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On July 31, 1498, Christopher Columbus spotted the island of Trinidad during his third voyage to the Americas, making first European contact with the island at noon. Columbus had been sailing westward for eight days when his ships were running dangerously low on water, forcing him to change course toward Dominica for supplies. Instead, they encountered an island with three prominent hills on the horizon, which Columbus immediately named "Trinidad" after the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Columbus had actually vowed before departing Spain to name the first land he discovered on this voyage after the Holy Trinity, making the sight of the three hills perfect symbolism. His fleet of three ships - the Santa María de Guía, Vaqueños, and Correo - approached from the southeast and landed at what Columbus called Point Galera. The expedition then sailed along the southern coast and entered the Dragon's Mouth strait, anchoring near Soldado Rock where they made contact with Amerindian peoples in canoes.

This discovery was part of Columbus's mission to find lands south of the Caribbean islands he had already visited, hoping to find a passage to continental Asia. The next day, August 1, Columbus would land on the South American mainland near the Orinoco River in modern-day Venezuela, becoming the first European to set foot on South America. However, Columbus still believed he was in Asia and described the region as an "other world" or possibly an Earthly Paradise.

Trinidad had been inhabited by both Carib-speaking and Arawak-speaking peoples for thousands of years before Columbus arrived. The island would remain under Spanish control for 200 years, then French for 100 years, and finally become a British colony until gaining independence in 1962 and becoming a republic in 1976.

On the morning of July 31, 1975, James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa, one of America's most powerful labor leaders, was officially reported missing after failing to return home. The 62-year-old former Teamsters president had disappeared from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in Bloomfield Township, Michigan on July 30, and his family filed a missing persons report with police the next day.

Hoffa had gone to the restaurant on July 30 at 2 p.m. to meet with reputed Detroit mob enforcer Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone and alleged New Jersey mob figure Anthony "Tony Pro" Provenzano. At 2:15 p.m., Hoffa called his wife Josephine from a payphone, complaining that nobody showed up for the meeting. That was the last time anyone heard from him. His unlocked car was later found abandoned in the restaurant parking lot.

The disappearance came during Hoffa's attempt to regain control of the Teamsters union. President Richard Nixon had commuted his prison sentence in 1971 after convictions for fraud and jury tampering, but with the condition that he stay out of union activities until 1980. Hoffa was planning to fight this restriction in court when he vanished. Many believe the Mafia had him killed because they didn't want him to return to power and disrupt their control of the union's pension fund.

Despite a massive FBI investigation involving more than 200 agents and searches across multiple states, Hoffa's body was never found. He was declared legally dead in 1982, seven years after his disappearance. The case remains one of America's greatest unsolved mysteries, with countless theories about his fate but no conclusive evidence. The FBI continues to investigate credible tips about his disappearance 50 years later.

Octopus Hearts🐙
Octopuses possess three hearts that work in coordination. Two branchial hearts pump blood through their gills for oxygenation, while the third systemic heart circulates blood throughout their body. Their blood appears blue due to hemocyanin, a copper-based protein that transports oxygen. Unlike human iron-based hemoglobin, hemocyanin is more efficient in cold, low-oxygen environments where many octopuses live.

Apple of My Eye🍎
In ancient Greece, throwing an apple at someone was a marriage proposal. Catching the apple meant accepting the proposal. This practice connected to apples being symbols of love and fertility, particularly associated with Aphrodite, goddess of love. The apple represented romantic interest and promised abundance and prosperity in marriage. This is also most likely where the phrase “Apple of My Eye” originates from.

The Frisbee Man🥏
Walter Morrison, the frisbee inventor, made an unusual final request. After his death, Morrison's family honored his wish to have his cremated remains incorporated into a special commemorative edition of frisbees. This unique memorial allowed the man who revolutionized backyard recreation to continue "flying" even after death, creating a lasting tribute that people could literally hold and use.

Bad Workout Advice🤕
Oddly enough, repeatedly hitting your head against a wall burns 150 calories per hour due to intense muscle engagement in neck, shoulder, and back muscles. However, this obviously poses serious risks including concussion, brain injury, and neck trauma, making it an extremely dangerous and inadvisable form of exercise despite its surprising caloric expense.

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.