Picture this: it’s 1836, and the Wild West is still a chaotic playground of outlaws, settlers, and shootouts. Enter Samuel Colt, a 21-year-old inventor with a wild idea—a gun that could fire multiple shots without reloading. On February 25th, he patented the Colt Revolver, a game-changer that turned the tables on single-shot pistols. This wasn’t just a weapon; it was a revolution in firepower, with a rotating cylinder that could hold six bullets. Suddenly, a lone cowboy could take on a gang without pausing to fumble with gunpowder and lead balls.

Colt’s journey to this moment wasn’t exactly a straight shot. He’d been tinkering with firearms since his teens, even blowing up a raft in a failed explosives demo as a kid. But his big break came when he saw how slow and clunky traditional guns were in a fight. Inspired by the mechanics of a ship’s wheel, he dreamed up the revolving cylinder. After years of prototypes—and a lot of skeptical eyebrows—his patent sealed the deal. The U.S. Army took notice, and soon, Colt’s factory was cranking out these bad boys for soldiers and frontiersmen.

The Colt Revolver didn’t just win battles; it won the imagination. It became the stuff of legend, dubbed “The Peacemaker” in later models, though it was anything but peaceful in the hands of Texas Rangers or gold-rush bandits. This little invention put Colt on the map as a household name, and his company would go on to define American gun culture. Fun fact: Colt was also a marketing genius, hiring artists to engrave epic scenes on his guns—from buffalo hunts to naval battles—to make them irresistible to buyers.

So why does February 25, 1836, matter? Because it’s the day a kid with a knack for blowing things up gave the world a tool that shaped wars, westerns, and history itself. The Colt Revolver wasn’t just a gadget; it was a symbol of a rugged, reckless era where survival often came down to who could shoot faster. Next time you watch a cowboy flick, tip your hat to Sam Colt—he made those quick-draw duels possible.

It’s February 25, 1964, and Miami Beach is buzzing with anticipation. In one corner stands Sonny Liston, a massive, ex-con heavyweight champ with fists like sledgehammers and a stare that could melt steel. In the other? A confident 22-year-old named Cassius Clay— who later becomes known as Muhammad Ali. He had been trash-talking Liston so hard, people think he’s either crazy or begging for a knockout. Spoiler: he wasn’t begging. That night, Clay danced, jabbed, and shocked the world by taking down the “unbeatable” Liston in one of boxing’s greatest upsets.

The buildup was pure drama. Liston was a 7-1 favorite—experts figured Clay, with his flashy footwork and big mouth, didn’t stand a chance against the champ’s strength and power. Clay, though, wasn’t just fighting with gloves; he was fighting with swagger. He’d been taunting Liston for months, calling him “the big ugly bear” and promising to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” By the time they stepped into the ring, the crowd was split between skeptics and believers—and Clay was ready to prove a point.

The fight itself was a rollercoaster. For six rounds, Clay bobbed and weaved, peppering Liston with lightning-fast jabs while dodging haymakers. Liston landed some brutal shots, but Clay’s speed wore him down. Then, in a jaw-dropping twist, Liston didn’t come out for the seventh round—he quit on his stool, claiming a shoulder injury. Clay went wild, leaping around the ring, shouting, “I am the greatest!” The ref raised his hand, and just like that, a legend was born. At 22, he’d snatched the heavyweight title and flipped the boxing world upside down.

This wasn’t just a win; it was a cultural earthquake. Days later, Clay announced he’d joined the Nation of Islam and would become Muhammad Ali, kicking off a career that transcended sports. February 25, 1964, marked the night a loudmouth kid became a global icon, showing that guts, charm, and a killer left hook could topple even the toughest giants.

Human Fly Trap🍯
Being a servant in ancient Egypt wasn’t always about pouring wine or fluffing pillows—sometimes, it meant becoming a living fly trap. To keep annoying flies away from the pharaoh, some unlucky servants were slathered in honey and stationed nearby, attracting all the flies so Egypt’s ruler could lounge in peace. It may have worked, but let’s be real—this job was the absolute worst. Sticky, swarmed, and probably questioning all their life choices, these poor souls took "royal service" to a whole new level.

Greek Proposal🍎
In ancient Greece, grand romantic gestures weren’t about rings or roses—they were about hurling fruit. If a man wanted to propose, he’d throw an apple at his beloved. If she caught it, that meant she accepted the proposal. This tradition stemmed from Greek mythology, where apples symbolized love and desire (thanks to Aphrodite, the goddess of love). But let’s be honest—a flying apple to the face might not always scream romance.

First Car Crash💥
In 1891, the world’s first recorded car accident happened in Ohio when engineer James Lambert drove his early gasoline-powered vehicle straight into a tree. With barely any cars on the road, you'd think avoiding obstacles would be easy—but Lambert’s vehicle hit a tree root, lost control, and crashed into a second tree. Both he and his passenger survived with minor injuries, but the moment went down in history as the first-ever fender bender.

Sumerian Fart Joke💨
Humor hasn’t changed much in 4,000 years—because the first recorded joke ever found was a fart joke. Dating back to 1900 BC, a Sumerian tablet contains this gem:
"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial: a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap."
Was it a commentary on marriage? A weird ancient meme? We’ll never know. But one thing’s clear—even ancient Sumerians claim women didn’t fart.

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. - Zach⛺️