On this day: August 30

The 1904 Olympic Marathon: How the Winner Rode Part of the Way

At the 1904 Olympic marathon in St. Louis, American runner Thomas Hicks won under chaotic conditions; later reports and investigations revealed he rode in a car for part of the route, one of several controversies surrounding the race.

1904 Olympic Marathon Winner Nearly Killed by Rat Poison

In the chaotic 1904 St. Louis Olympic marathon, winner Thomas Hicks was given a toxic stimulant—likely strychnine mixed with brandy—by his handlers, an intervention that left him delirious and near death after the race.

House Struck by Lightning Repeatedly Over Decades, Family and Neighbors Recall

A rural house first documented as struck by lightning on August 30, 1942, became known locally for repeated strikes in subsequent years. Reports and local memory describe recurrent damage to the same structure, a phenomenon that drew attention from residents, insurers and later storm researchers.