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Mary Lou Retton / NBA / Macarena

On This Day (August 3): Your quick daily trip back in time.

Author

Fatih Taskiran
August 03, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

🌟 Editor's Note

Good morning! It's Sunday, Aug. 3, and we're discovering the first voyage of Christopher Columbus, Mary Lou Retton's incredible performance, the NBA's birth, and Macarena, the song (and that dance?) that my generation will never forget.

Oh, and the unexpected alliance in today's Strange Times story will blow your mind.

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🚀 Time Machine

-1492

The first voyage of Christopher Columbus to the "Indies" began from the Spanish port of Palos with three ships—the Santa María, Pinta, and Niña.

-1596

German astronomer and priest David Fabricius discovered the light variation of Mira, the first variable star.

-1795

The Treaty of Greenville ended two decades of hostility between the United States and the Northwest Indian Federation.

-1914

-1936

American sprinter Jesse Owens wins the 100m (10.3 seconds) in front of Adolf Hitler in a famous race at the Berlin Olympics, first of 4 gold medals at the Games.

-1949

The Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) merged to form the NBA after three years of rivalry.

-1972

The US Senate ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union to limit the use of missile systems capable of defending against missile-delivered nuclear weapons.

-1984

Mary Lou Retton performing a consecutive “10,” pulling a perfect vault after a dazzling floor routine at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. She's the first woman from the U.S. to win any Olympic medal in women's gymnastics, not just the all-around.

-1996

'Macarena' hits #1 on the American pop charts and spends more time on the Billboard Hot 100 (60 weeks) than any other song in history.

-2017

Camila Cabello releases her single "Havana" (2018's biggest song, 19 million copies sold).

-2017

Neymar transfers from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record €222 million on a five-year contract.

📸 Snapshot

💬 Final Words

❝

Am I dying, or is this my birthday?

🤯 Strange Times

Frenemies at War: WWII’s Strangest Partnership

When you think you've heard every weird WWII story, along comes the Battle of Castle Itter. Deep in the Austrian Alps, amid the crumbling ruins of Hitler's empire, a strange alliance emerged. Castle Itter, a medieval fortress-turned-Nazi prison, housed high-profile captives including tennis stars and French political VIPs. Prisoners faced an imminent threat as Nazi guards fled their posts, fleeing the imminent defeat: a ruthless SS death squad heading their way.

But fate had one last twist: Josef Gangl, a decorated German officer weary of the war and disgusted by Nazi fanaticism, sought help from the unlikeliest allies—American tank troops stationed nearby. Ironically, American and German soldiers teamed up to repel the SS attackers. This surreal coalition, making Castle Itter, is the only documented instance of American and German troops fighting together during WWII.

🏆 FlashQuiz

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