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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com it's.
- [00:28]
Joshua Slocum
Just before noon on April 24, 1895, in Boston, Massachusetts. At the harbor, 51 year old Joshua Slocum hurls a heavy bag onto the deck of his sailboat, a 36 foot sloop named the Spray. Inside the bag are the last clothes and provisions he needs for an epic and historic trip. Joshua intends to become the first person to sail around the world single handedly. His preparations are interrupted by a large steamship in the harbor blasting its horn. Josh Joshua glares at it in disgust. He despises these modern ships with their boilers and engines. For a true seaman like him, there's only one way to travel the sea by sail. As Joshua scowls at the steamer, he barely notices the two figures appear at the dock behind him. His wife, hetty, and his 14 year old son have come to see him off. The atmosphere is awkward. Joshua could be gone for years, so he doesn't know what to say. Rather than embrace his child, Joshua simply straightens the boy's jacket and instructs him to look after his stepmother. His farewell to Hetty is even less sentimental. There's not much affection between them, and Joshua doesn't even kiss her goodbye before turning away and climbing into his boat. Joshua stows his bag in the cramped cabin, finding one last space among all his other supplies. Then, with barely a look back at shore and his family, Joshua pushes off. His boat slowly drifts away from dock, and his journey has begun. Joshua Slocum will spend the next three years circumnavigating the globe alone. Despite his decades of experience, though, the journey will be a perilous one. Joshua doesn't have much money, and his boat is practically an antique. But he is also stubborn and foolhardy, so none of that stops him from setting sail from Boston harbor on April 24, 1895.
- [02:25]
Lindsey Graham
History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment with one connection the experts at Express Employment Professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews and lower your recruitment costs. Visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express Employment professionals can take care of your hiring. What's the greatest innovation in history? Is it the steam engine? The semiconductor? The Internet? The wheel? Let me suggest another hands free Skechers slip ins because, and I know this is true, you secretly hate your shoes. Lacing them up, tying that knot, bending over to wrench your foot in. Forget all of that. Hands free Skechers slip ins revolutionize how you put on and take off your shoes. Just step in and they're on. You never even have to touch them. It's like they have an invisible built in shoe horn. So your foot slides in comfy and secur experience Skechers slip ins at a Skechers store skechers.com history or wherever stylish footwear is sold. And use code history for 20% off site wide. That's Skechers.com history code history for 20%.
- [03:38]
Joshua Slocum
Off standard exclusions apply from noiser and airship I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily History is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is April 24, 1895, the first solo voyage around the world. It's the winter of 1891 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, four years before Joshua Slocum sets sail from Boston Harbor. The 47 year old Joshua is looking out to sea when he hears footsteps behind him and feels a giant hand slap him on the back. It's his old friend Captain Ebenezer Pierce, who has asked Joshua to meet him here. He has something he wants Joshua to see. After a quick hello, Ebenezer steers Joshua to a patch of grass where a derelict sailboat sits rotting near the shore. There are large holes in the hull, its mast is split, and Joshua can barely make out the name spray painted on its bows. But he still instantly falls in love, and when Ebenezer tells him the boat is his, Joshua almost bursts into tears. Ever since he was a child in Nova Scotia, Joshua has been obsessed with the sea. As a boy, he would spend hours fashioning toy boats out of scraps of wood and metal. But whenever Joshua's father found these, he would smash them to pieces. Childish toys and dreams of seeing the world were unacceptable to Joshua's deeply religious father. But each time he broke one of his creations, Joshua would find the pieces and painstakingly put his boats back together again. So it's no surprise that as soon as he was old enough, Joshua ran away from home and began a new life at sea. He traveled the world, sometimes in the employment of others Sometimes on his own, just seeing how far he could go with the wind behind him and the stars above. During one trip, at the age of 27, Joshua traveled all the way to Australia. There he met and fell in love with Virginia Walker, a young American woman living in Sydney. The two married within a month of meeting, then set sail on Joshua's boat. They were soon joined by a growing family. Over the next 13 years, Joshua and Virginia had seven children, delivered at sea or in ports all over the world. It was the life Joshua always dreamed of. But it wasn't to last. In 1884, Virginia fell ill and died in Buenos aires in Argentina. Two years later, Joshua married 24 year old Hetty Elliott and tried to recreate the life he'd had with Virginia by setting sail on an epic voyage with his new bride. But three days out of port, their ship was caught in a hurricane and things went downhill from there. The crew contracted cholera and were forced to quarantine for six months. Then they were attacked by pirates. After such a run of bad luck, Hetty never wanted to set foot on a boat again. But it would take more than a little bad weather, sickness or piracy to stop Joshua from returning to the sea. Unfortunately for him, the following year, he ran a cargo ship aground and lost both the vessel and its contents. This incident left him broke and miserably marooned on dry land. That's what makes Ebenezer's gift today all the more meaningful. Joshua immediately sets to work repairing the rotting vessel. Over the course of the next year, he replaces almost every inch of the 37 foot sloop. He starts by making the hull watertight before moving on to the mast and sails, setting them up in such a way that the boat can virtually sail by itself. Of course, all these repairs cost money. Money that Joshua doesn't have. He and his wife Hetty fight constantly about the ship, but Joshua insists the cost and effort will be worth it, because he has a plan. Sailors have been trying to sail single handedly around the world for years. No one has succeeded so far. But newspapers still seem eager to print stories about the attempts. Joshua is convinced that he can be the man to finally complete the journey. And he believes that when he does, he'll then be able to sell his story for more than enough money to support his family. Hetty remains unconvinced. But Joshua is not to be deterred. And on April 24, 1895, Hetty can only watch as Joshua sets off on his voyage. She knows he may not return. The sea has taken younger and stronger men than him many times before. So if Joshua Slocum is to survive and become the first person to circumnavigate the globe alone, he will need all his years of experience, the help of strangers along the way, and more than a little bit of luck.
- [08:34]
Unknown Sponsor
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- [09:16]
Lindsey Graham
One thing I've noticed in my business is that by the time a problem reveals itself, it's already too late. You might say we need help now.
- [09:23]
Joshua Slocum
But it's more like we needed help.
- [09:25]
Lindsey Graham
Six weeks ago, but we are only just figuring that out. And if the help you need is a new hire, well, get ready for more waiting unless you turn to indeed. How fast is Indeed? Well, in the minute I've been Talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed according to Indeed Data Worldwide. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs. There are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. Listeners of History Daily will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@indeed.com onthisday just go to indeed.com onthisday right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com on this day, terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you.
- [10:25]
Joshua Slocum
It's early morning on April 13, 1896 in a bay in the Strait of Magellan on the southern tip of Chile. Sitting aboard his boat, the Spray, Joshua Slocum stares at the angry looking sky and the wind whipping across the steel gray seas in the distance. It's been nearly a full year since he set off in his attempt to become the first man to sail solo around the world, but he's been stuck in this same stretch of water for weeks. The Strait of Magellan is a route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It's safer than traveling through the wild seas around Cape Horn a few hundred miles further South. But the strait is still notoriously difficult to navigate. Joshua has had to call on all his experience to pilot a path through the treacherous currents. And now the end is in sight. He can see the Pacific. But every time he tries to break out of the strait into the open waters of the ocean beyond, fierce storms have driven him back. Making matters worse, Joshua's supplies are running low. Before he set off, he'd hoped to write about his journey and sell the stories to newspapers back home. But he's found it hard to deliver articles on time. The winds and tides don't follow printing press schedules, and Joshua has missed so many deadlines that no newspaper will publish him anymore. This financial setback has meant Joshua hasn't been able to replenish his supplies as much as he'd planned. And instead of replacing damaged equipment, he's having to make do and mend. This means he's trying to circle the globe without a working chronometer. This precise timepiece is an essential tool of navigation, enabling a sailor to precisely calculate their position on Earth. But Joshua didn't have the $15 he needed to fix his, so he's using an alternate method known as dead reckoning. This older, more difficult technique technique relies on taking measurements from the sun, moon and stars to navigate across the oceans. But even if he did have all the right gear, none of it would help him now. Joshua knows where he is. He just wants the weather and currents to let him leave. And as he watches the skies, Joshua feels the wind begin to shift and his spirits lift. Soon a strong breeze is blowing from the southeast, exactly the right direction to carry him clear through the strait and out into the Pacific. Quickly, Joshua pulls up anchor and sets.
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Lindsey Graham
Out of the bay, where he's taken.
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Joshua Slocum
Shelter with the wind at his back. The spray cuts sharply through the waves, but ahead at the mouth of the strait, the seas are even rougher. Gripping the helm, Joshua urges his little boat on. The wind howls through the rigging as he spots the last outcrop of rock in the strait before the Pacific Ocean. Freezing water whips across the deck, almost blinding Joshua, and for a moment, he worries the spray will be dashed against the rocks. But then, suddenly, he's passed. And then, throughout the Strait of Magellan, the spray groans beneath him as the roaring currents beyond take hold of his hull and try to drag the boat off course. But with the powerful southeasterly wind still pushing on it and Joshua's steady arm at the wheel, the spray claws its way through the fast moving waters and finally reaches the Pacific. For the next two weeks, Joshua sails up the coast of Chile, replenishing what supplies he can. He then turns west into the vast tracts of ocean lying between him and Australia. The journey across the Pacific takes him months, but as he nears the Australian coastline, his physical exhaustion is matched by a new ache. Sydney, Australia, is where he met his first wife and the love of his life, Virginia. And when he reaches Sydney in mid October 1896, Joshua is overcome by memories. He spends the next few weeks close to shore, meeting with locals eager to hear about his journey. But by early December, it's time to leave again, and Joshua bids a fond farewell to the city that gave him so much. Thousands of miles and many months of sailing still lie between Joshua and his final destination. But the greatest difficulty Joshua will face won't be stormy waters or hostile ports. Instead, it will be an unexpected and unwanted addition to his crew.
- [14:30]
Lindsey Graham
History Daily is sponsored by Strangers in.
- [14:33]
Joshua Slocum
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- [14:35]
Lindsey Graham
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- [15:16]
Joshua Slocum
And a treatment called a truby, also.
- [15:18]
Lindsey Graham
Called achorama, could be important for you.
- [15:20]
Joshua Slocum
Or a loved one. Atruby is a prescription medicine used to.
- [15:23]
Lindsey Graham
Treat adults with ATTRCM to reduce death and hospitalization due to heart issues. In one study, people taking atrubey saw.
- [15:30]
Joshua Slocum
An impact on their health related quality.
- [15:32]
Lindsey Graham
Of life and 50% fewer hospitalizations due.
- [15:35]
Joshua Slocum
To heart issues than people who didn't.
- [15:36]
Lindsey Graham
Take Atruby, giving you more chances to do what you love with who you love. Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan.
- [15:42]
Joshua Slocum
To become pregnant, or are breastfeeding and.
- [15:44]
Lindsey Graham
About the medications you take.
- [15:45]
Joshua Slocum
The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain.
- [15:49]
Lindsey Graham
If you have attrcm, talk to your cardiologist about a Truby or visit attruby.com.
- [15:55]
Joshua Slocum
That'S att r u b-y.com to learn more. It's April 1898 off the coast of the tiny island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. A year and four months after Joshua Slocum left Sydney, Australia, Joshua scrambles across his weather worn sloop, the Spray. He's traveled almost all the way around the world, but he's never faced anything like this. A small goat is clattering across the deck in terror, evading Joshua's desperate grabs. This animal was a gift to Joshua from a Mississippi mischievous American he met on St Helena. The man assured him it would be as companionable as a dog. But a few minutes ago, Joshua woke from a nap to find the goat munching on his rations. And scattered all across the deck were pieces of sail, rope and even a map of the West Indies that had already fallen victim to the goat's ravenous appetite. So now Joshua chases after the goat, but it slips through his fingers at every turn. After several aborted attempts to grab the animal, Joshua finally relents. One thing he has is time. So he decides to wait for the goat to tire. When it finally lies down to rest, Joshua ties a bowline around the creature's neck, giving the animal the shortest of leashes. A few days later, Joshua stops off at the British garrison on ascension Island, a volcanic dot in the ocean 1300 miles off the coast of Brazil. There, Joshua restocks his supplies and gets rid of his rebellious crew member. He hands the goat over to a Scottish sailor stationed on the island and swears never to take another animal on board for the rest of the voyage. Back on the Spray and alone again, Joshua sets a course for home. Just two months later, early on June 27, 1898, Joshua enters Port in Rhode Island. It's the end of a journey that no other person in history has ever completed. But there's no crowd of well wishers waiting, no journalists from the press. Even his family doesn't come to greet him. It's a sad homecoming for a man who has been away so long. But Joshua's achievements don't go unnoticed. A year after his return, he publishes an account of his 46,000 mile journey that becomes an instant classic of travel literature. But despite his newfound fame, Joshua will struggle to find happiness on dry land. So in 1908, at the age of 60, 64, he will hoist sails on the Spray again and set off on one final journey. Neither Joshua nor his ship will ever be seen again. No one knows exactly when or how Joshua Slocum died. But one thing is certain. His final resting place was at the bottom of the ocean. A fitting gravesite for a man who spent his life on the waters and who began his most famous voyage of all on April 24, 1895. Next on History Daily April 25, 1983 Soviet leader Yuri Andropov invites an American schoolgirl to visit the Soviet Union from Noiser and Airship. This is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Molly Bok Supervising Sound Designer Matthew Filler Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nichols. Edited by Joel Callan Managing Producer Emily Burke Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.
- [19:41]
Al Franken
We're at a critical moment right now with Trump throwing the global economy into chaos. And on the Al Franken Podcast, we're diving into what's really happening. Not just the headlines, but the actual impact on the lives of everyday Americans. I'm Al Franken and in addition to being a five time Emmy Award winning SNL writer, four time New York Times bestselling author, and former U.S. senator, I host what I think is a pretty great podcast. Every week. I bring on fantastic guests who know the ins and outs of Washington policy experts who can help break down complex issues and legal jargon. And yeah, also my comedy friends who help us have some desperately needed laughs. If you're trying to make sense of this living nightmare, follow the Al Franken Podcast on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcast. You can listen to the Al Franken Podcast ad free on Wondry plus.