Stuff You Missed in History Class

Almanacs and Day Planners

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

People have kept diaries and recorded notes since writing was invented. But planners as we think of them today have their roots in almanacs.  Researc...

Holiday Bonus: Brief History of Gin

31 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For New Year's Eve, we're resharing our Sept 2021 episode on the history of gin. Happy New Year to all our listeners, and cheers to you no matter your...

SYMHC Classics: Iroquois Theater Fire

30 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014, the show covered the 1903 fire at the new Iroquois Theater. The horrible, incredibly tragic incident was the result of multiple code violatio...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Mixed Opinions

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Differing points of view regarding the Stone of Scone are discussed. Tracy also shares thoughts on "Assassins' Creed," its mixed reviews, and the most...

The Banu Musa

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Banū Mūsā were three brothers who lived in Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. Among their many achievements, they wrote books on math and s...

The Stone of Scone Heist

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas day in 1950, the Stone of Scone was removed, heist-style, from Westminster Abbey. Some believed it to be an act of theft, and others, lib...

Holiday Bonus: Krampus & Friends

24 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For Christmas Eve, we’re sharing our 2016 episode about holiday figures from around the world. This one features the Mari Lwyd, which came up on a r...

SYMHC Classics: John Wilkins and His Moon Plans

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers John Wilkins who planned out what he thought it would take for humans to travel to the moon In the 1600s. Wilkins managed to ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Frozen Ice Hedda

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 Tracy talks about not seeing a frozen body of water that could support a person as a kid. Holly discusses how difficult it is to pare down Hedda Hop...

Hedda Hopper

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Though she started out acting, what really made Hedda Hopper famous was her work in newspapers. For several decades, she could make or break a movie c...

River Thames Frost Fairs

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The London Frost Fairs, were festivals held out on the ice when the River Thames froze over. Most of these fairs were in January or February, and the ...

SYMHC Classics: Belinda Sutton

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode was inspired by our trip to the Royall House & Slave Quarters. It's about Belinda Sutton and her petitions to be compensated for...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Metric Spinning Bee

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy share formative experiences with math classes. Then Tracy discusses a spinning bee, Lafayette in Medford, and her historical fanfictio...

Sarah Bradlee Fulton and the Daughters of Liberty

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Bradlee Fulton is sometimes called the Mother of the Boston Tea Party. But available information about her is basically a series of anecdotes, a...

The 17th-century Roots of the Metric System

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two men, working separately but simultaneously, are each cited as the originator of the idea of the metric system depending on what source you read. B...

SYMHC Classics: Traffic Lights

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode looks at a few of the moments in traffic light history that got us to where we are today, as well as what made them a necessity in t...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Advent Gazpacho

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss Advent calendars in their own lives. They also discuss some of their experiences in Barcelona. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Montjuïc Castle and the Bombardments of Barcelona

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Montjuïc Castle is a fortress in Barcelona that dates back to the 17th century. And it has been involved in both the defense of Barcelona and its rep...

Advent Calendars

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The religious observation of Advent has shifted and changed through the years. But how did we get to a point where an Advent calendar is also a non-re...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Blackouts and Funiculars

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about the blackout that happened during the recording of their live show in Los Angeles. They then discuss their different activi...

Significant Moments in the History of Montserrat

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Montserrat is a culturally important place with a lot of stories. This episode focuses on three to show its importance as a religious center, as a str...

SYMHC Live: Gin Cocktails and Jerry Thomas

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded (mostly) live at the AC Hotel Los Angeles South Bay, where we talked about Collinses, the Bees Knees, and a man who is iconi...

SYMHC Classics: Mirabal Sisters

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers the four Mirabal sisters, who are national heroes in the Dominican Republic. But they weren't very well-known elsewhere until...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Bertillon and Rebecca

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss Bertillon's influence in the practice of people carrying ID cards. Tracy talks about how much she loves historical uprisings t...

The Rebecca Riots

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Rebecca Riots took place in Wales in the 1830s and 1840s. While these events are often described as a protest against heavy road tolls, that was o...

Alphonse Bertillon

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bertillon developed a system of identification via body measurements that was designed to identify whether crime suspects had an existing criminal his...

SYMHC Classics: Sarah Josepha Hale

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers Sarah Josepha Hale's well-known poetry, and her publication Godey's Lady's Book, the most popular magazine in the U.S. in the...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Mourning Dove in Context

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly discuss elementary school experiences with Mourning Dove's work, and Tracy ponders whether her story intersected with other topics fro...

Mourning Dove, aka Christine Quintasket, Pt. 2

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1916, Mourning Dove gave an interview that described the book she had written as soon to be published, but it turned out to still be years away. Pa...

Mourning Dove, aka Christine Quintasket, Pt. 1

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mourning Dove was an activist, ethnographer and novelist, and one of the first, if not the first, Indigenous women in the U.S. to publish a novel. Par...

SYMHC Classics: Diving Technology

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2015 episode examines that humans have always longed to explore underwater, but need to breathe air. From as far back as the 4th century B.C.E., ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: The Empress and the Queen

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy shares her cat’s input on the Empress of Ireland outline. She and Holly also discuss the relatability of Mary Somerville’s writing.  See om...

Mary Somerville

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Somerville was dubbed the Queen of Science, a title earned through a lifetime of learning all she could about various math and science subjects a...

The Empress of Ireland

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland happened just before the start of World War I and was the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history to happe...

SYMHC Classics: The King’s Evil

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode examines the practice of British and French monarchs laying on hands to cure sick people from the medieval period to the 18th centur...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Murder and Home Decor

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly discusses the strange reassurance she finds in examining historical crime stories. Tracy talks about the way Lenormand cartomancy decks differ f...

Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand, The Empress’s Oracle

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lenormand was a fortune-teller in France in the 19th century. She was hugely influential, because despite her work being illegal, very important and p...

The Murder of Pearl Bryan

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The story of what happened to Pearl Bryan is horrifying and frightening. The scandalous particulars of the events that led to her murder captivated th...

SYMHC Classics: Paris Catacombs

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode notes that the Catacombs contain the bones of an estimated 6 to 7 million people, and explains that their history is really two inte...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Jack and Pearl and Patience

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about pumpkin carving traditions and techniques. They also discuss Pearl Curran's life and the writing output of Patience.See omn...

Patience Worth and Pearl Curran

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Patience Worth was a popular writer in the early 20th century. But she was a 17th-century ghost, using Pearl Curran as her conduit from spirit realm t...

Jack-o'-lanterns

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jack-o’-lanterns have become one of the most iconic symbols of Halloween. Their origin story isn’t exactly well documented, so tracing their roots...

SYMHC Classics: Poveglia

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers an uninhabited Italian island that has come to be called all manner of scary things, including, "plague island," "island of g...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Fall Fun

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the bummer story that didn't make it into Unearthed!, kids who discover things, and Indiana Jones.See omnystudio.com/listen...

Unearthed! in Autumn 2023, Part 2

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of our autumn 2023 edition of Unearthed! includes potpourri, repatriations, shipwrecks, art, and a few perfect October entries. Research:  ...

Unearthed! in Autumn 2023, Part 1

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In part one of our Autumn 2023 edition of Unearthed!, we have some oldest things, books and letters, projects specifically related to gender, edibles ...

SYMHC Classics: Crescent Hotel

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode covers the Crescent Hotel of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A colorful part of the hotel's history involves a man who claimed that doctor...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Criminals and the Maco Light

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the sloppy nature of the William Weare murder. They also discuss ghost stories that may have inspired other media, and Trac...

Six Impossible Episodes: Ghost Stories

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

October seemed like a good time for an installment of Six Impossible Episodes all about ghosts and hauntings. A lot of these are very well-known in th...

The Murder of William Weare

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

William Weare's murder was brutal, gruesome, and a source of complete fascination for the public, and it set the stage for illustrated crime reporting...

SYMHC Classics: Death of Poe

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2012 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers the unusual circumstances surrounding Edgar Allan Poe's disappearance, reappearance, an...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Gothic All Week

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about college experiences with Gothic literature, and modern analysis of Ann Radcliffe's work.See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

Ann Radcliffe, Gothic Great Enchantress, Part 2

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once Ann Radcliffe retired from publishing, all kinds of rumors started to spread about her, including some that distressed her greatly. After she die...

Ann Radcliffe, Gothic Great Enchantress, Part 1

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the space of a decade, Ann Radcliffe married, started writing, and had an incredibly successful career as an author. But after her 1797 novel, she ...

SYMHC Classics: Mother Shipton

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2020 episode covers Mother Shipton, who may or may not have been a real person. She's described as everything from an oracle to a witch to the da...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Sad Clowns, Sad Trees

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about how Grimaldi's memoirs read more like a Dickens novel than a source of biographical information. Then, Holly and Tracy talk about pl...

Eponymous Foods – Autumn Apple Edition

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The eponymous Bramley and McIntosh apples are both lucky accidents, and both of them have stories which stretch from the early 19th century into prese...

Joseph Grimaldi, the First Modern Clown

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph Grimaldi was one of England’s most famous Regency-era entertainers. Sometimes he’s described as the first modern clown, because he establis...

SYMHC Classics: Frieda Belinfante

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers Frieda Belinfante who broke gender barriers in becoming a conductor. She was also a member of the Dutch resistance, who riske...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Marketing and Activism

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly shares how Stewart appealed to women customers in his ads. Tracy shares some inconsistencies in the spelling of Isabel González's name in the o...

Isabel González and Gonzales v. Williams

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gonzales v. Williams is one of the Insular Cases, and because it was about the citizenship status of Isabel González of Puerto Rico, it stands out fr...

Alexander Turney Stewart

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alexander Turney Stewart is known as the creator of the department store. He make a fortune in business, but the most interesting parts of his life st...

SYMHC Classics: Henry Every

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers Henry Every, who carried out what's been described as the most profitable and brutal pirate raid in history. It became a mass...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Fascinating Dean

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about how she was particularly fascinated by Dean Mahomed's entrepreneurial efforts. She and Holly also marvel at the many career pivots M...

Dean Mahomed, Restaurateur and Shampooing Surgeon

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After Dean Mahomed sailed to Cork in January of 1784, he continued to work for Godfrey Evan Baker. But after Baker's death, Mahomed became an entrepre...

Dean Mahomed and the Bengal Army

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dean Mahomed was in northeastern India in 1759, and he had a life of unique experiences, starting with becoming part of the entourage of Anglo-Irish s...

SYMHC Classics: Mary, Queen of Scots

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode focuses on the adult life of Mary, Queen of Scots – especially the conspiracy that ultimately led to her execution in 1587. See o...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Mysteries of the Morgan Abduction

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss the appeal of secret societies and the unity that people sometimes find in vilifying an outcast. See omnystudio.com/listener ...

The Abduction of William Morgan, Part 2

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When William Morgan's manuscript "Illustrations of Masonry" was finally published, it was really kind of boring. So why were people so eager to suppre...

The Abduction of William Morgan, Part 1

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1826, William Morgan, who lived in Batavia, New York, advertised that he was writing a book that would expose the secrets of the Freemasons. And th...

SYMHC Classics: Benjamin Lay

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers Benjamin Lay, a Quaker and a radical abolitionist who lived in the period between when the Religious Society of Friends began...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Licoricia and Glitter Sunscreen

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy discusses her love of medieval history, and how much Licoricia's story surprised her. She and Holly then both discuss the importance of proper s...

History of Sunscreen

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

People around the globe have protected their skin using a variety of substances throughout history. In the 19th and 20th centuries, deeper understandi...

Licoricia of Winchester

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Licoricia of Winchester was a Jewish woman who was a major financier in medieval England. There were Jewish settlements in England for only a brief wi...

SYMHC Classics: Leicester Hemingway

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2020 episode about Leicester Hemingway reveals a life very much lived in the shadow of his famous brother. But after Ernest Hemingway’s death, ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Negligence and the Good Witch

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about how Muriel Rukeyser being the entry point for the Hawk's Tunnel Disaster episode. Holly talks about Billie Burke's writing about her...

The Beguiling Billie Burke

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Billie Burke is known today for one iconic movie role, but in the early 20th century, she was incredibly successful and very famous. Her life and marr...

The Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster involved thousands of workers being exposed to silica dust, and many continued to get sick and die for years after t...

SYMHC Classics: Endlings

19 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 2018 episode covers the day the last known Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo, as well as the stories of two other endlings, to see how ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Long Articles and Bubbles

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about the lengthy articles in law review journals that she read regarding the Insular Cases. Holly discusses why there are flavored sparkl...

Johann Jacob Schweppe and the Rise of Carbonation

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The desire to replicate natural effervescence led a lot of people to try to figure out how to carbonate water. But Jacob Schweppe was able to achieve ...

The Insular Cases

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Insular Cases are SCOTUS cases regarding rights of people in U.S. territories. They’re considered U.S. citizens from birth, but they don’t hav...

SYMHC Classics: Buddy Bolden and the Birth of Jazz

12 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers Buddy Bolden, often referred to as the first jazz performer. But his life story, cluttered by lack of documentation and misin...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Clams and Consternation

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about the furor over Ming the clam, and why it's irrational for most people. Tracy continues the discussion of the problems with ...

Milk Sickness and the Mystery of Dr. Anna

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It took a while to figure out the cause of milk sickness. One woman often gets credit for solving the mystery, but does that story hold up? Research: ...

Very Old Animals

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

These animals have been marking time largely unaware of all the ups and downs and intrigues of humanity. And stories about them often have more to do ...

SYMHC Classics: Transatlantic Telegraph Cable

05 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode touches on the establishment of a submarine telegraph cable to connect North America and Europe. It took ingenuity, but more than an...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Running and Sargents

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about how the 1904 marathoners were abused by race organizers, and discuss lighter stories related to one of the runners. Tracy d...

Two Sargents: Judith and Emily

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is about two women related to John Singer Sargent: Judith Sargent Murray was a writer and an advocate for women’s rights. Emily Sargent...

1904 Olympic Marathon

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1904, the U.S. hosted its first Olympics. It had a host of problems. But the event that was the most dangerous for athletes was the marathon. Rese...

SYMHC Classics: Annette Kellerman

29 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode covers Annette Kellerman, who gets a lot of the credit for developing the women's one-piece bathing suit. But she was also a competi...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Money, Power and Staying Positive

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about how depressing it can be to look into the history of money and politics, but how important it is to know how it all works.S...

Campaign Finance in U.S. History, Part 2

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

  The second part of our campaign finance history starts with both a scandal and reform linked to Theodore Roosevelt, and carries through to more rec...

Campaign Finance in U.S. History, Part 1

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Part one of our discussion of U.S. campaign financing starts before the colonies had gained their independence and covers some of the earliest ways th...

SYMHC Classics: The Wreck of the Batavia

22 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2014 episode - originally a two-parter - covers a perfect storm of nautical carnage: There's a shipwreck, a mutiny and a massacre. See omnystudi...

Behind the Scenes Minis: So Much Roman Stuff

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about when children find historically significant items. Tracy also reads the long list of Roman items that came up in preparatio...

Unearthed! Summer 2023, Part 2

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of the summer 2023 unearthed finds includes the potpourri/hodgepodge category, as well as medical stuff, climate, repatriations, books and le...

Unearthed! Summer 2023, Part 1

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This installation of literally and figuratively unearthed items includes updates to previous podcast topics, edibles and potables, shipwrecks, and som...

SYMHC Classics: Auguste Escoffier

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers chef Auguste Escoffier. This one man revolutionized food preparation and restaurant dining in ways that are still part of alm...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Frank, Lizzie, and Noodles

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss a collaboration between Frank Duveneck and his friend William Merritt Chase. They also talk about home made versus pre-package...