Once upon a time, our solar system had an unassuming little underdog—Pluto. It was 1930 when a 24-year-old Kansas farm boy turned astronomer, Clyde Tombaugh, spotted a faint moving speck among the stars at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. He had been painstakingly comparing photographic plates, hunting for the elusive "Planet X" that Percival Lowell had predicted years earlier. And just like that, Pluto was born—or at least discovered, since it had been chilling at the edge of our solar system long before humans had telescopes.

The world was thrilled to welcome a ninth planet, and Pluto was named after the Roman god of the underworld, a fitting title for a lonely rock on the fringes of the solar system. The name was even suggested by an 11-year-old British schoolgirl, proving once again that kids have more influence over space than most politicians. For decades, Pluto enjoyed full planetary status, even making it into school textbooks and science museums worldwide.

Then came 2006, when a group of scientists at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided that Pluto didn’t make the planetary cut anymore. They redefined what it meant to be a planet, and suddenly Pluto found itself demoted to "dwarf planet" status. The backlash was immediate. Pluto fans worldwide protested, and debates raged about whether the decision was justified or just an academic flex. Some still refuse to accept Pluto’s planetary exile, proving that once humanity forms an emotional attachment, it’s hard to let go.

Even in its downgraded status, Pluto remains a celestial rockstar. In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft gave us our first close-up images of this icy world, revealing a heart-shaped glacier that seemed to wear its sentimental planetary rejection with pride. Pluto might not officially be a planet anymore, but in the hearts of many, it still reigns as the scrappy, misunderstood hero of the solar system.

In February of 2010, the world of journalism, politics, and national security collided in a spectacular digital explosion when WikiLeaks published the first of classified U.S. military documents leaked by Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning called "Reykjavik13". This leak detailed discussions between American diplomats and Icelandic government officials, but it wasn’t until July when things really took off. WikiLeaks later published a cache, known as the "Iraq War Logs" and "Afghan War Diary," revealing startling details about civilian casualties, military operations, and diplomatic communications that the U.S. government hadn’t exactly advertised.

The release was hailed by some as a triumph for transparency, exposing the true cost of war and government secrecy. Others saw it as reckless endangerment, arguing that leaking sensitive documents put lives at risk and compromised national security. The revelations sparked furious debates about the ethics of whistleblowing and the fine line between public interest and classified intelligence.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange became an instant global lightning rod, hailed by supporters as a champion of free speech and pursued by governments who saw him as a security threat. Meanwhile, Manning was arrested, tried, and sentenced to 35 years in prison, though President Obama later commuted her sentence in 2017. The case turned Manning into a polarizing figure—some viewed her as a hero for exposing uncomfortable truths, while others saw her as a traitor who betrayed her country.

Even over a decade later, the fallout from the Manning leaks continues to shape discussions on press freedom, government transparency, and digital security. WikiLeaks has since released more controversial data, and the debate over whether whistleblowers are saviors or saboteurs remains as prevalent as ever. In an age where classified information can be a click away, the Manning-WikiLeaks saga reminds us that the truth is never simple—and neither are its consequences.

8mph Speed Limit🚗
In 1901, Connecticut became the first U.S. state to introduce an official speed limit—and let’s just say, no one was burning rubber. Drivers were legally restricted to 12 mph in the countryside and a blazing-fast 8 mph in cities. Given that early cars were barely faster than a horse-drawn carriage, it’s safe to assume there weren’t many high-speed chases.

Burn It Down🔥
For some Native American tribes, a home where someone had died wasn’t just a sad place—it was spiritually contaminated. Instead of keeping it, they would burn it to the ground to prevent lingering spirits from causing misfortune. This practice was especially common among groups like the Apache and Navajo, who believed that a death inside a home made it dangerous to the living. Some tribes would even abandon entire villages if multiple people died there, treating the land itself as cursed.

19th Century Surgery👨‍⚕️
Back in the 1800s, surgeons operated in their street clothes, often wearing bloody aprons like a badge of honor. Even worse? They performed surgeries bare-handed, with zero concept of germs or sterilization. The idea of washing hands between patients wasn’t widely accepted until Ignaz Semmelweis, a doctor who suggested it in the 1840s, was literally mocked for the idea. Instead, many surgeons just wiped their scalpels on their coats and kept going. It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that gloves, scrubs, and sterilization became standard.

The Mozart Effect🎶
In the 1950s, some scientists and parents became convinced that playing classical music to unborn babies would make them smarter. The idea was that exposing fetuses to Mozart, Beethoven, or Bach in the womb could somehow boost brain development—long before they even learned to cry. This theory later evolved into the “Mozart Effect” in the 1990s, when people believed classical music could increase IQ, creativity, and even spatial reasoning. Spoiler: there’s no real proof that it works.

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⛺️