Nowadays, Thanksgiving has become an official holiday, complete with its own trappings of tradition and mythology. But how much of the conventional Thanksgiving story is true? Join Sarah and Katie as they take a closer look at the first Thanksg

The Princes in the Tower

Nov 1st, 2021 42m 40s

Sir Thomas More’s version of what happened to the sons of Edward IV has long dominated popular understanding of it. But the conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster has many layers, and any account is colored by the allianc

Thales and the Battle of the Eclipse

11 days ago 48m 39s

On May 28, in the year 585 BCE, there was a total solar eclipse during a battle between the kingdoms of Media and Lydia. This eclipse had been predicted by Thales of Miletus, and it led to the ends of both the battle and the war. Maybe. Resear

'Doctress' Rebecca Crumpler

Feb 26th, 2024 38m 53s

Rebecca Crumpler was the first Black woman in the United States to earn a medical degree. She also wrote one of the first, if not the first, medical texts by a Black person in the United States.Research:Allen, Patrick S. “‘We must attack the

Advent Calendars

Dec 4th, 2023 35m 23s

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-religious Christmas countdown with chocolates or other treats?Research:Allen, Scott. “A Brief

SYMHC Classics: Air Conditioning

Apr 22nd, 2023 38m 28s

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 cultural practices for keeping cool were made obsolete.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

SYMHC Classics: A Brief History of Vodka

Dec 31st, 2022 39m 53s

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 evolve over time? We'll talk a bit about how vodka is made, where it came from, and how it's e

Behind the Scenes Minis: Irving's World

Dec 30th, 2022 21m 21s

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 definitive version of a song recording. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Behind the Scenes Minis: Ouija, Ouija!

Oct 28th, 2022 22m 11s

Holly and Tracy talk about the many products that have been made with licensed (and sometimes unlicensed) Ouija board imagery. They also discuss the scientific experiments covered in Wednesday's episode in greater detail. See omnystudio.com/lis

Viola Desmond

Aug 31st, 2022 44m 59s

Desmond was convicted after refusing to leave her seat in a segregated movie theater in Nova Scotia in 1946. But she also established the first beauty salon for Black women her area, and founded a beauty school for Black women. Research: Bi

Unearthed! in July 2022, Part 1

Jul 18th, 2022 50m 15s

It's time for the July 2022 edition of Unearthed! Part one this time includes updates, some jewelry, some auctions, some books and letters, and some shipwrecks. Research:Torchinsky, Rina. “2 missing Charles Darwin notebooks are mysteriously

The Platypus Quarrel

Jan 3rd, 2022 41m 42s

When European naturalists saw a platypus for the first time, they found it so bizarre that they thought it was fake, and then argued about how to classify it for almost a century. This happened in tandem with similar discussions about another A

SYMHC Classics: Who was the real Sherlock Holmes?

Sep 18th, 2021 24m 2s

This 2010 episode from past hosts Sarah and Deblina covers Arthur Conan Doyle's brilliant protagonist Sherlock Holmes, who became world-famous. But was Sherlock Holmes based on a real person? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihe

Behind the Scenes Minis: Apples and Grace

Sep 17th, 2021 18m 35s

Holly and Tracy talk about the apples from the childhoods, fruit-based desserts, and a cocktail that Holly stumbled across while researching nachos. Grace Humiston's tricky name is mentioned, as well as the more frustrating aspects of her story

SYMHC Classics: The Cod Wars

Nov 14th, 2020 31m 26s

This 2016 episode covers Icelandic history. A fishing territory dispute between Iceland and the U.K. started off with a cordial tone, but escalated into a serious conflict. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.c

Maria Anna Mozart

1 Nov 11th, 2020 31m 34s

Maria Anna Mozart is often left out of brief accounts of her brother’s life. But his sister was sharing the bench with him and was also considered an impressive and accomplished musician. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheart

Bram Stoker

Oct 19th, 2020 39m 31s

Dracula is an iconic character, and the man who created him has become almost as much of a source of fascination for many as his famous vampire.. But even Bram Stoker's own life story - at least as he told it - may have some fictional elements.

Charlotte of Belgium/Carlota of Mexico

Apr 13th, 2020 37m 28s

Charlotte and her husband Maximillian became the rulers of Mexico through a plan concocted by France's Napoleon III. But the strain of conflict there, and French finances being withdrawn, caused the empress' mental health to decline. Learn mor

King Philip’s War

Feb 19th, 2020 34m 33s

King Philip’s War was an armed conflict primarily between English colonists and Indigenous nations in what’s now New England, although there were some Indigenous peoples who were allied with the colonists. Learn more about your ad-choices at

The Green Children of Woolpit

Oct 11th, 2017 34m 29s

In the 12th century, two children, green in color, appeared in Suffolk, England. The green children were written about in the 12th and 13th centuries as fact, but some people today classify as this tale as folklore. Learn more about your ad-ch

The Evacuation of Dunkirk

Jul 19th, 2017 27m 32s

With a huge number of British Expeditionary Force troops stranded in one location, a massive evacuation operation was undertaken. While it was considered a success, the costs to the Allies were high. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/

A Brief History of Foreign Food in the U.S.

Apr 12th, 2017 37m 10s

One of the most diverse things about the U.S. is its food industry. Foodies obsessively seek out the “authentic” flavors of any given culture. But many of the foods brought to the U.S. via immigration were initially viewed with suspicion and di

The Dakota War of 1862 and the Whitestone Hill Massacre

1 Nov 23rd, 2016 33m 59s

In 1862, murder led to war between the Dakota and the United States. What followed was a campaign of retribution against multiple indigenous peoples, many who had nothing to do with the prior conflict, ranging from Minnesota into Dakota Territo

Ergot and the Salem Witchtrials

1 Jun 30th, 2008 3m 47s

Some researchers allege that ergot poisoning may have been responsible for triggering the Salem witchcraft trials -- but is this fact, or fiction? Learn more about ergot and the Salem witch trials in this HowStuffWorks podcast. Learn more abou

SYMHC Classics: Inês de Castro and Pedro I of Portugal

1 Nov 13th, 2021 25m 41s

When Prince Pedro of Portugal was married off in the 1300s, he only had eyes for his new wife's lady in waiting. This 2017 episode about the relationship between Inês and Pedro has everything: romance, deception, murder, and a corpse crowned as