The 1618 Defenestration of Prague
History Shorts
Sometimes history turns on the most unexpected moments. In 1618, a group of Protestant nobles stormed Prague Castle and hurled three Catholic imperial officials from a seventy-foot window. Against all odds, the men survived—thanks, perhaps, to the castle moat below. Catholics credited divine intervention. Their enemies had a far less heavenly explanation. What became known as the Second Defenestration of Prague is remembered today for its absurdity, but its consequences were anything but amusing. The incident ignited the Thirty Years' War, a conflict that devastated Central Europe, claimed...
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Emperor Basil: The Bulgar-Slayer Who Blinded a Whole Army
History Shorts
In 1014, after a decisive victory over the Bulgarian Empire at the Battle of Kleidion, Byzantine Emperor Basil II made a decision that would echo through history. Thousands of captured Bulgarian soldiers were blinded, with one man in every hundred left with a single eye to guide the others home. When Tsar Samuel saw the shattered remnants of his army return, he is said to have suffered a fatal stroke just two days later. Whether every detail unfolded exactly as later chroniclers described remains a subject of historical debate, but the story cemented Basil's legacy forever. He would be...
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The Houston Riot of 1917
History Shorts
In the summer of 1917, the U.S. Army stationed the Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th Infantry in Houston, Texas, where they encountered the harsh realities of Jim Crow segregation. After weeks of racial abuse, police violence, and growing tensions, a rumor that a fellow soldier had been killed sparked a deadly confrontation that became known as the Houston Riot of 1917. The aftermath was swift and severe. More than 100 Black soldiers were convicted in the largest murder trial in U.S. military history, and 19 were executed—many after proceedings that failed to meet basic standards of due process....
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The Insane 1909 Coast-to-Coast Race That Changed America, w/ Eric Moskowitz
History Shorts
Join me for an epic conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eric Moskowitz about his gripping new book The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America. In 1909, a handful of fearless drivers tackled the first true transcontinental automobile race — 4,106 miles from New York to Seattle over terrible roads, mountains, mud bogs, and sabotage. At the center was Henry Ford and his underdog Model T in a story filled with grit, mechanical genius, ambition, deception, and high-stakes drama. We explore how this wild endurance contest helped launch...
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Nizari Ismailis & the Origin of the Word 'Assassin'
History Shorts
The word "assassination" is spoken around the world, but its origins are rooted in one of history's most misunderstood groups. The medieval Nizari Ismailis have long been portrayed as a secretive cult of drug-fueled killers, a reputation shaped by hostile chroniclers and popularized centuries later by Marco Polo. Modern historians, however, find little evidence that the famous hashish story was ever true. Instead, the Nizari Ismailis were a small Shia Muslim community surrounded by powerful enemies. Unable to compete with large armies, they relied on patience, intelligence, and carefully...
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The Union Spy in the Confederate White House
History Shorts
While the Civil War raged on the battlefield, one of the Union's greatest victories came through espionage. In the heart of the Confederate capital, Elizabeth Van Lew quietly built a sophisticated spy network that reached into prisons, government offices—and even the Confederate White House itself. To avoid suspicion, Van Lew deliberately cultivated a reputation as "Crazy Bet," convincing her neighbors she was harmless while secretly directing one of the most effective intelligence operations of the war. At the center of her network was Mary Bowser, a formerly enslaved woman with an...
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The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
History Shorts
On March 25, 1911, flames tore through the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, claiming the lives of 146 workers in just eighteen minutes. Most were young immigrant women trapped behind locked exit doors, with no safe escape. As horrified crowds watched from below, many made the impossible choice to jump. The tragedy shocked the nation. Although the factory owners were acquitted of manslaughter, public outrage transformed grief into action. Sweeping labor reforms followed, establishing new standards for fire safety, working conditions, and worker protections. Among those forever...
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Paul Revere’s Ride: The Night That Saved America, w/ Kostya Kennedy
History Shorts
Today I’m thrilled to be joined by Kostya Kennedy — bestselling author, former Sports Illustrated senior writer, and the man who’s brought us unforgettable portraits of legends like Joe DiMaggio, Pete Rose, and Jackie Robinson. His latest book, The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America, takes us back to that fateful night, separating myth from reality and showing why Paul Revere’s ride wasn’t just a poem — it was a pivotal moment that helped save the fledgling American cause. We’re talking the real man behind the legend, the coordinated efforts of other riders...
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The Day Americans and Germans Fought Together in WWII
History Shorts
In the final days of World War II, one of the war's most extraordinary battles unfolded inside a medieval Austrian castle. With Nazi Germany collapsing, a group of American soldiers found themselves fighting alongside German Wehrmacht troops against a determined SS force in a desperate effort to save a group of high-profile French prisoners. The unlikely alliance was led by a German officer who had turned against Hitler and a 23-year-old American captain who chose to act without waiting for orders. As the battle raged, the prisoners themselves—including former French prime ministers,...
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The Man Who Sued Satan
History Shorts
Can you sue the Devil in federal court? In 1971, one prisoner decided to find out. Filing a civil rights lawsuit against "Satan and His Staff," the plaintiff claimed the Prince of Darkness had deprived him of his constitutional rights by placing obstacles in his life and causing him misery. The case sounds like a joke—but the federal judge treated it with surprising seriousness. Rather than dismissing it outright, he examined questions of jurisdiction, cited legal precedent, and even considered whether the case could qualify as a class action on behalf of all humanity. The lawsuit ultimately...
info_outlineThe word "assassination" is spoken around the world, but its origins are rooted in one of history's most misunderstood groups. The medieval Nizari Ismailis have long been portrayed as a secretive cult of drug-fueled killers, a reputation shaped by hostile chroniclers and popularized centuries later by Marco Polo. Modern historians, however, find little evidence that the famous hashish story was ever true.
Instead, the Nizari Ismailis were a small Shia Muslim community surrounded by powerful enemies. Unable to compete with large armies, they relied on patience, intelligence, and carefully planned targeted killings to ensure their survival. Their mountain fortress at Alamut was also a renowned center of learning before its destruction by the Mongols.
In this episode of History Shorts, we separate myth from history, uncover the real origins of the word "assassin," and explore how centuries of legend transformed a persecuted religious minority into one of history's most enduring myths.
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