Stuff You Missed in History Class
Episodes
James Braid, Surgeon and Father of Hypnotism
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Braid is known for his work in hypnotism. But he was also a surgeon with a reputation for pioneering new treatments before he became fascinated with t...
Gladys Bentley
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gladys Bentley was a part of the Harlem Renaissance as a performer – she played piano and sang in ways that drew huge crowds starting in the 192...
SYMHC Classics: Moms Mabley
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2022 episode covers Moms Mabley, whose career lasted more than six decades. She was hugely influential, and inspired so many comedians and other ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Self-talk Hoax
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly and Tracy discuss the idea of autosuggestion and positive self-talk. Tracy shares her thoughts on writings about the Pompey stone. See omny...
The Pompey Stone Hoax
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Pompey Stone was discovered in the early 1820s, and was believed to be hundreds of years old. It turned out to be a hoax, but a fairly benign one....
Émile Coué and Autosuggestion
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Émile Coué genuinely seems to have wanted to help people by teaching them how to plant helpful directives in their subconscious minds. W...
SYMHC Classics: Louis Daguerre
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers Louis Daguerre, who comes up almost any time we mention photography. Well before he figured out how to capture images through...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Atlanta and Textiles
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly talks about the frustration of not finding any solid evidence of where Richard Peters stood on the issue of slavery. Tracy wonders what Elizabet...
Elizabeth Fulhame’s Colorful Chemistry
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Fulhame’s biography is largely a mystery, but in 1794 she wrote a book on chemistry that was way ahead of its time. Research: Steinma...
Richard Peters and Early Atlanta History
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Peters is responsible for many of the institutions that make up the identity of the city of Atlanta. And as a man from Pennsylvania, he had unique pos...
SYMHC Classics: Nelson Pill Hearings
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode shares how in the U.S., the idea that people should know about the risks involved with the drugs that they are taking is tied direct...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Alaska and Contraceptives
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about a "Molly of Denali" episode that references Elizabeth Peratrovich. She then shares her own experience with IUD insertion.See omnystu...
The IUD: A History
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
IUDs are under the umbrella of long-acting, reversible contraceptives, and they’re the oldest one of these in use today. Research: Baldau...
Elizabeth Peratrovich
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Peratrovich is most well-known for her work to pass Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. But her story also has more to it than t...
SYMHC Classics: Dr. Lucy Hobbs Taylor
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2022 episode covers Lucy Hobbs, later Lucy Hobbs Taylor, who pursued a career in dentistry before that was recognized as an acceptable vocation f...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Carry-on Bags
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about the mixed bag nature of Elizabeth Bisland, and the hosts talk about their own travel experiences. Holly shares the less-than-noble c...
Gustave Flaubert and the ‘Madame Bovary’ Trial
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Madame Bovary was written in the 1850s, it fell under the accusing eye of the French government for its perceived immorality. Flaubert recognized...
Elizabeth Bisland, Beyond the Trip Around the World
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist and writer Elizabeth Bisland was sent on a trip around the world in 1889, in a sort of race against Nellie Bly. But that was not something ...
SYMHC Classics: Marie Laurencin
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode explores the difficult-to-study work of Laurencin. In addition to her work not quite falling in line with the artists who were her c...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Censorship Cats
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about how the show's recording schedule meant that this week's Monday episode got revised repeatedly to reflect current events. Holly talk...
Théophile Steinlen Beyond 'Le Chat Noir'
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Le Chat Noir” is one of the most famous pieces of late 19th century European art, but the artist behind it was also very active in France...
Hercules Posey & the President’s House
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The President's House was the first home of the U.S. president in the temporary capital of Phildelphia. While George Washington lived there, he had ni...
SYMHC Classics: Pueblo Revolt
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2014 episode covers the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, in which Native Americans rose up against Spanish colonists and missionaries at the turn of the 17...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Coffee, 'Pirats' and Sea Robbers
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly and Tracy talk about their coffee preferences. Then Tracy traces the path that led her from a listener mail to the topic of Fort Mose.See omnyst...
Francisco Menéndez & Fort Mose
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fort Mose was the first officially sanctioned settlement for free Black people in what’s now the United States. It was established as a place wh...
Melitta Bentz and the Coffee Filter
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Melitta Bentz invented the coffee filter in 1908 and changed coffee culture forever. Through the decades and after reckoning with its relationship wit...
SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 2
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Part two of this 2020 episode looks at some of the specifics of the COINTELPROs that targeted black liberation organizations and the New Left, as well...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Whoopsy Whimsy
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly shares a story of accidentally taking ephedrine. Tracy shares her delight at a pronunciation of the word catastrophe.See omnystudio.com/listener...
Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On November 1, 1755, a massive earthquake took place on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Lisbon, Portugal. The destruction in Portugal led...
Benzedrine, Pervitin, and WWII
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The use of stimulants during WWII is no secret, but in the last decade, there has been a lot of discussion and analysis of it. Just how significant wa...
SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 1
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Part 1 of this 2020 two-parter covers background on the FBI and on the origins of its counterintelligence programs, as well as one specific operation,...
Behind the Scenes Minis: It's Not Unprecedented
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy shares her desire to see the rest of the letter that was quoted in this week's episodes on Anthony Burns. Talk also turns to the fact that many ...
The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 2
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was ...
The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 1
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Anthony Burns is one that resonates in our current times. Part one covers his early enslaved life, his escape from enslavement, and his a...
SYMHC Classics: Samuel Pepys
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode takes a closer look the famous diary of Samuel Pepys, and also at who Pepys was beyond his famous chronicle of life in 17th-century ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pollution Olympics
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about her selection of "Fumifugium" as a show topic. Holly shares a mischievous story about Helen Preece.See omnystudio.com/listener for p...
Notable Early Women Olympians
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Despite Pierre de Coubertin's vision of the Olympics being for male athletes only, women did participate in the games starting in 1900. But the road t...
John Evelyn's 'Fumifugium'
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"Fumifugium" was a treatise on air pollution written in 1661. In addition to warning about the dangers of coal smoke, John Evelyn wrote this work to i...
SYMHC Classics: Hennig Brand
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode shares how Hennig Brand discovered phosphorous by boiling pee. But he was really thought the secret to the philosopher’s stone...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Odd Baby Train
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about amusing old illustrations of babies in utero. Holly shares anecdotes about George Stephenson's life that rarely make it into discuss...
George Stephenson, Father of Railways
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
George Stephenson started life in extremely humble circumstances, but his ingenuity and pursuit of education led him to an impressive legacy. He inven...
Rickets
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nutritional rickets is caused by a vitamin D deficiency, and people figured out two ways to treat it before we even knew what vitamin D was. Research:...
SYMHC Classics: Three Legendary Pranks
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers three prank stories, including a joke that became a living legend, a large-scale prank that created havoc, and a televised ho...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Embroidery Love Letter
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly talks about the various inspirations for her love of embroidery. Tracy shares her experiences with movies and her cat while embroidering.See omn...
Embroidery History Sampler, Part 2
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The second part of the discussion of embroidery history covers blackwork and Opus Anglicanum, then embroidery samplers and beetle-wing embroidery. Res...
Embroidery History Sampler, Part 1
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The first installment of this two-parter covers ancient embroidery around the world, and then focuses on European embroidery, Chinese dragon robes, an...
SYMHC Classics: Paul Cuffe
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2020 episode covers Paul Cuffe, who protested taxation, built wealth for himself in whaling, became a Quaker and used his fortune for the betterm...
Behind the Scenes Minis: This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy talks about the events that happened in the gap between writing the latest Unearthed episode and recording it. Holly shares thoughts about art h...
Unearthed Year-end 2025, Part 2
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Discussion of things literally or figuratively unearthed in the last quarter of 2025 continues. It begins with potpourri then covers tools, Neandertha...
Unearthed Year-end 2025, Part 1
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The show's coverage of things literally or figuratively unearthed in the last quarter of 2025 begins with updates, books and letters, animals, and jus...
SYMHC Classics: P.A.R.C. and Mills
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2015 episode covers the lack of access to public education for children with disabilities in the U.S. until 1975.See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Bad Goals and Spirit Clothes
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy discusses film ratings and the bias behind them. Talk then turns to clothing in the afterlife.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...
Jean Baptiste: Grave Robber at Large
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Baptiste's crime of robbing graves shocked Salt Lake City in the 1860s. This history mystery offers insight into the way a community deals with t...
Two 504 Figures: Kitty Cone and Brad Lomax
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kitty Cone and Brad Lomax were key players in the 1977 sit-ins which pressured the Department of Health and Human Services to establish policies to im...
SYMHC Classics: Andrew Crosse
03 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers Andrew Crosse, who observed a strange thing happening on an electrified rock in his lab in the early 1800s, and was catapulte...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Bullet Journal Dinosaur
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Holly and Tracy talk about the pros and cons of self-help writing and whether Ben Franklin would like bullet journaling. They then talk about a past t...
New Year’s Eve Iguanodon Party
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1853, a high-profile London dinner party was held inside a life-sized mold of an iguanodon. Research: Cain, Joe. “New Year’s Eve Dinne...
Self-help Books Throughout History
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The origins of self-help writing are often traced back to ancient times. This episode talks through some early versions of it, the goal-setting advice...
SYMHC Classics: Paul Julius Reuter
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode covers Paul Julius Reuter, who had a knack for filling in the gaps in communication systems, and making a lot of money doing so.See ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Journalism Carols
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Holly talks about the ways Joseph Medill could be both problematic and surprising. Tracy shares her additional thoughts on the book about caroling she...
William Sandys & English Christmas Carols
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
William Sandys was an antiquarian who published a collection of Christmas carols in the 19th century that turned out to be really influential. Researc...
Joseph Medill
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Medill was a powerhouse in 19th century journalism who made no attempt to conceal his bias when it came to political writing. He also had a fas...
SYMHC Classics: SS Princess Sophia
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2018 episode covers the sinking of the SS Princess Sophia, a massive tragedy for both Canada and the United States. But it was also really oversh...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Mountains and Glaciers
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy shares her experiences watching the show "Molly of Denali." The discussion then turns to glacier surge. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Walter Harper and the Summiting of Denali, Part 2
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The final stages of the expedition to summit Denali were grueling for Walter Harper and the rest of the team. And after that accomplishment, Harper's ...
Walter Harper and the Summiting of Denali, Part 1
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While working as a guide in his youth, Walter Harper met and worked for a man named Hudson Stuck. Their friendship would lead to Walter becoming the f...
SYMHC Classics: Washington Irving
13 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers Washington Irving, who is often associated with Halloween. But his writing had a significant influence on the way Christmas i...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Raccoon Cranberries
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy wonders whether Jack the turkey went to the bathroom in the White House. Holly talks about how much she dislikes people arguing over food prefer...
Cranberries
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The cranberries we typically eat are native to North America, though they are also grown in other places. How did they become a standard part of the h...
Unusual White House Pets
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No dogs or cats here! A number of unorthodox pets have arrived at the White House and become part of the first family in very unusual ways throughout ...
SYMHC Classics: Nutcracker
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers how The Nutcracker is a Russian adaptation of a German story that wasn’t really a Christmas staple in its home country....
Behind the Scenes Minis: Much Charles, Many Dogs
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy shares how her Charles Sumner research yielded a three-part episode. Holly mentions that while there's not a lot of scholarly work about Cassius...
Cassius Coolidge and Dogs Playing Poker
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s most well-known art is the Dogs Playing Poker series. He was a true Renaissance man, and even patented a style of k...
Charles Sumner Revisited (part 3)
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The third installment of our Charles Sumner episode covers how, two days after Charles Sumner delivered an incendiary speech before the senate, Repres...
SYMHC Classics: Public Universal Friend
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2020 episode covers the Public Universal Friend, who described themself as a genderless spirit sent by God to inhabit the resurrected body of a w...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Morocco!
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy and Holly talk about their recent podcast trip to Morocco with listeners, arranged by Defined Destinations. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...
Charles Sumner, Revisited (part 2)
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The second installment of our episode on Charles Sumner picks up in the wake of his controversial antiwar speech. He next argued a school integration ...
Charles Sumner, Revisited (part 1)
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The first installment of the deeper examination of Charles Sumner's life begins with his early years, including his close relationships with Henry Wad...
SYMHC Classics: Thomas Cook
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode covers Thomas Cook, a pioneer of the idea of a travel agency to manage tourist holidays. But Cook was initially motivated by his sup...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Balloons and Cat Trees
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy and Holly talk about the proclivity for destruction that was part of the balloon craze. They also discuss cat trees and how hard it is to find o...
Inventions for Pets
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cat litter, it could be argued, kicked off the pet products industry. After its invention in the 1940s, other inventors started to come up with produc...
Balloon Riots
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ballooning became a huge fad starting in the late 18th century, and there was a surprising amount of rioting associated with it. Fervor, excitement, a...
SYMHC Classics: Georgia Gold Rush
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2018 episode covers the period in the late 1820s when north Georgia became the site of a gold rush that predated the California gold rush by two ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Mary and Marjorie
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy shares the surprising benefit of not having access to a lot of specifics regarding the work of Mary Golda Ross. Holly talks about Marjorie Merri...
Marjorie Merriweather Post
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marjorie Merriweather Post is most often mentioned today as the person who built Mar-a-Lago. But she was a unique figure as a woman who helmed a huge ...
Mary Golda Ross
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mary Golda Ross was the first Indigenous woman in the U.S. known to have become an engineer. Her impact on the field of aerospace engineering is hard ...
SYMHC Classics: Alexandre Dumas Pere
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode covers Alexandre Dumas, who wrote hundreds and hundreds of works, including “The Three Musketeers,” “The Count of ...
Behind the Scenes Minis: French Fear and Frozen Food
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy discusses the challenge of parsing all the nuance of the French Revolution. Holly talks about how little Clarence Birdseye shared of his interio...
Clarence Birdseye and the Rise of Frozen Foods
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before Clarence Birdseye, frozen food was perceived as being low-quality and kind of gross. But after spending time in extremely cold climates, Birdse...
The Great Fear of 1789
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Fear was a panic during the French Revolution that spread through rural areas. It all started with a conspiracy theory. Research: Davies, A...
SYMHC Classics: Thomas-Alexandre Dumas
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2019 episode is about general Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, who sounds like a character out of one of his son’s books. His life was a series of d...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Villas and Tirades
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Holly talks about the unsubstantiated stories associated with the Villa de Vecchi in northern Italy. Tracy talks about getting angry about a passage s...
Hammersmith Ghost Murder
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In late 1803, accounts of ghost sightings began to circulate in Hammersmith, England. This led to a tragic event, and a legal case that revealed some ...
Villa de Vecchi
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s topic is an abandoned mansion, but it was once a gorgeous and luxurious home designed for a prominent citizen of northern Italy. It&rsqu...
SYMHC Classics: Aleister Crowley
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2021 episode covers Aleister Crowley, a truly prolific and deliberately transgressive occultist whose practices included sex and drug use. He inf...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Ghosts and Their Towns
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Holly and Tracy talk about ghost experiences in their lives. Tracy thanks all the listeners who suggested ghost towns for this week's episode.See omny...
Six Impossible Episodes: U.S. Ghost Towns
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've had a lot of listener requests related to ghost towns, so this Halloween season, we've got six places in the U.S. that could be labeled as such....
Drury Lane Ghosts
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode features several ghosts all associated with one place. And that place is a specific building with its own interesting history – the...
SYMHC Classics: Three Hellhounds
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This 2020 episode covers three of the many supernatural canines and hellhounds in our collective storytelling. Two are similar and from England, and o...
Behind the Scenes Minis: Bias 3DS
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Holly asks follow-up questions about a paper Tracy mentioned in the episodes this week. Tracy talks about the use of the Nintendo 3DS as a Louvre guid...