Father Miguel Hidalgo rang the church bells in the small town of Dolores, Mexico, calling his parishioners to gather before dawn. The 57-year-old priest had been secretly planning a rebellion against Spanish colonial rule for months. Along with other conspirators, Hidalgo had grown frustrated with Spain's oppressive policies and heavy taxation of Mexican citizens. The timing was perfect, because Spain was distracted by Napoleon's invasion of their homeland.

Hidalgo delivered his famous "Grito de Dolores" (Cry of Dolores) to the assembled crowd, though the exact words remain disputed by historians. He likely called for the end of Spanish rule, the return of land to indigenous people, and death to the Spanish oppressors. The passionate speech ignited the crowd, and hundreds of people immediately joined his cause. This moment marked the beginning of Mexico's eleven-year struggle for independence.

The rebellion spread rapidly across central Mexico as Hidalgo's growing army marched from town to town. Indigenous people, mestizos, and creoles joined the movement, swelling the rebel forces to over 80,000 within weeks. The insurgents captured several important cities, including Guanajuato, where they overwhelmed Spanish defenses. However, the untrained rebel army lacked military discipline and proper weapons to sustain their early victories.

Although Hidalgo was captured and executed in 1811, his call for independence had started an unstoppable movement. Other leaders like José María Morelos continued the fight, and Mexico finally achieved independence in 1821. September 16th became Mexico's most important national holiday, celebrated annually with festivities across the country. Hidalgo's courage in that small church plaza had changed the course of Mexican history forever.

Twenty-four-year-old actress Peg Entwistle climbed the steep hills above Hollywood on a foggy evening, carrying only her purse and a folded coat. The British-born performer had moved to Los Angeles hoping to find success in the emerging film industry. She had appeared in just one movie, "Thirteen Women," which received poor reviews and limited distribution. Her stage career in New York had shown more promise, but Hollywood seemed to offer only disappointment.

Entwistle scaled the construction fence around the famous Hollywood sign and climbed 50 feet up the letter "H." The massive white letters had been erected in 1923 as an advertisement for a real estate development called "Hollywoodland." Each letter stood 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide, becoming a symbol of Hollywood dreams and movie industry glamour.

A hiker discovered Entwistle's body the following morning, along with a suicide note in her purse. The note read: "I am afraid, I am a coward. I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain." Her death shocked the entertainment community and highlighted the pressures faced by struggling actors in Hollywood's competitive environment.

Entwistle became the first person to die by suicide at the Hollywood sign, though others would follow over the decades. Ironically, a letter offering her a role in a Beverly Hills Playhouse production arrived at her home the day after her death. Her tragic story became part of Hollywood folklore, representing the dark side of the dream factory that promised fame but often delivered heartbreak to hopeful performers.

Ancient MMA🥊
The Olympic Games originally lasted five days and included events like chariot racing and pankration. Pankration was essentially no-holds-barred fighting where only eye-gouging and biting were forbidden - competitors could punch, kick, wrestle, and choke each other until someone submitted or died.

Writing Origins✍️
Mesopotamians invented writing around 3200 BCE to keep track of grain supplies and trade transactions. The world's first writing system wasn't created for poetry or laws, but for the mundane necessity of recording who owed what grain to whom - bureaucracy literally invented literacy.

Native Mississippian🌲
The Mississippian culture built Cahokia, a city near present-day St. Louis with 20,000 residents around 1100 CE. This massive Native American city was larger than London at the time and featured enormous earthen mounds, sophisticated urban planning, and a complex society - yet most Americans have never heard of this ancient metropolis sitting in their own backyard.

Medieval Takeout🥡
Medieval Chinese restaurants had menus, take-out food, and even food delivery services. During the Song Dynasty, Chinese cities had restaurants with printed menus, workers who delivered hot meals to customers' homes, and specialized food vendors - essentially creating the entire modern restaurant industry 1,000 years ago.

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.