DayStrider: Tales from a Time Traveler
If you are naturally curious, a tad nostalgic, and your range of interests is diverse, then DayStrider is the podcast for you. Wanna satisfy that 'itchy' need to learn but with a 'scratch' that's laid-back and enjoyable? A delightful dose of lighthearted and fun stories about this day in the past will make you feel better, become a bit smarter - and you'll have a handy icebreaker to glide right through any uncomfortable social moments you encounter! Added perk: each day's path varies - but the journey is always the same great experience.
Each episode will transport you to three different historical events, amazing discoveries or special inventions that happened on this day in the past. These short stories are sure to make you grin - and will definitely surprise you with a tidbit that you had never heard before! Bonus content at the end includes brief bio's of some famous folks born on this day as well as customized gift ideas for your someone special who's got today circled on their calendar.
You can find more on the website: https://daystrider.buzzsprout.com
DayStrider: Tales from a Time Traveler
Oct 26th: I'll Be Back
What if the craziest bet you could make turned out to be the smartest move ever? October 26th is packed with gambles that seemed absolutely insane at the time - but changed everything forever. From a nobody director making an illegal guerrilla film with a bodybuilder who could barely speak English to a struggling shoe company betting half a million on a rookie who didn't even want to be there - today’s crazy ideas paid off big time!
- I’ll Be Back! This famous movie quote transcended Arnold’s acting career just like the Terminator movie franchise as transformed from a sci-fi action thriller terrifying audiences into a documentary about what AI autonomation is actually capable of 40 years later.
- They just needed some Air! In 1984, Nike was struggling, while Michael Jordan couldn’t get the endorsement deal he wanted. Pair the two together, add a “dash of Delores”, and you have the makings of the greatest shoe line ever - the Air Jordan created billionaires all around!
- Stonehenge was actually a computer. Today, I unveil a few of the secrets people have been asking for centuries about this unusual rock formation. What they were used for, how they got where they are today and more.
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 wild, engaging tales about billion-dollar gambles and ancient mysteries? You'll find yourself thinking differently about "crazy ideas" AND have some incredible stories to share at next week’s halloween party. 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 late-2025 - not sure how long the links will be available):
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? :-)
Welcome Seeker. It's not every day that you get to predict the future, birth a cultural revolution, and touch something older than memory itself. Today is October 26th, and in 1984, it was a day to remember. A day humanity got a frightening glimpse of its future and decided to run full speed towards it anyway. At our first stop, we encounter a time-traveling nightmare. An unstoppable killing machine from the future arrives here with one mission: to murder the mother of an unborn child. And after that, we'll find ourselves in the boardroom of an up and comer shoe company that bet its entire future on an up and comer athlete who didn't even want to be there. And then at our last stop, I'll solve the mystery of some massive stones arranged with impossible precision by our oldest of ancestors. The portal's humming. History secrets are waiting, and our day striding adventure begins now. So grab your curiosity, tell whoever's waiting, I'll be back. And let's soar through the air with the greatest of all time. Welcome, speakers, to the enchanting world of Daytet, a podcast where we embark on a daily journey through history. I'm your travel guide, Truman Pathworthy, and together we'll explore some fascinating stories that happened on this exact day, but from sometime 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 light-hearted stories that'll leave you saying, I never knew that happened on this day. Alrighty then, let's get to it. On this day in 1984, a low-budget sci-fi thriller just hit the theaters with a nobody director and a bodybuilder who could barely act. And their six million dollar budget was held together with duct tape and illegal film permits. The critics barely noticed, but audiences, they were terrified. The Terminator didn't just launch a franchise, it invented an entire genre that gave us nightmares about killer robots. But if you think about it, that sci-fi horror story from 1984 would actually seem a whole lot more like a documentary of the Army's next wave of weaponry if it were filmed today. In fact, just a few months ago, an article dropped with this headline The Skynet countdown is over. The era of autonomous AI has begun. Yeah. And as you know, we have AI that can clone voices, generate fake videos, and yeah, pilot autonomous military drones. And check out this fun fact. The original movie had the Terminator coming back from the year 2029, which is right around the corner. How far do you suppose AI will be along in the next four years? It's kind of scary to think about, right? Maybe the Moonby was a warning that we should have taken more seriously. Have you seen it? Have you seen the Terminator? If not, you should make some time for it. It's pretty good. And if you have, why not go back and give it a rewatch? It's action-packed, mind-bending story plot has a fight scene near the end. When they thought that the machine was destroyed in the fire, only to see the metallic skeleton rising up in the flames, with its red eyes zeroing in on them. That was scary stuff. That scene caused my younger brother to wake up screaming for weeks after we saw the movie in the theaters. And speaking of nightmares, that scene was actually from a nightmare. Yeah, so the director of this masterpiece, James Cameron, was working on another movie when he awoke from a fever dream with that exact image in his head, and he could never shake it. You and I, we might call our therapist. But thank goodness Cameron called Hollywood. And you're thinking, of course he did. He's a genius. Wait a second. Cameron wasn't anywhere near genius level pre Terminator. He was a special effects tech and a famous director wannabe back then. But this anonymity actually worked in his favor. Because of his low budget, the crew had to film a number of scenes without movie permits. One morning, they're out on a highway, waiting for the road to heat up so they could get those heat waves to distort the picture. And a cop pulled up and asked, Hey, what's going on here? And they said they were just UCLA students filming a project for school. And so the cop drove off and left them alone. And then there's the scene where the Terminator punched through a car window to grab the bag that was inside. Guess what? They didn't even own that car. It was some Rando's actual car on the street. And they smashed the window and took off. Yeah, the guy didn't even realize until later when he watched the movie that that was his car that got vandalized. And for scenes like that, they had to hurry out the location, scramble out of their vans and quickly film the scene, and then beat feet before anyone would notice or call their friends that something was going on. They even made Arnold change quickly in and out of his costumes so people wouldn't know it was him making a movie. And you're thinking, yeah, that makes sense. He was pretty famous, right? Well, here's the thing. Arnold was not famous as an actor at that time. Yeah, he was a bodybuilding legend, seven time Mr. Olympia champion, but his movie's not exactly Oscar material. His first film role was dubbed over because his accent was too thick. And in Conan the Barbarian, he had twenty four lines. Total. Actually, we're lucky that he was the one who played the Terminator. Originally, Arnold was cast for the Kyle Reese role, and there was talk of O.J. Simpson playing the Terminator role. What? Well, thank goodness Cameron didn't think his audiences would buy O.J. as a cold-blooded killer. Go figure. So one day, while at lunch with Cameron, Arnold got deep into who should play the Terminator role and how they should make it seem authentic.
SPEAKER_00:I didn't even try out Fork Terminator. I was trying to be Carl Reese. And during the lunch, when I met with James Cameron, the director, right, I kept talking all the time about the Terminator. I said, whoever is playing it, he has to train himself to disample weapons and to put weapons together and to shoot and to load the weapons and all of this stuff. Blindfolded, totally blindfolded, because a Terminator can never ever look down at his hand, what he's doing, because he's a machine. He's a robot. And I said when he walks, he has to have a certain walk. I mean he scans and looks around. He has to have a certain scan. It has to be absolutely clear at all times that this is a machine with actu absolutely no human behavior. So I kept talking about this, and how he has to tear his flesh out and how he has to operate on his eye and you know and no pain and feelings. And Jim Cameron looked at me on the end of the lunch and he said, So why don't you play Terminator? I mean, you understand him so well, this character, this is exactly what we need. And I said, No, no, no, Jim. Please, please. I counted the amount of lines this guy says. It's 27 lines. I said, You can give it to someone else and say, But I want to talk a lot, I want to perform, I want to be the leading man. He says, I will make that guy the leading man. It's called the Terminator. I will shoot it. How funny is that?
SPEAKER_01:And the actual word count was only 17 lines. Yeah. So Arnold had 74 words in the entire movie. But guess what? Three of those words went on to become one of the top 50 movie quotes of all time. I'll be back. Yeah, I love that line. I used to use it all the time. In fact, I still say it. As did Arnold. He used it in many movies. Here's a compilation of them. I'll be back. That was the original one from the first movie. I'll be back, Benny. And then that one was from Commando. I'll be right back. It was a movie called Raw Deal. I don't remember that one. I'll be back. That's from my favorite The Running Man. And then these next two are from feel-good movies, Twins and Kindergarten Cop.
SPEAKER_00:I'll be back.
SPEAKER_01:Then he puts his Terminator hat back on.
SPEAKER_00:I'll be back.
SPEAKER_01:And then we have a little scene from the last action hero. I'll be back. And then we get another scene from Twins. That was with Danny DeVito. And then he has this one from the sixth day. I might be back. He'll be back. And then we're back to the Terminator. 3 and 4. He'll be back. I'm back. And then we'll take you back to Last Action Hero.
SPEAKER_02:Everybody keeps waiting for me to work in. It's kind of like a calling card.
SPEAKER_01:And then total recall. And we get a little Bruce Willis interaction. I'll be back. You've been back enough. I'll be back. And then back to Last Action Hero when Arnold's walking away and he pauses to turn.
SPEAKER_02:I'll be back in Arnold.
SPEAKER_01:And as you know, that line's been used in other movies and cartoons and speeches. I'm willing to bet that you've given that quote a try in your past. Did you lower your voice and make it sound a little choppy? I'll be back. If not, go ahead, give it a try now. I'll turn off the mic, we won't record it. I'll be back. So yeah, six million dollars, a nobody director, and a bodybuilder with seventy-four words of dialogue created a franchise worth two billion dollars. And a cultural icon that's endured for forty years. But here's what makes me stop and think. In 1984, The Terminator was a horror movie. A nightmare. The idea that machines could think and learn on their own and kill without human control? Pretty terrifying stuff. And you fast forward to 2025, and we're actually building those machines now. Autonomous drones and AI weapon systems. Our military tech makes Skynet look weak. Yeah, James Cameron's fever dream with that metal skeleton rising from the flames with the glowing red eyes. Yeah, we jumped and we screamed and we kept buying movie tickets. But maybe we should have been taking notes. Because 40 years later, that nightmare doesn't feel so fictional anymore, does it? Roses are red like the Terminator's eyes. Writing review would be a nice prize. Has Skynet scared the words out of you? Type, I'll be back. Then type, how about you? Imagine you have your own business. And you started it from scratch, selling a product that you use every day and that you love. And so this makes you all in with your business. Especially since you had to scrap and fight to get where you are. And for the last decade, you've been on a great run. Feels pretty good, right? Oh yeah. Now, let's say you've grown this venture into a pretty big deal. But lately, things aren't so hot. The market vibe is changing, and your competitors have caught up and now pass you riding a new wave that just hasn't been your style. You gotta fix this. You gotta do something. And my question is, would you gamble? Would you bet your company's entire future on one person with an endorsement deal unlike any that's ever been done before? Well, I can tell you what Phil did. He gambled on Mike and it paid off big time. So who's Phil, you say? Well, he's this guy who built a running shoe company into a really strong brand of running shoes in the 1970s. But then in the early 80s, his company Nike was struggling. They couldn't keep up with the shoe market that was evolving away from jogging into aerobic trainers and sneakers. And Nike was a running shoe, and back then it was a damned good one. But they didn't have anything going in their sneaker line. Especially out on the basketball court. And that's where Mike comes in. Michael Jordan, that is. Fresh off of winning an Olympic gold medal. No, not the one with the dream team. That came later. And just being drafted by the Chicago Bulls after leaving college hoops early? Yeah, he was the next up and comer. And he loved Adidas basketball shoes. Now he had to wear Converse in his college games because that's what the North Carolina team wore. But in practices, he wore Adidas. And he was not interested in Nike at all. In fact, he even told one of the Olympic team coaches that he'd sign an endorsement deal with anyone except Nike. Well, guess what? Karma wasn't having it. Over at Adidas, their exec team was in disarray because their founder had just recently passed. So they were unable to come up with a decision on a big demand of$250,000 endorsement deal, which is about$800,000 in today's money. But that would have made it the biggest basketball endorsement deal ever. Now the gods of the game in the early 80s were Dr. J, Magic, and Larry Bird. You've heard of them, right? Yeah. All of them wore Converse. Now, I gotta tell you, back then, those Converse shoes were ugly. They were all white high tops, and that little Converse logo, that was the only thing that came in different colors to represent the teams that they played for. So Larry Bird's Converse was all white with a little green coloring in the logo because he played on the Celtics. Anyway, the bigwigs at Converse, they weren't impressed with young Jordan. Their lineup was elite. They had the greatest players of all time in their stable. So when this young hotshot from Chicago came calling, meh, they weren't impressed. They lowballed him. No quarter mill for you, kid. Get in line. Now you have enough hindsight to know that these two companies just blew their chances at working with a player who's widely regarded as the greatest to ever play. Way to go, dummies. So we're headed into the fall of 1984, with the basketball season fast approaching, and the Jordan family was ticking through their options. Adidas, nothing on the table. Converse underwhelmed them with a hundred thousand dollar offer. And then of course, Nike had a two hundred and fifty thousand dollar offer, exactly what Michael's asking for, but he didn't like Nike and didn't want to hear it. So let's meet Dolores Jordan, Michael's mom. And she decided to take charge. She essentially forced her son to get on a plane with her and go hear what Nike had to say. The moment the Jordan family touched ground in Oregon, Nike rolled out the red carpet. Literally. And then eventually they made it to the boardroom. And picture this Nike execs all with their nervous energy sitting around the boardroom table. And sitting right there in the center of the conference room table on a little pedestal, a shoe. And not just any shoe, but a red and black, high top basketball shoe that looked like nothing anyone had ever seen. Their first signature basketball shoe, the Air Jordan.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:They named the shoe after the player. Had never been done before. And Nike upped their offer to a half a million dollars, double their original deal, and nearly what Jordan would make in his entire season playing with the Bulls that first year. That's insane, right? The Jordans should have jumped at this deal. But instead, Dolores leans in and says, there's one more thing. We want royalties. The room is silent. Nike executives are stunned. Are you kidding? This is already the biggest deal in sports history? And you want royalties? No, absolutely not. We're done here. And the Jordans walk out with no deal. Now, of course, after they left, everyone had time to think. Nike was forecasting that the shoe would sell maybe three million dollars over the next four years. So the Jordan royalties would have been some extra pocket money, not that much. And if they were right about the kid, well, it would just be a few dollars. But if they were wrong, Phil Knight, he might be out of a job for the company that he started. Eventually they decided, let's just do it. They called back and made a deal. Now, of course, you already know that Michael Jordan won six championships with the Bulls. He was on the dream team at the Olympics, and he was essentially the face of the NBA after Magic and Larry Bird retired. And eventually he became the first player ever to own majority control of an NBA team. Now, any guesses as to what the first year Air Jordan shoe sales were? Take a guess. Did you say$126 million? Yeah, that equals over$6 million in royalties. And that's just the first year alone. It was way more than the Bulls paid Jordan for that season, more than double what the Lakers paid Magic Johnson that year. In fact, Jordan was making so much from his shoe royalties that he could have paid the entire payroll for two NBA teams because of the salary cap. That's just crazy. Now I got a quick funny side story. In that first year, Nike ran ads explaining that the shoe was banned by the NBA. Remember, the NBA wanted all white high tops with only a smidge of color, not bold red and black, like the statement the Air Jordans made. So they fined MJ$5,000 a game. And guess what? Nike paid every one of those fines. Greatest marketing stunt ever. But here's what I can't stop thinking about. Back on this day in 1984, everyone thought Nike was insane. A struggling shoe company betting everything on a rookie who didn't even want to work with them. The smart move would have been to play it safe, sign a veteran, offer less money, anything. But Phil Knight, he didn't play it safe. And Dolores Jordan, she didn't back down. And today, Michael Jordan's net worth from Air Jordan royalties alone, several billion dollars. Yeah. Just last year, over 20 years after he's retired, he made$300 million from shoes. Yes, that's right. They are still releasing new Air Jordan models every year, in case you didn't know. So the next time someone tells you your idea is crazy, remember the biggest wins come from the bets that everyone else was too scared to make. A time traveler's delight, we soar through the air, just like the goat, beyond all compare. If these tales of greatness made your spirits take flight, please share with your friends. Just do it tonight. What if I told you that Stonehenge, those mysterious giant stones, standing out in the middle of nowhere, wasn't built by aliens or druids, but by ancient astronomers who used them to predict the future. No crystal balls, no magic potions, just rocks, a little bit of math, and generations of pass down knowledge, making them masters of the heavens. Eclipses, solstices, moon cycles, they knew it all. And today I'm going to answer how and why those stones got there. You've seen pictures of the Stonehenge, right? A circle of massive stones, each over ten feet tall, and each one weighing more than a full size SUV, standing there out in the middle of a windswept plain, with nothing around for miles, no buildings, no cities, just stones. Well, let's stride back just over five thousand years or so to a place that's about two hundred miles west of where the stone henge currently sits. Yeah, there's a quarry there where the henge stones were mined out of the ground. And they actually found a spot where fifty-six of these magical stones were originally assembled in a circle in a very specific way. And researchers have been able to figure out that these stones were matched up perfectly to allow those ancient astronomer folks to predict lunar and solar eclipses. And they could also tell the farmers when the longest and shortest days of the year were gonna happen, which is pretty useful when pretty much everyone who lived everywhere was a farmer. Now you're probably thinking, Truman, couldn't any observant person who's got a half a brain and lived long enough be able to do the same thing without a massive collection of stones in the ground? Maybe. But imagine this. You're the keeper of the stones five thousand years ago. Your great-great-grandparents taught you the patterns, and now you know, you literally know that in three days' time, the sun is gonna vanish from the sky. So you tell everyone in the village who will listen. And of course, I don't believe you. They're like, okay, okay, whatever. They can't believe you, right? But then, three days later, at the exact moment you predicted, the sky goes dark, the bird stops singing, the temperature drops a little, and people fall to their knees and stare at you. The master of the heavens. You have magical powers. So now whatever you say becomes law. That's the power Stonehenge gave to its keepers. Of course, these days there are websites that map out the exact path the sun will be on when an eclipse is going to occur. They'll even tell you where the very best shadow's gonna be at the exact time of day. You've seen 'em. We we had one uh last summer. Nothing magical's going on, right? But obviously we have the internet, we have writing, we have written records, we can use all those things to figure out when the eclipses are gonna occur. But way back when you and your smart family of rock readers had your magic stone circle to amaze the masses. So whatever else it is you do, don't forget to teach your children so they too become the master of the heavens. Anyway, the biggest unsolved mystery is why these magical blue stones were moved from their original location to where the Stonehenge sits today a hundred and eighty miles inland. These stones are huge. Like I said, over ten feet tall and weighing in at two tons. They're about the weight of one of today's Toyota Highlanders. Okay, well, if you wanted to move a Highlander that far, it would take maybe three or four hours to drive it. But that's on a highway road, right? Yeah, but of course there were no roads back then, so maybe it takes you a whole day on that rough terrain. But of course there were no vehicles back then either. There weren't even wheels back then. Wheeled carts didn't show up for another thousand years or so. Which leaves us with sleds. People had to drag these stones. Crazy, right? Check this out. In 2016, researchers tried dragging a replica stone with 20 people and they managed to go a whopping one mile per hour on flat ground before collapsing from exhaustion. One mile per hour. Imagine if they tested this going up hills or on muddy ground or when there's rocks and trees they have to go around. Yeah, moving these stones would have taken forever. Why would anyone do such a thing? Just leave the stones where they are. Just master the sun and the moon from way over there instead of doing it right here. Nope, not gonna do that. We want 'em here. Why? The answer is pretty simple. And it's the same throughout all of history. Some crazy leader wanted it done. Now historians have cooked up all kinds of elaborate theories as to why religious ceremonies or tribal unity. But honestly, it's much simpler than that. Some powerful, obsessed leader decided that these stones had to be moved, and he had the manpower to do it. Was it rational? No. But power doesn't have to be rational. Sitting here today, listening to this podcast, I'm pretty sure that you don't have to try very hard to think of an obsessed leader of a powerful nation who makes crazy stuff happen, right? Throughout history, leaders with unchecked authority have forced their people to build pyramids, dig man-made rivers running through deserts, and erect walls along the borders of their country to keep certain people out. And sometimes the really, really crazy leaders have shoved the entire world into a war. Just because they could. Alright, we we've gotten way off track here, people. Let's bring this back to why we're even talking about the Stonehenge today, anyway. Well, it was on this day in history that the monument was donated to the public. Yes, prior to October 26th, 1918, some guy named Cecil Chubb actually owned the property. It was privately owned. I wonder if he was able to figure out how to use the stones to predict eclipses. So a quick funny story about how our man Cecil came to own the Stonehenge in the first place. One day, he was heading off to an auction in a nearby town, kind of like a huge estate sale, with instructions from his wife to pick up a dining room set. She really wanted an upgrade. But she was a little surprised when he returns home and he tells her about this great deal that he Found on a bunch of rocks. Yeah, for just 6,600 pounds, which is about a million dollars in today's money, Cecil became the proud owner of a hundred-ton immovable eclipse predicting machine. I wonder if Mrs. Chubb made him sleep outside that night with his new rock formation. Well, anyway, today about 4,000 people visit the Stonehenge every day. And most of them are amazed as they admire these rocks. But here's what I want you to remember. Five thousand years ago, someone stood in that circle, looked up at the sky, and knew exactly when the sun would go dark, or when the moon would vanish, or when the longest day of the year would arrive without computers or books or anything else to help them, except stones and memory and the determination to pass that knowledge down through the generations. That's power and legacy. And it worked so well that we're still sitting here, thousands of years later, trying to figure out how and why they did it. Oh, and one last thing. If you actually ever do visit, try to go during the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Because on that day, the sun rises perfectly framed by the largest of stones, exactly as those ancient astronomers designed it five thousand years ago. What a ride through time today, folks. We got to stride back to October 26, 1984, the year that gave us AI nightmares and sneaker obsessions. Cameron and Schwarzenegger didn't just make a movie, they made a prophecy. And here's the kicker. That original Terminator predicted Skynet would take over in 2029. Guess what? That's four years from now, folks. Four years. Suddenly all this talk about AI and smart home devices feels a little scary, doesn't it? And while Hollywood was berthing our robot nightmares a few hours north in Oregon, a one-of-a-kind basketball player was sitting down at the table, staring at his one-of-a-kind basketball shoe while signing a one-of-a-kind endorsement contract. Before that signature, athletes endorsed products. After, they were the product. Even to this day, people are talking about MJ as the GOAT while his line of Air Jordans continue to be released. Wow. We then got to stride way, way back to the beginnings of time, before the wheel was even invented, and learn about one of the world's greatest mysteries. And the quirky way this special monument landed in the hands of the public so it could be enjoyed by curious minds from all around the world. Maybe archaeologists will uncover more truths as they continue to dig. October 26th brought us killer robots, game-changing kicks, and some magical stones. Three great stories about what humans created that literally changed our lives forever. It doesn't get much better than this. And guess what? If today's stories made you grin, there are dozens of other stories waiting for you in our back catalog. Movies are your mojo? Well, we cover some other sci-fi characters on May 21st and June 11th. And guess what? Both of them have some great movie quotes. Right up there with I'll be back.
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01:And basketball, it's a common theme around these parts. And you can hear the origin story of the sport on December 21st. Or you can hear about the ball itself on February 12th. Or you can deep dive with Kira Mahoney as she talks about the greatest college basketball coach ever on February 23rd. And if you're someone who thinks the further back in time the better, well, we can fill you up with some ancient times content, such as the founding of Rome on April 21st, or hear Professor Ilona unlock the secrets of the Rosetta Stone on July 15th. Every day has a story and they're so much fun. And we're gonna stride through them all until we're done. We've got some fun names for you on today's birthday list. One of the most popular or least popular lady politicians ever, Hillary Clinton, celebrates another year today. She was a presidential candidate, the first lady, a U.S. senator, and the list goes on. These days, she's on the faculty at Columbia University and even co-taught some classes a year ago. Just a few days ago, she and her husband Bill celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They both marked the occasion with heartfelt posts on social media. But I haven't seen any evidence that they were actually together on that special day. Another famous name for you, Pat Sajak, spins the wheel of time once again today. Did you know he got a start as a weatherman? Now he's no longer the host of Wheel of Fortune, but surely you've watched him and Vanna do their shtick. They partnered together on that show for 40 years. Country singer, writer, and guitarist Keith Urban gets sung to today as he preps for blowing out those candles. He was recently on tour this year, but he had to pause to let his voice box recover. And also, sadly, he's going through a divorce with his longtime wife, Nicole Kidman. Sorry, Keith, it's tough times for you. From the history books of birthdays, we have Henry Derringer. Does that last name ring a bell? Or fire off a shot? He's the inventor of one of the very first concealed weapons, the Derringer Pistol. It was popularized by Western movies, but the most famous one was used by John Wilkes Booth when he assassinated President Lincoln. Have you ever seen the movie Adventures in Babysitting? If not, go check it out. It's actually a funny little flick. It's worth your time. Anyway, actor Anthony Rapp was in that movie, and he's the 50th most famous person born today, according to FamousBirthdays.com. He was on Broadway in the play Rent, and he was also in Star Trek Discovery. Since we're doing movie quotes today, he had a good one. When the babysitter in the movie threatened to kill him, he offered raped. What a punk. And Centenarians Alert, billionaire Birgit Rousing of Sweden turns 101 today. Yeah, according to one source, she's the sixth most wealthy woman in Europe. That's pretty neat. So October 26th is Chicken Fried Steak Day. Yeah. Have you had this delicacy? This is where they tenderize bread and then deep fry a steak and then slather it with gravy. Sounds yummy, right? Well, the town of La Mesa, Texas claims to be the birthplace of this concoction, and they even have an annual chicken fried steak festival every year. But what's weird is you've already missed it because they host the festival in April, even though the holiday is here in October. Go figure. Today is also micro needling day. What? Yeah, I said micro needling, as in a teeny tiny needle. So so what is this? Well, let me tell you. It's a skin treatment that uses tiny needles to stimulate collagen production for a more youthful appearance to your face. Yes, this is a thing. It was invented in the late 90s by a plastic surgeon to help stimulate skin for a firmer, thicker, and smoother look. Yeah. That's right. And when I get to the birthday gift ideas, you're gonna find a link to the home micro needling kit. So we've got hackers, cyber criminals, and fishers with a PH out there, all trying to steal our identity and our money. Well, the heroes protecting us from those scoundrels are celebrated today. It's National Financial Crime Fighters Day. Yeah, it's a thing. And it's been around for seven years now, celebrating the first line of defense against financial crimes. So do you have a loved one who celebrates October 26th? Yeah, well, if you do and you want to make them feel really special about this day, I've got some gift ideas that will turn you into their hero. Why do I say that so confidently, Truman? Well, it's because these gifts are customized to their special day. Not only that, many of these ideas are things they don't already have or own. Totally unique. And guess what else? There are links in the show notes so you can easily find these and order them so they'll be at your place just in time. Like what you ask? Well, did you know that there were six Terminator movies in the franchise? You can get a CD pack of all of them. That way you can binge through them without jumping around all the streaming services. There are also some pretty cool action figures your loved one can display on their desk or their knick-knack shelf. But the real no-brainer from today's episode, Air Jordan's. You can get a pair in any of the retro styles or pretty much every color scheme you can imagine. Check them out on the link I provided. And maybe if your loved one is an MJ fan, a poster or bobblehead of him works even better. Just click the link. And hold the microphone. I found something else that I'm willing to bet no one you know has ever thought to get them. A Stonehenge model kit. They can replicate the real life monument right there on the coffee table. Of course, you'll have to wait till June so you can line it up with the rising of the summer solstice sun. The famous folks that were born today all have some great books, CDs or wall hangings that might be just what you're looking for. Links to those are in the show note, but my favorite from today's birthdays was when I was looking for the Derringer pistol replica. I found a little rubber band shooter shaped like a derringer. Now that's a fun gift idea. Especially if your loved one is sometimes a little immature like me. Now, as promised, I found some micro needling kits and rollers and facial serum. Yeah, that's what they call it, facial serum. That's the goop that will make your face more lovely. I don't think they call it goop though. Alright. So now, no more hemming and hawing about the person who has everything because they do not have a quality chicken fried steak recipe book in their collection. Or any of the other fun gift ideas I mentioned. And of course, if none of those ideas worked, there is one other way to make this day special. You could dedicate a personalized shout out right here on this podcast, and they'll be memorialized forever. Yeah, I can do the shout-out for you if you email me their name and something you want to share, or you can do your own shout-out by using the speakpipe link that's available in the show notes. Today's shout-out is for someone I used to work with who still touches lives today. I'll read what was written about Judy K. Some people shine a light that never fades. Judy is one of them. A woman of faith and compassion, she's walked life's hardest roads with grace, caring for others, raising awareness, and reminding us to love a little deeper every day. She believes in kindness, understanding, and the healing power of connection. Happy birthday to an amazing mom, grandmom, and friend to all. Wow, that's pretty nice. We can only hope that each of us leaves that kind of enduring impression on our loved ones, right? 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. And a special thanks today to my mom and my great friend Michael B. Both of you have consistently reached out to make sure I'm still podcasting. Which means that you often enjoy these wacky stories I find from time to time. Your outreach is much appreciated and part of what keeps me going, so thanks. And yes, it seems like these shows have stretched out a little from once every three weeks to once every three months. But I have lots of ideas floating around in my brain, and sometimes those ideas get me going on tangents. Well, we'll see if anything comes of one of those tangents, but you can feel good that I've looked at options for the next episode in December, and there are some goodies out there. Of course, if anyone has any requests, I'm happy to take on your challenge. Just reach out and let me know. I'm not sure when I'll get back to publishing more often, but time will tell, right? But you don't have to worry because I'll be back. Thanks so much for listening. Until next time, this is Truman Passworthy, reminding you that every day has a great story. And we'll be striding through them all to find some more goodies for you. Knock it out there and make your own great story today.