The Flashback Chronicles - Week of April 28, 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! Thank you for subscribing and I hope you enjoy!

Legends & Laughter: The Story Behind the History 🎭

Abraham Lincoln: The Tall Guy Who Did Great Things

Hello, young friends! I’m Abraham Lincoln—yes, the tall fella (6'4" without the hat) with the black beard who was the 16^th President of the United States.

Things for me started out very ordinary. I grew up just a farm boy in Kentucky. My first library? A tree stump and a borrowed book. My first job? Splitting rails and telling corny jokes. Some things haven’t changed. LOL!

I became the 16th President of the United States at a time when the country was splitting in two—literally. The North and South were at odds over a lot of things, especially slavery.

And my job? To keep the country together. No pressure, right?

The Civil War (April 12, 1861-April 9, 1865) broke out, and I spent four long years trying to guide the Union through it. The Union or the United States is sometimes referred to as the North, as opposed to the Confederacy, which was often called the South.

People argued. Brave soldiers fought. I barely slept, and I definitely didn’t smile much in photographs. (Taking pictures took forever back then. Try holding a smile for ten minutes straight—now you know why I looked so serious.)

Things weren’t all bad…here’s what I did accomplish:

🪙 I signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states. Some folks told me it was too risky. I told them it was the right thing to do.

📜 I gave a speech in Gettysburg that was only two minutes long—but people still talk about it 150 years later. (Take that, long-winded politicians!)

🎓 I made land available for building universities through something called the Morrill Act. Because I believed every kid—rich or poor—should get a chance to learn. Even the ones who start off reading by candlelight, like I did.

🚂 I signed the law that helped build the transcontinental railroad, connecting the East and West. That’s right, I didn’t just free people, I made sure they could travel too.

But the most important thing I ever did? I tried to bring people together, even when we disagreed, and even when it was hard.

So, if you're ever feeling small, just remember—big change can come from the kid reading under a tree. Or the teenager splitting logs. Or the adult in a big hat with big dreams for a better world.

Max’s Museum Wonders 🔍

Max’s Museum Wonders: The Secret Old Map

🕰️📞 Bedtime Story Adventure

Most kids have a treehouse or maybe a swing in their backyards. Max had a museum to explore every day. A real one — stuffed with ancient swords, clunky vintage TVs, ticking pocket watches, and dusty record players — all collected by his grandpa, Michael.

One rainy afternoon after school, Max was helping Grandpa Michael clean out the museum’s basement — a labyrinth of boxes and forgotten treasures — when something caught his eye: an old map, rolled tight, and tied with a golden ribbon.

The moment Max touched it, the world tilted. WHOOSH! The floor spun like a carousel, and Max stumbled, blinking, and he found himself standing under a blazing sun, face-to-face with towering stone pyramids in a large, never-ending desert.

Camels snorted nearby. Strong men in white linen clothes tugged massive stone blocks across the golden sand. Before Max could get his bearings, a young woman in a linen robe beckoned him to follow.

They walked for what felt like a good mile until the desert gave way to a bustling city — Thebes — where the air was filled with the scents of honey cakes, perfumes, and baked bread.

Merchants waved colorful papyrus scrolls and chattered over mounds of fresh fruit and baked goods.

As Max walked slowly, he overheard a group of kids whispering about something alarming: a powerful jewel from the Pharaoh’s temple had been stolen! Without it, they said, the Nile might dry up and the crops would wither. Fruit would not be in abundance.

Max trailed the whispering kids through the crowded market, weaving between stalls piled high with dates and melons.

At one stall, an old man with a long white beard sitting on a rock crooked a finger at him, then pointed with his cane toward a basket of dates.

Peeking beneath the basket, Max spotted a shiny jewel with a glint of gold — the missing jewel!

But just as he reached for it, the vendor blocked his hand with a stern look.

"You must prove you are a true friend of Egypt," he said, handing him a scrap of papyrus.

Scrawled on it was a riddle: "I flow without legs. I roar without a mouth. I nourish without hands. What am I?"

Max grinned. "That’s easy — the Nile River!"

The vendor’s face cracked into a smile. He pressed the jewel into Max’s hand. "May the river bless your journey."

The amazing jewel pulsed with a warm, golden light as Max tucked it into his bag.
Suddenly, young woman appeared again and pointed him like a compass toward a pyramid nearby the market.

At the entrance, giant stone doors loomed, covered in tiny carvings — birds, snakes, and watchful eyes. Max scanned the carvings.

On one wall, an interesting falcon symbol stood, protruding from the wall. Max placed his palm on the falcon symbol. The stone doors groaned and slowly swung open.

Inside, a maze of tunnels twisted deep into the pyramid, ending in a hidden chamber gleaming with gold and painted stars. At the center stood an empty pedestal, waiting.

Max carefully placed the golden jewel onto it. The room blazed with a brilliant light—WHOOSH!

Max tumbled back through time, landing with a soft thud on the museum floor. The map was gone from his hands, as if it had never existed.

Grandpa Michael strolled over, munching on an apple. "Learn anything interesting today?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

Max dusted himself off and grinned. "Only how to save Ancient Egypt. No big deal."

Grandpa chuckled. "Explore the past to change the future. I like it."

Tricky Time Trivia 🤔🕰️

What tall structure was built in Paris in 1889?

👉 Answer: The Eiffel Tower

Candy Factoids 🍭🍫

🍫 Which candy has a golden ticket hidden in a chocolate bar in a famous movie?

Answer: Wonka Bar (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

🍭Which candy bar shares its name with a galaxy?

Answer: Milky Way

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That’s a Wrap. Until Next Time…

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Have a good week!

The Flashback Chronicles