11 Times “Drunk History” Was More Educational Than History Class

Catch new episodes of Drunk History June 19 and Tuesdays at 10/9c on Comedy Central and watch as your favorite comedians regale you with history’s best tales.

1. When there was a Rosa Parks before Rosa Parks.

Nine months prior to the arrest of Rosa Parks, the lesser-known Claudette Colvin (just 15 years old at the time) was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This act inspired a later re-creation with Parks to spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott. While Parks’ incident gained notoriety, Colvin was the star witness in the Browder vs. Gayle case contesting (and eventually determining) the unconstitutionality of segregated buses in Alabama.

2. Or when a US general’s daughter rode 40 miles through the night to warn the colonies of a British invasion.

In 1777, during the height of the Revolutionary War, a local militia soldier knocked on US General Henry Ludington’s door to inform him that the British were burning a nearby town. While Henry stayed behind to prepare his troops, his 16-year-old daughter, Sybil, rode 40 miles (twice the distance of Paul Revere’s midnight ride) to gather local militia members. After a night of endless riding, Sybil led 400 people to help her father’s forces fight off the British invaders.

3. The time that new steroids were actually discovered by mistake.

Percy Julian was a renowned chemist and scientist, and one of the first African-Americans to obtain a PhD in a segregated education system. After a lab error during a test on soybeans, Julian noticed crystals collected as a result of his mistake. He later realized that these crystals were actually various forms of steroids, which would later be used in medications for arthritis, glaucoma, and birth control.

4. The uplifting moment in an NYC bar when the LGBT community rallied together to fight for their civil rights.

In 1960s New York, LGBT communities were persecuted by the Public Morals Squad spearheaded by the mayor. On June 28, 1969, officers raided gay bars, including the Stonewall Inn, in an attempt to make multiple arrests. Patrons refused to comply and began what are now known as the Stonewall riots. These riots inspired participants Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to later establish advocacy organizations to protect disenfranchised LGBT individuals.

5. When the world watched as two 19th-century female journalists raced around the world in 80 days.

On Nov. 14, 1889, New York World writer Nellie Bly was sent eastward on a worldwide trip to beat the timestamp in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. Latching onto this publicity, a fledgling Cosmopolitan sent Elizabeth Bisland westward on the same day. Both women wrote of the exotic lands they visited for their respective publications (unheard of for women at the time). Even though Bly was receiving public notoriety, Bisland was projected to arrive earlier. It’s rumored that there was a plot to obstruct Bisland’s passage, which left her arriving about five days after Nellie Bly.

6. The fact that shady business dealings in the water industry probably saved Los Angeles from a drought.

In 1904, when Los Angeles was a growing patch of city in desert-like conditions, William Mulholland was the head of the Los Angeles City Water Company and realized, in order for the city to grow, there needed to be an influx of water. Mulholland reached out to political mastermind and former mayor Frederick Eaton to acquire land and pressure the public with fake news stories to approve the building of an aqueduct from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles. Eaton’s work paid off, and an influx of water helped LA grow into a bustling metropolis.

7. When a famous boxer opened the first desegregated entertainment establishment on the Vegas Strip.

In 1954 Las Vegas, despite the presence of black performers on stage, the talent could not partake in the casinos themselves, as Jim Crow laws were in full effect. As a result, former boxer Joe Louis invested and fronted the Moulin Rouge Hotel and Casino, the first desegregated casino in Vegas. Within three months, it was booming with business and star-studded patrons. However, segregated casino owners were losing business and threatened their vendors to cut ties with the Moulin Rouge, which led to the inevitable closing. Five years later, local NAACP members, casino owners, and government officials agreed to desegregation of the Vegas Strip at the Moulin Rouge.

8. Or the time when 70+ Native American communities united to expel Spanish colonists from their land.

In the late 1600s, in Rio Grande, Pueblo Native Americans were living under the harsh control of the Spanish. Despite outnumbering the Spaniards, many Pueblo communities were independent from one another with varying dialects and therefore unable to fight back collectively. After Governor Juan Francisco Treviño executed Pueblo natives, a charismatic religious leader named Po’pay rose up to unite 70 fractured communities against the Spanish. In August 1680, Po’pay and his 2,500 fighters descended upon the governor’s estate, battling and eventually cutting off the water supply until Treviño’s forces fled, leaving the Pueblos to destroy every trace of the Spanish and rule the territory.

9. The little-known fact that one of the most successful US marshals in history was a former slave.

In the mid-1800s, Bass Reeves fled from slavery into the Native American Territory where he lived and learned among various native communities until the 13th amendment was established. As the US expanded west, US Marshal James Fagan offered Reeves a deputy position because of his extensive knowledge of land and Native American languages. An excellent marksman with considerable tracking skills, Reeves flourished in his position, arresting over 3,000 felons during his career and eventually inspiring the character of the Lone Ranger.

10. When Katherine Wright did most of the work for her brother's plane designs — because she was the only one with a college degree.

Modern aviation always goes back to the pioneering Wright brothers. However, none of it would have been possible without their college-educated sister, Katharine. After early failed attempts at flight, Katharine suggested considering previous research and helped translate materials for her brothers (who only completed three years of high school education), which would later contribute to the successful Kitty Hawk flights.

11. And the fact that, somewhere in deep space, Voyager 1 is carrying a golden mixtape of Earth.

In the late 1970s, scientists noted the perfect planetary alignment to send a craft (Voyager 1 and Voyager 2) into the depths of space. At that time, NASA consulted Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan on compiling documentation of life on Earth onto the Golden Record, should intelligent life find the Voyager craft. Throughout the project, Sagan and Druyan went from professional friends to something more. Along with greetings in 50+ languages, music, everyday sounds, and more, the Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched in August 1977 with Druyan’s recorded brain waves during a meditation on history, life, and falling in love.

Facts and imagery from Comedy Central.

Check out the star-studded trailer below and catch new episodes of Drunk History June 19 and Tuesdays at 10/9c on Comedy Central.

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