DayStrider: Tales from a Time Traveler

Jul 25th: AC/DC Power Hour

• Truman Pastworthy • Episode 26

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If you love AC/DC, then you've come to the right place!  Today's episode departs from the normal DayStriding journey to focus all three segments on the best selling rock band of all time!  Today's episode celebrates the day Back in Black was released on this day 1980.  You also can experience TWO Truman Pastworthy originals:

  • My world premier of Thunderstruck on the PVC pipes, and
  • My list of  "10 AC/DC Songs You Should Add to Your Playlist".

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 that are all about AC/DC?  You’ll find yourself in a much better mood AND have some great stories you can tell at your next summer cookout.  If you need some great gift ideas, we have those too (along with links to where you can find them on Amazon).

Fun 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? :-)



Truman:

Welcome, Seeker! What do you get when you mix some PVC pipes, a love of ACDC songs, and a little bit of free time on your hands? Well, for one, you get the makings of a fantastic Daystrider episode with a trip back to July 25th, 1980, when ACDC, the world-famous rock band from Sydney, Australia, did something that no other rock band has ever done. ¶¶ ¶¶ I'm joining in on the fun with my own PVC pipe collection that will make the Blue Man Group jealous. And did you know that ACDC released 193 songs over their 50 plus years of playing? Oh yeah. Well, guess what? I've got for you the 10 best ACDC songs you need to add to your playlist. The Portal's Humming History secrets are waiting and our day striding adventure begins now. So grab your curiosity and let's go shoot to thrill as we get shook all night long into the past while listening to Hell's Bells. And because rock and roll ain't noise pollution. Truman. Can we please get back in black to the show here? 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. You know that feeling you get when you're about to have someone watch your favorite movie? or you're about to show them an incredible video on your phone yeah you're sitting there holding in your smile and your excitement watching them because you just know they're about to get their mind blown and maybe you get that feeling of goosebumps it's coming as you hit the play button and you're just watching them waiting for their reaction well That's me every time I watch a reaction video on YouTube of people who are hearing Thunderstruck for the very first time. And it doesn't matter their background, if they're rappers, or they only do opera, or even if they're a voice coach. Every one of them is going to start bobbing their head up and down. Some, their entire body is moving along with that song. And this opening right here. Yeah. And what's funny is they can't help themselves. If you listen to that riff, you too will start bobbing. It's catchy. And then you get to the... The tension and the buildup. I think that's when the full body movement comes in. Yeah, you can't help it. And then... Starts coming into the mix. They're squinching up their eyes and they're like, what is this? What are we hearing here? And then Brian Johnson's voice come in and his crazy voice gets that. That's probably my favorite part of all the reaction videos because people's faces are all scrunched up and they're like, what? What the heck am I listening to? It happens every time. In fact, I went and watched about a dozen understruck reaction videos on YouTube just to refresh my memory about it. Kezzy Boy, Diane the Voice Coach. All kinds of folks. They even had a collection of fifth graders. And pretty much everyone had the same reaction. And of course, every time I did it, I got goosebumps over and over again. And every time I'm bobbing along with the person in the video because I just love that song. Well, check this out. That opening riff, the... That part actually started as a warm-up and finger exercise for Angus Young, the lead guitarist, where he was just using his left hand, going up and down the neck of the guitar, playing along the frets. And then his brother Malcolm, the rhythm guitarist, felt like, hey, we could do something with that. So he added in his own background guitar, and bam, they had the makings of a song. that would eventually have one and a half billion views on YouTube and still counting. Literally, it's still getting watches as recently as last week because people are doing these reaction videos. So what makes this song so catchy and likable? And of course, I have no idea how to explain it because I'm biased in favor of the song and I'm not really much of a music person. But I looked it up. And without getting nerdy into that music stuff, the chords Angus plays have minor notes and major notes creating musical conflict. Now I know something about conflict, right? Because in storytelling, for any great story, conflict is what makes it all go. And apparently hiding in the song is a minor B note that is present through the entire riff, acting like a heartbeat. And then the major chords dance all around it. And that's what gets your head bobbing. Yeah, you don't have a choice. So then we have the conflict and then the song builds tension with its layers, adding in the drums and then the backup vocals and then Brian Johnson's crazy voice. That's the part where the reaction video folks make that same scrunched up face. And you can see them thinking, what is up with this guy's voice? But guess what? While cringing, they're still bobbing their head along. And what's great about this song is there's not only reaction videos, there's also remake and remix videos with the song too. There's one where these cello players, they start off playing a pompous concert to a stuffy crowd. ¦ And then the song morphs into Thunderstruck. Busting it out on their cellos while their hair's flying everywhere and the bow strings are popping. It's a good video. And it's not just the cellos. You can find artists out there playing it on the pianos or xylophones or you can even find it on banjos. And then there's the remix videos. And the most popular one, I think, is that Baby Ryan video where the dad recorded his son making sounds for over a year. And then he turned those little sounds into Thunderstruck. Yeah, that's a good one. Here's the beginning of that song. Yeah, so of course, I decided, why not try to make my own version of Thunderstruck? Yeah, let's add another remix out there in the world. And I was going to try it with my power tools. But I really struggle because I'm not musically inclined. I can't tell what note a drill makes versus a sander versus a circular saw. So I was thinking about it as I was walking through Home Depot the other day. And I was walking past the plumbing aisle and I saw PVC pipes. And my mind thought of the Blue Man Group. Which, of course, we're going to feature in a future episode. And I thought... I'm not good at making music, but I can cut me some PVC pipe. So I pulled out my phone, opened up my buddy ChatGPT, and I asked it about the lengths of pipes I'd need to make the notes for the song Thunderstruck. Uh-huh. See that? I'm on to something. I can do this. So I'm asking the app, all right, do I need one and a half inch pipes or two inch pipes? What should I be using? And meanwhile, as I'm standing here in the plumbing aisle reading on my phone, the lady comes over the loudspeaker and says, Attention Home Depot shoppers, please bring your purchases to the checkout. I'm like, hold on a second. I'm brainstorming here. I need to figure out what I'm going to hit these pipes with that make a perfect sound. Of course, ChatGPT had some suggestions, but I'm like, oh my God, I don't know where those are in this store. So I looked down, I slipped off my Under Armour flip-flop, and I tried hitting that against the pipe. Yeah, there it is. I'm ready. I got me some two-inch pipe, and I headed home to start cutting. And now, I have a whole collection of different lengths of PVC pipes. All right, I was excited, excited, checked out from Home Depot, drive home, and start cutting. Yeah, but wait a second. How long do I cut each of these notes? Well, chat GPT to the rescue. It helped me figure out how long to cut each pipe so that I'd get the right musical note. Yeah. And I ended up with a G note at 15 and a half inches. And I got a G sharp note at 14 and five eighths inches. And I got a D sharp note Yeah, all these notes, that's 20 and a quarter inches. And then there's three different B notes. This highest pitched one. And then a middle pitched one. And then the lower pitched one. Okay, so we're all set with our notes, but... I still need to learn how to actually play this song. In that opening, there are all these different patterns of notes, like this first one. And then there's also melody patterns, like this one. Man, that's hard to play that one. Goodness gracious. And I'm struggling here to play it, and you're thinking, Truman, that doesn't sound like the song at all. You've got some work to do. And I know, I know, you're right. I've got to speed them up. All right, we're getting closer. I need to keep practicing. So I'll be right back. back all right are we ready to give this a go i think we are beforehand i recorded some backup vocals and i got my drum beats ready so then all i had to do was start playing and here's what we got enjoy

Thunderstruck:

Thank you.

Truman:

That was fun, wasn't it? Was your head bobbed along? Was it? I know it was. I know it was. You're probably thinking, wait a second. How did he do that? Ha, ha, ha, ha. A lot of practice, people. A lot of practice. Using my audio editor. Ha, ha, ha, ha. So all I had to do was hit a few notes in the right spots, record them, and then I could put them together and mix them all in and bam! We've got some thunderstruck. Yeah, ha, ha, ha. That was fun. That was so much fun. Thank you. Thank you for listening along and enjoying my version of Thunderstruck. Roses are red and ACDC loves black. Writing a review really helps. Big Jack. Feeling thunderstruck about what you should say? Type, this pod's high voltage will brighten your day.

Thunderstruck:

Thunder. Thunder. Thunder. Brrring, brrring.

Truman:

Hello? Malcolm, I've got some bad news about Bon. I'm sorry, mate, but he's gone. We found him this morning. What? What do you mean, gone? No, no, no, Bon. It can't be. How is he gone? That phone call shattered everything. When Malcolm hung up and turned to his brother Angus... They both knew they weren't just losing a friend. They were staring at the end of ACDC. This was in February of 1980. They had just released their Highway to Hell album that had climbed the charts in America while topping them in the UK and in their home country of Australia. And everything was pointing to stardom and everlasting fame. But now their frontman, Bon Scott, was gone. Not in rehab, not injured, not quitting the band. Gone. The two guitar gods just stared at each other. Sure, we can play like no one else, but we still need someone to sing. And it can't be just anyone. Bon Scott's voice was unique. Well, his mama, Isabel, gave them a little hope with her nudge, telling the boys that they needed to rock on. Go find someone and keep on playing because that's what he would have wanted. Well, it turns out that Bond had given them the answer a few years back. And of course, at that time, they blew him off. But while they were on tour, Bond said, hey, if anything ever happens to me, you guys got to go check out this guy named Brian Johnson. I love him and he's crazy and he likes to party. He'd be a great fit. Of course, they were all young and invincible at that time and so they blew him off. But in March of 1980, Brian Johnson's name came up again. And as Brian tells the story, he got a phone call from a German lady. And she asked him to come down to London and try out for the band. And he wanted to know who he was trying out for. And she said, I can't tell you. It's a secret. And he said, no way. I'm not driving all the way to London without knowing who I'm trying out for. And she said, well, I can tell you their initials are AC and DC. And he said, you're telling me ACDC wants to hear me sing? And she responded, well, I've said too much. Now, that German voice, he actually, there's a video of him interviewing with Howard Stern, and he tells that story with the same German accent that I just tried to do. But anyway, when he got there, he was a little nervous because it's ACDC. And he asked them if they knew Nutbush City Limits by Tina Turner. What? Imagine that scene. ACDC has almost 50 of its own original songs out there, and this guy trying out wants to sing a Tina Turner song for his audition. Crazy, right? Well, you've heard me say it before. Sometimes crazy is genius. And once they got going, they never looked back. It was pure magic. He was perfect, and everyone knew it. So the band headed off into seclusion at an obscure recording studio in the Bahamas. And there the magic continued. As it took them less than two months to create and record ten songs that turned out to be more than just magical, it was epic. Literally. Those album sales set a record that still stands today and will never be surpassed. More on that in a minute. But first, I want to take you back to my childhood. I had just turned 17, and my high school sweetheart, she got me a new record player and these huge speakers for my bedroom. And she got me some records to play on my new toys. Def Leppard's Hysteria, Van Halen's 5150, and ACDC's Back in Black. Now, for those of you old enough to remember what those large LP records looked like, right? They were huge, and they had a big sleeve, kind of like a CD, but much bigger. And the cover of that sleeve was everything at the time, right? You can't judge an album by its cover. Hysteria, bright colors, crazy-looking skull, 5150, Tony Atlas holding that shining globe with an electric cloud, and then the Back in Black album. It was all black, nothing on it except the band name and a lightning bolt. No flash, no color. But that cover told a story about mourning and resurrection all wrapped in one. And I'm sure everyone had a reaction to that cover because it wasn't normal. Well, guess what?

Thunderstruck:

No.

Truman:

The music, that wasn't normal either. It was awesome. The very first song on the album kicks off with these ominous bells tolling. Anyone want to guess, by the way, how many rings they played in the song? Go ahead. Have you been counting as I've been talking? I'm a rolling thunder, pouring rain. Great opening lyrics. And this song and that bell have been iconic ever since. At every concert, they drop this huge bell from the ceiling with the big ACDC logo on it. And sometimes Brian Johnson gets out a huge mallet and gongs the bell in the concert. It's amazing. And one time he actually disappeared from stage and then you could see him riding the bell down from the ceiling as it was drifting in.

Thunderstruck:

Ha ha.

Truman:

It was amazing. Anyway, song number two on the album is probably the most overlooked song, but it rocks you hard. It definitely has the best instrumental of the ten songs on that album. I'll play it for you. Guess that song? Can you guess what it is? I'll tell you later. Anyway, they didn't even get to the album's namesake song, Back in Black, until the first song on the flip side of the record. Yeah, that's right. That's one thing that nobody misses, right? Getting up after the record ends, going over and flipping it over to the second side. Today's kids just click, and the playlist rocks on. But let's keep going. Song number two on that second side is the song that propelled ACDC back to the heavens. The song that got all the radio play. The song that everybody knows. And everybody's belted out the chorus at one time or another. What's funny is, Brian has always maintained that the song is about a car. But somehow, I just don't believe him. He actually did write the lyrics, though. One night, When they're in the Bahamas while recording, Malcolm approached him with a tablet and a pen and asked, Hey, can you write songs as well as you sing them? And he said, Sure. And then the words just started flowing. She was a fast machine. She kept her motor clean. She was the best damn woman that I've ever seen. And the record album was an instant success. With a brand new lead singer, they recorded in less than six weeks, which was unheard of. They did a partial tribute to the former singer and filled the album with instant classics. Yeah, definitely true. Check this out. I recently went to a show from the ACDC Power Up Tour and five of the 21 songs came from the Back in Black album. That's right. They released that album on this day 45 years ago. That seems insane, right? They've released 13 albums since then during those many years, but the songs from the Back in Black album are mainstays at the concert. So cheers to that. In fact, you could crack open a cold one and have a drink on me. Now, depending on your source, you'll see that this record album was the second highest selling in history and the highest for any rock band, of course, outselling the likes of Elvis and Whitney Houston. And the one album ahead of ACDC on that list? Any guesses? Come on, anybody? That's right, Michael Jackson's Thriller. And speaking of answers, I need you to get the answers to the other two questions I asked. There were 13 bells gonged in the beginning of the Hell's Bells song, and that instrumental I played for you was from the song Shoot to Thrill. All right, we got to wrap up here. I'll take you back to that chilling phone call. that could have ended everything. But instead, it became the catalyst for the second highest-selling album in music history. Sometimes, the worst thing that can possibly happen sets you up for the very best thing that ever will. Bon Scott's final gift to ACDC wasn't just a recommendation for a new lead singer. It was rock and roll immortality. And the last song on that album... says it best, rock and roll will never die. A time traveler's delight on a highway to hell. Going into Sin City, all will be well. If these tales have given you a bit of a shock, please share with your friends for those about to rock. Guess what? Your backyard barbecue playlist is missing some songs. I'm telling you now, you're missing some musical masterpieces. Yeah, sure, you've got Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and Thunderstruck, all of which have nearly 2 billion streams on Spotify. But I've got some suggestions for you, along with some fun mini-stories about each one that will change your impressions about ACDC forever. I promise. Check out this list of 10 more ACDC songs you should add to your playlist. Now, I've followed the band intensely for the last 20, 30 years and been to a dozen or so concerts. And I have the t-shirts and hats to prove it. My latest purchase was an ACDC flag from the Power Up Tour just a few weeks back. And if you look at your phone, you can see a picture of that flag. And I've hunted down and pecked through all 193 ACDC songs, even the ones they never released in America. Why? Because buried in that collection are some masterpieces that will change your listening experience forever. And because I love ACDC so much. Now, to be clear, we're not talking about popular songs like TNT or Dirty Deeds. Now, we're going to give you some money here and some bagpipes and a rock song. Are you ready to become the most interesting person at your next backyard gig? Let's stride through ACDC's history to find you 10 goodies, along with a tiny backstory you can share when the song pops up. We're going to kick things off with an oldie, but a goodie. And when I say oldie, I'm talking about Chuck Berry old. What? Yeah, Chuck Berry made this song. Up in the morning and out to school. The teacher is teaching the golden rule. Way back in the 50s. And as you learned on the October 18th Day Strider episode, ACDC found lots of inspiration from Berry. including Angus' Duck Walk that you can find in pretty much any video you watch of the band. Anyway, ACDC actually did a cover version of that song in their early days, and here's what theirs sound like. Up in the morning after school A teacher is teaching the girls So there's the first one. Up next is a song from the Dirty DJ album that a lot of people really love. It's not my personal favorite, but it brings in the fringe fans because it's a little lower and a little slower. And it shows some of the range for ACDC for people who think all their songs sound the same. Check this one out. I'm just another empty head. Did you know that Stephen King is a huge ACDC fan? Yeah, the author of Cujo. That's right. Well, up next on the list is a made-for-the-movie song. Literally. Now, if you watched the movie Maximum Overdrive, that thing was a dud. But the songs were not. And Who Made Who is actually 13th on Spotify's Most Played list, and it needs to be on yours as well. Now, while we're talking about commercialization, let's hop over to Major League Baseball, who got the rights to start using this song to promote their playoffs in 2014. Yeah, before the song was even released. How about that? I remember hearing the commercials and the promos, and I'm like, what? Sounds like ACDC. That's got to be Brian Johnson. We went back. We re-round and tried to listen to it. I'm telling you. So then I had to go online. And thank goodness the interwebs were there to uncover the truth that Play Ball was a song from their next album. And they were playing it before the album was released. So that's pretty cool. All right. For our next song, we're going to stride all the way back to 1975. And this is a great one that you'll never get to hear live in concert. Truman, why is this song so special? Well, I got one word for you. Bagpipes. song has bagpipes. Any rock and roll songs have a bagpipe. This one. Bon Scott actually learned to play the bagpipes just for this one song. It's pretty fun, right? And he'd belt out the lyrics, and then he'd do an instrumental, and then he'd banter back and forth with Angus and his guitar. Listen to this.

Thunderstruck:

...

Truman:

If they played this song live in concert today, I'd probably die enjoying Bon Scott and Evan myself. All right, five great songs so far, right? And a little bit of novelty attached to them. Kicking off the top half of my list is Money Talks, a great rock and roll song with some lyrics that ring true in all walks of life.

Thunderstruck:

Money Talks

Truman:

When this concert came around, they actually dropped ACDC dollar bills from the ceilings of the venues for people to take as souvenirs. And bonus fun fact, I was at the concert in Philly when they recorded the official video for the song. And that flood of money at that show was at least 10 times more than at regular shows. Of course, don't ask me how I know that difference, but anyway. Up next is a song. It's number seven on Spotify's most played list. But I'm betting it's not on your playlist. And it needs to be. When the album was released, this song had to share the spotlight behind Hell's Bells, Shook Me All Night Long, and the title track, Back in Black. But Shoot the Thrill is still played at concerts, and it's an awesome song. You don't need to take my word for it. Check out the Iron Man 2. When they introduced and got people fired up about Tony Stark, they played Shoot the Thrill. It's a great scene.

Thunderstruck:

Pull the trigger! Shoot the thrill!

Truman:

Coming in at number three on my list of suggested additions to your playlist is Let There Be Rock. Now, I try to introduce this song to any young person that asks me about the band because, well, Angus uses this song to show off a little. Listen to this one real quick.

Thunderstruck:

Let There Be Rock

Truman:

He's a little solo, right? That's the first one in the song. And later in the song, he switches it to this verse. Wait a second. That's a little different, right? But wait, there's more.

Thunderstruck:

Wait a second.

Truman:

three different solos hiding in this one song. And this song and its solos are the main feature at every concert. And they stretch it out for almost 20 minutes. This one song, 20 minutes. You might be thinking, oh my God, that's crazy. It'll get old. No, no, no. Angus taunts the crowd the entire time. And the louder the reactions are, the longer the solo. And he'd keep it going and going. And guess what else? They have this little platform on a cherry picker. And Angus gets on that thing and the platform rises is up above the crowd and he's like 20 feet above the crowd and he's up there playing and then he flops down on his side and squirms around while playing the solo to Let There Be Rock. Yeah, check it out. Yeah, this is it. Yeah, that's the exact situation where he's squirming on the ground 20 feet above the crowd playing for all to see. It's awesome. All right, now we're coming up to my favorite concert song. You can tell that this is a live version, and the crowd is cheering Angus. That's what they're

Brian Johnson singing:

yelling.

Truman:

It's about a woman. quite a large

Brian Johnson singing:

one,

Truman:

whose measurements are

Brian Johnson singing:

56

Truman:

inch hips on a lady of the night. Yep, Rosie is a concert icon. Why? Well, you think about the most elaborate prop you've ever seen at a concert. Tell me if it's bigger than a house. because Rosie is. During the Black Ice tour, they had a huge blow-up of her above the speakers on the stage. It was as large as one of those Macy's Day Parade balloons. It was crazy. Now, those two concert mainstays I just covered sit at 18th and 14th on Spotify's Most Played ACDC Songs. But my number one song recommendation for your playlist sits way, way down Spotify's list At 102. That's way down there. All right. So this one is a hidden gem here, people. This song is ACDC's way of telling the world that they're going to do what they want. And if you've got a problem with it, then that's too bad. I'm hot. Now, they used to play this at every live show, but I guess after so many years and so many albums of new songs, something had to go. And deep into the song, you get this little treat. The song, Problem Child, actually appears on two separate studio albums. So you'll want to make sure you get the Dirty Deej version of Problem Child, because at the end of that song, you get a little treat, like a little encore right in the song. Why? Depends just being a problem band, even for the studio recording folks. All right, so here's your mission. You go add these 10 songs to your playlist tonight. Then watch what happens when you play them at your next gathering. People are going to ask, who is this? And you'll get to say, huh, that's ACDC, my friend. You've never heard of this one? And hand him a beer and say, have a drink on me while I tell you all about it. What a ride through time today, folks. We got to stride all the way back to the early 70s when ACDC released a Chuck Berry cover song. All the way up through just a few weeks ago as folks continue to release Thunderstruck reaction videos. We got to hear the story of a famous rock band. bouncing back from a tragic death, only to set a record that will never be broken. And of course, we got to hear the world premiere of Truman Passworthy's version of Thunderstruck on the PVC pipes. And it's been a minute since we heard that rendition, so why don't we play it one more time?

Thunderstruck:

What's that? Thunder Thunder

Truman:

Today, July 25th, is special because of the release of that Back in Black album. And I hope you've enjoyed the full blast of ACDC in today's day striding journey. I was inspired to make this episode unique because of the amazing feelings I felt a few weeks ago at what is likely my very last ACDC concert. The last time I got to see Angus and Brian perform live at the ripe old ages of 70 and 77. That's funny, isn't it? Anyway, being at that concert and reliving the memories from my youth and into my middle ages gave me a chance to reflect. But on top of that, the next generation of my family, my son, nieces, and nephews, they were now old enough to join us. And all of my awesome brothers were there too, blood and extended. And they got the experience of a lifetime to enjoy ACDC live once again with their crazy and amazing performance. The 20-minute solo during Let There Be Rock. And the digitized version of Rosie. It wasn't the same as the blow-up, but they still got to hear it. And we got to hear together the thunder of guns. and see the hell's bells bell that ties us all the way back to this day in history. And I got to enjoy them enjoying their very first experience of ACDC while I was enjoying it for the very last time. Man, it makes me emotional just thinking about it. All right, let's catch our breath and let's get back to the program. Because you know what? If these stories made you grin, there are dozens of others waiting for you in our back catalog. If originality is something you love, well, Thunderstruck on the PVC pipes isn't the only skill I have. I wrote a fairy tale on March 17th, and I have a very short but quite egg-citing comedy bit on Egg Day on June 3rd. If hearing how people recover from tragic death makes you appreciate life even more, you will be fascinated to hear how Samuel Morse responded after learning of his wife's death on January 8th. And you'll also be amazed at how Clara Barton responded to battlefield deaths in the May 21st episode. And if you just love having the chance to diversify your playlist with new songs, you gotta check out my one-hit Wonder Day episode on September 25th. where you can get two such songs from each decade and, of course, a micro story to boot. Now, normally in this segment, I lead into famous birthdays. And today, I would have covered names like Matthew LeBlanc, who played Joey on Friends, and Walter Payton, who played football for the Chicago Bears. But today's birthday section includes another famous person that needs to have her story told. Have you ever heard of Louise Brown, born on this day in 1978? She was the baby the world was waiting for. Is that a good enough hint? No? Okay. Well, here's a fun fact that might help. It's estimated that between 10 to 12 million babies have been born through IVF, in vitro fertilization. And here in the U.S., about 2% of all babies born each year are using this technology. Well, about 60 years ago, it wasn't even a thing. Back then, families like Leslie and John Brown from Bristol, England, they tried to have a baby in all the traditional ways. Timing, sleep patterns, diet, on and on. And for nine years, this working class couple tried and tried. But sadly, blocked fallopian tubes made their efforts fruitless. And then they met Dr. Steptoe and Edwards and their scientist, Gene Purdy. And these three had been trying to get IVF to work for most of the 1970s. They learned how to harvest human eggs from the ovaries. They learned how to preserve these eggs. And they learned how to inseminate them outside of the body as well. They did all of this in a lab and then tried over 300 times with all different families to get this process to work. And finally, for the Browns, it took. Crazy fun fact, Jean Purdy actually witnessed that egg's very first division from one cell into two. So I guess you'd say she was the first person to witness Louise's life? I don't know. I'm not getting into that debate, though. Anyway, after those cells had divided for a few days, they did a procedure on Leslie, and then the media circus could begin. Because once it was clear the baby was growing inside of her, they went public with their approach. Now, back in the day, this was all newspaper articles and TV shows and radio shows, right? And there were hundreds of them praising the technology. And believe it or not, dozens of people were bashing this experience. Humans were playing God, and that wasn't right. And the hype grew and it grew. And when the Browns went to the hospital for Louise's birth, the press from around the world was there waiting to take pictures and do their interviews. Yeah, they had to do this as a C-section because the doctors wanted to remove Leslie's fallopian tubes to prove that they were damaged. And this wasn't a hoax. That's crazy, right? They had to go that far to prove it. Well, anyway, Louise is living a mostly normal life today. She has two sons who both naturally conceive children. And she has a book about her life and IVF. And, of course, she's an advocate of fertility procedures, etc. So, not surprising. Happy birthday, Louise. All right. Other things celebrated today, July 25th, is Hot Budge Sunday Day. Now, there's a holiday that everyone should celebrate. either on your own or at a restaurant. The origin of the ice cream sundae has many claims. And similarly, who added the hot fudge into it? That's debatable as well. I couldn't even figure out when we started celebrating this wonderful treat as a day. But I did learn that McDonald's added their hot fudge sundae to the menu in 1978, the same year Louise was born. This year, July 25th, falls on a Friday, making it Get Gnarly Day. Gnarly, dude. Yep, a day to celebrate surfers on the last Friday in July. And as any surfer knows, some waves can appear dangerous and scary, which makes them even more exciting. So if you could ride that wave, the surfers would respond with a Gnarly, dude. So the point of today, if you're not a surfer, is to take on something dangerous and scary. Because of that super excitement. You could even start a podcast. Or you could apply for Survivor. Season 51 open casting calls. Now there's an idea. It's also Hire a Veteran Day. This is a neat concept that's been around since 2017 and reminds employers that veterans... who've completed their service to our country are highly skilled and capable. So make it a point to consider them as you try to fill open positions. And it's a great way to thank them for their service. Do you have a loved one who celebrates July 25th? Yeah? Well, if you do, and you want to make them feel special about this day, then I've got some gift ideas that will turn you into their hero. Why do I say that so confidently? Well, it's because these gifts are customized to their special day. And not only that, many of these things they don't have already. No way. So I have links to the show notes so you can find these and place your order. From our first segment today about Thunderstruck, surprisingly, there are a number of books out there with that title. All about something different from each other, including some about the Oklahoma City basketball team. And since that segment was about making music, there are also books out there that you can give that'll teach them how to make their own music. Of course, we talked about ACDC's best-selling album ever today, Back in Black. Naturally, you could buy that album, or CD, or T-shirt. or sweatshirt, or flag. Now, warning, note to listeners, nearly everything associated with that album is, well, it's black. Of course, if you're looking for some great t-shirts, you can go with any album or song lyric. But I found the winner. You can get an ACDC fluorescent light sign for their man cave or their gaming room. Now that is a great gift. In fact, I might need to have one of those myself. Hint, hint, hint for any listeners who are family members of mine. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. ACDC fluorescent light sign. All right. And if you want to check out Louise Brown's story from her own perspective, she wrote a book. That'd be a good gift as well. And of course, hot fudge sundae. That ought to make you hungry. I found some fancy hot fudge sauces that you can get for your loved one. Or you can go the gnarly route and get them something different. Something they don't have, like a new hobby kit. Whittling, carving, there's mini gardening, and sewing. All kinds of kits to get started on something gnarly and new. So no more hemming and hawing about the person who has everything because they do not. Have enough ACDC t-shirts. Even my collection could be enlarged. Hint, hint, hint. Again, ding, ding, ding. And if none of these outstanding ideas work, there's one other way to make this day special. You could dedicate a personalized shout-out right here on this podcast. They'll be memorialized forever. I can do the shout-out for you. All you got to do is send me their name and something interesting you want to share. And as always, if you have a story that just needs to be told about any day in the past, send me an email and let's connect. All right, let's wrap things up here, folks. Obviously, it's been a minute since my last episode. And in between then and now, several of you have reached out wondering, hey, Truman, when's the next one? So guess what? Thank you so very much for those questions. It's very appreciated. We're going to keep these rolling for sure, even if life brings in some twists and turns that fill up the time. This is too much fun to stop. And we still have over 300 days left to cover. We can't let them sneak away without sharing at least something from those days, right? So, let's see where our day striding takes us.

Thunderstruck:

Music

Truman:

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.