The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

A History Podcast for Kids! Parents love us, Teachers love us, and most importantly, kids do too! History can be amazing, inspiring and relevant to anyone. We love to share the stories of Spies, funny foods, George Washington's foibles, early advancements in cartooning and ballooning and much more! A professional music score and important songs accompany nearly every themed episode. Proud Kids Listen Member @pastandcurious

Episodes

Bunion Derby and Route 66

August 31, 2026 • 30 mins
November of 2026 will mark the 100th Anniversary of Route 66, a highway that inspired road trips, neon signs, writers, singers, and even a movie about talking cars. But first, the Bunion Derby was a publicity stunt for attention on Route 66 and it was America's first cross-country ultra-marathon.
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War and Pigs : Danish Protest Pigs and the Pig War of 1859

July 31, 2026 • 31 mins
It was the best of swine, it was the worst of swine. This is a much requested episode: the great Pig War that almost launched a 3rd violent conflict between American and Great Britain. Enjoy the history and absurdity of it all. Also is the story behind an official breed of pigs known as Danish Protest Pigs.
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Mary Katharine Goddard, Independence Hall, and The Declaration of Independence

July 1, 2026 • 33 mins
Episode 119 looks at some key moment inside Indepedence Hall (and the time they almost tore it down). Likewise, we'll meet Mary Katharine Goddard, who published the first version of the Declaration to contain the names of all the signers. If you look closely, you can find her name on the important document too! And to start it off we learn about when Ben Franklin told Thomas Jefferson a story to help him understand the value of ed...
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Emily the Cow, Geronimo The Beaver, and the Rostocker Pfeilstorch

June 17, 2026 • 18 mins
An escaping cow, Operation Beaver Drop, and a migration mystery solved by a bird with a spear - all on this episode of Important Animals From History - Volume 4!
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Lost Woods and Found Amendments

May 31, 2026 • 32 mins
The story of the Lost 40 - an old growth forest in Minnesota that got lost for nearly a century thanks to a surveying error. We're talking lumberjacks, old growth trees, and silly mistakes. Also, the 27th Amendment which was brought back from the dustbin of history thanks to a college student who didn't get the grade he had hoped for on an essay!
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Animals Vol 3: Signalman Jack, Cacareco, and Pickles!

May 18, 2026 • 17 mins
Signalman Jack was a baboon who worked in the railway in South Africa. Cacareco was a Black Rhino elected to political office in Brazil. Pickles was the dog who found the missing World Cup trophy. All of them were awesome. All of them will be in Mick's upcoming book.
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Past Scent (and Other Senses)

April 30, 2026 • 34 mins
How did an extinct flower not seen since 1881 wind up being the subject of a modern day project to recreate a scent from the past? It was a long path from Dr. Charles Short in the 1860s to Dr. Christina Agapakis in the 2010s. And it's a cool story!
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Animals: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vic the Cat, and Mungo the Squirrel

April 16, 2026 • 16 mins
The Second volume of Important Animals From History, from an upcoming book by Mick Sullivan.
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Hidden and Lost

March 31, 2026 • 34 mins
The Amber Room was a feat of artistic ability (and a lot of money) but after WWII it has disappeared entirely. Have you seen it? After that we learn about secret codes, the Enigma Machine, Alan Turing, Navajo Code Talkers and more!
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Important Animals in History Vol. 1

March 16, 2026 • 16 mins
The first release teasing Mick's upcoming book! This episode features three animals of note: Clara the Rhino, Mozart's Starling, and a whale named Mocha Dick. Let's ride through the tales of animals of history!
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Life Savers

February 28, 2026 • 33 mins
Carolin Hampton needed to pioneer rubber gloves int he operating room after Joseph Lister's big ideas. Richard Etheridge was the first Black keeper at an official Life Saving Station and his team's rescue of a shipwrecked family was dramatic and historic.
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Peanut Butter and Jelly

January 28, 2026 • 35 mins
You might be surprised to learn the history of the iconic sandwich and all of the ingredients that go into the recipe. First published in 1901, the availability of peanut butter, jelly and sliced bread has changed a lot over the years. And that's great, so let's eat (or just listen). Special thanks to Lindsay and Marshall from Tumble Podcast for their inspiration on the subject, and help with this episode!
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Misers

December 29, 2025 • 30 mins
Two misers for the price of one! Charles Dickens created the world-famous character Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1840s, but he may have been inspired by a real-life miser named John Elwes. Another famous miser is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Krakow, Poland. However, it turns out that Yossele the Holy Miser wasn't as miserly as everyone believed him to be during his life.
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Art Spies and Underwater Toilets

November 30, 2025 • 31 mins
Two fascinating stories from World War II. One is about Rose Valland, a French woman who worked as a spy in Nazi-occupied Paris. Her bravery saved thousands of works of art, many of which were returned to the families who originally owned them.  Secondly, the story of German U-boat U-1206 is a doozy. The new toilet onboard was confounding, and it got the the better of the boat's commander. The result was a big blunder by the ...
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Moving Water

October 31, 2025 • 33 mins
The Erie Canal and The Chicago River were two of the most impressive engineering feats in history. For the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal we look at the opening celebration, along with a fun musical diversion or two. And how can you talk about moving water without talking about the efforts to change sanitation in Chicago? This included reversing the flow of the river that runs through the city!
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Kids Listen Big Emotions

October 27, 2025 • 22 mins
We're a part of Big Emotions this week! We’re feeling all squishy this week, as we dive into two of the strongest emotions of all. Love is powerful, joyful, and comforting - and when it changes or we feel its absence, sadness often follows. Sadness can feel heavy, but it helps us slow down, notice what matters, and deepen our connections. In this episode, we explore the softer, quieter corners of the heart where love and sadn...
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Halloween Special: Twain's Ouija Novel

October 15, 2025 • 22 mins
Did a no-longer-living Mark Twain send a novel from the great beyond with a Ouija Board? Find out about the real story with help from our pal Nate DuFort of the podcast, Unspookable.
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Very Hairy

September 30, 2025 • 36 mins
Episode 110! Peter the Great, The Hairy Eagle and more! Did I decide on an episode about Peter the Great just so I could say 6-7 a few times to be cringe and make kids laugh? Yes, yes I did. But it's a really fun story about when the Tsar of All Russia travelled "incognito" through Europe.  And as a bonus, we're talking hair sales, hair wreaths, and even the not-so-famous "Hairy Eagle!"
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Handwritten

August 29, 2025 • 33 mins
Episode 109 tells the story of Lincoln's the speech Lincoln lost before his inauguration in 1861. Also included is the story of Ely S. Parker, an indigenous Seneca man who made an impact in the Civil War - and who had really nice handwriting.
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Lost Bones

July 30, 2025 • 32 mins
Composer Joseph Haydn is buried with two skulls. You'll never believe why (hint: it has to do with phrenology). Meanwhile Thomas Paine's bones went missing thanks to an overly enthusiastic fan.
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