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PODCAST

The Daily History Chronicle

University Teaching Edition

Every date on the calendar marks a moment that changed everything. Welcome to The Daily History Chronicle, where host Richard Backus, publisher of University Teaching Edition, brings history to life through compelling 15-minute stories that connect the past to our present. Each day, we travel back to explore a pivotal moment in history, from revolutions and discoveries to tragedies and triumphs. But these aren"t just dates and facts. They"re stories of courage, conflict, innovation, and

history

All Episodes

17:22

December 10, 1901: When a Merchant of Death Tried to...

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/10

On December 10, 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded, launching the world's most prestigious recognition of human achievement. But Richard Backus examines the complicated origins: Alfred Nobel, haunted by being called a "merchant of death" after inventing dynamite, tried to rewrite his legacy by celebrating peace and knowledge instead of destruction. From his investigator's perspective, he explores both Nobel's redemptive vision and the limitations of recognition systems who gets

en

17:13

December 9, 1921: The Day One Woman Broke Through

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/09

On December 9, 1921, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected to Canada's House of Commons, the only woman among 234 men. Richard Backus examines not just her achievement, but what she faced once she broke through: extraordinary scrutiny, impossible standards, and the burden of representing all women. From his investigator's perspective, he explores why breaking barriers isn't the same as changing systems, why women still hold only 30% of legislative seats a century later, and what

en

16:56

December 8, 1980: When the Music Stopped

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/08

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment by Mark David Chapman, a man who claimed to be a fan. Richard Backus examines not just the murder, but the systems that failed to prevent it: mental health systems that couldn't identify someone in crisis, celebrity culture that creates obsessive parasocial relationships, and weapon access that enabled the violence. From his investigator's perspective, he explores why these same patterns keep repeating from

en

18:25

December 7, 1941: The Day We Weren't Looking

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/07

On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor in a "surprise" assault that killed over 2,400 Americans and pulled the U.S. into World War II. But Richard Backus investigates why it wasn't really a surprise: there were warning signs, intelligence was available, and multiple indicators were present. The failure was that we were looking in the wrong direction, preparing for expected threats while missing the unexpected one. From his investigator's perspective, he examines how

en

18:07

December 6, 1917: When Two Ships Changed Everything

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/06

On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, triggering the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb. Nearly 2,000 people died because warning systems failed and emergency protocols didn't exist. Richard Backus investigates the cascade of small failures that led to catastrophe, from poor communication between ships to the lack of evacuation plans, and examines why these same patterns keep repeating in industrial disasters today. From chemical plants near residential

en

17:07

December 5, 1933: The Day America Admitted It Was Wrong

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/05

On December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, ending Prohibition and marking one of the few times America admitted a constitutional policy was a catastrophic failure. Richard Backus investigates why Prohibition failed so completely creating black markets, empowering organized crime, corrupting law enforcement, and making alcohol more dangerous. But this episode goes beyond the 1920s to examine why we keep repeating the same mistake: trying to prohibit

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17:25

December 4, 1872: The Mystery That Launched a...

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/04

On December 4, 1872, the crew of the Dei Gratia found the Mary Celeste sailing abandoned in the Atlantic, seaworthy, cargo intact, but not a soul on board. Richard Backus investigates what the evidence actually tells us versus the sensational theories that have accumulated over 150 years. From his investigator's perspective, he examines the most likely explanation and explores why we prefer dramatic mysteries to mundane truths. This episode is about more than a maritime mystery; it's about

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16:54

December 3, 1984: The Night the Gas Came

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/03

On December 3, 1984, forty-two tons of toxic gas leaked from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, killing thousands in a single night and injuring hundreds of thousands more. Richard Backus investigates how systematic cost-cutting degraded multiple safety systems, creating a preventable disaster. But this episode goes beyond the technical failures to examine the uncomfortable questions: Why do we accept lower safety standards in poor communities? Why was justice denied to the

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15:10

December 2, 1823: The Day America Drew a Line in the...

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/02

On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe announced a doctrine that would shape American foreign policy for two centuries but the United States didn't actually have the power to enforce it. Richard Backus explores how Monroe's bold declaration worked through British backing, how it evolved from defensive policy to justification for intervention, and why every major power today wants its own Monroe Doctrine. In a world where spheres of influence collide, understanding how this 200-year-old

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14:20

December 1, 1867: The Day Canada Learned to Argue...

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/12/01

On December 1, 1867, Canada's first Parliament opened in Ottawa, but this wasn't a celebration of unity. It was an experiment in whether people who deeply disagreed could learn to govern together. Richard Backus explores how the parliamentary system was deliberately designed to contain differences without eliminating them and why that choice remains profoundly relevant today. When democracy feels broken, the lessons from that first Parliament matter more than ever. This is about more than

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22:28

November 30, 1954: The Day the Sky Fell on Ann Hodges

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/30

Ann Hodges became the only confirmed person struck by a meteorite when an eight-pound rock crashed through her roof a story about astronomical odds, human responses to extraordinary events, and how trauma can be compounded by attention.

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23:43

November 29, 1947: A Vote That Changed the Middle East

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/29

The UN's partition plan for Palestine tried to resolve competing Jewish and Arab claims but triggered a war that created refugees and established facts on the ground that remain unresolved nearly eight decades later.

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23:43

November 28, 1925: When Nashville Found Its Voice

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/28

The first broadcast of WSM Barn Dance, soon renamed the Grand Ole Opry, launched country music's longest-running radio show and transformed Nashville into Music City USA, demonstrating how radio could preserve and shape regional culture.

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23:03

November 27, 1701: The Man Who Gave Us Degrees

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/27

Anders Celsius created a temperature scale so intuitive and practical it became the global standard, reminding us that measurements aren't just numbers but frameworks for communication, and that standardization enables human cooperation and progress.

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23:24

November 26, 1789: A Nation Gives Thanks

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/26

President Washington's first national Thanksgiving proclamation started a tradition that would evolve through mythology, crisis, and cultural change into America's most universally observed holiday, revealing how nations construct shared narratives and why gratitude matters.

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21:29

November 25, 1783: The Last Redcoats Leave

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/25

The British evacuation of New York ended the Revolutionary War's seven-year occupation. Still, the messy withdrawal, Loyalist exodus, and challenges of rebuilding showed that ending wars is as complex as fighting them.

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22:50

November 24, 1859: The Book That Changed Everything

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/24

Darwin's Origin of Species sold out on its first day and revolutionized biology with the theory of evolution by natural selection—launching scientific and cultural controversies that continue 166 years later.

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20:39

November 23, 1936: Pictures That Told Stories

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/23

The launch of Life magazine revolutionized visual journalism and defined how Americans understood their world for decades until television, the internet, and the collapse of advertising models destroyed the business of serious photojournalism.

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20:06

November 22, 1963: The Day That Changed America

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/22

President Kennedy's assassination traumatized the nation and spawned decades of conspiracy theories, demonstrating how a single act of violence can shatter public trust and revealing patterns of conspiracy thinking that shape American culture still.

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18:49

November 21, 1783: Day Humanity Left the Ground

The Daily History Chronicle ·

2025/11/21

The first manned hot air balloon flight over Paris transformed humanity's ancient dream of flight into reality, launching both the age of aviation and timeless lessons about innovation, courage, and turning the impossible into the possible.

en

43 results

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