Hi, I’m Sen, and this is Today in History – the audio journey through time where you’ll learn about what happened on this day in years past!

You should try and listen to today’s historical events at least twice. First time through, you don’t need to worry about understanding everything. You should just let the sounds and rhythm wash over you. Then, the second time through, you can focus more on the words and phrases themselves.

Are you ready? Then let’s begin. Here’s what happened today in history.

July 2, 1900, marks the maiden voyage of the Zeppelin airship. With five people on board, it took off from a floating hangar on Lake Constance, southern Germany, and traveled six kilometers in 17 minutes.

On the same day in 1925, Patrice Lumumba was born in what is today called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At that time, the country, known then as Belgian Congo, was still under colonial rule. Lumumba was one of Africa’s most vocal critics of colonialism and fought for independence from Belgium. He advocated for a united Congo and Pan-African ideals and went on to play an important role in his country’s independence, becoming its first prime minister in 1960.

On July 2, 1956, Elvis Presley recorded his version of the song “Hound Dog” The original was actually recorded three years prior by Big Mama Thornton, who was an African-American rhythm-and-blues singer. Thornton’s rendition of “Hound Dog” is commemorated in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.” for its undeniable influence on the genre.

How was that? I hope you managed to listen without thinking too much about the exact meaning. Listening like this is a great way to hone your fluency. Now, rewind, and have a go at focusing more on the content of the episode. See if you can make sense of individual words and sentences.

Well, that’s all for today! Be sure to join me on tomorrow’s episode of Today in History.