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Every episode
Stuff You Missed in History Class
30 episodes
SYMHC Classics: Jethro Tull
Aug 15, 2026 · 35 min
This 2021 episode covers Jethro Tull. Today, most people only know that as the name of a band, but Tull was an 18th-century gentleman farmer often credited with inventing the seed drill. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Smashing Linoleum
Aug 14, 2026 · 20 min
Tracy talks about papers about history written by economists. Holy talks about linoleum having a bad reputation because of the designs of the 1970s and '80s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Frederick Walton and the Invention of Linoleum
Aug 12, 2026 · 42 min
Frederick Walton caused a lot of financial family friction on the way to developing linoleum. And even though he believed he had revolutionized home dec, he didn't expect to be remembered. Research: “4,000 for His ‘Devoted Attendant.’” Western Daily Press. August 3, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/813758815/?match=1&terms=%22Frederick%20Walton%22 Baker, Anne Pimlott. "Walton, Frederick Edward (bap. 1834, d. 1928), inventor of linoleum." Oxford Dictionary of Na…
Swing Riots
Aug 10, 2026 · 37 min
The Swing Riots took place in eastern and southern England in the years between the Luddite uprising and the Rebecca Riots. One of the hallmarks of the riots was the destruction of threshing machines – but that’s just part of the story. Research: Caprettini, Bruno and Hans-Joachim Voth. “Rage Against the Machines: Labor-saving Technology and Unrest in England, 1830-32.” American Economic Review: Insights. Vol. 2, no. 3, September 2020. https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/…
SYMHC Classics: Battle of Amiens
Aug 8, 2026 · 24 min
This 2018 episode covers the Battle of Amiens, near the end of World War I. It was the start of what came to be known as the 100 Days Offensive, which was the Allies’ final push to win the war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Air Conditioned Rabble Rouser
Aug 7, 2026 · 26 min
Tracy and Holly talk about experiences in intensely hot weather. Holly shares how moved she was by Samuel Plimsoll’s obituaries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Samuel Plimsoll, the ‘Sailors’ Friend’
Aug 5, 2026 · 35 min
Samuel Plimsoll was an advocate for better working conditions for sailors, and for a lot of other things. A lot of contemporary accounts refer to him as an agitator. Research: Bibby, Miriam. “Samuel Plimsoll and the Plimsoll Line.” Historic UK. June 14, 2024. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Samuel-Plimsoll-Line/ Britannica Editors. "Samuel Plimsoll". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Plimsoll “Death of…
Three Historic Heatwaves
Aug 3, 2026 · 36 min
Heat waves don’t get as much attention as blizzards, floods, and hurricanes, but extreme heat is one of the deadliest weather events on average. Research: National Weather Service. “Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics.” https://www.weather.gov/hazstat Last, John. “This Summer’s Drought Is Europe’s Worst in 500 Years. What Happened Last Time?” Smithsonian Magazine. 9/8/2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-summers-drought-is-europes…
SYMHC Classics: Libertalia
Aug 1, 2026 · 32 min
This 2018 episode covers Libertalia, which, in truth, may be completely fictional. It's called a pirate settlement, though the man who spearheaded it claimed he wasn't actually a pirate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pirate Evolution
Jul 31, 2026 · 16 min
Tracy shares the topics she considered for the recording in the Bahamas but decided against. Holly talks about her admiration for Thomas Huxley. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thomas Henry Huxley
Jul 29, 2026 · 41 min
Huxley is an example of having a good attitude about publicly acknowledging errors and learning from them. He earned the nickname “Darwin’s bulldog” for his very vocal support of Darwin’s work, and he wanted to promote science and education, particularly to people that didn’t normally have access to those things. Research: Bernoulli, D., Jenkyns, H.C. “Thomas Henry Huxley, a stone tablet, coccoliths, and deep-sea sediments in the high Alps.” I…
The Flying Gang
Jul 27, 2026 · 32 min
For part of its history, Nassau was a notorious hotbed of pirate activity. And it was home to a maritime criminal network known as the Flying Gang. Research: "Bahamas, the." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™, The Columbia UP, 2025. Gale OneFile: High School Edition, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A69385873/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=7f7affa4. Accessed 8 July 2026. Ahrens, Wolfgang P. “Naming the Bahamas Islands: History and Folk Etymology.” Names and Their Environment…
SYMHC Classics: Scarlet fever
Jul 25, 2026 · 33 min
This 2023 episode covers scarlet fever, which is treatable with antibiotics. But in the middle of the 19th century, it was the leading cause of death in children in parts of the world, and today, there are several ongoing mysteries about the disease. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Problematized
Jul 24, 2026 · 17 min
Tracy shares her irritation with word use in a recent government report. There is also discussion of strangers visiting manor houses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Unearthed! In July 2026, Part 2
Jul 22, 2026 · 45 min
The wrap up of things unearthed in the second quarter of 2026 includes the potpourri category, lots of books and letters, shipwrecks, and neanderthals. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 600-Year-Old Chinese Surgical…
Unearthed! In July 2026, Part 1
Jul 20, 2026 · 42 min
Part one of the mid-year coverage of things literally and figuratively unearthed in the last quarter includes updates, more updates, animals, edibles and potables, and accidental finds. Research: Addley, Esther. “Solstice-aligned 5,000-year-old monument ‘once in a lifetime find’, say archaeologists.” The Guardian. 6/17/2026. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/18/solstice-aligned-monument-archaeology-wiltshire-stonehenge-prototype Anderson, Sonja. “These 60…
SYMHC Classics: Raincoats
Jul 18, 2026 · 39 min
This 2023 episode covers how humans have worked on ways to make garments water resistant almost since they started to wear them. But figuring out how to manufacture a raincoat using rubber was a big breakthrough that took centuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!
Jul 17, 2026 · 30 min
Holly and Tracy discuss how frustrating Charles Goodyear could be. Then Holly talks a lot about shoes and how much she loves them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Running Through Sneaker History
Jul 15, 2026 · 46 min
The evolution from leather-soled shoes of the 19th century to the sneakers people wear today started slowly, then built momentum. Many of the big names in sneakers today got their start surprisingly early in the process. Research: “A Column for the Girls.” Brooklyn Eagle. July 28, 1895. https://www.newspapers.com/image/50411759/?match=1&terms=%22sand%20shoes%22 Barrett, Jennifer. “The History of Adidas and Puma.” Newsweek. March 13, 2008. https://www.newsweek.com/h…
Charles Goodyear and Vulcanized Rubber
Jul 13, 2026 · 48 min
Charles Goodyear's work is important to so many things we have in the 21st century. But his life and his work to create a stable rubber was full of problems -- many of them caused by Goodyear himself. Research: Britannica Editors. "Charles Goodyear". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Dec. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Goodyear “Charles Goodyear.” Who Made America? PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/goodyear_hi.html “Charles Goodyear - Vulc…
SYMHC Classics: Penicillin
Jul 11, 2026 · 43 min
This 2022 episode covers the development of penicillin, which started – but definitely did not end – with the chance discovery of some mold in a petri dish. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Dorothy Everywhere
Jul 10, 2026 · 20 min
Tracy shares stories of her time in London. There is also a discussion of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin’s marriage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin’s Crystalline Chemistry, Part 2
Jul 8, 2026 · 43 min
After earning her first-class degree in chemistry from Oxford, Dorothy embarked on an impressive career in the new field of X-ray crystallography. She would ultimately earn many, many accolades for her work. Research: "Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, Biophysical Society. “Profiles in Biophysics: Dorothy Hodgkin.” 2016. https://www.biophysics.org/profiles/dorothy-hodgkin Boon, Rachel. “Curator R…
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin’s Crystalline Chemistry, Part 1
Jul 6, 2026 · 38 min
Dorothy Hodgkin's career in X-ray crystallography impacted a lot of science in the 20th century. Part one of her story covers her early life and formative experiences that led her to her field of research. Research: "Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, Gale, 1998. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, Biophysical Society. “Profiles in Biophysics: Dorothy Hodgkin.” 2016. https://www.biophysics.org/profiles/dorothy-hodgkin Boon, Rachel. “Curator Rac…
SYMHC Classics: Sarah Bradlee Fulton
Jul 4, 2026 · 32 min
This 2023 episode covers Sarah Bradlee Fulton, sometimes called the Mother of the Boston Tea Party. But available information about her is basically a series of anecdotes, and can’t really be corroborated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Stairs and Trains
Jul 3, 2026 · 29 min
Tracy talks about her visit to the Bunker Hill monument. She then describes a very early morning start when she went to visit Oxford on her recent trip to England. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Elizabeth Blackwell's Curious Herbal
Jul 1, 2026 · 35 min
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in London in the early 18th century, and was known in her lifetime for her achievements as a botanical illustrator. Research: “A Genuine Copy of a Letter &c.” Stockholm, August 20. H. Carpenter in Fleet Street, 1747. https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Genuine_Copy_of_a_Letter_from_a_Mercha.html?id=EPRbAAAAQAAJ Alexander, Isabella and Cristina S. Martinez. “2. The First Copyright Case under the 1735 Engravings Act: The Germination of Visual…
The Many Meanings of the Bunker Hill Monument
Jun 29, 2026 · 46 min
Very soon after it was completed in 1842, the Bunker Hill monument started to be about a lot more than just the battle that took place on June 17, 1775. Research: "Battle of Bunker Hill." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Nov. 2025. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2FBattle-of-Bunker-Hill%2F18086&ebboatid=9265928. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026. Markoe, Lauren. “Gun Owners take Aim at New Law.&rdqu…
SYMHC Classics: Four Paperclippers
Jun 27, 2026 · 36 min
This 2021 episode talks about several specialists – most with some involvement with the Nazi party – who entered the U.S. and became citizens through Operation Paperclip. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pacts and Facts
Jun 26, 2026 · 25 min
Holly talks about the agreement known as the Pact of the Catacombs and recent developments related to it. There's then discussion of Daguerre's Legion of Honor medal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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