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Disco Demolition Night: How Disco Died at a White Sox Game
Cast your memory back to 1979. Tensions across the US are high, on multiple levels. Disco dominates the music scene, and, oh boy, rock fans are mad about it. Things come to a head at Comiskey Park, w…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Bolivia Fought -- And Lost -- A War For Bird Poop
Most people associate think of bird poop as an annoyance -- it can gunk up sidewalks and windshields, and, occasionally, even splat on an unlucky person walking by. But in the late 1800s, guano was a…
Published on 3 years, 6 months ago
Why You Can't Say "MacBeth" in a Theater
As one of history's most well-known, highly-regarded writers, it's no secret that Shakespeare's life and work is full of strange stories -- but did you know one of his most famous plays is considered…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Operation Mincemeat: Britain's Ghoulish Plan to Fool the Nazis
As World War II raged on in 1943, both Allied and Axis forces knew they were riddled with spies. In a dizzying cavalcade of undercover, double, and even triple agents, both sides of the war sought to…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Who the heck was Joseph Warren?
When it's time to study the American Revolution in grade school, US kids tend to learn the same few names -- Betsy Ross, George Washington, Benjamin Banneker, Jefferson, Revere and so on. But, were i…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Chocolate Syrup: From Medicine to Dessert
Most people nowadays associate chocolate syrup with ice cream -- but back in the day, it was considered a legitimate medicine. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the origins of chocolate f…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Historical Hypocrisy: The Confederacy's Weird Stance on "Individual Rights"
While the Confederacy often portrayed itself as a champion of certain individual rights-- not applied to enslaved people, of course-- it didn't always practice what it preached. In today's episode, t…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Juana Maria: The Real-life Story Behind "Island of the Blue Dolphins"
No one knew the real name of the woman living alone on San Nicolas Island, but when she returned to civilization after decades in solitude, she was a hit with the locals at the nearby mission. Known …
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Curling: The Most Ridiculous Sport?
The time has come! In this special episode, the one and only Super Producer Max Williams takes point on the research into one of his long-standing fascinations: the curious sport of curling. As Max s…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago
Nobuo Fujita Bombed Brookings, Oregon -- and Then Became a Town Hero
War is a brutal business, and it often leaves scars that last for generations. Two decades after he bombed Brookings, Oregon during World War II, former Imperial Japanese Navy pilot Nobuo Fujita retu…
Published on 3 years, 7 months ago