Episode 807: Another Glitch in the Matrix

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On This Day In History for June 17, 2026

This is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 197 days remaining in 2026.

• It was on this date in 1579 that Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
• 419 years ago The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.
• Today in 1631, Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
• Also today in 1673, French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reach the Mississippi River and become the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.
• It was 242 years ago today that Cúcuta, Colombia, is discovered by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
• 176 years ago today, In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace are established as a result.
• June 17, 1885, The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
• Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison 76 years ago today.
• Also today in 1940, The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
• It was 71 years ago today that Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
• 52 years ago, The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord’s Prayer in public schools.
• Also today in 1967, The People’s Republic of China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
• STS-51-G Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist on this date in 1985.
• It was 21 years ago today that Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Happy birthday goes out on this date to:

• French astronomer and cartographer César-François Cassini de Thury born on this date in 1714.
• Also born on this date in 1800, the 3rd Earl of Rosse and Anglo-Irish astronomer, William Parsons/
• An inventor who receives far less credit than is due, Ruth Graves Wakefield would have been 112 today, she is credited with creating the chocolate chip cookie.
• Armenian chess player Tigran Petrosian was born June 17, 1929.
• American engineer of many aircraft innovations, Burt Rutan turns 72 today.
• and our lovable Rory from Doctor Who, actor Arthur Darvill is 33.

Listener Birthdays

• 17 – Digital Dan from the Hook Show
• 18 – Luke (platypuss72)
• 18 – Xianfox from Appleton
• 19 – Steven (sphen603)
• 21 – Ascii Adam from the Hook Show
• 22 – Lance Heath
• 22 – Jack Stevens
• 22 – Chris Martinez

And that’s the way it was, on this day in history for June 17, 2026

• If you want to get on the Technorama Birthday Calendar, visit our website and look for the Birthday Calendar link.

News

• NASA’s Webb Detects Methane on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS – NASA Science

Hacks & Strange Stories

• Scientists gave an octopus a mirror. Here’s what happened next  | Discover Wildlife
• Scientists discover a strancge property in rice and turn it into a smart material | ScienceDaily

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Remember When

• Scientists Identify The World’s Biggest Known Scorpion, The Size of a Dog : ScienceAlert

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Question of the week

• Scientists proved octopuses can use mirrors as tools, but what do you think an octopus actually says to itself when it looks in the mirror for the first time?

Patreon Topic this week

• What Chuck bought at a Star Trek auction

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