The Origins of Rock and Roll
In the early 1950s, a new type of music burst forth, which had its roots in blues, gospel, country, and swing. This new music took the world by storm and was as controversial as it was successful. T...
14 Mar 202313min
The National Park System: America's Best Idea
In 19th century America, a movement began to take areas of exceptional natural beauty and preserve them. This idea of setting aside land for the purpose of preservation is something that was never rea...
13 Mar 202314min
The Panama Canal
Every since the lands of the New World were mapped, people dreamt of creating a canal through Central America to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. For almost 500 years, that dream was just tha...
12 Mar 202315min
A Brief History of Paper
Four things are considered to be the Great Inventions of Ancient China: gunpowder, the compass, the printing press, and paper. Despite the incredible impact that all four things have had on the world...
11 Mar 202314min
The Legend of Harry Houdini
In the late 19th century, a young man by the name of Erich Weiss decided to pursue a career in magic and illusion. To honor his favorite magician, he took the name The Great Houdini. He became one of...
10 Mar 202315min
Chickens (Encore)
Around 10,000 years ago, someone in Southeast Asia captured a bird that lived on the floor of the jungle. Today, billions of descendants of that bird now live on six different continents and provide f...
9 Mar 202311min
The Knights of Malta
In the early 11th century, a group of merchants from the Amalfi Coast of Italy received permission from the Caliph of Egypt to rebuild a church and hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims to the Ho...
8 Mar 202311min
The Siege of Baghdad
In the year 1258, two of the greatest empires in world history collided. For one, it was yet another in an incredible string of conquests. For the other, it resulted in its downfall and the destructio...
7 Mar 202312min
