In this week’s installment of our recurring series, a student vows to eat no more lobsters, an athlete wins a significant award, and more.

July 25, 1956—Joseph Levy *58 is traveling with his new wife via the Andrea Doria from Genoa after their wedding in Paris when the ship collides with the Stockholm off Nantucket Island. The ship sinks, but the Levys survive along with the 1,632 others from the Andrea Doria’s crew and passengers who climbed down precarious rope ladders to waiting lifeboats sent from the Stockholm. They will welcome the birth of their son, Andrea D. Levy, exactly one year later.

July 26, 1893—The Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner reports on John Bull, America’s first train, being run to celebrate the anniversary of train travel on its original route from Jersey City to Philadelphia: “At Princeton about 300 students took possession of the train for about 15 minutes, making the old cars ring with their college cry.”

July 27, 1837—James W. Albert writes to his mother, Ellen W. Albert, “Tell Thayer that we have had chickens three or four times, we used to have them every Monday. Last Monday we had lobsters. I ate some which made me a little sick and I determined not to eat any during my stay here; I think veal is as good if not better.”

July 29, 1928—Benjamin Van Doren Hedges ’30 wins a silver medal in the high jump in the Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

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