The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

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Episode 45: Parents! Jun 29, 2020

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Parents can be pretty amazing sometimes - these two stories feature parents who went above and beyond for their kids and their community. Ada Blackjack was an Inupiat woman who was the only survivor of an extreme Arctic expedition, and she did it all for her son. The McCoy Family of Michigan had escaped enslavement in the South, but as their daughter Anna would find out, that wasn't the end of their story. This episode features the esteemed voice talents of Greg and Abigail Maupin.

Episode 44: Freight Train May 29, 2020

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Elizabeth Cotten became a music star pretty late in her life. In fact, she was a grandmother. But when she was 11 she wrote a song that made it's way across the ocean and was learned by a band called The Quarrymen, who later became The Beatles. Enjoy the story of both, along with Mick's performance of "Freight Train" and more!

Episode 43: Hands! Apr 22, 2020

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A Special Episode for April of 2020. Join us as we meet Ignaz Semmelweis, Florence Nightingale, John Snow, and also a woman named Mary Mallon, who - for better or for worse - is now remembered as "Typhoid Mary."

Episode 42: Bears! Apr 15, 2020

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Join Mick Sullivan for a story about the first bear in Theodore Roosevelt's life, a bear named Jonathan Edwards, and then the second bear in his life - one which gave rise to a cuddly creature in your bedroom. Then Hugh McNeal, a man joining Lewis and Clark gets treed by an angry bear and plays a boring game of chicken. All this, and Dr. Rush's Thunderclapper Pills

Episode 41: OK BLOOMER! Mar 10, 2020

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Amelia Bloomer helped change the world with a pair of underpants (which she didn't even invent). Among other things, it helped women ride bikes, and this led to a new independence in the late 1800's. Many women (even Susan B. Anthony) said the bike had more to to with women's independence than nearly anything else. So Melinda Beck is going to tell you her original telling of Tillie Anderson, a true life, turn-of-the-century bicycle racer ("scorchers" in the day) who might have been the fastest woman in America! Be sure to check out our Kids Listen Friends, including Timestorm and Girl Tales, for their Women's History episodes this month!

Episode 40 Robert Smalls And Basketballs Feb 20, 2020

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The Harlem Globetrotters were more than a show. They were an incredible barnstorming team who helped integrate the NBA. Told by Mick Sullivan with help from Dustin Baron Robert Smalls was responsible for one of the most daring escapes during the Civil War, helped convince Lincoln that African Americans should be allowed to serve as Union soldiers, and ultimately was an important politician. Told by Jermaine Fowler of the Humanity Archive (www.thehumanityarchive.com) All this and more!

Episode 39 The Astronomer and the Photographer Jan 25, 2020

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Eadweard Muybridge made history with his photos, including one of a running horse. It's more interesting than it sounds. Tycho Brahe lost his nose, but made some wild discoveries about our solar system - before he could even get a telescope. Mick performs his version of Tico Tico, which he calls "Tycho Tycho." All this and more in this funny episode of The Past and The Curious!

Episode 38 Store Windows and Old Underwear Dec 19, 2019

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L. Frank Baum, an author of a classic book (which became a classic movie) was also partially responsible for our love of fancy holiday shop windows. Also, Meriwether Lewis gives his pal William Clark a re-gift he probably could've done without.

Episode 37 Sewer Water and Water Water Nov 30, 2019

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John Wesley Powell is the first American of European descent to conquer the Grand Canyon, and he did it with one arm! Also, Paris was a pretty stinky place until they upgraded the sewers. Learn about poop, nightmen, and a couple of clever civil engineers who eventually got people to dress their best as they toured the stinky sewers in boats. All this and more!

Episode 36 Mechanical Monsters! Oct 29, 2019

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Mary Shelley didn't just create one of the most memorable characters and important books in history, she also pretty-much invented science fiction. Heather Gotlib tells her original story on the author of Frankenstein. Have you ever heard about the chess playing robot that beat Napoleon in chess? The automaton shocked the world in many ways! written and told by Mick Sullivan All this and more!

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