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PODCAST

The History Of

The History Of...For people who were bad at history but not too proud to Google it now. This isn’t the history podcast for experts. It’s for the rest of us: the curious, the confused, the ones who zoned out during school but still wonder who invented the fork or why people used to put arsenic in their face cream. Each episode takes one thing an object, a place, a job, a trend and unpacks the weird, messy, often ridiculous story behind it. Just history for people who ask questions late at night and

history

All Episodes

24:40

Ep.26 Prostitution

The History Of ·

2025/10/08

From sacred rituals in Mesopotamian temples to the neon glow of modern red-light districts, prostitution has been called the world’s oldest profession for a reason. In this episode, we trace its long, complicated history as it began with fertility rites and sacred customs, shifted into a practice that was condemned and taxed across empires, and eventually became tangled with morality, law, and survival in the modern age. Along the way, we meet courtesans and concubines, street workers and activists,

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17:06

Ep.25 The Compass

The History Of ·

2025/10/06

Today we’re talking about one of humanity’s simplest yet most powerful inventions: the compass. Born in ancient China not as a navigation tool but as a device for divination, the compass slowly made its way west along the Silk Road, guiding sailors, merchants, and eventually empires. In this episode, we trace its journey from lodestones and fortune-telling to the Age of Discovery, polar expeditions, Boy Scout kits, spy gadgets, and even our idea of an “inner compass.” It’s the story of how a

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22:25

Ep.24 Mood Rings

The History Of ·

2025/10/03

In 1975, two New York inventors turned liquid crystal science into the grooviest gimmick of the decade: the mood ring. This episode traces the wild rise of the little band that claimed to read your emotions, from its birth in the “Me Decade” of introspection and astrology, to its short-lived cultural takeover, and its colorful afterlife in retro fashion. Were mood rings accurate? Not even close. Were they fun? Absolutely. Join us as we explore how a bit of science, a lot of marketing, and the human

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17:45

Ep.23 The Wendigo

The History Of ·

2025/10/01

Deep in the frozen forests of North America, the Wendigo lurked in story and in fear. Born from the oral traditions of Algonquian-speaking peoples, it was a spirit of hunger, winter, and the unthinkable act of cannibalism. In this episode, we follow the Wendigo’s trail from its earliest role as a warning tale against greed and isolation, through chilling real-world cases in the 1800s, and into its modern afterlife in horror films, video games, and internet lore. Was it a monster, a metaphor, or

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21:46

Ep.22 Graffiti

The History Of ·

2025/09/29

Graffiti is older than spray cans and subway tunnels, way older. In this episode, we trace humanity’s urge to write on walls from ancient Roman bathroom jokes to Viking ship carvings, World War II “Kilroy” tags, and the wild lettering of 1970s New York subways. Along the way, graffiti shifted from vandalism to protest to art gallery commodity, while still sparking the same old question: is it crime, or is it culture? Either way, it’s proof that humans have always had something to say, and a habit of

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22:35

Ep.21 Alchemy

The History Of ·

2025/09/26

Long before chemistry set up its tidy labs, alchemy was stirring in smoky chambers filled with scrolls, crucibles, and a lot of wishful thinking. From Ancient Egypt to the medieval hunt for the Philosopher’s Stone, this episode traces how alchemy blended science, spirituality, and a little bit of fraud. We’ll meet the dreamers who thought lead could turn into gold, the mystics who saw hidden truths in metals, and even Isaac Newton, who spent more time on alchemy than on gravity. It’s a story of

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23:22

Ep.20 Radium Beauty

The History Of ·

2025/09/24

In the early 20th century, glowing skin meant something very different than it does today. This episode traces the bizarre and unsettling rise of radium in the beauty industry. From the discovery of the element by Marie and Pierre Curie to its enthusiastic adoption in face creams, powders, and even toothpaste, we follow how a scientific marvel became a dangerous fad. Along the way, we meet the advertisers who promised eternal youth in a jar, the consumers dazzled by the glow, and the tragic victims

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20:45

Ep.19 Easter Island

The History Of ·

2025/09/22

Isolated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is famous for its giant stone heads, but their story is anything but simple. In this episode, we trace the island’s incredible history from its early Polynesian settlers to the rise and fall of the Rapa Nui civilization. We’ll talk about how the iconic Moai were carved, moved, and buried, and how the island’s population collapsed long before Europeans arrived. There are lessons here about ingenuity, isolation, and what happens when a society

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22:39

Ep.18 Court Jesters

The History Of ·

2025/09/19

They wore bells on their hats, but they weren’t just clowns. In this episode, we take a sharp-witted stroll through the curious life of the court jester the only person in the medieval world who could mock a king and live to juggle another day. From royal courts in Europe to dynasties in China and empires in the Middle East, jesters played a surprisingly serious role: part comedian, part critic, part political pressure valve. We’ll explore their costumes, their cleverness, and their cultural

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24:58

Ep.17 The Zipper

The History Of ·

2025/09/17

It holds your jeans together, saves your jacket from flapping open, and occasionally betrays you at exactly the wrong moment. But where did the humble zipper come from? In this episode, we trace the zigzagging path from 19th-century “clasp lockers” to the smooth-gliding zippers we know today. You’ll meet the inventors who couldn’t quite get it right, the guy who finally did, and the fashion world that didn’t quite know what to make of it. From military uniforms to Hollywood red carpets, the zipper’s

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20:14

Ep.16 Pogs

The History Of ·

2025/09/15

In this episode, we crack open the cardboard craze of the 1990s and trace it all the way back to milk caps in the 1920s Hawaii. From tropical juice brands to schoolyard slammers, the humble Pog went from playground oddity to global obsession almost overnight. We’ll explore how a simple stacking game turned into a multi-million-dollar industry, what exactly made it so addictive, and why it fizzled out almost as fast as it blew up. It’s a story of kids, caps, and the chaotic magic of a truly weird

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22:36

Ep.15 The Jersey Devil

The History Of ·

2025/09/12

Long before it became a local legend or a hockey team mascot, the Jersey Devil was terrorizing the pine-scented woods of southern New Jersey. In this episode, we trace the tale from its murky colonial origins, including the infamous Leeds family and their alleged cursed 13th child, all the way through centuries of sightings, hoaxes, and folklore. Was it a demon, a deformed child, or just a case of 18th-century mudslinging gone wild? We’ll untangle fact from fiction, explore how the creature became a

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14:50

Ep.14 Breakdancing

The History Of ·

2025/09/10

The History of BreakdancingBorn on the streets of the Bronx in the 1970s, breakdancing or “breaking” exploded from neighborhood block parties into a global phenomenon. In this episode, we’ll trace how a mix of acrobatics, rhythm, and raw creativity turned into a cultural movement that defined hip-hop. From cardboard mats and boomboxes to international competitions and an Olympic stage, breaking has always been about more than just dance, it’s about style, identity, and proving yourself in the

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20:41

Ep.13 Flat Earth

The History Of ·

2025/09/08

The History of Flat EarthFor most of human history, people have looked up at the sky, down at the ground, and wondered what exactly they were standing on. The idea of a flat Earth wasn’t just a quirky belief, it was the dominant worldview for centuries. In this episode, we’ll explore how ancient cultures imagined the Earth’s shape, why the flat Earth stuck around so long, and how it eventually gave way to the round planet model we take for granted today. And yes, we’ll also take a peek at the

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22:08

Ep.12 Leech Therapy

The History Of ·

2025/09/05

The History of Leech TherapyThey’re slimy, they’re squirmy, and for centuries, they were considered medical miracles. Leech therapy was once the go-to cure for just about everything, from headaches to fevers to “balancing the humors.” In this episode, we’ll trace how these little bloodsuckers went from medieval medicine cabinets to Victorian hype, and why they’re still, believe it or not, used in certain modern surgeries today. It’s a story that’s equal parts gross, fascinating, and oddly

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22:02

Ep.11 The Great Fire of London

The History Of ·

2025/09/03

The History of The Great Fire of LondonIn September 1666, a spark in a London bakery turned into one of the most infamous infernos in history. The Great Fire of London roared through the city for four days, reducing thousands of homes, churches, and businesses to ash. But it wasn’t just destruction, it reshaped London forever. In this episode, we’ll follow the flames from Pudding Lane to the city walls, look at the chaos and rumors that spread as quickly as the fire itself, and explore how the

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19:16

Ep.10 The Executioners

The History Of ·

2025/09/01

The History of The ExecutionersThey were feared, reviled, and sometimes strangely respected. Executioners lived on the edges of society, called upon to do the work no one else wanted but everyone demanded. In this episode, we’ll look at how the role of the executioner developed across different cultures, why many of them became outcasts, and how their grim profession shaped law, order, and public spectacle. From the medieval axemen to the masked figures of more recent centuries, the story of

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16:37

Ep.9 The Typewriter

The History Of ·

2025/08/29

The History of The TypewriterBefore laptops, before word processors, even before clunky desktop computers, there was the unmistakable clack-clack-ding of the typewriter. In this episode, we’ll trace the strange and stubborn evolution of the machine that gave writers sore fingers and editors clean copy. From early, awkward contraptions that barely worked, to the rise of the sleek office standard, the typewriter didn’t just change how people wrote, it changed how they worked, thought, and

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23:34

Ep.8 Tamagotchi

The History Of ·

2025/08/27

The History of TamagotchiIn the late 1990s, millions of kids became proud digital pet parents, and millions of teachers quietly lost their minds. Tamagotchi, the tiny beeping keychain companions from Japan, weren’t just toys, they were a crash course in responsibility, obsession, and the heartbreak of pixelated death. In this episode, we dig into where the idea came from, why it spread like wildfire across the globe, and how something so simple managed to define a generation. From their quirky

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23:37

Ep.7 The Mothman

The History Of ·

2025/08/25

The History of The MothmanIn the late 1960s, the quiet town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, found itself stalked by something out of a nightmare, a towering figure with glowing red eyes and massive wings. Over thirteen months, dozens of residents reported sightings of the creature they called the Mothman. Was it a supernatural omen, a misidentified animal, or something stranger still? In this episode of The History Of, we follow the sightings, the hysteria, and the legends that turned a local

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