The Flashback Chronicles - Week of April 7, 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 🎭

William Shakespeare at the Mic - The Playwright Who Invented More Than 1,700 Words

Good morrow, dear little lads and ladies! How dost thou?

I am William Shakespeare—playwright, poet, and the man responsible for some of your high school literature homework, although I lived long, long ago from 1564 to 1616.

Words were my passion, and I authored works like Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and many other tales of love, betrayal, drama, and even tragic deaths. I hope you enjoy my books when you read them…if you read them.😀 

I was born in 1564 in the lovely English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon. Sounds like a fairy-tale land with whimsical villages, gentle streams, and enchanted forests, and it was lovely. I married Anne Hathaway (not the famous Anne Hathaway you know—from great films like The Devil Wears Prada). Ann and I had three children. In my 20s, I left my quiet little town and headed to London to become a playwright. I quickly gained a fan following – and can you believe it, no screens, no Instagram, no Facebook, no TikTok, none of that stuff.

London in the 1590s was a busy city—theaters were very popular hangouts, and I found myself right in the middle of the action, writing plays for a company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. We performed at a little place called The Globe Theatre. The place was packed with everyone from rowdy peasants to fancy nobles, all eager to see my latest work. Keeping an audience entertained back then was no easy feat. If people didn’t like the play, they would throw food at the stage. What terrible manners! Imagine performing a dramatic monologue like “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo,” while dodging a flying banana.

Did you know that I invented more than 1,700 words? If you’ve ever been in a pickle, swaggered into a room, or had a heart of gold, you have me to thank. When you hear the words radiance, bedazzled, and frugal…yes, those are my creations, too. You know, I would have loved Wordle and Scrabble.

Now, let’s talk about my greatest writings. Romeo and Juliet—a love story, but also a warning about making hasty decisions. Macbeth—a tale of ambition and a reminder not to listen to witches in the woods. A Midsummer Night’s Dream—fairies, love potions, and a man with the head of a donkey.

I was a deep thinker, and I understood people. My characters were complicated, flawed, and raw. And that’s why, even today, more than 400 years later, my words are still spoken on stages globally.

So, my young friend, believe in yourself and know you are the star of your own story.

Sleep well!

Max’s Museum Wonders 🔍

Max’s Museum Adventures: The Mystery of the Rotary Phone

🕰️📞 Bedtime Story Adventure

It was a stormy afternoon, and the museum was darker than usual. A group of visitors had just left, and Grandpa was rearranging some artifacts. Max was nibbling on an apple when something caught his eye in the corner of 1970s-style room.

It was big, round, and blue, and it had a rotary dial, a circular wheel with holes numbered 0–9.

“A phone?” Max muttered to himself, touching the dial. “Wonder if it still works?”

He picked up the heavy receiver and gave the dial a spin around with his finger on 3. Then he spun around 9, then 6, and so on.

Click... click... click.

Suddenly—there was a ring!

Startled, Max almost dropped the phone.

“H-Hello?” he whispered into the receiver.

“Hi there! Who’s this?” a cheerful voice replied. It sounded like a young boy, maybe 13 years old or so.

“This is Max! Uh… who’s this?”

“I’m Tommy! Where are you calling from, Max?”

Max blinked. “I think I just… called the past?”

Tommy chuckled. “Groovy! What year are you from? Where do you live?”

“2025. I live in Dallas.”

Tommy gasped. “Oh wow! It’s 1976 here. Do you have flying cars yet?”

“Not really. We do have electric cars that don’t need gas that you charge with a charger, even electric bikes and scooters. We also have small, flat smartphones that fit in your pocket, and you can find all the news, connect with people, and everything in seconds.”

“What?” replied Tommy. “You mean no long cords? No waiting for your turn to use the family phone?”

“Nope,” Max said. “Everyone has their own phone, and we can even see each other while we talk.”

Max continued, “The phone also has a telephone, a camera, videocam, a calculator, a TV, a photo album, and a library all in one. You can use it to send letters instantly—called text messages—and even see the person you're talking to in real time, like a video phone. And nearly everyone has one, even kids."

Tommy whistled. “Back in my day, you’d write a letter, wait a week or longer for a reply, and many times, the phone line was busy because your sister was talking to her best friend for hours.”

Max laughed. “That sounds old-fashioned and slow.”

“Well, sure,” Tommy said, “but that is all we know. You learn to be patient. Waiting made every message and every letter feel special, like a little treasure.”

“We also have the internet—it connects everyone in the world and provides instant information and content,” Max said. “You can look up just about anything instantly, watch movies, play games, listen to music, shop for anything like clothes and groceries, and even meet people. Weirdly, you can know what people think and feel daily. You see anger, sadness, sometimes bad things, and thankfully, some good things.”

“Sounds amazing and maybe a little strange,” Tommy said. “So, you are constantly looking at a little screen? Do you call people anymore?”

“We still make calls,” Max said. “Kind of a different life. Everything is fast and you have all you need in an instant, like news, weather, connecting to people, ways to shop, etc.”

“Sounds so cool, so futuristic!” said Tommy. “Often, I write to my grandma. She says my words feel like a hug.”

Just then, the phone made a soft click, and the line went silent.

Max set the receiver down gently, his heart warm and his mind spinning like the old rotary dial.

That night, he sat down and wrote a letter to his cousin, Jack—on paper, with a real ballpoint pen.

And he waited several days for his reply that would most likely come via text message.

Tricky Time Trivia 🤔🕰️

What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims sailed on to reach America?
A. The Titanic
B. The Mayflower
C. The Nina
D. The U.S.S. Constitution

👉 Answer: B. The Mayflower

Candy Factoids 🍭🍫

🍫 Chocolate Bars Emerge: In 1847, a British company made the first solid chocolate bar—before that, chocolate was always a drink!

🍭Gummy Bears Arrive: In 1922, a German candy maker created the first gummy bears, which led to gummy worms, gummy sharks, and more!

Opinion Poll

Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? :)

Your voice matters! Let me know your thoughts and ideas at [email protected].

That’s a Wrap. Until Next Time…

Thank You for Joining Us

Remember that you are awesome and you're capable of amazing things. Don't give up on yourself or your dreams.

Have a good week!

The Flashback Chronicles