The History of Banks and Banking
One of the biggest and most important industries in the world is banking. Banks are large, control an enormous amount of money, and are often the most influential economic institutions in most count...
26 Apr 202516min
Calendar Reform
Our calendar and system of keeping time are rather unique. It isn’t nice and tidy like the metric system. It is a collection of odd time units, leap years, and rotating calendars. As such, many pe...
25 Apr 202515min
Sherman’s March to the Sea (Encore)
Just one week after President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected in November 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman set out to execute one of the most audacious plans of the US Civil War. His plan...
24 Apr 202513min
Sede Vacante and The Process of Papal Succession
After the death or resignation of a pope, but before the election of a new pope, there is a period of time at the Vatican known as Sede Vacante. The Sede Vacante doesn’t last very long, and it doesn...
23 Apr 202514min
The Medici Family and Renaissance Florence
One of the greatest periods of social and technological change in world history was the Renaissance. At the heart of the Renaissance was the city-state of Florence. It was the home to some of the wo...
22 Apr 202516min
The Battle of Marathon (Encore)
In the year 490 BC, one of the most pivotal battles in world history took place. Just north of the City of Athens, Persian and Greek forces clashed in what was to be the first Persian attempt to inv...
21 Apr 202512min
Global Reserve Currencies and the Triffin Dilemma
Today, approximately 160 currencies are used worldwide. Some countries share the same currency, while others use the currency of another country. However, not all currencies are equal. One currency ...
20 Apr 202514min
Biological Taxonomy and the Tree of Life
All living things on the planet Earth, from microbes to whales, can be categorized into a single hierarchical system. This system has been developed over the last 300 years. Layers have been added, ...
19 Apr 202516min
