The History of Toilets

The History of Toilets

Podcast Transcript It is one of the most important inventions in history. Almost everyone listening to this has one. You use one almost every day, and if we didn’t have them, the world would be a very different place.  I am talking about toilets.  It isn’t something we like to talk about in public, but …

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The US Occupation of the Philippines

The US Occupation of the Philippines

Podcast Transcript The Philippines is one of the largest countries in the world. With a population of 115 million people, it is the 14th largest country on Earth in terms of population.  However, for a period of 48 years, it was a colony of the United States. That half-century was one of the most important …

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The War of 1812

The War of 1812

Podcast Transcript After the American War of Independence, Britain recognized the United States, but it didn’t necessarily make them close allies.  Each country had its own agendas, and a generation later, they were butting heads again over a host of issues.  The result was another war, but unlike the Revolutionary War, everyone claimed victory, and …

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The History of Books

The History of Books

Podcast Transcript Books are one of the foundational tools of civilization. They allow us to pass knowledge and information between people who don’t know each other, and their compact form allows knowledge to be transported across vast distances.  Their permanence allows information to be sent across time such that centuries might separate a writer from …

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All About College Sports

All About College Sports

Podcast Transcript In the 19th century, several American universities began to compete with each other in several sporting events in friendly intercollegiate competitions. Fast forward over a hundred years, and college sports in the United States is a multibillion-dollar business.  How did institutes of higher education become some of the biggest sports organizations in the …

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A Brief History of Central America

A Brief History of Central America

Podcast Transcript Located between Mexico and Colombia, in a strategic area connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific, is the region we call Central America.  The countries that make up Central America were mostly former Spanish colonies, but unlike other Spanish colonies to the north and south, Central America wound up as a series of small …

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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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