Podcast Transcript Before cowboys became the symbol of the American West, there were the mountain men. They crossed unmapped passes, trapped beavers in icy streams, lived among Native peoples, and helped open the way for the great migrations across the continent. Their world was dangerous, lonely, and short-lived, but their impact on American history and …
Podcast Transcript Few figures have inspired as much fear as Lavrentiy Beria. As the ruthless head of Stalin’s secret police, he oversaw purges, mass arrests, deportations, and a vast system of terror that touched millions of lives. Yet after Stalin’s death, the man who seemed untouchable found himself facing a stunning downfall of his own. …
Podcast Transcript In the early years of the United States, American ships faced a threat far from home along the North African coast. Sailors were captured, tribute was demanded, and the young republic had to decide whether it would pay for peace or fight for its place on the high seas. The result was America’s …
Podcast Transcript In 1986, the world’s biggest sporting event came to Mexico, producing one of the most memorable tournaments in soccer history. It featured political tension, high altitudes, dramatic upsets, and the rise of Diego Maradona from superstar to legend. It also had earthquakes, economic problems, and the Hand of God. Learn more about the …
Podcast Transcript When Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959, the American government wanted to see him gone. So, they hatched plots and tried to assassinate him, again, and again, and again, and again. Needless to say, none of them worked, and some of the ideas were almost farcical. Learn about the many …
Podcast Transcript In the 1980s, images of starving children in Ethiopia shocked the world and triggered one of the largest humanitarian responses in history. But behind the famine was a much deeper story of drought, civil war, dictatorship, forced resettlement, and the politics of food. It was a disaster that changed Ethiopia, transformed global charity, …
Podcast Transcript In 1829, a British scientist who had never visited the United States left his fortune to a foreign country across the ocean. His instructions were simple, vague, and enormously ambitious: create an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. From that bequest grew the Smithsonian, a collection of museums, research centers, priceless …
Podcast Transcript Few phrases in American law are more familiar than “You have the right to remain silent.” They are spoken in police stations, on city streets, and in countless movies and television shows. Yet behind those words is a real criminal case, a controversial Supreme Court decision, and a legal rule that changed policing …
Podcast Transcript It is a metal that is a part of a mineral that helped build empires, an ion that allows your nerves to fire and your muscles to move, and it is found in your kitchen. It has helped preserve food, shaped trade routes, powered industries, and become one of the most common substances …