This episode explores a day of momentous shifts in power, tragic losses, and incredible triumphs of human ingenuity. We'll witness the fall of the Xin Dynasty in 25 AD and the gripping story of the Siege of Algeciras during the Spanish Reconquista in 1278. The episode also recounts the tragic deaths of cultural icons like Marilyn Monroe in 1962 and Richard Burton in 1984. But August 5th wasn't all darkness and defeat. On this day in 1858, the world marveled as Cyrus West Field achieved the seemingly impossible: the first transatlantic telegraph cable, shrinking the world in an instant. Join us as we explore a day marked by loss, victory, and innovation that changed the course of history.