Stuff You Missed in History Class

The Field of Cloth of Gold was a summit and celebration that was held to start what was hoped to be a long-term alliance between France and England. And it required a lot of fancy footwork to keep two monarchs appeased.  Research: Richardson, Glenn. “The Field of Cloth of Gold.” Yale University Press. 2020. “Henry VIII’s foot combat armour.” Royal Armouries. https://royalarmouries.org/stories/obje...

The development of penicillin started – but definitely did not end – with the chance discovery of some mold in a petri dish. There is so much more to the story. Research: Bernard, Diane. “How a miracle drug changed the fight against infection during World War II.” Washington Post. 7/11/2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/11/penicillin-coronavirus-florey-wwii-infection/ British Lib...

The subject of this 2018 episode is sometimes called a 19th-century Rosa Parks. When Elizabeth boarded a Manhattan streetcar in 1854, a chain of events began which became an important to the civil rights of New York's Black citizens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly speculates about how one article about Josephine Cochrane got so many details wrong. Tracy then talks about the details of Canada's currency featuring Viola Desmond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Desmond was convicted after refusing to leave her seat in a segregated movie theater in Nova Scotia in 1946. But she also established the first beauty salon for Black women her area, and founded a beauty school for Black women.   Research:  Bingham, Russell. "Viola Desmond". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 16 April 2021, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/viola-desmond. Accesse...

There is one woman in particular who normally gets the credit for inventing the dish washer. But there were other inventors trying to come up with ways to automatically take care of kitchen clean up both before and after Josephine Cochran. Research: Bellis, Mary. "Josephine Cochran and the Invention of the Dishwasher." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/josephine-cochran-dishwasher-4071171. H...

This 2014 episode covers why when the Great London Smog descended in December of 1952, nobody initially realized anything unusual was going on. At its largest, it extended 30 kilometers around London, and it killed thousands of people.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly discuss resources for learning more about the Lumbee and the unique nature of North Carolina's outdoor historical dramas. Additionally, they discuss lead, cartoonist Roz Chast, and Midgley's death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midgley was a deeply respected researcher and chemist who received multiple awards. He also developed both leaded gas and freon, two substances banned around the world now because they are very bad for the environment and public health. Research: Bellis, Mary. "The History of Freon." ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/history-of-freon-4072212. Blakemore, Erin. “The Ozone Hole Was Super Scary,...

The Lowry Gang fought back against Confederate authorities during the U.S. Civil War and during Reconstruction they came to be viewed as either Robin Hood-esque folk heroes or as dangerous murderers and thieves, depending on who you were asking. Research: Leland, Elizabeth. “Coming Home to the Land of the Lumbee.” Our State. 9/6/2017. https://www.ourstate.com/lumbee-american-indians/ Currie, Jeffe...

This 2019 episode covers a trailblazer in science and medicine. Hamilton dedicated her life to improving the workplace standards for laborers in an effort to reduce illnesses that came from working with toxic chemicals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy discuss the ways they encountered butterflies in their childhoods and how people can help conservation efforts at home. They also talk through some of the stories of Weegee's life that didn't make it into the episode.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weegee is often cited as having been an influence on artists like Diane Arbus and Andy Warhol. He also influenced the world in how New York was viewed, because of his stark, black and white photos of the city. Research:  Smith, Roberta. “He Made Blood and Guts Familiar and Fabulous.” New York Times. Jan. 19, 2012. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/arts/design/weegee-at-international-center-of-pho...

Monarch butterflies are still in the middle of their story – and it’s one that is precarious. Humans are still trying to figure out a lot about them, and aspects of the monarch story have been misrepresented over the years. Research: Monarch Joint Venture: https://monarchjointventure.org/ “Monarch Butterfly.” The National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guid...

This 2018 episode covers an artist and architect from 16th-century Italy. But what really made him famous was his writing. He penned biographies of famous artists, but he wasn't very exacting about the details. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy talk about the gossipy nature of press coverage about men like Rudolph Diesel. The gap between Ibn Khaldūn's life and the time when analysis of his work really began is also discussed.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ibn Khaldūn was a Muslim writer who covered history, economics and sociology. He lived during a time of chaos and strife, and his life was mired in the political drama and intrigue of the day. Research:  Alatas, Syed Farid. “Ibn Khaldun.” Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. 2012. Albertini, Tamara. “Special Issue: Politics, Nature and Society – The Actuality of North Africa...

We have enough pieces of the story of Rudolf Diesel’s life that remain consistent that we can fairly confidently construct his biography. But the way his life ended will forever be a mystery.  Research: Harford, Tim. “How Rudolf Diesel's engine changed the world.” BBC. Dec. 19, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38302874 “Rudolf Diesel and his invention.” Mercedes-Benz. Feb 21, 2011. https://...

This 2011 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers Timur the Lame (Tamerlane to Westerners) conquering areas from Persia to Russia throughout the late 1300s, and his last great battle in Ankara against Sultan Bayezid I. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about blood pressure and Diuril man. Holly then shares a story of how early fastener sales worked and how zippers have become specialized.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The development of the zipper was oddly arduous, with many fastener versions tried out before the zipper we know today and have on our clothes, handbags, and luggage was finally figured out.  Research: Friedel, Robert. “Zipper: an Exploration in Novelty.” W.W. Norton. 1994. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "zipper".  Encyclopedia Britannica , 21 Apr. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/art/z...

Ancient cultures all over the world used the pulse as a diagnostic tool. And eventually, we figured out how to measure blood pressure, and hypertension came to be viewed as a disease. Research: Booth, Jeremy. “A Short History of Blood Pressure Measurement.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. Vol. 70. Nov. 1977. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/003591577707001112 Elias, Merri...

This 2017 episode covers the U.S.S. Indianapolis, known today for its crew's horrifying wait for rescue after being torpedoed following a secret mission at the end of World War II. But the ship's history goes back much farther than that. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy talk about Courbet's arrogance and some gossip about his life. They also discuss the legal loopholes that enable inanimate objects to be named as parties in court cases.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Griswold v. Connecticut was the U.S. supreme court decision that overturned laws banning contraception – at least, for married couples. It wasn’t the first SCOTUS decision to mention the concept of privacy, but it was a major one. Research: Bailey, Martha J. “’Momma’s Got the Pill’: How Anthony Comstock and Griswold v. Connecticut Shaped US Childbearing.” American Economic Review 2010, 100. http:/...