Between the late hours of July 29th and the early morning of July 30th, 2013, the town of Tavares, Florida, was shaken after a nearby explosion. The blast came from a nearby Blue Rhino Propane Plant, where a massive explosion broke out in the facility. The plant was used to refurbish and refill old propane tanks, which contained highly flammable materials. Reports found in The Gazette, published on July 31st, 2013, stated that the cause of the explosion was believed to be either a human or equipment error. While 8 workers were injured, 5 of which were in critical condition, thankfully, there were no deaths from the disaster. In the days following, the incident was investigated by OSHA and the US Department of Labor, as well as a lawsuit from 5 of the workers. They sued Blue Rhino, alleging that the company ignored safety training and didn’t properly disclose the hazards of some elements of the job. In 2015, they reached a $52,000 settlement with the help of OSHA.
On August 3rd, 1984, USA Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton wrote her name in the history books. Retton, a member of the USA Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team, was only 16 years old when she became the first American woman to win gold in an individual gymnastics event. In the Individual All Around, Mary Lou Retton scored perfect 10s on Vault and Floor, landing her in first place. The individual All-around medal was one of 5 gold medals awarded to Retton during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the most of any athlete that year. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, just 5 weeks before the Olympics were set to begin, Retton damaged her knee, yet managed to recover in time to compete. Mary Lou Retton, who came from Fairmont, West Virginia, became a hometown hero. In the Mineral Daily News, published on August 3rd, 1984, they announced a Mary Lou Retton Appreciation Day, which was to take place in her hometown on September 21st. At the time of the articles writing, she had not yet won her medal, but her fans watching from home were ready to celebrate her no matter the outcome. The town’s mayor was even quoted as saying, “Gold medal or no gold medal, she has done very well for Fairmont, for Marion County, and for the state of West Virginia”. Mary Lou Retton was the first of many gold medals to be awarded to the US Women’s Gymnastics team in the following years, and paved the way for continued success on the international stage.
(1945 – 1980s) Back to Back: Typhoon Vera Hits Taiwan, 1977
In 1977, just 6 days after Taiwan was destroyed by Typhoon Thelma, the island was hit by another typhoon. Typhoon Vera developed on July 28th, 1977, and struck Taiwan on July 31st, reaching top speeds of 125 mph. This second typhoon furthered the already extensive destruction from the first, and added 25 deaths to the total fatalities of that year’s typhoon season. An article published in the Daily Dispatch, printed in Moline, Illinois, described a scene of complete destruction as Typhoon Vera broke the records which had been set less than a week before by Thelma. The typhoon was one of many that have struck Taiwan and other parts of the Pacific over the years. In fact, this wasn’t the first or most destructive ‘Typhoon Vera’. One thing I learned from researching this event is that a lot of typhoons share the same names, and it’s very easy to get confused. Make sure if you’re ever researching Typhoon Vera, you’re looking for the right one; otherwise, you might get the 1959 and 1977 typhoons confused!
The 1936 Summer Olympics, hosted by Germany in Berlin, were highly controversial. While it was the year the torch relay was introduced, it has been infamous for its problematic history. Despite various attempts to boycott, the games continued, and resulted in an opportunity for Hitler to push propaganda of a united Germany towards other countries, as all eyes turned to watch the pros compete. As the games approached, Germany began to ease up on its anti-Jewish rhetoric, removing many signs designating anti-Jewish areas from public areas. Many historians agree that the 1936 games were used by Hitler to promote his concept of a “superior aryan race”, a plan that was foiled by African American athletes like Jesse Owens.
It seems clear to me that while 15 of the athletes on Team USA were African American, they were still treated differently from their white counterparts on the same teams. In an article published on July 29th, 1936, in the Newark Evening News, they repeatedly described the athletes as “negroes”, while giving no such nickname to their white teammates. Further, it seems that there was some idea that since they had a different skin color, they would acclimate differently to the environment, and it seems they were quite surprised to find they “acclimated quickly”. On August 3rd, the Newark Evening News also shared that Jesse Owens’ record time in the quarterfinals of the 100m dash wouldn’t be accepted because there was “too strong back wind,” which gave him an advantage. This is just one example of many challenges black athletes faced during the 1936 Olympics. Despite this treatment, the athletes of color excelled during that year’s Olympics.
(1824 – 1914) Preparing for Battle: Word of World War Travels, 1914
Finally, this week in 1914, the world began to prepare for World War I. In the Evening Mail on August 3rd, they spoke of alleged reports of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which we now know to be true. Germany had begun to invade France, Austria was being invaded by Russia, and it was believed that England had likely declared war or was near a declaration. The US announced its neutrality that day, but would later be forced into the war. This week was full of movement and preparation, and it is a highly interesting time to look back upon, as a lot of reports were full of uncertainty and fear over the potential of a world war.
Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales.
Explore the “Read All About It” archives to read stories that spotlight our partners and their communities, announcements from our team, updates on current projects, and so much more. Discover articles about engagement, outreach, primary sources, community, digitization, education, and other topics of interest. Delve into the happenings in this week in history and take a deep dive into the events and people who helped shape our communities, our nation, and the world.
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