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PODCAST

This Day

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

“This Day” takes you beyond the head-spinning headlines of today and into the unexpected historical moments that have shaped American politics. Hosted by Jody Avirgan (538), and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt), and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley), each episode explores a moment from that day in U.S. political history to uncover its lasting impact. On Sunday episodes, Jody, Niki and Kellie react to current news with their usual mix of humor, analysis, and historical perspective.New

history

All Episodes

23:59

The Frick Near-Assassination (1892)

This Day ·

2025/07/24

It's July 24th. This day in 1892, labor activist Alexander Berkman attempts to assasinate industrialist Henry Clay Frick, head of the Carnegie Steel Corporation.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the ratcheting tensions around the Homestead mill strike, and why Berman thought this "propaganda of the deed" would arouse class solidarity.Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for our ongoing coverage and commentary on how America 250 is playing

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20:18

Willis Carrier Invents Air Conditioning (1902)

This Day ·

2025/07/17

It's July 17th. This day in 1902, a New York engineer by the name of Willis Haviland Carrier is trying to figure out a system for keeping printing machinery cool -- and ends up developing the technology that would lead to air conditioning.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how quickly Carrier's invention spread, and how air conditioning changed everything from urban development to political productivity.Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for our ongoing coverage and

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31:20

Superman's Politics w/ Glen Wheldon [Some Sunday...

This Day ·

2025/07/13

This episode is part of our "Some Sunday Context" series, new conversations and favorites from the archives that give some context for the biggest stories of the moment. Today: with a new Superman movie leading to a whole discourse about what he represents, we revisit a conversation with NPR's Glen Weldon about the comic book origins of the Man of Steel, and how he's always reflected the politics of this country throghout the last 85+ years.Be sure to check out Glen’s work on Pop Culture

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18:31

The Death Of The DOE (1868)

This Day ·

2025/07/10

It's July 10th. This day in 1868, the federal government officially dismantled the Department of Education -- it would be more than a 100 years before it was re-established.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why there was a federal push to promote education in the wake of the Civil War, and why the fight against it feels so resonant to the anti-DOE efforts today.Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for our ongoing coverage and commentary on how America 250 is playing

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24:00

How America250 Is Coming Together (Part 2)

This Day ·

2025/07/06

We continue our conversation about the America250 celebrations planned for 2026 -- which are kicking off in earnest this July 4th. We know a lot about who is tasked with putting this celebration together, and what that may indicate.The big news is that we are announcing the launch of America 250 Watch! Our newsletter will be the hub, along with the podcast of course, for our ongoing coverage and commentary on how America 250 is playing out. To get it all, and support our efforts, subscribe

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41:37

America250 Is Here, Are You Ready?

This Day ·

2025/07/03

Hello and happy 4th of July! (One day early) America's 250th birthday is next year, but the celebration is, in many ways, kicking off this week. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the 250th will be such a key moment for understanding US history, how the Trump administration is already framing the story -- and how we plan to cover it into 2026.The big news is that we are announcing the launch of America 250 Watch! Our newsletter will be the hub, along with the podcast of course, for our

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14:52

The Chicken Tariff That Led To Huge Trucks (1962)

This Day ·

2025/07/01

It's July 1st. This day in 1962, six European countries are banding together to impose severe tariffs on imported American chicken.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why things got so heated in the poultry industry, and how the retaliatory tariff war it set off had major implications for, of all things, the American truck industry.Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned

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20:26

4th Of July, Protest, The Constitution and Slavery...

This Day ·

2025/06/29

This episode is part of our "Some Sunday Context" series where we are bringing you episodes from the archives and new conversations that try to give you a little historical perspective on current events. Today, an episode we recorded in 2021 about an anti-slavery protest in 1854, and how it brought up fundamental questions about our founding documents, freedom, and more.We'll be back with new episodes on Tuesday -- and don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for big new project coming

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17:28

LBJ Goes From War On Poverty To War On Crime (1968)

This Day ·

2025/06/26

It's June 26th. This day in 1968, President Johnson signed what would be his last major act of domestic legislation -- an omnibus crime bill that drastically empowered and armed local police forces.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the conversation about public safety and policing shifted from the mid-to-late sixties, and how this bill set a template for how police forces would be funded in the decades to come.Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud

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11:38

Juneteenth, Federal Holidays, And Writing History In...

This Day ·

2025/06/19

It's June 19th. Today is Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States marking the end of slavery. We're bringing you an episode from 2020 on the history of the date and the holiday -- but before that some thoughts from Jody about how this very recent holiday reflects the way history is getting written before our eyes.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch!Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from

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18:26

50 Years Of JAWS Terrifying Everyone (1975)

This Day ·

2025/06/17

It's June 17th. This day in 1975, Steven Spielberg's JAWS is in theaters -- it is the first proper summer blockbuster, and also has a massive political and cultural effect.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the movie ruined the reputation of sharks, and also served as a parable for late-1970s American malaise.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch!Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Your support

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23:03

LBJ Puts Thurgood Marshall On The Court (1967)

This Day ·

2025/06/12

It's June 12. This day in 1967, President Johnson nominates Thurgood Marshall as the first Black Supreme Court justice. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Marshall's stories legal career up until this point -- but why Johnson was still taking a major risk in putting him forward.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch!Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Your support helps foster independent,

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18:59

FDR Takes Your Gold (1933)

This Day ·

2025/06/10

It's June 9th. This day in 1933, the Roosevelt administration is asking Americans to turn their gold into the government -- or be jailed.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how FDR sought to stabilize the economy, how Americans reacted to the order to turn in their heavy metals -- and how this moment led the US to become less and less reliant on the gold standard.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch!Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is

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27:07

LA, The National Guard, Immigration and the Zoot Suit...

This Day ·

2025/06/08

Today, as part of our "Some Sunday Context" series, Jody offers some thoughts on the story playing out in Los Angeles where the Trump administration has called in the national guard, over the objections of local officials. This is the first time something like that has happened since 1965. We've done a number of stories that include the moment where the national guard appears, and it is often just the beginning of the political and cultural fallout. We're all watching the latest from LA

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19:21

The U.S. Deports A Chinese Scientist (1950)

This Day ·

2025/06/05

It's June 5th. This day in 1943, the United States is in the process of deporting Qian Xuesen, a Chinese aerospace engineer who had lived in the US for decades and contributed significantly to WWII-era scientific research.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how Qian came to the U.S. in the first place, rose the scientific and political ranks -- but then got caught up in larger geopolitical fears about Chinese communism.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch!Find out more at

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21:38

Jack Johnson't Big Fight (1913)

This Day ·

2025/06/03

It's June 3rd. This day in 1913, boxer Jack Johnson is sentenced under the Mann Act, a vice law that sought to curb prostitution -- though many saw the sentencing as targeing Johnson for being a prominent and outspoken Black athlete.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Johnson's boxing career, the many "great White hope" boxers he defeated, and how his prosecution reflected larger fears about miscegination and Black athletic achievement.Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day

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29:10

Inside Airline Cockpits (Some Sunday Context) w/...

This Day ·

2025/06/01

Today, another in our "Some Sunday Context" series, where we bring you new conversations and episodes from the archives that try to help us make sense of life here in 2025. Nathan Fielder's "The Rehearsal" -- unexpectedly -- has many of us thinking about airline safety and aviation policy. His show is concerned with the interpersonal dynamics inside a cockpit, but the larger context is of an industry that has been deregulated, degraded, and ignored to the point where, well... flying really

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22:44

Miami Explodes Into Violence (1980)

This Day ·

2025/05/15

It's May 14th. This day in 1980, Miami is seeing the biggest racial uprising of the 70s or 80s, as riots and violence erupt with the acquittal of police officers accused of killing a man by the name of Arthur McDuffie.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the violence broke out, how it echoes so many of the uprisings of the 1960s and 1990s -- but why the McDuffie Riots may not be as remembered as some other incidents.Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a

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29:12

An Early Climate Change Warning Ignored (1957) w/ Amy...

This Day ·

2025/05/13

It's May 13th. This day in 1957, oceanographer Roger Revelle offered testimony to Congress about the perilous effects of carbon in the Earth's atmosphere.Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by climate journalist Amy Westervelt to discuss how the warnings about climate change were being presented much earlier than we may realize, and how voices like Revelle were ignored -- and then undermined -- by government and corporations.Be sure to check out Amy's work with Drilled and more here!Find out

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18:17

Reagan's German Cemetery Visit Controversy (1985)

This Day ·

2025/05/06

It's May 5th. This day in 1985, President Reagan visits a German military cemetery in Bitburg, where a number of SS Soldiers were buried.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the visit to the cemetery had been a controversial decision for months, why Reagan still went ahead with the visit -- and how the attempt to clean up the mess afterwards didn't go any better.Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Your support helps

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126 results

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