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

You’ll hear today’s historical events twice. First time through, don’t worry about understanding exactly what is being said. Just listen, and get used to the sounds and rhythm of the speech. Then, on the second time through, you can try and focus more on the words, phrases and their meaning.

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

On July 19, 1834, French artist Edgar Degas was born in Paris. Many people considered him an Impressionist artist, but he saw himself as more of a realist. He enjoyed painting people, particularly dancers. Degas became one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century and was an influence for Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

On the same day in 1979, the Sandinista rebels overthrew President Somoza of Nicaragua. This ended 46 years of dictatorship by the Somoza family. Nicaragua was then ruled by the Sandinista party until 1990. The party returned to power in 2007 and has ruled ever since.

On July 19, 1983, the first 3D image of a human head from CT scans was published. Since then, CT scans have become a key part of the medical profession.

How was that? This kind of listening is great for getting used to how English really sounds. And, at the same time you might have understood some of the main themes. If you didn’t on the first listen, then no worries — let’s listen again.

On July 19, 1834, French artist Edgar Degas was born in Paris. Many people considered him an Impressionist artist, but he saw himself as more of a realist. He enjoyed painting people, particularly dancers. Degas became one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century and was an influence for Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

On the same day in 1979, the Sandinista rebels overthrew President Somoza of Nicaragua. This ended 46 years of dictatorship by the Somoza family. Nicaragua was then ruled by the Sandinista party until 1990. The party returned to power in 2007 and has ruled ever since.

On July 19, 1983, the first 3D image of a human head from CT scans was published. Since then, CT scans have become a key part of the medical profession.

Which words caught your attention? You might know that a ‘realist’ is a type of artist who likes to recreate things exactly as they are in real life. We’ve come across ‘rebel’ before. It’s someone who fights against a leader or ruler. How about ‘dictatorship’? This is a government ruled by a single leader who has total power over the country. And, a ‘CT scan’? Well, ‘CT’ actually stands for ‘computerized tomography’ — which are both quite technical words! But a ‘CT scan’ is just a way for doctors to see images of the inside of your body, using both X-rays and a computer.

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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Episode notes:
 
realist: an artist who recreates things exactly as they are in real life 
rebel: someone who fights against a leader or ruler 
dictatorship: a government ruled by a dictator — a single leader with total power over a country 
CT scan: (CT: computerized tomography) — a way for doctors to see images of the inside of your body, using both X-rays and a computer