History Loves Company

From a childhood in the harsh and violent backwoods of the South Australian bush, young Ned Kelly quickly rose to prominence as a hardened criminal, namely through the theft of horses and disorderly conduct with neighbors and locals alike. What were these formative years like for him? Who were the people with whom he surrounded himself? And how did these events in his life give rise to his legenda...

There have been several outlaws whose exploits have reached us through the ages, but perhaps none was as infamous or controversial as the bushranger, Ned Kelly, who rose to notoriety in 19th Century Australia and still divides the Australian public as to whether he was considered a hero or a villain. Tune in for part one of his epic story, from his childhood to teenage years, and discover the birt...

While much of South Korea's population identifies as non-religious, that's not to say that religion plays no part in the everyday lives of some of its citizens. Most are Christian, some are Buddhist and even less practice the ancient and indigenous faith known as Muism. What is this mysterious religion? What are some of its beliefs and rituals? And just how long has it been around? Find out in thi...

By the 1950s, so-named bog bodies (those discovered in peat bogs in Northern Europe and elsewhere) were nothing new. But on the morning of May 8th, 1950, one was discovered in Denmark that's the best preserved to date. In fact, when two workers happened upon it, they mistook it for a recent murder victim, not knowing that the human treasure they'd uncovered was, in fact, over two millennia old. Ch...

Though allies during World War Two, the United States and Soviet Union quickly became bitter rivals following the conflict. As the two powers fought for scientific and technological dominance, it wasn't long before both nations began eyeing space with its myriad of possibilities. Thus began the infamous "Space Race" between America and Russia but who, ultimately, would get there first? And what we...

Persian New Year, better known as Nowruz, coincides with the vernal (or spring) equinox and is a lively and colorful holiday celebrated by millions of people the world over. But the origins of this holiday, though shrouded in the darkness of the distant past, can be traced at least some three thousand years back to antiquity. Join me as we celebrate and explore the Persian New Year. Happy Nowruz!

Last week, we discussed what led up to the notorious Gallipoli Campaign on the Eastern Front of World War One. Now, experience it from the perspective of those embroiled in the conflict as we explore the battles themselves and what led to it being a costly mistake in human lives.

The outbreak of the Great War (World War One) saw several nations plunged into the mounting conflict. When the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) joined the fight, a vital lifeline was cut off from the Russians, whose supplies would eventually dwindle and run out. To secure this lifeline, a campaign was launched at Gallipoli on the southern end of the Turkish Straits to secure the waterway leadin...

With the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in the 1930s, the Jews of Germany and Austria found themselves searching for a way out. The answer came in the form of a Chinese consul in Vienna, who began issuing exit visas for all those who wished to escape Nazi persecution. The destination: Shanghai, a bustling port city in East China half a world away from anything these Jews knew. Tune in to this epi...

Long before Philadelphia became the largest city in the fledgling United States in 1780, the distinction of the city with the largest population on American soil belonged to a sophisticated Native American settlement that had emerged on the banks of the Mississippi River a millennium prior. Known as Cahokia, its inhabitants, a culture known as the Mississippians, built it up over several generatio...

Known as "the Smiling Coast of Africa" and renowned worldwide for its warm hospitality and friendly people, The Gambia is a tiny country nestled along the continent's western coast, yet its history is larger than life. Tune in to this brand new episode to discover this beautiful yet complex country!

The Sámi people of Europe's Far North are one of the oldest indigenous cultures to call the continent home. Long before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans, the Sámi traditionally herded reindeer, worshipped nature and lived communally in the Arctic Circle. But then, after years of being pushed into the fringes of the modern countries in which they lived, their culture was virtually eradicated in a...

"Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card." If that's the case, then scholars in the Ancient World must have been having lots of fun when the Library of Alexandria opened in the Third Century BC. Planned as the greatest library that ever existed up to that point, it boasted a collection of some 400,000 texts and was the undisputed center of cultural light and knowledge at the time. But...

Few empires in history were as sophisticated and impressive as the Timurid Empire, a Central Asian sovereignty that, at its height, was the undisputed cultural and intellectual center of both the Eastern and Islamic Worlds. Ushered in by Tamerlane, the first of the empire's many rulers, it would last for some two centuries. What were the circumstances that brought about this golden age? What were...

Today, we take the calendar for granted. Yet this important piece of timekeeping plays a critical role in our everyday lives, whether it's scheduling an appointment, planning a business trip, or simply meeting up with friends. But where does this most imperative of tools come from? Who were the people responsible for its creation? And how does it compare to earlier forms of timekeeping? Tune in to...

If you, like me, are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you're undoubtedly familiar with Wakanda, the advanced civilization hidden deep within the African continent and ruled by the mighty T'Challa, better known as the Black Panther. But did you know that Wakanda is based on a real place? For nearly nine centuries, the Benin Kingdom thrived in what's now Southern Nigeria. At its height,...

Over a three-day period in April of 1917, at the height of the Great War (World War One), the Battle of Vimy Ridge was fought between the Canadian Corps and the German Sixth Army. What made this particular skirmish so important and unique was not so much its outcome but what it represented. To this day, Canadians look to this battle as a turning point in their history, one in which the nation, whi...

The Age of Exploration is inextricably tied to colonialism, as each "new" territory was quickly absorbed into the several European powers of the time. Spain was among the first to take advantage of this and, in the early 16th Century, toppled the Aztec Empire to gain control of Mexico. But what led up to this conflict? Who were the Aztec? And how did they build such a mighty empire in just two cen...

This week marks the Jewish observance of Chanukah, the so-named "Festival of Lights" in which candles are lit to commemorate an event that took place centuries ago. The hero of said event, Judah Maccabee, has become a legend in Jewish tradition and lore just as much as the enemy, Antiochus, has become a hated and despotic villain. But just who were these historical figures and what are the origins...

Celebrated on the last Thursday in November, Thanksgiving is a day in which Americans come together to honor and celebrate that for which they are thankful, marking the occasion with an elaborate feast that draws friends and family together. But what are the origins of this unique and beautiful holiday? What was the first Thanksgiving like? And who was in attendance? Join me this week, as we trave...

For people outside Britain, the Fifth of November is perhaps best known as the holiday alluded to in Alan Moore's landmark graphic novel (as well as its subsequent film adaptation), 'V for Vendetta.' But despite its place in popular culture, it is, in fact, a real holiday based on a real event. The early 17th Century saw England's Catholic population on the receiving end of persecution by the coun...

Haunted houses have become a staple of the Halloween season. Inhabited by ghosts and other supernatural entities, they can be fun walk-through displays, especially at theme parks or in your neighborhood. But every now and then, stories of REAL haunted houses capture the public's imagination and terrify those who experience them for themselves. One such house was located in the sleepy town of Amity...

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! If only the people of the former Gévaudan Province had those to worry about...What they faced over a three-year period in the 18th Century was decidedly scarier and much more horrifying. A mysterious creature, described as "like a wolf, but also not," stalked the French countryside, claiming many victims and traumatizing even more survivors. Dubbed the Beast of G...

The day before Halloween in 1938, a curious broadcast broke through as most Americans were huddled around their radios in typical Sunday night fashion. This broadcast, which told of an alien invasion force that had landed in New Jersey, set the entire Northeastern United States into a panic. But, for those who had been listening from the start, it was, in fact, a dramatization of H.G. Wells' class...

The establishment of Jamestown Colony in what's now Virginia in 1607 is often seen as the genesis of Colonial America. But twenty years prior, the British had attempted to establish a colony further south on Roanoke Island in present-day North Carolina. Troubled from the start, it would exchange hands a couple of times before its inhabitants would ultimately and mysteriously vanish, seemingly with...