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Historium — History
Historium

Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tales you’ve probably never heard before.

Copyright: © 2022 Historium

Latest Episodes:

#79 Eternity's Echo Jul 08, 2024

What if sound lives forever?

Music:

Imaginary Landscape No. 4 by John Cage
Tezeta by Mulatu Askatke
Electronium Music Score by Raymond Scott
Lacrymae by Melodium
Kapsburger by Clogs
A Lake by Emily A. Sprague
Tiden Effert Hoffet by I.B. Sundstrom
When the Northern Lights by Max Richter
X-Ray by Youth Lagoon
Legions (War) by Zoe Keating
Disintegration Loops #3 by William Basinski
92982.3 by William Basinski

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historium

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#78 The Blowout Mar 17, 2024

The story of one of the worst numerical beatdowns in the history of professional sports.
Music:
- Reckless by Brocker Way
- Green Groves of Erin by Yo Yo Ma
- Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Vivaldi
- Classic Battle by Sam Spence
- Denmark by Portland Cello Project
- Independant by Brocker Way
- Tilting at Windmills by Brocker Way
- Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner
- Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
- 2 by AAEPSO
- Climax Rag by James Scott
- Chariots of Fire by Vangelis
- En Gang Agde by 1900
- Epilogue by Brocker Way
For more episodes and pictures for the episode:
https://www.patreon.com/historium

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[UNLOCKED] Bonus Episode #30: The Day Disco Died Jul 20, 2023

(This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium)
Chicago, 1979. Disco was on top of the world. And some people didn't like that…

When a failing baseball team and a peg-legged promoter hosted an anti-disco radio DJ armed with a quarter stick of dynamite… things quickly got out of hand.

Welcome to Disco Demolition Night.

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Historium Presents: The Wind May 11, 2023

An episode from a show I love called The Wind.
"Western Films as America’s origin story, and why they sound the way they do."
For more episodes: https://thewind.org/
For our bonus episode with Fil: patreon.com/historium

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#77 ATOMIC DAWN - The Red Menace: The Cold War and the Trial of Robert Oppenheimer Mar 27, 2023

Neils Bohr returns with a new plan for world peace, Oppenheimer’s enemies close in from all sides as the Cold War warms up, and shadowy figures from the world of high finance work to expand the American nuclear weapons program.

Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/
Additional music by Alarm Will Sound, Marisa Anderson, Kali Malone, Zoe Keating, Julie Kent, Ben Von Wildenhaus, Brocker Way, William Basinski, Nine Inch Nails, Mulatu Astatke, Richard D. James, Jon Hopkins, and Nils Frahm. Final song by King Dude.
For bonus episodes and a custom series patch, become a patron at: patreon.com/historium

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#76 ATOMIC DAWN - Heavy Water: The Norwegian Commando Mission to Sabotage the Nazi Nuclear Program Mar 20, 2023

Norwegian commandos execute a daring sabotage mission to cripple the Nazi nuclear program. The fall of Werner Heisenberg.

Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/
Additional music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Max Richter, William Basinski, Moondog, Sølvguttene, Jed Kurzel, Hala Strana, Anne Hytta, Nine Inch Nails, and Nico.
For bonus episodes and a special series patch: www.patreon.com/historium

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#75 ATOMIC DAWN - A Prime Suspect: Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the Investigation of a Soviet Atomic Spy Ring Mar 13, 2023

Robert Oppenheimer leads the Manhattan Project at a secret research facility in Los Alamos. Meanwhile, counterintelligence seeks to unearth a secret communist spy ring within the very heart of the nuclear weapons program. A cold war starts before a world war ends.
Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/
Additional music by Ludovico Einauldi, Luke Howard, Alarm Will Sound, Ben Sollee, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, and Lulu Belle & Scotty.
For more episodes and a Historium Manhattan Project patch:
www.patreon.com/historium

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#74 ATOMIC DAWN - Complementarity and Uncertainty: Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and the Nazi Atomic Bomb Mar 06, 2023

On the eve of the Second World War, physicists learn of the possibility of splitting the atom. Two rival nuclear programs emerge and the race to the atomic bomb begins...
Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/
Additional music by Kali Malone, Benoît Pioulard, Zoe Keating, Nine Inch Nails, Choral Arts Northwest, and The Louvin Brothers.
For the rest of the series and a limited edition Historium patch made specifically for this episode: patreon.com/historium

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#73 Once in a Lifetime Nov 24, 2022

The story of Halley’s Comet—the only reoccurring comet visible to the naked eye that shows up every 75 years or so. Throughout history its appearance has marked profound change, from the conquest of the British Isles to the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

For more bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium

Music:

Hello! by David Wingo & Explosions in the Sky
Time’s Blur by Lord Huron
Opening (arr. for marimba) by Philip Glass & Nathaniel Bartlett
Katrina Outtake by Matthew Robert Cooper
Ceiling Gazing by Mark Kozelek
Expectation by Matthew Robert Cooper
Never Ever by Lord Huron

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#72: The Trial of Sunshine Charlie Oct 24, 2022

Summer 1929 was the pinnacle of a new era of banking, and Charles E. Mitchell emblematized the live-fast-die-young ethos of roaring twenties stock salesmen. As the Great Crash led into the Great Depression, Charlie’s ambition brought about his downfall and forced him to go toe-to-toe with one of most doggedly committed prosecutors of the era: Ferdinand Pecora. It’s a story that’s more timely now than ever.
For more episodes: patreon.com/historium
Music:

Hindustan by Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats
Dogtown Blues by Bob Crosby & The Bob Cats
Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ by the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Easy Opium by Ben von Wildenhaus
Battle of the Species by Antibalas
Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel
One Bad Motherfucker in His Day by Ben von Wildenhaus
Reckless by Brocker Way
The Ox by The Who
Potato Boy by Mac Demarco
Tryouts by Brocker Way
Heartaches by Al Bowlly
The Beast by Dick Dale
Let There Be Drums by Sandy Nelson
It Was a Town by Brocker Way
Glass Etudes by Etudes No. 6 by Philip Glass
Etude by Joep Beving
In Love and Justice by Colin Stetson
Happy Days are Here Again by Ben Selvin & The Crooners
End of Summer Part 2 by Johann Johannsson
Less Likely by Trent Reznor
1929 by Merle Haggard

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#71 Operation Eureka Jul 25, 2022

Tehran 1943.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meet together for the first time with hopes of overcoming their ideological differences in order to win the Second World War.

For bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium

Music:

Nightbook by Ludovico Einauldi
Vanguard by Bear McCreary
History is Listening by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur Olafsson
Increase by David Lang
Prelude by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur Olafsson
The War Rooms by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur Olafsson
Moscow, 1953 by Christopher Willis
Welcome to the Bloody first by Wilbert Roget II
Four Winds by Adam Hurst
Staging a Coup by Christopher Willis
Dungtitled (In a Major) by Stars of the Lid
A Softer World by Luke Howard
A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaningless Process by Stars of the Lid

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#70 Mendacium Ex Machina Apr 18, 2022

In the late 1700s, a chess-playing automaton marched across Europe, achieving checkmates against novices and masters alike–all while hiding an incredible secret…

Music:

- Concerto for Lute and Plucked Strings by Siefried Behrend & DZO Chamber Orchestra

- Clockwork Toccata, Op. 68 by Fulvio Caldini & the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet

- Concerto no. 5 en la mineur by Bach

- Mr. Moustafa by Alexandre Desplat

- Denmark by Gideon Fruedmann & the Portland Cello Project

- Night Train to Nebelsbad by Alexandre Desplat

- Water Music Suite by Handel & the English Concert

- Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard

- Morning Talk/Supersymmetry by Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett

Get bonus episodes:

patreon.com/historium

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#7 The Christmas Truce (Shiny & Chrome Edition) Dec 24, 2021

This episode was always a feel-good fan favorite, so I decided to pluck it from the archives, rewrite it, re-record it, and remix it now that I'm a better writer with better equipment. Merry Christmas!

'During the first Christmas of the First World War, troops from opposing armies defied orders and participated in a series of impromptu ceasefires in the no man’s land between the trenches.'

Music:

Keetley by OK Ikumi
Beyond the Milk Wood by Federico Albanese
We Move Lightly by Dustin O’Halloran
#20 (Lichen) by Aphex Twin
Pauvre Simon by Sylvain Chauveau
Silent Night by the St. John’s College Choir
Auld Lang Syne by Dexter Britain

Follow me on Wisdom here to get notified when I go live on January 2nd at 3 PM EST: https://joinwisdom.audio/historium

Support the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium

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#69 The Great Race of Mercy Dec 13, 2021

In 1925, dog sled teams faced extreme subzero temperatures, whiteout conditions, and hurricane-force winds to deliver medicine to sick children in the remote mining town of Nome, Alaska. This feat of interspecies heroism would become one of the most harrowing rescue attempts in American history.

Music:

Etude by Joep Beving
Prelude for Piano and Malaria by Worrytrain
Born Unto Trouble by Bill Elm & Woody Jackson
Suicide by Marc Streitenfeld
The Diary by Dexter Britain
Writing the Letter by Marc Streitenfeld
In Threes by Loscil
Labyrinthine by Julianna Barwick
A Softer world by Luke Howard
The Evil The Never Arrived by Stars of the Lid
Opening by Nathaniel Bartlett
At the Beach by David Wingo
Lale’s Theme by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
I Will Be Back One Day (Instrumental) by Lord Huron

Support the show and listen to bonus episodes:

patreon.com/historium

Support the show

#68 The Fifth Beatle Aug 24, 2021

In early 1964, on the eve of The Beatles’ first international tour, Ringo Starr fell ill. To avoid cancelling the shows at the height of Beatlemania, they hired Jimmie Nicol as a temporary replacement. The stand-in drummer serves as a case study in what happens to a human psyche when propelled from relative obscurity to worldwide fame (and back again…) all in the span of a few months.

For relevant photos and access to more episodes: patreon.com/historium

Music:

It Was a Town by Brocker Way
Mr. Rogers Day by Jonathan Kirkscey
School Day by Chuck Berry
Rave On by Buddy Holly
Last Days of Disco by Yo La Tengo
Yea Yea by Vince Eager
Twenty Flight Rock by Colin Hicks & His Cabin Boys
Drum Diddley by The Spotnicks
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz by Vince Eager
Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran
I Saw Her Standing There by The Silver Beatles
Night Train by The Shubdubs
Practicing by Justin Hurwitz
Dismissed by Justin Hurwitz
Do What You Are Doing by Dexter Britain
I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles
The Horse by Cliff Nobles & Co.
A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles
Can’t Buy Me Love by The Beatles
Love Me Do by The Beatles
Frances & Her Friends by Francis Faye
Long Tall Sally by The Beatles
Humpty Dumpty by The Shubdubs
On the Green Tape by Musette
Last Date by The Spotnicks
Three King Fishers by Gabor Szabo
Getting Better by The Beatles

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#67 The Andean Gambit Jun 21, 2021

After Columbus opened Pandora’s Box by crossing the Atlantic, conquistadors ventured into the New World for god, glory, and gold; rarely in that order. One of these conquistadors, Francisco Pizarro, could not ignore the rumors of an empire of golden cities in the cloud peaks of the Andes, which sent him on a collision course with Atualpa, the god emperor of the Inca Empire.
Facebook: @HistoriumPodcast

Twitter: @HistoriumPod

Instagram: @historiumpodcast

For more episodes: patreon.com/historium

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#66 Microstorium Dec 23, 2020

As the final episode of this wild year called 2020, here's fifteen quick mini-stories from throughout history!

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[UNLOCKED] Book Review of ‘1491’ by Charles C. Mann Nov 25, 2020

(This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium)
Lots of myth busting of misconceptions about indigenous people coupled with new research that shines a light of what the New World and its inhabitants were actually like.

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#65 Firebombing of Tokyo Oct 28, 2020

How do we Americans remember the deadliest night in human history? The answer is simple. We don't.

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#64 Marathon of Madness Sep 23, 2020

This is the story of the strangest race ever run.

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#63 The Dividing Line Jul 16, 2020

In 1919, rage from injustices erupted into violent race riots which spread throughout Chicago. All the while, Spanish Flu spread like wildfire in this unfortunately relevant story about the Chicago Race Riots.

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#62 Side By Side Jun 17, 2020

The story of Chang and Eng Bunker, the original Siamese Twins, who worked in freak shows, owned a plantation, and experienced so much of 19th century, all while literally inseparable.

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#61 Dirtbag Gold Rush May 07, 2020

In Yosemite Valley, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, a rag-tag group of rock climbers in the 1970s stumble upon the score of a lifetime.

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#60 Plague of Corrupted Blood Apr 07, 2020

The story of the Corrupted Blood plague that hit the realm of World of Warcraft and what outbreaks in video games can teach us about real-world epidemiology.

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#59 The Siege of Seeds Mar 23, 2020

In the midst of the siege of Leningrad, a small enclave of Soviet scientists did what they could to protect a massive collection of seeds in order to save countless future human lives.

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#58 The Battle of Los Angeles Jan 23, 2020

In Los Angeles, California, the fresh recruits, with their new crew cuts and wrinkled uniforms, would get their first taste of combat on February 24th, 1942...

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#57 A White Christmas in Saigon Dec 23, 2019

Saigon, Vietnam. April 1975.

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#56 Savior of Mothers Dec 16, 2019

Childbed fever was killing new mothers with a vengeance. In Hungary, young doctor Ignaz Semmelweis found a cure. However, there was one problem... No one believed him.

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#55 Death Row Baseball Nov 21, 2019

Baseball has long been dubbed America’s pastime, but would that change if players had to literally play for their lives?

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#54 The Second Son of God Oct 24, 2019

In the 1850s, a Christian cult rattles imperial China to its core...

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#53 Interview with Egyptologist Colleen Darnell Jul 09, 2019

Mummies, hieroglyphs, pyramids, vintage fashion; Egyptologist and vintage fashion historian Colleen Darnell digs through it all.
https://www.instagram.com/vintage_egyptologist

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#52 [MiniStorium] Bad Luck Jun 20, 2019

History is full of moments of misfortune, irony, or just plain ol’ bad luck. This episode contains eight mini-stories about the times where things went from bad to worse.

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#51 The Ghosts of Notre Dame May 24, 2019

This episode is devoted to the 800 year old Notre Dame cathedral and it's incredibly storied past.

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#50 Interview with Dirk Langeveld, author of The Artful Dodger Apr 16, 2019

The story of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll has everything I'm looking for when looking for topics: A wild ride full of twists, turns, and downright unbelievable moments.
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Dodger-20-Year-Cleveland-Bergdoll/dp/1973925893

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#49 Dead Reckoning Apr 01, 2019

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...

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#48 The Pinball Wizard Mar 19, 2019

In the 1970s, a hero arose to defend the fact that pinball was a game of skill, not a game of chance.

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#47 Wreck of the Batavia Feb 19, 2019

The ill-fated voyage encountered mutiny, torture, murder, and a mad tyrant as things went from bad to worse...

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#46 Interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington Jan 17, 2019

This episode is an interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father.
Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Young-Washington-Peter-Stark-audiobook/dp/B07C2YT1QM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23T4RGZSY5SF6&keywords=peter+stark+young+washington&qid=1707930381&s=books&sprefix=peter+stark+young+washington%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1

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#45 Ballroom Blitz Dec 31, 2018

New Years Eve, 1922.

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#44 Dungeons & Dragons and The Satanic Panic Dec 13, 2018

The story of Dungeons & Dragons and how an innocent tabletop RPG was caught in the crossfire of moral outrage and religious fundamentalism.

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#43 The Harlem Hellfighters Nov 19, 2018

In this episode, we’ll follow the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment known as the “Harlem Hellfighters” through the horrors of trench warfare, and through their struggle for equality.

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#42 The Great Grave Robbery Oct 30, 2018

In a tale involving ancient Egyptians, grave robbers, charlatans, and European aristocracy, we'll explore burial rites, desecration, and what they reveal about relationship with how we treat our dead.

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#41 The Island Lost in Time Oct 10, 2018

The story of a minimally-contacted tribe on North Sentinel Island who clearly want to be left alone.

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#40 Operation Valkyrie Sep 18, 2018

The story of German officers committing high treason for the greater good of Germany.

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#39 The Long Friday Aug 22, 2018

In 1975, women were still in the process of breaking out of the domestic bubble and into politics and the modern workforce. But in Iceland, one event that year changed everything…

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#38 Green Hell Aug 08, 2018

The story of British explorer Percy Fawcett's hunt for a lost city in the depths of the Amazon rainforest.

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#37 Landmark Jul 21, 2018

This is the story of slaves who rose up in rebellion and a landmark court case challenging the thin line between slavery and freedom.

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#36 [MiniStorium] Animals Part III Jul 05, 2018

Animals play a massive, often untold, part in human history. This episode is the third and final part of a series of mini stories all about or relating to animals.

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#35 [MiniStorium] Animals Part II Jun 20, 2018

Animals play a massive, often untold, part in human history. This episode is the second part of a series of mini stories all about or relating to animals.

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#34 [MiniStorium] Animals Part I Jun 05, 2018

Animals play a massive, often untold, part in human history.

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#33 Miracle on the Mississippi May 09, 2018

The War of 1812 is often the forgotten war between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. But that little war, especially the final battle, has a profound effect on US history.

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#32 The Greatest Tragedy in History Apr 26, 2018

Long ago, a group of people attempted to collect and store every piece of human knowledge on the planet in a single place. In this episode, you’ll take a tour of the great Library of Alexandria, and learn how its rise and fall deeply affected both the ancient and modern world.

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#31 [MiniStorium] The Republic Remains Apr 10, 2018

Several mini-stories about the presidential transfer of power in the United States.

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#30 The Cages of Münster Mar 27, 2018

In 1534, radical Anabaptists took control of the German city of Munster and transformed it into a communal theocratic monarchy who proclaimed the apocalypse was right around the corner. They were right.

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#29 The Last of His Kind Mar 06, 2018

The story of Ishi, the lone survivor of the Yahi people, who walked out of the California wilderness and into the modern world.

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#28 New Blue Feb 15, 2018

Could our ancient ancestors see the color blue? The question might not be as absurd as it sounds.

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#27 Bittersweet Liberty Feb 01, 2018

In the late 18th century, Haitian slaves rose up against their oppressors in the largest slave revolt in history.

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#26 A Caesar’s Ransom Jan 12, 2018

Long before Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, the 25 year old politician was abducted by Silician pirates.

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#25 The Lost Colony Nov 21, 2017

A deep look into one of America's most enduring mysteries. What happened to the colonists of Roanoke?

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#24 The Horror at Highgate Oct 31, 2017

Tales of the possible paranormal from London's overgrown Highgate Cemetery.

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#23 Cher Ami Oct 10, 2017

During the First World War, a daring messenger pigeon must make a perilous journey to save an American battalion.

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#22 The Battle of Blair Mountain Sep 19, 2017

In 1921, striking Appalachian mine workers rose up against lawmen and strike breakers in the largest labor uprising in American history.

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#21 [MiniStorium] Stories of the Sea Sep 08, 2017

A series of mini-stories all connected the the ocean.

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#20 The Great Emu War Aug 22, 2017

In 1932, the Australian emu population exploded, causing havoc in the Wheatbelt. In response, Australia declared war.

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#19 The Conquered Conquistador Aug 05, 2017

Gonzalo Guerrero finds himself caught between the Spanish Empire and the indigenous defenders.

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#18 The Forgotten Father Jul 20, 2017

The story of revolutionary Joseph Warren and the role luck plays in history.

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#17 We Few Jul 07, 2017

The story of how we barely made it.

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#16 The Chemistry of Morality (or the Morality of Chemistry) Jun 22, 2017

Can a man be evil, yet the world be immeasurably better because he lived in it?

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#15 Almost Home May 06, 2017

In 2005, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

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#14 Lost & Found (The Prestige) Apr 21, 2017

The disappearance of Bobby Dunbar had American newspaper readers on the edge of their seats.

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#13 Wealth Beyond Measure Apr 08, 2017

Mansa Musa of Mali: The richest man to everylive.

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#12 Dark Tide Mar 22, 2017

In 1919, an industrial accident caused a slow-moving wave of death in the North End of Boston.

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#11 Almost a Thousand (NSFW) Mar 02, 2017

The haunting story of the most vile serial murderers of all time. Not suitable for all listeners.

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#10 The Balloon Bomb Feb 17, 2017

In 1944, the Empire of Japan went to desperate lengths to disrupt American infrastructure stateside.

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#09 Fumes & Fate Feb 01, 2017

The mysterious and mundane origins of the legendary Oracle of Delphi.

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#08 Jailbreak Jan 19, 2017

In 1962, three men attempt a daring escape from the maximum security federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island...

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#07 The Christmas Truce Dec 14, 2016

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#06 The Pirate Queen Dec 07, 2016

The story of a young woman working at a brothel to leading one of the largest pirate fleets every assembled.

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#05 Mad Jack Churchill Nov 26, 2016

How do you obtain the moniker "Mad?" One way is to fight in the Second World War armed with a broadsword, a longbow, and bagpipes.

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#04 The Duel at Dawn Nov 23, 2016

Alexander Hamilton and Aron Burr escalate from exchanging verbal blows to exchanging gunfire.

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#03 The Deal with the Devil Nov 23, 2016

Guitarist Robert Johnson becomes legendary, perhaps due to a Faustian bargain...

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#02 Still, They Danced Nov 23, 2016

In 1518, residents of Strasbourg, France began a manic infectious dance, and couldn't stop.

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#01 The Man Who Saved the World Nov 20, 2016

In 1961, a Soviet naval officer singlehandedly averted global thermonuclear war during the height of the Cold War.

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#00 An Introduction of Sorts Nov 18, 2016

Welcome to Historium.

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