DayStrider: Tales from a Time Traveler

Mar 3rd: Stubborn Spirit = Sweet Success

• Truman Pastworthy • Episode 23

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Stubbornness has a funny way of changing history!  Our world would look - and taste -  a lot different without the sweet successes of March 3rd.  Get ready for a triple dose of determination as today’s heroes turn 'no way' into 'my way' as they reveal how failure, family feuds, and frostbite became unexpected pathways to sweet success!

  • The Iditarod dog sled race is a showcase of determined mushers and their four-legged athletes.  Current musher Bailey Vitello shares why losing 45 pounds during his rookie run is just part of the adventure.
  • Then we'll unwrap the deliciously bitter origin story of M&M's, where Forrest Mars turned family exile into sweet revenge. 
  • Finally, we’ll raise our copper mugs to the beautiful collision of three epic failures that created cocktail history.

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 while standing in the ever longer self-serve check-out lines at the grocery store.  If you need some great gift ideas, we have those too (along with links to where you can find them on Amazon).

Important links from today’s stories (these links worked in early-2025 - not sure how long the links will be available):

The rest is under construction!



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? :-)



Bailey:

Welcome, seeker. Did you know that America's favorite sweet chocolate candy was born from a bitter family feud? And would you believe that dog sled mushers once saved an entire town from extinction? Yeah. Today, we're striding through time to hear tales of sweet revenge, frozen adventure, and hear how a copper mug gave the cocktail industry a powerful kick. This isn't just any day in history. It's March 3rd, and these origin stories are about to melt your mind. Our journey begins in the frozen wilderness of Alaska, where a thousand-mile race was born to preserve a dying tradition. Then we'll unwrap the colorful tale of how a family rivalry created a candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hands. Finally, we'll raise our copper mugs and say cheers to three entrepreneurs who turned their inventory nightmares into cocktail gold. The portal's humming, history's secrets are waiting, and our day-striding adventure begins now. Grab your curiosity and let's mush into the past.

Maroon 5:

Music

Bailey:

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. The road to gnome is paved with frozen sweat, dog booties, and occasionally musical hallucinations from sleep-deprived mushers. Wait a second, did you say gnome? With an N? Yeah, Nome, Alaska, where gold rush fever once raged and now, every March, exhausted humans and their four-legged athletes collapse across the finish line after a thousand miles of frozen insanity. Yeah, Nome, Alaska, claims to be the home of the Mardi Gras of the North. Yeah, and the party starts right there at the finish line of the Iditarod dog sled race. Have you ever heard of it? You probably have and didn't know it was still a thing. Yeah, it's still going on, folks. It's a thousand-mile trek through snow, ice, and insanely cold temperatures from Anchorage, Alaska, all the way to Nome. And the shortest it's ever been finished is eight days, and the average is about two weeks. Crazy, right? Believe it or not, on this day in 1973, the Iditarod's very first episode took 20 days to finish. And pretty much back then, it was just an Alaskan thing. Yeah, they cobbled together a prize purse that wouldn't even cover one of today's dog food bills. And there were no sponsors, no live tracking, just 34 mushers vanishing into the wilderness for those three weeks. Compare that to today. We have GPS track mushers who are now mini celebrities with fans obsessively refreshing their screens at 5 a.m. to see if their favorite team navigated Eagle Summit without disaster. Well, that's what I do anyway. But back in the 70s and 80s, this race wasn't very popular. It finally went viral when Susan Butcher had the first Iditarod 3P. That's pretty cool, right? Susan Butcher. Yes, she's a very famous winner. She's just an unbelievable musher. And I mean, some of her dogs are so beautiful. One of my first dogs ever when I was a kid was from her. America celebrated her and her lead dogs, Granite and Maddie, as the entire sport of dog mushing finally became popular. Now that soundbite you heard a second ago was Bailey Vitello. And he's actually one of the mushers in this year's Iditarod. Yeah, it's his third year mushing in the competition. And who better to describe such an incredible but insane journey? I lost 45 pounds my first race. And that was 11 days. I shed 45 pounds and I was hurting. I also only slept, I believe, like eight hours. For 11 days, so that was pretty bad. I didn't take care of myself because I was so obsessed with it. That's crazy stuff, right? By the way, if you want to catch the full interview I had, you can find it in the feeds. Just look for bonus episode, Bailey Vitello and Iditarod Dreams. You'll hear some fun stories and learn about several of the dogs on his mushing team. Okay, Truman, so what's the deal? Why would anyone create a dog sled race that takes weeks to finish? Two words. Snowmobile invasion. Yeah, when these mechanical beasts roared into Alaska in the 60s. Centuries of mushing tradition faced extinction. Faster than you could say heated handlebars. Yeah, Gnome used to be the ultimate dog-powered destination. But now, it's just a gas tank away. Seriously, for literally hundreds of years, the only way to get around most of Alaska between the months of Halloween and Easter was the dog sled. Think about it. There was the gold rush in the late 1800s, and those miners had to mush their mining pans in and mush their gold nuggets out. In the winter of 1925, there was a major disease outbreak in Nome, and without some serum they needed, the whole town would have perished. Guess what? Dog sleds to the rescue. A relay of them from Anchorage all the way to Nome, where mushers sped from one town to the next and passed the serum on to a fresh team who was waiting to sprint off to the next town. And this Paul-powered rescue plan, it worked. Thanks to those OG mushers, the people of Nome got their meds and avoided becoming a page in the history book. Let's get back to those snowmobiles. So in the early 70s, dog mushing was going out of style because so many people wanted to guzzle gas. Bailey said in a news interview once, So a lot of times we get to see a lot more wildlife than snowmobiles or machinery because, well, we're out in the woods with them quiet and just being part of the environment. Yeah, so the old timers were sitting around their campfire dreaming up ways to get rid of these noisemakers and revive the pastime that they loved so much. Yeah, it's probably the case that someone heard, if you build it, they will come. And like, wait, wait, shh, shh, what was that? I heard something. If you build it, they will come. Okay, that quote actually wasn't popularized until 1989. But yeah, the hope was if they set up an insanely long and treacherous race, people would gravitate back to dog mushing. Because they knew. Well, don't ask me. Ask Bailey. Dogs, honestly, are just truly the answer to everything. You know, having a bad day, get on a dog sled. It'll fix everything. Yeah, there's something special about that connection between a musher and their dog team. a partnership that no machine could replicate. And our friend Bailey, he's been building such a bond since he was a toddler. My mom and dad have a picture of a 100-foot dash when I was two years old standing behind my dog, Bridgie. on a pair of runners and a handlebar and this little basket sled, their little chat Mac. They had a hundred foot dash. Me and Bridgie went down there and then the other parent or handler would catch us and turn us around and send us back. Anyway, our old timers decided to reenact that 1925 rescue of the town of gnome by creating a dog sled race through the Alaskan wilderness along that same trail. And like I said, back then they didn't have trackers and race stats like they do today. It was just waiting to see when or if your favorite mush team showed up at the checkpoint. Of course, nowadays you can log on to iditarod.com and with the right subscription, of course, you can literally tell where your favorite racer is along their journey. Bailey told me during his interview about some of the beauty he sees out there as well. There's a lot of sections on that trail that are just absolutely breathtaking. I mean, If you were out there on a dog sled, you could be on the snowmobile and you'd miss it. You'll actually miss it. But with a dog team, you have to take it easy and pace them down the hills. And you get these little moments. I always save a spot right on the Blueberry Hills. When you're cusping the top. And then my rookie year, we went to the very peak of Blueberry Hills. Last year, we went on the shelf below it. And it was still the same beautiful view. You look out over up the coast. You can see the coastline. You can see Shagtulik. Shagtulik is the checkpoint out on the point. And, but you look up, you can see the beautiful coast. You can see hundreds of miles up the coast and a hundred miles down the coast. And then you look back and interior and you can see these mountain ranges that are just breathtaking. And, you know, if you get it right, you can, if you're depending on your race schedule, you're either hitting it at, I've hit it at light and at night. So it is a unbelievable view, no matter where you are. Pretty neat, right? Well, I feel like the Adidara is more than just a dog sled race. To me, it's a timeless reminder that sometimes in a world that's filled with space rockets for celebrities and self-driving cars, it's nice to get a dose of simplicity every once in a while. And following a mush team where trust, partnership, and an unconditional bond between someone and their dogs just feels good, doesn't it? That and you can live vicariously through them as they face whiteout conditions, treacherous ice, and temperatures that would freeze their eyelashes shut, all while wrapped in a blanket on your comfy sofa. Listening to the Daystrider podcast. Roses are red and snow is white. Writing a review would be just right. At a loss for the words, Bailey might say, a great pod to warm up a cold winter's day. Would you believe that America's favorite candy was born out of betrayal, war, and a father-son feud worthy of an HBO series? Yeah, you'd probably agree that there's nothing like the sweet taste of revenge as a motivator, right? Well, I'd like to introduce you to Forrest Mars. He looks a lot like Ed Harris, the director guy from the movie Truman Show. And we're going to join him in the late 1930s as he's wandering around the war-torn regions of Spain during their Civil War. Now, he wasn't just hungry. He was starving. Starving for food maybe, but really for payback. A chance to prove his father so wrong that he'd choke on his own chocolate bar. You see, Forrest wasn't just any entrepreneur. He was the estranged son of candy magnate Frank Mars. And their relationship? Let's just say it was less sweet than the chocolate they sold. You see, Frank had kicked him out of the family business after one too many heated arguments about the company's future. So there's our man Forrest in Spain, essentially in exile from his own family legacy, when he spots something fascinating. The soldiers there were popping little chocolates into their mouth. Chocolates that, unlike regular candy bars, weren't melting into gooey messes under that blistering Spanish sun. And he knew right away that he was on to something brilliant. These little colorful treats were called Smarties, and they were imported from England. And they were basically milk chocolate discs coated with a hard candy shell. And of course, they gave Forrest a eureka moment. Because there was nothing like this in America. So he raced back home to Virginia, ready to show dear old dad what's what. Unfortunately, our man Forrest had picked the absolute worst time possible to create a new candy treat. You see, it's now 1940 and this little thing called World War II is happening. And of course, the U.S. hadn't entered the war yet, but it was preparing to do so. And so chocolate was being rationed and effectively commandeered by the military. Wait a second, what? Chocolate? Yeah, so apparently they thought the sweet treat was a great source of energy for the soldiers. Although, it wasn't all that sweet. Since chocolate melts so easily, they had to make their quote-unquote candy bars withstand higher temperatures, which meant they had to add stuff in there that sacrificed on the taste so they could still get that energy. Yeah, just eat it, kid. The boost will help you stay alive. Forrest wasn't going to give up so easily, though. His grudge with his father urged him on. And once he discovered that up in that little town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, his father's bitter rivals were making most of those chocolate ration bars for the military, he hit the road. Time to get sneaky. So he tracked down Bruce Murray, who happened to be the son of Hershey's acting president at the time, and made him an offer. Yeah, can you imagine how that must have gone? Psst, hey, hey Bruce, come over here a second. Hey, want to prove your genius to your old man? I do, and I've got the best candy idea ever. Yeah, and so the Candy World's version of the Starks and Lannisters teamed up, with Bruce contributing the milk chocolate and Forrest making the hard candy coating as the shell. And what are they going to call their new gift to the world? They took their initials, Mars and Murray, smushed them together, and boom, you get M&Ms, a catchy little name for their cute little candies. And Mars and Murray quickly went out and got a patent for their little ellipsoid candy-coated chocolate discs, which happened on this day in 1941. Because, you know, they didn't want anyone else copying their invention, which was a copycat of those British candies. Eh, but whatever. Anyway, our hero Mars went straight to the military and basically sold them a chocolate that, well, melts in your mouth, but not in your hands. Or your pockets, or in the heat of battle. Of course, the military loved them because they didn't melt. And they tasted much better than those awful wannabe chocolate bars. And now our boys were in business. Take that, dads. Now, as time passed, eventually the war ended and the chocolate shortage ended with it. And in this new peacetime, Mars didn't really need Murray's chocolate anymore. And so, just like any Stark and Lannister arrangement, this joint venture wasn't going to last. So Mars bought Murray out and then went out on his own. And the rest, as they say, is history. Eventually, Mars was able to get back into the family business and then resume the role of clashing with the family's bitter rivals over at Hershey as the two companies battled for chocolate and candy supremacy in America and eventually the whole world. They kept the name M&M's, but they only stamped one M on the candies. That's pretty interesting, right? M&M's soared in popularity, and they added new colors and introduced new flavors over the years. And today, obviously, you can get them with peanuts in the middle, or crunchy cookie, or caramel. You can get mini M's and mega M's, and there are specialty flavors like strawberries and cream. And there's also peanut butter and jelly M&M's, which are, eh, they're okay. I've tried them. And believe it or not, Mars produces M&Ms 24-7. I found a stat that they make over 400 million of the candies every day. That's insane. And if the interwebs are to be believed, we're talking 150 billion emmers a year. Now before we wrap up, I'd like to share one of my favorite M&M stories. And this goes back to the early 80s. when the rock band Van Halen was rising up the charts. Now, they were huge roadies, and they were on tour quite a bit back in those days. And they had an M&M clause in their venue contracts. What? Yeah. And it was actually the brown M&M's clause. Yeah. So every place they were going to perform, they had to have a large bowl filled with M&M's in the dressing room. And right there in the contract, it also said that all of the brown emmers were to be removed from the bowl. Hold on, Truman. Are you making this up? No, no. If you're old enough, you probably remember hearing about this odd clause. Or you probably remember hearing that sometimes if those brown M&Ms weren't removed, the band would trash the dressing room after a show. No way! What's the deal here, Truman? Well, the theory was that the band's stage setup was very complex and somewhat dangerous. And so the specifications had to be carefully followed or people would get hurt. So this clause was actually a little test to see if the stagehands were paying attention. And when there were no brown M&Ms in the bowl, they felt safe because someone was paying attention. And of course, if the clause was missed, well, way to go, dummies. Trash the place. All right. So after all this, have I made you hungry for some M&M's? Well, I've got a special treat for the first 20 people who respond to this challenge. In addition to the many colors and flavors of M&M's, they also make custom M&M's. That's right. And so I ordered 20 packets of Daystrider M&Ms. I got to choose the colors and I got them stamped with the podcast name and my name. And then there's the Daystrider time travel portal printed right on them. Yeah, it's pretty neat, right? All you got to do is leave a review wherever you listened to this podcast. You can type something like, this show is like M&Ms for your mind. Colorful stories that'll boost you up. Or something like that. Who knows? Surprise me with your creativity. Let's see what you got. But yeah, when you do that, I'll send you a packet of these limited edition M&M's that you can enjoy or preserve them until they become worth millions one day. I wish. Anyway, the next time you reach into that candy dish and munch down on some tasty M&M's, you can marvel at their origin story. A bitter family feud that led to the sweetest kind of revenge. Success that melts in your mouth and not in your hands. A time traveler's delight, we unwrap the past, discovering treats that were made to last. If these chocolatey tales made your taste buds grin, please share with your friends so their joy can begin. Three down-on-their-luck hustlers walk into a bar. One is convinced that vodka is the next big thing. If only someone would try it. Another is obsessed with his new artisanal ginger brew, though the Hollywood scene just isn't on board. And the third, well, she just won't shut up about the health benefits of her copper mugs. And they argue for hours about who's got the worst luck with their wares. Until the bartender walks up and says... Now before we get to that punchline, because oh, it's a good one, let's talk about how some people can find treasure sitting right there in a pile of trash. We've actually had this happen in our Daystrider journeys. We talked about the guy who invented tater tots. He saw a way to turn potato shavings left over on the floor from making french fries into a whole new tasty treat. And then, of course, there's Henry Ford. He actually started an entire business and backyard pastime from the scrap heap when he found a way to turn wood scraps left over from making cars into charcoal briquettes. Ah, yeah. If you're a griller, now you know who to thank. So, yeah. Sometimes great things can come from a pile of scraps just laying around. You just have to be on the lookout for it. Or sometimes you need to get lucky that someone else stumbles into your life with the answer to all of your problems. All right, pivot with me here, folks, and let's get our drink on. Nowadays, vodka is everywhere. You've got Smirnoff and Tito's and Grey Groose and Kettle One. Pick your poison. Well, guess what? About a hundred years ago, almost no vodka was sold in America. Now, it was pretty popular in Eastern Europe, but imagine betting your entire future on a Russian spirit that most Americans had never tasted. Well, that's exactly what John Martin did when he gambled $14,000, his life savings, to buy Smirnoff vodka in 1939. Now, when you fast forward to 1982, you'll discover that he's sitting on the world's number one selling vodka. But way back in those early days, he was just a guy with warehouses full of bottles that nobody wanted, wondering if he'd made the biggest mistake of his life. Meanwhile, he wasn't the only one with an inventory problem. Now, these days, copper has become a precious metal. There are stories about people smashing in walls and ripping out the copper plumbing to sell on the black market. That's crazy. But way back in 1941, you couldn't give copper away. That's right. Just ask Sophie Berezinski. While working for her father, the owner of the Moscow Copper Company back in Russia, she designed a beautiful copper mug and thought them so lovely that she decided to go ahead and make 2,000 of them. But once she was out there peddling them, nobody was buying. Where she was in Russia, times were tough, and no one had money to burn on beautiful copper mugs. So, off to the land of opportunity. The Berezinskis, they moved to America and made their way to L.A. Yes, lugging their trunks full of copper mugs the whole way. But after getting settled, her husband laid down the ultimatum. Sophie, you need to figure something out with these mugs or I'm trashing them. So, off she went. Hustling from door to door, every restaurant, every bar, every retail establishment that sold anything related to beverages. You there, please come. Look at these copper mugs. They come from Moscow. Time for our stories to collide. To do that, we got to go back to our joke about the folks who walked into a bar. And that bar happens to be the Cock and Bull. A legendary watering hole situated on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. And its founder, Jack Morgan, he was as creative as he was savvy. And sometimes his creativity got him into trouble. Yeah, in 1940, he dreamed up the idea of making ginger beer. And after some trials, he landed on a recipe that he absolutely loves. And then he got to making it. Barrels and barrels of it. But the stars had no interest. Morgan thought that, hey, here in the heart of fashion and fads, his beer would become the next big thing. But sadly, he just ended up crying in his beer, his yummy ginger beer. All right, so let's try this joke again. Three down-on-their-luck hustlers walk into a bar. one with a warehouse full of vodka, another whose basement was filled with kegs of artisanal ginger brew, and the third lugging around trunks full of lovely copper mugs. They argue for hours about who's got the worst luck with their wares until the bartender walks up and slams three drinks down on the table and says, if you're going to mix business with pleasure, at least garnish it with lime. Now shut up and drink this. And just like that, the Moscow Mule was born. Three frustrated entrepreneurs, all dealing with bad business decisions, combined their failures into something unexpected. Imagine their surprise when they took that first sip. The cool copper mug frosted over. The spicy ginger beer bubbling against the smooth vodka. And just like that, their business disasters transformed into into liquid gold. Oh yeah, that is good. You've tried the Moscow Mule, right? It's pretty good. And they immediately got their hustle on and hit the streets to make this blend of brilliance popular. Martin the Vodka Guy had a brilliant idea. He took pictures of the bartenders at the Cock and Bull making and selling the drink in those unique mugs and then shared them bar to bar. Once he convinced someplace to buy up his vodka, Morgan's ginger beer, and Sophie's lovely mugs, he took more pictures of them and hustled off to the next place. Yeah, it wasn't long until it was all the rage and everyone was doing it. So Truman, why did they pick the name Moscow Mule? Well, legend has it that they loved alliteration. And since the copper mugs already had Moscow embossed on them, and a mule delivers a kick, why not go with it? That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it. In truth, there's some light debate about this entire origin story. But you know what? This version feels really good, right? So we're going to go with it. Either way, their brand new drink was pretty popular until the 60s or so, when for some reason, it fell out of favor. But then, somehow, it revived again in the early 2000s, and by 2017, it was the most Googled drink in America. And that's why, on this day in 2017, they created Moscow Mule Day. Yep, March 3rd. Who knew? So the next time you see that iconic copper mug, remember, behind every Moscow Mule is the beautiful collision of three epic failures. And they weren't trying to create cocktail history. They were just trying to solve their business problems. Yeah, sometimes the best innovations happen when desperation meets opportunity. And gets served with a lime wedge. Yeah, so let's think about this. What seemingly useless ingredients in your life might be turned into something extraordinary? Think about that. The next time you're sipping on a Moscow Mule. What a ride through time today, folks. We mushed our way through the frozen Alaskan wilderness with Bailey and his dogs, unwrapped the surprisingly bitter origins of those colorful M&Ms, and discovered how three business failures collided to create the Moscow Mule. Who knew that the Moscow Mule exists simply because three people couldn't sell their products separately? It's easy to see that without March 3rd, our world would look and taste a whole lot different. Whether it's how we navigate the wilderness, satisfy our sweet tooth, or raise our mugs at happy hour. Why not share these stories with someone who loves being surprised? And don't forget to leave that review for a chance to win those limited edition Daystrider M&Ms. You know what else? If today's stories made you grin, there are dozens of other stories waiting for you in our back catalog. That's right. If hearing about lovable animals gave you the warm and fuzzies, then you won't want to miss our most popular episode on Llama Day, December 9th, or Catch I Love Horses Day on July 15th. And if your sweet tooth is getting the best of you, the Tootsie Roll was actually a lifesaver on February 23rd. And if you're like E.T. and prefer Reese's Pieces instead, you gotta check out June 11th. And if you love raising your glass or mug to fun drinks, try out the Irish Whiskey on March 17th. Or just fun adventures like the Greatest Beer Run Ever on January 19th. 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. Camila Cabello adds a candle to her cake today. She's a famous pop singer who left the group Fifth Harmony to do her own thing, which included hit songs like Havana and Señorita with Shawn Mendes. Recently, she released her fourth album, and although it's received mixed reviews, I'm sure she's going to continue making Latin-based music. Julie Bowen has March 3 circled on her calendar. She's best known for playing Claire Dunphy in the ABC sitcom Modern Family, which ran for over a decade. It's hard to believe. But some of you may remember her role as Virginia Bennett from Happy Gilmore, right? Well, guess what? I heard they're making a Happy Gilmore 2. And Julie's going to be playing Virginia again. So get your Netflix streaming service ready. That comes out later this year. A couple of famous athletes from back in the 80s and 90s include Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Herschel Walker, both born today. Jackie was a track star who was in the U.S. Track Hall of Fame and at one time was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated. And of course, Herschel was a famous football player who won the Heisman Trophy, played in the USFL and the NFL, and even ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022. How about that? And then we've got a couple famous birthdays from all of history. Alexander Graham Bell is one household name. He invented the telephone back in 1876, which we're gonna feature that invention on March 10th, stay tuned. And another name is one you only know because of the scheme that this guy Charles the con artist was famous for. Yeah, he started this company in 1920 and guaranteed high returns trading in international postage stamps. And guess what? He repaid his founding investors with money he collected from the new investors. And then he repaid them with money he collected from even newer suckers. And on and on. And eventually this scheme was uncovered and they attached his name to it. The Ponzi scheme.

Maroon 5:

Yeah,

Bailey:

we'll tell you more about that story on January 1st. All right. The 50th most famous person born today, according to famousbirthdays.com, is Joey Valance. He's a hip-hop artist and producer who works in a duo with his friend Bray. And I watched some of their videos, and clearly, they're Beastie Boys fans. I'm telling you, they sound almost exactly like the Beastie Boys. And from what I could tell, they make most of their music right from Joey's bedroom studio. And then in their videos, they just goof around. But hey. works. They're the 50th most famous person. When I looked at Wikipedia's centenarians list, I found two people who are over 100 today, both of them turning 101. Tamichi Murayama from Japan. He was actually the prime minister of Japan back in the 90s. And today he lives in Oita City and he tries to take walks twice a day for exercise. And his favorite hobby is watching sumo wrestling. And then there's Robert Schulman, who was a biophysicist at Yale, and he earned a Sterling Professor Emeritus achievement. Pretty cool. But I was unable to find out more about what he's doing these days. But, you know, probably being 101 means you're taking it easy, right? All right, March 3rd is Soup It Forward Day. Okay, so that sounds a little strange, but it's actually a feel-good day. The idea is to make a big old batch of your favorite soup and bring it to someone who's lonely. Or hungry. I guess or both. And you can fill their bellies and their hearts with your homemade soup. And your soul is company. Today is also Cold Cuts Day. Yeah, a day to celebrate ham, turkey, and salami. And any other deli meats that you favor. I favor bologna. Does anyone else like bologna? Yeah, the best is a fried bologna sandwich. Mmm. Anyway, speaking of cold cuts... Have you seen the Icky Woods commercial where his number is called at the deli counter and he does this, got some cold cuts, got some cold cuts. It's hilarious. And guess what? Since it's cold cut day, I'm going to leave a link in the show notes. And finally, today is National Anthem Day. So the Star Spangled Banner became the official national anthem on this day in 1931. But the song was actually written way back in 1814. So that's weird. I guess during the entire 1800s, some other song acted as the national anthem. I don't know. I read about Hail Columbia. Never heard of that one. And My Country, Tis of Thee. I have heard of that one. So who knew? Either way, we'll be covering Francis Scott Key's writing of that song on September 14th. So check it out. You need a great gift idea for your loved one? Well, in addition to retelling the stories that 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, which you can find the links for in the show notes. And most days I make the claim that these gifts are so unique that there's no way your loved one will have one of those. Today continues to live up to that standard. Take the dog mushing segment, for example. You can get some Iditarod-related or mini dog mushing sleds for their desk or their bookshelf. Or you can really do it upright and sponsor a Team Bailey dog on their behalf. That's really cute and kind all at once. You can celebrate M&M's by gifting a bag of M&M's, pretty much any color available, or get them M&M's decor. There are dozens of M&M's shirts and other clothing that would brighten their day, and their closets. And of course, the Moscow Mule, you could get them a beautiful collection of copper mugs. And there's also Moscow Mule mixes and great wall decor for those who have a home bar and needs to spruce it up a little. And the famous folks that were born today, there's also some great books or CDs and wall hangings that are nice. Although the Camilla Cabello wall hangings, those are probably meant for teenage boys. But anyway... And similarly, today's special holidays all have unique gifts. There are links in the show notes for Chicken Soup of the Soul books, cold cuts, and National Anthem ideas. So no more hemming and hawing about the person who has everything, because they do not have some of the things that I mentioned in this gift section. And of course, if you don't like any of those customized gifts for folks who wake up celebrating March 3rd, well... You can up your gift-giving game and make their birthday really special by dedicating a personalized shout-out right here on this podcast. They'll be memorialized forever. Man, I could do the shout-out for you if you send me what you want to say. Or you can do your own by using the SpeakBike link that's available in the show notes. Now today's is short, but oh so cute. We're

Brian:

wishing a happy 12th birthday to Clementine. Happy birthday, Clemmie. We love you.

Bailey:

Now that's a great laugh there at the end, right? Everyone needs a laugh like that in their life to brighten their day. In fact, it brightened my day so much. Let's play it one more time. Yep. So as I mentioned, you can find the link to do that in the show notes. And 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. Now, before we wrap up for the day, do you want to hear what makes this podcasting journey so much fun? I get to hear feedback from so many listeners telling me what I forgot to include in my episodes. Why didn't you mention so-and-so that day? Definitely should have been in there. I love it. You know why? Because it means they're listening and enjoying their own memories of the past. Every story I tell has something or another that resonates with you. But sometimes I missed the thing that you remember the most. But that's okay, because guess what? You can send me a note or call me or text me and let me know where I missed the boat. And I'm happy to consider adding that into the story. Yeah, we could just edit it right in. Or even better, you could come on with me and share your memory and we'll layer that into the show. It's easy to do. All you got to do is reach out and get in touch. I know my mom's going to be sending me a Facebook message. And my friends Tyler and Muddy, you guys always have the idea train coming my way. So keep it rolling. Oh, and of course, if you're listening to this episode during the first week of March in any year, that first week of March, be sure to get online and track Bailey Vitello's progress in the Iditarod or go to his website, teambaileyusa.com. Yeah, go Bailey, go. Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, this is Truman Pastworthy reminding you that every day has a great story. And we'll be striding through them all to find some more goodies for you. Now get out there and make your own great story today.