Stuff You Missed in History Class

The Carrington Event was a massive geomagnetic storm that happened in 1859. It led to expanded understanding of solar phenomena. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind was a 1923 case that hinged on what it meant to be white. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This 2023 episode covers the Insular Cases, which are SCOTUS cases regarding rights of people in U.S. territories. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly talks about how small the circle of London intellectuals was in John Graunt's time. Then there is discussion of disco balls in bathrooms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are so many things in our modern world that we presume are fairly recent inventions. But the three things we’re going to talk about in this instance are quite old, but they have close associations with the recent past. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Graunt was a shopkeeper in 17th-century London who followed his own curiosity to a rather grand result. His work gave rise to the fields of demography and epidemiology. Research: Environmental Health Review63Encyclopedia BritannicaEncyclopedia BritannicaJournal of medical biographyJournal of the History of Medicine and Allied SciencesJSTOR See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This 2019 episode marked 100 years since a wave of racist violence in the U.S. that became known as Red Summer. In many ways, Red Summer was a response to (but NOT caused by) two earlier events: the Great Migration and the return of black soldiers who had fought in World War I. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy commiserate about sending greeting cards. Tracy talks about how she shifted away from an episode exclusively about Frances Thompson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Memphis Massacre was a truly horrific wave of destruction and violence, including sexual violence, against the Black community of Memphis just a year after the end of the U.S. Civil War. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humans have been exchanging tokens of friendship since before recorded history. From calling cards to Valentines to Christmas cards, the modern greeting card industry evolved. Research: Encyclopedia BritannicaThe Journal of Aesthetics and Art CriticismJSTORThe North American ReviewJSTORThe Journal of American HistoryJSTORSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This 2019 episode covers the color blue, the most popular color in many parts of the world. But many ancient languages didn’t have a word for blue, and some languages still don’t. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy shares struggles that she encountered pulling together this edition of Unearthed. She and Holly have a tangential discussion about AI. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part one of this quarter's edition of Unearthed! includes animals, artwork, edibles and potables, shipwrecks, potpourri. Research: https://phys.org/news/2026-03-year-pinot-noir-grape-medieval.html#google_vignetteSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part one of this quarter's edition of Unearthed! features updates, medical things, books and letters, oldest known things, and smells. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This 2022 episode covers how Courbet was iconic even in his own lifetime. He flew in the face of artistic convention, ushered in a new movement of Realism in France, and became embroiled in the country’s political turmoil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy shares her intentions to cover Peter Kropotkin years ago, and also unpacks some of the positive and negative aspects of his life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After returning to Russia, Kropotkin was captured and imprisoned. But his life took many turns from there, and in 1902 he published his book book “Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution.” Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Kropotkin was incredibly influential in the development of anarchism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Part one of this subject focuses on the formative moments in his early life that contributed to his becoming an anarchist communist. Research: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This 2021 episode examines the Haymarket Riot, one of the many interconnected events and people and movements that are all integral to defining the basic idea of what a full-time job is in the U.S. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly talks about Gladys Bentley's gender presentation, and the trouble with Maceo Sheffield. She and Tracy also discuss James Braid's ethics in both medicine and hypnotism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.