King Eric XIV of Sweden
A handsome playboy who once courted Queen Elizabeth I, Eric started his time as king with focus and ambition. But his paranoia led him to alienate the aristocracy, fall into violent rages and stab a c...
7 Apr 201430min
Crucifixion in the Greco-Roman World
While the crucifixion of Jesus is the most most well-known instance of this type of execution, crucifixion was a practice that was both common and taboo all over the Greco-Roman world for almost 1,000...
2 Apr 201421min
Rose Bertin: The First Fashion Designer
The legendary wardrobe of Marie-Antoinette has been criticized, envied and discussed to no end. But where did all those glorious clothes come from? In large part, they were the work of Rose Bertin, a ...
31 Mar 201437min
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce was a soldier, a journalist, an editor, a satirist and a philosopher. He was a complicated man with an unwavering moral code and a life of experiences both fantastic and horrific, which...
26 Mar 201430min
Elizabeth Blackwell, America's First Female M.D.
It's not a story of a person with a childhood dream of pursuing a career that wasn't available to them. Dr. Blackwell had no interest in medicine as a child. But she paved the way for women who came a...
24 Mar 201431min
China's Foot Binding Tradition
Foot binding was practiced in China for more than 1,000 years -- far longer than can be attributed to a mere cultural or fashion fad. Why did such an extreme type of body modification become such an i...
19 Mar 201434min
13 Reasons for the American Revolution
"No taxation without representation" is often thought of as the main beef that led to the American Revolution, but it was only one of many moving parts in the bigger picture. Read the show notes for t...
17 Mar 201427min
Everest: Getting to the Top of the World, Pt. 2
After WWII ended, efforts were resumed to conquer Everest, but it took many, many teams and missions to reach the summit. Eventually, a bee keeper and a Sherpa achieved that loftiest of goals. But wha...
12 Mar 201423min
