127: The Dark History of Pigeons: Rats With Wings or Unknown Heroes? 40:17

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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

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Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. In all my time doing research for Dark History, I've read some pretty wild headlines. But friends, listen, I gotta say, this one headline I read, it really takes the cake.

It's honestly like perfect. Chef's kiss. I have no notes. It comes from the New York Times and it says, quote, "Pigeon was cleared of being a Chinese spy, but served eight months anyway." I know. I had so many questions. Oh my God. Why didn't the pigeon just fly away through like the jail cell bars? What did it say under interrogation?

did this pigeon have access to a lawyer? Is there such a thing as like a pigeon lawyer? I wanted to know. Well, here's what I found out. In May of 2023, a pigeon was spotted just kind of hanging around a port in India. When authorities got close to the bird, they saw a ring around the bird's leg that turned out to be a microchip. Gasp. I know. On top of that, there was Chinese writing on the wings. The Indian authorities were like, this

"This is for sure a spy, and we can't take any chances." And they threw that bird in jail for eight months. Well, in the end, it turns out it was a racing bird from Taiwan, and the Chinese writing had faded and was unreadable. So I got to wondering, why did all these people believe a pigeon of all animals could be gathering top secret information? So of course, me being curious, I was like, "I have to look more into this."

And the Indian authorities knew something that we did not. We've all been lied to. Listen, now most people think that they are just disease-infected rats with wings, right? Aye, aye, I did.

I'm sorry to say that, but I thought that too. But actually pigeons were our companions for centuries. We humans domesticated them because we realized they had so many hidden powers and they returned the favor by saving countless human lives. It was a beautiful relationship.

Hold your pigeon tight. But somehow today they've become a flying annoyance, right? So like, what the hell happened? Well, welcome to the dark history of pigeons. This is my favorite episode because I freaking love pigeons. Thank you. Okay, fly away, pigeon. Fly away.

Hi, friends. I hope you're having a wonderful day today. My name is Bailey Sarian, and I'd like to welcome you to my podcast, Dark History. Here, we believe history doesn't have to be boring. Yeah, it's like really tragic a lot of the times. It's sometimes happy. But either way, it's our dark history. So all you need to do is sit back, relax, and let's talk about that hot, juicy pigeon goss. All right.

Pigeons everywhere! Oh, it's a takeover! Joan, did you throw a party or something? Or did Paul like leave the door open? If you're watching over on YouTube, there's pigeons everywhere. And Paul seems to be the pigeon lady from Home Alone 2. You did great in that movie, by the way. I loved it.

Okay, listen, pigeons. What? Why are we here? Let me tell you. Let's start with a little tidbit of information that's going to change the way you look at pigeons right away. The common pigeon, aka the kind of like dumpy gray bird you see just bobbing its head around the city or like hanging out with Paul, the lady from Home Alone 2. Yeah. Pigeon is not technically its name. They used to be called rock doves.

Yeah, a dove. How cute. A rock. Everyone loves a rock, right? Rock dove. So why are there two names for the same bird? Well, scientifically, there is no difference between a pigeon and a dove.

My mind was blown at that. But today, like humans just decided to refer to the smaller ones as doves and the bigger ones as pigeons. And really, that's it. The word pigeon itself actually just describes what the bird does. It comes from an old French word. I'm going to nail this one. Pigeon, which loosely translates to chirping bird, which is interesting because to me, the sound of a pigeon is more of like a...

You know, whatever. I nailed it. Now all pigeons and doves are part of one big happy bird family and they all have a common ancestor, the rock dove. And that's where it all starts. To keep things simple though, I'm just going to say pigeon, right? Pigeon, we all get it. So pigeons come from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. And they were important all the way back in early human history. Oh yeah.

There's a place on Earth called the Fertile Crescent.

which sounds like you might get pregnant there. But it's called that because this is essentially where humans first started farming, which allowed us to really begin building society as we know it. Fertile as in the soil. Makes sense, you know? Now there is evidence from about 10,000 years ago that pigeons were an important food source and people had to eat them to survive. I know, I was like, baked? Fried? I wonder. I would love a pigeon recipe.

I'm just kidding, I won't eat you. Pigeons first appeared in written history on Mesopotamian stone tablets. This is when we start to learn a ton about how humans treated pigeons back in the day. Ancient Mesopotamian people started to worship the pigeons as fertility symbols. No one knows why for sure, but many people believe it's because they breed a lot. Like they're busy. Kind of like rabbits.

And to honor the pigeons, the people living in Mesopotamia started building clay statues dedicated to them in their temples. They even had a goddess of love, sexuality, and war. Her name was Ishtar and doves, aka pigeons, came to be her symbol.

And then one day, someone was watching the pigeons and noticed something interesting about their behavior. No matter how far away they flew or where they went, pigeons always had the ability to find their way home. And this changed everything for the humans. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear all the

time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and my favorite part, all Quince items are priced $50 to

80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh!

I love linen and you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. ♪

Pigeons can return home from as far away as 1,100 miles. Now, realizing that pigeons had this ability to somehow remember where they live gave humans an idea.

They started to think, hey, pigeons could be sent anywhere to deliver a message. I mean, I was like, great, this is great. But like, how do the pigeons do it? There's an answer. By using a mix of miraculous God-given skills. First of all, experiments have shown that pigeons keep track of the location of the sun. Wow.

and then they use something called magnetoreception. And this allows them to sense the direction and intensity of the Earth's magnetic field. Smart, Jean, okay. With this information, they have everything they need to know. They know where to go, you know, it's like they have a built-in compass. They're incredible.

Some researchers say they can do all this because they have these magnetic iron crystals in their beaks. Other people think it has to do with like their inner ears. But what I'm saying is that we actually don't really know how they do it. Maybe it's magic or maybe it's Maybelline. Maybe it's Maybelline.

But either way, they use all these skills when they're far from home. So when they close in on their destination, they switch to their sense of smell.

the scent of home becomes stronger the closer that they get. And once they're back in like their neighborhood, they zero in on their home using visual landmarks like buildings. I mean, it's crazy. So pigeons are born with like a GPS system inside their heads and they have the ability to remember what things look like around them. They essentially understand the concepts of space and time.

Respect the pigeon. But to really like harness that pigeon power, humans had to figure out a way to control them first. The first evidence of big time pigeon domestication comes from Egypt. You guessed it. Maybe you didn't, but it's Egypt.

There was a Pharaoh in Egypt during the 1200s BC and his name was Ramses II. Ramses decided their god, Amun, needed a sacrifice in his honor. And Ramses felt that since pigeons are so beloved by the people as a food source, it would mean a lot to sacrifice them. Therefore, Amun would be pleased.

But the problem was that most pigeons, they lived like hundreds of miles away. Capturing and transporting them was too much of a pain in the ass, so Ramses decided to breed them on site. I mean, yeah, you just need like a couple lady pigeons, a couple male pigeons, bada bing, bada boom, you got more pigeons. When all was said and done, Ramses had sacrificed over 57,000 pigeons.

pigeons to almond. I don't know, I guess like 56,900 just wasn't enough. You know, they needed 57,000. Either way, they were being domesticated for ceremonial purposes here. But then over time, people started to domesticate them for

communication. Ooh. Well, once people started domesticating pigeons in this way, they could like take advantage of their incredible travel abilities. Like it said in the Bible, Noah sent out a white dove, which again is scientifically identical to the pigeon, to find land after the great flood. And

And seven days later, the white dove returned with an olive twig in its mouth, which meant it had found dry land. Tons of other famous figures and cultures from history used pigeons to communicate important messages. Over in ancient Greece, they used pigeons

pigeons to let the world know who won the Olympic games. They're like, go pigeon, tell everyone who won. And in ancient Rome, Julius Caesar used pigeons to send out messages during his famous conquests. A Roman historian at the time wrote that Julius was, quote, the first to make use of pigeons as messengers, which he sent out in all directions, end quote.

Anyway, it starts to become more and more clear just how beneficial these pigeons could really be. So people then like started breeding and crossbreeding all sorts of pigeons to like really heighten their skills. Kind of like what people do with horses and dogs, you know, like make a super pigeon. Because of this, pigeons start becoming status symbols for like the elite.

During the 1600s, the richest people in England and France built towers just for these pigeons. These structures were called dovecotes. And by the 1650s, one pigeon historian said there were 26,000 dovecotes in England alone.

They loved their pigeons. Now here's a quick fun fact. Nobles were still eating pigeons at this time, so I guess they were like raising these gorgeous buff-ass pigeons who had like lifted weights and shit, but then they would like eat their family. Cool. Around this time, homing pigeons and carrier pigeons step into the spotlight, and these guys are considered fancy pigeons.

Fancy pigeons. Now these fancy pigeons were bred by rich people for their size, shape, color, and the big one, behavior. Then they would use these pigeons for sports like racing. Now this all led to the Victorian era in England becoming the golden age of pigeon fancying. And this caught the attention of one man who was also obsessed with pigeons, but for scientific reasons. This man is a household name that pretty much a lot of us know.

but find out who when we return. You know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round? I mean, it fits you just right. So you wear it all the time, but maybe now it's getting a little old. Shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge. Luckily, Quince offers timeless and high quality items that I

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. ♪

Hey, welcome back. How's it going? Great. So the household name I was referring to is none other than Mr. Survival of the Fittest Himself, Charles Darwin.

Yeah, no matter how you feel about it, he did all these studies about like different animal breeds and their behavior. And then he wrote about this in one of his famous books, The Origin of Species. The differences he discovered between wild and domesticated pigeons helped him formulate his theory of evolution. No big deal, you know?

So essentially after Darwin started writing about pigeons, people, they started to pay attention. Especially this one genius who took pigeon obsession to a whole new level. And like it was questionable, maybe. In the 1800s, there was this revolutionary engineer named Nikola Tesla. During the day, Nikola worked for Thomas Edison and together they created electricity as we know it today. Allegedly, you know, I don't know.

Nikola was getting these huge grants to create new inventions, build laboratories, and keep just changing the world. And he was really dedicated to his work. Now by night, Nikola was working on his other passion.

The birds, especially pigeons, okay? Now, according to many reports, Nicola would spend his evenings with the pigeons of New York. He would walk the streets of Midtown Manhattan, feeding them, and even like trying to talk to them by doing these low whistle pigeon noises. I can't do a pigeon for the life of me, but that's how I would do it.

The pigeons loved him, okay? They really loved this guy. He would stand with his arms outstretched like a scarecrow and the pigeons would all land all over him. Oh, wait a second. Was Nikola Tesla the original "Home Alone" crazy pigeon lady?

Maybe. I mean, she also wandered through New York with her gang of birds. My mind is blown right now. Nicola would build bird nests all over his living room and leave the windows open for the pigeons. So like they knew they could all come in and they were welcome. And apparently Nicola was very into this female pigeon. This is when it gets a little questionable. He was into this female pigeon that would visit all the time. And I mean, he loved it.

He literally fell in love with this pigeon. Now this was giving my octopus teacher. Did you see that movie? That was a little questionable. I honestly think it was about a guy who wanted to like the octopus. I'm not saying that's what Nicola wanted to do, but like it was giving that.

That's what it's giving. He said, quote, But there was one pigeon, a beautiful bird, pure white with light gray tips on its wings. That one was different. It was a female. I would know that pigeon anywhere. No matter where I was, that pigeon would find me. When I wanted her, I had only to wish and call her and she would come flying to me. She understood me and I understood her. I loved that pigeon. End quote.

Well, you know, I guess there really is someone out there for everyone. You know? Nikola never married, but I hear he and his pigeon lover were very happy together. I know, it was a very fairytale ending. Now during this period in the 1800s, pigeons aren't just sitting on the sidewalk waiting to poop on you and eat crumbs, you know? They were put to work.

Since they were viewed as like such resourceful, intelligent birds, they were used to carry top secret messages for important people and rich families. Like for example, the Rothschilds. This family is known for being rich, rich. You know what I'm saying? I tried to find like their net worth, but it's like money you and I will never know, to be honest.

Some say it's in the billions, other people claim it's trillions. Either way, it's a lot. They're rich, okay? So they built their fortune by investing in real estate, mining, the energy industry, and most importantly, banking. They just always seem to have the right information at the right time.

Other companies couldn't get the scoop faster than the Rothschilds, no matter what they did. But here's why. Back then, every piece of communication was easily hackable.

Which is surprising, right? I would think it wouldn't be, but like, it was. People were like ripping open mail and telegrams, like it was nothing. I guess back then it was hard to have a secret, but not for the Rothschilds because they had their secret weapon, the pigeons. Apparently they set up this whole elaborate system of pigeon communications all over the city.

They would create these lofts in their buildings where pigeons would nest. Then they would attach like messages with super important financial information to the pigeon, you know, beep, boop, boop, boop.

and then send the message to another one of their buildings. This way, no one could intercept the secret information and the Rothschilds stayed on top. The pigeons were essentially business couriers, but they couldn't be bribed or like leak informations like the humans. The Rothschilds were able to create an insane fortune because of this. And people didn't catch on to them for years.

But look, eventually the secret was out. Businesses and newspapers everywhere started to use pigeons as couriers. They were reliable, they were free, and they weren't like able to spill any secrets. Now this was especially useful during war when secret messages could mean the difference between living

dying for you know that one good tank top that you wear like all year round i mean it fits you just right so you wear it all the time but maybe now it's getting a little old shifting my wardrobe from summer to fall is always a challenge luckily quince offers timeless and high quality items that i

love so I can make sure my wardrobe stays fresh and I don't blow my budget. They've got cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops. And my favorite part, all Quince items are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. By partnering directly with top factories, Quince cuts out the cost of the middleman and

and passes the savings on to us. And Quince only works with factories that use safe, ethical, and responsible manufacturing practices and premium fabrics and finishes. I recently got this 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. Ooh, I love linen. And you know, it was so comfortable, so cute. I can finally retire my old ratty tank top.

R.I.P. Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash dark history for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash dark history to get free shipping and 365 day returns. quince.com slash dark history.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yep, while you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you're not in some kind of moving vehicle, there's something else you could be doing right now. Getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you can save money by doing it from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner and more.

So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what. Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.

Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customer survey who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Thousands of soldiers. So apparently, in order to use pigeons in war, people would capture around 400 baby carrier pigeons and then put them into like these gigantic hot air balloons.

It's a funny visual, kind of. But these pigeons would be trained by like a special pigeon trainer on how to send messages during the war. These baby birds began training at five weeks old by people called Pigeoneers. I don't know, that's so cute. They sound like they would work at like Disneyland. Pigeoneer.

These Pigeoneers would train the pigeons for about five weeks and then be stamped with the U.S. symbol on their right wing and then sent out to the trenches. They would be trained to return to their specific nests at the end of the night. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, more than 800 of these pigeons were used to send 40,000 messages.

I mean, who knows how many lives were saved? For wars that were even bigger in size, a special division of the military called the US Signal Corps trained over 50,000 pigeons to help in World War I. Now at first they were used to simply carry messages back and forth, but the military was shocked by the perseverance of these little guys. I mean, they were known to be very dedicated to their mission.

According to Colonel Edgar A. Russell, who was like the head signal officer for the US Army,

said, quote, pigeons can work regularly and in spite of bombardments, dust, smoke, or fog can bring accurate details concerning the situation of the troops, end quote. So they were great at delivering messages and the army even gave them a little upgrade. Now this really blew my mind, okay, because they attached tiny cameras on the pigeon to take pictures

pictures behind enemy lines. I know I had so many questions there. I was like, did the pigeons use their beaks to snap the photos or like their little pigeon feet? Maybe like the pigeon breasts? Maybe the camera took a picture like every certain amount of seconds or something. I don't know. Couldn't get clarification on that.

But I had so many questions. Okay, so as I was doing all this research, I kept coming across the name Cherami. Cherami. And it turns out Cherami was a pigeon, for starters, and one of the most famous pigeons of all time. And he was known for being a war hero. Now grab that tissue box, baby, because you are about to cry your eyes out.

So in 1918, Jeremy was born into this world. Once he reached 10 weeks, he was sent out to do a round of wartime communication messages, just like all the other pigeons before him. But it wasn't business as usual because by 1918, the Germans had figured out that the pigeons were a super successful tactic for the US Army. So they started demanding soldiers shoot down any pigeons they saw.

one by one. And Jeremy's fellow pigeon soldiers were shot dead all around him. He's flying. He's going like, no!

Now at this point he had already completed 11 successful missions and Cherami was stationed with the 77th Division known as the Lost Battalion. And on October 4th, 1918, this battalion was in danger. They were as good as dead. This is because these American soldiers were being bombed so badly behind German lines

they were cut off from the rest of the American troops. So like no one could get behind enemy lines to help them escape. And on top of this, they were totally out of range of radio signals. So one of the soldiers that was trapped in this bombing was American Major Charles Whittlesey. In the midst of gunshots and explosions, he and the other soldiers turned to the only hope they have to survive.

The carrier pigeons. So the soldiers each grabbed a carrier pigeon, you know. They wrote a message in a hurry. They're like, please help us ASAP. Thank you. And then they tied it to the pigeon's leg. And then they threw the pigeons in the air so they could fly away and, like, get the message home.

But one by one, the soldiers watched their pigeons getting shot and killed. Oh God, you know, there goes my message. I asked for baked goods. Finally, they grabbed the last one, the prodigal pigeon, Cherami. Now the general managed to write a note asking for help and attach it to his leg. He throws, he then throws Cherami into the sky and everyone's just watching, praying that he would...

not get shot down, okay? And right away, Cherami is dodging bullets left and right, and it's working. Like, he's getting away, and they're like, oh my God. Then they finally had been saved. Cherami, Cherami. And they're all excited, right? Woo! But then, right in front of their eyes, Cherami was shot straight through the chest. And then he, like, poor Cherami just, like, fell straight to the ground.

The soldiers were obviously devastated and essentially they saw that as a sign they were like going to die, right? Then they were about to like turn away, kind of give up when all of a sudden Cherami sits up. I know this is very dramatic, but like this is real. Cherami sits up and with a bullet wound bleeding from his chest, he still manages to get up and fly away with that message tied around his leg.

I know, it's incredible. And Cherami ends up flying like 25 miles in less than half an hour, which is fast. Even when Cherami wasn't shot, he got the messages to base and they were able to save 194 lives in the lost battalion, all thanks to him. So the pigeon medics, or like veterinarians, whatever they were called, they go to work trying to save little Cherami's life. They're like, "Clear."

you know, or sewing him up or something. And thankfully, Cher-me survived. But sadly, he lost his right leg and was permanently blinded. But he lived. Lieutenant Dan, you ain't got no legs.

Jeremy was given an award to honor his bravery on the battlefield. Oh yeah. During the ceremony, General John Pershing said, quote, there isn't anything the United States can do too much for this bird. End quote. Jeremy returned to the U.S. where he lived. It's not funny. It's just, I forgot we were talking about pigeon. But Jeremy said,

had returned to live in the United States where he lived until he died on January 13th, 1919 from his war wounds. Okay, but get this, his body was preserved. Oh yes. And it was put in the Smithsonian in 1921. Yeah, you can go see him with his missing leg. Look, if you go, I need you to send me a picture. All right, I need to see this. I've never been. Maybe I should go road trip, maybe.

All in all, over 150,000 pigeons served in World War I and World War II. And truly, we have like no idea how many lives they saved. I love the pigeons. They're so precious. And in their honor, President Woodrow Wilson created National Pigeon Day on June 13th. Aw, I know. I'm going to celebrate this year. I don't really know. Am I supposed to dress up for National Pigeon Day? How do we celebrate?

Maybe we steal a hot dog from an old lady or like poop on a car.

I'm not sure, I'll get back to you. So pigeons, if you haven't caught on, are amazing animals. They've saved lives, they're fricking smart, they're useful. So why does society hate them so much? Like how the hell did we end up here? Like kings and nobility used to have whole flocks of pigeons as a flex, you know? But now everyone has those fricking plastic owls up on their buildings to scare them away.

I always thought those were for snakes. Okay, well, anyways, what happened? So the thing about most pigeons, especially in North America...

is that they were never meant to be here, okay? They were brought over by European colonizers in the 17th century. And most of the pigeons that you see on the streets are actually descendants of those domesticated and trained service birds like Cherami. And just like any domesticated animal, like a dog or a cat, you know, they come to rely on you, their owner, for food, water, and like shelter, okay?

So these animals were completely reliant on humans for centuries. I mean, it was built into their DNA, but then after technology advanced and we decided we didn't need them to send messages,

we just like ditched their asses. Bye pigeon. Like no warning, just dumped them, fired. So this ended up leaving the pigeons in a pretty shitty situation. I mean, they were trained to do anything it took for their country and then bloop, just abandoned. So pigeons, they actually flock to cities based on instinct. Remember like those rock doves they evolved from?

Well, rock doves lived along cliff sides and that's why they were called rock doves. So cities with skyscrapers are pretty appealing to them because they're similar to the cliffs with little rocky ledges to land on and roost. I think of a chicken when I think of roost, but I don't know animals. So look, they aren't sitting on your office window because they just love to poop everywhere. No, it's just the closest thing they have to a native home.

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In 1963, a New York City health official blamed two recent unexplained deaths on pigeons. Look, they believed that the pigeons were carrying a deadly disease. And because of this, everyone was just like scared this would cause some sort of epidemic in society. And people were panicking. This news made New Yorkers look at pigeons differently. Okay. Suddenly these birds that seemed harmless were a huge threat and they were everywhere.

So when this health official called for a campaign to quote, "Rid the city of its 5 million pigeons,"

Everyone supported it. They're like, I don't want to die. Now, according to the New York City's health website, quote, End quote.

But the risk of pigeon-related diseases is like extremely rare. Honestly, like close to zero. I mean, it was complete pigeon slander. It turns out those two people who died unexpectedly, their deaths were never traced back to pigeons. No.

Later, after all the damage was done, it was discovered that their deaths had resulted from Cryptococcal meningitis, which is spread from human to human contact.

Yeah. And at the end of the day, neither the New York Department of Health nor the Center for Disease Control could confirm any cases of people getting sick from casual interactions with pigeons. I mean, Tesla and his pigeon lover seem to be doing just fine, right?

Anyway, all the pigeon fearmongering was just a rumor, but it didn't matter. People hadn't been waiting for the facts, you know? Like, the pigeon paranoia had already snowballed. And then, just a few years later, there was another important development. In June of 1966, the New York City Parks Commissioner coined the term "rats with wings."

Now we've all heard this phrase and unfortunately it was more or less the final nail in the coffin for pigeon PR. Then a study was released that found that a pigeon produces 25 pounds of bird poop a year, which was like concerning to people. They're like, wow, it's a lot of poop. But like this was nothing compared to what dogs and other pets produced. I'm sure if anyone like did this study on squirrels, the poop distribution would be the same.

But this was just adding fuel to the pigeon cancellation fire. Think of that impact on a city like New York where there are millions of pigeons, you know? So more than ever before, people wanted pigeons and their poop to go far away. Just go away. And by any means necessary. So on top of using spikes, sticky gel, and fake owls on ledges of buildings, in the last 60 years, pigeons have been shaming.

I'm not laughing, but you know, shot, gassed, electrocuted, poisoned, caged, and even fed contraceptives. Yeah, to try like help reduce their numbers. These poor pigeons, which is especially messed up considering that we brought them over here. I mean, we brought them to America in the first place. We made them dependent on us. We trained them to work.

To love us, to deliver our messages, to spy for us, to help us learn about our own species. I mean, even back in ancient times and in cultures where pigeons were depended on as food, they were still respected. And then again, up until the 1700s, it was a huge flex for nobles and royalty to keep pigeons as pets.

Pigeons were a status symbol. And now it's like the complete opposite. People equate pigeons with poverty and squalor, and it happened virtually overnight. Just because of some misinformation, they became publicly demonized and targeted.

Unfortunately for us and the pigeons, the bad PR has really stuck. I mean, over the course of the last 60 years in America, we've managed to completely override all those thousands of years of respect, friendship, and hard work that we used to have for these extremely smart little animals. Just boof.

Gone. It's such a bummer because honestly, we have so much in common with pigeons. Pigeons are monogamous. Did you know that? They usually stick with like one partner their entire life. And as parents, they share responsibilities of raising the kids pretty much 50/50. I know, it's so cute.

In a recent study from the University of Iowa, they found out that pigeons can tell the difference between natural versus man-made objects. And they could categorize them. I mean, on the same level as human children. How does an animal with such a small head have such an impressive brain, I ask? Just blows my mind. On top of that, pigeons, pigeons also love art.

Okay, maybe they don't love it, but they can tell the difference between a Picasso painting and a Monet. I know, pigeons, huh? And get this, pigeons can even detect cancer. Yeah. In a recent study, pigeons proved that they were able to detect early signs of breast cancer.

get them in hospitals, get them back in the workforce. I mean, there's a whole untapped society of birds out there just dying to be doctors and messengers and who knows what else.

I was actually on Pet Finder the other day, just looking at some pets, you know, and I saw some pigeons up for grabs. Some people still keep them as pets and now I'm considering it. I mean, I need some friends. I'm going to open up my windows, let the pigeons in, talk with them, send secret messages. I mean, why not? Right? It's the least I can do after they've been through everything they've been through. Oh, and then, you know who has a pet pigeon?

Mike Tyson. Oh yeah. When he was like a kid, he loved pigeons and would take, just take them in. He called him like his first loving relationship he ever had. Mr. Tyson said, quote, "If it weren't for a pigeon, I may not have been the heavyweight champion of the world."

End quote. Wah.

Yeah, and Tyson still has birds today. So listen, you're telling me pigeons have gave us food, friendship, and a free delivery service? I mean, what can't the pigeons do, huh? Now next time I see one on the street, I'm capturing it, taking it home, and making it be my friend.

Sorry, Joan, you're out. I mean, you're really nice and stuff, but these pigeons are really loyal. I'm not sure what you do for me. Sorry. Don't be mad. Whatever. Now listen, if we're going to make any change in this world, we need to get some pigeons. I mean, you can go to a pigeon...

A pigeon breeder? Well, there's already so many. Maybe you could just like open up your window and invite one in, live in your home, you know? And if you want it to carry secret notes for you, take your pet pigeon to a friend's house. The friend will like scribble a note, attach it to the pigeon's leg, and then it will return to your home in no time. The possibilities are endless.

Hmm. Until the government catches on to our secrets and then takes over the pigeons. But anyways, pigeons, huh? So, have you changed your mind about pigeons after this episode?

Let me know down below. And hey, like while I was down the rabbit hole researching this episode, I came across an incredible picture from 1937 of a 20-year-old John F. Kennedy feeding pigeons in Italy. And that's when it hit me. I was like, how is it possible that I almost went three full seasons without doing an episode on America's royal family, the Kennedys? Maybe you know the horrible highlights like the assassinations, but

But dive a little deeper in this family and girl, they got secrets. I'm talking about operating in the shadows, a murder they don't really want you to know about, and a whole lot of other shady dealings that goes along with being one of America's most powerful families of all time. Now, where did they come from? How did they get that power? And what don't they want us to know?

I mean, why are they considered America's first and only royal family? Well, friends, let's uncover all of it next week on the Dark History of the Kennedys. Ooh, I'm gonna get murdered. Well, friends, thank you for hanging out with me today. I hope you learned something new.

You can join me over on my YouTube where you can watch these episodes on Thursday after the podcast airs. And while you're there, you can also watch my murder, mystery, and makeup. I'd love to hear your guys' reactions to today's story. So make sure to use the hashtag dark history over on social media so I can see what you're saying. All right? Now let's read a couple of comments you guys left me. Alejandra Rosales7836 left me a comment saying, quote,

"I wanna see you do a drunken history."

I don't really drink that much. I'll take like one beverage and then I'll be on the floor, but it should be fun. Why not? Let's live a little. Maya Young 8280 left us a comment saying, quote, "Fun fact, french fries actually come from Belgium." You know what's funny though? One time I went to Belgium. It was, yeah, I went to Belgium. This was a couple of years ago. And I will say they have the most incredible french fries I have ever tasted.

So, I believe it. I believe it. Melissa Murray 7048 left us an episode suggestion saying, quote, I'd love to see an episode on the history of pogs, end quote. Honestly, Melissa, I have not thought about pogs in freaking forever. I know. I wonder if they have like a dark history. I think they just kind of like scammed us. They sold us little like

Cardboard, circles, somewhere like heavier, but whatever. You know, but I'll look into it. Thank you so much for leaving comments, you guys. I look forward to reading them every week. So keep them coming. Maybe you will be featured.

Okay, and hey, if you don't know, "Dark History" is an Audioboom original. This podcast is executive produced by Bailey Sarian, Junya McNeely from 3Arts, Kevin Grush, and Matt Enloe from Maiden Network. Joey Scavuzzo, Katie Burris, and Allison Filobos.

Production lead, Brian Jaggers. Research provided by Xander Elmore. A special thank you to our expert, Colin Jeremack, professor of environmental studies and sociology at New York University. And I'm your host, Bailey Sarian. I hope you have a good rest of your day. You make good choices. Go grab a pigeon and I'll talk to you next week. Goodbye.

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