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History Daily

The Preparedness Day Bombing

History Daily

History Daily

History

4.42.5K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

July 22, 1916. A bomb explodes during a “Preparedness Day” parade in San Francisco, killing 10 people and wounding another 40.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.1

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0:06.0

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0:10.6

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0:20.4

Music It's 2 p.m. on July 22nd, 1916 in San Francisco, California.

0:30.3

Marching along the street, 40-year-old Dr. Joseph Moss waves to the cheering crowds that packed the sidewalks. It's preparedness day, and a parade has been organized by San Francisco's Chamber of Commerce.

0:42.3

They want to show their support for an increase in defense spending by the government amid the ongoing war in Europe.

0:48.3

To his left and right, Dr. Moss is flanked by fellow veterans who fought in the Spanish-American War two decades ago.

0:55.8

Now, though, he's a prominent surgeon in San Francisco.

0:58.7

But Dr. Moss hasn't forgotten what he learned in the U.S. Army.

1:01.8

He marches in perfect step with those around him.

1:04.5

As a former soldier, Dr. Moss believes the United States has a responsibility to the rest of the world

1:09.6

and should join the fighting on World War I. 50,000 other marchers today agree with him. But many in America would

1:16.5

prefer to stay out of the conflict. Some of these isolationists have even made violent threats

1:21.7

against today's parade. But as he continues along Marcus Street, Dr. Moss doesn't think much

1:27.3

of these threats.

1:28.5

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spots something falling from a rooftop up ahead.

1:33.6

It looks like a package or a small bag.

1:36.2

Dr. Moss can't make it out, but it's trailing smoke.

1:39.6

And as it lands among the crowd below, an ear-piercing explosion knocks Dr. Moss to the ground.

1:46.0

Through dust and smoke, Dr. Moss sees the vague shapes of men, women, and children, staggering and shock all around him.

1:54.0

Dr. Moss's medical and military training kicks in.

...

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