On November 24th, 1963, the world watched live on television as Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy. The moment unfolded in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters, shocking millions who had tuned in expecting a routine prisoner transfer. Instead, they witnessed an event that deepened the confusion and fear already gripping the nation.

Ruby, a local nightclub owner, stepped forward from the crowd of reporters and officers and fired a single .38-caliber bullet into Oswald’s abdomen. Many Americans questioned how Ruby had gained such close access to the most high-profile prisoner in the country. Ruby later claimed he acted out of anger and grief over Kennedy’s death, saying he wanted to spare Jackie Kennedy the pain of enduring a trial.

In the aftermath, conspiracy theories exploded, fueled by Ruby’s ties to the Dallas nightlife scene and rumors of organized-crime connections. Many wondered whether Oswald had been silenced before he could reveal more about the assassination. Even the Warren Commission later struggled to fully calm public suspicion.

Ruby was convicted of murder in 1964, though he insisted he had acted alone. Before a retrial could be held, he died of cancer in 1967. His sudden action on November 24th became one of the most unforgettable and unsettling moments in American history.

On November 24th, 1974, paleoanthropologists in Ethiopia uncovered one of the most important fossils ever found: “Lucy,” a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton. The discovery took place in the Afar region during an international scientific expedition led by Donald Johanson. After spotting a small piece of arm bone, the team uncovered more than 40 percent of a hominid skeleton—an astonishingly complete find for such an ancient species.

Lucy stood only about 3.5 feet tall, but her bones revealed a groundbreaking truth: she walked upright. This pushed scientists to rethink the timeline of human evolution, showing that bipedalism developed long before the expansion of brain size. Her pelvis, leg bones, and spine all pointed clearly to a creature that moved confidently on two feet.

Her name came from the Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” which was playing repeatedly in camp that night. The lighthearted name contrasted with the enormous scientific weight of the discovery, which quickly became a major focus of global research and debate.

Lucy’s fossil remains helped cement the idea that early human ancestors were far more diverse and widespread than once believed. Even decades later, Lucy continues to shape scientific understanding of what it means to be human.

Aztec Feather Art🪶
Aztec artisans crafted mosaics from hummingbird and quetzal feathers so fine they shimmered like metal. Each artwork used thousands of feathers arranged with obsidian glue. Spanish collectors prized them above gold; only a handful survive today, still glowing with otherworldly color after five centuries.

Roman Tombs🪦
Some Roman tomb inscriptions ended with curses like: “Whoever violates this grave, may his body melt like wax.” People feared grave robbers and divine punishment equally. Many tombs had traps or false floors to protect treasures—turning cemeteries into ancient cat-and-mouse vaults.

Epic of Gilgamesh📜
King Ashurbanipal’s library in Nineveh stored over 30,000 clay tablets covering science, myths, and medicine. When his palace burned, the fire baked the tablets, accidentally preserving them. It’s thanks to this disaster that we still read The Epic of Gilgamesh today.

Carp Flag🎏
Every May 5th, Japanese families fly colorful carp streamers called koinobori to celebrate children’s strength. The fish symbolize perseverance, swimming upstream through hardship. The tradition stems from a Chinese myth of a carp transforming into a dragon—turning an act of parenting pride into spiritual poetry.

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.