Historium

PODCAST · history

Historium

Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tales you’ve probably never heard before.

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    #85: Ni'ihau Zero

    A crash landing of a Japanese warplane interrupts the idyllic island life of Ni’ihau, where the Hawaiians have no idea that a world war just started. For more episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic:Mission by Naoki SatoDogfight by Thomas WanderEbb Tide by Houston & DorseyHawaiian Sunset by The PolynesiansOpening by David WingoQueenie’s Suite by Nick Cave & Warren EllisLess Likely by Trent Reznor & Atticus RossWaimanalo Blues by the Mahaka Sons of Ni’ihauMt Baker by Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithAloha Oe (Instrumental) by George Kulokahai & His Island SerenadersDoghouse by David WingoBlue Hawaii by The PolynesiansDoghouse by David WingoOrganum by Max RichterA World Away by Trent Reznor & Atticus RossFour Enclosed Walls by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross06 Ghosts I by Nine Inch NailsCoconut Island by Louis Armstrong & The PolynesiansMartha’s Dream (The Proposition) by Nick Cave & Warren EllisRemnants by Trent Reznor & Atticus RossIn the Eastern Wild by Abul Mogard & Rafael IrisarriThe Right Things by Trent Reznor & Atticus RossHand Covers Bruise by Trent Reznor & Atticus RossAshes (Missing Film) by Radical FaceUther Moads by Future Waves#20 (Lichen) by Brenden Eder EnsembleSleep Walk by Santo & JohnnySupport the show

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    [TEASER] Bonus Episode #33: Operation Aphrodite

    The dawn of America’s drone program in the Second World War changes the course of presidential history. For the rest of this bonus episode and access to all other bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #84 The Darien Disaster

    The colonial ambitions of Scotland soon go sideways as they face the full brunt of Murphy's Law. The colonists face disease, mutiny, starvation, and shipwrecks before the backdrop of the golden age of piracy. The colony's ultimate fate unites a kingdom.For more episodes: patreon .com/historiumMusic:Hector the Hero by Geoff KnorrAll in Circles by Shida ShahabiThe British Empire by Brian TylerDenmark by the Portland Cello ProjectCock o’ the North by Geoff KnorrBonnie Dundee by Geoff KnorrEndless Falls by LoscilPieces of Eight by Bear McCrearyThe Wider Sun by Jon HopkinsScottish Snare by Geoff KnorrBaer by Hildur GudnadottirA Nation of Thieves by Bear McCrearyShimmy by Toussaint McCallMurder/Mermaid/Heavy Labor by Mark KorvenThe Spanish Empire by Brian TylerFuneral at Sea by Bear McCrearyLegions (War) by Zoe KeatingThe Sacred and The Profane by Paul Leonard-MorganElevator Song by Keaton HensenParcel o’ Rogues by Alastair McDonaldThe Final Journey by Christopher SpelmenSupport the show

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    [TEASER] Bonus Episode #32: Lost Children of the Alleghenies

    Two boys go missing in rural Appalachia. Search parties scour the foothills, accusations fly, and some seek supernatural help in hopes of finding the pair of lost children.For the rest of this episode and access to Historium's entire back catalog of bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #83: GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES: Last Man Standing

    Against all odds, Shuja rises again. A figurehead for the British East India Company, he watches as an invading army devastates his homeland—in his name. Meanwhile, Dost Mohammed’s son Akbar Khan leads a counterforce to be reckoned with. In time, he becomes a threat to his own father’s power. The British, chief among them Alexander Burnes, learn the hard way: The wicked will not go unpunished.For the more episodes and the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historiumComplete original score by (MST).For more by (MST):Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Sources: Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William DalrympleAfghanistan in the Age of Empires: The Great Game for South and Central Asia by Farrukh HusainSiraj al-Tawarikh by Faiz Muhammad Kāteb and translated by Robert D. McChesney.Support the show

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    #82 GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES - Tournament of Shadows

    The British East India Company plots an invasion of Afghanistan. A bogus casus belli and puppet king are all they need—and the rivalry between their agent, Alexander Burnes, and a Russian spy named Ivan Vitkevitch becomes a zero sum game. This is the beginning of the Great Game, or, as the Russians knew it: The Tournament of Shadows.For the more episodes and the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historiumComplete original score by (MST).For more by (MST):Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Support the show

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    #81 GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES - The Ballad of Shah Shuja

    In early 19th century Afghanistan, two warring dynasties contend for the throne. While the Sadozai brothers—grandsons of the empire’s founding king—feud amongst themselves, the Barakzai clan plots its ascendance. Shuja ul-Mulk of the Sadozais and Dost Mohammed Khan of the Barakzais grow up together in court, but as young men they become bitter enemies. Eventually, they must face each other on the battlefield.For the more episodes and the rest of the series: https://www.patreon.com/historium Complete original score by (MST).For more by (MST):Substack: ://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/ SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/mountainstandard Support the show

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    #80 The Prophet of Jazz

    "I can say more with music than I ever could with words.” -Eric DolphyMusic:- Ceiling Gazing by Mark Kozelek & Jimmy LaValle- Nero's Nocturne by Chilly Gonzales- Warm Canto by Mal Waldron, Eric Dolphy, & Booker Ervin- Easy Opium by Ben von Wildenhaus- Rearranging Furniture by Gabriel Yared- The Homeless Wanderer by Emahoy Tsege Miriam Gebru- God Bless the Child by Eric Dolphy- Conquistadores by Chico Hamilton- Yearnin' by Eric Dolphy- When the Lights Are Low by John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy- Stolen Moments by Eric Dolphy- It Never Entered My Mind by the Miles Davis Quintet- Max sad clarinette by Michel Portal- Such Owls as You by Brambles- Meditations by Charles Mingus & Eric DolphySupport the show

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    #79 Eternity's Echo

    What if sound lives forever?Music:Imaginary Landscape No. 4 by John CageTezeta by Mulatu AskatkeElectronium Music Score by Raymond ScottLacrymae by MelodiumKapsburger by ClogsA Lake by Emily A. SpragueTiden Effert Hoffet by I.B. SundstromWhen the Northern Lights by Max RichterX-Ray by Youth LagoonLegions (War) by Zoe KeatingDisintegration Loops #3 by William Basinski92982.3 by William BasinskiPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #78 The Blowout

    The story of one of the worst numerical beatdowns in the history of professional sports.Music:- Reckless by Brocker Way- Green Groves of Erin by Yo Yo Ma - Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Vivaldi- Classic Battle by Sam Spence- Denmark by Portland Cello Project- Independant by Brocker Way- Tilting at Windmills by Brocker Way- Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner- Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass- 2 by AAEPSO- Climax Rag by James Scott- Chariots of Fire by Vangelis- En Gang Agde by 1900- Epilogue by Brocker WayFor more episodes and pictures for the episode:https://www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    [UNLOCKED] Bonus Episode #30: The Day Disco Died

    (This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium)Chicago, 1979. Disco was on top of the world. And some people didn't like that…When a failing baseball team and a peg-legged promoter hosted an anti-disco radio DJ armed with a quarter stick of dynamite… things quickly got out of hand.Welcome to Disco Demolition Night.Support the show

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    Historium Presents: The Wind

    An episode from a show I love called The Wind.  "Western Films as America’s origin story, and why they sound the way they do."For more episodes: https://thewind.org/For our bonus episode with Fil: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #77 ATOMIC DAWN - The Red Menace

    Neils Bohr returns with a new plan for world peace, Oppenheimer’s enemies close in from all sides as the Cold War warms up, and shadowy figures from the world of high finance work to expand the American nuclear weapons program.Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Alarm Will Sound, Marisa Anderson, Kali Malone, Zoe Keating, Julie Kent, Ben Von Wildenhaus, Brocker Way, William Basinski, Nine Inch Nails, Mulatu Astatke, Richard D. James, Jon Hopkins, and Nils Frahm. Final song by King Dude. For bonus episodes and a custom series patch, become a patron at: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #76 ATOMIC DAWN - Heavy Water

    Norwegian commandos execute a daring sabotage mission to cripple the Nazi nuclear program. The fall of Werner Heisenberg. Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Max Richter, William Basinski, Moondog, Sølvguttene, Jed Kurzel, Hala Strana, Anne Hytta, Nine Inch Nails, and Nico. For bonus episodes and a special series patch: www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #75 ATOMIC DAWN - A Prime Suspect

    Robert Oppenheimer leads the Manhattan Project at a secret research facility in Los Alamos. Meanwhile, counterintelligence seeks to unearth a secret communist spy ring within the very heart of the nuclear weapons program. A cold war starts before a world war ends.Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Ludovico Einauldi, Luke Howard, Alarm Will Sound, Ben Sollee, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, and Lulu Belle & Scotty. For more episodes and a Historium Manhattan Project patch: www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #74 ATOMIC DAWN - Complementarity and Uncertainty

    On the eve of the Second World War, physicists learn of the possibility of splitting the atom. Two rival nuclear programs emerge and the race to the atomic bomb begins... Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Kali Malone, Benoît Pioulard, Zoe Keating, Nine Inch Nails, Choral Arts Northwest, and The Louvin Brothers.For the rest of the series and a limited edition Historium patch made specifically for this episode: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #73 Once in a Lifetime

    The story of Halley’s Comet—the only reoccurring comet visible to the naked eye that shows up every 75 years or so. Throughout history its appearance has marked profound change, from the conquest of the British Isles to the fall of the Qing Dynasty.For more bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Music:Hello! by David Wingo & Explosions in the SkyTime’s Blur by Lord HuronOpening (arr. for marimba) by Philip Glass & Nathaniel BartlettKatrina Outtake by Matthew Robert CooperCeiling Gazing by Mark KozelekExpectation by Matthew Robert CooperNever Ever by Lord HuronSupport the show

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    #72: The Trial of Sunshine Charlie

    Summer 1929 was the pinnacle of a new era of banking, and Charles E. Mitchell emblematized the live-fast-die-young ethos of roaring twenties stock salesmen. As the Great Crash led into the Great Depression, Charlie’s ambition brought about his downfall and forced him to go toe-to-toe with one of most doggedly committed prosecutors of the era: Ferdinand Pecora. It’s a story that’s more timely now than ever.For more episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic:Hindustan by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsDogtown Blues by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsAdagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ by the London Philharmonic OrchestraEasy Opium by Ben von WildenhausBattle of the Species by AntibalasMusic for the Royal Fireworks by HandelOne Bad Motherfucker in His Day by Ben von WildenhausReckless by Brocker WayThe Ox by The WhoPotato Boy by Mac DemarcoTryouts by Brocker WayHeartaches by Al BowllyThe Beast by Dick DaleLet There Be Drums by Sandy NelsonIt Was a Town by Brocker WayGlass Etudes by Etudes No. 6 by Philip GlassEtude by Joep BevingIn Love and Justice by Colin Stetson Happy Days are Here Again by Ben Selvin & The CroonersEnd of Summer Part 2 by Johann JohannssonLess Likely by Trent Reznor1929 by Merle HaggardSupport the show

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    #71 Operation Eureka

    Tehran 1943. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meet together for the first time with hopes of overcoming their ideological differences in order to win the Second World War.For bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic: Nightbook by Ludovico Einauldi Vanguard by Bear McCrearyHistory is Listening by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonIncrease by David LangPrelude by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonThe War Rooms by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonMoscow, 1953 by Christopher WillisWelcome to the Bloody first by Wilbert Roget IIFour Winds by Adam HurstStaging a Coup by Christopher WillisDungtitled (In a Major) by Stars of the LidA Softer World by Luke HowardA Meaningful Moment Through a Meaningless Process by Stars of the LidSupport the show

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    #70 Mendacium Ex Machina

    In the late 1700s, a chess-playing automaton marched across Europe, achieving checkmates against novices and masters alike–all while hiding an incredible secret…Music:- Concerto for Lute and Plucked Strings by Siefried Behrend & DZO Chamber Orchestra- Clockwork Toccata, Op. 68 by Fulvio Caldini & the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet- Concerto no. 5 en la mineur by Bach- Mr. Moustafa by Alexandre Desplat- Denmark by Gideon Fruedmann & the Portland Cello Project- Night Train to Nebelsbad by Alexandre Desplat- Water Music Suite by Handel & the English Concert- Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard- Morning Talk/Supersymmetry by Arcade Fire & Owen PallettGet bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #7 The Christmas Truce (Shiny & Chrome Edition)

    This episode was always a feel-good fan favorite, so I decided to pluck it from the archives, rewrite it, re-record it, and remix it now that I'm a better writer with better equipment. Merry Christmas!'During the first Christmas of the First World War, troops from opposing armies defied orders and participated in a series of impromptu ceasefires in the no man’s land between the trenches.'Music:Keetley by OK IkumiBeyond the Milk Wood by Federico AlbaneseWe Move Lightly by Dustin O’Halloran#20 (Lichen) by Aphex TwinPauvre Simon by Sylvain ChauveauSilent Night by the St. John’s College ChoirAuld Lang Syne by Dexter BritainFollow me on Wisdom here to get notified when I go live on January 2nd at 3 PM EST: https://joinwisdom.audio/historiumSupport the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #69 The Great Race of Mercy

    In 1925, dog sled teams faced extreme subzero temperatures, whiteout conditions, and hurricane-force winds to deliver medicine to sick children in the remote mining town of Nome, Alaska. This feat of interspecies heroism would become one of the most harrowing rescue attempts in American history.Music:Etude by Joep BevingPrelude for Piano and Malaria by WorrytrainBorn Unto Trouble by Bill Elm & Woody JacksonSuicide by Marc StreitenfeldThe Diary by Dexter BritainWriting the Letter by Marc StreitenfeldIn Threes by LoscilLabyrinthine by Julianna BarwickA Softer world by Luke HowardThe Evil The Never Arrived by Stars of the LidOpening by Nathaniel BartlettAt the Beach by David WingoLale’s Theme by Nick Cave & Warren EllisI Will Be Back One Day (Instrumental) by Lord HuronSupport the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #68 The Fifth Beatle

    In early 1964, on the eve of The Beatles’ first international tour, Ringo Starr fell ill. To avoid cancelling the shows at the height of Beatlemania, they hired Jimmie Nicol as a temporary replacement. The stand-in drummer serves as a case study in what happens to a human psyche when propelled from relative obscurity to worldwide fame (and back again…) all in the span of a few months. For relevant photos and access to more episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic:It Was a Town by Brocker WayMr. Rogers Day by Jonathan KirksceySchool Day by Chuck BerryRave On by Buddy HollyLast Days of Disco by Yo La TengoYea Yea by Vince EagerTwenty Flight Rock by Colin Hicks & His Cabin BoysDrum Diddley by The SpotnicksBuzz, Buzz, Buzz by Vince EagerSummertime Blues by Eddie CochranI Saw Her Standing There by The Silver BeatlesNight Train by The ShubdubsPracticing by Justin HurwitzDismissed by Justin HurwitzDo What You Are Doing by Dexter BritainI Want To Hold Your Hand by The BeatlesThe Horse by Cliff Nobles & Co.A Hard Day’s Night by The BeatlesCan’t Buy Me Love by The BeatlesLove Me Do by The BeatlesFrances & Her Friends by Francis FayeLong Tall Sally by The BeatlesHumpty Dumpty by The ShubdubsOn the Green Tape by MusetteLast Date by The SpotnicksThree King Fishers by Gabor SzaboGetting Better by The BeatlesSupport the show

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    #67 The Andean Gambit

    After Columbus opened Pandora’s Box by crossing the Atlantic, conquistadors ventured into the New World for god, glory, and gold; rarely in that order. One of these conquistadors, Francisco Pizarro, could not ignore the rumors of an empire of golden cities in the cloud peaks of the Andes, which sent him on a collision course with Atualpa, the god emperor of the Inca Empire.Facebook: @HistoriumPodcastTwitter: @HistoriumPodInstagram: @historiumpodcastFor more episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

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    #66 Microstorium

    As the final episode of this wild year called 2020, here's fifteen quick mini-stories from throughout history!Support the show

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    [UNLOCKED] Book Review of ‘1491’ by Charles C. Mann

    (This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium)Lots of myth busting of misconceptions about indigenous people coupled with new research that shines a light of what the New World and its inhabitants were actually like.Support the show

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    #65 Firebombing of Tokyo

    How do we Americans remember the deadliest night in human history? The answer is simple. We don't.Support the show

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    #64 Marathon of Madness

    This is the story of the strangest race ever run.Support the show

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    #63 The Dividing Line

    In 1919, rage from injustices erupted into violent race riots which spread throughout Chicago. All the while, Spanish Flu spread like wildfire in this unfortunately relevant story about the Chicago Race Riots.Support the show

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    #62 Side By Side

    The story of Chang and Eng Bunker, the original Siamese Twins, who worked in freak shows, owned a plantation, and experienced so much of 19th century, all while literally inseparable. Support the show

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    #61 Dirtbag Gold Rush

    In Yosemite Valley, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, a rag-tag group of rock climbers in the 1970s stumble upon the score of a lifetime.Support the show

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    #60 Plague of Corrupted Blood

    The story of the Corrupted Blood plague that hit the realm of World of Warcraft and what outbreaks in video games can teach us about real-world epidemiology.Support the show

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    #59 The Siege of Seeds

    In the midst of the siege of Leningrad, a small enclave of Soviet scientists did what they could to protect a massive collection of seeds in order to save countless future human lives.Support the show

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    #58 The Battle of Los Angeles

    In Los Angeles, California, the fresh recruits, with their new crew cuts and wrinkled uniforms, would get their first taste of combat on February 24th, 1942...Support the show

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    #57 A White Christmas in Saigon

    Saigon, Vietnam. April 1975.Support the show

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    #56 Savior of Mothers

    Childbed fever was killing new mothers with a vengeance. In Hungary, young doctor Ignaz Semmelweis found a cure. However, there was one problem... No one believed him.Support the show

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    #55 Death Row Baseball

    Baseball has long been dubbed America’s pastime, but would that change if players had to literally play for their lives?Support the show

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    #54 The Second Son of God

    In the 1850s, a Christian cult rattles imperial China to its core...Support the show

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    #53 Interview with Egyptologist Colleen Darnell

    Mummies, hieroglyphs, pyramids, vintage fashion; Egyptologist and vintage fashion historian Colleen Darnell digs through it all.https://www.instagram.com/vintage_egyptologistSupport the show

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    #52 [MiniStorium] Bad Luck

    History is full of moments of misfortune, irony, or just plain ol’ bad luck. This episode contains eight mini-stories about the times where things went from bad to worse.Support the show

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    #51 The Ghosts of Notre Dame

    This episode is devoted to the 800 year old Notre Dame cathedral and it's incredibly storied past.Support the show

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    #50 Interview with Dirk Langeveld, author of The Artful Dodger

    The story of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll has everything I'm looking for when looking for topics: A wild ride full of twists, turns, and downright unbelievable moments. Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Dodger-20-Year-Cleveland-Bergdoll/dp/1973925893Support the show

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    #49 Dead Reckoning

    In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...Support the show

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    #48 The Pinball Wizard

    In the 1970s, a hero arose to defend the fact that pinball was a game of skill, not a game of chance.Support the show

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    #47 Wreck of the Batavia

    The ill-fated voyage encountered mutiny, torture, murder, and a mad tyrant as things went from bad to worse...Support the show

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    #46 Interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington

    This episode is an interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father.Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Young-Washington-Peter-Stark-audiobook/dp/B07C2YT1QM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23T4RGZSY5SF6&keywords=peter+stark+young+washington&qid=1707930381&s=books&sprefix=peter+stark+young+washington%2Cstripbooks%2C88&sr=1-1Support the show

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    #45 Ballroom Blitz

    New Years Eve, 1922.Support the show

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    #44 Dungeons & Dragons and The Satanic Panic

    The story of Dungeons & Dragons and how an innocent tabletop RPG was caught in the crossfire of moral outrage and religious fundamentalism.Support the show

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    #43 The Harlem Hellfighters

    In this episode, we’ll follow the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment known as the “Harlem Hellfighters” through the horrors of trench warfare, and through their struggle for equality.Support the show

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    #42 The Great Grave Robbery

    In a tale involving ancient Egyptians, grave robbers, charlatans, and European aristocracy, we'll explore burial rites, desecration, and what they reveal about relationship with how we treat our dead.Support the show

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tales you’ve probably never heard before.

HOSTED BY

Jake Barton

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