This Week in History- May 5th – May 11th

(2000s – Present) Growing Up and Moving On: ‘Friends’ Finale Premieres, 2004

 

After 10 years, the hit sitcom “Friends” aired its final episode on May 6th, 2004. Titled “The Last One”, viewers watched as the characters they had come to love finally got resolution for their storylines. For those not familiar with Friends, the show’s premise was centered around a group of 6 friends as they navigate the struggles of being young adults in New York City. The show was beloved by many for being funny and for the realistic topics that many young adults face as they try to navigate the world for the first time.

Before the premiere of the final episode, The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, published a full-page story talking all about the iconic sitcom and how the cast felt on reflection of the series wrapping for good. One section of this page that stood out to me was the predictions made by Friends fans in eastern Iowa on how the series would conclude. Many believed there would be a love triangle between Rachel, Ross, and the barista from Central Perk, Gunther. Some even went as far as to predict that Rachel and Gunther would end up together, despite Ross being the father of her child. It was generally agreed that the most likely outcome for Monica and Chandler would see them finally adopting a child and completing their family. For Phoebe and Mike, some predicted they would form a band together, while others thought they would purchase Central Perk so Phoebe had a permanent place to perform. And for Joey, most fans didn’t have a certain guess for what he would be doing, as they knew he would be starring in his spin-off series going forward. The most creative prediction, in my opinion, would have to be the person who guessed that Monica would gain weight again (something that she struggled with as a character in her past), and the series would end with her eating everyone else. I won’t spoil the end for you by confirming which of these happened, but I can tell you that it didn’t end in cannibalism.

According to the numbers published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette just two days after the premiere, the final episode was watched by an estimated 51 million people in the United States, making it one of the most-watched series finales of all time. They also shared the results of an online poll to see how viewers felt about the way it concluded, and 77% said they were satisfied with the ending. The last episode may have aired in 2004, but over 20 years later, Friends continues to be one of the most iconic sitcom series beloved by thousands of viewers!

(1980s – 2000s) Music as a Movement: Bob Marley Passes Away, 1981

 

On the topic of icons, it was on this week in 1981 that the world lost a music star. Bob Marley was a pioneer of music and social justice, widely recognized for changing the very definition of Reggae music. Marley’s music was best known for the themes that spanned across each album, where he promoted social justice, love, kindness, and unity. Born in Jamaica, Marley helped encourage many social movements both in his home country and abroad, and his music served as songs of protest for the oppressed. Outside of his strong impact on the political sphere, he also popularized reggae music across the world, bringing the unique style to new ears. He sadly passed away from cancer on May 11, 1981. In an obituary published in The Gloucester Daily Times on May 12th, 1981, they reflected on his short but impactful life. Of his music, they wrote of how it “reflected his angry, often tragic view of the world, as well as his deep belief in the rastafarian teachings”. He is remembered not only for his incredible impact on reggae and the music industry as a whole, but also for his contributions to social justice movements. 

The Kentucky Derby is one of America’s longstanding horse races, happening each year on the first Saturday in May. The nation’s fastest and strongest horses come together to compete in front of a crowd of almost 150,000 spectators. Some of the most iconic racing horses have participated in the Kentucky Derby, including Secretariat, who is ranked the second-best US racehorse of the 20th century. On May 5th, 1973, Secretariat put on an incredible performance that won him the Kentucky Derby. Alongside rider Ron Turcotte, he set a record time of 1:59, beating second place by 2 ½ lengths. While his performance was applauded by many, Turcotte wasn’t so fast to praise him. In The Fall River Herald News, he was quoted as saying that “he ran pretty well for a crippled horse”, and could have run faster if he wasn’t dealing with an injury. Despite this critique, Secretariat continued to win the Triple Crown that year, making him the first horse in 25 years to do so. This performance and many more have landed him recognition as one of the greatest race horses in American history. He has been inducted into many halls of fame, including the US Racing Hall of Fame (1974) and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (2013).

You may be wondering what the legacy of this iconic racehorse is, and my answer to that question would be to look at the 2025 Kentucky Derby. This year, every horse competing in the Kentucky Derby is a descendant of Secretariat. As one of the strongest horses, he sired more than 660 foals who carry on his legacy as star racehorses. Because of this, it is not strange for so many horses to be descended from him, but it is, however, unique that his lineage is shared among every horse competing in this year’s Kentucky Derby! 

From May 4th to May 8th, 1942, the United States was engaged in a major naval battle with Japan. This battle, referred to as the Battle of the Coral Sea, engaged Japanese and allied naval forces as well as air forces in a key strategic victory for the Allies. It was during this battle that the USS Lexington was sunk by Japan, and dozens of Japanese ships were sunk by the Allies. What made this battle so significant is the fact that it was the first carrier vs carrier battle in the world. It changed the modern understanding of naval warfare by incorporating carrier ships in its attacks. The Norfolk Daily News updated its readers on the battle’s progress on May 8th, 1942, referring to it as the “greatest naval battle of the new world war”. At that time, estimates were ranging from 8 to 12 Japanese battle ships had been sunk, and belief in the allied forces remained strong. And they were right to assume that the Japanese could not stand much longer, as the battle soon ended in an Allied victory on the Coral Sea. 

Most of us are familiar with the story of Pompeii, where a volcanic eruption wiped an entire city off the map, burying it in ash in 79 AD. However, not many people are familiar with a similar eruption that killed almost four times as many people. Mount Pelee rests on the French Caribbean island of Martinique and was responsible for the deaths of 30,000 people living in the city of Saint Pierre. Weeks before the eruption, in April of 1902, volcanic activity began, but not enough to worry the citizens. As the days went on, activity increased, but residents remained. They believed that the biggest threat an eruption could pose to them was lava flow, which would be slow enough for them to evacuate from. The day before the eruption, a volcano on a nearby island exploded and killed over a thousand people. In the early morning hours of May 8th, 1902, Mount Pelee finally exploded in a blast of boiling ash. The ash moved down the mountainside at speeds of 300 mph, quickly burying the entire city of St Pierre in a matter of minutes. Nearly every resident in the city (around 30,000) was killed in an instant as they were blanketed by boiling ash, virtually wiping the city off the map. Only 2 people were said to survive the explosion, one of whom was in a cell deep underground in the city. The Amersbury Daily News reported on the catastrophe, describing the city as a “heap of smoking ruins”. They also reported that the Governor, who was currently up for election at the time of the eruption, was dead without a doubt. Despite the almost complete ruin that the city of St Pierre was left in after this disaster, it is mostly cleaned up today. Not much remains of the ruins that were created by Mount Pelee, and now it is mostly a tourist attraction for visitors to the beautiful Caribbean island.

I hope you enjoyed learning about some new legends in history! Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales.