Hi, I’m Sen, and this is Today in History – the series where you’ll learn about what happened on this day in years past! What’s more, you’ll practice your English listening skills and learn a few new words along the way!

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 1, 1863, slavery was abolished in the Dutch colony of Surinam, South America. Now, this day is known as Ketikoti, which means “the chains are broken”. Every year, Ketikoti celebrates the freedom of the Surinamese people and pushes their government to deal with its colonial history. Last year, in 2021, the mayor of Amsterdam apologized for the city’s part in slavery.

On July 1, 1972, the first official Gay Pride rally in the UK took place in London. Despite facing a large number of police, 2,000 people turned out to march from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park.

On the same day, the first issue of the feminist magazine “Ms.” was published. The superhero Wonder Woman was on the cover. Ms. Magazine was the first feminist magazine in the United States and was started by Gloria Steinem, a journalist and activist who was an important part of second-wave feminism. Ms. changed American journalism by having articles about topics that were often sidelined in other national magazines and newspapers, such as domestic violence and abortion rights.

How was that? Did you manage to feel the rhythm of what was said? Listening like this is a great way to get used to how English generally sounds. But, now, let’s have a second listen. Try focusing more on the meaning of the words this time. See how much of the episode you can understand.

On July 1, 1863, slavery was abolished in the Dutch colony of Surinam, South America. Now, this day is known as Ketikoti, which means “the chains are broken”. Every year, Ketikoti celebrates the freedom of the Surinamese people and pushes their government to deal with its colonial history. Last year, in 2021, the mayor of Amsterdam apologized for the city’s part in slavery.

On July 1, 1972, the first official Gay Pride rally in the UK took place in London. Despite facing a large number of police, 2,000 people turned out to march from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park.

On the same day, the first issue of the feminist magazine “Ms.” was published. The superhero Wonder Woman was on the cover. Ms. Magazine was the first feminist magazine in the United States and was started by Gloria Steinem, a journalist and activist who was an important part of second-wave feminism. Ms. changed American journalism by having articles about topics that were often sidelined in other national magazines and newspapers, such as domestic violence and abortion rights.

Which words caught your attention? Maybe you worked out the meaning of ‘abolish’ — to end something, in this case, slavery in Surinam. It was also probably clear from the context that a ‘rally’ is a large group of people that come together to support a cause. And finally, if something is ‘sidelined’, it means that it’s removed from the main focus or put in a less powerful position, like a sports player who is removed from the game to sit on the sidelines. Remember, you can always have another listen if you want to hear these words again.

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:

abolish: to end sth
rally: a mass meeting of people protesting or supporting a cause
to sideline: to remove from the center of attention, put in a less powerful position