Conversations: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us About Living, w/ Peter Jones
History Shorts
What if the best self-help advice wasn’t written yesterday — but over 700 years ago? Historian Peter Jones joins us to explore how concepts like pride, envy, sloth, and lust were used as diagnostic tools for the mind, offering timeless strategies for confession as therapy, mastering destructive impulses, and finding inner balance. 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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Malta, 1565: The Siege That Saved Europe
History Shorts
In 1565, one small island became the frontline of a clash that would shape the future of Europe. When the Ottoman Empire launched a massive invasion of Malta, the Knights of St. John—outnumbered and outgunned—prepared for what seemed like a final stand. For months, brutal assaults, relentless artillery, and desperate hand-to-hand combat pushed the defenders to the brink of collapse. Forts fell. Thousands died. And yet, against all odds, Malta did not break. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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The Riddle that Killed Homer
History Shorts
He gave the world The Iliad and The Odyssey—epics that have endured for nearly three thousand years. But according to legend, Homer’s life didn’t end in triumph… it ended with a question he couldn’t answer. The story goes that while traveling, Homer encountered a group of fishermen who posed a simple riddle. When he failed to solve it, the weight of that failure—whether from pride, frustration, or something deeper—proved too much to bear. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN MORE: SPONSORED BY:
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The Debate over Hawaii Annexation
History Shorts
In the late 19th century, a distant island kingdom became the center of one of America’s most heated political debates. Was the annexation of Hawaii a bold step toward global power—or the unjust overthrow of a sovereign nation? As American businessmen tightened their grip on the islands, Queen Liliʻuokalani fought to preserve Hawaiian independence. Meanwhile, in Washington, politicians, presidents, and the public were deeply divided: should the United States expand across the Pacific, or stay true to its anti-imperial roots? SUPPORT THE SHOW: ADVERTISE: LEARN...
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USO: Entertainment on the Front Lines
History Shorts
Before TikTok, before livestreams, and long before instant communication with home, there was one organization dedicated to bringing a piece of America to those serving far from it—the United Service Organizations, better known as the USO. Born in the anxious days before the United States entered World War II, the USO quickly became a lifeline for millions of servicemen and women. From makeshift stages in war zones to packed auditoriums on military bases, Hollywood’s biggest stars—Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and countless others—traveled across oceans and into danger to deliver something...
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James Earl Ray Escapes from Prison
History Shorts
In June 1977, one of the most infamous prisoners in America briefly slipped through the bars of one of the nation’s toughest prisons. The man was James Earl Ray—the convicted killer of Martin Luther King Jr.—and his escape sent shockwaves across the country. Ray had been serving a 99-year sentence at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, a fortress-like facility tucked deep in the mountains of Tennessee and widely considered one of the most secure prisons in the United States. Yet on June 10, 1977, Ray and six other inmates managed to break out, launching one of the largest manhunts in...
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Artemas Ward - America’s First Commander in Chief
History Shorts
When Americans think of the leadership of the American Revolutionary War, one name immediately comes to mind: George Washington. But before Washington ever took command of the Continental Army, another man briefly held that title—and today, he is largely forgotten. That man was Artemas Ward, a Massachusetts general who found himself suddenly leading the rebel forces in the earliest days of the revolution. In the chaotic aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, colonial militias surrounded British forces in Boston. Someone had to organize and command this improvised...
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Conversations: The Lost Voices of Pompeii, w/ Jess Venner
History Shorts
What can the ruins of Pompeii really tell us about the people who lived there—and whose stories have been forgotten for nearly two thousand years? In this episode of the History Shorts Conversation Series, host Peter Zablocki sits down with historian and classicist Jess Venner to discuss her new book, The Lost Voices of Pompeii. While Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, Dr. Venner argues that the traditional story of the city has long overlooked the lives of its most ordinary residents. Follow Jess on Instagram: Buy the Book: ...
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The Abdication of King Edward VIII
History Shorts
In December 1936, the British monarchy faced one of the greatest constitutional crises in its history. The king of the United Kingdom, Edward VIII, made a decision that shocked the world: he would give up the throne for love. At the center of the controversy was Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée whom Edward was determined to marry. But in a Britain still deeply tied to tradition—and with the king serving as the head of the Church of England—the prospect of the monarch marrying a twice-divorced woman whose former husbands were still living was politically explosive. ...
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The Rise and Fall of the Oracle at Delphi
History Shorts
For nearly a thousand years, kings, generals, and ordinary travelers journeyed to a sacred mountainside in Greece seeking answers from the gods. At the heart of this pilgrimage stood one of the most mysterious figures in the ancient world—the Oracle of Delphi. Located at the sanctuary of Delphi, the oracle served as the prophetic voice of Apollo. The woman who delivered these messages, known as the Pythia, would sit upon a tripod inside the temple, entering a trance-like state before uttering cryptic prophecies that priests then interpreted for visitors. SUPPORT THE SHOW: ...
info_outlineIn 1565, one small island became the frontline of a clash that would shape the future of Europe. When the Ottoman Empire launched a massive invasion of Malta, the Knights of St. John—outnumbered and outgunned—prepared for what seemed like a final stand.
For months, brutal assaults, relentless artillery, and desperate hand-to-hand combat pushed the defenders to the brink of collapse. Forts fell. Thousands died. And yet, against all odds, Malta did not break.
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