D-Day

D-Day

Podcast Transcript On June 6, 1944, the largest amphibious landing in world history took place on the shore of Normandy, France. The allied forces called it D-Day. The landing marked the commencement of Operation Overlord, a strategic move that heralded the long-awaited opening of the second front in the European war.  D-Day was the start …

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The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

Podcast Transcript It is one of the longest and largest structures ever built. It was designed to defend one of the oldest and greatest civilizations on the planet.  For centuries it did just that…..and for some centuries it didn’t do that at all.   Some people have claimed that you could see it from space, and …

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World War Zero aka The Seven Years War

World War Zero aka The Seven Years War

Podcast Transcript I’ve done many episodes talking about the first world war and I’ve done many episodes talking about the second world war.  However, despite the names we’ve given them, they weren’t the only world wars. There was another global war that occurred well before the 20th-century wars. This war actually saw conflicts on five …

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So What Exactly Are Frankincense and Myrrh?

So What Exactly Are Frankincense and Myrrh?

Podcast Transcript The bible talks of three wise men who traveled to Bethlehem bringing gifts to the infant Jesus. These gifts were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  I think most of you probably have a good conceptual grasp of gold, but what is the deal with frankincense, and myrrh? Were they really that big of a …

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The History of Santa Claus

The History of Santa Claus

Podcast Transcript He sees you when you are awake, he knows when you are asleep, and he puts your name on a list.  No, I’m not talking about an omnipresent surveillance state, I’m of course talking about Santa Claus. If you think of Santa, you probably have a very firm idea of what he looks …

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The Battle of Yarmouk

The Battle of Yarmouk

Podcast Transcript From August 15 to August 20, in the year 636, one of the most important battles in history took place.  The participants in the battle couldn’t have known it, but the results of that battle would shape world history for the next 1400 years.   Much of the geography of the world today, can …

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The Apollo Lunar Module

The Apollo Lunar Module

Podcast Transcript When President John F. Kennedy set the objective of landing on the moon before the end of the 1960s, no one really knew what it entailed.  The Apollo program involved many incredible feats of engineering, but perhaps the most impressive was the development of the Apollo Lunar Module.  The Lunar Module was unlike …

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The St. Scholastica Day Riot

The St. Scholastica Day Riot

Podcast Transcript A common occurrence at many universities is that they have contentious relationships with their local community.  This is not a recent development. It is something that has existed ever since universities were created.  However, the relationship between colleges and local towns was probably at its worst in 1355 when an outbreak of violence …

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Questions and Answers: Volume 19

Questions and Answers: Volume 19

Podcast Transcript The month of June was originally called Iunius by the Romans. Back then it had 29 days and was the fourth month of the year.  Today, it has 30 days, and it is the sixth month of the year.  It used to be a bad omen to be married in June, and now …

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