DayStrider: Tales from a Time Traveler

Dec 27th: "Stages" of Wonder

• Truman Pastworthy • Episode 20

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Did you know that the powerful forces of creativity and curiosity are what makes December 27th an amazing day?  Whether you dream of adventure, love solving life’s mysteries, or simply crave a little magic, December 27th is here to deliver!

  • In the early 1900’s Peter Pan and Neverland itself were magically created and took the world by a storm of pixie dust!
  • In the 1830’s, aboard a sailing ship in the uncharted waters of the Galapagos - a discovery was made that changed science forever.
  • In the 1930’s, the world’s largest indoor theater took shape and from there the legend soared higher than the Rockettes' eye-high kicks!

If it's a special day for you or for someone you care about, why not learn a little more about today by listening to some fun, engaging tales of the past.  You’ll find yourself a little smarter and have some great stories you can tell in those awkward silent moments at your neighbor’s New Year’s Eve party!  If you need some great gift ideas, we have those too (along with links to where you can find them on Amazon).

Gift ideas for folks who celebrate December 27th:



Text me your favorite time travel movie!!!


~~~ DayStrider Fun ~~~


Do you want to be mentioned here in the podcast? Or do you want me to do a shout-out for a loved one? All you need to do is send me an e-mail: daystriderstories@gmail.com


Better yet, you can record your own shout-out by leaving me a voice message using this SpeakPipe link


Do you have a story that you wish to share? Join me as a guest and let’s tell the world together! Once again, just send me an e-mail or find me here on Facebook: Truman Pastworthy


If you had as much fun listening as I did creating this episode, please click "follow" in your favorite podcast platform . . . oh . . . and even better - why not share it with a friend (or three)! I’m betting you know just the perfect person who would enjoy today’s stories!


If you feel adventurous, how 'bout writing a great review? :-)



Truman:

Welcome seeker. Did you know that the powerful forces of creativity and curiosity are what makes December 27th an amazing day? Whether you dream of adventure, love solving life's mysteries, or simply crave a little magic, December 27th is here to deliver. If you're ready to uncover the secrets of a day where imagination took flight and discovery changed the world, then come stride through history with me. Our journey kicks off in Neverland, where a sprinkle of pixie dust and Peter Pan's timeless adventures can help us uncover your true personality profile. And then, all aboard an 1830 sailing ship, we'll pass through the uncharted waters of the Galapagos, where tiny turtles sparked ideas that would change science forever. Then we're off to the Big Apple to uncover the glamour and secrets of Radio City Music Hall. A former tour guide, Joyce, will tell us all about its grand halls and a hidden passageway. We'll return you to your normal self with a bit more knowledge and some great stories to share with others. After striding through December 27th, you'll see how a single spark, whether of imagination, discovery, or showmanship, can brighten the future beyond what anyone thought possible. The portal's humming, history's calling, and our day striding adventure stories await. So let's get to it, my friend. Welcome, seekers, to the enchanting world of Daystrider, the podcast where we embark on a daily journey through history. I'm your travel guide, Truman Pastworthy, and together we'll explore some fascinating stories that happened on this exact day, but from some time in the past. From groundbreaking inventions to remarkable birthdays and extraordinary events to quirky national holidays, we've got it all. So kick back, relax, and open your mind for some lighthearted stories that'll leave you saying, huh, I never knew that happened on this day. Alrighty then, let's get to it. So forget everything you know about personality tests. This isn't about Myers-Briggs or disc people. No, no. This is about uncovering the hidden character inside of you, waiting to leap out and shine. And no, we're not reading the stars or palms either. No, we're actually going to summon the ever mischievous Peter Pan and his Neverland personality profiler. What? Yeah, go with me here. It's gonna be magical. All right, now close your eyes and think of the first Peter Pan character that pops into your head. Now don't overthink it. Just let your imagination drift to Neverland for a moment. All right, now here's where it gets interesting. Keep your eyes closed, unless you're driving, of course, and think of the Peter Pan character that feels the least like you. The one that makes you say, nah, that is so not me. All right, got those two characters. Now the one you thought of first, that's your true self. And the one you thought of second, that's the part of yourself that you're running from, desperately trying not to be. And together, they tell a story more complex and fascinating than any ordinary personality test ever could. Yeah, are you ready to meet that character hiding in your soul? Well, for this segment, I found some randos who would take this test for me. And we'll get to hear who they chose and how accurate the profiler turned out to be. Starting with Ray. Alright, so we're going to interview Uncle Ray. This is the Neverland personality profiler.

Noise:

Okay.

Truman:

So I'm going to just ask you to tell me the first character that comes to mind when you think of the movie Peter Pan. Okay. Captain Hook. Captain Hook. All right. And then which character in Peter Pan would you least want to be?

Noise:

The little boy that carries the teddy bear. I

Truman:

knew he'd come up with something creative. All right. So Captain Hook. So I'm going to put this into my Neverland Personality Profiler app. Okay. And it's going to tell you what your personality is like. So Captain Hook. Hold on. I'm going to put it in here. Captain Hook. And then do we know the little boy, one of the lost boys? I

Noise:

was talking about the little boy with Wendy.

Truman:

Oh, so one of Wendy's brothers. Yes. Okay.

Noise:

There's no, he carries a teddy bear. I don't know his name.

Truman:

Okay, so the personality profile says that you are someone who sees the world through a lens of strategic complexity. Does that sound like you? I

Noise:

think that's pretty spot on.

Truman:

And you're likely to be a planner, someone who thinks several moves ahead. And while you may appear tough on the outside like Hook, there's probably a deeper emotional intelligence.

Noise:

I think that is spot on.

Truman:

All right. And you reject the simplistic, carefree nature of childhood? Is that true, though?

Noise:

No, that seems a little bit off.

Truman:

Uh-huh. Okay. All right, so we've got to work on my app then, right?

Noise:

Just a little bit. It's pretty scary how close it was, though.

Truman:

Yeah, that's a good one. So, why Peter Pan, you ask? Well, he's not just a fun metaphor for our personality test. He made his grand debut on stage on this very day in 1904. The original play was called Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up. And yes, that was the full title. And it was so popular at the time in London and New York City that the creator J.M. Barrie decided to write a book about it as well, adapting from his play. And that was called Peter and Wendy. Now, You all know the gist of this story, right? Peter Pan, our ageless rebel, skips the whole growing up nonsense and lives in Neverland, a land of pirates and pixie dust and endless adventures. Well, he befriends Wendy and her two brothers and takes them on adventures with the Lost Boys and Tinkerbell. And eventually they face off against Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Arr! And they win the day. And then... Peter sadly returns Wendy and her brothers home because they want to grow up. But not Peter. He stays behind in Neverland to continue his eternal childhood. Now on the face of it, this is a great little story. And of course, the wonderful folks at Disney have fantasized the heck out of it and removed a lot of the darkness that was layered into J.M. Barrie's original work. Yeah. If you research the original Peter Pan plots, Peter Pan plots, there's a lot of stalking going on and coercion. And yeah, it has very eerie undertones. Some have even interpreted Neverland as a sort of purgatory. Yeah, but we all know I like to stick to the fun stuff. And so now let's get another Neverland personality profile reveal.

Joyce:

All right. So what are we doing here this morning?

Truman:

So you're going to be taking the Neverland personality profile.

Joyce:

Neverland?

Truman:

Oh, okay. Yeah. So all you need to do is let me know which Peter Pan character you think of first. I guess I think of Peter Pan. Peter Pan. Okay. Let me type that in here real quick. Okay. Into the My Profiler app. Peter Pan. This is crazy. Okay, Peter.

Noise:

Okay.

Truman:

Okay, and then you need to think of the character who you feel least represents you from the whole Peter Pan story.

Joyce:

Actually, what first comes to my mind is Tinkerbell.

Truman:

Tinkerbell? Okay.

Joyce:

Yeah.

Truman:

All right, I typed Tinkerbell into the app. Okay, so my app says Fascinating Combination. Your first character was Peter Pan, and so you're an eternal optimist with a rebellious streak. That's funny. Being drawn to Peter Pan first suggests you're spontaneous, which I'm not sure of, but an adventure-loving, and you're approached to life with childlike wonder and creativity, but in the best possible way. You're likely charming, imaginative, and ready for the next exciting journey. I think that describes you pretty well, don't you?

Joyce:

Half of me, I

Truman:

think.

Joyce:

Just half of me. But it's still early. I'm still working on a half a cup of coffee in my little Santa Claus mug, so

Truman:

okay. And then, your rejection of Tinkerbell is really interesting, the app says. While Tinkerbell represents someone who is dramatically emotional, intensely jealous, and prone to passionate outbursts, you likely pride yourself on being more balanced and level-headed. No, that is not me at all. All right. The combined interpretation says it suggests you're someone who loves adventure and new experiences, but approaches them with a surprisingly mature outlook. That's pretty good. That is pretty good, but how many people have taken this survey? Can you validate the findings is what I want to

Joyce:

know.

Truman:

Well, you see, I'm taking the results and then improving the app as we go. See how that

Joyce:

works. Oh, I see. Okay, I'm cool with that. I'll start my morning with, yeah, Tito Pan, Tinkerbell, whatever. Okay.

Truman:

All right. So I mentioned Disney's adaption of the original Peter Pan story. They actually did two, 70 years apart, which is only seven minutes in Neverland time. Yep, in 1953, they had the cartoon version of the story, which is probably the one most of us remember, right? But in 2023, they had real actors, Alexander Maloney and Ever Anderson, performing as Peter and Wendy. So those movies were actual reproductions and fanatizations of the original story. But there were other adaptions out there, like the movie Hook from 1991. That presented the story from a different angle. In that movie, Robin Williams plays the part of Peter Pan who grew up and his name became Peter Banning. And through a series of adventures to rescue his children from Captain Hook, he remembers his Peter Pan past. Yeah. And then, of course, there's the Johnny Depp movie called Finding Neverland, which is about the author himself, J.M. Barrie. And that movie aired in 2004. It focused more on the inspiration for Peter Pan. And then there was a dud movie called Pan. And this one attempted to be the prequel that starred Levi Miller as Peter Pan and Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard. What? Blackbeard. Yeah. Yeah. So Blackbeard was a pirate who was the reason that Peter Pan and Captain Hook came to know each other. Yeah. Who knew that Neverland had so many layers, right? Including our newfound personality profile. Let's get to another one. You ready, Rose? Hey. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I'm going to have you do the Neverland personality profile.

Noise:

Okay.

Truman:

Okay, you even know what Neverland is?

Joyce:

Yeah, of course I know where Neverland is. Where Alice went?

Truman:

Okay, so Neverland is where Peter Pan is from. Oh!

Joyce:

Yeah,

Truman:

but that's okay. All right, so part of this personality profile is you say the person, the character that first comes to your mind.

Joyce:

Okay. Captain Hook.

Truman:

Captain Hook. All right, so we're going to type that in. Captain Hook. Okay. And then now we're going to ask you, What character do you feel least represent you from Peter Pan? She's thinking. So you're going to go with Captain Hook again. Captain Hook. Okay. So my Neverland personality profiler app says, interesting. She thought of Hook first, but then is the character least like you? Usually we're looking for two different characters. No, we want to go with it. No, we want to go with it. Go with it, right?

Joyce:

Yeah, go with it. It's the first one I thought of, but it's at least like me.

Truman:

All right, so let's see. This

Joyce:

is fascinating, it said.

Truman:

Yes.

Joyce:

Wow, this is a lot

Truman:

of information. Yes, this is fascinating. We won't read it all, Rose. Thinking of Captain Hook first suggests that there's something about the character that deeply resonates or intrigues you. Is that true? Maybe. Maybe. Strategic thinking, emotional complexity, and someone driven by past experience. Yeah, you have emotional complexity, don't you? But saying Hook is least like you creates an interesting tension. Tension is good. So the combined interpretation, the unique combination, suggests you're someone who understands the complexities of human nature.

Joyce:

Facts.

Truman:

Uh-huh.

Joyce:

That's very true.

Truman:

And particularly how past hurts can shape us.

Joyce:

Wow, I knew that very well.

Truman:

And you might especially be self-aware about your own potential for

Joyce:

harboring

Truman:

riches.

Joyce:

I am.

Truman:

All right. I'm very self-aware. So it

Joyce:

works. That's crazy.

Truman:

Fantastic. Thank you, Rose, for your time.

Joyce:

Yes, of course. Wow, that's cool. No, but that was actually very specific to me, I feel

Truman:

like. All right. That's fun. Now I'm going to wrap us up with three fun facts. The first is that I actually traveled to Neverland myself. I'm just kidding. I'm kidding about that. And I made up the whole personality profile thing as well.

Noise:

Yeah.

Truman:

But actually, as I think about it, that might be a good business idea. Make a little phone app. Yeah. I could get one of these AI tools to help me and make the app and then put it out there in the world. Somebody would buy it, right? I could get rich, right? Probably not. All right. Actually, you know who is rich as a result of Peter Pan? Yeah. Fun fact number two. J.M. Barrie didn't have a family of his own, so he actually used his will to bequeath the copyrights of the play and the book and all things Peter Pan to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Now, as a condition to that wonderful act of his, the hospital was never allowed to reveal how much money it makes, but they are making a ton. And finally, fun fact number three, do you have any guesses how many Peter Pan statues there are in the world J.M. Barrie commissioned the first one in 1912, but there were at least six duplicates made of that statue all around the world. Yeah, seven Peter Pan statues worldwide. That's seven great reasons to dust off your passport, grab some pixie dust, and strike a pose with Peter himself. Of course, if you do that, your friends and family will brand you with the Peter Pan syndrome. which is actually a thing. Yeah, people who fear growing up are given this diagnosis. Yeah. All right, now before you head out on your statue selfie trip, ping me with your Peter Pan character that you picked first and the one that you were least trying to be, and I'll send you back your Neverland personality profile. And who knows? Maybe it'll inspire some great side trip adventures. Oh, and always remember, All the world is made of faith and trust and pixie dust. Roses are red and Peter Pan wears green. Writing a review would help us get seen. At a loss for the words, Tinkerbell would say, Pixie dust for your ears. This will brighten your day. Your curiosity is a superpower. Yes, you heard that right. You're great, great. Great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents had this superpower too. In fact, the curiosity and intelligence of your ancestors was borderline miraculous. Think about it. They survived saber tooth tigers and ice ages and treacherous lands and seas. Not only did the strongest people survive, but the people with the right mix of brain power survived. People like you. who observed events going on around them and thought, why are things the way they are? And they survived by saying, not today, cruel and dangerous world. And they had children who had children who had children and so on all the way up to you. And they passed along these genes, which makes you who you are. Well, December 27th is a day to celebrate our ancestors who watched, learned, and figured things out. A day to praise those in our family trees who asked questions, who explored and tried something different. Why December 27th, you ask? Well, let me tell you a story. Picture a young boy, fingers stained with dirt. but eyes sparkling with excitement as he carefully collects beetles and examines intricate details of insects that most people would simply swat away. Then, picture his father, a successful physician who had big plans for his son. The family had a long medical tradition, and becoming a doctor was a mark of social status. And our little natural historian needed to get cleaned up. and continue to improve the family's reputation. Well, as you can imagine, that probably wasn't going to work for our new friend. Let's call him Chucky for now. You see, Chucky was more interested in the tiny worlds crawling beneath rocks, the complex ecosystems hiding in plain sight. While other aspiring doctors his age were studying anatomy textbooks at the library, Chucky was out in the fields, collecting specimens, sketching insects, and wondering about the incredible diversity of life all around us. As you can imagine, his father claimed that this was all a waste of time. Well, this family conflict happened throughout all of Chucky's formative years, and you can probably guess that he was going to find a way to rebel and go out on his own and follow his true passions. And guess what? The perfect opportunity for him to do that came along with Captain Robert Fitzroy, who was himself a naval prodigy. Fitzroy was commissioned by the Royal Navy in the 1830s to sail around the world to make maritime charts and detailed maps of South America that would help make sailing safer and propel the English Navy to great heights. Now, Captain Rob was an intelligent soul and a naturalist. And he was seeking a scientific companion who could document the incredible biological diversity they were sure to encounter on their journey. And here's a secret for you. Captain Rob believed in a controversial scientific theory at the time. So he was seeking someone who would carefully observe and document the natural world as it was and not as people wanted it to be. And he hit the jackpot with Curious Chuckie. a young man who would approach their expedition with rigorous and academic discipline. Hmm, interesting. So on this day in history, they boarded the HMS Beagle and set sail. Now I'm curious, have I given you enough clues to have figured out who I'm talking about? Well, let's keep going. We'll join our friends later in their journey. Four years in to be exact, our explorers and cartographers came to the Galapagos Islands which are basically remote volcanic islands way out in the Pacific Ocean, about 600 miles west of South America, right on the equator. So it's quite a ways offshore, maybe five days sailing time. And you can imagine they have animals there that would be very different from the animals on mainland South America. In fact, today, the Galapagians, that's what you call them, they boast about their home islands that has 10 animals found only on their islands. Yeah. Anyway, while there, our naturalist Darwin, yes, you heard that right, Chucky is Charles Darwin, and he discovered something amazing about turtles. Yeah, the turtles on the different islands were very different from each other. Some of the islands were lush rainforests, while others were more rocky and had very little vegetation. I've been to Hawaii, and yes, the Pacific Islands can have very different ecosystems, even on the very same island. If you've been there, you can probably conjure up memories of this contrast. Now imagine in your mind the rainforest turtles with big thick dome looking shells and their heads pop out just a little ways due to their short necks and they grab a leaf to eat and these leaves are everywhere. Just like the predators that they would need to hide from in this abundant ecosystem. Okay, now imagine the starkness of the barren volcanic rock island where there are few leaves and almost no predators. And the turtles here are stretching out their long necks, trying to get a nibble of that leaf. And their shells are noticeably fatter and less thick and much lighter, enabling them to reach up higher to get their food. So as you picture our two reptile friends in your mind, your high school science training has easily conditioned you to realize that these turtles had adapted to their environment, right? You'd agree that long-necked turtles in a rough environment only survived if they could stretch out and get their food. And they passed their long-necked genes on to their descendants. Well, guess what? When Darwin was growing up, they didn't teach it this way. They taught that divinity was the reason for this diversity. God created the different animals because God knew that some turtles would need longer necks And others would need bigger, thicker shells, but could have shorter necks. And God knew all this stuff, and he planned it out intentionally for all animals. Now, like I said before, Captain Rob didn't buy into this concept, and neither did Darwin. And to be fair, lots of folks in the 1830s were challenging these divinity theories. But no one could prove it, at least not scientifically. And that brings us back to the HMS Beagle. Now imagine how these folks spent their time, out on the ocean, slowly sailing from place to place, with time to reflect and think and debate. Well, that's exactly what Darwin and Captain Fitzroy did, especially on the long sail back home to England. And actually, it wasn't until after Darwin arrived home that his theories and ideas became solidified in his mind. One day, he was sharing pictures of some birds he had drawn, and an aviary expert said, hey, those are all finches. And Darwin was like, no, no, they're different from each other, like those turtles were. But once he realized they were all finches, just different from each other, things started clicking into place. Now, you might already know that Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, was published in 1859. But did you realize that was almost 20 whole years after his trip around the world? What? Yeah, that would never happen today, right? People on this sailing venture would be out tweeting their life from the ship every day after every teeny discovery and making up their theories on the spot, changing their story the next day as something else unfolded. No, not back then. Darwin had been writing and assembling thousands of pages of notes and organizing his thoughts for two whole decades and debating all this evolution ideas with his colleagues and such. And finally, one day, a colleague motivated him to publish his theories. And so he did. And then the book was famous. And believe it or not, within the next 20 years, The entire world of science completely converted to the theory of evolution. Even the religious zealots had to concede that plants and animals had evolved over time from God's original creations. Which, of course, is exactly how God intended it in the first place, right? Yep. And so, my friends, we come back to where we started. That curiosity, that incredible world-changing superpower, that your ancestors carried, it's the same curiosity that drove a young man named Charles Darwin to look closer and wonder why, to challenge the accepted wisdom of his time. So the next time you're wondering why or how, remember, you're not just asking a question. You're carrying on a legacy that changed the world. Your curiosity is your superpower. So use it boldly, my friend. A time traveler's delight, we evolve as we go. The stories improve as I learn and grow. If these tales of wonder make you smile a bit, please share with your friends and let their minds get lit. Have you ever wondered what it's like to know every single secret of one of America's most iconic theaters? Well, today we're sneaking behind the curtain, literally, at Radio City Music Hall. where even the tour guides need to memorize a 23-page script just to scratch the surface of this architectural wonder. How do I know all that? Well, my new friend Joyce Hancock is joining me today to share her experiences as a tour guide for this famous building. And we did the math, people. She's done over 17,000 tours over a span of 18 years there. Wow. And you can tell she loved every one of them. What's the most interesting thing about that script that you discovered when you were learning through it all? You

Joyce:

know

Truman:

what? All of it. All of it. Because

Joyce:

I knew none of it.

Truman:

Okay.

Joyce:

I think the only thing I knew is that the Rockefellers built Radio City. You know, were the original owners. Right.

Truman:

The Rockefellers, right.

Joyce:

And I knew about the Rockettes, but I just didn't know. So here's this beautiful building that I'd been going into. you know, as a child and then as an adult, you know, for concerts. Right. And just had no knowledge of the history and sort of, I just sort of took the building for granted. Yeah. But I will tell you from the day one of doing my very first tour, I was in love with that building.

Truman:

Why is that?

Joyce:

I just, I paid attention. You know, I was really present to my surroundings.

Noise:

Yeah.

Joyce:

So when you're in the lobby, the lobby is a small area with ticket booths, larger than most lobbies. I mean, it's much larger than any of the Broadway theater lobbies. And then you go from the lobby into a 60-foot grand foyer, and it is just magnificent. Yeah. It is. It's just awesome.

Truman:

Oh,

Joyce:

inspiring. So each step of the tour is... is a lovely surprise.

Truman:

So Joyce mentioned that the building was built by the Rockefellers. And that name is probably familiar to you when it comes to New York City, right? Yeah. The Rockefeller Center is where the annual Christmas tree can be seen and where you can go ice skating. And the Radio City Music Hall Theater is right there in that complex. And the building opened on this day in 1932. Now at that time, it was the largest indoor theater in the world. And guess what? It still claims to be the largest indoor theater today, even 90 years later. Yes, it's true, someone did build a theater with a few more seats, but the theater itself still remains the largest. And when the building opened, it featured the now famous Rockettes. And Joyce shared with us some interesting facts about these dancing Rockettes.

Joyce:

Everybody thinks that the Rockettes started in New York, and they actually started as Russell Markert's Rockettes, not Rockettes. And then a gentleman, his nickname is Roxy, who was, I guess, the owner of the Roxy Theater, was brought over by the Rockefellers. to help with Radio City. And he changed the name. He feminized it to Rockettes. Okay. Yeah, so a lot of people don't know that. I did not know that, and that was a surprising thing to learn.

Noise:

Huh.

Truman:

And the Rockettes started back in 1932, the same as the building? 1927. Oh, so they were five years before.

Joyce:

Isn't that something? In St. Louis, Missouri.

Truman:

Oh, in St. Louis. How about that?

Noise:

Yes.

Joyce:

Actually, you know what? The Rockettes actually, I'm sorry, started in 1925 as the Missouri Rockets.

Truman:

The Missouri Rockets. How about that?

Joyce:

Yeah, they came to New York to the Roxy Theater in 1927. And then Roxy, when the Rockefellers asked to help with Radio City, he brought them to Radio City.

Truman:

Now, like I said in the clip, how about that? I haven't seen the Rockettes perform myself, but I have heard from others that they are quite impressive. In our interview, Joyce talked more about the performers, and you can hear all about that in the bonus episode. But I thought this one little story was a neat one to share.

Joyce:

One of the Rockettes took pictures with a little girl. This young lady, I don't know, I'm thinking maybe she was 10 years old. And before I left, that young girl became a Rockette. What? And showed us tour guides pictures of herself With a Rockette when she was a young girl.

Truman:

Oh, I see what

Joyce:

you're saying.

Truman:

You're saying you had given a tour. And again, it was a young

Joyce:

girl that was on the tour that took a picture with the Rockette.

Truman:

And then later. He

Joyce:

came a Rockette later. And for Christmas, she gave us all pictures of herself as a little girl with the Rockette. She took a photo of on tour. So that was a really lovely thing.

Truman:

Yeah, that's a cool story, right? In our talk, Joyce also mentioned some of the things that make the theater so compelling, like the moving stages and the curtains. Here's some of those sound bites.

Joyce:

If you're going to see a show, I would recommend the Christmas Spectacular because it makes use of all the special effects. Our stage is comprised of three elevators and a turntable. And there's a point in the Christmas show where each elevator is at a different level. And then it comes together and the turntable turns. So that's really amazing.

Truman:

It sounds amazing. And I was also researching about the curtain and how many different shapes it can make.

Joyce:

It is. It has 13 pulleys that enable it to create a medley of different patterns. And the curtain was the star on opening night of Radio City on December 27, 1932. It was

Truman:

the star?

Joyce:

It was the star. Roxy had the curtain. We say the curtain was dancing before it opened to its first act.

Truman:

And yes, I've even seen videos about just the curtain and how it's iconic in its own right. It's pretty cool. So it sounds like this building is definitely worth your time to take a visit. And Joyce says it's worth it to take a tour even if the building is empty and has no performances that day. She says that it's an awe-inspiring experience. Now the most interesting thing I learned from my talk with Joyce was more about how the building impacted people rather than its features and what it looks like and its history. She really had a neat story about how she had to give a tour to a comedian that she wasn't all that fond of because she didn't like his content and his delivery style. Now, the whole story is too long to play in this segment, but I definitely wanted you to hear how a building can humble a star and in turn inspire how that can change someone else's impression. Check this out.

Joyce:

And I watch him walk outside the building and look at the front of the building. And then he comes back in and I can tell that he's in awe. He's like standing in the foyer and he's looking up and I have my uniform on. So he asked me a question and I answered the question. And then I look at him and I go, would you like to take a tour, sir? And he said, I would. He was so humble and just so genuine that after the tour, I went in the locker room and I actually cried. And I cried because I had been so judgmental. And even though, of course, I was a full grown adult already. It was such a great lesson about how we judge people and maybe their Hollywood persona, you know, or their star persona. And we don't know people. And I've loved him ever since. I just fell in love with him.

Truman:

Yes, I bet. Yeah. It's a great transformational story. Awesome.

Joyce:

Yeah. He was amazing. He was so sweet. And he kept saying to me that he was in awe that he was going to even perform there. Like he didn't take it for granted.

Truman:

Right. Pretty neat. Mic drop moment right there. Okay. So if you enjoyed listening to these sound bites, then you'll love the entire bonus episode where Joyce and I spend about 50 minutes together laughing and sharing stories. You'll get to hear more about what she's up to these days as well because she's retired from giving tours and is now out on her own making content. So we'll wrap up with this thought. You know it's pretty special when a building can humble a famous comedian and change a skeptic's heart all in one tour. Whether you've seen a show there or just learned about it today, Radio City Music Hall proves that some places really do have magic between their walls. I'm definitely booking a tour the next time I'm in New York, although I might skip memorizing those 23 pages. What a ride through time today, folks. Three great stories that show us how imagination, curiosity, and creativity shape our world every single day. It's easy to see how December 27th is all about visionaries who dare to dream big. Whether you're buzzing from the timeless magic of Peter Pan, or in awe of Darwin's ability to witness the truth about evolution all around us, or basking in the glitz and glamour of the amazing Radio City Music Hall, why not share these stories with someone who loves a little wonder? And guess what? If you enjoyed today's stories, there's so much more waiting for you. For a dose of whimsical adventure, you can discover some out-of-this-world lovable characters featured on May 21st and June 11th. If Darwin's journey of discovery inspired you, then October 21st will light up your imagination with Thomas Edison's light bulb. And stay tuned for May 14th when we hear about the Lewis and Clark expedition headed west. Also, there are other iconic locations that await your exploration. You could get locked up in Alcatraz on June 11th, or get lost in a lazy tour of the Guggenheim Museum on October 21st. Oh, and if you enjoy hearing from guests and their favorite subjects, there are half a dozen bonus episode options for you. And they're easy to find. You just scroll through the feed and look for the words bonus episode. Yep, every day has a story, and they're so much fun. And we're going to stride through them all until we're done. Now, after you share these special stories, you can also mention the following famous folks who celebrate their birthdays today. Eva LaRue toasts up another year in the books. She's an actress with a variety of roles, including the soap opera All My Children and the crime show CSI Miami. She also had some real-life fame after being stalked for 12 years by some creepy person who's actually now in prison for his deeds. Wow. John Amos, who sadly recently passed away, He celebrated life on December 27th each year. He's also an actor, and you may remember him from Good Times, oh yeah, or from Roots. He was also on the District TV show, and he made guest appearances on The West Wing, but my favorite was his role as Cleo McDowell in Coming to America. Do you remember the Golden Arcs and the Big Mick? Emily D. Revin, another actress, she blows out the candles today. She's had lots of roles, including Claire on the television show Lost, which has recently made a comeback on Netflix, if you want to check that out. And she was an alien-human hybrid on the show Roswell. And like I said, she's done other shows as well. Some famous birthdays from all of history include Johannes Kepler from 1571 and Louis Pasteur from 1822. Obviously, Pasteur's last name is the base word for pasteurization, which is how they make milk and other beverages safe to drink, and which we'll hear more about on April 20th. And then Kepler, he was the guy who proved that planets orbit the sun in elliptical patterns. All right, now normally when I throw up the 50th most famous person born today, according to famousbirthdays.com, you get to learn about someone you've probably never heard of. Well, today's celebrity some of you have heard of, Ryan Fong. He's a dancer and an actor. He plays Tam on Young Sheldon, and maybe you've seen him light it up on the stage on Dancing with the Stars as a special guest. Yeah, he's got energy, and he's motivated to keep challenging himself. So who knows what's next for young Ryan? And when I looked at Wikipedia's centenarians list, I found that Ilse Wolfram turns 102 today in 2024. She was a pediatric surgeon who focused on kidneys for most of her career. And then she retired from that about 40 years ago. Yes, that's right. She's been retired for 40 years. When she was working, she had lectured in Sweden and London, but now she resides in Rindland, Hulatanat. Hopefully I said that right. It's a town in Germany, Western Germany, near France. All right. December 27th is also National Fruitcake Day. Saying that actually makes my face squinch up with disgust. If you couldn't tell, I don't like fruitcakes. But there are folks who love this special treat. I'm not sure why Fruitcake Day is celebrated after Christmas. Maybe it's because people want to re-gift their fruitcakes that they got on Christmas to someone else. But the re-gifting wasn't my idea. Johnny Carson, the late night talk show host, actually came up with that when he said, the worst gift of all is the fruitcake. And there's only one fruitcake in the entire world and people keep sending it to each other. Re-gifting. Yep. Today is also Make Cutout Snowflakes Day. Yeah, you heard that right. Fold up some paper and cut out some pieces to make unique snowflake designs. That's today. So go grab yourself some paper, cut some circles out of it, fold it in half, then into thirds, and away you go. It's actually a great team building event. I first heard of this special day several years ago when a friend and co-worker of mine, Adam, brought the idea to our office. And we had a lot of fun with it, actually. I like Snowflake Day. Today is also Visit the Zoo Day, which was clearly invented by someone in a southern state. Because who in a northern state would want to venture out on December 27th to visit the zoo? But I looked it up. The Baltimore Zoo is actually open on this day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the National Zoo in D.C. is also open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. So you can go to the zoo on this special day, but I would probably rather be staying warm indoors, cutting snowflakes, and telling funny jokes about fruitcakes. Snowflakes and fruitcakes, I'm a poet, and I didn't know it. All right, if you need a great gift idea for your loved one, In addition to retelling the stories you just learned about this day in history, you can have them open up a gift that is customized to their birthday. And I have several great ideas for you, and you can find links to all of these in the gift idea section of the show notes. Now often, I mention you can get a unique gift for the person who has everything. Well, today is no exception. Your loved one can head to Neverland, There are books and other decor about Neverland and Peter Pan. There's even a neat Lego set featuring Peter Pan. But I think the Tinkerbell options are the coolest. You should check those out. Obviously, there are great Darwin-related gifts, including his actual book that he wrote. But there are dozens of other book options, books about him and his life and the sailing trip around the world that he took, and even books out there seeking to debunk Darwin's theories. Yeah. And I was surprised to learn that there are board games about evolution. So that's pretty cool, too. There's also lots of fun stuff celebrating the Radio City Music Hall. Coffee table books and decor featuring the building itself. And, of course, there's also items featuring the Rockettes. Gotta check those out. And then, for the famous folks that were born today, they all have some great gift ideas. Mostly movies and posters. And similarly, today's special holidays have unique gift ideas. Yes, of course, you can buy some fruitcake online. Don't get any from me. There are lots of cool snowflake designs and snowflake artwork items that are available. And if you're up for it, you can get tickets to actually go visit the local zoo and celebrate today. And if you don't feel like going in person, you can get some zoo picture books and do a virtual visit. Or there's even board games like Zookeeper and Safari that could also work. Yeah, how about that? The person who has everything probably does not have some of the stuff I just told you about. Yep, so like I said, lots of customized gifts for folks who celebrate December 27th. But if you really want to up your gift-giving game, you have the chance to make someone's birthday special and make it forever. You could dedicate a personalized shout out right here on the podcast. Yeah, I'll do it for you if you send me an email and tell me something fun you want to share. Or you can even do your own shout out by using the SpeakPipe link that's available in the show notes. Today's special someone has a fantastic shout out, but it's short and sweet, so listen quick.

Joyce:

Hey, hippie. Hope you get to climb a tree on your birthday. Or climb something else. Happy birthday.

Truman:

Now, that's a great shout out, ladies. Well played. Now, as I mentioned, you can find the link to do that in the show notes. As always, if you have a story that just needs to be shared about any day in the past, send me an email and let's connect. All right, so as we wrap up, this episode happens to be my last one recorded in the 2024 calendar year, and it was a great year. We had over 1,500 downloads this year, which is pretty awesome. Joe Rogan, you better start biting your nails, buddy. We had seven bonus episodes with some great guests, and we covered a lot of ground in our regular episodes. all the way back from Romulus beating his brother to found ancient Rome, all the way up to recent times when Bolt and Phelps were beating everyone they faced and bringing home gold at the Olympics. Along the way, we got to bebop to some great one-hit wonders and parade through the streets celebrating fun holidays. We heard some fun stories about inventions and discoveries and important organizations and even a scandal or two sprinkled in and around. All that fun. Yep, it's been a great year for this podcast, but it's also been a great year for podcasting, which is more popular than ever. Just under half of all U.S. adults listen to a podcast at least once a month. And guess what? You're in that count. Thanks so much for being there. Now, back when we started, the goal was to get this show to the top 1% of all podcasts ever. And we accomplished that mission thanks to you. In 2025, we're going to up our game and we're going to aim to get to the top half of all active podcasts ever. So that 1% number, that's for all podcasts ever recorded, including all the shows that are dead and buried. But right now, we are about one-third of our way to getting into that top half of the active podcast. So we have some work to do, people. Alrighty, well, let's get to it. That's right, let's get to it. Thanks for listening.