Not Your History Class Podcast

While most people knows the story of the Lincoln Assassination, the culprit, John Wilkes Booth shooting Lincoln in the back of the head, shouting something and then jumping out of the theater box and running away; most don’t know about the other man in the box that night, Henry Rathbone. Henry tried in vain to stop Booth from escaping, but Booth sliced his arm and Rathbone nearly died from blood loss. Henry spent the rest of his li...

No one could envy the life Mary Todd Lincoln led. She endured the deaths of three of her four children and witnessed her husband’s murder. After Lincoln’s death, Mary struggled to escape the sorrow that left her hopeless and lost. Even turning to her last surviving son, Robert, didn’t help. He did his best to comfort her, but her mental illness made him fear she might harm herself, so he had her institutionalized. Mary didn’t take ...

Mary Todd Lincoln had the misfortune of being the most unpopular first lady in United States history. Not only was she constantly criticized for her every action, she also suffered the loss of two young children, and witnessed the murder of her beloved husband. Mary’s struggles with her mental health were splashed across newspapers, articles accusing her of lavish spending, and daring to simply show grief in public, while millions ...

J. Marion Sims, known as the "father of modern gynecology," was a controversial figure, experimenting on enslaved women without anesthesia. Along side him were three significant figures in his quest to cure the vesico-vaginal fistula, they were Betsey, Lucy and Anarcha, enslaved women who suffered from the disorder itself and helped him as he experimented on them, as they experienced horrific pain and agony along the way....

During the 1930’s Jewish illustrators and artists were struggling to find work due to Anti-Semitism, in order to make some income and make ends meet, they created superheroes. Those who could rise above the regular humans and fight against the darkness, and evil. Superman in particular, had an enormous impact in American propaganda during World War II and was frequently shown on the cover of comic books, beating up Hitler, Stalin a...

The 1930s Golden Age of Comic Books marked the rise of iconic superheroes like Superman and Batman, shaped by the experiences of Jewish creators. Facing discrimination, Jewish writers and artists found opportunity in the comic book industry. Superman, introduced in Action Comics #1 (1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster—children of Jewish immigrants—became a symbol of justice, with strong parallels to the story of Moses. These Jewi...

On January 15ᵗʰ, 1919, a massive tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses had exploded, flooding Boston's north end docks with sticky molasses. Purity Distilling Company had been warned several times that the tank was creaking, leaking molasses, but the company ignored these warnings, until it was too late. Thousands of gallons flowed across Boston’s North End, resulting in several deaths. Rumor has it that on warm days, one ca...

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, also known as the "Six Triple Eight," played a pivotal role during WWII, ensuring soldiers received critical mail that boosted morale. Composed of 855 Black women from the Women's Army Corps (WAC), this battalion, led by Major Charity Adams, tackled a massive backlog of undelivered mail in Europe under grueling conditions, including segregation, inadequate facilities, and...

It was a balmy summer evening on July 18th, 1969 and Ted Kennedy was driving home from a party with a companion of his, Mary Jo Kopechne. In a tragic turn of events, Ted ended up driving his car off the road an into a pond, where it sunk to the bottom of the body of water. He was able to escape, but Mary Jo was stuck in the car. Even with repeated attempts to save her life, he was unable to reach her. Strangely enough, he waited un...

Ridley Scott directed and released the film Gladiator in 2000, starring Russell Crowe, Connie Nielsen and Joaquin Phoenix, in 2024 the sequel, Gladiator II was released, the fascination behind ancient Rome’s brutal and often lethal fights between men enslaved and forced to battle until they die, or if they are lucky, are given a second chance at life. The truth is that Ridley Scott took liberties with his work in portraying the tru...

Outside South Korea’s parliament, protestors have been chanting for President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign or to be impeached out of office. On December 4th, 2024, Yoon had declared martial law across the country inciting anxiety and fear in the citizens of South Korea. Parliament quickly overturned his motion and martial law was called off a mere 6 hours later. Meanwhile, France’s government has collapsed as Prime Minister Michel Barn...

The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a pivotal uprising that marked the end of Nicolae Ceaușescu's oppressive communist regime. Sparked by protests in Timișoara, it quickly spread nationwide, culminating in Ceaușescu's dramatic fall and execution alongside his wife, Elena. This historic event not only liberated Romania from decades of dictatorship but also symbolized the broader collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, leavi...

In 1971, Romanian leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu visited Mao Zedong in China and were captivated by his near-deification. For the Ceaușescus, both born into poverty, this vision of power was intoxicating, and they sought to replicate it in Communist Romania.

Nicolae's megalomania grew, and after becoming President, he and Elena ruled for 18 years, creating a cult of personality through oppressive policies. Their regime bec...

For many in the United States, the story of the first Thanksgiving often paints a picture of harmony, where the Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down together to share a peaceful meal. This version of history, while widely taught, seems overly idealized when we examine the darker reality of European colonization in the Americas. As we grow older and learn more about the harsh treatment of Native peoples by European settlers, it be...

Che Guevara is often celebrated as a symbol of rebellion and revolution, infamously known for being Castro’s right-hand man in the Cuban Revolution. While his image adorns countless articles of clothing, few understand the true nature of this infamous guerilla fighter. Despite his iconic status, Guevara's history reveals a troubling pattern of homophobia, racism, and violence, a much darker reality than what appears on the surface....

For over a century, we have been captivated by the story of the Titanic, the "Unsinkable" ship whose tragic sinking in the Atlantic Ocean remains one of the most infamous shipwrecks in history. But what is it about the Titanic disaster that continues to intrigue us, especially when countless other shipwrecks have occurred both before and after? Yet, time and time again, we are drawn back to the tragedy of the RMS Titanic.

In the first part of this series, I explored the many reasons why the Titanic was doomed from the start. In this episode, we shift focus to the major players behind the Titanic disaster and examine the tragedy surrounding the Titan submersible. Five curious tourists, eager to view the century-old Titanic wreck, tragically lost their lives due to the lack of proper engineering, safety protocols, and scientific expertise behind the T...