June 4: Beer Riots, Cheese Monopolies, and Flying High

June 4 has given us some of history's wildest moments, from sky-high achievements to spectacularly bad ideas involving alcohol and sports fans. Let's dive into the delightfully weird tapestry of this date.

The World's Most Expensive Beer Promotion

In 1974, the Cleveland Indians hosted Ten-Cent Beer Night, which went exactly as well as you'd expect when you offer stadium beer for a dime. The promotion ended with the Indians having to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers due to rioting by drunken fans. It remains one of baseball's most legendary promotional disasters and a cautionary tale about underestimating the determination of thirsty sports fans. Someone in the front office definitely got fired for that one.

A Woman Takes Flight (Literally)

Way back in 1784, Élisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an untethered hot air balloon, soaring to an estimated altitude of 1,500 meters and covering 4 kilometers. This was centuries before anyone thought women should be doing much of anything adventurous, so Thible basically looked at 18th-century gender norms and said "I'm going up." Her fearless flight predated the Wright Brothers by over a century and proved that women have always been ready to reach new heights.

When France Got Serious About Cheese

In 1411, King Charles VI of France granted a monopoly to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon for the ripening of Roquefort cheese. Yes, a royal cheese monopoly. This is the most French thing that has ever happened, and it's beautiful. The fact that this 600-year-old decree is still honored today proves that some traditions are worth preserving, especially when they involve delicious, moldy cheese that pairs perfectly with wine.

A Claim in the Pacific Northwest

In 1792, Captain George Vancouver claimed the land around Puget Sound for Great Britain. Today, that area is home to Seattle, coffee culture, and tech billionaires, so we can only imagine what Captain Vancouver would think about his claim becoming the birthplace of Starbucks and Amazon.