May Day – Working Class History

May 1, 2024July 7, 2025 Working Class History Podcast

E85: May Day with Upstream

Podcast produced by Upstream in conversation with John from Working Class History talking about the history of May Day, International Workers’ Day, from its modern origins in Chicago in 1886, to its mediaeval roots, and its relevance today.

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11 October 1884: New Straitsville mine fire - On This Day in Working Class History

On this day, 11 October 1884, one of the longest-burning fires in the world began when striking mine workers set fire to the New Straitsville mine in Ohio.Miners employed by the Columbus & Hocking Coal and Iron Company had walked out on strike in June, and mine bosses hired scab replacement workers in their place. To prevent the mines from operating, a group of unknown people set fire to mine cars and pushed them into six mines in the area, setting them on fire.The employers attempted to put the fire out but failed, and in the 1930s the government attempted to create barriers to slow the fire, but were also unsuccessful.At points, fires lept over 30 m into the air and could be seen for miles around. Thousands of tourists came to the area and even paid 25 cents to see local guides cook eggs and heat coffee over the subterranean fire.So far over 200 square miles of coal deposits have been burned, and the fire is still burning today (2022).More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/11074/new-straitsville-mine-fireOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History