In The NEWS

SANDBOX
Tired of people twisting your politics into something they’re not? On the Sandbox App, you get a rare thing: someone actually trying to understand what you believe, and why.

Each week, there's a new topic to discuss. Last week’s topic was Authoritarianism and Trump. To the left, Trump's actions threaten our democracy. To the right, he’s the response to a threat: a bloated, biased government that punishes dissent. Neither view was written off; both were taken seriously. Even when people disagreed, 66% still said their partner made a tenable point.

Have a one-on-one political conversation on Sandbox without getting shouted down. Speak your mind, and find out what you’re missing. Join for free today.




'The Devil's Music'
Rock 'n' roll, 101
Rock ‘n’ roll is a form of popular music that originated in the American South in the late 1940s and early 1950s (see timeline). The genre combines elements of other American musical styles—including blues, country, gospel, R&B, Tin Pan Alley, and jazz.


Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88" is now widely considered the genre’s starting point, particularly due to its use of distorted electric guitar, a distinction that would define the genre for decades. That same year, Cleveland DJ Alan Freed launched his radio show, rebranding R&B records as “rock ‘n’ roll” to appeal to a broad audience.


In 1952, Memphis-based engineer Sam Phillips' Sun Records would become the home for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis—artists whose countryfied take on rock ‘n’ roll was called “rockabilly.” By the 1960s, rock ‘n’ roll was a part of the American mainstream, and was spreading outside the country, too.

... Read our full deep dive on rock 'n' roll here.

Also, check out ...

> Meet the man who named rock 'n' roll. (More)

> How the Beatles went viral. (More)

> Is blues the mother of all modern music? (More)




Rome's Arena Fighters
Who were the gladiators?
The first recorded gladiatorial combats were held at aristocratic funerals. Amid the hypercompetitive politics of the Roman Republic, sponsoring games with gladiators became a way of winning votes. The games reached an unprecedented scale under the emperors, when gladiators fought in arenas from Britain to Greece.


A new gladiator began by practicing swordplay against a dummy or wooden stake, and would train for months before his first match. Gladiators fought in the afternoon, often after a morning of beast hunts and lunchtime executions. Matches were managed by two referees, who used long switches to signal fouls. While some fights were terminated by a fatal blow, most ended via surrender.


The popularity of the gladiators gradually faded, thanks to a combination of rising costs and Christian disapproval. The last recorded matches were held in the fifth century.

... Read our full deep dive on gladiators here.

Also, check out...

> See images of genuine gladiator armor. (More)

> What did gladiators do when they retired? (More)

> The stories of the women in the arena. (More)

Editor's note: Thanks to historian Garrett Ryan for his contributions to this topic. Check out more of his videos @toldinstone on YouTube.

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS