September 11, 2020 • 7 mins
Vivekananda gave a speech on Hinduism in Chicago on this day in 1893. / On this day in 1792, the Hope Diamond was stolen in the chaos of the French Revolution.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, history enthusiasts, you get not one, but two events
in history today. Heads up that you also might hear
two different hosts, me and Tracy V. Wilson. With that said,
on with the show. Welcome to this Day in History
Class from how Stuff Works dot Com and from the
desk of Stuff you Missed in History Class. It's the
show where we explore the past, one day at a
(00:20):
time with a quick look at what happened today in history. Hello,
and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and
it's September. On this day in Swami Vivicnonda gave a
groundbreaking speech on Hinduism at the World's Parliament of Religions
in Chicago. This parliament was part of the Colombian Exposition
(00:44):
in Chicago, also known as the Chicago World's Fair. It
was sponsored by the Unitarians and Universalists of the Free
Religious Association. This was an international interfaith dialogue representing ten
world religions. Vivic and Ona's speech is known as the
Brothers and Sisters of America's Speech, although it's not totally
(01:05):
clear whether he used those exact words in it. It
began quote, it fills my heart with joy unspeakable to
rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which
you have given us. I thank you in the name
of the most ancient order of monks in the world.
I thank you in the name of the Mother of religions,
and I thank you in the name of millions and
(01:25):
millions of Hindu people of all classes and sex. Later on,
he said quote, I am proud to belong to a
religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance.
We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept
all religions. Is true. I am proud to belong to
a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees
(01:47):
of all religions and all nations on the earth. This
was really a message of peace and tolerance. On the day,
he received a standing ovation and he became the first
Hindu monk from India to visit and teach in the
United States. He came to the United States, though not
with the hope of proselytizing, but with the hope of
getting financial help to assist the people of India. He
(02:09):
also wanted to introduce the Western world to his sect
of Hinduism. He really spoke for a Hinduism that was
monotheistic and scientifically minded, as well as one that was
socially progressive. So this particular strain of Hinduism was largely
acceptable and comprehensible to Western audiences. His appearance in Chicago
(02:30):
also made Hinduism a lot more visible as a world religion,
but again for the particular vision of Hinduism that he
was teaching. During the World's Parliament of Religions, he gave
six different addresses, and they also did things like criticizing
British colonial rule of India. He pointed out that the
Christian nations of the world had become wealthy through exploiting
(02:53):
the non Christian nations of the world. He also criticized
the practice of sending Christian missionaries to India to try
to convert its population when food and education and medicine
were a lot more needed than religious conversions were. He
spent about three years traveling around the United States teaching
about yoga and the Vedanta philosophy, which is the philosophy
(03:16):
that underpins the Hindu religion. Has included teaching the first
yoga class in the United States. His intent wasn't to
convert people but to use these efforts to try to
raise funds back in India, but those efforts weren't really successful.
He went back to India in eighteen ninety six and
established a monastic order. He did return to the United
(03:37):
States for a time in eight So I'm Acananda died
in India on July four of nineteen o two. Thanks
so much to Christopher Hasciotis for his research work on
today's episode, and thanks to Terry Harrison for her audio
work on the show. You can subscribe to the Stay
in History Class on Apple Podcasts, Google podcast and wherever
else you get your podcasts, and you can tune in
(03:59):
tomorrow Roy Love story which played out at Lisa First
through letters. Welcome to this Day in History Class, where
we bring you a new tidbit from history every day.
(04:26):
The day was September eleven. The Hope Diamond, along with
other Crown jewels, was stolen when six men broke into
the house where the jewels were stored. The history of
the Blue Diamond dates back to the mid seventeenth century,
when Jean Baptiste to Vernier was in possession of a
diamond that was about one d and fifteen metric carrots.
(04:49):
The diamond most likely came from a mine in India,
and to Vernier described its color as violent. The diamond
was one of the many stones he sold to King
Louis the fourteenth of France in sixteen sixty eight. It
was re cut several years later and became known as
the French Blue. The diamond is blue because of the
(05:10):
small amounts of born present in it. In seventeen forty nine,
King and Louis the fifteenth had the court jeweler reset
the diamond in a piece of ceremonial jewelry. Decades later,
during the French Revolution, King Louis the sixteenth and Marie
Antoinette attempted to flee France, and the crown jewels were
given to the government. In September of seventeen ninety two,
(05:34):
while the king and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned, thieves broke
into the royal storehouse and stole the French Blue diamond
during a nearly week long looting of the crown jewels.
According to some historians, one of the thieves took the
diamond to Lajara, then to London, where he tried to
sell it. The diamonds whereabouts for the next couple of
(05:54):
decades are unclear, but in eighteen twelve a large diamond
was ordered as being in the possession of a London
diamond merchant named Daniel Eliason. That diamond was likely the
modern Hope Diamond, cut from the French Blue. King George
the fourth of the United Kingdom later acquired the stone,
(06:15):
and it was probably sold upon his death to pay
off debts. Once the diamond came into possession of the
Hope A banking family, it became known as the Hope Diamond.
Since then, the stone has been sold several times, reset
and re cut. The diamond made it to the US
in nineteen eleven, when Pierre Cartier sold it to American
(06:39):
heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean. In nineteen fifty eight, Harry Winston, Inc.
Donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. It weighs forty
five point fifty two carrots and the Smithsonian Institution describes
its color as fancy dark grayish blue. The pendant surrounding
the diamond is made of sixteen white diamonds, and its
(07:01):
necklace chain contains forty five white diamonds. The Hope Diamond
is now housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
It has a reputation for being cursed since it's associated
with a bunch of unfortunate events. There's a good chance
these rumors were a marketing employ to bring attention to
the Hope Diamond. I'm eave Deathcote and hopefully you know
(07:25):
a little more about history today than you did yesterday.
And if you like to follow us on social media,
you can find us at T d i h C
Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Come back tomorrow for
another tidket from History. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio,
(07:54):
visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
Hey, history enthusiasts, you get not one, but two events
in history today. Heads up that you also might hear
two different hosts, me and Tracy V. Wilson. With that said,
on with the show. Welcome to this Day in History
Class from how Stuff Works dot Com and from the
desk of Stuff you Missed in History Class. It's the
show where we explore the past, one day at a
(00:20):
time with a quick look at what happened today in history. Hello,
and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson and
it's September. On this day in Swami Vivicnonda gave a
groundbreaking speech on Hinduism at the World's Parliament of Religions
in Chicago. This parliament was part of the Colombian Exposition
(00:44):
in Chicago, also known as the Chicago World's Fair. It
was sponsored by the Unitarians and Universalists of the Free
Religious Association. This was an international interfaith dialogue representing ten
world religions. Vivic and Ona's speech is known as the
Brothers and Sisters of America's Speech, although it's not totally
(01:05):
clear whether he used those exact words in it. It
began quote, it fills my heart with joy unspeakable to
rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which
you have given us. I thank you in the name
of the most ancient order of monks in the world.
I thank you in the name of the Mother of religions,
and I thank you in the name of millions and
(01:25):
millions of Hindu people of all classes and sex. Later on,
he said quote, I am proud to belong to a
religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance.
We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept
all religions. Is true. I am proud to belong to
a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees
(01:47):
of all religions and all nations on the earth. This
was really a message of peace and tolerance. On the day,
he received a standing ovation and he became the first
Hindu monk from India to visit and teach in the
United States. He came to the United States, though not
with the hope of proselytizing, but with the hope of
getting financial help to assist the people of India. He
(02:09):
also wanted to introduce the Western world to his sect
of Hinduism. He really spoke for a Hinduism that was
monotheistic and scientifically minded, as well as one that was
socially progressive. So this particular strain of Hinduism was largely
acceptable and comprehensible to Western audiences. His appearance in Chicago
(02:30):
also made Hinduism a lot more visible as a world religion,
but again for the particular vision of Hinduism that he
was teaching. During the World's Parliament of Religions, he gave
six different addresses, and they also did things like criticizing
British colonial rule of India. He pointed out that the
Christian nations of the world had become wealthy through exploiting
(02:53):
the non Christian nations of the world. He also criticized
the practice of sending Christian missionaries to India to try
to convert its population when food and education and medicine
were a lot more needed than religious conversions were. He
spent about three years traveling around the United States teaching
about yoga and the Vedanta philosophy, which is the philosophy
(03:16):
that underpins the Hindu religion. Has included teaching the first
yoga class in the United States. His intent wasn't to
convert people but to use these efforts to try to
raise funds back in India, but those efforts weren't really successful.
He went back to India in eighteen ninety six and
established a monastic order. He did return to the United
(03:37):
States for a time in eight So I'm Acananda died
in India on July four of nineteen o two. Thanks
so much to Christopher Hasciotis for his research work on
today's episode, and thanks to Terry Harrison for her audio
work on the show. You can subscribe to the Stay
in History Class on Apple Podcasts, Google podcast and wherever
else you get your podcasts, and you can tune in
(03:59):
tomorrow Roy Love story which played out at Lisa First
through letters. Welcome to this Day in History Class, where
we bring you a new tidbit from history every day.
(04:26):
The day was September eleven. The Hope Diamond, along with
other Crown jewels, was stolen when six men broke into
the house where the jewels were stored. The history of
the Blue Diamond dates back to the mid seventeenth century,
when Jean Baptiste to Vernier was in possession of a
diamond that was about one d and fifteen metric carrots.
(04:49):
The diamond most likely came from a mine in India,
and to Vernier described its color as violent. The diamond
was one of the many stones he sold to King
Louis the fourteenth of France in sixteen sixty eight. It
was re cut several years later and became known as
the French Blue. The diamond is blue because of the
(05:10):
small amounts of born present in it. In seventeen forty nine,
King and Louis the fifteenth had the court jeweler reset
the diamond in a piece of ceremonial jewelry. Decades later,
during the French Revolution, King Louis the sixteenth and Marie
Antoinette attempted to flee France, and the crown jewels were
given to the government. In September of seventeen ninety two,
(05:34):
while the king and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned, thieves broke
into the royal storehouse and stole the French Blue diamond
during a nearly week long looting of the crown jewels.
According to some historians, one of the thieves took the
diamond to Lajara, then to London, where he tried to
sell it. The diamonds whereabouts for the next couple of
(05:54):
decades are unclear, but in eighteen twelve a large diamond
was ordered as being in the possession of a London
diamond merchant named Daniel Eliason. That diamond was likely the
modern Hope Diamond, cut from the French Blue. King George
the fourth of the United Kingdom later acquired the stone,
(06:15):
and it was probably sold upon his death to pay
off debts. Once the diamond came into possession of the
Hope A banking family, it became known as the Hope Diamond.
Since then, the stone has been sold several times, reset
and re cut. The diamond made it to the US
in nineteen eleven, when Pierre Cartier sold it to American
(06:39):
heiress Evelyn Walsh McLean. In nineteen fifty eight, Harry Winston, Inc.
Donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. It weighs forty
five point fifty two carrots and the Smithsonian Institution describes
its color as fancy dark grayish blue. The pendant surrounding
the diamond is made of sixteen white diamonds, and its
(07:01):
necklace chain contains forty five white diamonds. The Hope Diamond
is now housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
It has a reputation for being cursed since it's associated
with a bunch of unfortunate events. There's a good chance
these rumors were a marketing employ to bring attention to
the Hope Diamond. I'm eave Deathcote and hopefully you know
(07:25):
a little more about history today than you did yesterday.
And if you like to follow us on social media,
you can find us at T d i h C
Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Come back tomorrow for
another tidket from History. For more podcasts from I Heeart Radio,
(07:54):
visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
This Day in History Class News
Host
Gabe Luzier
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