Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

In the late 50s and early 60s, the US space program wasn’t doing great. The Soviets had beaten the US to almost every major first in space, and American rockets kept blowing up on the launchpad. According to declassified CIA documents, one night the American’s did their best to get back, even if it was a bit underhanded. Learn more about how the CIA managed to kidnap a Soviet Lunar probe on this e...

Sometimes the best way to win is simply not to lose. This strategy is called the Fabian Strategy and was given its name from an ancient Roman General and has been used throughout history, not just in warfare, but in many other areas as well. Learn more about the Fabian Strategy on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest impact. There is no better example of this in the modern world than the Intermodal Container, aka the shipping container. You’ve probably seen them on ships, trains, and trucks, and believe it or not, these rectangular metal boxes are responsible for the entire modern economy. Learn more about shipping containers on this episode of Everything Ever...

Here is a question I’m pretty sure no one listening to this has ever bothered to ask: Who is the current Roman Emperor? Obviously, the Roman Empire doesn’t exist, but if it did, who would be the claimant to the Imperial throne? Explore with me the very convoluted answer to this very meaningless questions on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...

On March 23, 1989, two electrochemists from the University of Utah, Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, took part in a press conference where they announced to the world that they had achieved sustainable, tabletop nuclear fusion. The events which followed were what is called in scientific circles: a dumpster fire. Yet, despite everything, thirty years later, there is a small but growing communit...

In most sports, there are always debates about who is the greatest of all-time. Baseball can argue about Babe Ruth vs Willie Mays. Basketball can argue about LeBron James vs Michael Jordan. However, there is one sport where there is absolutely, positively no doubt who is the greatest of all-time. When it came to Greco Roman wrestling, there is one name that unquestionably stands above all others:...

If you are from Hungary, you have probably heard the story of Károly Takács. If you aren’t from Hungary, you probably haven’t, but probably should. His story is remarkable not only for what he had to overcome but how he managed to overcome it. Learn more about this remarkable Olympic Medalist on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...

On May 8, 1980, officials from the World Health Organization announced that smallpox, the disease which had ravaged humanity across the world for millennia, had been eradicated. Over the last century before the eradication of smallpox, it is estimated to have killed half a billion people. Learn more about humanity’s deadliest disease and how it was eradicated on this episode of Everything Everywhe...

In 1908, in the middle of the Siberian wilderness, near the Tunguska River, an explosion took place which was equivalent in size to the detonation of a 5 megaton nuclear bomb. But it wasn’t a nuclear bomb. Such things didn’t even exist then. It was a mystery that scientists are still trying to figure out today. Learn more about the Tunguska Event on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Lea...

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the largest, oldest, and most significant buildings in the world. It has served as a holy place for three different religions and has been the focal point for two different empires. Almost, 1,500 years after its construction, it is still making headlines today. Learn more about the Hagia Sophia on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn mor...

The Electoral College is a lot like figure skating. People only care about it every four years. Unlike figure skating, people tend to have a lot of opinions on the subject. Learn more about the past, present, and possible future of the Electoral College on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Smalls was born a slave in 1839 in Beaufort, South Carolina. From that humble beginning, he went on to become a war hero, a ship captain, a presidential advisor, and a member of the US House of Representatives. However, he is best known for one of the most daring exploits of the entire Civil War. Learn more about Robert Smalls on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about...

If you ask most Americans what makes up the United States, they would tell you the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. They would be right. Mostly. Ever since the founding of the country, the United States has also had territories. Territories have often been training wheels for regions before they became full-blown states. The United States still has territories today. Learn more about the t...

There are many things which have been called ancient mysteries. These are products or techniques which were used in the past which have since been forgotten or lost. Most of these things have been rediscovered, and usually in a way that was better than what originally came before it. There is one thing which truly has been lost in time and we have no idea how it was made. Learn more about Greek Fi...

In 2002 the BBC did a poll where they named the top 100 Britons in history. It had many people you have probably heard of, including Isaac Newton, Princess Diana, John Lenon, and Queen Victoria. The person who was ranked #2, however, is someone that many people outside of the UK might not have heard of. Yet, he really is one of the most important people when it came to the development of the moder...

Have you wanted to get away from it all? I mean really, really, really, REALLY get away from it all? Then I have got the place for you. Point Nemo. Point Nemo is literally the most remote place on planet Earth. Learn more about Point Nemo and other poles of inaccessibility on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once again it is time to investigate the stories which are interesting, but not big enough to justify their own show. It is time for another potpourri episode. This time the common theme is cold, ice, and frozen temperatures. These stories may seem unbelievable but are true. As true as the Stark Family motto that Winter is Coming. With that, join me in this second potpourri edition of Everything E...

Today, GPS devices that can determine where you are in the world have become ubiquitous. In fact, there is a very good chance that the device you are using to listen to this podcast has a GPS receiver in it. GPS is used for a wide variety of applications all over the world. It has been called the world’s first global utility. Learn more about the Global Positioning System, how it came to be, and h...

You have probably heard the expression “All roads lead to Rome”. Well, it isn’t just a pithy saying to reference how you can take many paths to reach the same goal. It has a very literal meaning and its origin comes from a monument that still, sort of, exists in Rome today. Learn more about the Milliarium Aureum on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

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 incr...

Located approximately 100km east of Rotterdam, the city of Nijmegen is a mid-sized Dutch city situated on the Waal river that few people outside of the Netherlands are familiar with. For the last several years, every single day regardless of the weather, people of Nijmegen have honored events that took place in the city 76 years ago. Learn more about the city of Nijmegen and the daily Sunset March...

When we think of what made human beings into humans beings, one of the first things which come up is the discovery of fire. The control and use of fire is one of the earliest things which our ancestors did which separated us from other apes and began us on the path to becoming modern podcast listening humans. Learn more about how humans came to use fire on this episode of Everything Everywhere Dai...

In the course of doing research for shows, I often come across interesting facts that wouldn’t really make for an entire episode. They are really interesting, but I’m not sure how I could turn it into even a short daily podcast like this one. So, the solution was to create an episode where I could just randomly put all these loose ends together. With that, I bring to you my first potpourri show, o...

The currency in the United States is the dollar. You probably already knew that. It is also the name of the currency in over 20 other countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. What is a dollar exactly, and why is that the name of the currency in these countries? Learn more about the history of the dollar on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Learn more about your...

For the last 300 years, a debate has raged between mathematicians about who should be credited with the invention of calculus: Sir Isaac Newton or Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz. The sides of the debate have mostly been based on geography with English mathematicians advocating for Newton, and Continental Europeans siding with Leibnitz. Learn more about the war over calculus, even if you’ve never taken...