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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 y…
4 years, 1 month 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 e…
4 years, 1 month 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 …
4 years, 1 month 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, Be…
4 years, 1 month 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 alway…
4 years, 1 month 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…
4 years, 1 month 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 fa…
4 years, 1 month 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, for…
4 years, 1 month ago
A Teetotaling Preacher Basically Invented Modern Tourism
When's the last time you had a vacation, just for fun? Regardless of where you went, you probably want to tip your hat to Thomas Cook. As a traveling…
4 years, 2 months ago
Ira Aldridge: Actor, Activist and Record-breaker
As an African-American actor in the 1800s, Ira Aldridge had the odds stacked against him. Yet despite systemic racism, as well as negative attitudes …
4 years, 2 months ago