Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchMarquis de Lafayette: Hero of Two Worlds Caught in the Middle
Episode 13190
The Marquis de Lafayette was a wealthy orphan who defied his king, bought his own ship and sailed to fight in the American Revolution. This episode e…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Chuck Berry: The Brilliant, Troubled Architect of Rock and Roll
Episode 13189
Chuck Berry's guitar is on the Voyager Golden Record, carrying rock and roll into interstellar space. This episode traces his middle-class upbringing…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Themistocles: The Athenian Who Saved Greece and Served Persia
Episode 13188
Themistocles masterminded the defeat of the Persian navy, yet died as a wealthy governor in Persian-ruled Magnesia. This episode traces his rise from…
5 days, 7 hours ago
John Calvin: The Reluctant Reformer Who Shaped the Modern West
Episode 13187
John Calvin helped shape Western religion, politics and economics, yet asked to be buried in an unmarked grave. This episode traces his path from a F…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Tenzing Norgay: The Real Story Behind the Everest Summit Photo
Episode 13186
The famous 1953 photograph of Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mount Everest hides a far more complex life. This episode explores his disputed origins…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Timur (Tamerlane): Skull Towers and the Timurid Renaissance
Episode 13185
Timur, known in the West as Tamerlane, began as a raider in 14th century Transoxiana and was left lame after arrows struck his hand and leg during a …
5 days, 7 hours ago
Sundiata Keita: The Lion King Who Founded the Mali Empire
Episode 13184
Sundiata Keita, the first mansa of the Mali Empire, rose from a childhood of disability and court humiliation to reshape West Africa in the 13th cent…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Secretariat: The 22-Pound Heart Behind Racing's Greatest Horse
Episode 13183
When Secretariat's necropsy in 1989 revealed a heart estimated at 22 pounds, a racing metaphor became biological fact. This episode traces how a coin…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Sargon of Akkad: The Gardener Who Built the First Empire
Episode 13182
Sargon of Akkad, who ruled roughly from 2334 to 2279 BC, is often credited as the first person to forge a multi-ethnic empire. This episode separates…
5 days, 7 hours ago
Alberto Santos-Dumont: Airships, the 14-bis and a Tragic Dream
Episode 13181
Alberto Santos-Dumont, heir to a Brazilian coffee fortune, became one of the most famous people on earth when he steered his airship around the Eiffe…
5 days, 7 hours ago