❄️ Escobar's Last Stand: The Final Cut of the Cocaine King

Welcome back History Nerds,

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. What kind of crazy stories did you hear at the dinner table this year? We’d like to hear back, seriously - respond to this email with some stories, especially if they’re history related.

My Uncle brought up Woodstock, which led me down a devious, wine induced, rabbit-hole. I found myself reading about “Woodstock West”, which happened the same year as Woodstock in ‘69. It was a similar size, but an absolute shit-show and it happened this week in history!

Thank-you for all the continued support, it’s awesome to see all the active openers and feedback. This week’s letter surely will not disappoint. Before we get into it..

Did You Know? In 1621, English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and the Wampanoag Native Americans had a big feast together, which is considered one of the first Thanksgivings in America.

During Your History Lesson You’ll Learn About:

• The Death of Pablo Escobar

• Woodstock West: Free Concert Gone Wrong

• The Toddler Emperor: The Rise and Fall of Puyi

• Play-Doh to Powerhouses: How Hasbro Shaped Imagination

Escobar: The Final Cut

On December 2, 1993, the notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar, who once boasted about making so much money he could have bought the country of Colombia, was finally taken down. The end of an estimated $30 billion operation.

Most do not understand the sheer scale of Pablo Escobar's wealth. It was so immense that it created problems of its own, leading to some of the most bizarre financial losses ever recorded.

Every year, Escobar reportedly wrote off approximately $2.1 billion due to the sheer volume of his money being eaten by mice, damaged by water, or simply lost in the chaos of his hidden stashes. This wasn't even the peak of his monetary mishaps; in one infamous incident, Escobar lit about $2 million in cash on fire to keep his daughter, Manuela, warm during their time on the run. Beyond rodents and fires, his money was lost in ways that would make any regular person's head spin: buried in fields, stashed in walls where moisture could ruin it, or hidden in such obscure places that it might as well have vanished into thin air.

Up until the end, Escobar was bringing in a staggering $420 million a week. But, all good things must come to an end. And, that’s exactly what happened.. After receiving a tip about his location, the Colombian National Police’s Search Bloc set up an operation to capture or kill him in Medellín, Colombia. Escobar was attempting to stay hidden within the community where he had once been a significant, albeit terrorizing, figure.

Sensing the noose tightening, he tried to escape by jumping over a wall, but a police officer shot him in the leg from a rooftop. While Escobar tried to fight back, he accidentally wounded another officer, leading to more police gunfire. He was shot multiple times, with a fatal shot to his ear causing him to bleed out quickly. This ended his control over the Medellín Cartel.

Woodstock West: The Free Altamont Concert

The Altamont Free Concert at the Altamont Speedway, which is often referred to as "Woodstock West." was held on December 6, 1969. An estimated 300,000 people packed up and traveled out to the California deserts. The bar was set high since Woodstock went down earlier that year in August. Headlined by the Rolling Stones along with other acts like Santana, Jefferson Airplane, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the concert is infamously remembered for its chaotic and violent atmosphere, including the death of an audience member, Meredith Hunter, and other incidents of violence involving the Hells Angels, who were hired for security.

The Hells Angels, hired for security, in hindsight is an extremely questionable choice from the start. What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot did. The vision was pure '60s idealism: a free concert with top-tier acts, drawing a massive crowd in the spirit of unity. However, the execution was where the dream hit a very real, very rugged road. Here's what went spectacularly wrong:

1. Venue Choice: Altamont Speedway was chosen last minute, far from ideal for a massive gathering. It lacked proper facilities, had a hastily constructed stage, and its desert environment lead to severe overcrowding and logistical nightmares. There were no proper sanitation facilities, food, or water, turning the event into a survival challenge.

2. Security Misstep: The decision to hire the Hells Angels as security was perhaps the most infamous. Paid in beer, the Angels interpreted their role with a heavy hand. Their method of crowd control involved fists, pool cues, and a general atmosphere of intimidation. This wasn't exactly security.

3. Tensions and Violence: The day was punctuated by violent incidents. The Angels clashed with concertgoers over trivialities like stage access or personal space. Jefferson Airplane's set saw Marty Balin knocked out by a Hells Angel. The Rolling Stones, who were meant to be the peace-loving climax, instead found themselves performing to a backdrop of escalating violence.

4. The Tragic Finale: The death of Meredith Hunter was the most poignant disaster. During "Under My Thumb," Hunter was seen with a gun in the front of the stage, a move for self-defense amidst the chaos. An Angel, Alan Passaro, stabbed Hunter, leading to his death. This moment, captured on film, became emblematic of the concert's descent into tragedy.

5. Overwhelming Chaos: The sheer number of people, combined with no effective crowd management, led to people fainting, getting crushed, and being unable to exit or enter safely. The lack of medical facilities meant that those needing help were often left to the mercy of the inadequate situation.

6. Poor Planning and Communication: From the outset, the event suffered from poor organization. There was a notable lack of communication between organizers, performers, and security. The Rolling Stones, for instance, were not fully briefed on the extent of the violence until they were on stage, contributing to the sense of a concert spiraling out of control.

Altamont wasn't just a concert; it was a cultural tipping point, marking the end of the '60s ideal of free love and peace through music. It became a cautionary tale about the limits of idealism when met with reality, poor planning, and hiring a notorious biker gang with beer to be your security.

The 2 Year Old That Ended A 2,000 Year Old Dynasty

In the modern world you wouldn’t trust your 2 year old with a knife let alone becoming the ruler of your country but China decided to give it a try on December 2, 1908. Puyi took control of China at the age of 2 years 10 months and was ripped away from his family to be taken to the Forbidden City in Beijing which acted as his royal daycare. The only person that was able to go with him was his wet nurse. The idea that someone still on a milk-only diet was expected to run a country is insanity.

As you can probably guess, this whole “toddler emperor” experiment didn’t have much staying power. On February 12, 1912 the Qing Dynasty which lasted 2,000 years officially crumbled when Puyi was forced to give up power during the Xinhai Revolution. Officially, he was no longer emperor, but he was allowed to live in the Forbidden City. While the rest of China moved on, Puyi continued to live in an imperial bubble, surrounded by outdated traditions.

By 1924 Puyi was evicted from the Forbidden City but by the 1930’s Puyi was back in “power” when the Japanese installed him as the ruler of Manchukuo, a puppet state in Manchuria. He had the title and the ceremonies, but the strings were firmly in Tokyo’s hands. Puyi wasn’t a ruler; he was a political prop.

When Japan lost World War II, Puyi’s stint as a puppet emperor came to an abrupt end. Captured by the Soviets, he spent five years in a Russian prison camp before being handed over to China. They sent him to a reeducation camp where he spent the 10 years of his life. From there Puyi took on an ordinary existence working as a gardener in Beijing.

Puyi’s life was a historical rollercoaster, moving from emperor to exile, from puppet ruler to prisoner, and finally to an unassuming gardener.

Hasbro: The Toy Company That Never Grew Up

When Hasbro was founded on December 6, 1923, it wasn’t building worlds of epic board games, action figures, and “family fun” franchises, it was in the business of textiles. But by the 1940s, Hasbro found its groove by venturing into toys, eventually introducing its first game: Monopoly which is a cultural phenomenon.

Fast forward a few decades, and Hasbro completely transformed the landscape of childhood in ways that will forever be etched in our collective memory. The company managed to not only create toys, but entire universes—and they made it look easy. Let’s talk about some of their heavy-hitters:

1. G.I. Joe – Hasbro’s answer to every child’s dream of becoming a military hero, without actually having to go through boot camp.

2. Transformers – 1984 introduced the only toys that could both serve as cars and fight crime.

3. My Little Pony – Gave the world a sparkly, pastel-colored alternative to action-packed toys like G.I. Joe and Transformers, eventually becoming a cultural juggernaut with a loyal fanbase and turning childhood unicorn dreams into a glittery reality.

4. Play-Doh – Acquired by the company in 1965, Play-Doh became the messiest, most creative way to let kids make a disaster of their kitchen table.

5. Nerf – In 1969, Hasbro introduced Nerf, a line of foam-based weapons that let kids run rampant without causing too much damage.

Hasbro didn’t just stop at toys. It built an entire legacy of characters, shows, and movies, forever changing the way kids interacted with pop culture. It helped pioneer the concept of building entire franchises around a toy line. But beyond all the toys, Hasbro also gave us something even more significant: lessons on friendship, teamwork, and how to absolutely ruin relationships over a game of Monopoly. The company has woven itself into being a household name for kids around the world.

What’s Your Random Historical Fact?

We share fun historical events with you every week but now we want to hear from you! Reply to this email with a random history fact that you want to share with us! Now, before you go, let’s test your trivia skills..