19 July - Today in History (Advanced)

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00:27

Hi, I’m Sen and this is Today in History — the audio journey through time where you’ll learn about interesting moments from the past. All while improving your listening skills.

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00:44

I’d recommend listening to this episode twice. First time through, don’t worry about understanding exactly what is being said. It’s not about trying to recognize every word, but rather listening to the sounds and getting used to the rhythm of the speech. Then, on the second time through, you can try and focus more on the words, phrases and their meaning.

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01:12

Let’s begin. So, what happened today in history?

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01:23

On July 19, 1834, French painter and sculptor Edgar Degas was born in Paris. Regarded as a founder of Impressionism, he rather saw himself as a realist, drawing inspiration from the human figure as well as Parisian life. One of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century, he was a leading influence for Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

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01:59

On the same day in 1979, the Sandinista rebels overthrew the President of Nicaragua, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, marking the end of the Somoza family’s 46-year dictatorship. Nicaragua was then ruled by the Sandinista National Liberation Front until 1990, whose leader, Daniel Ortega, returned as president in 2007.

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02:34

On July 19, 1983, the first 3D reconstruction of a human head from CT scans was published. Since then, CT imaging has become a vital part of the medical profession. CT stands for ‘computerized tomography’ – it allows doctors to see images of the inside of a body using both X-rays and a computer.

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03:10

How did you find that? Listening like this is a great way to absorb the general meaning. But now, rewind, and have a second listen. Try focusing more on the individual words this time. See if you can understand as much of the whole episode as possible.

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03:36

That’s it for today! Want more historical facts? Be sure to check out a new episode of Today in History tomorrow!

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The birth of Edgar Degas, the end of President Somoza's rule, and a medical first… Join us and discover what happened on this day in the past, all while improving your listening skills and learning a few new words along the way. We’d love to hear your feedback or suggestions – you can email us at podcasting@babbel.com. We've simplified these events to give you short and snappy listening practice. Facts are accurate as of June 2021.