Transcript At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Dick Fosbury won the Gold Medal in the men’s high jump. He did it by jumping an Olympic record 2.24 meters or 7 feet, four inches. What was remarkable about his accomplishment wasn’t the height he jumped, but how it did it. He didn’t just win a …
Transcript The currency in the United States is the dollar. You probably already knew that. It is also the name of the currency in over 20 other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. What is a dollar exactly, and why is that the name of the currency in these countries? Learn more about …
Transcript In the course of doing research for shows, I often come across interesting facts that wouldn’t really make for an entire episode. They are really interesting, but I’m not sure how I could turn it into even a short daily podcast like this one. So, the solution was to create an episode where I …
Transcript I’m sure everyone has heard of such famous places as the Great Pyramids, the Colosseum, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal. Besides all being famous landmarks, they have something else in common. They are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites. What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and how does a site …
Transcript Although you probably never heard of him before, American George Eyser is one of the most decorated Olympians in history. In the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, he put on one of the greatest single-day performances in Olympic History. Yet, his real claim to fame is not what he accomplished, but how. Learn more …
Transcript There is an old saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. But sometimes, one person’s treasure is just another person’s treasure that they can’t afford. I’m talking about the realm of ultra-expensive items which would be more than most people would make in a lifetime. Items so expensive, that they usually make …
Transcript In October 1970, a blind woman accidentally entered into a Los Angeles County welfare office with a child in tow. The staff in the office immediately noticed the odd girl with the woman. She walked funny, was emaciated, drooling, didn’t make a sound, and when asked, the woman mentioned that the girl was 13. …
Transcript The United States Constitution spells out a very specific process for how to amend the document. First, Congress must vote to approve the amendment. Then the amendment is sent to the state legislatures for ratification. Most amendments never make it through congress. But what happens when an amendment makes it through congress but then …
Transcript In 1973, 34 mushers and their dog teams lined to take part in a race that recreated a 1925 event where medicine was delivered by dog sled to the remote town of Nome, Alaska. Since then, the race has become a global phenomenon and is the best-known dog sled race in the world. Learn …