[00:00] Frederick Moore: From Neural Newscast, this is Deep Dive, exploring the moments that shape today.
[00:10] Claire Donovan: I'm Claire Donovan, and today we are looking at a date that defined a city's freedom
[00:16] Claire Donovan: and shaped the face of American entertainment.
[00:18] Frederick Moore: And I'm Frederick Moore.
[00:20] Frederick Moore: This is Deep Dive, where we peel back the layers of history
[00:24] Frederick Moore: to find the human stories beneath the dates.
[00:26] Frederick Moore: Today, March 17th is most famous for its shamrocks and parades,
[00:31] Frederick Moore: but back in 1776, it was about a desperate military gamble.
[00:36] Claire Donovan: Yeah, it really was a high-stakes moment for the young Continental Army.
[00:41] Claire Donovan: Frederick, when we think of George Washington, we think of the ultimate commander.
[00:46] Claire Donovan: But at the start of the siege of Boston, the outlook was actually quite grim.
[00:51] Frederick Moore: It was.
[00:52] Frederick Moore: The British had been occupying Boston for nearly a year, and Washington needed a way to force them out without destroying the city.
[01:02] Frederick Moore: The turning point came when Henry Knox arrived with heavy artillery captured from Fort Ticonderoga,
[01:11] Frederick Moore: In a massive overnight operation, Washington's troops moved those cannons to Dorchester Heights,
[01:19] Frederick Moore: overlooking the city and the harbor.
[01:22] Claire Donovan: Exactly. That move was checkmate. The British commander, William Howe, realized his fleet was sitting
[01:29] Claire Donovan: ducks in the harbor. On March 17, 1776, the British Army finally evacuated the city.
[01:37] Claire Donovan: It was the first major victory for the Continental Army, and it proved they could actually stand up to the most powerful military in the world.
[01:46] Frederick Moore: Right. It moved the war out of New England and into a new phase.
[01:51] Frederick Moore: And while we talk about the liberation of a city, March 17th also marks the birth of individuals who liberated their fields
[01:58] Frederick Moore: through talent and sheer persistence.
[02:01] Claire Donovan: You're thinking of Nat King Cole, born in 1919.
[02:04] Claire Donovan: He's such a fascinating case for me
[02:06] Claire Donovan: because we remember that velvet baritone voice,
[02:10] Claire Donovan: but he actually started as a world-class jazz pianist.
[02:14] Claire Donovan: He was so incredibly articulate and smooth in his style.
[02:17] Frederick Moore: He was a pioneer and
[02:19] Frederick Moore: every sense, Claire. In 1956, he became the first African-American performer to host his own
[02:26] Frederick Moore: variety television series, the Nat King Cole Show. It was a massive cultural moment. For many
[02:32] Frederick Moore: white families at the time, he was the first black man they really welcomed into their living
[02:37] Claire Donovan: rooms every night. It is tragic to think. The show only lasted a year because they couldn't find
[02:43] Claire Donovan: a national sponsor willing to back a black host.
[02:47] Claire Donovan: Matt famously said that Madison Avenue was afraid of the dark.
[02:51] Claire Donovan: But despite the racism he faced, especially while touring the South, his music, like Unforgettable and the Christmas song, has never left the airwaves.
[03:01] Frederick Moore: No way has it faded. His legacy is just massive.
[03:05] Frederick Moore: And speaking of enduring careers, we have two Hollywood titans sharing this birthday as well.
[03:11] Frederick Moore: Kurt Russell, born in 1951, who has managed to stay relevant for over six decades.
[03:17] Claire Donovan: From a child star in Disney films to the quintessential action hero in Escape from New York and The Thing.
[03:24] Claire Donovan: He's one of those rare actors who has this effortless, rugged authority on screen.
[03:30] Claire Donovan: Whether he's playing Wyatt Earp in Tombstone or appearing in the Fast and Furious franchise,
[03:35] Claire Donovan: he just brings a grounded quality to every role.
[03:38] Frederick Moore: And then there's Rob Lowe, born in 1964.
[03:42] Frederick Moore: He was the heartthrob.
[03:43] Frederick Moore: of the 1980s with St. Elmo's fire.
[03:46] Frederick Moore: But he completely reinvented himself as a prestige television actor.
[03:52] Frederick Moore: I'm thinking particularly of Sam Seaborne on the West Wing.
[03:55] Claire Donovan: Remarkable.
[03:56] Claire Donovan: To go from the high-stakes political drama of Aaron Sorkin's writing
[04:00] Claire Donovan: to the literal perfection of Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation
[04:04] Claire Donovan: shows a really incredible career arc.
[04:06] Claire Donovan: He's managed to find longevity by not taking himself too seriously, even as he remains a leading man.
[04:13] Frederick Moore: It's interesting how these icons of film and song have shaped our culture, much like their traditions we associate with today.
[04:20] Frederick Moore: Speaking of traditions, Claire, have you ever wondered how Chicago actually started dyeing its river green?
[04:27] Claire Donovan: I always assumed it was a carefully planned marketing stunt from the beginning.
[04:32] Claire Donovan: But the reality is much more industrial, isn't it?
[04:35] Frederick Moore: It really is. It started in 1962.
[04:39] Frederick Moore: Plumbers were using a green dye to trace illegal sewage discharges into the river.
[04:44] Frederick Moore: They realized that the dye was so vivid and bright that it could actually serve as a celebration of the holiday.
[04:51] Frederick Moore: They suggested it to the city, and a tradition was born.
[04:54] Claire Donovan: Unbelievable.
[04:56] Claire Donovan: It is amazing that something designed to find sewage leaks became a global symbol of St. Patrick's Day.
[05:03] Claire Donovan: They use about 40 pounds of environmentally friendly vegetable dye now to get that specific emerald glow.
[05:10] Claire Donovan: It just goes to show that some of our most beloved customs
[05:15] Claire Donovan: start in the most practical or even messy places.
[05:19] Frederick Moore: From the siege lines of colonial Boston
[05:22] Frederick Moore: to the bright green waters of modern Chicago,
[05:25] Frederick Moore: March 17th is a day about visibility and change.
[05:29] Claire Donovan: It really is. Whether it's a general securing a city, a singer breaking the color barrier,
[05:36] Claire Donovan: or an actor finding a second act, today is about making a mark. I am Claire Donovan.
[05:43] Frederick Moore: And I'm Frederick Moore. Thank you for joining us for this look at history.
[05:48] Frederick Moore: Visit us at deepdive.neuralnewscast.com for more.
[05:53] Frederick Moore: Deep Dive is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[05:57] Frederick Moore: Explore History Every Day on Neural Newscast.
[06:01] Announcer: This has been Deep Dive on Neural Newscast.
[06:03] Announcer: Exploring the moments that shape today.