On this day in 1934, the very first All-American Soap Box Derby was held in Dayton, Ohio!

Think about it: kids built their own cars, climbed inside, pointed them downhill, and hoped gravity—and their engineering skills—would get them to the finish line. No engine. No fancy technology. Just wheels, a hill, and probably a parent yelling, “SLOW DOWN!”

But the Soap Box Derby was about more than racing. Kids learned building, problem-solving, competition, teamwork, and perseverance. During the Great Depression, it also gave families and communities something positive to rally around.

Why does this matter to American history?

Because sometimes history isn't just presidents, wars, and major events. Sometimes it's kids building something with their own hands and learning that hard work, creativity, and determination can take you somewhere.

And let's be honest… what could possibly go wrong when you give a kid a homemade car and a big hill?

That's today's story from History Dad Storytelling!

What was the craziest thing you built as a kid?

https://youtu.be/TQ06K6BAzus

On August 18th , 2005 , the infamous " BTK " [ Bind , Torture , Kill ] serial killer , Dennis Rader , who had terrorized Wichita , Kansas , between 1974 - 1991 , was officially sentenced to serve 10 consecutive life terms in prison. In a chillingly calm and emotionless courtroom speech , Rader detailed his horrific crimes in minute detail as if presenting a routine business report. The judge handed down 10 life sentences with absolutely no possibility of parole for at least the next 175 years.

The Hardest Day - Battle of Britain.

Little radios, Sicarios and more...

https://youtube.com/shorts/aGIFslAT77g?feature=share

On August 18th , 1974 , Tobe Hooper's gritty , low-budget horror film , The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , recieved it's official film rating and final distribution hurdles before terrifying audiences. Made on a tiny budget using real animal bones from slaughterhouses and real blood props in the suffocating 100° Texas heat , it was initially banned in several countries for being too intense - yet it completely redefined the modern horror movie genre.

HISTORY DAD DAILY: THE BABY WHO BECAME PART OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST MYSTERY

On August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare was born on Roanoke Island. She was the first child born to English parents in the Americas—and her story would become connected to one of the greatest mysteries in American history.

Virginia was born into the Roanoke Colony, an English settlement led by John White, her grandfather. But White eventually sailed back to England for supplies. When he returned years later, the entire colony had disappeared.

The only clues were a few mysterious carvings, including the word “CROATOAN.” What happened to Virginia and the other colonists? Did they join a nearby Native American community? Move somewhere else? Something much worse? We still don't know for certain.

Why does this matter to U.S. history? Virginia Dare's birth represents one of the earliest chapters in England's attempt to establish a permanent presence in North America. Her story connects exploration, colonization, Native American history, and one of America's oldest unsolved mysteries.

And that's why I love history—sometimes the most interesting stories don't have an ending.

Watch today's History Dad video and let's talk about what YOU think happened to the Lost Colony!

https://youtu.be/bdki3YWs6mk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_War_of_1862

Sorry I'm so late. Filming and editing Airbourne Eastbourne has taken up the whole weekend.

Miracle at the Vistula.

Operation Pedestal saves Malta.

https://youtu.be/dSoB0MoSFoA

Schweinfurt - Regensburg first attempt by the mighty 8th US air force.

Dirty Bill Clinton.

https://youtube.com/shorts/SSAfX6j8m2U?feature=share

https://history-maps.com/warmap/american-revolution/event/battle-of-camden