was always some 25 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: king or president trying to get you to join his army. 26 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: John had been happy to lend his services to the 27 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: Union for a price, but he would never work for 28 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: the English king, who he saw as responsible for the 29 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: destruction of his homeland. After John left the army, he 30 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: was working in Tennessee when he met some fellow Irish 31 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: immigrants who had formed a militia called the Fenian Brotherhood. 32 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: Their goal was to further the cause of Irish independence 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: in America by attacking British controlled Canada to the north. 34 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: They hoped to occupy the country and hold it ransom 35 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: for Ireland's freedom. It was a far fetched idea, but 36 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: they were angry men who knew how to fight, and 37 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: they weren't exactly in a position to help while they 38 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: were on the other side of the ocean. They felt 39 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 1: that this was the only option that was left to them. 40 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: John traveled with the militia to Buffalo, New York, where 41 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: they prepared to cross the Niagara River into Canada. They 42 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: numbered over one thousand men, but that was hardly enough 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: to take a whole country. But again, John and his 44 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: like were stubborn. This became even more evident when the 45 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: man who was supposed to lead them into battle didn't 46 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: show up. Rather than give up the fight, the Fenians 47 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: selected John as their new leader. He had battle experience, 48 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: after all, and a strong enough presence to inspire the men. 49 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: Soon they were on their way across the river. The 50 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: Canadians never knew what hit them, and the militia easily 51 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 1: captured the Canadian town called forts Erie. The Fenians blockaded 52 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: the town from the rest of the world and sent 53 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: out a letter to the civilians claiming that they meant 54 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: them no harm. They only wished to drive the British 55 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: from the area. By this point, the British were mustering 56 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: thousands of troops across Canada to defend their country, but 57 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: the Fenians weren't detered. They left fort Erie behind and 58 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: continued their conquest west to a village called Ridgeway. As 59 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: they arrived, they heard the bugles of the approaching Canadian 60 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: army and formed a defensive line. John sent out riflemen 61 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: to attack the marching Canadians and draw them toward the 62 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 1: Fenian army. Soon he was watching from the rear as 63 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: hundreds of Canadian soldiers weaved their way toward his men 64 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: through various trees and the small buildings of a farm 65 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: caught between the two armies. And here's the thing. John's 66 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: men were disciplined from their time in the Civil War. 67 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: They kept formation and maintained regular gunfire against the enemy, 68 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: picking off a few here and there, keeping them from 69 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: advancing quickly. Wanting more intelligence, John ordered scouts on horseback 70 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: to travel out and report back as to the size 71 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: of the army. But the strategy had unintended consequences as well. 72 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: When the inexperienced Canadian soldiers saw the few approaching horse scouts, 73 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: they mistook them for a cavalry charge. They tried to 74 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: change their formation, clumping into a tight square, but this 75 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: only made them more vulnerable to gunfire. By the time 76 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: their comrades realized the mistake and tried to get them 77 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: back into a line, morale was dropping and some of 78 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: the men started to flee. Soon the entire Canadian army 79 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: was running up the road back the way they had come. 80 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: The Fenians rejoiced, picking off a few more Canadians as 81 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: they fled down the road, but John had seen the 82 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: size of the army and he knew that he couldn't 83 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: keep this up. They retreated back to Fort Erie, and 84 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: after a skirmish near the river, successfully retreated back into 85 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: the US. John would lead several more raids on Canada 86 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: over the next few months before the Americans finally made 87 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: him stop in order to preserve peace with England. It 88 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: was a major victory for the Irish, who had shown 89 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: the world what they were capable of, but curiously, in 90 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: the long run, it marked a greater turning point for 91 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: the Canadian who took the attacks as a wake up 92 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: call that their defenses needed updating. It was one of 93 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: the many factors that actually led to the Canadian Confederation 94 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: the following year, which saw several Canadian provinces that were 95 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: still technically separate British colonies unite into the large, strong 96 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: country that we know today. Life can change in the 97 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: blink of an eye. It's a cliche because it's true, 98 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: As a Frenchman named Jean Dominique Bobie learned all too 99 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: well in the mid nineteen nineties, Jean was at the 100 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: top of his game. He was the editor in chief 101 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: of a major fashion magazine and a charismatic figure in 102 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: Parisian high society. He attended glamorous parties, drove fast cars, 103 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 1: and moved through the world with charm, wit and style. 104 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 1: He was forty three years old and seemingly invincible. And 105 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,920 Speaker 1: then on December eighth of nineteen ninety five, everything changed. 106 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: That day, Jean was driving his son to the theater 107 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: when something inside him snapped. His vision blurred, and he 108 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: broke out in a cold sweat. The world seemed to 109 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: slow to a crawl, like time itself was freezing. John 110 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: didn't know it yet, but he was experiencing a massive 111 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: stroke while behind the wheel with his child in the 112 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: passenger seat. Somehow, though, he managed to stay calm and 113 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: pull the car over. He was rushed to the hospital, 114 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: but by the time he arrived things had gone from 115 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: bad to worse. He couldn't speak or move, and then 116 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: he slipped into a coma. When he woke up twenty 117 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:43,479 Speaker 1: days later, the nightmare had only just begun. Jean was alive, 118 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: but completely paralyzed. He couldn't move, eat, or even swallow. 119 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: On his own. Most terrifying of all, he couldn't speak, 120 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: which meant that he had no way to show that 121 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: he was still mentally present. His doctors thought that he 122 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: was in a vegetative state, until a friend noticed that 123 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: jean His left eyelid was twitching. They called out to 124 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: Jean and told him to blink if he understood, and 125 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: Jean blinked in response. That showed everyone that he was 126 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: actually still there, completely conscious fully aware, but trapped in 127 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: his own body. He was diagnosed with locked in syndrome, 128 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: a rare neurological disorder where the entire body is paralyzed 129 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: except for some small eye movement. But Jean wasn't done 130 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: fighting Using only his left eye, he developed a communication 131 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: system with his speech therapist. As they recited each letter 132 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,119 Speaker 1: of the alphabet, Jean would blink at the right moment 133 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,119 Speaker 1: to select the letter that he wanted, and letter by letter, 134 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: word by word, he painstakingly spelled out messages to nurses, doctors, 135 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: and family. It was slow and it was exhausting, but 136 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: it worked. Using this new system, Jean was able to 137 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: describe what it felt like to be trapped inside his 138 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: own body, and more than that, it gave him a 139 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: piece of his life back. He could talk with friends, 140 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: connect with his caregivers, and share moments with his family. 141 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: Instead of just watching life happen around him, he was 142 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: part of it again. His daughter would perch on the 143 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: armrest of his wheelchair, pretending that they were racing in 144 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: one of the fast cars that he used to love. 145 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: In those moments, Jean found joy, even if only for 146 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: a few seconds at a time. And then, just a 147 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: little over a year later, Jean came down with pneumonia. 148 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: His weakened body struggled to fight the infection, and he 149 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: died on March ninth of nineteen ninety seven at the 150 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 1: age of forty four. But that wasn't the end of 151 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: his story. Just two days later, a book was published 152 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: telling the story of Jean's struggle. It was called The 153 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,839 Speaker 1: Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and thanks to how much 154 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: Jean had been able to communicate, it offered a rare 155 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: glimpse into the experience of being trapped inside your own body. 156 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: The book became an international bestseller, and a decade later 157 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 1: it was adapted into a critically acclaimed film that earned 158 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: four Oscar nominations. Doctors, therapists and researchers still cited as 159 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: a landmark work in understanding patients with severe paralysis. But 160 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: here's the most impressive part. The Diving Bell and the 161 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: Butterfly is a memoir, meaning that Jean Dominique Boubie wrote 162 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: it himself, using nothing but his left eyelid. He dictated 163 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: the entire one hundred and thirty page manuscript by blinking 164 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: one letter at a time to an interpreter. The process 165 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: took two hundred thousand blinks over the course of ten months. 166 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: Jean and his interpreter worked together for a few hours 167 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: each day, and he spent the rest of his time 168 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: composing passages in his head, editing and memorizing every word 169 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:36,640 Speaker 1: so that he could get it all out in the morning. 170 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: It was a feat of mental endurance, patience and willpower 171 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: and let him tell his story. So yes, it's true 172 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: that life can fall apart in the blink of an eye, 173 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: but as Jean proved, life can also be rebuilt one 174 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 1: blink at a time. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided 175 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: tour of the Cabinet of Curiosity. Please subscribe for free 176 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by 177 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 1: visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by 178 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: me Aaron Manke in partnership with how Stuff Works. I 179 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,839 Speaker 1: make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 180 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: book series, and television show and you can learn all 181 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: about it over at the Worldolore dot com. And until 182 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.