Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, there were 96 men who are considered to have been Roman Emperors, from Augustus to Romulus Augustulus. Most of them came to power via being appointed by their predecessor, through military conquest, or through good old-fashioned scheming and treachery. However, there was one man who ascended to the title of emperor in a totally unique way. Learn more abo...

As all of you know, yesterday, Queen Elizabeth II passed away.  Her death will usher in a series of changes, some immediate and others weeks or months from now. As the transition of a British monarch is something that hasn’t happened in most of our lifetimes, it is worth it to take the time to understand exactly how the process works.  Learn more about the end of the reign of Elisabeth II and the...

Located in the hills above the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, is one of the most iconic signs in the world.  The sign consists of just nine letters, made out of steel and painted white. Each letter stands 45 feet tall, and together they represent the entire motion picture industry.  Yet, this historic sign was never intended to become an icon or even represent where it is locat...

Ellen Wood was born in 1838 in England.  She moved to the United States, changed her name, climbed the social ladder, and wound up an extremely wealthy woman.  In 1907, she abruptly disappeared from public life.  Then 25 years later, she appeared once again, and her life became tabloid fodder that shocked the world. Learn more about Ida Wood and her very unique life on this episode of Everything E...

All around the world, more jurisdictions are implementing a voting system known as ranked choice voting.  Ranked choice voting is very different from voting for a single candidate.  As such, many people who have been voting for years don’t understand how ranked choice voting works or why it is being implemented.  Learn more about ranked choice voting, how it works, and its drawbacks and benefits o...

The middle ages didn’t have sports like we have today, but they did have competitions.  These competitions were tournaments between knights where they demonstrated their martial prowess.  During this period, there was one knight who stood out amongst all the rest.  He never lost a match and rose to a level where he was the king of England in all but name. Learn more about William Marshall, and gre...

In 1917, Albert Einstein published a paper whereby he proposed a new method of creating light based on the principles of quantum physics. Over 40 years later, researchers finally put Einstein’s ideas into practice. For years it remained a solution in search of a problem. Today, the number of applications for this source of light is almost limitless and includes everything from nuclear fusion, to a...

From the years 59 to 53 BC, three high-ranking Romans conspired to control the Roman political system for their own benefit. They called this system a triumvirate. A decade later, Rome found itself under the control of three more men and yet another triumvirate.  This one was very different than than the first. It was given actual legal authority, and it was far more deadly.  Learn more about the...

Before 1976, the California wine industry wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Most Americans didn’t even know that wine was produced in California.  Everyone in the knew, without any doubt, that the greatest wines in the world were all produced in France. In particular, from regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. However, in just one day, the wine world’s attitudes towards French and California wines were c...

Several thousand years ago, astronomers in the Middle East studying the night sky divided it into 12 equal regions. Each region was given a name, was associated with an animal and a constellation.   These divisions became the basis for the nascent disciplines of astronomy and astrology. Today, the system created by those ancient astronomers can still be found in the pseudoscience of horoscopes and...

Since humans began to adopt writing systems, they also created systems for passing along written messages.  For thousands of years, it would have been possible to get messages to distant parts of whatever empire or kingdom you happened to live in, provided you found the right courier and had enough money.  Today, the entire globe is integrated into a connected postal system, allowing physical mess...

King Arthur is one of the most popular and widely known characters in literary history around the world. Tales have been told about him for at least 1,000 years.  However, many people have wondered if King Arthur was a real person or if he at least was based on a real person or a composite of people.  Learn more about the historicity of King Arthur and if he really existed on this episode of Every...

On December 14, 1972, the last human beings left the moon's surface. In the half-century that has passed, we have never returned.  After many setbacks and delays, NASA is again ready to return to the moon. This time, the goal is much more ambitious and long-term than the Apollo program ever was.  Learn more about the Artemis program, how it got started, and its objectives on this episode of Everyt...

Located in the heart of the African continent is one of the world’s largest rivers: the Congo.  The Congo basin covers much of Central Africa, winds through some of the world’s largest rainforests, and carries more water than any other river, save for the Amazon. It also has the distinction of being the deepest river in the world. Learn more about the Congo River, why it is important, and what mak...

Located in the heart of Paris, along the banks of the River Seine, lies the Louvre.  It has over 750,000 square feet of gallery space, over 615,000 items in its collection, and in a non-pandemic year, gets over 10 million annual visitors.  Yet, it wasn’t always a museum, and the way it acquired its collection was unique. Learn more about the Louvre, the world’s greatest museum, on this episode of...

When the Austro-Hungarian Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, a chain reaction resulted in the First World War. The war was fully anticipated, and one of the belligerent countries, Germany, had a plan in its back pocket ready to go.  It was a highly detailed plan, nine years in the marking, which was designed to give them a swift victory. Learn more about the Schlieffen Plan and why it did...

Amelia Earheart was a pioneer in the early days of aviation. She became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She was the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California. In 1937, she set out on her greatest adventure ever. It would be the longest single flight in history, and it would take her around the world. However, on July 2, 1937, she took off from Papua New Guinea and was nev...

One of the simplest mathematical statements possible is 2+2=4. While the concept is very easy to understand, when you write it down, you have to use mathematical symbols, historically a relatively recent invention.  At one point, mathematicians were doing reasonably complicated work without the benefit of symbols at all. Something which is unthinkable today. Learn more about mathematical symbols,...

Many people have an idealized view of how science works. They think that someone makes a discovery or publishes a paper, then everyone acknowledges their discovery, and everyone moves on to the next thing. Science! However, that isn’t quite how things work in reality. The real advancement of science can be quite messy. One man learned this the hard way. Learn more about J Harlen Bretz and how he c...

Sandwiched between the nations of Germany, Belgium, and France is one of the smallest countries in the world.  Given its location, it is a blend of cultures and languages. Likewise, its history has been defined by its neighbors. Yet despite being surrounded by other countries for a thousand years, it has managed to survive into the 21st century as an independent country. Learn more about the Grand...

The quest to conquer space had many problems and many unknowns. Simple, basic things on Earth can be quite difficult in the zero gravity conditions of outer space.  One of the earliest spaceflights found this out and learned the hard way why they have special foods for use in space. Learn more about Gemini 3 and the world’s most controversial corned beef sandwich on this episode of Everything Ever...

Jim Thorpe was a Native American of the Sac and Fox Nation. He was born in 1887 in what was then known as the Indian territory and today is known as the state of Oklahoma.  He excelled at every sport he attempted, at every level he played at. He played professional football and baseball, won two Olympic gold medals, and found a place in the Football Hall of Fame.  Many considered him the greatest...

Wars are often notable points that punctuate the historical timeline. It is a period of tragedy, drama, and often geopolitical changes.  However, there are some wars that have been all but forgotten from history.  One such war was a brief conflict that lasted less than four months and was fought between the United States and Spain in the summer of 1898. Learn more about the Spanish-American war an...

In 1475, Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in Caprese, Italy.  Over the next 88 years, he left a legacy of paintings and sculptures, unlike any artist before or since.  His art shaped the city he came from, the era he lived in, and, eventually, the entire world of western art.  Today, the works he created are some of the most treasured and valuable artworks in the entire world.  Learn more about Mi...

At the 1923 Pan-American Conference, a proposal was presented to link together all of the countries of the Western Hemisphere. A single road that would run from the shore of the Arctic Ocean all the way down to Terra Del Fuego in Argentina.  Several decades later, the countries in question announced the road's completion, which linked the entire western hemisphere. Sort of…. Learn more about the P...