History Today: How the world got its first superhero, The Phantom

February 17 has been a historical day with several events taking place across the world. On this day in 1936, the world’s first superhero, Phantom, made its debut in the King Features Syndicate comic strip. The first strip featured in the story The Singh Brotherhood.

If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.

It was also on this day in 1991 that serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer was caught by the Wisconsin Police for killing several people. In 1801, the US House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

Here is all you need to know that took place on this day

Phantom Superhero makes his debut

Whenever we speak about superheroes, the first one to come to mind is Superman. Many consider him to be the first superhero but that is not the case. Precisely, two years before the launch of Superman in 1938, Phantom was launched in a comic strip making him the first comic-strip superhero.

The figure was developed by Lee Falk, creator of Mandrake The Magician and made its debut in the story The Singh Brotherhood in 1936. Often referred to as ‘The Ghost Who Walks’, he is widely recognised as the first costumed superhero.

Falk’s fascination with mythology, folklore and classic adventure stories deeply influenced the creation of the Phantom. Unlike superheroes of the future, whose powers often came from science or space, the Phantom’s roots are historical and mythical.

Falk wanted to create a character that would blend mystery and legend and he was able to achieve this vision through Phantom. The character inspired fear in wrongdoers and hope in the oppressed. The illusion of immortality, created by passing the mantle down through generations, further enhanced the Phantom’s mystique.

Another important innovation with Phantom was the introduction of the costume. In 1936, the Phantom’s skin-tight purple suit, striped trunks, mask and skull motif were unlike anything seen before and led to the development of superhero costume.

Jeffrey Dahmer was caught

The shocking case of Jeffery Dahmer came to light with his arrest on this day in 1991. In Wisconsin’s Milwaukee, a woman was spotted by police officers running down the street in handcuffs. Investigations led them to one of the most gory crime scenes - Dahmer’s apartment.

The woman led them to Dahmer’s apartment claiming he wanted to kill her but the latter brushed away the accusations as misunderstanding. The police almost believed him, however, a few Polaroid photos of dismembered bodies were what gave him away. Dahmer was arrested.

A full search of the apartment revealed a house of horrors. In the apartment, investigators found severed heads stored in the refrigerator and freezer, two skulls placed on the computer, and a 57-gallon drum filled with chemically decomposing bodies in the corner of the bedroom.  Disturbingly, there was also evidence indicating Dahmer had consumed portions of some of his victims.

The horrors within Dahmer’s apartment were revealed through forensic examination, uncovering the remains of 11 victims. The first of these victims vanished in March 1989, a mere two months before Dahmer successfully evaded imprisonment for child molestation by promising the judge a change in his behaviour.  In the end, Dahmer confessed to a total of 17 murders, his first victim claimed in 1978.

The jury dismissed Dahmer’s insanity defence, resulting in a sentence of 15 life terms. He survived an assassination attempt in July 1994 but was ultimately killed by another inmate on November 28, 1994.

US House of Representatives broke an electoral tie

It was on this day in 1801 that the first electoral tiebreaker took place in the US House of Representatives. The tie occurred between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr in the presidential election. In the US presidential election of 1800, both the candidates had secured  73 electoral votes, creating a tie under the rules of the original Constitution.

At the time, electors did not cast separate votes for President and Vice President. Instead, the candidate with the most votes became President while the runner-up became Vice President. Since Jefferson and Burr had the same number of votes, the decision was passed to the House of Representatives, as mandated by the Constitution.

Over the course of 36 rounds of voting, the stalemate continued, with neither candidate securing the necessary majority. However, after intense negotiations and the influence of Alexander Hamilton, who opposed Burr, Jefferson finally won the presidency on February 17, 1801. This crisis led to the passage of the 12th Amendment in 1804, which changed the electoral process by requiring electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President.

This Day, That Year

• In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.

• On this day in 1979, China invaded Vietnam.

• In 1843, the British annexed the Sindh province in Pakistan after the battle of Miani.