The Flashback Chronicles - Week of April 21, 2025

Welcome to The Flashback Chronicles!!

Welcome, History Enthusiasts!

Get ready to journey through history with The Flashback Chronicles! This edition is packed with thrilling stories, legendary adventures, and surprising fun facts—because history is way too exciting to stay in the past! 🔍📖

Let’s dive in!

Legends & Laughter: The Story Behind the History 🎭

Joan of Arc at the Mic: I Led Soldiers to Battle at 17!

Bonjour, my young friends! I’m Joan of Arc, the teenage girl who led an entire army into battle. Sounds unbelievable, right? But it’s true.

I was just 17 years old when I marched into a war room full of seasoned generals and said, 'Listen to me, and I will help you turn this war around.' And they listened, surprisingly, because I wasn’t just talking…I meant business.

Let’s rewind a bit. The year was 1429, and France was in a big mess. For nearly 100 years—yes, an entire century—France and England had been fighting what’s now called the Hundred Years’ War. By then, the English controlled huge chunks of French land. The French crown was in chaos, and people were losing hope. To make matters worse, the city of Orléans was under siege. If it fell, the English would basically take over all of France.

Now, I was just a peasant girl from the village of Domrémy. I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write, and I wasn’t trained to lead soldiers into battle. But when I was 13, I started having visions—saints like Michael, Catherine, and Margaret told me God had a mission for me: Save France. I didn’t take this mission lightly. It was my calling.

At 17, I did something unexpected—I traveled to meet Charles, the heir to the French throne. I told him that if he let me lead his army, we could win. It sounds impossible, but he gave me armor, a sword, and troops. That’s how desperate he was and how dire things were… and how convincing I was standing in front of him, pleading with him to lead his troops into battle.

I led the charge at the Siege of Orléans in 1429—and we won. It was a huge turning point in the war. Morale soared, and soon after, Charles was officially crowned king. I didn’t just help save a city. I helped crown a king.

Of course, not everyone liked that a teenage girl was leading armies and inspiring thousands. I was captured by the English in 1430, put on a sham trial, where I was found guilty, and my life ended. I was only 19. But my story didn’t end there. In 1456, they overturned the charges, and in 1920, I was declared a saint.

If anyone ever tells you, 'You’re too young to lead or can’t do something,' just smile and say, 'Oh really? Ever heard of Joan of Arc?' Then saddle up and go change the world.

Max’s Museum Wonders 🔍

Max’s Museum Wonders: Groovy Gold Pocket Watch

🕰️📞 Bedtime Story Adventure

Max was ready for more adventures and time travel.

Grandpa Michael had asked Max to help him organize a box of old coins in the museum basement, but a small, gold pocket watch was sitting right on top like it had been waiting for him. No label. No case. Just a simple engraving on the back:

“It’s always time to enjoy life with you, my love.”

Max opened the pocket watch.

Click.

In an instant, the room spun slowly, and the dreary basement shifted to a street with cobblestones and streetlamps. The air smelled like rain, newspaper ink, and freshly baked cookies.

Max was standing on a busy sidewalk in London, and everyone around him was wearing turtlenecks, big sunglasses, and paisley shirts. Women strolled around in dresses with modern designs, bright colors, and raised hemlines. Music spilled from a record shop. A red double-decker bus rolled by packed with passengers. Across the street, a billboard shouted, “Now Playing: The Beatles Live!”

Max’s jaw dropped.

“This is the actual 1960s,” he whispered. “The Beatles … wow!”

That’s when he saw the old man.

He wore a long black velvet coat, a green felt hat with a feather, and the kind of smile that made you feel like you were a part of a secret.

“That’s a fine piece you’ve got there,” the man said, nodding at the watch in Max’s hand.

Max backed up slightly. “Uh. Yeah. I sort of… found it?”

“Or maybe it found you,” the man said, eyes twinkling. “That’s a time traveler’s watch. Rare. Curious. Adventurous. It brings you where you need to be.”

Max blinked. “Who are you?”

“Call me Monty,” the man said with a tip of his hat. “Come on, then. I’ll show you around this great town.”

Max wasn’t sure why he trusted him. Maybe it was the hat. Maybe it was the way Monty walked like every step was part of a dance. He had kind and caring eyes.

They strolled through 1960s London, and every stop felt like a puzzle piece falling into place:

• At a bustling café, while Max ate cake and drank hot chocolate, Monty pointed out a young woman writing notes on napkins. “She’ll publish a book one day that’ll change the way people think about science,” he said.

• At a tiny music shop, Max helped Monty carry in a crate of records. “This is my shop,” Monty said. A record skipped on the turntable, creating a strange little rhythm. “That loop will inspire a new kind of beat,” Monty whispered. Max couldn’t help tapping his foot.

• At an old phone booth, Monty nudged Max inside while he called his mother for a quick hello. “Where’s the screen?” asked Max. “The what?” Monty said. “It’s a telephone, young man.” “You had to pay?” Max asked. “Weird.” Monty laughed at the kid.

As the day faded into evening, Max and Monty sat on a bench near the River Thames, watching the city glow like gold under the streetlamps.

“This isn’t just a watch, is it?” Max asked. “It’s like… time itself is choosing what to show me.”

Monty chuckled. “Time has got a sense of humor, sure. But it also has a heart. Sometimes, it needs a little help nudging things the right way. A kind word here. A song there. A stranger showing up exactly when they’re needed.”

Max looked down at the watch. It wasn’t glowing. It wasn’t ticking. Just… waiting.

“Will I see you again?” Monty asked.

Monty tipped his hat. “You never really leave people behind, Max. Not when they’ve shown you something true. You’ll see me when you need me.”

The watch ticked once.

Click.

And just like that, Max was back in the museum basement.

The watch sat in his palm, still and quiet. Max had seen a new place and a different time, and he met some cool new friends.

Max smiled and put the watch back where he had found it.

Tricky Time Trivia 🤔🕰️

Which came first: the telephone or television?

👉 Answer: Telephone

Candy Factoids 🍭🍫

🍫 Which candy was first sold in 1907 and is shaped like a teardrop? Hershey’s Kiss

🍭What candy is known for the slogan “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”? M&Ms

Opinion Poll

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That’s a Wrap. Until Next Time…

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The Flashback Chronicles