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 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: but two nuggets of history. Consider it a double feature. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: Enjoy the show. Hey guys, welcome to this day in 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: History class, where we bring you a new tidbit from 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: history every day. The day was February nineteen thirty. After 6 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: about a year of searching for an unknown planet beyond Neptune, 7 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: an amateur astronomer named Clyde W. Tom Ball found the 8 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: object that would become known as Pluto. Tom Baugh was 9 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, using a camera 10 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: equipped telescope to record images of the sky on photographic 11 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: plates at the same sidereal time on different nights. Sidereal time. 12 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: It's just time measured based on the position of distant 13 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,839 Speaker 1: stars as opposed to solar time, which is measured based 14 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: on the position of the Sun. Tom Baugh would then 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: identified differences between plates using a blink comparator, which is 16 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: a viewing instrument that helps astronomers compare photographs of the 17 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,279 Speaker 1: night sky. When you look at the sky. Using this method, 18 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: stars and galaxies appeared to remain in the same spot, 19 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: while the position of moving objects like planets would change 20 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: each night and On February eighth, nineteen thirty, Tom Ball 21 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: found what he had been searching for when a small 22 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: spot of light blinked on the plates for January and 23 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: twenty nine, Local Observatory confirmed the movement with more photographs, 24 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: and it announced the discovery of this planet X on 25 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: March thirteen, Tom Baugh became the first American to discover 26 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: a planet. That's pretty cool for a self taught astronomy 27 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: who was offered a job at the local observatory because 28 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: his astronomical drawings had impressed the director of the observatory. 29 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: But let's back up to why scientists were even looking 30 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: for another planet in our Solar System past Neptune. Anyway, 31 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: Discrepancies in Uranus's orbit led scientists to believe that another 32 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: planet was out there influencing Uranus's motion, and that helped 33 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: astronomer's discover that Neptune was a planet in eighteen forty six. 34 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: But by the late eighteen hundreds, scientists already had an 35 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: inkling that there was a planet beyond Neptune. Percival Lowell, 36 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: an American astronomer and founder of the local Observatory, observed 37 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: strange deviations in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune in 38 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century. So he theorized that another planetary 39 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: body's gravity had to be the thing that was causing 40 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: these deviations, and astronomers figured that, like with Neptune, the 41 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: undiscovered planet's location could be calculated using these irregularities. Well, 42 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: we now know that those deviations weren't accurate, and they 43 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: couldn't have been caused by a planet with the mass 44 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: as small as Pluto's anyway, But either way, Lowell's set 45 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: to work on searching for the mysterious planet X. In 46 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: nineteen o six at the observatory he had founded, he 47 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: astronomer William Henry Pickering and other scientists worked on finding 48 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: planet X where they thought it should be in the 49 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: sky for years. Lowell died in nineteen sixteen, and the 50 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: search for the so called trans Neptunean planet was put 51 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: on hold because of a lengthy battle over Lowell's estate, 52 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: but the search was not forgotten. In ninety seven, Percival's 53 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: brother provided the money to build a new telescope and 54 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: dome for the search, and two years later the telescope 55 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: was ready for its intended use. The very next year, 56 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: planet X was found only six degrees off of Lowell 57 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: and Pickering's mistaken calculations. There were a lot of suggestions 58 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: for the name of the new planet, but in the 59 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: end it was dubbed Pluto, thanks to an eleven year 60 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: old English girl named Venetia Bernie, who proposed the name. 61 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 1: The name was perfect for the cold, dark and distant planet. 62 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: Not only did Pluto refer to the Greek god of 63 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: the underworld, but its first two letters were also Perceival 64 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: Lowell's initials. After Tombo found Pluto, tom Ba searched the 65 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: entire ecliptic plane for other bodies in the Outer Solar System, 66 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: but he came up empty. Now Pluto is no longer 67 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: considered a planet. It was reclassified as a dwarf planet 68 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: in two thousand six after other bodies of similar size 69 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: were discuss heard in the Kuiper Belt, and the term 70 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: planet was redefined. Like planets, dwarf planets are celestial bodies 71 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,600 Speaker 1: that are nearly round orbit the Sun and are not moons, 72 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: but they are not able to clear their orbital path 73 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: so that no similar objects are at the same distance 74 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: from the Sun. Pluto's downgrade from a planet to a 75 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: dwarf planet was a disappointment to many who grew up 76 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: thinking of Pluto as the tiny, icy ninth planet. However, 77 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: the discovery of Pluto was still an important milestone in 78 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,799 Speaker 1: the history of astronomy and planetary science. I'm Eaves Deathcote 79 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: and hopefully you know a little more about history today 80 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: than you did yesterday. And if you like to learn 81 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: even more about Pluto, listen to the episode of Stuff 82 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: you missed in History Class called Pluto the Demoted dwarf Planet. 83 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 1: You can subscribe to This Day in History Class on 84 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, the iHeart Radio app, or wherever you get 85 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: your podcasts. Keep up with us on Twitter, Instagram, and 86 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: Facebook at t d I h C podcast. Come back 87 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: tomorrow for another tibet from history. Hello history lovers, I'm 88 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: Eves and you're listening to This Day in History Class, 89 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: a show that uncovers history one day at a time. 90 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: The day was February ninety four. Writer and activists Audrey 91 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: Lord was born. Lord was born and raised in Harlem. 92 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: Her father was from Barbados and her mother was Grenadian. 93 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: Her father was a real estate broker and was able 94 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 1: to put Audrey and her sisters in Catholic school. She 95 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: loved to read from an early age, and she was 96 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: particularly connect due to poetry. She began writing her own 97 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 1: poetry during her childhood, and she published her first poem 98 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: in seventeen Magazine while she was in high school. Lord 99 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: graduated from Hunter High School in nineteen fifty one. After 100 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: working and traveling around North America for a while, she 101 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: went back to New York to get her bachelor's degree 102 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: from Hunter College. In nineteen sixty one, she got a 103 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: master's degree in library science from Columbia University. At that point, 104 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: Lord began working as a librarian. She married an attorney 105 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two and had two children with him. 106 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: Though the couple later got divorced, Lord was still passionate 107 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: about poetry, and she gave readings and published more of 108 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: her verse. Her first volume of poetry, The First Cities, 109 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: was published in nineteen sixty eight. That same year, she 110 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: left her job as a librarian at Town School Library 111 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: and taught a poetry workshop at Tugaloo College in Mississippi. 112 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: In her poetry, Lord touched on social issues like race, class, 113 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: and gender. She related her personal experiences to broader societal concerns, 114 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: and she also spoke out on matters like sexuality. Some 115 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: of her early collections of poetry include Cables to Rage, 116 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: published in nineteen seventy and From a Land Where Other 117 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: People Live published in nineteen seventy two. The latter explored 118 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: themes of identity and global issues, and it was nominated 119 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: for a National Book Award. By the mid nineteen seventies, 120 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: Lord was a critical voice in the realms of poetry, activism, feminism, 121 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: and black arts. Her writing became more political, and in 122 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy six Cole, her first collection released by a 123 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: major publisher, came out. Two years later, her collection The 124 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: Black Unicorn was released. Lord also wrote pros. One of 125 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: her most notable nonfiction works is The Cancer Journals, published 126 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 127 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: the late nineteen seventies. In the book, Lord documented how 128 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: it felt to deal with the illness. She went on 129 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: to help launch the publishing house Kitchen Table Women of 130 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: Color Press with writer and activists Barbara Smith, and she 131 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: helped establish a political committee called Sisterhood and Supportive Sisters 132 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,679 Speaker 1: in South Africa, which she remained active with until the 133 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 1: end of her life. She wrote essays for left wing 134 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: and black publications, and she wrote the acclaimed novel Zami, 135 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: a new spelling of my name. Lord continued to struggle 136 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: with cancer for the rest of her life. Her essay 137 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: collection A Burst of Light addresses cancer, race, parenthood, and 138 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: other topics related to her personal life and the world 139 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: at large. She went through experimental treatments in Europe, and 140 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: in her later years she lived in the US Virgin Islands. 141 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: She continued to teach, rite, and lecture on social and 142 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: political issues until she died of liver cancer in November 143 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: of nine. I'm each Jeff Coote and hopefully you know 144 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 145 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: If you have any burning questions or comments, you can 146 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: leave us a note at t d i h C 147 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: Podcast on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. If emails your thing, 148 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: send us a note at this day at i heeart 149 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 1: media dot com. Thanks again for listening, and have a 150 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: fantastic twenty four hours until we see you again. For 151 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,880 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 152 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.