On April 16, 1787, Americans got their first official taste of comedy on stage with a play called The Contrast — written by Royall Tyler. It was the first comedy written by an American to ever be professionally performed. Up until this point, most of the theater scene in the U.S. was still riding on British plays or super-serious drama. But Tyler brought something new — jokes about American life, local slang, and poking fun at the rich city snobs.

The play debuted in New York City at the John Street Theatre, and it was basically the 1700s version of a sitcom roasting East Coast elites. It introduced the classic "Yankee" character stereotype — a straight-talking, country guy who didn’t care for fancy British manners or city people acting stuck-up. The meaning of the term “Yankee” changed over time, but back then? People loved it.

At the time, this was a big deal because America was barely a country — the Constitution wasn’t even written yet. The Contrast was like planting a flag that said, “We’ve got our own culture now... and we’re gonna make fun of it.” Today, most people have never heard of The Contrast, but it set the stage (literally) for American comedy to grow into what it is now — smart, loud, and not afraid to clown on itself.

On April 16, 1943, a Swiss chemist named Albert Hofmann was working in his lab when he accidentally absorbed a weird chemical through his fingertips. That chemical? LSD. And yes — this is how psychedelic history began.

Hofmann was working at Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, trying to create a stimulant from a fungus called ergot (which grows on rye bread). Instead, he made lysergic acid diethylamide — or LSD-25. He didn’t think much of it until he started feeling... weird. Colors got brighter. His mind felt detached. He basically invented tripping without even knowing what tripping was.

He wrote in his journal:

Three days later, on April 19 (now called "Bicycle Day"), Hofmann intentionally took a larger dose and rode his bike home while experiencing the first-ever full-blown acid trip in human history. It wasn’t all fun — he thought he was losing his mind — but after the effects wore off, he realized this chemical might have some wild potential.

By the 1950s and 60s, LSD exploded into the world of psychology, medicine, counterculture, and music. Hippies loved it. The government hated it. And eventually, it got banned almost everywhere. But it all started with a lab mistake — and a chemist who just wanted to help with headaches but accidentally opened a door to another dimension.

Death By Turtle🐢
Legend has it that Aeschylus, one of Ancient Greece’s greatest playwrights, met an absurdly tragic end — worthy of one of his own plays. Around 456 BCE, he was supposedly killed when an eagle, hunting for food, mistook his shiny bald head for a rock. Eagles at the time were known to drop tortoises onto stones to crack them open. Unfortunately for Aeschylus, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While historians debate the accuracy of this tale (it might be ancient gossip), it remains one of history’s most bizarre reported deaths — and a reminder that sometimes, life (or nature) has a dark sense of humor 🐢🎭💀

Invention of Stethoscope🩺
In 1816, French physician René Laennec faced a professional dilemma: he needed to listen to a patient’s heartbeat, but felt uncomfortable placing his ear directly on a woman's chest — which was the standard practice at the time. So, he got creative. He rolled up a piece of paper into a tube, placed one end to the woman’s chest and the other to his ear — and discovered it actually amplified the sound. That quick moment of Victorian modesty led to the invention of the stethoscope. Laennec later improved the design using wood and published a whole book on chest sounds, basically launching modern diagnostics. 🩺👨‍⚕️📜

Black Death Quarantine🐀
When the Black Death ravaged Europe in the 14th century, killing millions, cities got very motivated to stop new cases from arriving—especially by ship. In the bustling port city of Venice, officials started a policy: incoming ships had to wait offshore for 40 days before anyone could disembark. This period was called a “quarantena” — from the Italian word for “forty.” The idea was simple: if there was plague onboard, it would show itself in that time. If not, passengers could come ashore. It wasn’t perfect, but it was one of the earliest organized public health strategies, and the word "quarantine" has stuck around ever since. So the next time you hear the word (let’s hope it’s no time soon), remember: it all started with rats, plague, and some very cautious Italians. 🛳️🐀⏳

The Viking ‘Thing’📜
The Vikings didn’t just raid and sail — they also held meetings like civilized people (well, sort of). Their legal system was called a "Thing" (or þing), which sounds casual, but it was very official. It was basically a big assembly of free men — warriors, farmers, and landowners — who gathered to: Settle disputes, make laws, hand out punishments, and gossip a little (probably). The Thing was like an early version of parliament — outdoors, loud, and very democratic (if you were a free man, that is). Women didn’t usually have a vote, but their opinions still carried weight in Viking society. Even better? The biggest Thing assemblies turned into giant social events, with markets, feasts, and storytelling. So yes — Vikings had their wild side, but they also invented the meeting that could’ve been an email. 🛡️⚖️🍻

If you enjoy this edition of Today In History be sure to send it to a friend and force them to sign up because that’s what good friends do. Until next time, stay curious, question everything, and keep uncovering the mysteries of the past.