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Millerism, Part II: The Great Disappointment (and the Aftermath)
As the alleged End of the World drew ever closer, William Miller and the Millerism movement became a pop culture phenomenon. Thousands of people quit…
3 years, 11 months ago
CLASSIC - Did a Real-Life Rainmaker Almost Drown San Diego?
In today's episode we are revisiting a classic. Charles Mallory Hatfield considered himself a real-life rainmaker (or, as he preferred to describe hi…
4 years ago
Millerism: America’s First End Times Gospel
You might not have heard of William Miller, but in his time he was a pretty big deal. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max di…
4 years ago
Ben Franklin Faked a Rival's Death to Promote His Almanac
Benjamin Franklin was many things: an inventor, a Founding Father, a publisher... and, it turns out, a massive troll. In today's episode, Ben, Noel a…
4 years ago
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part II: A Pseudoscience (Sort of) Informs the Modern Day
While the credibility of phrenology inevitably deteriorated over time, it was neither a completely original concept, nor, in some respects, a complet…
4 years ago
Why was Phrenology a Thing? Part I: The Rise of Dr. Finger
Once upon a time, a young man named Franz Joseph Gall thought "That's weird... all my school chums with big eyes are good at memorizing things." Year…
4 years ago
Nancy Wake, the White Mouse of the French Resistance
Although Nancy Wake began her career as a journalist, her first-hand experience with Nazis compelled her to a new calling: the French Resistance. In …
4 years ago
The US Boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and Puerto Rican Boxers Went Anyway
In a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the US, along with more than 60 other countries, boycotted the Olympics. Yet three Puerto Rican …
4 years ago
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 a…
4 years 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 per…
4 years ago