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🇺🇸This Week In History - The 1st Nazi Concentration Camp Opens

🇺🇸This Week In History - The 1st Nazi Concentration Camp Opens

The week of March. 9 - March. 15 throughout history.

March 11, 2025

Welcome back History Nerds,

Let’s start this week off with some wise words from Mahatma Gandhi - "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." This is a timeless quote I love to come back to for a reminder that as we face the week’s challenges and possibilities, let’s consider how even our smallest actions can create a big impact. Well, that got philosophical out of nowhere!

Did You Know? On March 13, 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus—but he thought it was either a comet or a fuzzy star. It was the first planet found with a telescope, and yes, its name has been the butt of jokes ever since.

During Your History Lesson You’ll Learn About:

The Call That Started It All
The First Nazi Concentration Camp
Abe Takes The Oath
Japan gets hit with an earthquake

First Successful Telephone Call

On March 10, 1876, in a cluttered workshop in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexander Graham Bell uttered the words that would change communication forever: "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you." With those simple words, Bell successfully transmitted the first clear sentence over a telephone to his assistant, Thomas Watson, marking the birth of a device that would shrink the world in ways unimaginable at the time. The 1870s were a period of rapid industrial and technological progress, but Bell’s breakthrough pushed the boundaries of human connection, sparking both excitement and skepticism about what this new "telephone" might mean for society.

The technique behind Bell’s invention was a marvel of ingenuity. Using a liquid transmitter—a device where a diaphragm attached to a needle vibrated in a water-based acid solution to convert sound into an electrical signal—Bell managed to send his voice across a wire to a receiver in another room. This wasn’t a fluke; it was the culmination of years of experimentation, building on earlier work with telegraphy and his passion for aiding the deaf (inspired by his mother and wife, both of whom were hearing-impaired). Earlier attempts at voice transmission had been garbled or unintelligible, but on that March day, Watson heard Bell’s voice clearly, a moment of triumph that had been anything but guaranteed.

When news of the telephone broke, it wasn’t an immediate sensation—Bell had to file his patent just hours before a competitor, Elisha Gray, submitted a similar claim, and the device faced skepticism from those who saw it as a novelty rather than a necessity. Yet, the scientific and business communities soon recognized its potential to revolutionize communication, from connecting families across distances to transforming commerce and governance. The conversation quickly expanded to include practical applications—could this invention bring people closer together?—as well as concerns about privacy and the monopolistic control of such a powerful technology (foreshadowing the rise of Bell Telephone Company). Bell lived until 1922, long enough to see his invention become a cornerstone of modern life, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped how humanity interacts at its most fundamental level.

The First Nazi Concentration Camp

On March 22, 1933, just weeks after Adolf Hitler became chancellor, Germany opened its first concentration camp in Dachau. Originally, it was meant for political prisoners, but it didn’t take long for it to become something far worse. Over the next 12 years, Dachau became a place of horror, where at least 32,000 people died from disease, starvation, brutal treatment, and executions. It also served as a model for the entire Nazi concentration camp system, setting the stage for the mass atrocities of the Holocaust.

Dachau wasn’t just a prison—it was a training ground for SS guards, who learned how to dehumanize and torture prisoners. Those sent there included Jews, communists, priests, and anyone the Nazis considered a threat. Prisoners endured forced labor, medical experiments, and constant violence. By the end of World War II, over 200,000 people had been imprisoned there. When American forces liberated the camp in April 1945, they found thousands of starving prisoners and evidence of the Nazis' horrific crimes.

Today, Dachau stands as a memorial and a reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and hate. Its ruins and museum teach visitors about the darkest chapters of history, ensuring that the world never forgets. While Hitler and his regime tried to erase those they saw as enemies, Dachau now stands as proof that tyranny fails, but truth endures. The voices of its victims and survivors cannot be silenced, and their legacy serves as a warning and a testament to the unbreakable strength of the human spirit.

Trivia Time

In every issue of LOL History, we take a break from sharing historical events to bring you a quirky trivia section. Get ready to challenge your brain and impress your friends with some seriously weird knowledge

What nearly caused a nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union… by accident?

Daggers and Drama: Rome’s Bloodiest Senate Meeting

On March 15, 44 BC, in the bustling heart of Rome at the Theatre of Pompey, Julius Caesar met his end in a flurry of daggers wielded by a group of senators, including his supposed allies Brutus and Cassius. With those fatal stabs, the Roman dictator’s reign was cut short, marking a bloody turning point that would plunge Rome into chaos and eventually give rise to the Roman Empire. The mid-1st century BC was a time of political upheaval and power struggles, but Caesar’s assassination shattered the status quo, igniting debates about loyalty, tyranny, and the cost of ambition that still echo through history.

The technique behind Caesar’s demise was as brutal as it was calculated. A group of senators, calling themselves the Liberatores, hatched a plot to eliminate the dictator they viewed as a threat to the Republic’s traditions. They lured Caesar to a Senate meeting under the pretense of discussing routine matters, then surrounded him and unleashed a coordinated attack—over 20 stab wounds, according to later accounts. This wasn’t a spontaneous act; it was the culmination of months of secret meetings, driven by fears of Caesar’s growing power (he’d recently been declared dictator perpetuo, or "dictator for life") and resentment over his reforms that favored the common people over the elite. On that fateful Ides of March, as Caesar reportedly uttered his last words—"Et tu, Brute?"—the senators struck, believing they were saving Rome, though their victory was anything but assured.

When news of the assassination spread, it didn’t bring the immediate triumph the conspirators had hoped for—Rome didn’t erupt in cheers but in confusion and fear, as Caesar’s death left a power vacuum that his killers weren’t prepared to fill. The public, who’d adored Caesar for his military victories and populist policies, mourned him, while his allies, like Mark Antony, seized the moment to rally support against the assassins. The conversation quickly expanded to include the fallout—could the Republic be restored, or had Caesar’s death doomed it?—as well as the moral implications of murdering a leader, even one deemed a tyrant. The aftermath saw years of civil war, ending with the rise of Caesar’s adopted heir, Octavian (later Augustus), who established the Roman Empire. Caesar’s death in 44 BC left a legacy that reshaped Rome at its most fundamental level, proving that even the mightiest can fall when ambition meets a blade.

The Triple Disaster: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Fukushima’s Meltdown

On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded—a 9.0 magnitude monster that struck off the northeastern coast of Honshu. The shaking alone was devastating, but the real nightmare came minutes later, when a massive tsunami surged inland, wiping out entire towns. Waves reached over 130 feet in some areas, sweeping away homes, cars, and anything in their path. In total, nearly 20,000 people lost their lives, and over 450,000 were displaced. It was one of the worst natural disasters in modern history, and unfortunately, it wasn’t over yet.

As if an earthquake and tsunami weren’t enough, Japan was hit with a nuclear crisis. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was flooded, knocking out its cooling systems. Without power, the reactors overheated and exploded, releasing radiation into the air. This led to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, forcing thousands to evacuate. Workers risked their lives trying to contain the damage, while the world watched in shock as Japan battled a triple disaster—earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown—all at once.

More than a decade later, Japan is still recovering. The region has spent billions rebuilding, but the long-term effects of Fukushima remain a challenge. Despite the tragedy, Japan’s response was remarkable—engineers reinforced buildings, developed better tsunami warning systems, and created stricter nuclear safety regulations. The disaster was a grim reminder that nature doesn’t play fair, but it also showed Japan’s resilience. When faced with unimaginable destruction, the country did what it does best—turned devastation into determination and came back stronger than ever.

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