Variety Pack

 

  Several interesting things you never heard of happened today in history. Back in 1173 the independent port city of Ancona (Italy) was under siege by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The siege had lasted four months and the Anconians were running out of food. 

  The inhabitants managed to roll a barrel of pitch in front of the besiegers, but the pitch needed to be ignited. The widow Stamira ran out with an ax and a torch and lit the pitch which started the enemy siege engines on fire. In the confusion, the Anconians were able to get some food which enabled them to hold on till their allies arrived to lift the siege. The widow Stamira was killed in the melée.

  Moving over to China: On this day in 1449 the Mongols captured the Ming Emperor Zhu Qizhen. Zhu had imprudently led his army against the much better organized Mongol Army under Esen Taishi. Before leaving Beijing, Zhu appointed his brother to rule in his absence. The Mongols destroyed much of the Chinese army in a battle by the Great Wall and captured Emperor Zhu. The Mongols tried to use the Emperor to gain territorial concessions, but the Chinese rallied and pushed the Mongols back. 

  After that, the Mongols could not make a deal for the Emperor, so after four years they let him go. By this time his brother had been made Emperor and Zhu was put under house arrest in the Forbidden City. A few years later when his brother was sick Zhu staged a successful coup and put his brother under house arrest. Zhu died a natural death at age 36. He is remembered positively for ending the practice of burying alive concubines and maids so that they could follow the emperor into the afterworld.

  Jumping up to 19th century America, it was on this day in 1878 that Emma Nutt started work as the world's first female telephone operator. Men had been excellent telegraph operators, but their lack of patience, their fondness for pranks and their propensity for cursing made them unacceptable for live contact.

  Emma was hired by Alexander Graham Bell himself and went to work for the Boston Telephone Dispatch Company on September 1. Her sister Stella joined her later that same day. Emma's soothing, cultured voice and patience was a hit with customers. She went on to work another 33years. Reportedly, she could remember every phone number in New England.

Emma and Stella at work. The unidentified man is asking the grocery store if they have King Arthur in a can..