PODCAST · history
This Day, But Better
by Alex and Jordan
One person, one brave act, on this day in history. Every day in history, someone ordinary did something extraordinary.
Episodes
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Ali Maow Maalin and the Last Case
On October 26, 1977, a Somali hospital cook named Ali Maow Maalin became the last person on Earth to contract smallpox in a natural outbreak. He survived — and spent the rest of his life making sure no one else ever had to.
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Picasso and the Painting That Screamed
In 1937, Pablo Picasso responded to the Nazi bombing of Guernica with forty-five days of furious, grief-driven work — producing a painting that became the defining image of civilian suffering in the modern era. This is the story of that month.
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Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rights of Every Human Being
On October 24, 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt delivered the address presenting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the UN General Assembly — a document she had championed for three years and that would become the foundation for human rights law around the world.
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Pelé and the Goal That Belonged to the Children
On October 23, 1969, Pelé scored his 1,000th professional goal — a penalty at the Maracanã — and dedicated it not to trophies or fame, but to Brazil's street children. This is the story of what that moment cost, what it meant, and how far it reached.
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Stan Lee and the Heroes Who Bled
On October 22, 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby published Fantastic Four #1 — the first Marvel superhero comic featuring a team who argued, doubted themselves, and felt genuinely human. It changed storytelling forever.
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Alfred Nobel and the Prize He Owed the World
Alfred Nobel — the man who invented dynamite and made a fortune from weapons — sat down on October 21, 1895, and signed a will that gave almost everything away. What he created that day became the most prestigious set of prizes in human history.
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Irena Sendler and the Children Who Lived
In October 1943, Irena Sendler — a Polish social worker who had smuggled over 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto — was arrested by the Gestapo and tortured for days. She told them nothing. This is the story of what silence can cost, and what it can save.
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Marie Curie and the Element That Changed Everything
On October 19, 1898, Marie Curie isolated radium for the first time — the culmination of 45 brutal months processing tons of pitchblende in a leaking shed. It was the discovery that would reshape medicine, physics, and what we believe one person can do.
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Chuck Berry and the Guitar That Built the Future
On October 18, 1955, Chuck Berry walked into Chess Records in Chicago and recorded 'Maybellene' — a record that didn't just launch a career, but invented the sound and the grammar of rock and roll guitar. Every electric guitar solo you've ever heard starts here.
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Lois Gibbs and the Neighborhood That Fought Back
In 1980, Lois Gibbs — a homemaker from Niagara Falls who had never led anything in her life — walked into the EPA's offices with 500 signatures and demanded the government evacuate Love Canal. She changed environmental law forever.
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Angela Davis and the Trial That Changed Everything
On October 16, 1970, Angela Davis — philosopher, activist, and fugitive — surrendered to the FBI after two months in hiding. What followed was a trial that captivated the world and, when she was acquitted, transformed her into a global symbol of Black liberation.
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Itzhak Perlman and the Music That Remained
On October 15, 1995, violinist Itzhak Perlman snapped a string mid-performance at Carnegie Hall — and finished a complete Beethoven sonata on three strings. What he said afterward became one of the most quoted statements about resilience in modern memory.
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Martin Luther King Jr. and the Prize He Almost Refused
On October 14, 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — becoming the youngest recipient in history. This is the story behind that moment, and what it cost him to get there.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
One person, one brave act, on this day in history. Every day in history, someone ordinary did something extraordinary.
HOSTED BY
Alex and Jordan
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does This Day, But Better have?
This Day, But Better currently has 13 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is This Day, But Better about?
One person, one brave act, on this day in history. Every day in history, someone ordinary did something extraordinary.
How often does This Day, But Better release new episodes?
This Day, But Better has 13 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to This Day, But Better?
You can listen to This Day, But Better on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts This Day, But Better?
This Day, But Better is created and hosted by Alex and Jordan.
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