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History Snacks

Season two is live! Bite size chomps of history for kids! Join hosts Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes as they bring you quick dives into the events that shaped the world. Explore the Byzantine Empire, medieval heists, lost adventurers, cursed objects, epic royal sibling rivalries, and the fall of Rome.

Latest Episodes:

S1E10 - Surviving Pompeii Apr 08, 2026

Show notes

The volcano of Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. and we haven't stopped talking about it since. We discuss the only eye-witness account of the eruption that buried the Italian cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In this episode we encounter violent eruptions, ancient scientists, natural disasters, villas by the sea, and stranded sea animals.
An extra warning for this episode, there are detailed descriptions of the dangers that occur during a natural disaster, so if that’s going to upset you, skip this one!

Questions answered:

What happened to Pompeii? What happened to Herculaneum? When did Mt. Vesuvius erupt? What happens during a volcanic eruption? Who was the first to describe a volcanic eruption? Did anyone survive Pompeii? Did anyone survive the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius? What was it like in Pompeii?

S1E9 - Cursed Gems of History Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Rubies, sapphires, and bad omens. We're tracing the history of a couple of cursed gems and seeing what we can learn in the process. In this episode we encounter medieval civil wars, taking gems from dead people, rocks with names, cursed litter, bad friendship practices, and treating people how you want to be treated.

Questions answered:

Do gems have names? Do famous gems have stories? Who was the Black Prince? What happened to Spain after the Roman Empire fell? Who was Peter of Castile? Who was Muhammad the Red? What was the Kingdom of Granada? Did Muslims live in Spain?

S1E8 - The Disappearance of Percy Fawcett Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

Disappearing in the Amazon rainforest looking for the Lost City of Z in the 1920s is a bold look. Let's see if it works out for him. In this episode we encounter the disappearance of an explorer, forced labor on rubber plantations, the death of a pack animal, hostile neighbors, and the disappearance of an explorer.

Questions answered:

Has anyone ever disappeared in the Amazon? What explorer disappeared into the Amazon rainforest? Do people live in the Amazon rainforest? Where does rubber come from? How was the Amazon rainforest mapped? Who was Percy Fawcett? What was the Lost City of Z?

S1E7 - Sibling Rivalry and the Fall of Rome Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Special guest: Attila the Hun. Rome didn't fall all at once, but when the Emperor's sister invites the Huns to invade, you gotta know something's not going super well. In this episode we encounter the plague, metaphorical backstabbing, literal backstabbing, the death of a boyfriend, a marriage proposal, and the fall of Rome.

Questions answered:

Who was Attila the Hun? Who were the Huns? What did Attila the Hun do? Did the Roman Empire battle Attila the Hun?

S1E6 - Stealing Saints for the Glory of Venice Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Saint Mark the Evangelist had an interesting life, and then his body had an interesting afterlife. A medieval heist is underway! In this episode we encounter discussion of human remains, religious rivals, demoted saints, severe storms, forbidden trade routes, and customs officials.

Questions answered:

How did Venice get Saint Mark? What happened to St. Mark the Evangelist? Who was Saint Mark? Who was St. Mark the Evangelist? Why is San Marco's Square in Venice special? Why does Venice have San Marco Square?

S1E5 - The Nika Riots: Chariots on Fire Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

We've finally reached the Byzantine Empire, with Emperor Justinian. Chariot racing! Angry mobs of sports fans! And the coronation of a fake emperor, what isn't to like? In this episode we encounter too much fandom, political intrigue, many people dying, armies turning on civilians, and sports you don't care about.

Questions answered:

What is the Byzantine Empire? Who was Emperor Justinian? What is chariot racing? Did ancient people do sports? Who were the Byzantine Emperors?

S1E4 - What's Rome's DEAL? Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

The whole Roman timeline in under 17 minutes. Julius Caesar included. Can we do it? Sure. Should we have done it? Historians will argue. The important part is not the details we retain, but the Brutuses we meet along the way. In this episode we encounter tyrants, questions about how to run an empire, assassinations, civil wars, a Charlemagne jumpscare, and an extremely quick overview of over 2,000 years of history.

Questions answered:

Who was Julius Caesar? What was the Roman Empire? How long did the Roman Empire last? Who was Brutus? What did Julius Caesar do? What's the whole history of the Roman Empire? What's the Byzantine Empire? What's the Holy Roman Empire? Who was Charlemagne?

S1E3 - The Mystery of Everest Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Who made it to the top of Mt. Everest first? We delve into the disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irvine on their way to summit Everest. In this episode we encounter death by misadventure, lots of mountain climbing talk, a scary mountain, preserved dead bodies, a detached foot, the Death Zone, and a mystery that may never be solved.

Questions answered:

Do we know who made it to the top of Everest first? Who was George Mallory? What is the Death Zone? Is it hard to climb Mt. Everest? Who was Sandy Irvine? Who was Tenzig Norgay? Who was Sir Edmund Hilary? Has anyone died on Mt. Everest?

S1E2 - The Rise of Cleopatra Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Queen Cleopatra of Egypt--the myth, the legend, the cut-throat politician who may or may not have killed several of her siblings to gain control of Egypt. In this episode we talk about her rise to power, ruthless family dynamics, lots of assassinations, someone's head on a literal platter, propaganda, and the death of some guy named Julius Caesar.

Some questions answered:

How did Cleopatra become queen? How did Cleopatra become Pharaoh? Did Ancient Egypt have any drama? Did Cleopatra and Julius Caesar know each other? How old was Cleopatra when she became queen of Egypt?

S1E1 - Ancient Greek Fossil Frenzy Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

Did you know the Ancient Greeks found fossils? But they didn't know they were fossils. Surely they couldn't be... the bones of heroes? In this episode we encounter myth and history, confusing prophesies, ancient animals, chatty blacksmiths, and the glory of Sparta.

Some questions answered:

What did ancient people think when they found fossils? Did the ancient Greeks know about dinosaurs? Was Sparta always good at fighting? How did Greek mythology affect how ancient people saw fossils?

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