Stuff You Missed in History Class

One of the most basic tools of the medical profession is the stethoscope, but it’s a more recent invention than you might suspect. Its invention [Read more]

This 2017 episode covers Tudor’s clever plan: In cold weather, he would harvest ice for cheap, and then sell it all around the world when [Read more]

Holly and Tracy talk about the kitties in their lives and Mike’s good fortune to have had his meals cooked for him. When they turn [Read more]

Smallpox is a viral disease that has existed for millennia. But it’s now one of only two diseases that’s been eradicated through human activity, and [Read more]

From caterer cat to war cat to museum guard, these three cats have their own unique places in history. Rest assured, while all creatures pass [Read more]

This 2018 episode covers the famed courtier, explorer, historian, Member of Parliament and soldier. He was part of England’s defense against the Spanish armada, as [Read more]

Holly and Tracy discuss Jo Nivison Hopper’s complex life story and how frustrating and angering it can be to research biographies like hers. They also [Read more]

Half a century ago, a commission established by President Lyndon Johnson wrote a report that concluded that “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one [Read more]

Jo Nivison was an established artist before she married Edward Hopper. But her art career quickly became secondary to Ed’s, and their life together, which [Read more]

This 2014 episode covers events from 1921, when coal miners fed up with unfair labor practices and exploitation took up arms against their employers. The [Read more]