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PODCAST

Not Past It

Ever wonder why the world is the way it is? Like, 1000s of years of humanity and this is the version of the world we came up with. This one? Same. Each Wednesday on Not Past It host Simone Polanen will pick a moment from that very same week in history -- and tell you how it shaped our lives today.

history

All Episodes

41:01

Houdini: The OG Ghostbuster

Not Past It ·

2024/10/23

Harry Houdini escaped from handcuffs, sea monsters and torture cells, but his last great illusion defied even the spirits. On October 31, 1936, the famous escape artist was set to come back from the dead. But, as spooky as that sounds, the backstory to uncover America’s most notorious frauds of the day, is even more devilish. This episode originally aired October 27, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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40:15

What’s Haunting The Lake?

Not Past It ·

2024/10/16

Roughly 40 miles northeast of Atlanta, in Forsyth County, lies Lake Lanier. It’s a place where people go to relax, fish or party - and legend has it, it's haunted. But not in the way it’s been talked about. We’re revealing the true haunting of Lake Lanier, where a horrific story of racial violence and terror is hidden under a veneer of suburban bliss. This episode originally aired October 20, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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36:26

Hooked on Black Horror

Not Past It ·

2024/10/09

Candyman, Candyman, Candyman… Do you dare say it five times? On October 16, 1992, Candyman was released in theaters introducing the world to the ghost-like ghoul with a hook for a hand. But this horror cult classic is different--it features a Black man as the haunting character with a backstory of racial trauma. We explore the legacy of the film and why it has such staying power, despite its flaws. This episode originally aired October 13, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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36:06

The Witch of Delray

Not Past It ·

2024/10/02

Depression-era Detroit is known for many things: baseball, bootlegging, and the booming auto industry. But what about a witch? On October 5, 1931, a Wayne County jury reached a verdict in the trial of an immigrant woman accused of murder and of being...The Witch of Delray. This episode originally aired October 6, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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37:54

How The Green M&M Got Sexy

Not Past It ·

2024/09/25

The backstory of the M&M can be traced to the Spanish American War. On October 1, 1898, a coalition of diplomats met in Paris to negotiate a peace treaty between the U.S. and Spain, leading to a sugar rush across America’s new colonial territories. And eventually… domino-ing us into the modern day sex icon that is the green M&M. This episode originally aired September 29, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

31:29

Remember TGIF?

Not Past It ·

2024/09/18

On September 22nd 1989, ABC launched their now iconic TGIF lineup. So today on the show, three essays, from three different people, about why millions of Americans tuned in every Friday night to watch two hours of families getting into shenanigans and having resolvable conflict. Turns out, sitcoms can teach us quite a bit about history, about our families and about ourselves. This episode originally aired September 21, 2022.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

31:49

9/11 Makes Me Uncomfortable

Not Past It ·

2024/09/11

American flags, camouflage ribbons and “Never Forget” statements, prevailed as symbols of patriotism in the early 2000s. On September 11, 2001, four coordinated terrorist attacks took place in the U.S. and had catastrophic ripple effects across the globe. Simone explores her personal feelings about 9/11 and the “Never Forget” narrative. This episode originally aired September 8, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

29:24

Zsa Zsa Slaps a Cop

Not Past It ·

2024/09/04

Zsa Zsa Gabor was the epitome of Hollywood glam, starring in dozens of films and tv shows in the 1940s and 50s. But by the 1980s, her shine began to dim. On September 14 1989, Gabor made a celebrity comeback when she was prosecuted for slapping a Beverly Hills cop. In court Gabor played the role she was born to play… herself. This episode originally aired September 15, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

37:00

Colonists, Criminals, and Nic Cage

Not Past It ·

2024/08/28

180 years ago this week, China and Great Britain came to an agreement that would forever change Martin Scorsese’s IMDB page. On this episode of Not Past It, Vox film critic and culture reporter, Alissa Wilkinson joins us as we follow the smokey trail of the Opium Wars to Hong Kong’s most famous cinematic export, and land on a very special night in 2007. This episode originally aired August 31, 2022.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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32:59

Tricky Dick Saves the Beach

Not Past It ·

2024/08/21

Cowabunga dudes! Surfing may be the crown jewel of California beach life, but back in the day the ultimate wave-riding destination in San Diego County was also a key military outpost. Fights broke out between surfers and Marines throughout the 50s and 60s. That is until August 25, 1970, when a Tricky Dick got political with a small group of surfers...and eventually changed the beach forever. This episode originally aired August 24, 2022.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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34:12

On Wednesdays We Buy Companies

Not Past It ·

2024/08/14

You may have heard about the Elon Musk’s months-long saga to takeover Twitter. It’s been in the news a lot lately. But in August of 1988 -- another Wall Street showdown got its start. Arguably the nastiest takeover battle in Wall Street history. It brought 1980s ‘greed is good’ culture to new heights, Mean Girls levels of backstabbing to Wall Street, and created a playbook for the Elons of today. This episode originally aired August 17, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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27:14

Every Little Thing: Behind the Pom Poms

Not Past It ·

2024/08/07

This week we're bringing you an episode from our friends at, Every Little Thing. They explore how one style of cheerleading came to dominate in so many American schools? In part one of a two-part episode, ELT flips through the history of cheerleading and meets the man who held cheerleading in the pompom of his hand. Check out part two: Behind the Pom Poms: Cheerleading's Checkered Past (Part 2). This episode originally aired August 10, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

34:20

The Olympic GOAT Gets Snubbed

Not Past It ·

2024/07/31

Jesse Owens swept the track and field events at the Olympics in Berlin. On August 3, 1936, Owens won his first of four gold medals in the 100 meter dash cementing his name in history. The Black track star was celebrated as a hero -- but the celebration was short lived. This episode originally aired August 4, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

29:32

The Notorious Ma Barker

Not Past It ·

2024/07/24

Ever heard of lady crime boss, Ma Barker? On July 26, 1932, her alleged gang of thieves stole over $200,000 from a Kansas bank without firing a single shot. The Barker-Karpis gang stole millions before Ma was killed in a shootout with the FBI. But was she a criminal mastermind or just a scapegoat? This episode originally aired July 28, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

27:39

Operation Ice Pick

Not Past It ·

2024/07/17

In the summer of 1952, America’s mental hospitals were bursting at the seams. There were too many patients and too few treatments. One state took a novel approach -- mass lobotomies. The plan, pioneered by West Virginia, became known as Operation Ice Pick. This episode originally aired July 20, 2022.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

31:03

Small Town Secession

Not Past It ·

2024/07/10

Fed up with not receiving funding to fix their crumbling water infrastructure, the residents of a small town in Minnesota took matters into their own hands. On July 13th, 1977, the town of Kinney voted to secede from the U.S. This episode originally aired July 14, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

27:47

United States of Illuminati

Not Past It ·

2024/07/03

Think you know the Illuminati? Well, it's more than a rumored celebrity cult. And on July 4, 1798, the speech "The Duty of Americans at the Present Crisis," was delivered to warn of the group's threat to American democracy. This episode originally aired July 7, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

39:00

'You Are Killing Women'

Not Past It ·

2024/06/26

On June 24th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The court ruled that the right to an abortion does not exist in the Constitution, effectively overturning 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. One fearless woman, Mary Calderone, assembled a group of doctors, public health experts, and psychologists, 67 years ago to talk about abortion at a time when it was really, really dangerous to do so. This episode originally aired June 29, 2022.Learn

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24:56

The Paris Hilton Sex Tape

Not Past It ·

2024/06/19

Paris Hilton’s sex tape ushered in a new era of celebrity obsession. On June 15, 2004: it went on sale after her ex made a deal with a pornographic distributor. Simone reflects on the scandal, fallout and impact it had on a generation of young women. This episode originally aired June 16, 2021.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

34:17

The Gay History of Camels

Not Past It ·

2024/06/12

Buffalos, horses, wagons and trains: These are all icons of the U.S. expansion west. But a camel? This Pride Month, Simone tells comedian and culture writer Ashley Ray the story of the U.S. Army’s little-known Camel Corps and reveals its surprising link to the creation of a queer city. This episode originally aired June 15, 2022.Show notes: Shout out to Jon Ponder from the West Hollywood History Center. His work helped us put this very special show together. You can learn more at

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200 results

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