WWII's Battle Against Venereal Disease
History Shorts
During World War II, the U.S. military fought enemies on beaches, in jungles, and in the skies, but it also faced a quieter, deeply embarrassing crisis within its own ranks. Venereal disease sidelined hundreds of thousands of American servicemen, threatening combat readiness, morale, and the outcome of the war itself. In this episode, we explore how sexually transmitted infections became one of the most serious medical challenges facing the U.S. armed forces during World War II, and how the military responded with an unprecedented campaign of education, discipline, treatment, and propaganda....
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Why History Matters, with David McCullough
History Shorts
In this interview episode, I’m joined by Dorie McCullough Lawson and Michael Hill, the editors behind History Matters, a powerful collection drawn from the words and work of David McCullough. Together, they open a window into how one of America’s most beloved historians understood the purpose of history, not as trivia or nostalgia, but as a civic responsibility. We talk about how the book was shaped, what guided their editorial choices, and how McCullough’s speeches, essays, and reflections speak directly to the present moment. From democracy and citizenship to curiosity, humility, and...
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JFK's Hidden Health Crisis
History Shorts
To the American public, John F. Kennedy embodied youth, energy, and vigor—a president who promised a New Frontier and appeared to stride confidently into history. Behind the scenes, however, the reality was far different. In this episode, we examine the extensive and carefully hidden medical struggles that defined Kennedy’s life and presidency. From chronic pain and debilitating back injuries to Addison’s disease and a pharmacy of daily medications, JFK governed the United States while battling constant illness, often in silence. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A...
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The Teenager Who Invented the Television
History Shorts
Television reshaped the modern world, but its invention did not begin in a laboratory funded by a major corporation. It started in a plowed field. As a teenager growing up on a Utah farm, Philo Farnsworth sketched an idea that would change how humanity communicates: a system to transmit moving images electronically. Years later, that teenage insight became the foundation of television, setting off one of the most bitter and consequential patent battles in American history. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ...
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Bigfoot: America's Most Enduring Legend
History Shorts
Long before grainy videos and blurry photographs flooded the internet, stories of a mysterious, human-like creature roaming the forests of North America were already deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions. Known by many names—Sasquatch, Skookum, or simply “the wild man”—Bigfoot has haunted campfire stories, newspaper headlines, and scientific debates for centuries. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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What is the Secret to Happiness? Harvard's 80 Year Old Study's Findings
History Shorts
In the late 1930s, Harvard researchers began an unprecedented study: tracking hundreds of people across their entire lives to answer a deceptively simple question: what makes us happy? For more than eight decades, through wars, marriages, careers, illnesses, triumphs, and heartbreaks, scientists followed participants from youth to old age, gathering tens of thousands of data points in what became the longest-running study of human happiness ever conducted. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: ...
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The Forgotten Kingdom of Man and the Isles
History Shorts
Long before modern borders carved neat lines across the Irish Sea, there existed a maritime realm so unusual, so strategically placed, that its rulers commanded not just land, but the waters that bound Britain, Ireland, and Scandinavia together. Known as the Kingdom of Man and the Isles, this forgotten dominion once stretched across the Hebrides and the Isle of Man, a Viking-Gaelic hybrid monarchy where Norse warlords, Celtic chiefs, and Christian bishops all vied for legitimacy and tribute. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT...
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Killing George Washington
History Shorts
In the summer of 1776, just as the ink of independence was drying and the Continental Army staggered under inexperience, disease, and desertion, a silent threat crept dangerously close to General George Washington. This wasn’t a British field assault or naval bombardment. It was something more intimate, more treacherous: a conspiracy from within his own guard. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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'The Greatest Generation' OR 'The 'Wounded Generation'? w/ David Nasaw
History Shorts
In this episode, Peter speaks with Dr. David Nasaw, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, about his new book, The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II. We discuss moving beyond the triumphant 'Greatest Generation' myth, toward uncovering the unhealed physical and psychological scars that millions of veterans carried home. CHECK OUT DAVID'S BOOKS: SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: EPISODE SPONSORED BY THE COLLECTOR:
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The Freemasons
History Shorts
For centuries, the Freemasons have stood at the crossroads of fact and myth, secrecy and symbolism. Presidents, revolutionaries, artists, and ordinary craftsmen have all taken oaths behind closed lodge doors, giving rise to a legacy both admired and feared. In this episode, we cut through conspiracy chatter and look at the institution itself: its medieval origins, its Enlightenment boom, its role in revolutions from Philadelphia to Paris, and the coded rituals still whispered today. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE A RATING OR A REVIEW! THANK YOU IN ADVANCE! SUPPORT THE...
info_outlineIn this interview episode, I’m joined by Dorie McCullough Lawson and Michael Hill, the editors behind History Matters, a powerful collection drawn from the words and work of David McCullough. Together, they open a window into how one of America’s most beloved historians understood the purpose of history, not as trivia or nostalgia, but as a civic responsibility.
We talk about how the book was shaped, what guided their editorial choices, and how McCullough’s speeches, essays, and reflections speak directly to the present moment. From democracy and citizenship to curiosity, humility, and the moral weight of storytelling, Lawson and Hill reflect on what it meant to preserve McCullough’s voice in his own words, and why those words still matter.
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EPISODE SPONSORED BY THE COLLECTOR: www.thecollector.com