Stuff You Missed in History Class
Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.
Episodes
Tracy discusses the inherent challenge of talking about topics that relate to current events. She also shares more information about Emma Reynolds that didn't really fit into the Dr. Daniel Hale Williams episode.
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Dr. Daniel Hale Williams is often described as the first person to successfully perform an open-heart surgery. That's not entirely accurate, but he was still a surgical innovator, and he was also a huge part of the Black Hospital Movement.
Research:
- "Daniel Hale Williams." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 2, Gale, 1992. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1606000260/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS...
The 1898 supreme court case called United States vs. Wong Kim Ark had affected enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act, because the court found that people born in the U.S. to Chinese parents were U.S. citizens.
Research:
- Graber, Mark A. "United States v. Wong Kim Ark." American Governance, edited by Stephen Schechter, et al., vol. 5, Macmillan Reference USA, 2016, pp. 228-230. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/app...
This 2021 episode covers the Chinese Exclusion Act, the United States’ first major immigration law. As its name suggests it specifically targeted people from China, and it led to Supreme Court cases that set the stage for later restrictions.
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Tracy shares how much she loves the work of Helen McNicoll and how the gaps in her biography posed a challenge during research. Holly talks about Harry Craddock and his efforts to combat prohibition in Britain.
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Ada Coleman was head bartender at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London in the early 20th century. She created a cocktail that is still served today, and she's an enduring icon of the bartending industry.
Research:
- The Ada Coleman Project. https://theadacolemanproject.com/about/
- Allison, Keith. “Spies at the Savoy Part One.” Alcohol Professor. Oct. 5, 2016. https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/...
Helen McNicoll was a Canadian painter who had a significant influence on the rise of Impressionism in that country. McNicoll, who lost her hearing in childhood, was quite successful as an artist, though her career and life were short.
Research:
- Anderson, Jocelyn. “William Brymner: Life & Work.” Art Canada Institute. https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/william-brymner/biography/
- Atanassova, Katerina. “H...
This 2016 episode looks at the beginning of Denmark's monarchy and its link to two large rune stones at Jelling. Is it possible that the stones were part of an effort on Harald Blátand's part to revise the history of his parents, Gorm and Thyre?
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Tracy talks about the way she usually handles names in episodes, and how Icelandic naming conventions changes that. Holly discusses the way that one leader’s petulance can lead nations into unnecessary conflict.
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The Isles of Scilly were part of one of the longest wars in human history, but the main reason for the length of the very mild conflict was lagging paperwork.
Research:
- “335-year-old War Ends for Scilly Isles.” Star Tribune. April 18, 1986. https://www.newspapers.com/image/188704902/?match=1
- “The breakdown of 1641-2.” UK Parliament. https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/p...
Jón Arason was the last Catholic bishop in Iceland before it became a Lutheran country. His story involves a lot of gory details in this story including a pretty gruesome beheading.
Research:
- Buck, Thomas. “An Icelandic Martyr: Jón Arason.” Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review, vol. 46, no. 182, 1957, pp. 213–22. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30103574. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.
- Cunningham, Jack. ...
This 2018 episode covers Christine de Pizan, who wrote verse, military manuals, and treatises on war, peace and the just governance. She was the official biographer of King Charles V of France and wrote about Joan of Arc in her lifetime.
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Holly and Tracy talk about the spiky parts of Tamara de Lempicka's life story. They also discuss how Isaac Pitman benefitted from his association with a bible publisher.
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Humans have been writing in abbreviated ways as long as writing has existed. In the 19th century, Isaac Pitman developed – and marketed – a system of shorthand that became widely adopted.
Research:
- Baker, Alfred. “The Life of Sir Isaac Pitman.” London. Pitman. 1919. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/centenlifeofsiri00bakeuoft/page/34/mode/2up
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sir Isa...
Tamara de Lemicka was a trailblazer with an incredible, fresh style that really defined and influenced the development of Art Deco. She lived a life that was focused on originality, both artistically and personally.
Research:
- Bade, Patrick. “Lempicka.” Parkstone International. 2020.
- Brown, Mark. “Georgia O’Keeffe flower painting sells for record-breaking $44.4m.” The Guardian. Nov. 20, 2014. https...
This 2022 episode covers Peter Roget, a doctor and scientist who really liked putting things into classification systems. His life was very dramatic well before he came up with the book that is his legacy.
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Tracy expands on her frustration with coverage of the Petra find. She then discusses selecting topics for Unearthed! that delight her, and Holly shares a personal unearthing.
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Continuing the end of year 2024 edition of Unearthed!, this installment includes these categories: potpourri, edibles and potables, and books and letters
Research:
- Giuffrida, Angela. “Painting found by junk dealer in cellar is original Picasso, experts claim.” The Guardian. 10/1/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/oct/01/painting-found-by-junk-dealer-in-cellar-is-original-picasso-experts-claim
- Lawso...
This first installment the end of year 2024 edition of Unearthed! starts with updates, so many shipwrecks, and so much art.
Research:
- Giuffrida, Angela. “Painting found by junk dealer in cellar is original Picasso, experts claim.” The Guardian. 10/1/2024. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/oct/01/painting-found-by-junk-dealer-in-cellar-is-original-picasso-experts-claim
- Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “‘H...
This 2021 episode covers two women rulers of 11th-century Constantinople. Sometimes Zoë ruled alongside one of her husbands, sometimes she and Theodora ruled together, and in the end, Theodora ruled alone.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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