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! 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 10, 1917, the political activists and writers Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were put in jail in the United States for trying to stop the draft. At the time, there was a new law letting the government force men to fight in the First World War. Goldman and Berkman were anti-government and anti-war, and wanted to protect people’s freedom. They created the No Conscription League to try to stop the draft and support people who refused military service.

Two years later, on July 10, 1919, the Dutch parliament gave women the right to vote. After the First World War, there was great social change in Europe. One example is women’s suffrage, which was achieved in several European countries during the interwar period.

On July 10, 1942, Lopo do Nascimento was born. He became Angola’s first Prime Minister in 1975, when it became independent from Portugal. He served until the position was abolished three years later.

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. If there’s any you don’t understand, don’t worry. I’ll explain some of the more difficult ones afterwards.

On July 10, 1917, the political activists and writers Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were put in jail in the United States for trying to stop the draft. At the time, there was a new law letting the government force men to fight in the First World War. Goldman and Berkman were anti-government and anti-war, and wanted to protect people’s freedom. They created the No Conscription League to try to stop the draft and support people who refused military service.

Two years later, on July 10, 1919, the Dutch parliament gave women the right to vote. After the First World War, there was great social change in Europe. One example is women’s suffrage, which was achieved in several European countries during the interwar period.

On July 10, 1942, Lopo do Nascimento was born. He became Angola’s first Prime Minister in 1975, when it became independent from Portugal. He served until the position was abolished three years later.

Which words caught your attention? ‘Conscription’ or ‘the draft’ is when a government makes its people fight in a war. Goldman and Berkman founded the No Conscription League to try to stop the draft. And what about ‘suffrage’? Simply put, it means ‘the right to vote’, in this case for women in Europe. And finally, you might remember the word ‘abolish’ from a previous episode. It means bringing something to an end or removing it — in this case, the position of Prime Minister in Angola.

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:

conscription: when a government makes its people fight in a war
suffrage: the right to vote
abolish: to bring sth to and end / to do away with sth / to remove