Almost Famous: Lost Heros & Forgotten Legends

Harriet Burns (1928-2008) was the first woman hired by Walt Disney Imagineering in a creative capacity—and she did it while wearing high heels and a skirt to operate band saws and drill presses. Starting as a set painter for The Mickey Mouse Club in 1955, Burns joined WED Enterprises alongside just two other employees—Fred Joerger and Wathel Rogers—forming the original model shop. She built miniat...

Discover the hidden history of North America's fiercest Indigenous resistance! This week on "Almost Famous," we're diving into the untold story of Pontiac's War (1763-1766) and the visionary Odawa war chief Pontiac. Explore his audacious dream of an "Unbroken Circle" – a powerful Native American confederacy united against British expansion and encroachment on ancestral lands. Uncover how Pontiac,...

CONTENT WARNINGS: This episode discusses childhood trauma, suicide, physical and sexual violence, substance abuse, survival sex work, discrimination, and systemic oppression. Please take care while listening. Episode Summary Explore the life of Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002), the fierce trans Latina activist who co-founded STAR and fought for transgender inclusion in the early gay rights movement. Desp...

Today, we're shining a much-needed light on Lou Graydon-Sullivan , a writer, activist, and historian born in 1951, whose life, though tragically cut short by HIV, was a testament to courage and community. His story isn't just about personal triumph; it's a critical, often untold, chapter in the broader narrative of transgender rights and healthcare. We delve into the "brick wall" Lou was up agains...

Welcome back to Almost Famous: Lost Heroes and Forgotten Legends! Today, we're uncovering the incredible story of a pivotal figure whose profound impact on computing has, for too long, been overlooked: Klara Dán von Neumann. In this episode, we spotlight Klara, whom we consider arguably the most overlooked person in the entire history of computing. She is credited with writing what's regarded as t...

Journey back to the opulent Mughal Empire (16th-17th centuries), an era of grandeur and political intrigue, where eunuch and Hijra courtiers played pivotal, often overlooked, roles. This episode of "Almost Famous" uncovers their immense influence, systematically erased by later British and Indian histories. What You'll Discover in This Episode:• Unsung Power Brokers: We delve into how eunuchs were...