History Talk, the history podcast from Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective

On August 6, 1962, the island of Jamaica became an independent nation, making it the first sovereign English-speaking country in the Caribbean. The tremendous victory of this likkle but tallawah island (“small but mighty” in Jamaican) was one triumph in the long history of Black sovereignty and nationalism that led to the disintegration of the British empire in the Caribbean. Written by Dr. Alexan...

On February 6, New Zealanders will mark Waitangi Day on the 180th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Following the treaty, the British Crown claimed sovereignty over the country, citing what it claimed was the free consent of over 500 rangatira (chiefs) and the tribal communities they represented. Written by Michael Belgrave. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production by...

The Greco-Turkish war erupted on May 15, 1919. The war resulted in the largest compulsory population exchange in history up to that time (2 million people) and helped define the concept of ethnic conflict. The war also brought about the Turkish Republic and its severity indelibly shaped modern Greece and Turkey to this day. Written by Christopher Kinley. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Vid...

On July 9, 1868, the last of the 28 states needed to approve the Fourteenth Amendment acted, and Secretary of State William Henry Seward formally announced the ratification on July 28. It was a momentous event, a change to our constitutional system so fundamental that historians have put it on a par with the ratification of the original Constitution itself. In many ways, it gave Americans a new co...

In this talk, OSU Professor Cabanes, who undertook several research trips to Palau between 2017 and 2023, explores the intertwined memories—American, Japanese, and Palauan—of one of the most violent battles of the Pacific War. The battle of Peleliu devastated local communities, remade landscapes, and took the lives of thousands of U.S. Marines and Japanese soldiers. Cabanes meditates on the nature...

The Duel Between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton by Origins OSU

Peter Mansoor discusses his new book, Redemption: MacArthur and the Campaign for the Philippines, focusing on the strategic and operational decisions made by American and Japanese leaders, the organization of military forces, air and naval actions, intelligence, logistics, and guerrilla warfare. Redemption is both a campaign history and a study in the strategic leadership of General of the Army Do...

In the early 1900s, Mary Mallon, a cook, was unknowingly a healthy carrier of Typhoid fever. Written by Claudia Jansen, Morgan Metz, and Marian Moser Jones. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Hannah Keller. A transcript is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/who-was-typhoid-mary. This is a production of Origins: Current Ev...

The Battle of Bosworth Field was one of the last major battles of the Wars of the Roses, a decades-long conflict between the House of York and the House of Lancaster over claims to the English throne. Written and narrated by Hannah Keller. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A transcript is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/battle-bosworth-field....

When a Simi Valley jury announced the “not guilty” verdicts in the case of four police officers charged in the beating of African American motorist Rodney King on April 29, 1992, Los Angeles erupted in a firestorm of anti-police protest. Written by Max Felker-Kantor. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A transcript...

Listen to Allison Mitchell and special guest Dr. Anthony Harris discuss Black history and her Picturing Black History essay, "⁠The Children of the Mississippi Freedom Summer⁠." Learn more about Allison Mitchell at ⁠https://picturingblackhistory.org/author/mitchell/ ⁠ Explore more photographs and stories that changed the world from Picturing Black History at ⁠⁠https://www.picturingblackhistory.org/...

Listen to Allison Mitchell and special guest Dr. Anthony Harris discuss Black history. Learn more about Allison Mitchell at ⁠https://picturingblackhistory.org/author/mitchell/ ⁠ Explore more photographs and stories that changed the world from Picturing Black History at ⁠⁠https://www.picturingblackhistory.org/⁠⁠, a collaboration between Origins: Current Events In Historical Perspective (⁠⁠https://o...

President James A. Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881, by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled political hopeful. Months later, Garfield died from an infection which ravaged Garfield’s body for two and half months. Who was responsible and what was their motivation? Written by Lisa Zevorich Susner. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Han...

Percival Lowell was a prominent astronomer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who believed in the existence of a planet beyond Neptune, which he called “Planet X.” Written by Kevin Schindler. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A transcript is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/discovering-pluto. This...

The World Series has been played annually since 1903 (with two exceptions in 1904 and 1994). Here, Origins offers ten 20th Century World Series contests that are landmark moments in baseball’s evolution as a commercial enterprise and its adaptation to the significant social and cultural changes of modern America. Written by Russell Field. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by...

Gwangju, a major city in southwestern South Korea, has been widely recognized as a center of civil resistance since May 1980, when a brutal military crackdown targeted citizens protesting against dictatorship. Written by Hieyoon Kim. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A transcript is available at https://origins.o...

Headquartered at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, OH, Project Blue Book, the U.S. Air Force’s investigation into UFOs, ran for 12 years beginning in March of 1952. Written by Paul McAllister. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Hannah Keller. A transcript is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/air-force-investig...

The Battle of Hastings, which took place on October 14, 1066 was a pivotal moment in the invasion from across the English Channel that resulted in the conquest of Anglo-Saxon England by William, the French Duke of Normandy. Written by Wenxi Liu. In honor of Wenxi Liu, April 21, 1949 - October 30, 2023. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyf...

The War of the Pacific, which pitted Chile against the allied forces of Peru and Bolivia, had a profound, long-lasting impact on the geopolitical balance of South America. Written by Candela Marini. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Hannah Keller. A textual version is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/war-pacific-and-fa...

Barbara DuMetz reflects on her powerful photograph, titledAmerican Gothic. She shares how the image—capturing defiance and determination—became a revolutionary statement: "We’re here, we’re not going anywhere, doing stuff on our terms now." Discover more about her story and the book that explores these iconic moments in history: Order the book:⁠amzn.to/4h9ab0G⁠ Learn more:⁠bit.ly/4hsoJYW⁠ A huge t...

Michael Santiago, an award-winning photojournalist, shares his experience capturing history in real time. From documenting the final crossing of Civil Rights icon John Lewis to reflecting on the power of photography in shaping our understanding of the past, Santiago’s work is a testament to the impact of visual storytelling. In this exclusive interview, he discusses the responsibility of photograp...

On the night of 2-3 December 1984, a Union Carbide chemical facility at Bhopal leaked over 27 tons of the highly toxic gas methyl isocyanate, poisoning tens of thousands of people in the middle of the night, most of whom were sleeping in their homes nearby. Written by Madhumita Dutta. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Se...

June 15, 1215, witnessed the signing of the landmark Magna Carta, the medieval English historic legal document that is seen as the origin of many modern-day legal rights and constitutional principles. At that time, England was in civil war as disaffected barons took up arms against King John, who reigned 1199-1216. Written by Rebecca Favorito. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production by...

On October 17, 1945, hundreds of thousands of Juan Perón's supporters clogged the streets of Buenos Aires marking a consequential moment in Argentina’s history and the birth of Peronism. Written by Steven Hyland. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/...

Professor Kristina Sessa, an historian of Late Antiquity, presents her top 10 popes based on overall historical significance, appetite for intrigue, and messy electoral politics. Written and narrated by Dr. Kristina Sessa. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/top-ten-popes-1500.