1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Welcome to This Day in History Class, where 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: we bring you a new tidbit from history every day. 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: Today is September eleven, nineteen. The day was September eleventh. 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: The Hope Diamond, along with other Crown jewels, was stolen 6 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: when six men broke into the house where the jewels 7 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: were stored. The history of the blue Diamond dates back 8 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: to the mid seventeenth century, when Jean Baptiste to Vernier 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: was in possession of a diamond that was about one 10 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: hundred and fifteen metric carrots. The diamond most likely came 11 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: from a mine in India, and to Vernier described its 12 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: color as violent. The diamond was one of the many 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: stones he sold to King Louis the fourteenth of France 14 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: in sixteen sixty eight. It was re cut several years 15 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: later and became known as the French Blue. The diamond 16 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: is blue because of the small amounts of bron present 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: in it. In seventeen forty nine, King Louis the fifteenth 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: had the court jeweler reset the diamond in a piece 19 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: of ceremonial jewelry. Decades later, during the French Revolution, King 20 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,759 Speaker 1: Louis the sixteenth and Marie Antoinette attempted to flee France 21 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: and the crown jewels were given to the government. In 22 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: September of seventeen ninety two, while the king and Marie 23 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: Antoinette were imprisoned, thieves broke into the royal storehouse and 24 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,199 Speaker 1: stole the French Blue Diamond during a nearly week long 25 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: looting of the Crown jewels. According to some historians, one 26 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: of the thieves took the diamond to Lajara, then to London, 27 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: where he tried to sell it. The diamonds whereabouts for 28 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: the next couple of decades are unclear, but in eighteen 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: twelve a large diamond was recorded as being in the 30 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: possession of a London diamond merchant named Daniel Eliason. That 31 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: diamond was likely the modern Hope Diamond, cut from the 32 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: French Blue. King George the fourth of the United Kingdom 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: later acquired the stone, and it was probably sold upon 34 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: his death to pay off debts. Once the diamond came 35 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: into possession of the Hope a banking family, it became 36 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: known as the Hope Diamond. Since then, the stone has 37 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: been sold several times, reset and re cut. The diamond 38 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: made it to the US in nineteen eleven, when Pierre 39 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: Cartier sold it to American heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean. In 40 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty eight, Harry Winston, Inc. Donated the diamond to 41 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: the Smithsonian Institution. It weighs forty five point fifty two 42 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: carrots and the Smithsonian Institution describes its color as fancy 43 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: dark grayish blue. The pendant surrounding the diamond is made 44 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: of sixteen white diamonds, and its necklace chain can tanes 45 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: forty five white diamonds. The Hope Diamond is now housed 46 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It has 47 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: a reputation for being cursed since it's associated with a 48 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: bunch of unfortunate events. There's a good chance these rumors 49 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: were a marketing employ to bring attention to the Hope Diamond. 50 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: I'm Ve Jeffcote and hopefully you know a little more 51 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. And if you'd 52 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: like to follow us on social media, you can find 53 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: us at T d i h C Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, 54 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: and Facebook. Come back tomorrow for another tidket from History. 55 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart radio, app, 56 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.