#ThrowbackThursday – 23 January
It’s 23 January, and that means it’s time for another edition of Throwback Thursday! Today, we’re taking a look back at three prominent events that went down on this day in history:
1849 – A Medical Milestone in Women’s Rights
Today marks the anniversary of Elizabeth Blackwell becoming the first contemporary woman to earn a medical degree!
Born into wealth and privilege in 1821, Blackwell’s family moved from Bristol, England, to the USA when she was 11 years old; afterwards, their financial situation suddenly became dire.
At the age of 28, she became the first woman to graduate from Geneva Medical College in Geneva, New York, on 23 January 1849. No less than ten years later, she achieved another milestone by being the first woman to have her name on the British medical register.
Despite enduring sexism from her peers throughout her career, Blackwell established herself as a great figure in the medical field, becoming well-known as a physician who heavily promoted social awareness, moral reform, and education (particularly in medicine) for women.
She opened the Woman’s Medical College in New York in 1868, and later she was appointed professor of gynaecology at the London School of Medicine for Women. Then, at the age of 89, she passed away after suffering a stroke, and was buried in Scotland.
Today, women across the world have more opportunities to study in the medical field, thanks to the efforts of pioneers such as Blackwell.
1897 – Dead Women Tell No Tales … Only the Truth
When mysterious deaths occur and the relevant authorities are unable to assist, some individuals turn to the supernatural in hopes of achieving justice. In one instance, 128 years ago, the deceased victim was said to have played a role in solving their own murder investigation.
On 23 January 1897, a 23-year-old woman named Elva Zona Heaster Shue was found dead at her home in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, USA. At first, her death was deemed natural. Her husband, Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue, discouraged any further investigation into her body, which he helped dress in the high-collared gown she wore on their wedding day.
Following Elva’s burial, her mother, Mary Jane Heaster, claimed to have received a vision from her daughter’s spirit, who alleged that it was her husband who had killed her.
“She told me that her neck was squeezed off at the first joint,” Heaster claimed.
Her testimony prompted authorities to exhume Elva’s body for an autopsy. It was found that she had a crushed windpipe and a broken neck, indicative of strangulation. The high-collared gown, combined with Shue’s earlier discouragement, obscured this evidence during the initial investigation.
This revelation led to a murder trial against Erasmus, who had a history of violence and prior failed marriages. During the proceedings, Heaster insisted that her daughter had communicated with her, stating the cause of death involved a violent confrontation over dinner. The jury took only an hour to convict Erasmus of first-degree murder, sentencing him to life in prison. He died three years later from the flu.
Despite the circumstantial evidence, the case is notable for being the only one in US history where ghostly testimony influenced a murder conviction. A state highway marker commemorates this extraordinary legal event, highlighting its unique supernatural connection.
2016 – A Cursed Restoration
On 23 January 2016, the Administrative Prosecution (AP) referred eight employees from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, to trial for their mishandling of King Tutankhamun’s gold mask.
The accused – including two restorers and the former museum director – faced charges of negligence and violating professional standards after they improperly reattached the beard of the allegedly cursed mask.
The AP stated that the suspects engaged in “reckless action”, attempting to conceal their mistakes with inappropriate glue and sharp tools, ultimately damaging the 3 000-year-old artefact. The mask’s beard was detached during an incident in August 2014; despite initial repairs, the employees made three additional attempts to rectify their errors, albeit without following established restoration protocols.
