Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Mysterious Origins of the Newport Tower
Season 1 Episode 126
In Newport, Rhode Island, a round stone tower sits atop a hill overlooking the city and waterfront. To many people, the intricately built tower has been as long as they can remember. And that leads u…
Published on 4 weeks ago
History of Chess
Season 1 Episode 125
One game that has stood the test of time more than most is Chess. On an 8x8 grid, and 32 figurines, the game has enraptured the minds of kings and peasants, generals and poets, for over a millennia. …
Published on 1 month ago
Eddie Gaedel: The Smallest Player in Baseball History
Season 1 Episode 124
On August 19, 1951, 26 year old Eddie Gaedel stepped up to plate during a major league baseball game. He would promptly take a walk on four straight pitches - then be replaced at first base by anothe…
Published on 1 month ago
Year of the Four Emperors
Season 1 Episode 123
After the death of Emperor Nero and a century of stability, the Roman Empire was plunged into chaos. In the space of a single year four different men would hold the imperial throne, and tens of thous…
Published on 1 month ago
Remember the Maine!
Season 1 Episode 122
On Jan. 25, 1898, the American armored Cruiser the USS Maine sailed into Havana harbor. Three weeks later, an explosion ripped through the vessel - killing more than 250 sailors and marines. Although…
Published on 1 month ago
504 protest
Season 1 Episode 121
In April of 1978 over one hundred disability rights advocates occupied a federal building in San Francisco. Their goal was to force the Carter administration to fulfill a campaign promise. What follo…
Published on 1 month ago
The Great Zimbabwe
Season 1 Episode 120
In southern Africa - in the nation of Zimbabwe - an unlikely sight appears in the south-eastern hills near Masvingo. It is the ruins of what was once a great city - including the largest stone struct…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The Battle Over Parker Dam
Season 1 Episode 119
On August 25, 1934, the Governor of Arizona, Benjamin Moeur, declared martial law, dispatching over 100 national guard troops to the site of an invasion. Not by a foreign power, but by California con…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Discovery of the Venus de Milo
Season 1 Episode 118
On April 8, 1820, on the Greek island of Milos, a farmer, Theodoros Kendrotas, uncovered the upper part of a marble statue while working in his field. A visiting French naval officer paid the farmer …
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The History of Pad Thai
Season 1 Episode 117
Pad Thai is one of the tastiest most iconic dishes of Thailand. And yet, it has a history that is less than a century old, and it involves floods, a military dictator, and the nation's attempt to spr…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago