The Bear River Massacre of 1863 is one of those dark chapters in history that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. On a freezing January 29, Colonel Patrick Connor and his California Volunteers launched a brutal attack on a Shoshone village along the Bear River in present-day Idaho. The Shoshone, led by Chief Bear Hunter, had been clashing with settlers over land and resources—because, surprise, people don’t like it when you take their homes and hunt their food. It’s said that the Shoshone medicine saw a vision of a great battle in which many of the tribe members would be killed. So, the tribe decided to move and make their way to a bend in Bear River. Little did they know, the U.S. Army was making their way to the same place, leading to the slaughter of between 250 and 500 Shoshone men, women, and children. The troops showed no mercy, and many victims were unarmed or trying to flee. The battle wasn’t much of a battle—it was a massacre.

The brutality didn’t stop with the killing. Survivors were tortured, women were assaulted, and soldiers looted whatever they could get their hands on. Colonel Connor, eager to make a name for himself, saw this as a career boost. And unfortunately, he was right. His “victory” led to a promotion, displaying just how little the government thought of the indigenous people. Meanwhile, the Shoshone who survived were left to pick up the pieces, and their land was quickly swallowed up by settlers who suddenly found the area “available.” If there’s one thing history teaches us, it’s that the term “free land” usually means someone else paid the price.

Despite being one of the deadliest massacres of Native Americans in U.S. history, the Bear River Massacre was largely ignored for over a century. While people remember events like Little Bighorn or the Wounded Knee Massacre, this tragedy faded into the background. Today, however, efforts to recognize and memorialize the massacre have grown, and the site is now a National Historic Landmark. The Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation continues to honor their ancestors and educate people about what happened. It’s a painful reminder that history isn’t just a collection of dates and names—it’s a long, messy, and often unjust story that still echoes today.

On January 29, 1886, Karl Benz officially changed the world—and probably annoyed a few horses—when he patented the first gasoline-powered automobile. Before Benz’s invention, people relied on carriages, bicycles, and their own two feet to get around. But Benz, a German engineer with a knack for problem-solving (and apparently a dislike for walking), created the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a three-wheeled contraption powered by an internal combustion engine. It wasn’t fast, it wasn’t flashy, and it definitely wasn’t quiet, but it was the first true automobile, and that’s what mattered.

Of course, inventing something and proving it works are two very different things. Benz, like many geniuses, struggled with marketing. His creation was met with skepticism—people weren’t exactly lining up to trade in their trusty horses for a noisy, smoke-producing machine that broke down constantly. That’s where his wife, Bertha Benz, stepped in and basically invented the first-ever road trip. Without telling Karl (because sometimes it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission), she took the car on a 66-mile journey to her mother’s house, stopping for fuel at the pharmacy, and fixing mechanical issues along the way. When people saw the car actually worked, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen finally started gaining attention.

This wild contraption paved the way for modern cars, though it took a while for people to get on board. Over time, Karl Benz’s company merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG) to become Mercedes-Benz, one of the most iconic car brands in history. Today, we take automobiles for granted, but back in 1886, they were seen as dangerous, unreliable, and a passing fad—kind of like how people reacted to the internet in the ‘90s. But thanks to Karl and Bertha Benz, the world shifted gears (literally), and we’ve never looked back—except, of course, when checking our rearview mirrors.

Space Treadmill👨‍🚀🏋️
In 2001, NASA sent a treadmill to the International Space Station, because even in zero gravity, astronauts don’t get a break from cardio. Later renamed the Combined Operational Load-Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, or COLBERT(named after Stephen Colbert…weird). It helps astronauts stay fit and not turn into floating noodles. Turns out, space may be the final frontier, but leg day is forever.

Bread Eraser🥖🖼️
Before fancy rubber erasers, artists and writers in the 1700s used stale bread to erase pencil marks—because apparently, carbs were good for more than just eating. A wadded-up piece of old bread could lift graphite off paper, making it the original multi-purpose snack. Just don’t mix up your eraser and your lunch

Spy Cat🐱🕵️‍♂️
During the Cold War, the CIA tried to turn a cat into a spy by implanting a microphone and antenna inside it. The Acoustic Kitty project cost millions—only for the cat to get hit by a taxi on its first mission. Now that’s a bad first day on the job.

Chaplin’s Look-a-Like🥸🎩
Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest—and lost. He competed in the competition anonymously and didn’t even make it to the finals, proving that sometimes, people are worse at recognizing faces than they think. Imagine being so iconic that you can't even impersonate yourself convincingly!

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⛺️