Who was the first lifeguard?

07/13/22 • 33 min

1 Listener

Whenever you go to a big pool or a public beach, you’ll always see lifeguards around: a person whose job it is to stand by the water and make sure everybody is safe. It’s a cool job, but did you ever wonder how it got started? Joy and co-host Brooklyn want to learn how to be lifeguards, and they learn from a couple of robots programmed to be like Hawaiian surfing legends Duke Kahanamoku and George Freeth, who are part of the early history of lifeguarding in the United States. And on First Things First, you’ll guess which came first: seatbelts, fire extinguishers, or CPR.
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Previous Episode

The Joy of Swimming

Everybody loves a nice dip in the pool when it’s hot outside... but if you never learned to swim, that pool can be pretty scary. Host Joy Dolo and co-host Brooklyn take us on a personal journey this week, exploring Joy’s own history with swimming, along with why many African-Americans aren’t comfortable in the water. (Hint: it’s about colonialism.) We’ll look at the history of swimming around the world, some of the misguided beliefs that led some people to think there was only one right way to swim. We’ll also meet someone who’s working to make sure more Black kids know how to get around in the water. Plus, there’s a new First Things First! What came first: swim caps, swim fins, or swim goggles?

This episode was sponsored by:

Outschool (outschool.com/foreverago to save $15 on your child’s first class)

Next Episode

Pirates: More than peg legs and parrots

Ahoy, matey! When you think of a pirate, you’re probably thinking of a white man with a beard and an eyepatch, maybe a pegleg, maybe a parrot on his shoulder. But we’re here to tell you that pirates didn’t usually look like that. Joy and co-host Elsa learn about what pirates were really like from expert Laura Sook Duncombe (instead of an eyepatch, they usually had... a written contract?) and hear the story of Cheng I Sao, a fierce female pirate who ruled the South China Sea in the early 19th century. And on First Things First, it’s an all captain edition. Who came first: Captain America, Captain Hook, or Cap’n Crunch?

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This episode was sponsored by:

Outschool (outschool.com/foreverago to save $15 on your child’s first class)

Fabric Insurance (meetfabric.com/FOREVER Fabric Insurance Agency policies issued by Vantis Life. Not available in New York and Montana. Prices subject to underwriting and health questions.)