🌕 This Week In History - We Landed On The Moon

Welcome back History Nerds,

We’ve got another fun one for you today. There was actually a lot of things that happened this week throughout history, but we narrowed it down to 4 of the most interesting topics. From the newly controversial moon landing, to the first test tube baby, we’ve got your history fix covered. So, pour yourself up a nice big cup of coffee and enjoy this week’s edition of the LOL History Newsletter!

Did You Know? On April 4, 1973, the World Trade Center officially opened in New York City, and one year later, a French tightrope walker named Philippe Petit snuck in and walked across the towers on a wire with no harness, 1,300 feet in the air. It was completely illegal, totally insane, and so impressive that the cops arrested him… then dropped the charges on one condition: he had to perform for kids in Central Park.

During Your History Lesson You’ll Learn About:

• Miss America Scandal. Vanessa Williams, the first Black Miss America

• We Landed On The Moon

• Louise Joy Brown: The World’s First ‘Test‑Tube Baby’

• The U.S. Postal Service was established

When America First Met Vanessa Williams—Then Yanked Her Crown Away

On July 23, 1984, Vanessa Williams—a 21‑year‑old trailblazer who had just made history by becoming the first Black Miss America ten months earlier—stood before the cameras and resigned her crown. The Miss America Organization had given her a 72‑hour ultimatum after Penthouse announced it would publish nude photos taken two years earlier, before her rise to fame. With unshakeable composure, Williams chose to step down, allowing runner‑up Suzette Charles to finish the remainder of her reign.

The fallout was immediate and intense. Endorsement contracts disappeared, her studies at Syracuse University were halted, and she faced a torrent of public scrutiny. Yet Williams refused to be cornered by shame. She redirected her life toward entertainment, launching a career that would include Grammy‑nominated records (The Comfort Zone went triple‑platinum), memorable roles on Broadway, in film, and on television—transforming scandal into strength.

Decades later, on September 13, 2015, Vanessa Williams returned to the Miss America stage—not as a contestant, but as a celebrated head judge. The organization issued a heartfelt apology for the treatment she endured, acknowledging the grace and dignity she showed then and continues to embody today. Now 61, she shines in musical theater, releases new albums, produces content, and shares a powerful message: always offer grace to your 20‑year‑old self—because resilience, once forged, lasts a lifetime.

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong climbed down a metal ladder, stepped onto the Moon, and said the most famous line in space history: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” It was the kind of sentence you wish you could come up with on the spot, but he actually practiced it. After years of training, a 240,000-mile journey, and a nail-biting lunar descent, America had officially won the space race. Take that, Soviets.

Armstrong didn’t land alone. Buzz Aldrin followed him onto the lunar surface, while poor Michael Collins circled above in the command module like the world’s most patient Uber driver. The duo spent about 2.5 hours exploring, planting the American flag, and collecting rocks that would become national treasures (and awkward paperweights for scientists). Oh, and yes—they left behind a plaque that reads: “We came in peace for all mankind.” Classy move.

Back on Earth, over 600 million people watched the moonwalk live, proving that even in black and white, it was the most exciting broadcast ever. The mission made history, inspired generations, and reminded the world what humans can accomplish with duct tape, math, and a bit of nerve. Not bad for a group of people flying to space in a rocket with less tech than your smartphone.

Born in a Petri Dish: The Day Louise Brown Changed Motherhood Forever

On July 25, 1978, the world changed in a small hospital room in Oldham, England, when Louise Joy Brown was born as the first human being conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF). Crafted from a pioneering experiment begun in November 1977—when her mother Lesley’s egg was fertilized in a Petri dish by Dr. Patrick Steptoe and scientist Robert Edwards—Louise arrived by cesarean section weighing 5 lb 12 oz. What had long been theoretical suddenly became real: a healthy human born through science, and not traditional conception.

Her birth instantly ignited a global media frenzy. Reporters, well-wishers, skeptics and critics descended upon Oldham General Hospital. Some protested, denouncing her as a “Frankenbaby,” while religious institutions voiced ethical alarm. Yet for Lesley and husband John, after nine years of heartbreak caused by her blocked fallopian tubes, it was pure joy. Their courage brought hope to countless infertile couples and launched IVF into public awareness and scientific acceptance.

Decades later, Louise led a quiet, grounded life—marrying, working as a clerk, and becoming an IVF ambassador. She reflected that her birth helped normalize assisted reproduction: today, millions of babies owe their existence to those early trials. Her birth marked the dawn of a new era in reproductive medicine, ultimately earning Edwards a Nobel Prize in 2010 and establishing IVF as a mainstream option for families around the world.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Thanks, Ben Franklin

On July 26, 1775, in the middle of planning a revolution, the Second Continental Congress paused just long enough to invent something equally historic: the U.S. Postal Service. They appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general, which made perfect sense—Franklin had already run a pretty efficient colonial mail system and was known to enjoy both letters and logistics. While others were preparing muskets, Ben was mapping delivery routes and figuring out how to get a letter from Boston to Philly without it taking three weeks and a miracle.

Under Franklin’s direction, the early Postal Service connected the 13 colonies, helped spread revolutionary ideas, and, yes, made it a lot easier for people to complain to each other in writing. Mail delivery back then wasn’t exactly speedy, but it laid the groundwork for a system that would eventually deliver everything from love letters to tax bills to packages you forgot you ordered at 2 a.m.

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See You Next Time!

We hope that you enjoyed this edition of the LOL History newsletter! See you next week!

— Evan & Derek - LOL History Co-Founders