The History of Memorial Day

The History of Memorial Day

Transcript Every year, on the last Monday in May, the United States honors its war dead. It is often celebrated with parades, cookouts, and ceremonies at military cemeteries. While many people just think of it as a three-day weekend and the beginning of summer, it is a tradition that extends back over 160 years.  Learn …

Read more

The 17-Year Cicada

The 17-Year Cicada

Transcript Every 17 years one of the grandest spectacles in nature takes place. Billions of insects in a seemingly coordinated fashion will emerge from the ground and cover the skies and the trees.  This is all part of their extremely unusual life cycle which consists of an extremely long juvenile period and very short adulthood. …

Read more

The USS William D. Porter: The Unluckiest Ship in WWII

The USS William D. Porter: The Unluckiest Ship in WWII

Transcript During World War II, the United States had a fleet of over 1,200 combat ships. Each of them had a unique story and service record. With so many ships, there would be many stories of heroism, stories of tragedy, and some stories of total incompetence.  One ship, in particular, was so bad, it became …

Read more

The Battle of Thermopylae

The Battle of Thermopylae

Transcript In the year 480 BC, one of the most famous battles in history took place on the shore of the Malian Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Several thousand Greeks held back several hundred thousand Persians, in a battle which is still remembered 2,500 years later.  While the Greeks lost the battle, they did ultimately …

Read more

Jack the Ripper

Jack the Ripper

Transcript In 1888, the city of London was terrorized by its most infamous serial killer. Anywhere between 5 and 11 murders were committed over an 18 month period in the Whitechapel district of London, and the crimes have never been officially solved. In the decades since then, a cottage industry has developed of amateur sleuths …

Read more

The History of AM/FM Radio

The History of AM/FM Radio

Transcript For over 100 years, radio has been one of the biggest mediums for communication, information, and entertainment. It was the first true broadcast medium.  However, recent technical and demographic changes have made the future of radio, or at least some of the bands, doubtful.  Learn more about AM and FM radio, its past, present, …

Read more

The 1937 Soviet Census

The 1937 Soviet Census

Transcript In 1936, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin determined it was time for the Soviet Union to have another census. They hadn’t conducted one since 1926 and he wanted some actual numbers to show the world the success of the Soviet system. Needless to say, the numbers were not what Stalin had expected….and promised.  Learn more …

Read more

Extraterritoriality

Extraterritoriality

Transcript A common misconception that many people have is that embassies are part of the territory of the country that owns the embassy. For example, the American embassy in Canada is part of the United States.  This is not quite true.  The theory covering how an embassy or a diplomat works deals with the concept …

Read more

A History of the Green Bay Packers

A History of the Green Bay Packers

Transcript The National Football League is big business. It earns more money than any other professional sports league in the world. All of the NFL teams are own by billionaires or consortiums of multi-millionaires….except for one.  One team, has no billionaire owner, is located in the smallest town in America to have a professional sports …

Read more