Beamonesque: Bob Beamon’s Incredible Olympic Record

Beamonesque: Bob Beamon's Incredible Olympic Record

Transcript In a single 6 second period in 1968, Bob Beamon completely rewrote the record books in track and field.  His gold medal-winning long jump at the Mexico City Olympics not only set a world’s record, but it added a new word to the English dictionary. Find out how Bob Beamon changed not only sports …

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The French Scrabble Champion

The French Scrabble Champion

Transcript Nigel Richards is unquestionably the greatest Scrabble player in history. The 52-year-old Kiwi is a five-time world champion, and the only player ever to win more than once.  He is a five-time United States Champion and has won more major tournament titles than anyone else.  However, all these accolades are probably not his greatest …

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The Interstate Highway System

The Interstate Highway System

Transcript After the end of WWII in Europe, General Dwight Eisenhower was appointed the military governor of the American Zone in Germany. During his travels around Germany, he noticed that the German autobahn was really good. His respect for the German highways later became the impetus for passing legislation for the United States Interstate Highway …

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How Many Planets Are There?

How Many Planets Are There?

Transcript Poor Pluto. It was totally unknown, then it was a planet, and now it’s not a planet anymore.  This change in the status of planets isn’t the first time such a thing has happened. Since the dawn of history, the number of things we call a planet has gone up and down.  Find out …

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The Prime Minister Who Disappeared

The Prime Minister Who Disappeared

Transcript What would happen if a world leader were to totally disappear? As in, the leader of a major country was to just vanish into thin air, without a trace? Such a thing actually happened 50 years ago when a nation’s prime minister disappeared and his body was never found.  Learn more about how a …

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The Julian and Gregorian Calendars

The Julian and Gregorian Calendars

Transcript What is today’s date?  If you answer that question, most likely you are giving an answer based on a calendar that goes all the way back to one put in place by Julius Caesar.  Caesar’s calendar, aka the Julian Calendar, was pretty good, but it developed problems over time, so it was modified in …

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Atlantropa: The Most Ridiculous Idea Ever

Atlantropa: The Most Ridiculous Idea Ever

Transcript In the aftermath of the horrors of WWI, many people in Europe wanted to find a better future going forward. A future of peace and prosperity, where energy, food, and jobs would be available for everyone. One man from Germany named Herman Sörgel had a VERY ambitious idea. An idea which would literally change …

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When Did Canada Become Independent?

When Did Canada Become Independent?

Transcript In a previous episode of the podcast, I touched on how it was difficult to pin down the date in which the United States actually became independent.  In the case of the United States, it was a matter of pinning down when we wanted to define independence. Was it at the start of the …

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Neil Armstrong’s First Time in Space

Transcript Everyone knows who Neil Armstrong is and why he is famous.  Being the first person to set foot on the moon has placed him in a unique position in world history, and he is a name that people will probably remember for thousands of years. But Apollo 11 was not his first spaceflight.  His …

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