Stuff You Missed in History Class

Mrs. Patrick Campbell

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mrs. Patrick Campbell was a hugely famous actress in the early 20th century, though she hasn’t really retained her iconic status. She quickly had a ...

SYMHC Classics: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters became the first African-American labor union to be recognized by the American Federation of Labor. This 2014 ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Ruby and Japan

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about Ruby Payne-Scott's progressive marriage. They also cover Japan's global connectivity earlier than people may realize.See om...

Hasekura Tsunenaga

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga was a samurai who led a diplomatic delegation to New Spain, Spain and Rome in the 17th century. But many of the Japanese r...

Ruby Payne-Scott

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ruby Payne-Scott is often called a pioneer in radio astronomy, but she was also a pioneer in advocating for women’s rights. She was clearly brillian...

SYMHC Classics: Levi Strauss

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers Levi Strauss, whose life story touches on a lot of important moments in U.S. history. His business was tied to the California...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Goose and Chicken

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about the likely wrap up of the Mother Goose series. Holly shares a story about growing up with chickens.See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

The Chicken of Tomorrow

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1940s the U.S. Department of Agriculture and A&P supermarkets teamed up to hold a contest to see who could breed the meatiest, most efficie...

Six Impossible Episodes: Mother Goose 3

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's our third installment of shows about the origins of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Spoiler alert: Many of the real stories are hard to pin down.  ...

SYMHC Classics: Julian of Norwich

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers Julian of Norwich, a medieval mystic who wrote down her visions, which she called showings. In this episode, we talk about h...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Birth Year and Buildings

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks through the many paths she went down trying to track down Wautier's birth year. The hosts also discuss Louis Sullivan's incredibly quotabl...

Louis Henry Sullivan

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Louis Sullivan was an architect working in Chicago at the dawn of the skyscraper. He sought to define a new, bold style of design in the U.S., and was...

Michaelina Wautier, Flemish Baroque Master

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Flemish painter Michaelina Wautier’s style was realistic and detailed, with a dark, almost somber color palette. And for a long time, she remained a...

SYMHC Classics: Artemisia Gentileschi

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2015 episode covers Artemisia Gentileschi, often called the greatest female painter of the Baroque period. Her work is extraordinary, and reflect...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Very Theatrical

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss the commercial nature of Canaletto's work. They also talk about how Lully managed to achieve his many ambitions. See omnystud...

Jean-Baptiste Lully

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jean-Baptistle Lully is perhaps best known for the unusual circumstances of his death. But he lived a fascinating life that would rival any fictional ...

Canaletto

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canaletto rose to fame painting remarkable views of Venice. He became especially popular with wealthy tourists, who commissioned his paintings as souv...

SYMHC Classics: Great Zimbabwe

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode covers Great Zimbabwe, a massive stone city in southeastern Africa that was a thriving trade center from the 11th to 15th centuries....

Behind the Scenes Minis: Head Canon Intrigues

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly discuss the ways they speculate about the backstories of the many finds that appear on Unearthed!See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Unearthed! in Spring 2023, Part 2

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To wrap up Unearthed! for spring 2023, we've got potpourri, jewelry and adornments, edibles and potables, mistaken identity stories, repatriations, an...

Unearthed! in Spring 2023, Part 1

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first part of our spring 2023 edition of Unearthed! features updates, books and letters, fabric, mummies, and a whole bunch of stuff involving sku...

SYMHC Classics: Air Conditioning

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers the many ways people have dealt with heat and humidity in history. As mechanical cooling became more ubiquitous, some of the ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Drinks and Dyer

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about their relationships with Shirley Temples and Negronis. Tracy then shares her attempt to chase down the location of Mary Dye...

Mary Dyer and the Boston Martyrs

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mary Dyer endured religious persecution and personal tragedy. Then, she was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for her religious activities.  Res...

Eponymous Drinks

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This edition of eponymous consumables features a drink named after a child star, a cocktail with a much-debated origin, and a brand of soda that may o...

SYMHC Classics: Crash at Crush

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode covers a window from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, people in the United States were watching train wrecks for fun. These staged...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Joplin and Ockham

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy talks about how long she's wanted to cover Scott Joplin, and the way his cause of death is often omitted from accounts. Holly then mentions the ...

William of Ockham

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

William of Ockham is best known today for the model of problem solving known as Ockham’s (or Occam’s) Razor. But the event that defined his life w...

Scott Joplin

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During his life, Scott Joplin said that people would not appreciate his music until 50 years after his death. And he wasn’t wrong, though now he’s...

SYMHC Classics: Magnus Hirschfeld

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers Magnus Hirschfeld, a groundbreaking researcher into gender and sexuality in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Caroline’s Trials

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about theories regarding Caroline and Lord Melbourne and whether they had a romantic relationship. They also discuss how little r...

Caroline Sheridan Norton, Part 2

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After Caroline Sheridan Norton’s husband once again tried to destroy her life, she lobbied for another change in English law. This time, she worked ...

Caroline Sheridan Norton, Part 1

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Caroline Sheridan Norton’s left an abusive marriage in 1835. She then turned her skill as a writer into a lobby for legislation that would enable mo...

SYMHC Classics: Tiara of Saitafernes

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode the tale of an elaborate hoax. It starts with the Scythians and how their artifacts became highly prized in 19th century Europe, and...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Trees and Jennie June

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about their relationship to trees, and how humankind's understanding of climate science has changed over the years. They also tal...

The Autobiographies of Earl Lind - Ralph Werther - Jennie June

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earl Lind, Ralph Werther, and Jennie June were all pseudonyms of the same person, who wrote what are sometimes described as the first autobiographies ...

Author Interview: John Perlin 'A Forest Journey'

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly is joined by John Perlin, author of "A Forest Journey: The Role of Trees in the Fate of Civilization,” to talk about the ways that human devel...

SYMHC Classics: Year Without a Summer

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The 2015 episode covers a volcano eruption in Sumbawa, Indonesia in 1816, that combined with several other factors to create an unusual -- and catastr...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Theater and Thrill Rides

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy dig into the role of Augustin Daly's brother in his life, including a legal battle over Augustin's will. Then they talk about roller c...

Roller Coasters

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The French word for “roller coaster” is “montagnes russes” or “Russian mountains.” Since the origin of roller coasters, inventors have bee...

Augustin Daly

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Augustin Daly is often described as a foundational figure of the U.S. theater. He wrote, adapted, and produced dozens of plays in the 19th century, an...

SYMHC Classics: U.S.S. Akron

18 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode covers the loss of the U.S.S. Akron -- the biggest single tragedy in aviation history at the time that it happened. But unless you'r...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Murder and Vivisection

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about some of the odd details in the Alma Petty Gatlin trial and difficulty finding the right language to discuss alcohol misuse....

The Brown Dog Affair

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Brown Dog Affair was a series of demonstrations and riots surrounding a statue that had been erected in the Battersea area of London, commemoratin...

Alma Petty Gatlin’s Trial

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1928, a young woman from North Carolina named Alma Petty Gatlin went on trial for the murder of her father. A preacher Alma had confessed to inform...

SYMHC Classics: Jimmy Doolittle and the Doolittle Raid

11 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode discusses the Doolittle Raid, an attack on Japan launched by the U.S. in retaliation for Pearl Harbor. But the leader of the mission...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Balloons and the Mixed Bag

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy shares how the recent wave of spy balloon news inspired this week's episode, and the hosts talk about the technology of war balloons. They also ...

G. K. Chesterton’s Fight Against Eugenics

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

G.K. Chesterton was a prolific writer across many genres, including fiction, poetry, journalism, literary criticism, biography, social criticism, theo...

Balloons of World War II

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve gotten requests to talk about the balloon bombs that Japan used to target North America during World War II. But these were not the only ballo...

SYMHC Classics: The Kallikaks and the Eugenicists

04 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, the show covered the fears, prejudices and societal issues that drove the eugenics movement in the U.S., which focused on identifying, seques...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Ellen and Eliza

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the way that the eugenics movement pops up almost any time there's research into late 19th and early 20th century figures. ...

The Case of Eliza Fenning

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza Fenning worked as a cook in a London household until she found herself in the middle of a poisoning accusation. Her controversial trial brought ...

Ellen Swallow Richards

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ellen Swallow Richards was a big part of the establishment of home economics as a field.  But well before that, she broke a lot of ground and was oft...

SYMHC Classics: Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

25 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2016, Secretary of Education Dr. John B. King Jr. joined Tracy to discuss the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which gave rebelling states 10...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Susie and Rip

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the ways enslaved people found to push back against their enslavement. They then examine the animal welfare aspect of Old R...

Old Rip, Famous Texas Horned Lizard

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Old Rip was a reptile with quite a legend. Some people believed that he survived a 31-year entombment in a courthouse cornerstone, and he became celeb...

Susie King Taylor, Civil War Teacher and Nurse

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As a child, Susie King Taylor forged passes so her grandmother could go places in Savanna she otherwise couldn’t. As an adult, she penned the only C...

Introducing: The Last Soviet

19 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hey, Stuff You Missed In History Class listeners! The newest hit docuseries of another star-studded podcast, The Last Soviet is live. Go check out the...

SYMHC Classics: U.S. Contraband Camps

18 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode covers when three escapees from enslavement showed up at a Union position during the U.S. Civil War. The decision of how to handle t...

SYMHC Classics: The Eruption at Heimaey

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode covers the aftermath of after a series of earthquakes on the eastern side of the Icelandic island of Heimaey in 1973. As the eruptio...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Chocolate and Rabbits

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about Tootsie Rolls used in the military, and Holly's German chocolate cake obsession. They also discuss their relationships with...

Scarlet Fever

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics, but in the middle of the 19th century, it was the leading cause of death in children in some parts of the...

Eponymous Foods: All Chocolate

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Both of these eponymous foods feature chocolate, but they also both feature some issues with timelines and attribution that need to be unraveled.  Re...

SYMHC Classics: Constance Markievicz

04 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2018 episode covers Constance Markievicz, who came from a wealthy Protestant family before making a somewhat surprising transition to become a le...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Colette, a Mixed Bag

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy tells Holly about Henry de Jouvenel's dislike of Colette's book "Chéri." They also discuss the question marks regarding Maurice and how he felt...

Colette, Part 2

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of Colette's story picks up during her marriage to Henri de Jouvenel through the end of her life. Despite her life's many scandals, by the ti...

Colette, Part 1

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Love, passion, desire and pleasure are running themes in Colette's writing and her life. And that life was seen as really scandalous and even notoriou...

SYMHC Classics: The Montgolfier Brothers

28 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2016 episode covers two inventive brothers who came up with an idea to set humans aloft. The Montgolfiers were among many inventors working towar...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Macs and Fletcher

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy talk about Thomas Hancock, and their own experiences with raincoats. Then they discuss the food fad of Fletcherism, and the personalit...

Horace Fletcher, the Great Masticator

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Horace Fletcher is best known for starting a food fad in that came to be known as Fletcherism. This early 20th century fad involved, in part, chewing ...

The Invention of the Raincoat

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have worked on ways to make garments water resistant almost since they started to wear them. But figuring out how to manufacture a raincoat usi...

SYMHC Classics: Walter Reed

21 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2014 episode covers Reed’s truly groundbreaking work into the causes and prevention of yellow fever, building on a foundation of other doctors ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Wrapping 2022’s Unearthed!

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the news that broke just after the start of 2023, and also how Tracy might consider eating roasted watermelon seeds. They a...

Unearthed! Year-end 2022, Part 2

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Part two of our Unearthed! wrap up of 2022 covers a potpourri of stuff that didn’t go together, books and letters, edibles and potables, and apparel...

Unearthed! Year-end 2022, Part 1

16 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to cover things and stories that were unearthed in the last quarter of 2022. Part one covers a whole bunch of updates, a whole bunch of ship...

SYMHC Classics: The Darien Disaster

14 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers an attempt to start a Scottish colony in Panama in the late 1600s. But the expedition f...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Bicycles and Miracles

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly discuss the difficulty of remembering what topics have and haven’t been covered on the show. They also talk about group dynamics dur...

The Hume and Hovell Expedition of 1824

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Hume and Hovell Expedition of 1824 established some of the earliest knowledge that European colonists had about the interior of the Australian con...

Kittie Knox and the Bike Boom

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Kittie Knox was a cyclist during the bicycle boom of the late 19th century. She was biracial and became known not just for participating in a predomin...

SYMHC Classics: The Story of 'Happy Birthday to You'

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This 2013 episode covers Mildred and Patty Hill's song "Good Morning to All," published in 1893. After the tune was paired with the birthday lyrics, i...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Unmentioned Pulitzer

06 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy cover some of the details that were cut from the Pulitzer two-parter, including more information about his brother, artist George Luks...

Pulitzer versus the U.S. Government (Part 2)

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Pulitzer’s later years, he became embroiled in a heated legal battle with the U.S. government after his papers printed allegations that Theodore ...

Joseph Pulitzer and the Rise of Yellow Journalism (Part 1)

02 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Joseph Pulitzer is one of those pivotal figures in history, and his influence continues right on through today. Part one of this two-parter covers his...

SYMHC Classics: A Brief History of Vodka

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This 2019 episode covers the story of vodka, which is closely tied to cultural identity for several countries. Where did it originate, and how did it ...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Irving's World

30 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the movie "White Christmas" and how it has aged. They also discuss collectible sheet music and the idea of there being no d...

Irving Berlin, Part 2

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This second part of the story of Irving Berlin’s life picks up after WWI, and covers his family life, his rise to fame, and the controversies that w...

Irving Berlin, Part 1

26 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The immeasurably famous Irving Berlin seems like the perfect example of a U.S. immigrant success story. But reality is complicated and imperfect, and ...

SYMHC Classics: Who was Good King Wenceslas?

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This 2012 episode from prior hosts covers King Wenceslas. He's known from a Christmas carol, but was a 10th-century Bohemian prince, known for his ki...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Calendars and Kitchen Gadgets

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Holly and Tracy discuss the disruptive French Republican calendar, banana dishes, the Universal Chopper, and other kitchen implements. See omnystudio...

Eponymous Foods: Fourth Course

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This eponymous foods episode only has two foods in it – and they couldn’t be more different! One is a flaming dessert, and one is a meat patty.  ...

French Republican Calendar

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The new year approaches. But what if you had to learn a completely new calendar for the coming year? For about a dozen years starting in the late 19th...

SYMHC Classics: Five First Flights

17 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This 2017 episode covers the Wright Brothers, yes, but also other contenders to the title of "first in flight," and each has their own compelling stor...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Impossibles and Astors

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly talk about the artwork of Zinaida Serebriakova and the personal style of Ella Williams. They then discuss the ruthless business practi...

John Jacob Astor

14 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

John Jacob Astor came to the U.S. from Germany not long after the colonies gained their independence as a nation. He made his first fortune in the fur...

Six Impossible Episodes: More Listener Requests

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s six impossible episode subjects are all by listener request! Topics include the Iron Mountain baby, Leslie’s Retreat, Lady Hao, Ella Willi...

SYMHC Classics: History's Unforgettable Fires

10 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this 2011 episode, previous hosts Sarah and Deblina recount some of history's most famous fires, Including the Peshtigo Fire, the Great Fire of Lon...

Behind the Scenes Minis: Food Saftey and Kitties

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tracy and Holly discuss food safety in their own lives, and particularly their comfort levels with various risks. They also discuss the different pron...

Louis Wain’s Cat Pictures

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Louis Wain’s cat-centric art was extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and some of his later work became an inspiration for t...

The Astronaut Origins of Food Safety

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The development of a systematic approach to food safety didn’t happen until the 20th century. And it's tied directly to NASA trying to make sure ast...

SYMHC Classics: Ed Roberts and the Independent Living Movement

03 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This early 2017 episode covers Ed Roberts, a disability rights activist known as the father of the Independent Living movement.See omnystudio.com/list...