Chasing History Radio

Description: Phlebotomy is a very important tool in our medical world, but its history is a little dark. For centuries bloodletting was seen as a cure for many ailments, so a tool was invented to help make the process easier, the fleam. Medical science has sure come a long way.    

During the Vietnam War , over 50 billion pieces of propaganda were dropped on North Vietnam, many of which were safe conduct passes. These passes would encourage defecting to the south and guarantee that the pass holder would not be harmed. This was considered a success since at least 160,00 soldiers used the passes and surrender.

In the early 1900s, birth control was considered obscene, and   distorting it or receiving it through the mail was a criminal offense. So the United States was forced to take a package of birth control devices to court to stop them. But their plans did not turn out as planned.

Popcorn, one of the most popular snacks, has a long and fun history. From 4700 BC popcorn to1,000 year old kernels that still popped, and beyond, this snack delights all. Journey down memory lane with some milestone inventions that keep providing us with POPCORN.

From the prehistoric to the modern, the history of dentistry can be a bit painful. Starting crudely and moving up to the idea of "tooth worms" we slowly and painfully made progress in how we care for our teeth. Then in the 1800s we made amazing leaps in knowledge and treatment, and luckily with the help of novocaine.

Whenever asked about my favorite dinosaur, it has always been the ankylosaurus. The late cretaceous dinosaur that was likened to an armoured tank. This plant eating dinosaur was probably peaceful but because of its club tail, would have been a formidable foe for predators.

From a Roman fertility festival to our "modern" Valentines celebrations, Feb. 14 has a colorful and varied mysterious beginning. Animal sacrifices to chocolates have been associated with this day. And the rest of the history is interesting too.  

Starting with the Incas and the Mayans peanut but has moved into everyone's life. Beginning as a ceremonial food and becoming a household staple, peanut butter has had a fun history. So make a sandwich and let's sink our teeth into peanut butter's history.

January 30,1933 Radio history was made with the introduction of the Lone Ranger. A character adored by children and adults alike, but the beginning was a bit strange. Take a trip back with a hearty "Hi-Yo Silver!"

Little Egypt, aka Ashea Wabe, but really Catherine Devine was a risque dancer that performed at a notorious bachelor party. The ensuing trial and publicity was used by Miss Devine to amass quite a fortune. And she did it during the late 1890s and early 1900s.

We delve into the history of celebrating your birthday. Birthdays were not always celebrated, and when they were, it was usually for the rulers of the people. Starting in Egypt and travelling through Greece, Rome, Germany and the industrial revolution, birthdays have come a long way.

A personal diary of a mother during World War 2. From daily activities to important moments in the war, this mother discusses her life, her son Walter and what is happening here at home. From funerals of fallen soldiers to happy homecomings, life during the war.

Gilman Marston,(1811-1890), a staunch supporter of President Abraham Lincoln and the Union Civil War effort reached the rank of Brigadier-General in the Union Army. His arm was shattered at the First Battle of Bull Run 1861. He refused amputation and later fought in all of the major battles of the Eastern Theatre (his brigade suffered heavy losses at the 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor).

Today we talk about different countries, like France, Australia, Spain and Japan , and what they do for the holidays. Some are funny and others are gruesome. The question is which are you going to add to your holiday festivities?

The Christmas truce was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front of the First World War The Christmas Truce has become one of the most famous and mythologised events of the First World War. We explore some of the truths behind the legends and myths.

Chase discusses the importance of oral history which is the basis of all history. Talking to your relatives and getting them to tell the family stories so they can be recorded and saved. Also the importance of research and libraries.

Chase talks about an acquisition of amber from the personal collection of an entomologist and Berkley professor. Spiders, ants, flies and more are to be found in this collection. Many have detailed information and high quality photos of the bugs contained within.

Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe was surrounded by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans asked for a surrender since the allied troops were outnumbered and outgunned. The General's response was simply, NUTS!

We delve into what happened to the USS West Virginia and Joe Burnett Marsh at Pearl Harbor, Dec.7 1941. Burnett would survive the attack and even though badly damaged, the USS West Virginia would also survive. Being a main target in the bombing, she would go on to attend the surrender to end the war.

Katrina fire house in Stockholm Sweden is the world's oldest continuously manned fire station. Started in 1876, it still houses an operating fire station and museum. It fought its biggest fire challenge in 1937, taking only 7 hours to get it under control.

On Halloween, what better topic to talk about than trick or treating. Ryan discusses some history of Halloween and then goes in to what was known as "Tricks for Treats". From over 2000 years ago till now, things sure have changed.

Ryan talks about the last living passenger pigeon, who was named Martha Washington. From the time that there were millions of these birds till there was just one, we learn about her life story and what happened to her after her demise. Martha would be the first time in human history that we know the exact moment man had caused the extinction of a species.

Chase Continues to talk about the mammoth dig but also talks about finding history. There is so much out there that still needs to be found on this big planet we live on. So go out and look and see what you can discover.

Chase talks about Fort Ross, and how a powder horn started the search. An item handed down by his grandfather, starts a search into a time when Russians were trying to colonize the American continent.

We get asked what we do and how we get all of our relics. Chase digs in, literally , and explains it. Coming back from a mastodon dig site, he fill us in on the hows and whys.