1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio Happy Friday. Welcome to our casual Friday. 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: Behind the scenes, I am Tracy D. Wilson and I'm 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:22,120 Speaker 1: Holly fry Um So Holly. We recorded this week's episodes 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: on a we're what six three weeks into this whole 6 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: uh safer at home situation, um seven somewhere in I 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,199 Speaker 1: think this is our seventh time recording with all of 8 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: us from home. Yeah, so um. I am one of 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: the folks who, at the beginning of the pandemic had 10 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: their anxiety improve, which is a phenomenon that's happened to 11 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: some people, because it was sort of like my mind went, oh, 12 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: the badness I've been preparing for is here. Now I 13 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: can relax. Um. But but this episod So it was 14 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: recorded during what has been a low point for me 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: in all of this, and it was inspired by a 16 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: brain scoop video from Emily Grassley, who does these wonderful 17 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: videos for the Field Museum, and she did this video 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: where she was in her backyard basically being like, Okay, 19 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: I'm in my backyard because the museum's closed, and so 20 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this backyard video, and in the middle 21 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: of a video of the video, a hawk flies by 22 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: a couple of times, and the second time she goes 23 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 1: I love birds, and she just looks at the hawk 24 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: for a minute, and I was like, I need a 25 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: minute where I have the stuff you missed in history 26 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: class version of looking at a hawk, like I need. 27 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: I need something that's that's like gonna be good for 28 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: the show, but also good for me, because I need 29 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: a minute. And that thing was bees. And I had 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: just a delightful time um researching bees and beekeeping because, 31 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: as I said in the show, they are uh an 32 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: insect that I am really fond of. UM. I got 33 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: to read lengthy book titles that went on and on, 34 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: and I got to read historical writings about bees that 35 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: were really charming. And it was just an episode that 36 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 1: I hope everyone enjoys as much as I enjoyed working 37 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: on it. I mean a guess you did not watch 38 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: the Futurama episode The Sting as part of your research. 39 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: I did not. I did not. Can you tell me 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: about it? Uh? They go to a planet with human 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: size bees to get some stuff produced in their hives. 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 1: But the best part to me is that bender has 43 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: been programmed to do the dance and buzz of bees 44 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 1: to communicate, and they subtitle all of his dances and 45 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: buzzes and some of them are marvelously unkind. So when 46 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: we started talking about it, in my head running the 47 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: whole time was and I know what that means. But 48 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: there's a whole secondary story about the relationships among the characters. 49 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: But it's also just sort of beautiful because that show 50 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: is run by so many and written by so many 51 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: pH ds that every joke is really smart. Um is 52 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: there a score by Scott Joplin, Because that's what I 53 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: think about any time I hear someone say the sting 54 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: not on that episode, No, no, okay, way in the 55 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: long ago past, when our I don't think you even 56 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: worked with us yet. But um, as long time listeners know, 57 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: this podcast used to be part of a website called 58 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: how Stuff Works. And I started working at How Stuff 59 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: Works versus a staff writer many many years ago, and 60 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: one of the articles that I wrote during my time 61 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: there as a as a writer was how bees work. 62 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: And I got to spend a whole bunch of time 63 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: looking at the mouth parts and reading about waggle dances 64 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: and writing all that stuff in an article, and this 65 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: episode kind of replicated that experience, something like happily sitting 66 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: at my desk being like love bees. I'm gonna so 67 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: many things about bees. Well, they're precious, they are they are. Um, 68 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: I'm very fond of them. I have I have thought 69 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: about putting There are various things you can do to 70 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: encourage native bees to um nest in your yard, and 71 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: I have been intending to put those little tubular like 72 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: bumblebee habitats out there, and I have not done it. Uh, 73 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: And now it's like when will that happen? Who knows? Yeah, 74 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: I ordered some bee balm in the hopes of like 75 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: fostering additional bee activity in my garden. They're already pretty 76 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: fond of my roses. But my bee bomb did not survive, 77 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: So I gotta try again and figure out what I 78 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: did wrong. We have some flowering plants that do attract 79 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: a lot of bees, um that have not started to 80 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: flower yet because this is Massachusetts. Uh, And there are 81 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: some things in bloom, but not the things that tend 82 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: to really dry out the best. So yeah, we'll see 83 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: soon soon there will be more bees in the yard. 84 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: So our second subject this week was Grover Cleveland and 85 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: his secret cancer surgery. Uh, which I don't mean to 86 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: sound jovial about cancer, but it's such an amazing story. Yeah, 87 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: and he did successfully not only survived the surgery, but 88 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: lived for like another fifteen year eighteen years. My math 89 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: is a little rough, but he lived for quite a 90 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: while after. There are aspects of his story that we 91 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: didn't get into because he didn't really fit in that episode. 92 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: One being many many comments that have happened throughout the 93 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: years on his marriage to Francis because she was so 94 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:46,719 Speaker 1: much younger than him and was like a little girl 95 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,840 Speaker 1: that he knew growing up and was kind of like 96 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: a surrogate father to her in many ways when her 97 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: dad died. So there are some people that are like, oh, 98 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: that's a little bit weird and nikky. Um. What's interesting 99 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 1: is that when he was in his first rom in 100 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: office and Francis and her mother would come and visit him, 101 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 1: the rumors were swirling that he was dating the mother, 102 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: and he was like, no, um, But he tried to 103 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: keep their courtship very very secret because he knew it 104 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 1: would just be like a total mess of reporters and 105 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: intrusion if they were ever seen in public together. So, 106 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: but they got married there at the Executive Mansion. Uh, 107 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: and I will say they seemed completely devoted to one another, 108 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: Like it seemed like she had a great deal of 109 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: agency in that relationship in terms of like running things 110 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: as a first lady. She didn't really suffer any sort 111 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: of like wallflower syndrome or like I'm young and I 112 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: can't handle this. She was very comfortable in that role. 113 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 1: The other thing that's interesting that came up in an 114 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: interview with that author that I mentioned when he was 115 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: on NPR was that he had talked to several oral 116 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 1: surgeons about what they did on the ononda that day, 117 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: and modern oral surgeons are like, we don't know how 118 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,559 Speaker 1: they did surgery this quickly, because that's like normally takes 119 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: several hours in an actual dedicated operating room with all 120 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: the bells and whistles of modern medicine. And yet he 121 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: miraculously came through it just fine, which is a pretty 122 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: fascinating thing. There are, again, for people that want more 123 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: details and want to seek out that book or any 124 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: of the other accounts, things get real graphic about the 125 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: stuff they were removing. Um, so those parts we kept 126 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: it pretty clean and light for the show. But there 127 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: it does get. There was one point where I was like, Okay, 128 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: I can watch the surgery channel, and even this is 129 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: a little like whoa, let me just let me let 130 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 1: me fan myself because this is a lot right, yeah, 131 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: but it is very interesting. Grover Cleveland is a fascinating 132 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: figure in ways that are both winsome and also a 133 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: little um cringe worthy. But this, this one little piece 134 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: of his life is so fascinating. But well, when you 135 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: when you mentioned it to me, um as a topic, 136 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: I was thinking, I I know several stories about like 137 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: various times that either the president was having some kind 138 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: of medical procedure and people knew about it, and there 139 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: was this whole thing where that's like the vice president 140 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: is temporarily in charge, um to other ones where it 141 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: was kept kind of secret. But as soon as you 142 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: got into the yacht thing, I was like, I don't 143 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: know this story at all. Well, and keep in mind, 144 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: he didn't want his vice president to know because this 145 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: was a time when you didn't select your running mate. 146 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: They were like the person that came in second, and 147 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: so he didn't fully trust. He was like, no, no, 148 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: nobody knows about this everybody has to think. I am fine, Um, 149 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 1: I mean, I can't help but think about the what 150 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,400 Speaker 1: if of Like if everything had gone horribly wrong and 151 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: he had died on the boat, Like how on earth 152 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: would that have impacted those doctors lives, which I'm sure 153 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: they all considered before they agreed to it. But yeah, 154 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: that one's a big Apparently Dr Bryant was hoping to 155 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: eventually write the true story of what had happened, particularly 156 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: after nine eight when Grover Cleveland died, but he didn't 157 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: get around to it, which was one of the things 158 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: that UM kind of spurred Dr keen On to go 159 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: ahead and do it. And again he did consult Frances 160 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: first and made sure she was comfortable with it. I 161 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: think she had said, like, please just let me read 162 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: the manuscript before you go to Prince Um, so she was. 163 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: She had a full approval on it. Uh. It's very 164 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: very lucky that that dentists did not name everybody, because 165 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: even though the president had survived, it would have probably 166 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,280 Speaker 1: killed all their careers. And then I think about how 167 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: difficult it would be to pull this off today when 168 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: politicians are on television all the time. Yeah, I was 169 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: thinking about that, um as as we were talking about 170 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: having to call reporters on the phone. It's like in 171 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: today's world where there's constant televised everything, Um, would have 172 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,719 Speaker 1: been way harder to keep that secret. Yeah, And they 173 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: didn't have a press secretary at that point, so it 174 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 1: was like literally the president and his wife calling papers. 175 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: Who going stop that? Good? Um? If you would like 176 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: to write to us about this or anything else, you 177 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: could do that at History podcast at i heeart radio 178 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 1: dot com. You can follow us on social media as 179 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: Missed in History pretty much everywhere, and you can subscribe 180 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: to the show on the I heart Radio app, at 181 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:41,839 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever it is you listen. Stuff you 182 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class is a production of I heart Radio. 183 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 184 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 185 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.