Podcasts by Stuff You Missed in History Class

SYMHC Classics: Mary-Elizabeth Bowser from 2021-11-06T13:00

This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers the life of Mary-Elizabeth Bowser, who was released from enslavement by Elizabeth Van Lew, then went on to become an agent in Van L...

Behind the Scenes Minis: So Many Edwards, Just One Olivia from 2021-11-05T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss the inherent problems with looking at the story of the princes in the tower, particularly many people having the same name. Then they discuss the frustration of discoveri...

Olivia Ward Bush-Banks from 2021-11-03T13:00

Olivia Ward Bush-Banks was a Harlem Renaissance writer who also supported writers and artists, hosted salons, and taught drama courses. She was well-known during her lifetime, but her name recog...

The Princes in the Tower from 2021-11-01T13:00

Sir Thomas More’s version of what happened to the sons of Edward IV has long dominated popular understanding of it. But the conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster has many...

SYMHC Classics: Esther Cox and the Great Amherst Mystery from 2021-10-30T13:00

This 2017 episode examines how, after a traumatic event, strange things began happening around Esther Cox. In the 1870s, Amherst, Nova Scotia was abuzz with theories as to whether the phenomena ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Haunts and Demons from 2021-10-29T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about their experiences with haunted houses, then discuss watching "The Exorcist," and the dynamics in play in Roland Doe's story.

The Possession Case of Roland Doe from 2021-10-27T13:00

The 1973 horror film “The Exorcist” was inspired by a 1949 alleged possession case in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Roland Doe’s story is more tame than the fiction version, and looking at it is ...

The Rise of Haunted House Attractions from 2021-10-25T13:00

Interest in being scared on purpose -- for fun -- led to the development of haunts as entertainment over the last several hundred years. But the 20th century saw explosive growth in haunted hous...

SYMHC Classics: The Tussaud Test of Popularity from 2021-10-23T13:00

This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers the story of Marie Tussaud and her famous wax figures. So who exactly was she, and how did she create one of the world's most popul...

Behind the Scenes Minis: October Unearthed! from 2021-10-22T13:16

Tracy and Holly discuss a surprise change to the research process for Unearthed! episodes. They also talk about analysis of post-mortem stomach contents, and discuss memories of a deceased, belo...

Unearthed! in October 2021, part 2 from 2021-10-20T13:00

Part 2 of our October 2021 coverage of items literally or figuratively unearthed covers exhumations, shipwrecks, books and letters, and edibles and potables. And it starts with potpourri - thing...

Unearthed! in October 2021, part 1 from 2021-10-18T13:00

This October 2021 instance of Unearthed! covers updates, some oldest things, animals and graves. There's also an exception to the show's moratorium on including coin hoards in unearthing episode...

SYMHC Classics: Tunguska Event from 2021-10-16T13:00

This 2018 episode covers an even from June 30, 1908, when at approximately 7:15am, the sky over Siberia lit up with what was described by witnesses as a massive fireball, or the sky engulfed in ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Two Williams from 2021-10-15T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss problematic aspects of trials and the parts of Rice's story that they each found themselves thinking about. Then, Palmer's status as a doctor is discussed, as well as the...

William Palmer, the Rugely Poisoner from 2021-10-13T13:00

William Palmer often turns up on lists of historical serial killers. Though his trial for murder is generally considered a settled case, it was judged without any hard evidence. 

The Murder(?) of William Marsh Rice from 2021-10-11T13:00

Rice amassed a big enough fortune to establish a whole university – and become a target for murder. But is that actually how he died?

SYMHC Classics: Hernandez v. Texas from 2021-10-09T13:00

This 2017 episode covers Hernandez v. Texas, which addressed civil rights for Mexican Americans, was the first case to be argued before the Supreme Court by Mexican American attorneys, and set a...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Crowley and Cagliostro from 2021-10-08T13:00

Tracy shares her limited knowledge of Crowley before she started researching the podcast, and the incomprehensible nature of some of Crowley's writing. They also discuss the many ways that Cagli...

Cagliostro from 2021-10-06T13:00

He’s connected with everything from petty crime to mysticism to claims of nearly eternal life to one of the most famous deceptions in all of history. Cagliostro's life is veiled in the mythology...

Bad Women: The Ripper Retold Trailer from 2021-10-05T04:00

In late 1888, five women were brutally murdered in a slum neighborhood of London. The violent killer earned himself a nickname - Jack the Ripper. But everything you think you know murders and th...

Aleister Crowley from 2021-10-04T13:00

Crowley was a truly prolific and deliberately transgressive occultist whose practices included sex and drug use, and he went on to influence modern Satanism, as well as some other new religious ...

SYMHC Classics: Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol from 2021-10-02T13:00

This 2016 episode tells the story of a small theater in Paris which was open from 1897 to 1962, and became famous for its grisly, terrifying plays.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Tod Browning from 2021-10-01T13:00

Holly and Tracy discuss the career of Tod Browning and how difficult it is to know the true nature of certain aspects of the filmmaker's life.

Tod Browning, Part 2 from 2021-09-29T13:00

Tod Browning’s contributions to the horror film genre are massive. And the films that are most responsible for that reputation are covered in this episode, among other projects and the latter po...

Tod Browning, Part 1 from 2021-09-27T13:00

Browning’s story is both fascinating and difficult; he was a golden boy of Hollywood for a time, but also plagued with personal problems. He has a cult following today, and was legitimately grou...

SYMHC Classics: William Hogarth from 2021-09-25T13:00

This 2017 episode covers an early 18th century engraver-turned-artist who made his mark on the art world by producing satirical prints in series that commented on morality and society. And some ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Colchester and Gin from 2021-09-24T13:15

Holly and Tracy discuss the Lincoln's relationship with the spiritual, and whether they can themselves juggle. Tracy shares a fun story of collectible genever bottles and there's discussion of f...

A Distilled History of Gin from 2021-09-22T13:00

Like many spirits, gin was originally meant for medicinal or alchemical use. But eventually, people started combining juniper with alcohol to make a beverage rather than a medicine. And that's t...

The Rise and Fall of Charles Colchester from 2021-09-20T13:00

Colchester claimed to be psychic and probably did warn President Abraham Lincoln that he was going to be assassinated. He became an icon for Spiritualism in the U.S. in the 19th century, only to...

SYMHC Classics: Who was the real Sherlock Holmes? from 2021-09-18T13:00

This 2010 episode from past hosts Sarah and Deblina covers Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant protagonist Sherlock Holmes, who became world-famous. But was Sherlock Holmes based on a real person? Listen

Behind the Scenes Minis: Apples and Grace from 2021-09-17T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about the apples from the childhoods, fruit-based desserts, and a cocktail that Holly stumbled across while researching nachos. Grace Humiston's tricky name is mentioned, as...

Grace Quackenbos Humiston, aka Mrs. Sherlock Holmes from 2021-09-15T13:00

Grace was an attorney and an investigator who did a lot of work to exonerate people who were wrongly convicted, expose corruption, and, in one particularly dramatic case, solve a murder that pol...

Three Eponymous Foods from 2021-09-13T13:00

Lots of foods are named after people, but sometimes the stories of those names are hard to pin down. This episode looks at where Granny Smith apples, nachos, and the Cobb salads get their names....

SYMHC Classics: Emma Lazarus from 2021-09-11T13:00

This 2018 episode covers one of the United States' first successful Jewish American writers, moving in the New York literary scene of the late 1800s. She also wrote one of the most famous poems ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Laënnec and Eunice from 2021-09-10T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about the aspects of the stethoscope story that didn't make it into the episode, including the classism related to cleanliness standards that often comes up in writeups abou...

Eunice Newton Foote from 2021-09-08T13:10

In 1856, Foote became the first person to make a connection between the Earth’s temperature and the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, though she’s rarely credited for it.  Listen

Invention of the Stethoscope from 2021-09-06T13:00

One of the most basic tools of the medical profession is the stethoscope, but it’s a more recent invention than you might suspect. Its invention is credited to French doctor René Laënnec.

...

SYMHC Classics: Frederic Tudor, the Ice King from 2021-09-04T14:00

This 2017 episode covers Tudor's clever plan: In cold weather, he would harvest ice for cheap, and then sell it all around the world when it was hot.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Kitties and Smallpox from 2021-09-03T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about the kitties in their lives and Mike's good fortune to have had his meals cooked for him. When they turn to smallpox, discussion covers the inevitable ways in which it ...

The Eradication of Smallpox from 2021-09-01T13:40

Smallpox is a viral disease that has existed for millennia. But it’s now one of only two diseases that’s been eradicated through human activity, and a global plan was enacted to do it.

Listen

Three Upbeat Historical Cats from 2021-08-30T13:20

From caterer cat to war cat to museum guard, these three cats have their own unique places in history. Rest assured, while all creatures pass on, none of the cats in this episode meet a bad end....

SYMHC Classics: The Beheading of Sir Walter Raleigh from 2021-08-28T13:00

This 2018 episode covers the famed courtier, explorer, historian, Member of Parliament and soldier. He was part of England's defense against the Spanish armada, as well the Tudor conquest of Ire...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Jo and Kerner from 2021-08-27T13:00

Holly and Tracy discuss Jo Nivison Hopper’s complex life story and how frustrating and angering it can be to research biographies like hers. They also talk about the availability of the Kerner C...

The Kerner Commission Report from 2021-08-25T15:37:55

Half a century ago, a commission established by President Lyndon Johnson wrote a report that concluded that “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white--separate and unequal...

Josephine Nivison Hopper from 2021-08-23T13:10

Jo Nivison was an established artist before she married Edward Hopper. But her art career quickly became secondary to Ed's, and their life together, which is often described as a great collabora...

SYMHC Classics: Battle of Blair Mountain from 2021-08-21T13:00

This 2014 episode covers events from 1921, when coal miners fed up with unfair labor practices and exploitation took up arms against their employers. The resulting conflict lasted five days and ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Morisot and Rosenwald from 2021-08-20T13:30

Tracy shares a story of hunting for a Berthe Morisot exhibit and her favorite painting by the artist. She and Holly also talk about scheduling guests and the legendary John Lewis.

Interview: Rosenwald Schools with Andrew Feiler from 2021-08-18T13:30

Holly is joined by photographer Andrew Feiler, author of “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America.” Andrew shares sto...

Berthe Morisot from 2021-08-16T17:10:31

Morisot primarily worked in oils, watercolors and pastels, and her favorite subjects were the other women in her life, often captured very tenderly in private, domestic moments. Her life is entw...

SYMHC Classics: Thomas Harriot from 2021-08-14T13:00

This 2019 episode covers a man who's story is tied to SO MANY other notable historic things, including a lot of business with Sir Walter Raleigh. He's really not a household name like many of hi...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Torricelli and Acadians from 2021-08-13T15:54:35

Holly and Tracy discuss the many different professional titles that many people in history have and how tricky it can be to select the proper one to use. They then discuss trying to discern when...

Expulsion of the Acadians, or the Great Upheaval from 2021-08-11T13:30

Starting in 1755, the French-speaking Acadians were expelled from what’s now the Maritime provinces of Canada and northern Maine, with many of them eventually winding up in Louisiana. But there'...

Evangelista Torricelli from 2021-08-09T13:30

Torricelli was born in the middle of a heady few decades when the lives and work of people like Galileo and Johannes Kepler were changing humankind’s understanding of the world and the heavens. ...

Introducing: Long Shot from 2021-08-08T09:00

Hi, SYMIHC fans! Since you love our podcast community, we think you'll also like the new iHeartMedia podcast Long Shot: The 250-Year Journey to the COVID-19 Vaccines. Check out the trailer to decid...

SYMHC Classics: A Handful of Eclipses in History from 2021-08-07T13:00

Back in 2017 with the "Great American Eclipse" everywhere in the news, we walked through some of the famous eclipses in history, all while wearing proper eye shielding.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Annie and Mildred from 2021-08-06T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss the surprising lack of biographical writing about Annie Jump Cannon. In contrast, they cover how much effort has been made to uncover and write about the real story of Mi...

Mildred Fish-Harnack from 2021-08-04T13:40

Mildred Fish-Harnack was a woman from Wisconsin who found herself at the center of a resistance group in Germany working to undermine the Nazis. But her secrecy in this work enabled both Germany...

Annie Jump Cannon, Census Taker of the Sky from 2021-08-02T13:00

Annie Jump Cannon has been described as doing for stars what Carl Linnaeus did for organisms. She compiled a massive star catalogue, and became known both as the most famous woman astronomer of ...

SYMHC Classics: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek from 2021-07-31T13:00

This 2018 episode covers Leeuwenhoek, who wasn't REALLY a scientist -- he had no formal training. But he made dozens of scientific discoveries. He's credited with discovering microscopic life in...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Unearthed! July 2021 from 2021-07-30T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss how much Tracy loves working on the Unearthed! shows, and how they both feel about library fines. They also talk about the Egyptian mummy parade, and misreads of what a h...

Unearthed! in July 2021, Part 2 from 2021-07-28T13:00

The second part of the July 2021 Unearthed! installment includes exhumations, repatriations, some mysteries that have been solved, and a potpourri of other stuff. There's also another listener m...

Unearthed! in July 2021, Part 1 from 2021-07-26T13:00

In part one of the 2021 July edition of unearthed things, there are updates to previous episodes, along with books and letters, edibles and potables, and art. 

SYMHC Classics: A Pure Food Father and His Poison Squad from 2021-07-24T15:50

This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers the U.S. in the late 1800s, when no one really monitored food additives. After Congress refused to regulate food safety, Harvey Wil...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Migraines and Milk from 2021-07-23T13:00

Tracy and Holly talk about family and experiential history with headaches, and the persistent problems in what people do and don't know about them. They then cover their swill-milk episode, and ...

The Swill Milk Scandal of 1858 from 2021-07-21T13:10

In the 1850s, much of the milk supply in New York was anything but appetizing and wholesome – it was often deadly. But efforts to address the problem were blocked by corrupt officials.

Listen

A History of Migraine from 2021-07-19T13:00

Migraine is one of the three most prevalent conditions in the world along with anemia and hearing loss. But in spite of that prevalence, migraine is widely misunderstood, really at every level.<...

SYMHC Classics: Ira Frederick Aldridge from 2021-07-17T13:00

This 2017 episode covers one of the first Americans to achieve fame as a Shakespearean actor, and the first black man to do so, becoming a famous figure on the Victorian stage. But Aldridge has ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Adolf and Hugo from 2021-07-16T13:20

It's divisive figures week! Holly and Tracy discuss the difficulty in sorting out the reality of Lorenz's work, because of the polarized view of him within the medical community. Then talk turns...

Hugo Gernsback from 2021-07-14T13:00

Ray Bradbury said Hugo “made us fall in love with the future.” But he’s also been berated as a hack whose proclamations about what does and does not qualify as science fiction have been problema...

Adolf Lorenz, the Bloodless Surgeon from 2021-07-12T13:00

Lorenz is credited with developing treatments that addressed pediatric orthopedic problems. During his lifetime, he was both celebrated and protested within the medical community. 

SYMHC Classics: Fort Shaw Indian School, Basketball Champions (Pt. 2) from 2021-07-10T13:00

Part two of our Fort Shaw classic covers the four months the Fort Shaw Indian School women's basketball team spent at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The team performed mandolin recitals, liter...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Vacuum Cleaners and Schomburg from 2021-07-09T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about the localization of copycat companies in the cleaning industry, and Holly shares how her robotic vacuum met its untimely end. The legacy of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg is...

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg from 2021-07-07T13:00

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has come up in a lot of research for the show. Schomburg the man was an Afro-Puerto Rican activist and collector, who historian and journalist ...

Vacuum Cleaners from 2021-07-05T13:00

Tracking the history of how we clean and why our cleaning needs have shifted also tells the story of human progress in a wider sense. How did we get from natural-fiber brooms to gasoline-powered...

SYMHC Classics: Basketball at Shaw Indian School (Pt. 1) from 2021-07-03T13:00

This 2017 episode covers the Fort Shaw Indian School , part of a boarding school system designed to make Native American students conform to white culture. In a surprising twist, it also boasted...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Dreyfus Affair from 2021-07-02T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss the difficulty of covering the Dreyfus Affair, including the contextual history that needs to be covered for it. They also talk about the familiarity of the events of the...

The Dreyfus Affair, Part 2 from 2021-06-30T13:00

The court-martial and exile of Alfred Dreyfus was such big news that it started to be referred to simply as “The Affair.” And it divided French society and became international news.

The Dreyfus Affair, Part 1 from 2021-06-28T13:00

Part one contextualizes the Dreyfus Affair by covering the Franco-Prussian War and the founding of the French Third Republic. Then we’ll cover Alfred Dreyfus and the accusation of treason that h...

SYMHC Classics: Harriet Tubman, Part 2 from 2021-06-26T13:00

We're continuing our classics with Harriet Tubman's story, which came out in 2016. There was a whole lot more to her life and work than the Underground Railroad. During the U.S. Civil War, she w...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Kudzu and Quimby from 2021-06-25T13:00

Tracy and Holly talk about their own experiences with and thoughts about kudzu. They also discuss Harriet Quimby's journalism career, her stance on feminism, and that fabulous purple satin jumps...

Harriet Quimby from 2021-06-23T13:00

Quimby is most well-known for aviation, but journalism was an even bigger part of her life. Before taking up flying, she had managed to carve out a life for herself by merging her love of advent...

Kudzu: Maligned Vine from 2021-06-21T13:00

Kudzu is a semi-woody, perennial climbing vine in the pea family. How did it get its reputation for being an unkillable menace? And was it really introduced to stop erosion, only to get complete...

SYMHC Classics: Harriet Tubman, Part 1 from 2021-06-19T13:00

We're revisiting this 2013 topic in honor of Juneteenth. Most people are familiar with Tubman's involvement with the Underground Railroad, but she was also a spy for the Union during the Civil W...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Lola and Daphne from 2021-06-18T13:30

Tracy and Holly talk about Lola Montez's relationship with the truth and references to her in the show "Dickinson." They also discuss how du Maurier's novel "Rebecca" has often been mischaracter...

Daphne du Maurier from 2021-06-16T13:00

Daphne du Maurier became famous thanks to her books and the adaptations they inspired, and her life story is just as intriguing as any of her writing. 

Lola Montez from 2021-06-14T13:00

Aside from her relationship with King Ludwig I, Lola Montez is one of those figures whose life is hard to pin down. That’s not because of a lack of documentation, but because that documentation ...

Introducing: Be Anti Racist with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi from 2021-06-13T09:00

Presenting a sneak peek of iHeart and Pushkin’s newest show, Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi. On Be Antiracist, Dr. Kendi discusses policies and practices that sustain injustice in our society, a...

SYMHC Classics: Marie Taglioni from 2021-06-12T13:00

This 2013 episode covers Marie Taglioni, considered THE ballerina of the Romantic era. She's often credited with revolutionizing, restyling and redefining dance, though her father was a signific...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Apicius and Struensee from 2021-06-11T13:00

Holly and Tracy compare the Apicius cookbook to cooking today, as well as some confusion over ingredients in the cookbook. They then talk about the life of Struensee, how scholars of medical his...

Count Struensee and King Christian VII of Denmark from 2021-06-09T13:00

King Christian VII ruled in the 18th century, and during his reign, his physician finagled a surprising amount of power, and basically ruled the country. 

‘De re coquinaria’ - the Oldest Cookbook of the Western World from 2021-06-07T13:00

“De re Coquinaria,” also referred to as “Apicius,” is a cookbook featuring recipes that may have been collected as early as the first century. Who wrote it is a mystery, but it offers unique ins...

SYMHC Classics: The Defenestrations of Prague from 2021-06-05T13:00

This 2018 episode covers defenestrations - which just means "to throw out of a window." And there's been a surprising amount of defenestration in Czech history. And almost all of it has been con...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Mrs. Child and Haymarket from 2021-06-04T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about Child's life, the ways in which she was ahead of her time socially, and the questions surrounding her marriage. The Haymarket riot's place in labor history is also cov...

The Haymarket Riot from 2021-06-02T13:00

The Haymarket Riot, aka the Haymarket Affair or the Haymarket Massacre, is one of the many interconnected events and people and movements that are all integral to defining the basic idea of what...

Lydia Maria Child from 2021-05-31T13:00

Lydia Maria Child was a writer of children’s literature, historical novels, abolitionist tracts, and poetry. She also wrote literature for children and penned a holiday poem that remains popular...

SYMHC Classics: Tulsa Massacre from 2021-05-29T13:00

This 2014 episode covers the devastation of "Black Wall Street," which was a nickname for Greenwood, a vibrant suburb of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was destroyed in a racist attack in 1921. 

Listen

Behind the Scenes Minis: Paperclips from 2021-05-28T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss Tracy's research on Operation Paperclip and how recently information about it has been uncovered. After talking about taking some time off, Tracy also shares how she sele...

Four Paperclippers from 2021-05-26T13:00

Under Operation Paperclip, about 1,600 specialists – most with some involvement with the Nazi party – entered the U.S., and many became citizens. Today, we’re looking at four of these specialist...

Operation Paperclip from 2021-05-24T13:00

Operation Paperclip, also known as Project Paperclip, which was the U.S. effort to bring German scientists to the U.S. after World War II. 

SYMHC Classics: How Tulip Mania Worked from 2021-05-22T13:00

This 2011 episode is from prior hosts Sarah and Deblina. During the 17th century, the Dutch went nuts for tulips, paying exorbitant amounts for a single bulb. But what exactly triggered this com...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Paré and Gardens from 2021-05-21T13:05

Holly and Tracy talk about Paré's work in context on the timeline, and then a very cool modern gardening project using the book we mentioned this week, "The Feate of Gardening."

A Brief History of Gardening in North America from 2021-05-19T13:00

Gardening is a living history that connects us all to people and places through time. This episode covers precolonial North America, Europeans bringing their own gardening ideas to the colonies,...

Ambroise Paré from 2021-05-17T13:00

Sixteenth-century barber surgeon Paré has been called everything from “the gentle surgeon” to “the father of modern surgery.” He advanced the field of medicine significantly during his 50+ years...

SYMHC Classics: Mary Ann Shadd Cary from 2021-05-15T13:00

Revisiting our 2016 episode on black Canadian-American Mary Ann Shadd Cary, who became the first woman in North America to publish and edit a newspaper. She advocated against slavery, for better...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Ralph McQuarrie from 2021-05-14T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about how they decided to cover the life of Ralph McQuarrie, and discuss the breadth of his awe-inspiring work.

Ralph McQuarrie, Part 2 from 2021-05-12T13:00

In our second part of McQuarrie's life story, we cover how Star Wars became Ralph’s most well-known area of work, but also how it led to a lot of iconic visual moments in other films. 

Listen

Ralph McQuarrie, Part 1 from 2021-05-10T15:43:27

McQuarrie is responsible for some of the most recognizable imagery in cinema and culture. In part one, we’ll talk about his early life, his work before Star Wars, and how he started collaboratin...

SYMHC Classics: The Jacobite Rising of 1745 from 2021-05-08T13:00

This 2016 episode covers a piece of Scottish and English history that's often simultaneously romanticized and oversimplified. It's a great deal more complicated than any one event, and is instea...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Poetry and Birth Control from 2021-05-07T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss their memories of nursery rhymes, and their experiences with women's health care.

The Nelson Pill Hearings from 2021-05-05T13:37:30

In the U.S., the idea that people should know about the risks involved with the drugs that they are taking is tied directly to the complicated and often troubling history of oral contraceptives....

Six Impossible Episodes: Mother Goose from 2021-05-03T13:00

A number of English-language poems are generally lumped together as “Mother Goose" poems. But was there an actual Mother Goose? And do any of these poems have historical references in them?   Listen

SYMHC Classics: The London Match Girls Strike of 1888 from 2021-05-01T13:00

This 2016 episode covers the London Match Girls Strike of 1888. This was an important labor rights event, when factory workers protested hazardous and unfair working conditions.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Spring 2021 Unearthed! from 2021-04-30T13:00

Tracy and Holly speculate about the kitsch of historical cultures, and how we interpret historical objects.

Unearthed! Spring 2021, Part 2 from 2021-04-28T13:00

Part two of our spring 2021 Unearthed! coverage includes exhumations, books and letters, and some other favorites!

Unearthed! Spring 2021, Part 1 from 2021-04-26T13:00

Part one of our early 2021 edition of Unearthed! covers updates, cute animals and their pictures, edibles and potables, and shipwrecks.

SYMHC Classics: The Antikythera Mechanism from 2021-04-24T13:00

Today we revisit a 2013 episode. In 1900, a shipwreck was discovered near the island of Antikythera, including an assortment of luxury goods: statues, silver coins, vases ... and what turned out...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Immigration Law and Bridges from 2021-04-23T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss the difficulty in researching the life of Chae Chan Ping, and exclusionary immigration legislation in U.S. history. Talk also covers the lore around the Tacoma Narrows br...

The First Tacoma Narrows Bridge – Galloping Gertie from 2021-04-21T13:00

The drama of the first Tacoma Narrows bridge is hardly relegated to its turbulent end. There’s more to the story – from its inception to financing issues to some surprising legal happenings, and...

Chae Chan Ping v. United States from 2021-04-19T13:00

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the United States’ first major immigration law, and as its name suggests it specifically targeted people from China. It led to Supreme Court cases that set the stag...

SYMHC Classics: Annie Edson Taylor, Niagara Daredevil from 2021-04-17T13:00

This 2018 episode covers Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Taylor's whole barrel trip was part of a much bigger story of daredevils at this natural wonde...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Teresa and Sonora from 2021-04-16T13:00

Tracy and Holly talk about the care needed when exploring the biographies of people in history who offer representation, but won't reflect the experience of everyone like them. They also talk ab...

Sonora Webster Carver from 2021-04-14T13:00

Atlantic City performer Sonora Carver was the most famous horse diver of her time, and probably ever. It was an entertainment that was incredibly dangerous, particularly for the riders. 

...

Teresa de Cartagena from 2021-04-12T13:00

Teresa de Cartagena was a woman who was deaf, chronically ill, and from a Converso family. In spite of the things working against her, she wrote two treatises that have survived until today, whi...

SYMHC Classics: 1958 Bombing of The Temple from 2021-04-10T13:00

This 2017 episode covers Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, a vocal activist who spoke out for civil rights despite the danger in doing so. White supremacists bombed The Temple in Atlanta in a direct react...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Rum Rebellion and Jewish History from 2021-04-09T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss how the Rum Rebellion is less harrowing than other similar incidents that have been covered on the show. They then discuss the Images of America book series and how Jerem...

Interview: Jeremy Katz of The Breman Museum from 2021-04-07T13:00

Holly sits down with Jeremy Katz, the director of archives at The Breman Museum to talk about his new book "The Jewish Community of Atlanta," his career in history, and the expansive archives at...

The Rum Rebellion from 2021-04-05T13:00

The Rum Rebellion overthrew William Bligh, governor of New South Wales, in 1808. It was Australia’s only military coup and was only given that nickname much later.  

SYMHC Classics: Mutiny on the Bounty from 2021-04-03T13:00

In this 2010 episode, previous hosts Sarah and Katie take a closer look at the legendary mutiny on the HMS Bounty -- and figure out whether William Bligh deserves his terrible reputation.

...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Esperanto and Bodiam from 2021-04-02T13:00

Tracy and Holly discuss their relationships with language learning, and then discuss the ways that historical sites and museums have offered information for the public that would normally only b...

Bodiam Castle from 2021-03-31T13:00

This castle is unique in its design and the extent to which the ground surrounding it are part of that design. It’s also closely tied to the turbulent period in England’s history that runs from ...

L.L. Zamenhof and the Hope of Esperanto from 2021-03-29T13:00

Esperanto was developed by a Jewish man living in the Russian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It’s a story linked to both persecution and profound hope. Zamenhof hoped to bring...

SYMHC Classics: Hildegard von Bingen from 2021-03-27T13:00

This 2016 episode examines a Christian mystic of medieval Europe who was way, way ahead of her time. If she had lived a few hundred years later, and been male, people probably would have called ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Arsinoë and Sissieretta from 2021-03-26T13:00

Tracy and Holly talk about the trickier aspects of researching a story like Arsinoë's, as well as women trying to find agency in Arsinoë's time. Discussion of Sissieretta focuses on how the pres...

Sissieretta Jones from 2021-03-24T13:00

Sissieretta Jones was a Black operatic and popular music singer in the early 20th century. And she was famous in her day, but then kind of vanished from the papers when she retired. Her last yea...

Arsinoë II, Ptolemaic Queen from 2021-03-22T13:00

The Ptolemies were a Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt during the Hellenistic period. And in a lot of ways Arsinoë II really set the standard for the generations of Ptolemaic queens that followed h...

SYMHC Classics: Plessy v Ferguson from 2021-03-20T13:00

This 2015 episode covers a landmark legal moment. The ruling in this infamous U.S. Supreme Court case stated that segregation was legal as long as the separate facilities were equal.

Listen

Behind the Scenes Minis: Duke and Hawaii from 2021-03-19T13:00

Holly and Tracy talk about the appeal of Duke Kahanamoku, his story being illustrative of the problematic nature of cultures being subverted in an effort to get along with others, and his love o...

Duke Kahanamoku, Part 2 from 2021-03-17T16:48:34

Part 2 of our coverage of Duke Kahanamoku's life delves into about what happened to Duke after that sudden onslaught of Olympic fame, and how it wasn’t really what Duke expected. 

Duke Kahanamoku, Part 1 from 2021-03-15T13:00

Kahanamoku became world-famous as an Olympic swimmer, and his love for sports of all kinds started from his childhood on Oahu. Part one covers his early life, up through his first Olympics and t...

SYMHC Classics: Skellig Michael from 2021-03-13T14:00

Today, we revisit a December 2017 episode about Skellig Michael. This small island off the west coast of Ireland recently became a film star, but Skellig Michael has a rich history all its own.<...

Behind the Scenes Minis: 1918 Pandemic Revisited from 2021-03-12T14:00

Tracy and Holly discuss where they're at a year into the pandemic. Tracy also talks about how frustrated she was researching this week's episodes, and how exhausting it is to see the same things...

1918 Flu Pandemic, Revisited - Part 2 from 2021-03-10T14:05

The comparison of the modern pandemic to the 1918 pandemic continues in part two. This time, the show covers ventilation, supply shortages, and vaccines. 

1918 Flu Pandemic, Revisited - Part 1 from 2021-03-08T14:10

Now that we’ve lived through a year of a global pandemic, our approach to looking at the 1918 flu pandemic had shifted. We’re revisiting the events of 1918 with new perspective, comparing then t...

SYMHC Classics: Paul Poiret from 2021-03-06T14:00

This is a revisit of our 2013 episode on the often avante-garde French designer Paul Poiret. He got rid of corsets, introduced the concept of lifestyle branding, and used draping rather that tai...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Grand Central and Zoe and Theodora from 2021-03-05T14:00

Holly and Tracy talk about what a jerk Cornelius Vanderbilt was, trivia about the Grand Central story, and Tracy’s first visit to Grand Central Terminal. Then they discuss the myriad levels of c...

Zoë&Theodora, Byzantine Empresses from 2021-03-03T14:20

Over almost 30 years in 11th-century Constantinople, sometimes Zoë ruled alongside one of her husbands, sometimes she and Theodora ruled together, and in the end, Theodora ruled alone. All again...

Grand Central Terminal from 2021-03-01T15:18:44

Grand Central's story starts with one of the wealthiest names in U.S. history, but it also is in many ways the story of the city itself since the 1800s, because Grand Central was such a pivotal ...

SYMHC Classics: The Dyatlov Pass Incident from 2021-02-27T14:00

This 2014 episode covers the incident in 1959, in which nine students ventured into the Ural mountains for a ski hiking trip, and never returned. While much speculation has swirled for more than...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Isadora from 2021-02-26T14:05

Holly and Tracy talk about Holly's childhood perceptions of Isadora Duncan and how the famous dancer broke convention. They also talk about the peccadillos of Duncan's autobiography, and her rel...

Isadora Duncan, Part 2 from 2021-02-24T14:35

The comforts afforded by fame were forever clouded for Duncan by an ongoing series of tragedies, leading right up to the famous – and horrifying – way her life ended.

Isadora Duncan, Part 1 from 2021-02-22T14:00

Duncan, often called the mother of modern dance, had an unconventional upbringing, and a VERY unconventional life. Her early life was full of struggle but seemed overall quite happy.

SYMHC Classics: The Nazi Games and Jesse Owens from 2021-02-20T14:00

This 2012 episode covers the 1936 Berlin Olympics and African-American sprinter Jesse Owens, as well as the games as Nazi propaganda. More nations than ever participated, and the Olympic torch w...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Freedom Summer and Cobb from 2021-02-19T14:15

Tracy and Holly talk about how young everyone had been during the Mississippi Freedom Summer, voter suppression, and Holly's trick to stop crying when recording. There's also talk of how topics ...

W. Montague Cobb, MD, PhD from 2021-02-17T16:10:57

W. Montague Cobb was the first Black person in the U.S. to earn a PhD in physical anthropology, worked to debunk racist theories in the field, was an activist for desegregation and Medicare, and...

Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964 from 2021-02-15T15:00

The Mississippi Summer project of 1964, now known as Freedom Summer, was a in part a voter registration project that was met with an extremely violent and deadly backlash.

SYMHC Classics: Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas from 2021-02-13T14:00

This 2018 episode covers Gertrude Stein, an icon in the world of modernist literature. Alice B. Toklas is often described as her partner and assistant, but she was also a published writer, and "...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Smallpox and Cowpox from 2021-02-12T14:00

Tracy and Holly talk about Spain's effort to spread the smallpox vaccine, and how Balmis handled things. They also discuss fear about vaccines, bodily autonomy, and what does and doesn't gross t...

The Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition, Part 2 from 2021-02-10T14:00

With the smallpox vaccine established, Spain’s wanted to deliver it to its colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean. Francisco Xavier de Balmis carried the vaccine from Spain to the Americas u...

The Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition, Part 1 from 2021-02-08T14:00

Once Edward Jenner developed the smallpox vaccine, it spread from England, where he lived, to other parts of the world. Meanwhile, events were unfolding that led the Spanish Empire to launch a h...

SYMHC Classics: The Nazca Lines from 2021-02-06T14:00

This 2013 episode covered the Nazca lines in the desert about 200 miles southeast of Lima, Peru, between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The glyphs have remained intact for centuries,...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Tello and Du Châtelet from 2021-02-05T15:17:04

Holly and Tracy talk about how many things don't make it into episodes, sometimes due to cutting for narrative structure, and sometimes due to translation of sources. They also discuss Emilie Du...

Émilie du Châtelet from 2021-02-03T14:00

Du Châtelet challenged the philosophic and scientific world of her time, but she's often eclipsed by her far more famous lover.

Julio Tello, Peru’s Archaeological Trail Blazer from 2021-02-01T14:00

Tello is often called some variation of the father of Peruvian archaeology or the first indigenous Peruvian archaeologist. And his work was playing out across a backdrop of constant unrest and c...

SYMHC Classics: Croesus from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Holly and Tracy discuss the story of Croesus and how disabilities are represented in the writing of Herodotus. The topic then turns to the Igbo women's practice called sitting on a man, and how the...

James Baldwin from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

James Baldwin was a brilliant essayist, one of the chroniclers of the Civil Rights Movement, and a powerful voice against racism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcas...

Transatlantic Cruising Before the Titanic from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Ships were of course carrying cargo for centuries before the idea of carrying passengers in any sort of vacation sense existed. But once the Black Ball line decided to prioritize passenger comfort,...

NASA History: Chief Historian Bill Barry on Hugh Dryden from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The NASA space program likely wouldn't be what it is today without the work Hugh Dryden did before NASA even existed, and his guidance in its early years. NASA's Chief Historian Bill Barry joins Ho...

The Ghost Army from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

During WWII, the U.S. Army formed a top-secret military unit with one goal: Use artistic and theatrical skills to confuse the enemy. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops turned their creativity int...

Pretty Boy Floyd and the Kansas City Massacre from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Pretty Boy Floyd started out doing farm work, but in his late teens he ran off to try his hand at crime. He earned a Robin Hood-like reputation, and became famous for his supposed involvement in th...

Who was "Black Moses"? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Tune in to this episode of Stuff You Missed in History Class to learn more about the life and philosophy of Marcus Garvey, a black nationalist leader known as "Black Moses." Learn more about your ...

Women’s War of 1929 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Women’s War was a response to British colonialism in Nigeria. British authorities described the group as a “hostile mob” because they didn’t recognize that the so-called mob was largely a long-...

Interviews: Atlanta History Center and Covid-19 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Holly chats with Sheffield Hale and Michael Rose of the Atlanta History Center about pandemic from the point of view of a living history institution, and also how the AHC, like many history centers...

Olga of Kiev from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Most of what we know about Olga comes from the Russian Primary Chronicle, also known as the Chronicle of Nestor or the Tale of Bygone Years. Some elements of the story may borrow more from legend t...

Catalina de Erauso, the Lieutenant Nun from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Despite growing up in a convent and coming very close to taking religious vows as a nun, Catalina de Erauso wound up living a life of danger and adventure. A lot of today's episode falls into the g...

The Glamorous Strongwoman from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

From an early age, Katie Sandwina wowed crowds, first as a wrestling act and then exclusively as professional strongwoman. During a time when women's suffrage was a hot button issue, she cultivated...

Lizzie Borden and her Axe (Update) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In 1892, a Massachusetts couple was brutally murdered; the only serious suspect was their daughter, Lizzie Borden. Borden was acquitted, but people have speculated about the crime ever since. Tune ...

History's Greatest Battle Horses from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Although prehistoric societies hunted horses for food, they quickly realized the animals were more useful as a means of transportation. Tune in as Katie and Sarah explore one of the most specialize...

Croesus of Lydia from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The story of the ridiculously wealthy Croesus, which was fictionalized in a number of ways, becomes a cautionary tale about pride and hubris, and what really has value in life.  Learn more about y...

SYMHC Classics: Harlem Hellfighters from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This 2015 episode covers a black U.S. Army WWI unit that became one of the most decorated of the war. When these soldiers returned home, they were greeted as heroes, but were still targets of segre...

SYMHC Classics: Katie Sandwina, the Glamorous Strongwoman from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We're revisiting a 2015 episode about Katie Sandwina, who wowed crowds from an early age, first as a wrestling act and then exclusively as professional strongwoman. During a time when women's suffr...

William Hogarth from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In the early 18th century, an engraver-turned-artist made his mark on the art world by producing satirical prints in series that commented on morality and society. And some of his work is used toda...

Antoni Gaudi, Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Once Gaudi's work was displayed at the 1878 Paris World's Fair, his career took off. Through his connections to industrialist Eusebi Güell and architect Joan Martorell, Gaudi was given opportunitie...

The Bloody Benders from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Bender clan settled in Kansas in 1870, building a combined store and inn. They weren't popular. Only the comely Kate Bender drew admirers. When people began disappearing, the Benders weren't su...

Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

When the Haitian revolution broke out, Toussaint L'Ouverture did not originally take part in the violence -- at least, that is, until the British became involved. Learn more about Toussaint L'Ouver...

SYMHC Classics: The Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This 2018 episode is running in honor of Labor Day in the U.S. Memphis sanitation workers stayed off the job starting January 12, 1968 in a strike that lasted for nine weeks. This was the strike th...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Public Universal Friend and Wat Tyler from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Tracy and Holly talk about the unique identity of the Public Universal Friend, as well as whether Wat Tyler's story inspired modern storytellers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.i...

Alexandre Dumas Père from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Alexandre Dumas wrote such classics as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, and both those books’ sequels, eight Marie Antoinette romances, and a BUNCH of other novels and plays. And...

Unearthed! in July 2017! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It's time for another mid-year edition of Unearthed! The show covers new research and information about the Lions of Tsavo, human taxidermy, a photo of Harriet Tubman, and H.H. Holmes, among others...

Antoni Gaudi, Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

You probably know Gaudi's work, even if you don't recognize his name. His distinctive architecture is featured throughout Barcelona. But his life started humbly, as the son of a Reus coppersmith. ...

How the Titanic Worked from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The Titanic was famously considered 'unsinkable' by the engineers who built it. However, the Titanic's reputation could not save it from the infamous iceberg that sank the ship on its maiden voyage...

Into the Ghastly Blank with Burke and Wills from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

When John O'Hara Burke and William John Wills attempted to traverse Australia, the inland area of the continent was terra incognita known as the "ghastly blank." Learn what the expedition discovere...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Delano and Slocum from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Tracy and Holly discuss trying to stay organized, the relevance of the Delano grape strike today, and how Joshua Slocum's story makes us think about our travel yearnings, and the tricky part of his...

Wat Tyler and the Uprising of 1381 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

There were many transitional events between the the Black Death and the Renaissance; it wasn't a case of a one leading right to the other. One of those transition events was Wat Tyler’s Rebellion, ...

General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

General Dumas sounds like a character out of one of his son’s books. Because he pretty much was. His life is a series of dramatic and daring adventures, including an impressive rise up through the ...