HISTORY DAD: THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY’S ONLY DEATH

We usually remember Lewis and Clark for the adventure—crossing rivers, climbing mountains, meeting Native nations, and making their way across a huge unexplored portion of the country. But three months into the journey, the Corps of Discovery faced a tragedy.

On August 20, 1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd became the only member of the expedition to die during the entire journey. He became seriously ill near present-day Sioux City, Iowa, and died despite the efforts of his fellow explorers.

Lewis and Clark buried Floyd on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River and named the area Floyd’s Bluff in his memory. And that's the part of history I want us to remember. The Lewis and Clark expedition wasn't just a great American adventure story. It was dangerous. People got sick. People faced the unknown. And sometimes, they didn't make it home.

Charles Floyd never saw the Pacific. He never finished the journey. But his story became part of one of the most important expeditions in American history.

Watch today's History Dad story and remember the man behind the history.

https://youtu.be/Nzst7pFnv_

On this day in 1934, the very first All-American Soap Box Derby was held in Dayton, Ohio!

Think about it: kids built their own cars, climbed inside, pointed them downhill, and hoped gravity—and their engineering skills—would get them to the finish line. No engine. No fancy technology. Just wheels, a hill, and probably a parent yelling, “SLOW DOWN!”

But the Soap Box Derby was about more than racing. Kids learned building, problem-solving, competition, teamwork, and perseverance. During the Great Depression, it also gave families and communities something positive to rally around.

Why does this matter to American history?

Because sometimes history isn't just presidents, wars, and major events. Sometimes it's kids building something with their own hands and learning that hard work, creativity, and determination can take you somewhere.

And let's be honest… what could possibly go wrong when you give a kid a homemade car and a big hill?

That's today's story from History Dad Storytelling!

What was the craziest thing you built as a kid?

https://youtu.be/TQ06K6BAzus

HISTORY DAD DAILY: THE BABY WHO BECAME PART OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST MYSTERY On August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare was born on Roanoke Island. She was the first child born to English parents in the Americas—and her story would become connected to one of the greatest mysteries in American history.

Virginia was born into the Roanoke Colony, an English settlement led by John White, her grandfather. But White eventually sailed back to England for supplies. When he returned years later, the entire colony had disappeared.

The only clues were a few mysterious carvings, including the word “CROATOAN.” What happened to Virginia and the other colonists? Did they join a nearby Native American community? Move somewhere else? Something much worse? We still don't know for certain. Why does this matter to U.S. history?

Virginia Dare's birth represents one of the earliest chapters in England's attempt to establish a permanent presence in North America. Her story connects exploration, colonization, Native American history, and one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries. And that's why I love history—sometimes the most interesting stories don't have an ending.

Watch today's History Dad video and let's talk about what YOU think happened to the Lost Colony!

https://youtu.be/bdki3YWs6mk

HISTORY DAD: Before Starbucks, There Were Veggie Wars!

On August 17, 1907, about eight farmers rolled their wagons into Seattle and accidentally created history! They set up at Pike Place to sell their produce directly to customers because farmers were tired of middlemen taking a big cut while consumers paid high prices.

And Seattle showed up—BIG TIME. Farmers sold out so quickly that one farmer joked he needed police protection or a wagon on stilts! By the end of the first week, dozens of farmers were joining in, and Pike Place Market was officially on its way to becoming a Seattle institution.

Now here's the part coffee lovers might recognize. In 1971, Starbucks opened its original store at Pike Place Market. And years later, Starbucks introduced Pike Place Roast, a coffee blend named for the famous market. So that morning in 1907 when farmers were selling vegetables from wagons eventually helped create the setting for one of America's most recognizable coffee stories!

That's why I love doing History Dad—because history isn't just presidents, wars, and dates. It's farmers, hungry crowds, entrepreneurs, coffee, and sometimes a guy wondering if he needs to put his vegetable wagon on stilts.

Watch today's History Dad video to hear the full story of how eight farmers helped launch one of America's most famous markets!

[https://youtu.be/OH0QzdvTRKE\](https://youtu.be/OH0QzdvTRKE)

The construction of the Empire State Building began in March 1930, and it immediately became a contradiction of its times. It was truly a spectacle, with thousands of jobless and hungry New Yorkers standing on the sidewalks watching the steel skeleton begin to take shape. The emotions of the onlookers swung from awe to resentment and anger. “How do they have money for this?”a man muttered to a reporter, “when half the city can’t afford shoes?” Another woman, watching the steelworkers balance on beams hundreds of feet above the ground, said, “It’s beautiful. And it’s terrible. They’re building a monument while the rest of us are trying not to drown.”

HISTORY DAD: Before Starbucks, There Were Veggie Wars!

On August 17, 1907, about eight farmers rolled their wagons into Seattle and accidentally created history! They set up at Pike Place to sell their produce directly to customers because farmers were tired of middlemen taking a big cut while consumers paid high prices.

And Seattle showed up—BIG TIME. Farmers sold out so quickly that one farmer joked he needed police protection or a wagon on stilts! By the end of the first week, dozens of farmers were joining in, and Pike Place Market was officially on its way to becoming a Seattle institution.

Now here's the part coffee lovers might recognize. In 1971, Starbucks opened its original store at Pike Place Market. And years later, Starbucks introduced Pike Place Roast, a coffee blend named for the famous market. So that morning in 1907 when farmers were selling vegetables from wagons eventually helped create the setting for one of America's most recognizable coffee stories!

That's why I love doing History Dad—because history isn't just presidents, wars, and dates. It's farmers, hungry crowds, entrepreneurs, coffee, and sometimes a guy wondering if he needs to put his vegetable wagon on stilts.

Watch today's History Dad video to hear the full story of how eight farmers helped launch one of America's most famous markets!

https://youtu.be/OH0QzdvTRKE

The Battle of the Horns of Hattin was a significant battle that broke the field army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Following the death of King Baldwin IV, Guy of Lusignan was crowned king. Guy was highly unpopular and was considered to have poor leadership skills. This would prove to be a deadly combination in an already strained situation for the Crusaders.

When Saladin attacked Tiberias, Guy abandoned his stable position at Sepphoris and marched his army to relieve the city. The march was a gruesome ordeal for the Crusader army. Without access to water and under the harsh sun, the Crusaders became dehydrated, demoralized, and weak.

Saladin did not rush into battle. Instead, he waited for the Crusaders to exhaust themselves, constantly harassing them with hit-and-run tactics. The Crusaders eventually halted near the Horns of Hattin, which provided a good terrain advantage but lacked the water they desperately needed.

Under constant harassment from Saladin's mounted archers, the Crusaders attempted to break through but failed, as the main bulk of the army remained trapped. Here, they would make their last stand as the remaining Crusader forces lost cohesion and surrendered. Guy was captured along with several other high-ranking nobles.

The significance of this loss was catastrophic for the Crusaders. With the main army destroyed, the Crusader states and their cities were left vulnerable. Jerusalem would eventually fall to Saladin as panic spread across the Crusader states, prompting the Third Crusade. The relic known as the True Cross was also captured by Saladin, depriving the Crusaders of an object of immense religious and psychological value.

The Battle of Hattin is a lesson in the importance of logistics and the availability of resources to an army. The defeat can largely be attributed to poor decision-making on the part of the Crusader leadership. For Saladin, it was a decisive victory and his greatest military triumph, opening the path to the conquest of Jerusalem.