Everything Everywhere Daily: History, Science, Geography & More

On January 13, 1888, a group of thirty-three prominent citizens, including geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers, and financiers, gathered at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, to establish "a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge." At first, the organization was more of a scholarly endeavor, but over time, it became one of the most...

The mid-19th century saw the rise of the first mass working-class political movement in British history. Despite being a working-class movement, they sought reforms in the British political system, not necessarily economic.  Their grievances were set out in six points, known as The People's Charter, which was signed by millions of people. While their demands at the time were considered radical, th...

Sometime around 5,500 years ago, an event took place on the Eurasian steppes that fundamentally changed the world.  We don’t know who did it or exactly when it took place, but it was one of the single greatest moments in all of human history.  It ushered in revolutions in agriculture, transportation, and warfare, and its impact can still be witnessed around the world today. Learn more about the do...

Located around the orbit of Jupiter is the moon Europa.  It is the smallest of the Gallelian moons and the second closest to Jupiter.  Despite being a moon, Europa might just be the most interesting body in the Solar System outside of Earth.  According to some, Europa might be the best place in our solar system outside of Earth to find life. Learn more about Europa, what we know about it, and the...

In 1994, the nation of Rwanda endured a brutal 100-day spasm of violence that tore families apart and claimed the lives of over one million people. Members of the ethnic minority Tutsi group were hunted down and murdered by members of the larger Hutu group. While this was the worst episode of violence between the two groups, it was not the first. What added to the tragedy was that while the horrif...

For thousands of years, diamonds have been among the most valuable substances on Earth.  Diamonds are not only the hardest substances known, but they are also incredibly hard to find.  However, in the last several decades, researchers have discovered ways to make diamonds in the lab, and they are now being made at scale. It has the potential to revolutionize multiple industries. Learn more about s...

Perhaps the most well-known brand in the world is Coca-Cola.  Best known for its cola soda, the company has become a global powerhouse in the soft drink market through its drink’s formula and visual branding. Its products can be found in every country in the world except three, and the company has made a profit every year since its founding.  Learn about the history of the Coca-Cola Company and ho...

Before the United States entered the Second World War in late 1941, the US wasn’t an active combatant, but it wasn't entirely neutral.  In December 1940, after the Nazi invasion of France, President Franklin Roosevelt initiated a program to assist the British who were being assailed on all fronts by the Germans.  He likened it to helping a neighbor out when their house was on fire. The program con...

In 1188, a historic gathering took place in the city of Leon in the Kingdom of Castile.  It was a kingdom-wide assembly convened by King Alfonso IX that brought together nobles, clergy, and town representatives to advise the crown. It is significant because it is the earliest documented European assembly to include urban representatives and to formally limit royal power in writing. Learn about the...

One of the most important inventions in human history was the bow and arrow.  A bow and arrow is a rather simple device, but it was a revolutionary advancement in humanity’s ability to hunt and fight.  Unlike many early human inventions, the bow and arrow have had an extremely long lifespan. For thousands of years it remained virtually unchanged. That was until the last 100 years when this age old...

Assuming everything goes well, sometime in late 2026, NASA’s next major space observatory will launch: The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Assuming the launch and deployment go well, it will map large areas of the universe to understand why cosmic expansion is accelerating and how galaxies and dark matter evolved.  It will also survey stars to discover thousands of planets, including cold and f...

One of the most notable figures in early American history is Pocahontas. Best known as the main character in Disney’s animated film Pocahontas, she was not a fictional character. She was, in fact, quite real.  However, her real life is radically different from that depicted in popular culture. In fact, there are enormous discrepancies between the story and the real person.  Learn about the real st...

Sitting at the far top right of the periodic table is the element helium.  Helium is the second-lightest and second-most abundant element in the universe. It is also an inert gas that doesn’t form molecules with anything.  It has extremely few uses and, despite its cosmic abundance, is very hard to find on Earth. Yet in the future, it might become one of the most valuable substances in the world....

Almost a billion people in the world today speak a language that originated from Latin, aka a Romance Language.  Despite sharing the same origin, the Romance languages have evolved differently, in some cases very differently.  ….and while you are almost certainly aware of the largest Romance language, there is a good chance that you have never heard of some of them that have thousands of speakers....

At some point, you might have been called, or might have called someone else a Luddite, due to a refusal to adopt a new technology. Nowadays, it’s usually done in jest, but the Luddites were real.  While the term is often used to describe any anti-technology attitude, the actual Luddite worldview was more subtle than simply opposing anything new and innovative.  In some respects, the Luddite world...

When looking at your neighbor's dachshund and your great dane, it is hard to believe that these dogs trace back to the same ancestors. Yet, this is true! Through centuries of domestication and selective breeding, humans have transformed dogs into the most diverse mammal species known today. Yet, despite the incredible diversity in dog breeds, remarkably, they are all members of the same species. L...

During the Second World War, the United States embarked on one of the greatest science and engineering projects the world had ever seen.  Over 125,000 people took part in the program, the vast majority of which had no clue what it was for, and the total cost of the program was over a billion dollars at a time when a billion dollars was a lot of money.  The end result was the most devastating weapo...

Wars can be fought in many different ways. Ultimately, they are resolved on the battlefield. However, there are other ways to try to subdue an enemy. You can try to destroy their logistical support for their troops. You can attempt to destroy their economic base by burning their agricultural fields and destroying their factories.  However, one relatively recent innovation has been to try to destro...

One of the most ubiquitous items of clothing in formal and business attire is the necktie.  Yet even a cursory check of paintings from several centuries ago shows that neckties have not been around forever. They are, in fact, a relatively recent invention.  Over the last century, neckwear has both defined fashion and changed with the times.  Learn more about neckties, how they developed, and why t...

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR, has become one of the most recognizable and uniquely American forms of motorsport.  It emerged from the traditions of the rural South, shaped by the ingenuity of moonshine runners and the broader story of the American car.  Over time, the sport transformed into a highly sophisticated enterprise defined by advanced engineer...

Nintendo is one of the most legendary video game companies in the world. Many of you have probably owned a Nintendo system to play video games. If you are old enough, you might have even played some of their games in a video arcade.  Even if you have never played a video game, through cultural osmosis, you are probably still aware of many of its popular characters, like Mario and Donkey Kong. Lear...

By 1975, the world had seen 25 years of radical change. The changes seen in the first half of the 20th century accelerated even faster. Empires ended, there were social and technical revolutions, new nations were created, humans landed on the moon, and the world was in the midst of peak Cold War.  Energy, inflation, and civil rights, which had always been issues, were now front and center.  Learn...

In the north, things are getting colder, snow is starting to fall, and the days are getting shorter. It is also the season for gift-giving.  As I can’t personally give all of you a customized gift, I can do the next best thing and answer your questions.  Stay tuned for the 37th installment of questions and answers on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/dai...

Panama is best known as the location of the Panama Canal, the waterway that revolutionized international sea transportation. However, there is a lot more to the country. Its history is unlike any other nation in the Americas, and its path to independence was unusual to say the least.  Given its location, it also has a geography unlike any other country in the world.  Learn about the history of Pan...

Fascism is one of the most notorious political ideologies that shaped the 20th century. Fascism is typically only thought of in tandem with Nazi Germany, but it wasn’t the only country that adhered to the ideology, and they weren’t even the first.  The originator was Italy.  Despite many similarities between fascist Italy and Germany, the two nations developed forms of fascism with significant ide...