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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

31:35

The Saloon Smasher

Not Past It ·

2024/01/17

104 years ago this week, Prohibition went into effect, giving the country a Dry January for the ages. Prohibition was a famous failure, so who got us into that sober decade in the first place? Today, we’re talking about the notorious temperance crusader Carry A. Nation, whose weapon of choice made her a laughingstock -- and an unlikely hero. This episode originally aired Jan. 18, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:48

Big Tobacco's Minty Rebrand

Not Past It ·

2024/01/10

On January 11, 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General released a bombshell report detailing the harmful effects of smoking. It was the first time America’s “top doctor” issued such a public warning on the dangers of cigarettes. And with their backs against the wall, tobacco companies got creative and crafted new tactics to target Black communities. This episode originally aired Jan. 11, 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:43

We're Off To See The Wiz

Not Past It ·

2024/01/03

In the 1970s, amateur theater producer Ken Harper had a vision for an all-Black rendition of the Wizard of Oz. And on January 5, 1975, The Wiz premiered on Broadway. Hollywood came knocking shortly after, packing the film version of the musical with stars like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. But the Wiz’s success was never a guarantee. In fact, it went through many trials, misses, and near-deaths before becoming the cult classic it is today. This episode originally aired Jan. 4, 2023. Learn more

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38:07

The Glow Down of the Green M&M

Not Past It ·

2023/12/27

It’s been a big year for the Green M&M. After a marketing revamp, she lost her signature go-go boots and femme fatale flair. So we thought, what better way to end the year than bringing back our episode all about how Ms. Green got so sexy in the first place. In this history domino classic, we trace how the Spanish American War led to a sugar boom, warring candy families, and eventually, the birth of a pop culture icon. This 2021 episode was originally rebroadcast on Dec. 28, 2022. Learn more about

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31:35

Undercover at the Debutante Ball

Not Past It ·

2023/12/20

On December 22, 1972, St. Louis high society was readying itself for The Veiled Prophet Ball—a debutante ball for the daughters of the city’s most pedigreed families. Inside, thousands of guests at the white tie event settled in for an elegant evening. But just outside, a group of stealth activists was preparing to infiltrate the exclusive party, where they’d attempt to pull off a dramatic stunt and unveil the ugly truth behind the ball’s origins. This episode originally aired on Dec. 21,

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33:09

Santa Snafu

Not Past It ·

2023/12/14

On this episode, we’ll find out how a 19th-century obsession with the frigid Arctic snowballed into our mythology of Old Saint Nick. We’ll take a sneak peek into Santa’s bag of toys, answer his personal phone calls, and track his sleigh across the starry night sky. We’re joined by comedian and writer Karen Chee (Late Night with Seth Myers, Patchinko). This episode originally aired Dec. 14, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

40:51

Where Are My Background Singers?

Not Past It ·

2023/12/06

On December 5, 1996, Patti LaBelle performed at the National Tree Lighting Ceremony, and so much went wrong: her cue cards were out of order, the backup singers were missing, and it was on national TV. The moment has since become an annual Christmas-time viral sensation. But 27 years laters, the question remains: how did everything go so far off the rails? Now, finally, we have the answer. This episode originally aired Dec. 8, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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32:03

Wax Heads Will Roll

Not Past It ·

2023/11/29

Marie Grosholtz was born in France on December 1st, 1761. 261 years later, she’s better known as Madame Tussaud, the enigmatic woman behind a global wax museum franchise. Before the replicas of Taylor Swift and RuPaul, Madame Tussaud befriended royals and dodged guillotines during the French Revolution. Through her wax figures and eye for fame, she helped create the celebrity machine that still powers our culture all these years later. Plus, we talk to actor and star Danny Trejo about what it’s like

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29:04

Sabotaging the 'History' of Thanksgiving

Not Past It ·

2023/11/22

We're continuing a Not Past It tradition and bringing back our Thanksgiving episode. Wamsutta Frank James, a member of the Wampanoag Tribe, led his fellow activists in protest of a Thanksgiving Celebration in Plymouth, MA. On November 26, 1970, he set the record straight as to the true and violent history of this holiday. The Pilgrim celebration went to shit and the first National Day of Mourning was born. This episode originally aired Nov. 24, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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28:39

Oklahoma Is Not O.K.

Not Past It ·

2023/11/15

On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th U.S. state. White settlers and certain American Indians united behind statehood, but another group of residents was skeptical. Black Americans. They worried statehood would lead to segregation. One Black tribal citizen, James Coody Johnson, set out to stop the creation of Oklahoma. The fight that unfolded forever changed Black Americans’ relationship with the tribes. This episode originally aired Nov. 16, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

en

23:44

There's No Girls in Baseball

Not Past It ·

2023/11/08

Ever wonder why children’s sports are segregated by gender? Why there has to be a girls team and a boys team? Well, On November 7th 1973, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights tried to change that. They ruled that little league baseball wasn’t just for boys in the Garden State. But what seemed like a victory for gender equality ended up setting in motion plans that still keep kids off the field to this day. This episode originally aired Nov. 09, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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31:05

King Tut Died for Tourism

Not Past It ·

2023/11/01

King Tutankhamen, Egypt’s boy prince was laid to rest in a fantastical chamber of secrets. On November 4, 1922, the entrance to King Tut’s tomb was discovered 33 centuries after he was buried. But when the king’s tomb was disturbed strange things began to happen. This episode originally aired Nov. 3, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

32:46

Frankenstein's Teen Mom

Not Past It ·

2023/10/25

In 1816, at just 18 years old, Mary Shelley awoke from a nightmarish dream that inspired her famous novel, Frankenstein. But while her story pleasantly spooked literary friends, it was far beyond the tastes of Mary’s time. So where did Mary draw the themes for her monster tale? And how did Frankenstein break through the harsh critics, make it onto the silver screen, and become the iconic green monster we know and love? This episode originally aired on Oct. 26, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices

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32:21

When Josephine Baker Had Enough

Not Past It ·

2023/10/18

When international Jazz Age icon Josephine Baker walked into New York’s most exclusive nightclub 72 years ago this week, a brief interaction changed her career and life forever. What followed took Josephine should be from headlining New York’s top musical theaters to headlining the country’s juiciest gossip columns. Her mistake? Expecting service at a restaurant. This episode originally aired on Oct. 19, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

37:15

Lizzie Borden Took an Axe

Not Past It ·

2023/10/11

Lizzie Borden took an ax. Gave her mother 40 whacks. The legend of Lizzie Borden is infamous. One of the earliest true crime sensations in America. And 130 years later, the woman accused of hacking her parents to death with a hatchet still captures the public’s imagination. We would know — we visited the house where the murders took place, and spent the night hunting ghosts of yore. Little did we know, we’d find much more connection than we bargained for… This episode originally aired on October 12,

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36:06

The Witch of Delray

Not Past It ·

2023/10/04

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 on Oct. 06, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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34:03

From Corsets to Climate Change

Not Past It ·

2023/09/27

In September of 1907, the “tiny waist craze” swept up the women of London. They achieved the look by squeezing themselves into tightly laced corsets -- and deforming their bodies in the process. Women’s undergarments have evolved over the last century, but remain confining. Comedian Aparna Nancherla joins us as we trace this evolution and its surprising ties to American politics. This episode originally aired Sep. 22, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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41:28

Past Perfect: Simone's New Trivia Podcast!

Not Past It ·

2023/09/20

This week, we're dropping the premiere episode of the new time-traveling history trivia podcast, Past Perfect — brought to you by Simone Polanen and the team who brought you Not Past It. In this first episode, podcast superstars Emmanuel Dzotsi and Saidu Tejan-Thomas duke it out for trivia supremacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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27:36

Mary Kay and the Rise of the Pink MLM

Not Past It ·

2023/09/13

On September 13, 1963, Mary Kay Ash launched what would become a beauty empire. She wasn’t just selling makeup. She was selling a dream: Women could have a flexible career and still make time for a family. Mary Kay recruited hundreds of thousands of women from around the world to become sales reps. And her company grew into a multi-billion dollar, global phenomenon. Did Mary Kay give women the reins to their own financial future? Or was that promise only skin deep? This episode originally aired Sep

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38:13

Are You Smarter Than a Podcast Host?

Not Past It ·

2023/09/06

Thirty-nine years ago, Alex Trebek stepped onto the set of Jeopardy and changed the world of trivia with one Canadian mustache. This week, Not Past It carries on the game show torch in a trivia showdown, featuring our inaugural contestants: Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber, hosts of the podcast Who? Weekly. Play along at home and see how you stack up! This episode originally aired Sept. 07, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

en

200 results

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