The Daily Time Drop

On this day · 19 September 2026

Trollface, Ötzi's Murder, and the Day Mexico's Earthquake Drill Became Real

· 12 min

Trollface, Ötzi's Murder, and the Day Mexico's Earthquake Drill Became Real

Listen to this episode

12 min

These stories remind us that history is filled with unexpected coincidences and enduring mysteries, reflecting both human ingenuity and error.

There’s something delightfully peculiar about history’s ability to surprise us, especially on certain dates. Take 19 September, a day with tales as diverse as a crude internet drawing, a 5,300-year-old murder, real earthquakes mimicking drills, and a near-nuclear disaster caused by a dropped tool.

Trollface: The Accidental Icon

On 19 September 2008, Carlos Ramírez, an 18-year-old from Oakland, uploaded a drawing that would become one of the most recognisable icons of early internet culture: Trollface. Created in the humble Microsoft Paint, Ramírez’s cartoon face was a cheeky nod to the trolling behaviour rampant on forums like 4chan. It quickly became a meme phenomenon, evolving from an in-joke to a copyrighted image that earned its creator a tidy sum. A testament to the unpredictability of internet fame, Trollface endures as a digital emblem of online mischief.

Ötzi: Oldest Cold Case

Just as intriguing is the tale of Ötzi the Iceman, whose fate was uncovered on 19 September 1991, when hikers found him preserved in the Ötztal Alps. Dating back 5,300 years, Ötzi’s frozen body revealed science’s oldest murder mystery. With an arrowhead lodged in his shoulder and 61 tattoos marking his skin, he left behind clues about life in the Copper Age. Ötzi remains one of the most studied individuals in history, his body a treasure trove of ancient human secrets.

Mexico’s Eerie Coincidence

Then there’s Mexico’s peculiar relationship with 19 September, a date shadowed by disaster. After the catastrophic 1985 earthquake, the country commemorated the tragedy with annual drills. Eerily, in both 2017 and 2022, genuine earthquakes struck on the very day of these drills. Statistically remarkable, these occurrences have further highlighted the critical nature of disaster preparedness in Mexico.

A Nearly Nuclear Mishap

We’d be remiss not to mention the almost comic yet dangerous accident at an Arkansas missile silo in 1980. A dropped socket wrench caused a fuel leak in a Titan missile, leading to a catastrophic explosion and launching a nuclear warhead into a ditch. This mishap didn’t trigger Armageddon, but it sure prompted the retirement of the Titan II programme.

This episode of “The Daily Time Drop” curates a uniquely varied collection of stories from history, each marked by human creativity and folly. Dive in for a fascinating discussion on how one date witnessed striking examples of human endeavours, both brilliant and otherwise.

In this episode

  • Introduction Clara introduces the episode with a teaser about a deliberately bad drawing that became an internet icon, setting the stage for stories from 19 September across different years and contexts.
  • Trollface: The Face That Trolled the World On 19 September 2008, Carlos Ramírez uploaded Trollface, a crude drawing that became a defining image of early internet culture. Created in Microsoft Paint to satirise 4chan trolling behaviour, the image spread through rage comics and became a copyrighted asset earning its creator hundreds of thousands of dollars.
  • Ötzi the Iceman: A Very Cold Case On 19 September 1991, hikers in the Ötztal Alps discovered a 5,300-year-old body preserved in ice. Ötzi, as he became known, was a Copper Age murder victim with an arrowhead in his shoulder, 61 tattoos, and equipment revealing sophisticated knowledge. He remains the most studied human in scientific history.
  • Mexico’s Earthquakes and the Drill That Wasn’t a Drill After the catastrophic 1985 earthquake, Mexico instituted annual drills on 19 September. In both 2017 and 2022, real earthquakes struck during these commemorative drills, an extraordinary statistical coincidence that reinforced the importance of disaster preparedness in Mexican public life.
  • The Titan Missile Explosion in Arkansas On 18-19 September 1980, a dropped socket wrench punctured the fuel tank of a Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile in Arkansas. The resulting explosion killed one person, threw a multi-megaton nuclear warhead into a ditch, and contributed to the retirement of the Titan II programme.
  • Conclusion Clara reflects on the diverse stories of 19 September, from internet culture to ancient murder, disaster preparedness to nuclear near-misses, concluding with her characteristic observation about human overconfidence throughout history.

Sources

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