The Mysteries of History (January 19 Edition)
Terror from the Skies and Simultaneous Births by Lucille Ball and Lucy Ricardo
1915 — First Aerial Attack of England (World War 1)
two public domain images from wikimedia commons
On this day in 1915, shortly after the beginning of “The Great War” (later renamed World War 1), two villages in eastern England were attacked by Germany. This first air raid was not perpetrated using winged aircraft, though — it was two Zeppelins (also known as dirigibles and blimps), a much larger and slower type of craft, that wreaked death and destruction on the inhabitants of Britain. Later in the war, airplanes (or aeroplanes, as the British called them) were the instruments of warfare used most often to drop bombs.
Questions: What were the names of the villages in England that were bombed on January 19, 1915? How many died as a result of the bombing? When was the Zeppelin invented, and by whom? Why did Zeppelins eventually get phased out for use in warfare? When that type of craft are used for commercial purposes in our time, what are they usually called (hint: not "Zeppelins")? What British rock band took its name from this type of airship?1953 — Lucy Gives Birth Twice on the Same Day
public domain photo of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in 1952 from wikimedia commons
January 19, 1953 was the day that actress Lucille Ball and a character she portrayed on television, Lucy Ricardo, gave birth simultaneously. Desi Arnaz, Jr. was born in real life, and “Little Ricky” Ricardo was born on the “I Love Lucy” show. It was the most-watched television episode (at the time, anyway), with over two-thirds of American households tuning in. Serendipitously, the fictional baby (“Little Ricky”) and the real baby (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) were both boys. Nobody knew what sex the real baby would be until it was delivered, as there was no ultrasound imaging available at the time.
Questions: How old was Lucille Ball at the time? How old was Desi Arnaz (Sr., of course)? How many other children did they have? 
