1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, we're rerunning two episodes today in Troy. The 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: show Hi, I'm Eves and Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that uncovers a little bit more 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: about history every day. The day was January. On this day, 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: Maria tal Chief was born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief in Fairfax, Oklahoma, 6 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: on the oh Stage Nation Reservation. The doctors used their 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: four steps and properly and left a red mark on 8 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: her forehead. At least that's what Maria said later. But 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: other than that, baby Maria was healthy and it wouldn't 10 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: be long before Maria would start taking ballet lessons and 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: begin her path towards ballet stardom. Maria's father, Alexander Joseph 12 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 1: tal Chief, was a full blooded oh Stage and a 13 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: big time real estate executive. Her mother, Ruth Tall Chief, 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: had Irish, Scottish and debt troots. At the time, the 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: oh Sage were the wealthiest tribe in the US since 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: they had discovered oil in their land and everyone held 17 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: mineral rights. But even though they were well off financially, 18 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: life wasn't perfect. Maria's father had a drinking problem, which 19 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: often led him to argue with Maria's mother and the 20 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: O sage were still subject to cultural persecution by the 21 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: federal government. In eighteen eighty four, the US officially banned 22 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: what they called pagan ceremonies and began imprisoning and even 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: killing American Indians who took part in tribal religious ceremonies 24 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: throughout the late eighteen hundreds. In early nineteen hundreds, the 25 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: government continued to enforce laws outlawing Native American traditions, but 26 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: Maria's grandmother, Eliza Big Heart Tall Chief, still snuck Maria 27 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: and her younger sister Marjorie into secret tribal ceremonies when 28 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: they were children. Maria was fascinated by the Ordnate outfit 29 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: dancing and songs at these pow wows, and that stuck 30 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: with her. When she was three, she went to her 31 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: first ballet lesson in the basement of the Broadmoor Hotel 32 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: in Colorado Springs, and by the time she was five, 33 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: Maria's ballet teacher already had her dancing on point, which 34 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: is actually super dangerous for such a young child whose 35 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: feet are still growing. Maria also started piano lessons when 36 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: she was young, and her mother really wanted her to 37 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: be a concert pianist, but Maria was drawn to ballet. 38 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: When Betty Marie as her family called her, was eight 39 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: years old, the family moved to Beverly Hills, California. Ruth 40 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: had felt like the reservation lacked opportunities for the girls, 41 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 1: so she took them somewhere she thought they'd be able 42 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: to reach their full potential, and Maria did thrive. In California, 43 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: under the guidance of fame dancer and choreographer Ernest Belcher, 44 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: Maria and her sister learned everything from ballet to acrobatics 45 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: to tap dance. Ruth, excited to get her daughters out 46 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: on this day, even made them do cringe worthy Native 47 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: American dances that were way too contrived to really be 48 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: called tribal. Fortunately, Maria moved on to bigger and better things. 49 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty eight, Maria and her sister began studying 50 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: under choreographer David Lashen, his prima ballerina wife Tatiana Ribolshinska, 51 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: and Brunoslava Nijinska, a notable ballet teacher and choreographer. Niejenska 52 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 1: was a tough teacher and pushed her students to be 53 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: dancers At all times, not just when they were practicing 54 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: or performing. Niejenska recognized Maria's talent and dedication and cass 55 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: Maria and her ballet chopin Concierto, which was performed at 56 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: the Hollywood Bowl in nineteen forty. Maria graduated from Beverly 57 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: Hills High School in nineteen forty two and hit the 58 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: ground running with her dancing career. She got a job 59 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: as an extra in the film Presenting Lily Mars, which 60 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: started performance big shot Judy Garland, and soon after she 61 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: earned a spot at Ballet Rus de Monte Carlo, which 62 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: was a major ballet company at the time. While she 63 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: was performing with Ballet Ruth, she went from Betty Marie 64 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: to Maria taal Chief. She was already spelling her last 65 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: name as one word, but taking the first name Maria 66 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: helped a piece her colleagues who thought a more Russian 67 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: sounding name would make her more palatable to the masses. 68 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: And from here Maria's ballet career is pretty much a 69 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: laundry list of accomplishments. She went from the court of 70 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: ballet to solo parts and Russian choreographer George Balanchine, who's 71 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 1: been dubbed the father of American ballet, played a major 72 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: role in Maria's glow up. That's because he really helped 73 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: her sharpen her dancing skills. You could cue the mentor 74 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: student montage here. After George joined Ballet rus in nineteen 75 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: forty four as a ballet master, he saw just how 76 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: talented Maria was and took her under his wing and 77 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: they went back to basics so she could build a 78 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: strong foundation. He uped her master the turnout, or when 79 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: ballet dancers rotate their legs outward so the toes point 80 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: away from each other. He trained her to become stronger. 81 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: He just really helped her embody the art of ballet. 82 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: Maria even once said that she didn't fully understand ballet 83 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: until George came around. And soon enough their professional relationship 84 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: turned into a romantic one too. Balanchine proposed to her 85 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: and she gave him a kind of unenthusiastic yes, and 86 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty six they got married when she was 87 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: twenty one and he was forty two years old. The 88 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: marriage didn't last too long, only around six years. That 89 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: lack of enthusiasm had turned out to be a general 90 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: mood of their romantic relationship. But while they were together, 91 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: and after they collaborated a ton, they went to France 92 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: and Maria made her debut at the Paris Opera Ballet 93 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty seven, and in nineteen forty eight Maria 94 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: joined Balanchine's new company, the New York City Ballet, and 95 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: was Primia ballerina there until nineteen sixty five. Maria rose 96 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: to the top of the ballet world with her starring 97 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: role in The Firebird at the New York City Ballet, 98 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: her performance as a sugar plum ferry in a version 99 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: of Tchaikowsky's The Nutcracker, and a bunch of other roles 100 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 1: that showcase Maria's technical skill and passion. She toured Europe 101 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: and Asia, performed with other ballet companies, and even played 102 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in the nineteen fifty three film 103 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,160 Speaker 1: Million Dollar Mermaid. Maria was always involved in the ballet 104 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: world in some way, even after she retired from dancing 105 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 1: and settled down with her husband, Henry and their daughter, 106 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: Alice Maria in Chicago. She went on to become the 107 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: director of Ballet at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She 108 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: also found at the Chicago City Ballet and served as 109 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 1: his artistic director from nineteen eighty one until its shut 110 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: down in nineteen eight seven. By the time Maria Tall 111 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: Chief died in he had left a huge impact on 112 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: ballet around the world and helped put American ballet on 113 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: the world stage. A pioneering dancer and teacher who always 114 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: embrace her lineage, Maria has become known as America's first 115 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: major prima ballerina. I'm Eve Jeff Cote and hopefully you 116 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: know more about history today than you did yesterday. If 117 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: you want to know more about Maria's Hall Chief, you 118 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: can listen to the November episode of Stuff You Missed 119 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: in History Class called Maria's tal Chief. You can subscribe 120 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: to This Day and History Class on Apple Podcasts, the 121 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. 122 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:39,239 Speaker 1: Thanks to producer Chandler Mays for all his audio work. 123 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: Tune in tomorrow for another Day in History. Hello, Hello again, 124 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: I'm Eve's and you're listening to This Day in History class, 125 00:07:51,840 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: where we examine the past from the present. The day 126 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: was January ninety five. Canned beer hit the shelves for 127 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,559 Speaker 1: the first time when Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's cream 128 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: ale went on sale. Beer is an alcoholic beverage made 129 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: from the fermentation of grain. Historical evidence supports the existence 130 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: of beer seven thousand years ago, but it could be 131 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: older than that. Beer was popular in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and 132 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: other places in the ancient world. Ancient Greeks and Romans 133 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: preferred wine over beer, but beer production spread throughout Europe 134 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: and ancient and medieval times when brewing and baking were 135 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: closely related tasks, so people have been figuring out ways 136 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 1: to serve and store beer for a long time. In 137 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,280 Speaker 1: its early days, beer was served in buckets, sacks, jars, 138 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: and other vessels. It was often drunk just after fermentation 139 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: before it's spoiled. Glass bottles were first produced sometime around 140 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: the first century BC, but they were a luxury throughout 141 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: the Middle Ages. Brewers began putting beer in hand blown 142 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: glass bottles in England in the late fifteen hundreds, but 143 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: the bottle often exploded from the carbon dioxide pressure inside, 144 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: and not everyone accepted drinking beer out of a bottle 145 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: versus a cask. On top of that, bottles were expensive 146 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: and had to be filled and corked by hand over 147 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: on the North and South American continents. Native Americans brewed 148 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:41,319 Speaker 1: beer using corn before Europeans even arrived. Early colonists began 149 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,520 Speaker 1: making beer, and by the early eighteen hundreds, the number 150 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: of breweries in the US had grown significantly, but consumption 151 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: of commercially brewed beer was still moderate. But by the 152 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: second half of the century, German immigrants were bringing new 153 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: brewing methods to the US and breweries p ferrated higher wages. 154 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: Better technology, and urbanization also contributed to this rise in production. 155 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 1: In eighteen sixty six, the chilled iron mold was invented, 156 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 1: and it made production cheaper and faster. In eighteen seventy three, 157 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: Carl von Linda, working for the spot And Brewery and Munich, 158 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: invented mechanical refrigeration. This allowed for a year round brewing 159 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: and made colder processed logger beers more available. In eighteen 160 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: seventy nine, an english Man named Henry Barrett invented the 161 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: screw top beer bottle. Pasteurization caught on in beer production 162 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: so that bottled beers could be stored longer and shipped farther, 163 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: and in nineteen hundred, Michael Joseph Owens invented the first 164 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: automated glass bottle manufacturing machine. By the early nineteen hundreds, 165 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: bottled beer was taking off, but glass bottles were heavy 166 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: and expensive, and they weren't the easiest to stack and ship. 167 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: People also paid deposits on bottles, which could be returned 168 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: for a refund. Many of the returned bottles were unusable, 169 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: adding to the cost of the whole operation. Plus, brewers 170 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: were sending their beer farther distances and they wanted to 171 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:21,320 Speaker 1: cut costs. By this time, cans were already being used 172 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: for food distribution. Cans did not weigh as much as bottles, 173 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: and we're cheap. That said, the metal would react with 174 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: the beer to affect its taste, and cans had to 175 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: be able to contain the pressure of carbonated beer. The 176 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,200 Speaker 1: American Canned Company started trying to can beer around nineteen 177 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: o nine, but prohibition made the production and distribution of 178 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: alcoholic beverages illegal. Prohibition was repealed in late nineteen thirty three. 179 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: By then, the American Can Company had engineered a can 180 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: that solved the metallic, taste and pressure problems. Initial tests 181 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: with canned paps beer went will, but the product had 182 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,319 Speaker 1: to be tried out in a market. The American Can 183 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 1: Company approached the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company in Newark, New Jersey, 184 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: and offered to build them a canning line and pay 185 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: for the first test batches. Two thousand cans of three 186 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 1: point two percent alcohol by volume Krueger beer was delivered 187 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: to faithful Krueger drinkers, who were overwhelmingly happy with the 188 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: canned beer. On January nine, thirty five, Krueger's Cream Ale 189 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: and Krueger's Finest Beer became the first beer's sold to 190 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,520 Speaker 1: the general public and cans. Competitors soon began selling canned beer, 191 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: and its popularity grew throughout the nineteen thirties and after 192 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: World War Two. The first cans were flat topped and 193 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 1: had to be opened with a church key. Then came 194 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: cone top cans that could be closed with crown caps, 195 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: then pole tap tops, then stay tap tops. By nineteen 196 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 1: seventy five, as beer cans went through more reinventions, they 197 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: caught on with more concer us and brewing companies. The 198 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: Krueger Brewing Company shut down in nineteen sixty one, pushed 199 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: out of the market by companies like anheuser Busch. The 200 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: Kruger label was then sold to another brewing company. I'm 201 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: Ve Jeff Cote, and hopefully you know a little more 202 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If you'd like 203 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: to follow us on social media, you can do so 204 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 1: at T D i h C Podcast on Instagram, Twitter, 205 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: and Facebook, Or if you would prefer to email us, 206 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: you can send us a message at this day at 207 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. Thanks for listening. I hope 208 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: to see you here again tomorrow.