Over 1 million people around the world finish running a marathon each year. That is close to 0.01% of the global population. So, that is 0.01% of people willingly sign themselves up to train and endure running a 26.2 mile long race. That’s some crazy sh*t right there! And about one-third of marathon runners are women. 34.82% to be exact. But, this wasn’t always the case. When Kathrine Switzer was running the Boston Marathon in 1967, women were not accepted in the world of running with open arms. 

Here’s the brave story of what happened when Kathrine ran the Boston Marathon in 1967.

Who Is Kathrine Switzer?

Kathrine Switzer was born on January 5, 1947, in Amberg, Germany. In 1949, her family moved to Virginia. She played a lot of sports and ran a mile every day. Finding empowerment and enjoyment from running, she began her track career at Lynchburg College. After transferring to Syracuse University, Kathrine began running longer distances to train with the men’s cross-country team. Kathrine’s aspirations didn’t stop there. She had dreams of running the Boston Marathon. At the time, no woman had officially completed the marathon race.

Leading the Way for Kathrine

The year prior, Bobbi Gibb was the first woman to run and finish the Boston Marathon. But, she wasn’t officially entered as a runner in the race due to being disqualified because she was a female. But that didn’t stop her from running the 26.2 miles. Bobbi hid in a bush near the marathon start line, wore a hoodie to cover her identity and raced alongside the other marathoners. She completed the race, but unfortunately, her time was not recorded down. 

This story didn’t deter Kathrine. She entered the race using her initials, “K.V. Switzer.” This kept her gender unknown on the entry form, and her bib was registered. After paying a $2 entry fee, K.V.Switzer was ready to race against over 600 runners!

K.V. Switzer Races The Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon took place on April 19,1967, in less than ideal weather conditions. It was cold, wet, and snowy. But, that didn’t dampen Kathrine’s excitement. As fellow, male runners were getting hyped at the start line, they were the least bit fazed by Kathrine’s presence. Quite the opposite – they were beyond supportive! 

The race began and everything was going smootly. However, a press truck pulled up a few miles into the race. The photographers realized Kathrine was a female and began shouting at her:

“What are you doing in the race? What are you trying to prove?”

As odd as the interaction was, Kathrine continued on. Next, a bus full of the race officials pulled up. The Boston Marathon’s co-director, Jock Semple, hopped onto the course. And no, he wasn’t looking to run the remaining miles. He raced toward Kathrine to stop her from running! He was grabbing at her bib, yelling:

“Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!”

Kathrine tried to get away from Jock’s grip as her coach yelled at the co-director that she was a trained athlete. Luckily, her American football-player boyfriend, Tom Miller, was running alongside her at the time. Miller shoulder-checked Jock, which blocked him from removing Kathrine’s numbers from her sweatshirt. Talk about a good defense line!

As rattled and distressed as Kathrine was about the back-to-back attacks, it didn’t show in her performance. She continued on and finished the marathon. Her finishing time was around 4 hours and 20 minutes. Thus, she became the first woman in history to officially receive a bib and complete the Boston Marathon.

What Did Kathrine Switzer Have to Say After the Marathon?

When recalling those attempts to stop her from racing, Kathrine admitted:

“I was so afraid. I’m so full of confidence now but at that moment, I had just turned 20. As a girl, I wasn’t trying to prove anything. I had proved to Arnie [her coach] that I could do the distance and the reward was to go to Boston.” 

She also recalled:

“Back then, there was no New York, Chicago or London Marathon. And outside the Olympics, for runners, Boston was the ‘big baby’ and a special thing. I wanted to be a part.”

Despite what the press or race officials believed, Kathrine wasn’t trying to make her entry in the marathon as a political statement. 

So that begs the question: Why did she put everything on the line to race then? It was a combination of her love and ability to race long-distance, mixed with already running 31 miles during training. But, ultimately, it was the desire to prove to her coach that she, along with other female runners, could run a marathon.

When Did The Boston Marathon Accept Female Runners?

In 1972, the Boston Marathon officially began accepting female runners. Kathrine ran the Boston Marathon again. This time, she completed it in 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 37 seconds, A personal best!

Kathrine went on to become an icon in the world of women’s running. She wrote a memoir titled “Marathon Woman,” along with other books. She also contributed to the Runner’s World magazine, providing commentary for the Olympics, and received many honors for her contributions.

Her love for running didn’t simmer as she continued to race, winning the 1974 New York Marathon and running in the Boston Marathon, 50 years after her initial race, at the age of 70!

The post Kathrine Switzer: Boston Marathon Legend first appeared on History In Memes.

After the 1969 Woodstock festival, the notion of peace and love had spread all across the US. So, by the time this photo was taken in 1973, hippies could be seen everywhere, not just major cities. They were throughout different states, like Oklahoma, spreading their message of peace, love, and yes – flower power. We all have our own image of what a hippie is in our mind – some probably a bit more accurate than others.

Nonetheless, here are four key requirements you need to check off before adopting this groovy lifestyle. 

1. Understanding The Culture’s Origins

This culture, coined counterculture, started in the 1960s and spanned through the 1970s. It’s known as an act against the mainstream norms of the “American Dream,” such as getting married, getting a good job, having children, and living in a big house with a white picket fence. Those who participated in counterculture resented this idea and did not want to conform to the lifestyle that society told them was expected of them. The movement began with a younger demographic and originated mainly on college campuses before it spread through the nation. Surprisingly, hippies were mainly white, middle-class men and women. 

2. Knowing Where The Name Came From

The name “hippies” came from the word “hipsters” or “hip.” Hipsters came from the group of people who were referred to as beatniks, or people who rejected societal norms. Also, since a core belief in the hippie culture was the expression and openness of love and opposition to violence and war – a popular phrase among the movement became: “Make love, not violence.” Whether you call them hipsters, hippies, flower children, or free spirits, all their nicknames mean the same thing: Someone who didn’t fit in with or believe in the standard mold of what someone should do with their lives. A major takeaway from their movement is that there is not just one path for everyone to follow, rather there are different ways to live your life and express yourself.

3. Building A Lifestyle

They developed their own lifestyles consisting of communal living, vegetarian diets, crazy colored and tie dyed outfits paired with long hair, beards, flowers, and sandals. Also, open love, free sex, and fighting back against American institutions and war violence. And of course, recreational drug use. Seeking spiritual freedom and connection, hippies would be very much into hallucinogenic drug use like LSD and weed. So, before you thank your state for making marijuana legal or Seth Rogen for making being a stoner mainstream, thank the hippies for their laying the groundwork back in the day.

4. Any Reason To Gather And Celebrate

Hippies were looking for any reason to gather and celebrate. I mean who doesn’t love a good party? But, being a part of something greater and unifying as a community was a core part of their culture. Whether it was a music festival, marches, gatherings, and protests, people showed up for the cause. Celebrating life, love, and supporting an anti-violence or political message brought waves of people. Outdoor music festivals like Woodstock were also a major favorite event for hippies. Crazy to see how far events like these have come from when hippies were organizing them in the 1960s and 1970s to full-blown companies orchestrating events like Rolling Loud, Coachella, and Governor’s Ball.

And if you’re still curious about the hippie culture, this short documentary covers what it was like to be a hippie and also how to better understand them.

The post How to Be A Hippie in 1973 first appeared on History In Memes.

Don’t mind me, I’m just walking my…… anteater?

Well, some of us, like Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dali, apparently aren’t big dog people.

This photo, taken in 1969, shows artist Salvador Dali taking a nice stroll through the streets of Paris with his pet anteater by his side. He was looking stylish and definitely caught everyone’s eye. Maybe this is a hot take, but it seems very peculiar to see an anteater on a leash roaming the streets like a domesticated dog. 

Maybe Salvador was allergic to dogs… or maybe anteaters make the best pet. Maybe he wanted the crowd’s attention or maybe there’s a deeper symbolism to his pet choices.

Salvador Dali even brought an anteater with him as a special guest on The Dick Cavett Show. But the real question here is not why does he have an anteater – but where did he get one?

In addition to his odd choice of anteaters as pets, here are five interesting facts you didn’t know about Salvador Dali:

1. He was both born and died in the same place – Figueres, Spain
2. Salvador’s father and older brother were also named Salvador. His brother had died nine months before Salvador was born. When his parents took him to visit his late brother’s grave, they told him he was the reincarnation of his brother. He clung to this concept and his brother was a major influence in his work.
3. Due to his behavior and creativity, Salvador was once asked if he did drugs to which he replied no. But followed up with the statement of “I am drugs.” 
4. When he went out to dinner with a big group of friends, Salvador would offer to pick up the tab. To pay the bill he would write a check out to the restaurant, but would also include a quick doodle on the back of the check. This was because he knew that the restaurant wouldn’t cash the check with his drawing on the back because his artwork was far too valuable. Therefore, it was the perfect plan to get out of paying the bill and spreading your artwork.
5. You can actually buy tickets to a 90-minute digital metaverse experience of Salvador Dali’s work here.

Into art history? Check out this video of Picasso painting!

The post Trend Alert: Walking Your Anteater first appeared on History In Memes.

When there’s electricity during a kiss, that’s usually a good sign. In this case, it was literally life-saving. 

Back in Jacksonville, FL, in 1967, co-workers J.D. Thompson and Randall Champion went out on a routine maintenance check on some power lines. But the turn of events was anything but routine. Randall had accidentally touched some low voltage lines. This accidental touch electrified him, causing his heart to stop and him to go unconscious. Thankfully, Randall’s harness caught him when he fell. J.D. got to Randall and gave him mouth-to-mouth. He then carried him down to the ground to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived.

Randall survived thanks to the quick response and life-saving efforts made by J.D. 

The photographer, Rocco Morabito, was able to capture this moment because he was driving to work when he saw Randall dangling lifeless from the pole. He showed an impressive display of multi-tasking – calling an ambulance and snapping an iconic photo.

This photo, which was later named, “The Kiss of Life ” won Rocco the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.

Luckily, Randall Champion had an amazingly brave co-worker who didn’t hesitate to spring to his aid, saving his life and allowing him to live another 35 years. It’s also incredibly lucky timing that a talented photographer had passed this scene and was able to capture such a surreal moment of real-life heroism.

The post The Story Behind This Electrifying Photo first appeared on History In Memes.