How the Blizzard of 1888 Built the New York Subway
In March 1888, one of the most devastating storms in American history slammed into the Northeast. The Great Blizzard of 1888 buried New York City under massive snowdrifts, paralyzed transportation, sn...
13 Jun 13min
A Day in the Life of a Gladiator, w/ Harry Sidebottom
In this episode of Friday Conversations, host Peter Zablocki sits down with Oxford historian and bestselling novelist Harry Sidebottom to explore his gripping new book, Those Who Are About to Die: Gla...
12 Jun 26min
The 1897 Ghost Who Solved Her Own Murder
In January 1897, a young woman named Elva Zona Heaster Shue was found dead inside her home in rural Greenbrier County. Her death was quickly ruled natural, despite troubling questions surrounding her ...
11 Jun 12min
The Complicated History of Miss America
For more than a century, the Miss America Pageant has reflected America's changing ideas about beauty, femininity, ambition, and culture. What began as a tourist attraction in Atlantic City evolved in...
10 Jun 11min
How Medieval Guilds Invented Modern Commerce
The next time a package arrives at your doorstep—tracked, inspected, and delivered by a company whose reputation depends on reliability—you can thank a group of people who lived hundreds of years befo...
9 Jun 12min
Hitler on Trial: The Lawyer Who Put the Fuhrer on the Stand
Before he became the dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler was a political agitator whose movement often relied on intimidation and street violence. Few people dared challenge him in court. One man did—an...
8 Jun 12min
The Catnip Riot of 1909
In the summer of 1909, G. Herman Gottlieb set out through New York City carrying two baskets filled with fresh catnip. His plan was simple: sell the herb to wealthy cat owners along Fifth Avenue. What...
7 Jun 12min
One Last Run: Billy the Kid's Great Escape
In the spring of 1881, the days of the American frontier outlaw were numbered. Captured, convicted, and awaiting execution, Billy the Kid appeared to have reached the end of the trail. But Billy had o...
6 Jun 14min
