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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

21:56

The First Battle Over The Smithsonian (1846) [Archive...

This Day ·

2025/08/21

The Trump administration has ramped up its attacks on museums and The Smithsonian. We're recoding a special reaction episode that will appear in our newsletter - sign up now to get it. In the meantime, here's an episode from the archives on the founding of the institution.It’s August 15th. This day (actually Aug 10th) in 1846, President Polk signed into law a bill establishing the Smithsonian Institution, after almost a decade of squabbling about how the United States would use the money

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18:19

The Dumbest, Most Perfect, Political Question Ever...

This Day ·

2025/08/19

It’s July 31st, 2012. This day, on the campaign trail, a reporter shouts a question at Mitt Romney: “What about your gaffes?!”Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the question came to be asked and why it perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with modern political journalism. Plus, why the other questions asked that day weren’t that much better.Don't forget to sign up for our America250 Watch newsletter, where you'll also get links and lots more historical

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18:49

WWII Internment: Latin Americans in Texas (1944)

This Day ·

2025/08/05

It's August 5th. This day in 1944, a crucial moment in World War II history, a series of internment camps are being set up in Texas. Unlike the more widely known camps on the US West Coast, these camps held not only Japanese Americans but also individuals of Japanese, German, and Italian descent from Latin America, who were deported to this country.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the US was bringing people into the country just to put them behind fences; what life was like inside Crystal

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15:57

Texas Dems Flee To Stop Redistricting (Some Context)...

This Day ·

2025/08/04

One of the biggest stories today, in 2025, is that Texas Democracts have left the state and are in Illinois, looking to hold up drastic redistricting legislation proposed by the GOP. In 2020, we recorded an episode about another time that Texas Dems fled the state to stop redestricting... We're bringing it to you now as part of our ongoing series to provide some historical context for stories playing out in American politics right now.Join our newsletter community

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25:16

Weird, Controversial, and Fake Historical Markers...

This Day ·

2025/07/31

Last episode, we talked about the history of historical markers, and what they indicate about the present. Today, a tour through some of our favorite examples of strange and controversial markers from around the country. Be sure to share your favorite historical marker in our newsletter chat!https://thisdaypod.substack.com/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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22:15

The History Of History Markers (Part 1) (1913)

This Day ·

2025/07/29

It's July 29th. This day in 1913, Pennsylvania passed a law that would establish a system for adding historical markers and plaques around their state. Over the coming decades, other states would follow suit, and into the first half of the 20th century, the United States saw a flourishing of those road-side historical markers.Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why there was such an appetite for historical commemoration in the early 20th century, and how something ends up getting a marker in the

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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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132 results

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