Podcast Transcript Just 60 years ago, Dubai was a sandy, sparsely populated port on a minor creek emptying into the Persian Gulf. Today, it is one of the most important cities in the world. It is a global center for trade, finance, and transportation. How did a random sandy outpost location in the Middle East …
Podcast Transcript For thousands of years, human beings have created works of art. Many of these works were commissioned by monarchs, merchants, or religious leaders. Over time, many of these great works have found their way into the hands of art museums. Museums allow everyone to enjoy and appreciate art that has been produced around …
Podcast Transcript In the mid-19th century, China experienced its greatest civil war. It was a conflict that set China on a course that eventually led to its Century of Humiliation and the fall of the Qing Dynasty. It wasn’t just a massive civil war; in terms of total lives lost, it was far and away …
Podcast Transcript Located on the Baltic Sea, sandwiched between the nations of Lithuania and Poland, is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad, as it exists today, does not have a deep history. For most of its history, it was known as Königsberg. The reason it exists at all dates back to the Teutonic Knights in …
Podcast Transcript In the year 1950, the world was halfway through the 20th century. In the 25 years prior, the world had seen the greatest economic downturn in modern history and the greatest war the world had ever known. New technologies were being developed, and many previous technologies were making their way into the hands …
Podcast Transcript On May 7, 1915, nearly a year into the First World War, the British steamship RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat off the southern coast of Ireland. Over 1,100 people were killed, many of whom were civilians from the United States who were not participants in the war. Although the loss …
Podcast Transcript Many people think that the closest the world ever came to nuclear war was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. To be sure, that was a very tenuous point in history. However, there is a good argument to be made that the closest the world has come to nuclear war actually took place in …
Podcast Transcript In 1913, the United States created its third national bank. Unlike the previous two, this bank was organized in a completely different manner. Its structure was designed to avoid the problems of the previous national banks. Also, unlike the previous national banks, this one was not subject to open and lengthy public debate. …
Podcast Transcript Known for its beautiful beaches and unique culture, the Dominican Republic is one of the Caribbean’s crown jewels. However, it has had a history totally unlike its neighbors. Even Haiti, which shares an island with the Dominican Republic, went down a totally different path. Today, the Dominican Republic is a relatively stable, prosperous …