Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

In the very long history of China, it has had exactly one female ruler.  She was a woman who managed, against all odds, to inch her way closer to power over a period of years until she reached a point where she could claim power for herself.  By all accounts, she was beautiful, brilliant, cunning, and absolutely ruthless.  Learn more about Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor, on this episode of...

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Have you ever filled out a form online where you had to select a country and you noticed that one of the country options was the “United States Minor Outlying Islands”? If you have you might have wondered, what are these islands? Who lives there? And why are these islands considered minor?  Learn more about the United States Minor Outlying Islands and how they ended up on almost every drop-down li...

There have been many really bad years in world history. There have been World Wars, the Black Death, and horrific natural disasters, all of which have made for very bad years.  However, many historians have come to the conclusion that the worst year in the history of humanity was a year that in and of itself was pretty bad but also ushered in a decade of bad years.  Moreover, it wasn’t bad for a s...

In the early 1920s, what was considered to be the largest political scandal in American history became public. Despite the enormous amount of attention given to it in the press at the time, both the scandal and the president that was attached to it, have both been largely forgotten. Yet, the legacy of this scandal can still be found in the laws today, as well as in how the media and the public res...

Located in the southern Pacific Ocean lies the small nation of Vanuatu.  While it shares many features with other Pacific Island nations, there are things about Vanuatu which are unlike any other country in the world.  Its language, religion, and history all have elements that are unlike any other country in the world  Learn more about the nation of Vanuatu and everything which makes it unique on...

Volcanoes are some of the most fearsome things in nature.  They are responsible for the largest explosions ever known. They have created entire land masses. They have shaped the Earth’s climate and may have been responsible for mass extinction events during our planet’s history.  Today, as you are listening to this, somewhere on Earth, there are over 40 of them erupting right this second.  Learn m...

Humans have probably had the desire to fly ever since they saw the first bird fly in the air.  Flying, as it turned out, was a very challenging problem for creatures without wings.  Throughout the 19th century, many people tackled the problem without success. It wasn’t until the first years of the 20th century that the problem was finally solved.  Learn more about the invention of the airplane and...

After the US Civil War, the French historian Edouard de Laboulaye floated the idea of creating a large monument to honor the success of the United States in creating a democracy.  Almost 20 years later, after significant time in fundraising, design, and construction, the new statue was unveiled to the public in New York Harbor.  Since then, the gift of France has become a symbol not just of New Yo...

On September 1 and 2 of 1859, people all over the world were treated to something quite rare. Auroras were seen in the skies as far south as the Caribbean and as far north as Brisbane, Australia.  However, some astronomers and telegraph operators experienced something different.  If this same event were to happen today, it might bring out society to its knees. Learn more about the Carrington Event...

If you were to call someone a snake oil salesman, it usually means they are trying to defraud someone, and more specifically, it often implies making false medical claims. But what exactly is snake oil, and why did it develop such a bad reputation, and why specifically do we use snake oil for such a negative metaphor? Learn more about snake oil and why we still reference it on this episode of Ever...

In the 17th century, the Netherlands was struck by the world’s first investment bubble. They weren’t investing in stocks or bonds, or real estate. They were investing in…..tulip bulbs.  Tulip bulbs became a mania, and even common people were spending money on tulips. The price of some tulip bulbs rose so high that, at one point, a single bulb was worth ten times the annual salary of a laborer.  Le...

In 1867, United States Secretary of State William Seward signed a treaty with the Empire of Russia to purchase the territory of what would be called Alaska. The United States purchased it for 2 cents an acre.  At the time, it was called one of the worst deals in American History. Today, it is considered the greatest bargain of all time. Learn more about the purchase of Alaska on this episode of Ev...

In 1978, a Soviet helicopter pilot flying over the forests of Siberia made an incredible discovery. Not far from the border of Mongolia, up the side of a mountain, he saw a clearing and signs of human habitation.  The location was far removed from any other humans. In fact, it was almost 250 kilometers to the nearest human settlement.  What they found there was astonishing. Learn more about the in...

2,000 years ago the Han Empire in China and the Roman Empire in Europe were the two greatest empires in the world. Between them, they covered an enormous amount of the Earth’s land and a large percentage of the world’s population.  But were these two great empires even aware of each other? If so, was there any contact between them? Find out how these two great ancient empires interacted with each...

In 1781, after six years of fighting, the American Revolution came to a dramatic conclusion.  One of the two major British armies in the conflict found themselves trapped on a peninsula near Yorktown, Virginia.  A combination of American and French forces laid siege to the British at Yorktown in what turned out to be the war's final battle. Learn more about the Battle of Yorktown and how cliched A...

There is nothing faster in the entire universe than the speed of light. Not only is it the fastest thing, but nothing can be faster than light.  For the longest time, humans didn’t even know that light had a speed, and once they figured out that light wasn’t instantaneous, it took several centuries to figure out what that speed was. Learn more about the speed of light and its implications for phys...

In the early 19th century, the most abundant bird in North America, and perhaps the entire world, was the passenger pigeon. An estimated three billion of them would fly in flocks so large that they could blot out the sun.  However, within a century, the entire species had gone extinct.  It was one of the fastest and most disastrous turnarounds for any species in recorded history. Learn more about...

In 1688, a palace coup took place in England.  The King of England and Scotland was usurped and was replaced by his daughter and her husband from the Netherlands.  The act forever changed the British Monarchy and created an alternative line of succession to the throne, which still exists today. Learn more bout the Glorious revolution, why it happened, and its ramifications on this episode of Every...

On July 17, 1944, one of the worst disasters to befall the American military during World War II occurred. It didn’t occur in Europe or the Pacific, however. It took place on US soil.  The events leading up to this calamity and its aftermath permanently shaped the United States military.  Learn more about the Port Chicago Disaster and the lasting changes it brought about on this episode of Everyth...

Just one week after President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected in November 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman set out to execute one of the most audacious plans of the US Civil War.  His plan involved violating several central tenants of warfare which had been established for thousands of years, yet in the process, he helped bring the war to a swift conclusion.  In hindsight, many people c...

On December 21, 1891, a physical education teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts, looking to keep athletes occupied during the winter, hung some peach baskets on the balcony of the gymnasium.  With these peach baskets and an old soccer ball, he created something that revolutionized sports and became one of the most popular games in the world.  Learn more about the history of basketball and how it...

For thousands of years, one of the most terrifying and destructive diseases which afflicted humanity has been leprosy.  Leprosy is a condition that affects the nerves and skin, and in extreme cases, it can result in the loss of limbs and other appendages.  Those who were diagnosed with leprosy would often be consigned to a lifetime of social ostracism.  Learn more about leprosy, aka Hansens Diseas...

During World War II, allied soldiers would often spend their time listening to the radio. They could, at least for a little while, be transported back home by listening to popular music with the soothing sounds of a female radio host with a flawless American accent. Along with the music, the troops would also get a healthy dose of enemy propaganda.  Learn more about Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally, how...

About 2,500 years ago, a Greek philosopher by the name of Zeno of Elea proposed several paradoxes about the natural word. His ideas were actually really simple, but they were incredibly difficult to explain away.  For the last two millennia, philosophers have been trying to resolve his paradoxes, and they are still trying to explain them today. Learn more about the paradoxes of Zeon and how they c...