Huey Long Invents a Bank Holiday (1933)
This Day in Esoteric Political History
Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia
4.6 • 982 Ratings
🗓️ 5 February 2023
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s February 4th. This day in 1933, Louisiana Senator Huey Long invents a holiday out of whole cloth in order to close banks and prevent a bank run.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the bank needed to close, and how Long settled on commemorating the day in 1917 when the US cut off diplomatic relations with Germany.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia. |
| 0:07.0 | My name is Jody Avergan. |
| 0:10.0 | This day, February 4th, well, this is a very notable day. This is the day we solemnly commemorate |
| 0:16.6 | the moment in 1917 when the U.S. cut off diplomatic relations with Germany in the first world war. |
| 0:25.0 | It is widely celebrated. |
| 0:26.8 | School kids take part in pageants around this day. |
| 0:29.4 | There's parades and badges. |
| 0:31.2 | There's no garbage pickup, and the banks, of course, are closed given how important |
| 0:35.8 | of a holiday this is. |
| 0:36.8 | Oh wait, what do you say? |
| 0:39.1 | No one celebrates February 4th as a holiday to commemorate when we cut off diplomatic relations with Germany? |
| 0:44.0 | No, they don't. It is not a holiday except in 1933 in Louisiana because that was the |
| 0:51.6 | date and the year that Huey Long unilaterally invented this |
| 0:55.4 | holiday but for pretty good reasons which we are going to get into so I |
| 0:58.5 | promise this story will make sense you will come to understand why this was a |
| 1:02.0 | holiday in Louisiana in that year but here to discuss this quite amazing story. |
| 1:07.6 | I really love it and one that was recommended to us by a listener. |
| 1:10.4 | I'm here to do that as always are Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and |
| 1:13.7 | Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley happy cutting off diplomatic relations with |
| 1:18.4 | Germany in the First World War Day to both of you. |
| 1:21.5 | Happy that day to you too I will cancel classes tomorrow in honor of the |
| 1:25.3 | observation of the sacred holiday my students will be very happy yeah no |
... |
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