Podcast Transcript September is upon us. It means going back to school and the autumnal equinox. The days get shorter in the north and longer in the south. The name September means sevenths, even though it is now the 9th month of the year. Most importantly, it is the time when you have questions and …
Podcast Transcript In the first century, Rome underwent a major political transition when the Emperor Nero died after being declared an enemy of Rome by the senate. With his death, the Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an end, ushering in a period known as the Year of the Four Emperors. For the common people, many of …
Podcast Transcript In 1972, the Olympics returned to Germany for the first time since being hosted in Berlin in 1936. The Games were intended to present a new image of West Germany, one that would reject the image portrayed at the previous Nazi-hosted Games and showcase a modern, peaceful nation. That didn’t happen. Instead, it …
Podcast Transcript In the 1980s, an Englishman named Maurice Ward developed a material that he claimed could withstand temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius. Not only could the material withstand high temperatures, but it could also protect anything in proximity from high temperatures. This product didn’t result in a revolution in material science. In fact, …
Podcast Transcript Starting in the late 1970s and lasting for seventeen years, a series of bombings terrorized the American public. Primarily targeting technology companies and universities, these attacks befuddled law enforcement officials for almost two decades. The bomber became one of the most wanted criminals in the history of American law enforcement. When he was …
Podcast Transcript In 1968, the colony of Spanish Guinea was granted independence and became the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. In its first open election, which turned out to be its last, it elected as president Francisco Macías Nguema. He very quickly turned out to be a dictator. However, he wasn’t just a dictator. He became …
Transcript Normally, if a foreign country has you totally surrounded, that isn’t a good thing. However, in some parts of the world, it is a normal, everyday occurrence. Due to historical quirks in drawing maps, there are parts of some countries which are separate from the mainland and are totally surrounded by another country. Learn …
Podcast Transcript In 1956, one of the most important geopolitical events of the post-war period took place in Egypt. The Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways in the world. In response, a coalition of several countries tried to take it back. However, it didn’t go as …
Podcast Transcript One of the things that almost every airline has in common is a frequent flyer program. Frequent flyer programs were initially designed for loyal customers who flew frequently. However, they eventually branched out to people who used certain credit cards and earned miles by making everyday purchases. These programs have become so popular …