1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Hey y'all were rerunning two episodes today in Troy, the 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: show Hey, I'm Eves and Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that uncovers history one day at 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:23,959 Speaker 1: a time. The day was June twenty, nineteen hundred. The 5 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Siege of the Legation Quarter in Beijing, China, began when 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: Boxers and the Chinese Imperial Army attacked the thousands of 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: foreigners and Chinese Christians who had taken refuge there. The 8 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: Boxer Rebellion erupted in China in the late eighteen nineties 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: in response to growing Western influence in the country. After 10 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,319 Speaker 1: China had taken losses in the Opium Wars and the 11 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 1: First Sino Japanese War, people had grown frustrated with foreign 12 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: control and Chinese economic affairs. Western culture and technology were 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: upending society. A lot of the ire directed towards Western 14 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: influence targeted Chinese people who had converted to Christianity. Christian 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: missionaries took the side of Chinese Christians, and non Christians 16 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: in the country took offense to this. This is where 17 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: the Boxers come in. Also known as the Righteous and 18 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: Harmonious Fists, the name of Boxers given to the group 19 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: by foreigners came from the martial arts they practice, which 20 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: they believed gave them special powers. The boxers were largely 21 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: unemployed peasants and farmers. They harbored anti foreign sentiments, and 22 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: they often resorted to violent action to express their anger 23 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: with foreign influence. Many boxers were from Shandong Province, a 24 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: place that had faced lots of natural disasters and had 25 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: been carved up by Western imperial powers. The province became 26 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: a center of the uprising. Boxers spread rumors about foreigners, 27 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: and soon they had resorted to rioting, killing and raping 28 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: Christian missionaries and convert At first, King troops attempted to 29 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: suppress the boxers, but in January of nineteen hundred, Empress 30 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: Dowager Suchi ordered that they not be considered criminals. King 31 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: officials encouraged boxers in their anti foreign and anti Christian actions, 32 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: despite the fact that violence was escalating. Many people who 33 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: faced persecution chose to stay or did not have the 34 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: resources to leave. By mid nineteen hundred, the rebellion had 35 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: reached Beijing. Boxers were burning churches and intimidating and killing 36 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: people who tried to quell the rebellion. On foreign ministers 37 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: in Beijing requested troops be sent to Beijing, and international 38 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,839 Speaker 1: forces began arriving in the following days to protect Westerners 39 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: and Christians. But the Boxers were wreaking havoc around Beijing, 40 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: destroying technology and infrastructure and committing gruesome murders. They even 41 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: cut the telegraph wires going out of Beijing. Great Britain's 42 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,240 Speaker 1: senior foreign minister, Sir Claude McDonald, had called for help, 43 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: and a multinational relief force of people was sent from 44 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: Tianjin to Beijing, but the Empress Dowager ordered imperial troops 45 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: to block their advance and they were turned back. She 46 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: also ordered that all foreigners must leave Beijing, as they 47 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: were not able to or feared to do so, many 48 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: foreigners were stuck in Beijing. On June twenty, the German 49 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: minister was killed and Boxers besiege the Legation Quarter in Beijing, 50 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: or the Diplomatic District. The quarter was home to diplomats 51 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: from many Western countries, Japan, and Russia, and it contained 52 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: many international shops, missionaries, journalists, and travelers. A few thousand 53 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: foreign soldiers, foreign civilians, and Chinese Christians lived or had 54 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: taken refuge in the district. After the siege began, the 55 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: Empress Dowager escalated tensions, opposing foreigners and aligning with the Boxers. 56 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 1: In Beijing, a library was burned, a mine was set 57 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: off under French legation, and people were killed. Violence continued 58 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: outside of Beijing as well. The Ching government declared a 59 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: ceasefire on legations on July seventeenth, but the siege would 60 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: last for fifty five days. Another international relief force of 61 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: about twenty thou people was sent from Tianjin to Beijing 62 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: in early August, reaching the city on August fourteen. Empress 63 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: Dowager she fled to present day chian The Boxer Rebellion 64 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: ended when the Boxer Protocol was signed in September of 65 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: nineteen oh one. China was ordered to pay millions of 66 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:50,040 Speaker 1: dollars in reparations to foreign nations involved in the conflict. 67 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: Boxers and Chinese officials implicated in the rebellion were ordered 68 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: to be punished, and Western nations were allowed to keep 69 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: troops stationed in a Jane. Estimates of the death toll 70 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 1: in the Boxer Rebellion vary, but many of the people 71 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: killed word civilians, particularly Chinese Christians. The King dynasty fell 72 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: about ten years after the end of the rebellion. I'm 73 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: each Deathcote and hopefully you know a little more about 74 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. If you feel like 75 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: correcting my pronunciation or my accent on anything that I've 76 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: said in the show, feel free to leave a very 77 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: kind comment on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at t d 78 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: i h C podcast. And if you'd like to learn 79 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: more about the Boxer Rebellion, check out the episode of 80 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: Stuff You Missed in History Class called Boxer Rebellion. And 81 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,559 Speaker 1: if you haven't listened already, you can check out another 82 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: show I host called Unpopular. Unpopular is about people in 83 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: history who challenge the status quo and sometimes had to 84 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: face really harsh consequences for it. Thanks again for listening, 85 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: and we'll see you tomorrow. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and 86 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: welcome to This Day in History Class, a podcast that 87 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: brings you a tidbit of history every day. The day 88 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: was June ninety. The thriller film Jaws was released, directed 89 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: by Steven Spielberg and based on the nineteen seventy four 90 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: novel by Peter Benchley. The movie was at one point 91 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: the highest grossing film it didn't hold that title for long, 92 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: but it remains a pivotal blockbuster in Hollywood history. The 93 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: novel Jaws is about a great white shark that attacks 94 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:48,359 Speaker 1: people in a resort town and the subsequent effort to 95 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,360 Speaker 1: kill the shark. The author of the book, Peter Benchley, 96 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: had been interested in sharks for a while and was 97 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: considering writing a story that had to do with a shark. 98 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: He read an article about a great white shark that 99 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,600 Speaker 1: fisherman for Monday scot in nineteen sixty four and found 100 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: more inspiration to write Jaws. Benchley was also inspired by 101 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: events like the Jersey Shore shark attacks of nineteen sixteen. 102 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: After the book was published in nineteen seventy four, it 103 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: was picked up by book sales clubs and gained a 104 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: lot of traction. Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown, producers 105 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,119 Speaker 1: at Universal Pictures, read the book and purchased the film rights. 106 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: Steven Spielberg, who had just directed his first theatrical feature, 107 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 1: The sugar Land Express, was chosen to direct Jaws. Filming 108 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: began in May of nineteen seventy four and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. 109 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: Mechanical sharks were made for production and they shot the 110 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: movie in the Ocean. Technological issues and delays put production 111 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: over budget, but the malfunctions and delays are said to 112 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: have helped the movie since they require Spielberg to shoot 113 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: many scenes where the shark was not visible and its 114 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: presence was only hinted at. Barrels were used to represent 115 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: the shark's location, and many of the shots were just 116 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 1: of the shark's dorsal fin. The suspense built from not 117 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: seeing the shark has become one of the film's most 118 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: defining and memorable features. John Williams composed the score for 119 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: the movie, which is known for its ominous shark theme. 120 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: Principal photography went more than one hundred days over schedule. 121 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: Spielberg commented that he thought his career was over because 122 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: the film was so delayed, but Universal spent a lot 123 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: of money on marketing the film. Spielberg, e Benchley, Zando, 124 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 1: and Brown toured cities promoting the book and movies. Universal 125 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 1: spent seven hundred thousand dollars on a TV ad campaign 126 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: on June. Jaws was released in around four hundred and 127 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: sixty movie theaters in the US and Canada. As the 128 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,960 Speaker 1: novel garnered more attention, the film gained more steam at 129 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 1: the box office. On June, Jaws landed on the cover 130 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: of Time magazine. The film was successful, so a bunch 131 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: of merchandise was created to promote its release. It was 132 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 1: expanded to hundreds more theaters, and by early ninety six 133 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: it had become the highest grossing film in the world. 134 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: The film and its score won several awards. Film historians 135 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: credit Jaws with paving the way for later summer Hollywood 136 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: blockbusters like Star Wars. It influenced the popularity of the 137 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: summer movie season, but it also influenced a lot of 138 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: films revolving around large predatory animals and left a huge 139 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: mark on pop culture. I'm Eve Jeff Coote and hopefully 140 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: you know a little more about history today than you 141 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: did yesterday. And if you have any commerce oar suggestions, 142 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: you can send them to us at this day at 143 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: I heart Media dot com. You can also follow us 144 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: on social media where at t D I h C podcast. 145 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for listening to the show and we'll 146 00:09:51,480 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: see you tomorrow. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit 147 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 148 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.