Stuff you Missed in History Class
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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The Radium Girls
Between in 1917, hundreds of women got jobs applying radium-treated ...
Between in 1917, hundreds of women got jobs applying radium-treated paint to various products. Many experienced severe health problems. Five former workers decided to sue the U.S. Radium corporation, and faced a campaign of misinformation.
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How the Mayan Calendar Works, Revisited
In this classic episode, former hosts Candace and Jane explain ...
In this classic episode, former hosts Candace and Jane explain how the Mayan long count calendar works. We also discuss some other doomsday prophesies from 1666 and 1910, when people feared Halley’s Comet would poison them with gasses from its tail.
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5 Historical Storms
Catastrophic storms are almost historical characters in their own right, ...
Catastrophic storms are almost historical characters in their own right, leaving indelible marks on the places they affect. Here, we cover five of history's most destructive storms, including the Tri-state Tornado of 1925 and the Great Hurricane of 1780.
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Easter Island (Update)
In this episode, we revisit theories about the statues of ...
In this episode, we revisit theories about the statues of Easter Island: the Moai. New evidence suggests that fewer than 20 people “walked” the Moai to their positions. This idea shakes up existing theories about the destruction of the island's resources.
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Pretty Boy Floyd and the Kansas City Massacre
Pretty Boy Floyd started out doing farm work, but in ...
Pretty Boy Floyd started out doing farm work, but in his late teens he ran off to try his hand at crime. He earned a Robin Hood-like reputation, and became famous for his supposed involvement in the Kansas City Massacre. But did he deserve the credit?
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Lizzie Borden and her Axe (Update)
In 1892, a Massachusetts couple was brutally murdered; the only ...
In 1892, a Massachusetts couple was brutally murdered; the only serious suspect was their daughter, Lizzie Borden. Borden was acquitted, but people have speculated about the crime ever since. Tune in to learn how new evidence might shed light on her case.
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The Bloody Benders
The Bender clan settled in Kansas in 1870, building a ...
The Bender clan settled in Kansas in 1870, building a combined store and inn. They weren't popular. Only the comely Kate Bender drew admirers. When people began disappearing, the Benders weren't suspects ‑‑ until a doctor vanished after visiting the inn.
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How the Titanic Worked
2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. In ...
2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking. In our own memorial to the Titanic’s sinking, we revisit a classic episode from Candace and Jane, in which they explore the ship’s tragic history. We’ll also explore some recent Titanic research.
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A Medici Marriage: Marguerite-Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite-Louise d'Orléans was the grandchild of the King of France, ...
Marguerite-Louise d'Orléans was the grandchild of the King of France, cousin of Louis XIV and eventually betrothed to Cosimo III de Medici. Her marriage was (to say the least) unstable. But how did she finally find herself back in France?
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The Nazi Games and Jesse Owens
Most people associate the 1936 Berlin Olympics with African-American sprinter ...
Most people associate the 1936 Berlin Olympics with African-American sprinter Jesse Owens. Yet the games were successful in terms of Nazi propaganda: More nations than ever participated, and the Olympic torch was used for the first time.
