https://www.spreaker.com/show/professor-buzzkill-history-podcastenHistoryCopyright Joe Coohillhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/37cc3016a9bec8d0ed8d62b0030543fd.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/professor-buzzkill-history-podcastWed, 08 Jul 2026 14:42:29 +0000Joe CoohillJoe Coohillinfo@professorbuzzkill.comProfessor Buzzkill is an exciting podcast that explores history myths in an illuminating, entertaining, and humorous way.falseserialhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/12-rosa-parks--4891074752257dbf39cd373297b892de05b1823cTue, 12 May 2015 16:04:54 +0000Joe CoohillMeek and mild Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1950s Alabama because she was just tired after a long day at work. That’s mostly myth, and it obscures all the work that Mrs. Parks did, as well as over-simplifying the...2045black,buzzkill,classroom,education,epicast,history,learning,parks,professor,rosafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/13-mini-myth-vikings-didn-t-wear-horned-helmets-into-battle--4891073238e18a05ce951d26a9ea065848686e1bThu, 14 May 2015 06:13:58 +0000Joe CoohillA Viking horned helmet would have been very impractical, and perhaps dangerous, in battle, Buzzkillers. There is only one depiction of a horned helmet in ancient Nordic art, and it was probably ceremonial. Horned helmets are most likely the invention...113busting,buzzkill,class,education,epicast,history,lessons,myth,professor,teacherfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/16-mini-myth-jumping-wall-street-stockbrokers--489106531b620d31626b8b863b272803336ac57eThu, 21 May 2015 15:10:21 +0000Joe CoohillThe weather report for the morning of October 29, 1929, the day of the famous Wall Street Crash, called for falling stockbrokers. Ruined businessmen were supposed to be flinging themselves out of their high office windows in despair. Alas,...119busting,buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,history,myth,professor,truthfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/19-mini-myth-einstein-wasn-t-bad-at-math--489107439abb680f0c7068c021306958a4283f82Thu, 28 May 2015 16:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid you struggle over long division, Buzzkillers? Did your math teacher try to console you by telling that Einstein was bad at math when he was young? Well, I hate to bust one of your cherished childhood stories, but it isn’t true. Einstein rocked the...187busting,buzzkill,education,einstein,epicast,history,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/21-mini-myth-reagan-not-up-for-casablanca--48910730e08eddb212c683c1222910eb70b586b8Thu, 04 Jun 2015 16:25:35 +0000Joe CoohillWarner Bros Studios pumped out this myth, Buzzkillers, before production had even started on the movie. But Bogie had the part all along!143buzzkill,casablanca,education,epicast,history,learn,mini,myth,professor,reagan,teachfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/23-mini-myth-betsy-ross-didn-t-sew-the-first-american-flag--489106451471caa02d0dd971d4139bcbbc44f245Fri, 12 Jun 2015 04:01:46 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a great and heart-warming story, Buzzkillers, but meek and modest Betsy Ross did not design or sew the first American flag. The story itself follows the classic myth pattern, a second-hand family tale that caught on with a receptive public....242busting,buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,history,learn,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/24-pre-dawn-raid-magna-carta--48910636e359b126740319f0523a568f688025bbMon, 15 Jun 2015 04:26:47 +0000Joe CoohillRobin Hood did not force King John to sign Magna Carta. Neither did King Arthur or Merlin, or Gandalf for that matter. Magna Carta (800 years old today) is a cluster-bomb of myths. The Professor defuses them and makes the world safe for democracy!279buzzkill,dawn,edu,education,epicast,history,learn,pre,professor,raidfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/26-pre-dawn-raid-battle-of-waterloo--4891074134b23ea618c7e78c8434f61e30c334caThu, 18 Jun 2015 05:08:33 +0000Joe CoohillJune 15th is the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Buzzkillers. But was it such a big deal? Does it deserve the attention and praise it’s gotten? Join the Professor’s Pre-Dawn Raid to find out!329buzzkill,dawn,edu,education,epicast,history,learn,pre,professor,raidfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/27-mini-myth-great-train-robbery--4891064237f094719ef83a51330ad0082b826992Fri, 19 Jun 2015 06:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“The Great Train Robbery” (1903) was not the first feature film, despite what you learned in film studies class, Buzzkillers (or from some tiresome, drunken film-studies major at a boring film-studies party). The Aussies beat Hollywood to the punch....154busting,buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,film,history,myth,professor,robbery,trainfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/29-mini-myth-captain-cook-didn-t-discover-australia--48910637e9d020d57cb8610791cb55bafd3b361dThu, 25 Jun 2015 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPity the poor Dutch, Buzzkillers!. They travelled all over the world and get almost no credit for it. Captain James Cook of England wasn’t the first European to discover Australia. Willem Janszoon was. Ever heard of him? I didn’t think so.163buzzkill,captain,education,epicast,history,hook,mini,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/31-mini-myth-jfk-not-a-jam-doughnut--489105474648c30a1947d7eaefc7f329a54b9feeThu, 02 Jul 2015 16:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillCold War Berlin was a tense place, and certainly not the place to make an embarrassing gaffe in a major speech. So it’s a good thing that President Kennedy didn’t call himself a jam doughnut while speaking to a massive crowd in front of the Berlin...194berlin,buzzkill,cold,education,epicast,history,learn,mini,myth,professor,warfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/33-mini-myth-abner-doubleday-and-baseball--489105522099871a2ebad163f08c0029b16c4737Thu, 09 Jul 2015 15:51:45 +0000Joe CoohillAbner Doubleday didn’t invent baseball, and he didn’t do it in Cooperstown in 1839, Buzzkillers. Once again, a second- or third-hand story created a persistent myth. It was Alexander Cartwright in Manhattan in 1845. The Baseball Hall of Fame is still...228buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,history,learn,mini,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/34-the-houses-of-parliament--489105532cb407293db65a147a78f64cabb452a9Tue, 14 Jul 2015 16:25:42 +0000Joe CoohillThe Buzzkill has landed! Right in the heart of London, in Parliament Square. We interview Dr. Caroline Shenton, from the Parliamentary Archives, about myths surrounding the Houses of Parliament. We broadcast directly from Westminster Hall, the oldest...2467busting,buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,learn,myth,parliament,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/35-mini-myth-hitler-and-the-volkswagen--489106848f9631bdd8cb444c796da27641cf1928Thu, 16 Jul 2015 17:20:11 +0000Joe CoohillHerr Hitler gets credit for an awful lot, Buzzkillers, including the invention of the Volkswagen. The story is that he demand a “people’s car” that the average German could afford. Alas, Buzzkillers, the story is much more complicated than that, and...303buzzkill,education,epicast,german,history,hitler,myth,professor,volkswagen,vwfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/36-black-adder-and-world-war-1--489105431e2e0b944a53cfc055d9d7bc9e1fddfaTue, 21 Jul 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s time to go over the top, Buzzkillers! We interview Professor Richard Grayson about the wildly popular BBC television series, BlackAdder, and how close it was to historical reality. There are probably more myths about war than any other part of...2851bust,buzzkill,education,epicast,grayson,history,learn,myth,professor,richard,war,worldfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/37-pre-dawn-raid-us-cuba-relations--48910532afa957d5a28377e6ba849bc07cd2708bWed, 22 Jul 2015 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Cuban Embassy in Washington DC re-opened yesterday, symbolizing the thaw in US-Cuba relations in the past year. This is all warm and fuzzy, but we look at one of the most important historical myths of US-Cuba relations since the start of the Cold...195falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/38-mini-myth-caesar-wasn-t-born-by-caesarian-section--48910520169a9eb6b4ed3084195015ff8abb3bb4Thu, 23 Jul 2015 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s an exciting and romantic tale: a future Roman hero has to be cut out of his mother’s womb as she’s dying in childbirth. The procedure is later named after the famous baby who survived — Julius Caesar. Alas, the story is as mythological as the one...150buzzkill,education,epicast,history,learn,pittsburgh,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/40-mini-myth-lady-godiva-riding-naked-through-coventry--4891074069f337eb45eb6d9d5b1afdc8435a4982Thu, 30 Jul 2015 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat a great way to get taxes lowered! Get your land-owning husband to agree to lower property taxes if you ride naked on horseback right down main street. That’s just what Lady Godiva agreed to do in 11th century England in order to get her...170buzzkill,education,epicast,history,learn,mini,myth,podcast,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/42-mini-myth-george-washington-carver-and-peanut-butter--48910618450238dd441a8f6d089d62a81568ae25Fri, 07 Aug 2015 15:13:44 +0000Joe CoohillLike all good Americans, I just had a PB&J for lunch. I couldn’t help thinking of George Washington Carver, the reputed inventor of peanut butter. You won’t be surprised to hear that the invention of peanut butter is much more complicated (and more...302butter,carver,education,epicast,george,history,peanut,washingtonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/44-mini-myth-ben-franklin-and-electricity--48910676d79327066eb6b08ea2cfdc7921b75434Fri, 14 Aug 2015 15:47:02 +0000Joe CoohillDid Ben Franklin really discover electricity by flying a kite in a lightning storm? Well, he may have flown the kite, Buzzkillers, but knowledge of electricity’s been around a long, long time. Take the journey of discovery back in time with the old...139buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,history,learn,network,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/encore-episode-12-rosa-parks--48910619http://professorbuzzkill.libsyn.com/page/2/size/25#WMg7CxjmJ4clxE9w.99]]>28cf7b789ac4d9e8d4aa22cb33278f09Tue, 18 Aug 2015 16:53:48 +0000Joe CoohillHere's an encore presentation of Episode 9 - Rosa Parks. Meek and mild Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1950s Alabama because she was just tired after a long day at work. That’s mostly myth, and it obscures all the work...http://professorbuzzkill.libsyn.com/page/2/size/25#WMg7CxjmJ4clxE9w.99]]>2045buzzkill,edu,education,epicast,learn,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/45-mini-myth-napoleon-short--48910542776a402a657bddf1062894ab30110708Thu, 20 Aug 2015 21:17:14 +0000Joe CoohillYou’ve probably always seen Napoleon depicted as a shorty. And you may have heard that his ambition was driven by a classic “short man’s complex.” Alas, it’s not true. At least not by his measured height. The nickname came about differently. Listen to...112buzzkill,education,epicast,history,mini,myth,pittsburgh,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/46-literary-churchill--489107336ce79be2763acd0bad7455da8223aab0Tue, 25 Aug 2015 15:25:22 +0000Joe CoohillInside Churchill’s Brain The Literary Churchill, Buzzkillers! We finally get to hear what was going on inside the old bulldog’s head. Prof Jonathan Rose schools us on how Churchill’s reading, writing, and acting affected his decisions and political...2064buzzkill,college,edu,education,epicast,learn,mini,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/47-mini-myth-catherine-the-great-died-while-attempting-to-have-sex-with-a-horse--489105303ae6a811479ccacf7768ef795cf08884Thu, 27 Aug 2015 15:08:54 +0000Joe CoohillFind any fraternity member who’s also a freshman history major. Get him drunk, and he’ll start reeling off myths like crazy. One of them will probably be that Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia (1729-1796) died by being crushed by a horse. While...107buzzkill,education,epicast,mini,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/49-mini-myth-african-american-code-quilts--489105256ddf2c486690f06625d7585513a7d534Thu, 03 Sep 2015 05:32:19 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most most popular history exercises in elementary schools these days is to have students learn about Quilt Codes and the Underground Railroad and make some designs themselves. Students are told that quilt patterns gave escaped slaves...288buzzkill,education,epicast,learning,mini,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/51-mini-myth-nero-fiddled-while-rome-burned--48910672d042f39d12012548978be6948bf0f018Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid the Roman emperor Nero really fiddle while his glorious city of Rome burned? Politicians may often be bad guys, Buzzkillers, but there’s no good evidence for this level of mania in old Nero. It’s a good story, but that’s all it is, a story.151buzzkill,edu,education,history,learn,mini,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/encore-episode-34-the-houses-of-parliament--48910679d75fb75a37e5f7e7e5693a4d0f5fb323Tue, 15 Sep 2015 05:30:51 +0000Joe CoohillThe Buzzkill has landed! Right in the heart of London, in Parliament Square. We interview Dr. Caroline Shenton, from the Parliamentary Archives, about myths surrounding the Houses of Parliament. We broadcast directly from Westminster Hall, the oldest...2527falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/52-mini-myth-sir-walter-raleigh-potatoes-and-tobacco--48910509454fdfadd7e75d3719ce84bf9fc35066Thu, 17 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlmost nothing about Sir Walter Raleigh is true, or at the very least it’s all been highly exaggerated. He didn’t lay his cloak down for Queen Elizabeth, and he didn’t introduce potatoes and tobacco to Europe after his travels in the New World. He...140buzzkill,edu,education,history,learn,professor,school,tobaccofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/53-pre-dawn-raid-ronald-reagan-s-11th-commandment--48910736c11337fe54206aa630094d4fe05b3bf7Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:32:34 +0000Joe CoohillThe Republican Primary this year will see a lot of havering between all the different candidates. They all will be breaking Ronald Reagan’s famous 11th Commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Speak ill of a Fellow Republican.” The historical problem is that...706falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/55-mini-myth-walt-disney--48910620f55bb06e746ca44eb14abe7483a3a433Thu, 24 Sep 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill149falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/56-mini-myth-lee-offered-his-sword-to-grant--48910670021d48855243460c974f7f6d8444abbaThu, 01 Oct 2015 16:04:40 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a great “Gone with the Wind” romantic-type story. The defeated, but honorable, General Robert E. Lee offered his sword to the victor, U.S. Grant, during the Confederacy’s surrender at Appomattox Court House. Grant, just as honorably, refused to...140education,epicast,history,mini,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/58-mini-myth-witches-burned-at-the-stake-at-salem--489105731dc2d289a1b6a369419e8dedcab10431Thu, 08 Oct 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBurn the witch! Burn the witch! It makes for a dramatic story, with about as final an ending as you can imagine. Suspected witches were nabbed, put on trial, convicted, and burned at the stake in the 1690s in Massachusetts. But it’s just not true. The...132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/60-mini-myth-magellan-didn-t-circumnavigate-the-globe--489107262d0b088a0e1229d20fcb5ea3792447b6Thu, 15 Oct 2015 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHe may have had a GPS system named after him, but Ferdinand Magellan wouldn’t have needed it during his trip around the globe back in the early 1500s. He only made it halfway, dying in the Phillipines at the hands of natives who got sick of him asking...124busting,buzzkill,education,epicast,learning,miny,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/encore-episode-32-the-cultural-cold-war--4891063078b3003619d8a9f4c003469b7218d203Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:19:48 +0000Joe CoohillThe Cold War was about more than nuclear missles and bomb shelters, Buzzkillers. Literature and art were weapons in the Cultural Cold War, according to Professor Greg Barnhisel. He overturns decades-old myths about Cold War era writers and artists who...1694falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/61-mini-myth-patrick-henry-give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death--48910611df082233c69dd1abb31a34c9d430c2afThu, 22 Oct 2015 13:49:36 +0000Joe Coohill“Give me liberty or give me death,” Virginia patriot Patrick Henry was supposed to have said in a stirring speech before the American Revolution. We Buzzkill this quote and show that, like most “quotes,” it was written decades after the event....264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/63-mini-myth-halloween--489105153eb7835d0ff637ecef9b936ca0519675Thu, 29 Oct 2015 15:15:24 +0000Joe CoohillHalloween is a demonic holiday chock full of sin and endangered by razor blades in trick or treat candy, right? Wrong. Nothing about the origins of Halloween can be called demonic, satanic, or anti-Christian. And the adulterated candy thing is an...712bust,buzzkill,education,halloween,history,learn,myth,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/encore-episode-36-black-adder-and-world-war-1--489105171a3407b7d1d4b937767567f8183e1f21Tue, 03 Nov 2015 08:16:29 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s time to go over the top, Buzzkillers! We interview Professor Richard Grayson about the wildly popular BBC television series, BlackAdder, and how close it was to historical reality. There are probably more myths about war than any other part of...2851falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/64-mini-myth-guy-fawkes--489106593cf93ab1518a486ad32d61328bfd8c5fThu, 05 Nov 2015 04:43:47 +0000Joe CoohillRemember, remember, the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot…. Children’s rhymes make poor history. So do modern day movies, like V for Vendetta. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators weren’t radicals fighting for the working people. So why...302buzzkill,edu,education,history,learn,professor,schoolfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/66-mini-myth-the-alamo--4891062306c4726b0b6e2bc8038ccb723a89fc6cThu, 12 Nov 2015 06:17:08 +0000Joe CoohillEveryone was killed at the Alamo. Right, Buzzkillers? That’s why “Remember the Alamo” is such a famous rallying cry in American history. But was everyone killed inside the Alamo? Civilians? Women and children? Was Santa Anna essentially a murderer?...338falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/69-mini-myth-thanksgiving-popcorn--48910595567be83150b084b22b2be6fc76059c9eThu, 26 Nov 2015 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAs the pilgrims pushed their chairs back from the first Thanksgiving table, their stomachs full of turkey and potatoes, Squanto appeared with bushels of popped corn and spilled it out on the tables for the Pilgrims to enjoy. That’s how Americans got...258falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/professor-buzzkill-33-sound-of-music--48910513c66316531e62d841597f451f3b047478Tue, 01 Dec 2015 17:12:50 +0000Joe CoohillHow do you solve a problem like Sound of Music myths? When did The Captain and Maria get married? How anti-Nazi was he? How many dozens of kids did they have? How did the von Trapps escape the Nazis? Movie myths are always fund, Buzzkillers!1255buzzkill,epicast,history,pittsburgh,podcastfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/71-mini-myth-walt-disney-mickey-mouse-and-ub-iwerks--489106212b9def87a816ab109544ca8ef5f49957Thu, 03 Dec 2015 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWalt Disney is one of the most famous names in entertainment. But have you ever heard of Ub Iwerks? Good old Ub was the real artistic genius behind many of Disney’s most beloved characters, including Mickey Mouse. Yet there is no IwerksWorld, no...197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/75-mini-myth-rule-of-thumb--4891050688bcf6533b839e4c2a239db5ead82e1eFri, 18 Dec 2015 16:29:57 +0000Joe CoohillThe rule of thumb about history myths is that they’re persistent. Ever hear the one about an ancient law that allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick as long as it was not thicker than his thumb? Well, it’s a myth, Buzzkillers. But how it became a...238falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/77-mini-myth-santa-claus--489107158b3e22d0d681c49f278705fc9d6619edThu, 24 Dec 2015 09:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWho was Santa Claus, Buzzkillers? The jolly old man from Miracle on 34th Street? The round-bellied man wearing a red costume, driving a sleigh pulled by 8 tiny reindeer? Was there a Rudolph involved?308falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/79-mini-myth-new-year-s-eve-day--489105795c3fb0d50fcb5723597557ac87044e70Thu, 31 Dec 2015 09:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow did New Year’s Day end up in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere (and the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere)? Wouldn’t a day in spring be more fitting? Find out how people celebrated New Years in past centuries and why things...327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/80-the-molly-maguires--48910555f421192c9e9617db191e49aa335631daTue, 12 Jan 2016 17:46:20 +0000Joe CoohillThis episode looks at the dramatic combination of advancing industrialization, and the dirty business of coal mining both from the miners’ side and from the operators’ side. Specifically we’re going to talk about what happened when poor industrial...2695falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/professor-buzzkill-40-british-secularism--489105462fa568f03fced287273357d2867fd345Tue, 26 Jan 2016 19:56:11 +0000Joe CoohillWe interview Professor Michael Rectenwald of NYU about his new book, Nineteenth-Century British Secularism (2016). We learn how diverse non-religious philosophies were and what the real meaning of secularism was in its early decades. Secularism sought...2352falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/83-mini-myth-levi-strauss-jacob-davis-and-blue-jeans--489105448d0332cb189f82c7fcc7b9a85cb704c6Thu, 28 Jan 2016 19:18:38 +0000Joe CoohillWe call them “Levis,” no matter what brand they are. But maybe we should call them “Jacobs.” Blue jeans weren’t invented by Levi Strauss, but by Jacob Davis, a fellow European immigrant and tailor. Was it a story of expropriation and exploitation?...318falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/professor-buzzkill-41-whackadoodle-presidential-candidates--48910667d964614c82e4decf43de654b45d9c8e3Tue, 02 Feb 2016 19:24:53 +0000Joe CoohillHey you Buzzkillers and backfillers, you listeners and glisteners! Did you think The Sarah was the first whackadoodle presidential candidate? Distinguished historians join me to discuss "fringe" candidates from the glorious American past. Listen in...4090falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/85-mini-myth-droit-du-seigneur--48910706ce5a5d3d3ff5b5b2adeb767e7d007e85Fri, 05 Feb 2016 16:11:05 +0000Joe CoohillDroit du Seigneur (French: “right of the lord”) refers to the “right” of a feudal lord to sleep with the bride of one of his vassals on their wedding night. While this “right” appears as early as the Epic of Gilgamesh (c 2100 BC), is an important plot...142falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/89-atomic-bomb-myths--48910505fd400d3b202f4ca6011876a295d29c37Tue, 23 Feb 2016 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas there an actual decision whether or not to use atomic bombs in World War II? If not, what were the questions and issues about using the bomb? Why did the US choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets? Did Truman do it to scare the Soviets? Did...3500atomic,bomb,buzzkill,education,epicast,history,myth,wwiifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/90-mini-myth-george-washington-crossing-the-delaware--48910512421a5f471ccf2befb7673a940ff29a25Thu, 25 Feb 2016 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze is one of most iconic images in the American cultural consciousness. But how accurate a depiction is it? By standing up in the boat, did George risk tipping over and falling into...186buzzkill,education,epicast,history,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/91-uss-indianapolis--48910690872093cf347c3153a900c9cc85c7d551Tue, 01 Mar 2016 18:25:40 +0000Joe CoohillCaptain’s Quint’s story about the USS Indianapolis in the movie Jaws is only the beginning of an gut-wrenching piece of history, Buzzkillers. There’s a lot more to the Indianapolis sinking than most people know. Join me for a special episode prompted...701falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/92-conflicts-unending--48910494ed079f71878bcccd22b8f9e1e18a8eedWed, 09 Mar 2016 05:16:41 +0000Joe CoohillIs the “west” locked in “conflicts unending” with Islam? Is it a “clash of civilizations”? Professor Karl Barbir from Siena College in New York shows us the problems with this overly general thinking. Things were much more subtle and complex in the...2195falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/93-mini-myth-st-patrick-s-day--48910655aa688921491805bc435a35c7796993c4Thu, 17 Mar 2016 16:59:34 +0000Joe CoohillWhat can possibly be wrong with St. Patrick’s Day? Not much, except that there’s very little historical basis behind stories about St. Patrick. And there’s certainly no historical basis for excess drinking, green beer, and the Chicago River turned...598falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/94-amazing-grace--4891065200e28d6a4158c506f5b89b030c6e2babTue, 22 Mar 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“Amazing Grace” is one of the most popular songs in Christian songbooks, and one of the most recognizable songs in the world. By one account, it is sung over 10 million times annually. It’s has also been the font of historical myths and...798falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/95-chief-seattle--489105390ce7cb67f3665e8e6d930bb228edfafaTue, 29 Mar 2016 10:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“Quotations” from Chief Seattle (c.1786-1866), particularly those that have ecological tone, appear on posters, photographs, monuments. These “quotes” are used almost everywhere that people want to express the idea that Native Americans had natural...976falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/96-mini-myth-rasputin-s-death--48910728d6368a4128b6709e6c44b396ae6ba653Thu, 31 Mar 2016 15:32:22 +0000Joe CoohillGregor Rasputin (1869-1916) is one of the most fascinating people in modern history. Who was he? Religious visionary? Mystic healer? Charlatan? Spiritual con man? Political snake? All of the above? The story that it took being drugged, poisoned, shot,...442falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/97-woodrow-wilson--4891047994fcf070f4e20819e5f3d294a5630748Tue, 05 Apr 2016 15:47:57 +0000Joe CoohillProf. Phil Nash joins us once again to bust US history myths. This time it’s about President Woodrow Wilson. How much of a progressive was he? What were his real attitudes towards race? How much idealism did he pump into his policies on foreign...3374falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/98-mini-myth-twinkie-defense--48910613e38fd5bd30ee2362e7276786f96362a4Thu, 07 Apr 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas a junk food diet really used as a defense in a murder case? Did the Twinkie do it? Alas, Buzzkillers, the answer is no, but the story about this myth is fascinating. Sit back, unwrap one of your favorite snacks, listen and learn!260falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/99-pre-dawn-raid-palin-and-patton--4891065106a915264d607f5de5cc54b5d7f3aff4Mon, 11 Apr 2016 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s an American election year, Buzzkillers, and we can absolutely count on misquotes and other abuses of history. Join us on this Pre-Dawn Raid as we expose Sarah Palin’s mis-use of General George Patton during this year’s election. It’s a doozy!153falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/100-general-patton--48910478c6b301ee72fa3cc663c44179069e67a8Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:00:48 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral George Patton was one of the most famous, colorful, and talked about US generals in World War II. He is also among the most misunderstood military men in history. Famously played by George C. Scott in a 1970 movie, Patton’s image is one of the...4690falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/101-mini-myth-my-name-is-mud--489105389bb3b39ffb1867b36cb85abc2ead76c2Fri, 15 Apr 2016 13:31:54 +0000Joe CoohillIs there any truth to the story that the saying, “my name is/will be mud,” or “your name is/will be mud,” refers to the stain on Dr. Samuel Mudd’s reputation based on his relationship with John Wilkes Booth in the aftermath of Lincoln’s assassination...177falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/102-currency-changes--48910514c60d4c95331524e9e74d7babe32d7ce0Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:25:44 +0000Joe CoohillThe U.S. Treasury has finally taken our advice, Buzzkillers! Harriet Tubman will be the new image on the $20 bill. It took a lot of work on our part to convince the old fuddy-duddies at Treasury to make the change, but it was worth it. You’re welcome,...797falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/103-mini-myth-cowboy-hat--489105347a22ee8a369332d2e1226b41c4738325Thu, 28 Apr 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEveryone loves the cowboy hat. Even if you don’t wear one, you want to see your cowboy movie heroes wearing one. Anything else would be un-American, right? Wrong. The classic, iconic cowboy hat design didn’t appear until 1865 and didn’t become popular...111buzzkill,epicast,history,myth,pittsburgh,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/104-mini-myth-bra-burning--4891060972a4291130bdac986101c1e453f70471Thu, 05 May 2016 17:32:39 +0000Joe CoohillDid women’s rights protesters go so far as to burn their bras in public in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in the same way that anti-war protesters burned their draft cards? Well, no, Buzzkillers. They did throw them in “freedom trash cans,” along...142busting,buzzkill,epicast,history,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/105-cocaine-in-coca-cola--4891057181c3cd1d96ed9171f68e33a6e412412dTue, 10 May 2016 06:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFor decades, a story flew around that Coke was originally full of coke, as in cocaine. The early developers of Coca-Cola stirred cocaine into its famous syrup, so the legend goes. Once mixed with energizing carbonated water, early Coca-Cola became...427busting,coca,cocaine,cola,epicast,history,mythfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/106-mini-myth-the-hindenburg-disaster--4891068086ee62577e38add1ad77a647851bd980Thu, 12 May 2016 05:22:07 +0000Joe CoohillThe 1937 Hindenburg disaster was one of the most dramatic events of the 20th century. And it certainly was dramatically reported. But what if the report we're used to hearing was partly the result of a mechanical error in the recording equipment? What...417falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/107-george-washington-s-political-beliefs--48910704c3f1f2a9d6b24797cae21e457bcd8b3eTue, 17 May 2016 14:28:10 +0000Joe CoohillGeorge Washington has every political ideal in the country ascribed to him at one time or another. Big government. Limited government. Freedom of religion. Freedom from religion. What did he really think? What were his political principles and...519falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/108-mini-myth-ty-cobb--489105332cc024d684b6fddb91d4b09be5886cabThu, 19 May 2016 16:16:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas the Ty Cobb, the Georgia Peach, rotten to the core? He is often referred to as one of greatest baseball players of all time. But was his professional greatness mirrored by personal reprehensibility? As is so often the case, his soiled reputation...225falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/109-st-francis-of-assisi--4891046911d97162fcd750040896a9aeb302b4e8Tue, 24 May 2016 14:58:07 +0000Joe CoohillSt. Francis of Assisi is one of the most popular saints in the Christian religion. He’s known as a lover of animals, the first eco-warrior, and a peace-negotiator during the crusades. How much of this is true, and how much is myth? “Make me the...2363falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/110-mini-myth-spanish-flu--489105313256a766b11d2d5bbcc7e153926fa19cThu, 26 May 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe great influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 was the one of the worst disasters in human history. Somewhere between 50 and 100 million people were killed by the flu world-wide. But did it start in Spain? Was the Spanish health-care system to blame....165falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/111-workers-entombed-in-concrete--48910463e3df25e58b2a232eb7942fa2ff63dd2eTue, 31 May 2016 05:26:42 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a story that drives tour guides and historians of engineering crazy. A worker falls into a pool of wet concrete that’s being poured as part of a major construction project. Before he can be saved, his body slips beneath the surface and he drowns...368falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/112-mini-myth-pony-express--48910568e31aaa3b1bc0f95f2597640c6bd88c31Thu, 02 Jun 2016 04:48:06 +0000Joe CoohillThe image of the Pony Express  is very strong in the American consciousness. Here’s what we “remember” -- a rider galloping as fast as the wind through the wild west, ignoring the elements, dodging hostile Native Americans, and delivering the mail....239falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/113-scopes-trial--48910462021cdffadaa75480b73999e8758fa3e8Tue, 07 Jun 2016 15:50:26 +0000Joe CoohillOn April 24, 1925, a high school teacher named John Scopes taught a class in Dayton, Tennessee, using a state-mandated textbook that included a chapter explaining Darwin’s theory of evolution. In doing so, Scopes was in violation of Tennessee’s Butler...2003falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/114-mini-myth-titantic--48910529b05abfba8e9932b3437523295aa61022Thu, 09 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe myths about the RMS Titanic, which sank on April 15, 2012, are themselves so big and numerous that we could call them titanic in their own right. In fact, they’ve lasted so long they might be considered unsinkable. Listen and learn the real story,...254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/115-paul-revere--4891050403f16e40958fe0506ce688f8b7a95c10Tue, 14 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillListen, oh Buzzkillers, and you shall hear, the true story of the Ride of Paul Revere. Silversmith, patriot, brave man and true, but he wasn’t the only one to carry the news.509falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/116-mini-myth-eve-and-the-apple--48910644aa6111bdfa020e16623f526914e6de95Thu, 16 Jun 2016 16:24:24 +0000Joe CoohillMany of us “know” that, in the Garden of Eden, Eve was tempted by a serpent to eat an apple from the tree of knowledge. She ate the apple and that led to God expelling her and Adam from the Garden of Eden. This is known as the “Fall of Man.” But was...111falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/117-douglas-macarthur-part-1--48910643bd5e9cbde592e451bd405d385e895665Tue, 21 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDouglas MacArthur is one of the most famous and celebrated generals in American history. Along with Patton, however, he’s one of the most misunderstood and most mythologized. Born in the 19th century, MacArthur served in both World Wars, the Korean...2780falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/118-mini-myth-hitler-didn-t-dance-that-jig--48910503d00962ad1063d5c1e5868d1adfd90a12Thu, 23 Jun 2016 19:34:51 +0000Joe CoohillDid Adolph Hitler really dance a little victory jig after the surrender of France in June 1940? Could such a nasty and maniacal person really show such light-hearted emotion? Turns out that high-quality film editing and special effects by the British...189falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/119-douglas-macarthur-part-2--48910646659ce1d400cbf65f278c911844ef83c7Tue, 28 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDouglas MacArthur is one of the most famous and celebrated generals in American history. Along with Patton, however, he’s one of the most misunderstood and most mythologized. Born in the 19th century, MacArthur served in both World Wars, the Korean...2780falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/120-mini-myth-star-spangled-banner--48910497d2cae34db0eed6f8510027ab216d8160Thu, 30 Jun 2016 10:55:27 +0000Joe CoohillThe Star Spangled Banner has been the national anthem of the United States since its founding, right? Wrong. Francis Scott Key wrote it 1814, and the song didn’t become the official national anthem until 1931, 117 years after it was written, and 155...184epicast,history,pittsburghfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/121-bombing-of-dresden--48910487f4572835b43a65d03640997ae56c17bdTue, 05 Jul 2016 22:28:36 +0000Joe Coohill[fusion_text]The bombing of Dresden on 13-14 February 1945 was one of the most destructive of the Allies’ late-war bombing campaigns over Germany. Somewhere between 22,000 and 25,000 people were killed and a famously beautiful city was leveled. It’s...2192falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/122-mini-myth-the-liberty-bell--48910490303e2bbdd98541e072e670ed731eabcbThu, 07 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas the Liberty Bell used to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776? Did get its crack from zealous and patriotic bell-ringing? Those are the standard stories, Buzzkillers. But, like the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,...400falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/123-molly-pitcher--4891072532226c6a75e3f3a7da3b85401a6a6b49Tue, 12 Jul 2016 06:09:49 +0000Joe Coohill“Molly Pitcher” was the legendary water carrier who kept American soldiers hydrated and poured cool water on cannon barrels during the crucial Battle of Monmouth in 1778. But was she a real person? If so, who was she? As you’ll find out, Buzzkillers,...517falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/124-mini-myth-school-s-out-for-summer--48910516c8792b3c9f1143860b55d7626956950cThu, 14 Jul 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn 2010, Time magazine called the traditional school year calendar a “legacy of the farm economy.” And a few years later, National Public Radio referred to summer vacation as having its origins in an “agrarian calendar that dates back to farm cycles...273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/125-amelia-earhart--48910454290f4369921e52a80dc60b0a59ddaa4cTue, 19 Jul 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas Amelia Earhart really an important aviation pioneer? Did she deserve all the attention she got? Hell yes, Buzzkillers! She was an aviation rock star! What she did was amazing, and an important part of her contribution to the 20th century was...720falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/126-mini-myth-venus-de-milo--48910476c5aad0e355aba039b263484cfb6b5a76Fri, 22 Jul 2016 04:59:25 +0000Joe CoohillThe Venus de Milo is considered one of the most beautiful representations of ancient Greek sculpture. But she is probably more famous for her missing arms. Were they really broken off in a fight over her by zealous archaeologists? And what would she...163falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/127-hitler-jesse-owens-and-the-1936-berlin-olympics--48910559a768979ec48ae6018b63390f2cb76c75Tue, 26 Jul 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHitler storming out of the stadium after Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics is one of most enduring images we have of the tumultuous history of Nazi Germany. Hitler famously “snubbed” Jesse Owens and all African-American...737falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/128-mini-myth-medieval-torture-devices--4891045235a76efab1ef6eb6b651ded7c8d2bad8Thu, 28 Jul 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThis week’s MiniMyth takes on the Iron Maiden! No, not the heavy metal band, the “medieval torture device.” We also look at the Pear of Anguish and the Spanish Chair. Take extra pain medication, Buzzkillers, this episode rips apart a big historical...237falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/129-mini-myth-slaves-built-the-pyramids--489104499aaf866f0d4296c740e54246a4a8c08aThu, 04 Aug 2016 18:41:13 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s the classic image from Hollywood movies about ancient Egypt -- slaves (usually Israelites) building the pyramids under the harsh lash of their masters. While Egyptian pyramid builders might have been harsh, relationships with their workers were...280falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/130-mini-myth-polish-and-american-enigma-codebreakers--4891055005e9e75c2b88f328b5c830ea9986afbaThu, 11 Aug 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEnigma, the German World War II message encoding machine, was famously cracked by British codebreakers led by Alan Turing. But were there more people involved? Buzzkillers in Dayton, Ohio, will be very proud to hear that one of their native sons,...273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/131-the-olympics--489106316c6fd81be867a8c7b0b3ef549f529380Tue, 16 Aug 2016 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe idea that the “original” Olympics in ancient Greece (which ran from 776 BC to AD 393) were only open to amateurs, void of cheating and corruption, free from commercialism, and a time of peace across Greece is just a myth. It didn’t exist in Greek...597falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/132-mini-myth-african-american-athletes-at-the-1936-olympics--489106241f6a172baa5b469d71907b269943e924Thu, 18 Aug 2016 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillLike most Americans, I suppose I assumed that Jesse Owens was the only African-American athlete at the 1936 Olympic Games. A new documentary, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice not only shows that there were 18 African-American athletes on the US team...248falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/133-stonehenge--489106226fc8bd140da2eaf077ef7ba4507f7059Tue, 23 Aug 2016 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWho built the ancient monument, Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain in England. Merlin and King Arthur? The Devil? The Druids? And what was it used for? Religious rituals? As a solar or seasonal calendar? A burial site? Or as site of ancient healing? Find...516epicast,professor,spinal,stonehenge,tapfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/134-mini-myth-jfk-hatless-at-inauguration--4891061068d17009d4f170a0480112f96443591bThu, 25 Aug 2016 04:10:22 +0000Joe CoohillThe silk top hat was common headwear in high society from the middle of the 18th century all the way to at least the beginning of the 20th. By the middle of the 20th century, however, the top hat was in rapid decline – and many blame President John F....222falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/135-bridge-on-the-river-kwai--4891060820d5853f72262194c13a7c1fcfb84174Tue, 30 Aug 2016 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn the Academy Award-winning film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson is portrayed as a man who willingly betrays his country and his men for an easier ride as prisoner of war. He collaborates with his captors in order to build a railway...290falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/136-mini-myth-ring-around-the-rosie--48910545a03e5072baa9280607a469eae3ca14f0Thu, 01 Sep 2016 15:06:57 +0000Joe Coohill“Ring Around the Rosie” has been a popular nursery rhyme for a very long time. Many of us learned it when we were children. But we often hear people claim that the rhyme is traceable to the time of the Black Plague, and that each line is a morbid...244falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/137-michelangelo-and-the-sistine-chapel--489104470f706b26a124652d079f471bedf67be0Tue, 06 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEverybody knows that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, but how did he do it? Did he really paint the entire ceiling from atop a scaffold while reclining on his back? Well, not really. In some cases, the truth is even more amazing than the myth,...351falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/138-hitler-s-early-years--489105196e1c789153f9b929da81bdc89ac417acTue, 13 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSuper Buzzkiller Prof Philip Nash joins us to examine some of the zillion myths surrounding Adolf Hitler and his early years. We discuss the myth of his brutal childhood and youthful poverty, the complicated story of his service in World War I (and...3977falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/139-mini-myth-issac-newton-and-the-apple--48910685c34f45487c71f6da7d733626957dfcfaThu, 15 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHello again, fellow Buzzkillers. In this week’s mini-myth, we tackle Isaac Newton’s famous apple – an object we all heard about in grade school that allegedly hit Isaac Newton on the head some time in 1666, causing him to have a sudden epiphany about...350falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/140-genghis-khan--489106925874ee37bf753c3599fa28c4b193ebd1Tue, 20 Sep 2016 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSo you think you know all about Genghis Khan, the 13th century Mongol who built an enormous empire by slaughtering millions? but much of what you know is either exaggerated or just plain untrue. He was unmistakably brutal, but not as brutal as you may...2110falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/141-mini-myth-general-hooker-s-hookers--4891071403e0825661f33336f2086000ceb0f538Thu, 22 Sep 2016 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas Civil War Union General Joseph “Fightin’ Joe” Hooker’s last name the origin of the slang term for prostitute? He had a perhaps undeserved reputation as a party animal, but did that reputation actually add a new word to the language? Find out,...245falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/142-hitler-in-power--48910709a41274ca55114a4277f3626da26aa53bTue, 27 Sep 2016 10:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillSuper Buzzkiller Prof Philip Nash joins us to examine the many myths surrounding Adolf Hitler’s rise from Chancellor to the outbreak of World War II. These include: how Nazi Germany functioned; the myth of purely tyrannical dictatorship; and the myth...3164falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/143-mini-myth-white-house-painted-white-after-war-of-1812--48910473ebc990623e96c370e43f46d9a507883aThu, 29 Sep 2016 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe White House is called the “White House” because it was painted white to cover up the fire damage from its burning by the British army in 1814, right? Well, no. But that’s the myth that has been flying around the internet for years. Unfortunately,...234falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/144-kennedy-nixon-debates--489107018ae8f991e92842354429d3d6a5c4a7bfTue, 04 Oct 2016 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid radio listeners really think that Nixon won the first 1960 presidential debate, while TV viewers thought the more telegenic Kennedy won? This story is the most repeated myth in the history of presidential debates. The Professor explains why. Make...650falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/145-the-winchester-rifle--48910540info@professorbuzzkill.com - gets a signed copy of the book!]]>88fae48338594bc94b305dc10145bde2Tue, 11 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLaura Trevelyan from the BBC joins us to discuss to her new book, Winchester: the Rifle that Built an American Dynasty. She busts myths about the famous rifle and family, and explains its importance in American history. Recorded live in Georgetown,...info@professorbuzzkill.com - gets a signed copy of the book!]]>2710falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/146-marco-polo--4891052707d09e0bb5fdb5439a8363aa15962768Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMarco Polo was a Venetian Merchant who left Europe in 1271 at age 17, traveled all around the Mongol Empire in the time of Genghis’ grandson Kublai Khan, and then came back to Europe in 1295, age 41. But did he really go on this trip, or are the...1421falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/147-mini-myth-churchill-born-in-a-closet--489105218028c108ea311cefeacbeea6d2de75bbFri, 21 Oct 2016 00:41:49 +0000Joe CoohillChurchill wouldn’t be Churchill if there weren’t myths about him from the very beginning. Stories about his birth in 1874 usually include the “facts” that he was born in a closet or ladies’ room at Blenheim Palace. The birth was premature, dramatic,...236falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/148-hitler-in-world-war-ii--48910518d2bbfbf497e78067573ae3cde9aaec9bTue, 25 Oct 2016 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSuper Buzzkiller Professor Philip Nash joins us to dispel myths about Hitler during World War II. We talk about strategic and operational blunders (especially Operation Barbarossa), harsh occupation policies, declaration of war against the US, and...3786buzzkill,debunk,epicast,history,hitler,myths,professorfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/149-mini-myth-men-dressed-as-women-to-get-into-titanic-lifeboats--4891069397c8be8c8b78a2d15224a32e54ffee37Thu, 27 Oct 2016 10:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe look at the story that men dressed as women to get into lifeboats escaping the sinking Titanic, which struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York close to midnight on 14 April 1912. Didn’t those men know that it’s “women and children first”?...295falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/150-sore-losers-in-the-1860-election--489106759f8c4ad6e1874683f46ecddc61d3e04aTue, 01 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Perry Blatz joins us to explain why democracy didn’t work well enough in the US election of 1860, and why it led to the Civil War. The Democratic party split over the issue of slavery, the Republicans were fraught over the issue, and a whole...4529falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/151-nixon-s-1960-presidential-election-concession--48910501d82e19848ebe2d6ff68e1c0822959cc8Tue, 08 Nov 2016 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Richard Nixon genuinely “concede” the 1960 Presidential Election to John Kennedy the day after the election, as so many commentators now tell us? Or did he qualify his remarks so much, and work so feverishly behind the scenes to overturn the...1246falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/152-mini-myth-1965-blackout-increased-births--48910687bd2299eee6f2a14e57afb1c78cb3d9c2Thu, 10 Nov 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe blackout of November 1965 was a big event in the north-east of the United States and in Ontario. But did it result in an increase in babies born nine months later? When deprived of other “entertainments,” did people divert themselves with love?...273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/153-the-black-death--4891068390e95e3197140378dff4b53d7d597310Tue, 15 Nov 2016 12:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas the Black Death really the most deadly disease in human history? And did it really come from outer space? From the time of the first plague outbreak all the way until now, the Black Death has ignited imaginations. Some cite it as the first example...2214falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/154-mini-myth-washington-s-vision-at-valley-forge--48910499c01c6f072721f0e59431858d2cb6c662Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid George Washington have a vision one evening at Valley Forge? Did an angel descend and tell General George about the future of the country, and give him the emotional stamina to carry on and win the Revolutionary War? Or is this Revolutionary-era...886falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/155-american-thanksgiving--48910678bab70be741d83147867648a75269c3e4Tue, 22 Nov 2016 12:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Pilgrims and Indians sat down on the fourth Thursday of November in 16-something and started the first Thanksgiving dinner, right? You guessed it. Wrong! It took almost 300 years to get to Norman Rockwell’s painting and the Macy’s Parade. Listen...829falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/156-mini-myth-ben-franklin-s-turkey--489104665425f3073de63346e0a16794fc2093cdThu, 24 Nov 2016 14:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the legendary stories that re-appear during Thanksgiving season is that no less a luminary and Founding Father than Ben Franklin thought that the bald eagle was an improper choice as national bird and a national symbol. Franklin preferred the...530falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/157-lincoln-s-civil-war-letter-to-mrs-bixby--489105115d443c23ebe892844e1a837750a21bddTue, 29 Nov 2016 12:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Lincoln comforted Lydia Bixby over the loss of her five sons during the Civil War in the one of the most famous letters in American history. But what really happened to Mrs. Bixby’s five sons? Did they all die fighting for the Union? Or,...695falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/158-mini-myth-battle-of-new-orleans--48910464fa2c8b982bb8c916a6020713e9e88957Thu, 01 Dec 2016 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn 1814 we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississipp’. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans. And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans.” It’s a stirring folk song, perfect to stoke the...357falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/159-pearl-harbor--489104925ea1b3adb609cf139059f153e3060628Tue, 06 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us to explain the myths and misconceptions about the December 7th, 1941, as well as the complexities of the cultural importance of the attack since then. Did FDR know about the attack ahead of time? And who was the attack...3159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/160-mini-myth-candy-canes--48910457c851d7c8169b09bc65793f612d148fccThu, 08 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillCandy canes are a well-known symbol of the holiday season, but what is the origin and meaning of this peculiar candy? Some say it was invented by a German choirmaster in the 17th century. Others say it was invented by an Indiana confectioner in the...314falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/161-christian-relics--489104937e0c9333fddf6ac6bb8ffdbd7be242f3Tue, 13 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillChristian churches and institutions, especially Catholic ones, keep a lot of relics. In some churches or reliquaries, you may see a small piece of the true cross, or a lock of St. John’s hair, or even an alleged piece of Christ’s foreskin – since all...2508falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/162-mini-myth-the-great-escape--48910502158e47924e19227b8f35a23e198c15c5Thu, 15 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Great Escape (1963) is in the pantheon of World War II films, and deservedly so. Generations of Buzzkillers have grown up watching Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and other film stars try to outsmart their captors at Stalag Luft III. But how...1081falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/163-wwi-christmas-truce--489104467abd8ddf2412d24b5ba88ab05d6f8fcaTue, 20 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe truce between the trenches in Christmas 1914 is one of the most famous stories from World War I. Was it one big truce across the whole Western Front? Or was it lots of little ceasefires? How did it happen, and what did the soldiers do during the...2690falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/164-mini-myth-jesus-born-on-december-25th--489104484c4586df0d56dd4b361e01d41a18b45eThu, 22 Dec 2016 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas Jesus born on December 25th, over 2000 years ago? Buzzkill Institute historians estimate that the chances are about three-tenths of one percent – or one out of 365. In other words, December 25th is as good a candidate for Jesus’s birthday as any...268falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/165-12-days-of-christmas--48910418db565b85f2baf5ccd70d2a39bfa43755Tue, 27 Dec 2016 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas there special, secret meaning behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn’t Professor Buzzkill invited? We explain it all and...899falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/166-mini-myth-auld-lang-syne--48910442e9fdfb24cc9cb8783eea4f6aaa49e2b7Thu, 29 Dec 2016 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillShould old acquaintance be forgot? What? Should we forget old friends? Should we sing about remembering them. What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally...941falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/167-quote-or-no-quote-churchill-and-poisoned-tea--489105006429ebbfcb05dcc851d60f9311fc5d15Mon, 02 Jan 2017 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne Winston Churchill’s most famous quotes supposedly occurred at a social occasion in the 1920s, and went like this. Lady Astor (never one of Winston’s admirers) said, “If I were married to you, I'd put poison in your tea.” Churchill replied, “And if...193falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/168-eastern-front-in-world-war-ii--4891041303d7ec228ee60a9cfbe5c382b121d78fWed, 04 Jan 2017 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat actually happened on the Eastern/Russian Front during World War II? Why did the Germans invade? And why did they get beaten? Was it the Russian winter? Was it the “Russian Horde”? Or are those myths? Super Buzzkiller Professor Nash joins us to...3997falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/169-quote-or-no-quote-gandhi-be-the-change-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world--4891049174b64fb2cf62e632990c947662f0ef76Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMohandas K. Gandhi should also be known as the Mahatma of Misquotation. Did he ever say, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” as we read in so many inspirational tweets and messages? Listen as Professor Buzzkill delves into the origin of this...332falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/170-the-nuclear-button--4891044006bf2ad56147a613785e5cc35c4c0cefWed, 11 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat is the actual history behind "The Nuclear Button" and "The Nuclear Football"? And what has to happen before the missiles are launched? Is it automatic, or are there confirmation measures in place? Could we ever find ourselves in a Dr. Strangelove...1066falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/171-quote-or-no-quote-patrick-henry-give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death--489104295d5693a45ab6e467edc0758845aecb0dMon, 16 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“Give me liberty or give me death,” Virginia patriot Patrick Henry was supposed to have said in a stirring speech, trying to convince his fellow Virginians to join with the other colonies in opposing British rule. We Buzzkill this quote and show that,...237falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/172-andrew-jackson--489104309ae2eec2d7a8df6790360a0244512fadWed, 18 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWho was Andrew Jackson? Youngest POW in the Revolutionary War. War hero in the War of 1812. Passionate dueler. Senator. Seventh President of the United States. Highly controversial historical figure. All these things! Listen as Professor Perry Blatz...5311falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/173-quote-or-no-quote-martin-luther-king-arc-of-the-moral-universe-bends-toward-justice--48910603b223a669a62cdeeb7ed65822b0bbd6daMon, 23 Jan 2017 12:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people take comfort from the quote “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” and it’s usually credited to Martin Luther King. He said it, but was it an original MLK thought? The long history of this famous quote is...654falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/174-rommel--489104859dfe2b76fb9fbf182162ac8d372aff27Wed, 25 Jan 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillGerman Field Marshal Erwin Rommel has gone down in history not only as a genius soldier and commander, but also as a military leader above politics, and a hero because he participated in the plot to kill Hitler. How much of this is true, and how much...3860falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/175-churchill-fighting-for-the-arts--489104222486da1c00a3f0897d54b4859f7c500dMon, 30 Jan 2017 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAt the height of World War II, the British people and British government finances were stretched to the limit. A journalist asked Winston Churchill if the government should cut funding for the arts. The Prime Minister replied, “Then what are we...200falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/176-the-marie-celeste--48910677c0b06490a94d99e9705a63096fc0a51dWed, 01 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe tragic story of the ship “Marie Celeste” has been told for over a hundred years. And tale gets wilder and wilder every time. On December 5, 1872, the vessel was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 miles west of Portugal. The crew and...1466falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/177-quote-or-no-quote-vince-lombardi--48910451757ab490f1c5efce0c87e793222210b2Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLegendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi, was fond of telling his players “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” He employed it many times to motivate them, as well having it posted all around the locker room. And he’s usually the...197buzzkill,epicast,football,history,lombardi,professor,vincefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/178-lumber-super-bowl-ad--48910666b1738d4f77e023d7e04f63bd43b6e542Tue, 07 Feb 2017 18:17:36 +0000Joe CoohillThe 2017 Super Bowl ad by 84 Lumber was dramatic and touching. It shows a Mexican mother and young daughter trying to get to the United States. They struggle for many days to reach the border, but are confronted by a huge obstacle when they get there....597falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/179-quote-or-no-quote-st-valentine-your-valentine--489105693206fbbf816ed0c449fbf268c34e75d7Mon, 13 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillValentine’s Day is here again, Buzzkillers, and you can be certain that we’re depleting the Buzzkill bank account at a rapid clip so that we can give Lady Buzzkill all the best tokens of love and affection befitting her rank and station. And it’s...256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/180-executive-orders--48910477e0b7bc71d27f5314f1c503e484a1f484Wed, 15 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHuge numbers of listeners have flooded the Buzzkill Institute with emails, faxes, texts, and Tweets, asking about President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders. They’ve come so fast and furious! With a little help from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and...1275falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/181-quote-or-no-quote-marilyn-monroe-well-behaved-women-rarely-make-history--48910472a9de7167f7de4d8fe56780b7873c2ebeMon, 20 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and our own Aunt Ginger from the Buzzkill Institute. Given time, any...252falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/182-special-episode-all-american-legacy-war-s-end--48910566bc6ec403510a5c9a28ca4d2d80eea064Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillJoin members of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army as they interview Professor Jennifer Keane and our own Professor Buzzkill! We discuss the complicated history of the end of World War I, as well as the historical legacy of the 82nd Airborne,...2806falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/183-quote-or-no-quote-sigmund-freud-sometimes-a-cigar-is-just-a-cigar--4891056223d8a781990ff60d42f9ce435dbf4cdbMon, 27 Feb 2017 11:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillMany things seemed phallic to Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. But did this include the humble cigar? Or did Freud just dismiss overanalysis by saying, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”? What that a genuine Freudian quip? Did Groucho Marx agree?...207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/184-clean-wehrmacht--48910565704876ae1b297c7f5c3b825b673db03bWed, 01 Mar 2017 13:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow “clean” was the regular German army (Wehrmacht) during World War II? The Nazis and the SS usually get all the blame for war crimes and for the Holocaust. How much blame can be placed at the feet of “ordinary” German military units? Turns out that...4359falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/185-quote-or-no-quote-abe-lincoln-fool-some-of-the-people--489104684f42943cdcccda8c29d8e415ca163f12Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHave we all been fooled all the time by people applying this quote to Abraham Lincoln? Where did the quote originate? Honest Abe or someone else? When was it said? During the Lincoln-Douglas Debates? During the 1860 Presidential Election? Find out in...191falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/186-fdr-s-fireside-chats--48910455d0f90a227d3475a46e28384504aa33a3Wed, 08 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats” are famous for breaking new ground in how political leaders communicate with their people. But where they really as ground-breaking as we all tend to believe? Did they really help the American people get through...4327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/187-quote-or-no-quote-gloria-steinem-a-woman-needs-a-man-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle--48910467467d60697ce6d3cd6d32dd644ca3e3f1Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe number of different images and different sayings or phrases printed on t-shirts exploded in the early 70s. And one of the most striking was the t-shirt from the women’s rights movement which said, "A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle,"...254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/188-quote-or-no-quote-voltaire-i-disapprove-of-what-you-say-but-i-will-defend-to-the-death-your-right-to-say-it--48910558541732f11d7ea4d9418e28a7a08d3dceMon, 27 Mar 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn times of political turmoil and rhetorical strife, commentators sometimes wheel out this old "quote" by the French philosopher and Enlightenment writer, Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."...184falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/189-drugs-in-the-third-reich--48910471959557c5c1e25316f678fb49bd7c34b8Wed, 29 Mar 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas the Nazi high command, including Hitler, soaked in hard drug use? Over the course of the war, Hitler became increasingly dependent on injections of a cocktail of drug (including a form of heroin) administered by his personal doctor. Drugs alone...3863falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/190-quote-or-no-quote-maya-angelou-a-bird-sings-because-it-has-a-song--4891066537afe9b12eb49ffa9fe0a2d95b80ec04Mon, 03 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe phrase and sentiment, "A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song," is one of the best-known expressions of the intrinsic nature of art and beauty. It has been quoted by presidents and school teachers, and...327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/192-quote-or-no-quote-titanic-sos--48910409899811e2acc259905b3846d81c5b64deMon, 10 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat do the letters “S.O.S.” actually stand for? “Save Our Ship”? “Save Our Souls”? And why were those three letters chosen? The Professor explains this famous quote, and also the myth that it was first used by telegraph operators on the Titanic after...207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/193-quote-or-no-quote-hitler-today-germany-tomorrow-the-world--489106619bb09df48d58136a18be0a05e5295b15Mon, 24 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMost people believe they know what Adolf Hitler's plans for a post-war world would be -- German domination. After all, didn't he say, "Today Germany, Tomorrow the World"? Well, Hitler certainly expressed ideas along these lines, although there is no...254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/194-medieval-indulgences--4891044167e0c93ee780482210361cab6a46ef70Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat were "medieval indulgences"? Were they a way for rich people to buy their way into heaven, and help corrupt priests to line their own pockets at the same time? "Indulgences" aren't mentioned in the Bible, but they became heavily used in the...2761falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/195-quote-or-no-quote-harry-truman-the-buck-stops-here--48910416d2b4a2ebc582c2be23a9d7cf3ca26b75Mon, 01 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid President Harry Truman coin the phrase, "The Buck Stops Here"? Did he use the quote as a way to define his Presidency? And what does the phrase "I'm from Missouri" have to do with it? It's all more more interesting than just a simple midwestern...334falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/196-legal-immigration-to-the-united-states--489104151d36edbb1032ff4ecc680860e1962dedFri, 05 May 2017 06:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe history of immigration to the United States is very complicated, Buzzkillers! Millions of people came from all over the world to the United States, and there are almost as many myths about immigration as there were immigrants. What did it mean to...1423falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/197-quote-or-no-quote-mark-twain-history-rhymes--48910414cc89aa75ef136b96b9f9dac43d19dfb3Mon, 08 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes," according to Mark Twain, perhaps the most most-quoted writers and humorists in American literary history. But does the history of quoting Twain repeat itself, or does it simply rhyme? In this...173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/198-watergate-myths--489106604f3a408a7b027b0d5f05fb152385cd59Tue, 16 May 2017 03:58:32 +0000Joe CoohillIs Watergate the story of heroic journalists working against all odds and in great danger to get at the truth of presidential corruption? Is it more complicated than that? How accurate was All the President's Men? Who really brought the Nixon...1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/199-quote-or-no-quote-p-t-barnum-there-s-a-sucker-born-every-minute--4891065784fc01dc3352b8d0a2b437004a790bb2Mon, 22 May 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillP. T. Barnum, the famous 19th century American showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, is often quoted as saying "there's a sucker born every minute." This "quote" is usually trotted out to refer to something that con-men or other...228falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/200-jfk-the-man-and-the-myths-1917-1963--4891066887a978af3b1f373db6063a87dd8b677bThu, 25 May 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillJohn F. Kennedy was one of the most fascinating Presidents in US history. And perhaps more fascinating are the ways in which he is remembered by succeeding generations. In this first part of a three-part series, Professor Nash joins us to discuss...5282falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/201-quote-or-no-quote-albert-einstein-the-definition-of-insanity--489106498bbc0af7d9b7472ff2aedcdc492ba7dbTue, 30 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlbert Einstein was a scientific genius, and he often discussed many topics outside his field. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the quote, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" is...139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/202-d-day--489105490426d5ebcaf41d50bdd8b0db1b79693cThu, 01 Jun 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillD-Day, June 6, 1944, is one of the most well-known events of World War II. Why did it happen the way it did and why did it succeed? Was it the turning point in the war in Europe? How many other military operations were going on at the same time in...4477falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/203-quote-or-no-quote-yogi-berra-it-s-like-deja-vu-all-over-again--4891064892221278d7d2101f469321a42d7f99beMon, 05 Jun 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of Yogi Berra's best-known "Yogi-isms," "it's like déjà vu all over again," has a complicated history, Buzzkillers. He may have said "déjà vu all over again" after Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back home runs in a Yankee game in 1961,...287falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/204-frank-lloyd-wright--48910656abef3a9294d0710027b439cabcf66e14Thu, 08 Jun 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFrank Lloyd Wright is the most famous architect in American history. But why is he so famous, and was it just about his architecture? In his own mind and in the popular mind, he is often considered a god and an artistic prophet. How did he become so...4393falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/205-quote-or-no-quote-winston-churchill-americans-can-always-be-counted-on-to-do-the-right-thing--4891040580aee05279420893e9178d4f4141a403Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe exact wording of the "Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing…" quote varies a little bit from time to time, but it essentially conveys the same message -- Americans are a self-interested people, but they eventually do the right...262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/206-special-episode-eco-soap-bank-cnn-hero-2017--48910404http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/04/health/cnn-hero-samir-lakhani-eco-soap-bank/index.html]]>615222294caa6b750b687086b48535f9Wed, 14 Jun 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSamir Lakhani, the founder of Eco-Soap Bank (one of our Buzzkill partners) has been named a CNN Hero for 2017. We interview him about the project and how the CNN recognition has affected the Eco-Soap Bank. The Buzzkill Institute is committed to...http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/04/health/cnn-hero-samir-lakhani-eco-soap-bank/index.html]]>549falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/207-jfk-the-presidency--48910426bccbf9629c1203cfa0e2eaffa4811252Thu, 15 Jun 2017 21:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Nash joins us to discuss the misconceptions and the realities of JFK's presidency, its successes, its failures, and its legacies. We look specifically at the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, and Civil Rights. And we address the question of...4562falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/208-quote-or-no-quote-eleanor-roosevelt-it-s-better-to-light-a-candle-than-curse-the-darkness--48910400104b8841025abaa11e65cf4c40c0ad77Mon, 19 Jun 2017 22:26:22 +0000Joe CoohillWe all love, and should live by the sentiment expressed in "It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness." But did Eleanor Roosevelt say it? Was it Confucius or an ancient Chinese proverb? Or does it come from the 19th century? We explore the...325falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/209-the-age-of-charisma--489103988d2b0c968ead3ca1740bb9ea02fe0638Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Jeremy Young joins us to discuss the Age of Charisma (1870-1940). It was an exciting period in US history: industrialization was in high gear; railroads and telegraph lines were spreading widely; mass media was born; and increased...3749falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/210-quote-or-no-quote-oscar-wilde-be-yourself-everyone-else-is-already-taken--48910461654a2948f81b40160e5f3185efff6d90Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:05:07 +0000Joe CoohillAh, Buzzkillers, good old Oscar Wilde, the author of so many excellent plays, novels, and poems. Dripping with epigrams, Oscar entertained literary circles in London, Paris and Dublin with his wit, often pairing philosophical and comical themes to...354falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/211-signers-of-the-declaration-of-independence--48910458029fb3e5ec9e117f70293cd7fa38c3f2Tue, 04 Jul 2017 19:36:55 +0000Joe CoohillWhen was the Declaration of Independence signed? July 4th? August 2? Later? Why did John Hancock sign so prominently and hugely right in the middle? Did he have signature envy? What price did the signers pay for their patriotism? And how did the story...1219falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/212-quote-or-no-quote-thomas-jefferson-the-best-government-is-that-which-governs-least--4891040655842d8f5ae71534ce0a78b75ebca4ebMon, 10 Jul 2017 10:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"Quotes" supposedly from the Founding Fathers seem to rear their misattributed heads in the United States every year in the weeks surrounding July 4th. And Americans are often treated to a number of false quotations from the George Washington, John...179falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/213-fdr-polio-and-the-press--48910401b661d01bf72705cc6d68094db0ae07faThu, 20 Jul 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFDR became governor of New York and later President for four terms despite having contracted polio. Professor Matthew Pressman from Seton Hall University joins us to discuss how the press and the American public were told about his disability, and how...2468falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/214-quote-or-no-quote-teddy-roosevelt-speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick--48910393dbf90fd58aab0cc33d2f9dc94000ba20Mon, 24 Jul 2017 09:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFinally a quote that's actually true! Yes, Teddy Roosevelt did say that the best advice he'd ever heard about dealing with foreign affairs and potentially hostile foreign powers is to, "speak softly and carry a big stick." Speaking softly and carrying...201falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/215-dunkirk--48910641bca5d042f79d9bc4a4b700c5599292baThu, 03 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's 2017, Buzzkillers, 77 years after the Battle of Dunkirk and the subsequent evacuation of allied troops from that area between the 26th of May and the 4th of June 1940. The evacuation has become a very famous and celebrated event in World War II...2015falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/216-quote-or-no-quote-zhou-enlai-too-early-to-say--489103912bd4f7b4fda60fa27035f24386d17a4bMon, 07 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn 1972, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the impact of the French Revolution. "Too early to say," he replied. Given that the French Revolution of 1789 had occurred nearly 200 years before, Zhou Enlai was expressing the long view of history...170falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/217-the-jfk-legacy--4891053610648ac2a0f1f78fcf6a69d2894378ecThu, 10 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us for part three of our examination of John F. Kennedy in the 100th anniversary of his birth. This episode looks at how the JFK legacy was constructed in the immediate aftermath of the assassination in 1963, how it was...3524falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/218-quote-or-no-quote-martin-luther-king-jr-i-will-mourn-the-loss-of-thousands-of-precious-lives--4891045685db8037582fe75d011c69ea7bb125eaMon, 14 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillI like this "no quote," Buzzkillers, because it's history of full of all the things we've been talking about on this show -- phrases and sentiments that "sound" like they were said by a prominent person so "they must be from him," misplaced (or moved)...288falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/219-trump-fire-and-fury-truman-rain-of-ruin--4891037785a35d286821d625b40dceaddf7588d1Thu, 17 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Buzzkill Institute has been inundated with phone calls, text messages, and panicked faxes after President Trump's recent response to North Korea's nuclear threats. He said: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They...1291falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/220-quote-or-no-quote-winston-churchill-some-chicken-some-neck--4891037627900c788ca804ec8d23a23afef4d590Mon, 21 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn the aftermath of the Dunkirk evacuation and the fall of France in June 1940, things looked pretty bleak for the British, and indeed they were. The Battle of Britain followed almost immediately, and lasted until the end of October 1940, but the...330falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/221-the-kkk-history-and-myth--48910523c018905bdbe3e1fc906bb7e74e9e3cc7Thu, 24 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPractically nothing in the history of the United States has suffered from myth-making and misunderstanding as much as the history of race relations and racist violence. The history Ku Klux Klan is no exception. This is ironic. In its various...1787falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/222-quote-or-no-quote-woodrow-wilson-it-is-like-writing-history-with-lightning--489105244fea0a4c4762c4b112e20968e565223dMon, 28 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillUpon seeing "The Birth of a Nation," the ground-breaking, if highly racist, piece of cinematography in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson is often quoted as saying, "It is like writing history with lightning." Nearly every American Buzzkiller out there...272falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/223-confederate-statues-memorials-and-flags--489103859b542e59d91bba84f218132989881d4dThu, 31 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhen and why were statues to Confederate soldiers, generals, and politicians put up across the American south? Why is the Confederate Battle Flag so proudly waved and displayed in many parts of the US? Professor Nash joins us to explain why all of...3070falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/224-quote-or-no-quote-abraham-lincoln-government-of-the-people-by-the-people-and-for-the-people--48910402bb06de71c5cbf76c7725d0b619feff64Mon, 04 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAnybody who's completed an elementary school education knows that Abraham Lincoln finished his dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863 by saying that, "...we here highly resolve that these dead...265falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/225-cause-of-the-civil-war--4891038425a296e2efad8d8a09989efcfd6a58ffThu, 07 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillCause. Singular. Not plural. We talk about the cause of the American Civil War because there was one overwhelming cause -- slavery. Not tariff disputes. Not states' rights. The Civil War was fought over the preservation of slavery in the south and its...3795falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/226-quote-or-no-quote-mark-twain-life-is-just-one-damn-thing-after-another--48910634a757ca19768f1b8d8b6baf0ca2d24b3fMon, 11 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSometimes, Buzzkillers, the stars just seem to align. There's a meteor shower and a rainbow on the same day. And a whole bunch of writers, pundits, journalists, and aphorists come up with roughly the same idea at roughly the same time. Or at least...231falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/227-the-lost-cause-myth--48910375a44577502278b9edf8cb40cb0ea95672Thu, 14 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Lost Cause is one of the most troubling aspects of American history. The ways in which the Confederacy and the pre-Civil War south has been romanticized and fictionalized has done immense damage to American historical consciousness and...4098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/228-quote-or-no-quote-chief-seattle-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we-borrow-it-from-our-children--4891045335c44a87fec73623750074869cbe76b5Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAs a parting piece of wisdom about generational stewardship of land and nature, Chief Seattle supposedly said to American colonizers pushing west, "we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." But, like spiritual...244falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/229-irish-slaves-myth--48910364e56363c1c5043566c9f4787dd2c8ad78Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhite supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during...2141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/230-quote-or-no-quote-muhammad-ali-no-viet-cong-ever-called-me-n-r--48910632b21aa9c1707f418d04f0c7b24be73236Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhen asked about being drafted for the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali is often quoted as saying, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." This was immediately followed by the now-more-famous quote, “No Viet Cong ever called me n****r,” in a one-two...410falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/231-quote-or-no-quote-general-curtis-lemay-bomb-the-north-vietnamese-back-to-the-stone-age--48910355eddfc635ddef95fd842df15a5c0b763dMon, 02 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral Curtis LeMay became one of the most important US military leaders during the Cold Wa. One of the most famous or well-known things about LeMay is that he reportedly said, in the mid-60s, that, in order to win the Vietnam war the US Air Force...437falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-113-scopes-trial--489104447887f95debfff0d3c09a54cdf6bc4d54Fri, 06 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIntroducing the first ever Professor Buzzkill Flashback Friday! Every Friday we'll be re-releasing old favorites. This week we have episode #56 - the Scopes Trial! On April 24, 1925, a high school teacher named John Scopes taught a class in Dayton,...1997falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/232-programmed-inequality-women-and-british-computing--4891039645d310fe6a1bf694a7971c6afed841dcTue, 10 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Marie Hicks joins us to talk about gender and employment in the emerging field of computing in Britain, and all the historical myths that surround them. In 1944, Britain led the world in electronic computing. By 1974, the British computer...3106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-91-uss-indianapolis--48910522733bb9282c791b89ad492529caa6a9e0Fri, 13 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillCaptain’s Quint’s story about the USS Indianapolis in the movie “Jaws” is only the beginning of a gut-wrenching piece of history, Buzzkillers. There’s a lot more to the Indianapolis sinking than most people know. Listen and learn from one of the...686falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/233-man-crush-monday-a-philip-randolph--48910496e7fe3fad85374e7429d2f0419436247bMon, 16 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us on our very first Man Crush Monday to tell us about the most important American Civil Rights leader that most people haven't heard of -- A. Philip Randolph, labor leader, and founder of the idea for a march on Washington....598falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/234-october-revolution-100th-anniversary--48910438d3cd51d40b69304831fc67c6ba0cfd50Mon, 23 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most important events in the 20th century. Professor Nash joins us to untangle the extremely complicated history of Russian politics between 1905 and 1917. He tells us what happened and why. Why, for...4668falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-13-mini-myth-vikings-didn-t-wear-horned-helmets-into-battle--489106293d3cffc9787f0e624d59c3fad311bfd0Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillA Buzzkill favorite! A Viking horned helmet would have been very impractical, and perhaps dangerous, in battle, Buzzkillers. A sword blow to the head might glance off a smooth helmet. But it would surely catch on a horn and send the helmet flying,...113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/235-woman-crush-wednesday-stephanie-shirley--489106252d9fc914610417afed90677b40b078ccWed, 01 Nov 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's our first Woman Crush Wednesday! Professor Marie Hicks tells us the story of Stephanie Shirley, one of Britain's computer programming pioneers. Imagine starting your own company with just £6 (roughly $12) and building it into one of the most...434falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-97-woodrow-wilson--489103417b5d92d345eafd86fd1aafe6110e6efeFri, 03 Nov 2017 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProf. Phil Nash joins us once again to bust US history myths. This time it’s about President Woodrow Wilson. How much of a progressive was he? What were his real attitudes towards race? How much idealism did he pump into his policies on foreign...3360falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/236-vietnam-war-and-history--48910434f03cd957ead43707e5141a21a009fec6Tue, 07 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash explains the history of Vietnam in the 20th century, and the very complicated ways in which it was torn apart by war and civil war throughout the mid-century. Along the way, we learn about the deep complications in the history of...3105falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-19-mini-myth-einstein-bad-at-math--4891038786d4b0450e165a62ca053b9a7c29f8ceFri, 10 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid you struggle over long division, Buzzkillers? Did your math teacher try to console you by telling that Einstein was bad at math when he was young? Well, I hate to bust one of your cherished childhood stories, but it isn’t true. Einstein rocked the...182falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/237-quote-or-no-quote-gandhi-first-they-ignore-you--48910333d818760b85d3414b8b66ce0d02bc1d60Tue, 14 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThere's a great quote and sentiment about sticking with a righteous movement for much-needed change, particularly when it's faced with a big, entrenched and powerful foe. That quote goes like this: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then...350falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-89-atomic-bomb-myths--489104322bf5bb1c9de3858fb39bef02b3e1b359Fri, 17 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas there an actual decision whether or not to use atomic bombs in World War II? If not, what were the questions and issues about using the bomb? Why did the US choose Hiroshima and Nagasaki as targets? Did Truman do it to scare the Soviets? Did...3465falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/238-vietnam-war-myth-and-memory--489103742e663ed59c4fc56e1957b1c64b15c9d1Tue, 21 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash shows how the myths and misconceptions about the Vietnam War started, grew, and have plagued our historical consciousness since the late 1950s. Among other things, the large number of myths about the Vietnam War shows us that our...5113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-69-mini-myth-thanksgiving-popcorn--48910371320d8a0253654c07a7b07a6c3d192d44Fri, 24 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAs the pilgrims pushed their chairs back from the first Thanksgiving table, their stomachs full of turkey and potatoes, Squanto appeared with bushels of popped corn and spilled it out on the tables for the Pilgrims to enjoy. That's how Americans got...251falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/239-man-crush-monday-benjamin-lay--48910323885c8eba8ed54ab1a3278d635ba51945Mon, 27 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBenjamin Lay was one of the most famous anti-slavery protestors in colonial Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. He agitated against slavery and the slave trade in very unusual ways, and was eventually kicked out of his church, the Quakers, for his...356falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-21-mini-myth-reagan-not-up-for-casablanca--489104176efb6e7af70a255a6563c4dab3fcc4faFri, 01 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's a Buzzkill favorite! Warner Bros Studios pumped out this myth, Buzzkillers, before production had even started on the movie. But Bogie had the part all along! 144falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/240-quote-or-no-quote-yamamoto-i-fear-all-we-have-done-is-awaken-a-sleeping-giant--4891048447a944a12390f1cd789675e3dbc298e0Thu, 07 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMovie scripts are responsible for more mis-quotes than almost any other source. In Tora! Tora! Tora! Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is shown reacting to the attack on Pearl Harbor by saying, "I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant."...265falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-71-mini-myth-walt-disney-mickey-mouse-and-ub-iwerks--489104126893b22c262c351d8659fe2af73a31d3Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:55:11 +0000Joe CoohillWalt Disney is one of the most famous names in entertainment. But have you ever heard of Ub Iwerks? Good old Ub was the real artistic genius behind many of Disney's most beloved characters, including Mickey Mouse. Yet there is no IwerksWorld, no...190falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-100-general-patton--48910626126c39f4811c6fa3b99b9052a07af28dFri, 15 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral George Patton was one of the most famous, colorful, and talked about US generals in World War II. He is also among the most misunderstood military men in history. Famously played George C. Scott in a 1970 movie, Patton's image is one of the...4666falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/241-woman-crush-wednesday-hatshepsut--48910359ce5fa0b79bc0731d3421267f80955ea5Wed, 20 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEgyptologists consider Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, one of the most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. Her name means "Foremost of the Noble Ladies" and she was very successful in trade negotiations, diplomacy,...276falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-77-mini-myth-santa-claus--48910317c6575606fc7ee8ff5b0d56d4b81bf31dFri, 22 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWho was Santa Claus, Buzzkillers? The jolly old man from Miracle on 34th Street? The round-bellied man wearing a red costume, driving a sleigh pulled by 8 tiny reindeer? Was there a Rudolph involved? Check out this Buzzkill favorite to find out! 231falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-79-mini-myth-new-year-s-eve-day--489103579dff485685bd75c71d4269c03593cc15Fri, 29 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow did New Year's Day end up in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere (and the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere)? Wouldn't a day in spring be more fitting? Find out how people celebrated New Years in past centuries and why things...251falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-27-mini-myth-great-train-robbery--48910607e148bc2896afd906e0314bea9762d82fFri, 05 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"The Great Train Robbery" (1903) was not the first feature film, despite what you learned in film studies class, Buzzkillers (or from some tiresome, drunken film-studies major at a boring film-studies party). The Aussies beat Hollywood to the punch....154falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/242-the-pizza-effect--48910483aa3fd1ad2c683bcb5ed4ad1ccf2aa85bTue, 16 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe "pizza effect" helps explain why assumptions about the history and development of certain cultural practices and traditions are among the strongest historical myths out there, how they are self-reinforcing, and how they can build up mistaken...1196falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-96-mini-myth-rasputin-s-death--48910353e98ffc487de3c54a0820b3c1d3a0958bFri, 19 Jan 2018 16:34:29 +0000Joe CoohillGregor Rasputin (1869-1916) is one of the most fascinating people in modern history. Who was he? Religious visionary? Mystic healer? Charlatan? Spiritual con man? Political snake? All of the above? The story that it took being drugged, poisoned, shot,...396falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/243-man-crush-monday-varian-fry--48910289c2a8235f3d197661363a21cd60430cbfMon, 22 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillVarian Fry started life as a journalist. He spent the early years of World War II, however, rescuing Jews from occupied Europe, and agitating against immigration restrictions against refugees. Working with a small team of dedicated volunteers in...432falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-90-mini-myth-george-washington-crossing-the-delaware--489104072fda4ef13deddce9edc60c909dc6c016Fri, 26 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe painting Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze is one of the most iconic images in the American cultural consciousness. But how accurate a depiction is it? By standing up in the boat, did George risk tipping over and falling...174falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/244-electricity-in-american-life--489104744a616ce9a565a27dfd4dd10b111a4769Tue, 30 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillFrom 1876, when the first effective dynamo/generator that produced a steady current of electricity was invented, Americans reacted to this new phenomenon of electricity in many different ways. Professor Jennifer Lieberman is one of the first academics...2800falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/impeachment-presidential-removal-and-replacement--48910287f25c3fe60ab6ee3c13259712079c3468Tue, 06 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillImpeachment? The 25th Amendment? Resignation? How do the American people remove a president from office? Why is it so complicated, and what's the history behind each way to get a dangerous, criminal, or just plain crazy chief executive out of the...3003falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-35-mini-myth-hitler-and-the-volkswage--48910351b117cc6aece21982910fd370bf3c9203Fri, 09 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHerr Hitler gets credit for an awful lot, Buzzkillers, including the invention of the Volkswagen. The story is that he demanded a "people's car" that the average German could afford. Alas, Buzzkillers, the story is much more complicated than that, and...301falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/246-computer-dating--489102852a9ee4c36788ff4eb339f5f4ebc13469Tue, 13 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Marie Hicks joins us again, this time to discuss the yummy history of computer dating. Did it start with Operation Match at Harvard? Or was it a young entrepreneur in London? What were their reasons for thinking that computers could match...3518falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/247-pentagon-papers--489103880d908eb37598562e887ad783d8ec5f1aTue, 20 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash helps us explain the complicated and much-mythologized history of the Pentagon Papers, which is shorthand for the government-funded study of US involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Once leaked by Daniel Ellsberg and others,...4049falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-75-mini-myth-rule-of-thumb--48910602fe06ee33119043ab751b1f70bb39c207Fri, 23 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe rule of thumb about history myths is that they're persistent. Ever hear the one about an ancient law that allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick as long as it was not thicker than his thumb? Well, it's a myth, Buzzkillers. But how it became a...212falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/248-women-crush-wednesday-alison-palmer--48910601c6c58a96449e805215af4f8cca8df74dWed, 28 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlison Palmer was a pioneer in gaining increased women's rights and human rights in the American State Department. While working there in the 1950s and 1960s, Palmer ran up against the glass ceiling when trying to advance in the civil service at the...1162falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-141-mini-myth-general-hooker-s-hookers--489102747990be1284938202517e823d10b9c437Fri, 02 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas Civil War Union General Joseph "Fightin' Joe" Hooker's last name the origin of the slang term for prostitute? He had a perhaps undeserved reputation as a party animal, but did that reputation actually add a new word to the language? Listen to this...240falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/249-bonus-episode-buzzkillers-and-checkers-unite--48910589www.trcpodcast.com]]>8e1efcb61a0a488008b3ec591f71be6dMon, 05 Mar 2018 18:17:42 +0000Joe CoohillI live a happy life. I really do. I've got Lady Buzzkill and the Buzzlings, a fulfilling career, and money in the bank. But I guess I never knew true happiness until I was asked to be on The Reality Check Podcast, also on the Entertainment One...www.trcpodcast.com]]>1327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/250-benjamin-lay-and-anti-slavery-in-the-18th-century--4891037388ed72dc0c2b6e2ed411f6dea0083458Tue, 06 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe interview Professor Marcus Rediker about his new book, Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist. Benjamin Lay was one of the most famous anti-slavery protesters in colonial Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. He...2834falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-162-mini-myth-the-great-escape--489104709ac6f7aed685c1376ec76e88fe27cdbeFri, 09 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Great Escape (1963) is in the pantheon of World War II films, and deservedly so. Generations of Buzzkillers have grown up watching Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and other film stars try to outsmart their captors at Stalag Luft III. But How...1075falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/251-quote-or-no-quote-churchill-blood-sweat-and-tears--48910584923431592d7d27a35d95a82919ad8d0dTue, 13 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAfter his first speech as prime minister, Winston Churchill's "blood, toil, tears, and sweat," got shortened and re-arranged. As "blood, sweat, and tears," it's become one of the most quoted Churchill-isms. But like some many of these "quotes," the...308falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-31-mini-myth-jfk-not-a-jam-doughnut--48910273d5d4332f561641cdbbca4e3636061922Fri, 16 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillCold War Berlin was a tense place, and certainly not the place to make an embarrassing gaffe in a major speech. So it's a good thing that President Kennedy didn't call himself a jam doughnut while speaking to a massive crowd in front of the Berlin...194falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/252-civil-war-medicine--48910394ed83b0fd232d1b8f596541991dd42062Tue, 20 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe usually hear that surgery and medical treatment during the Civil War was backward butchery. But was it? Let's cross over the inter-sphere to listen, as historian Nic Hoffman from Kennesaw State University tells us how complicated it really was....3722falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-38-mini-myth-caesar-wasn-t-born-by-caesarian-section--48910582b84bfdcb853c8c57e83af8f5df706f7cFri, 23 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's an exciting and romantic tale: a future Roman hero had to be cut out of his mother's womb as she's dying in childbirth. The procedure is later named after the famous baby who survived -- Julius Caesar. Alas, the story is as mythological as the...141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/253-man-crush-monday-robert-sherrod--489103409e2b2e1a756c25367676d00ffd5a6cfaMon, 26 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillRobert Sherrod was the pioneering journalist who portrayed the Pacific battles in World War II, and risked his life in doing so. In a time when stark battle news was largely kept from the American public, Sherrod convinced President Roosevelt to allow...411falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-40-mini-myth-lady-godiva-riding-naked-through-coventry--48910336f3c80d9b061b11fe23a4bf103ef3ae78Fri, 30 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat a great way to get taxes lowered! Get your land-owning husband to agree to lower property taxes if you ride naked on horseback right down main street. That's just what Lady Godiva agreed to do in 11th century England in order to get her...168falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/254-the-unknown-martin-luther-king--48910578ea68334ba9cd4194dc8a378662593feaTue, 03 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMartin Luther King did so much more for American society, and wanted so much more from the US government and US elite, than most people realize. Popular history has airbrushed out far too much about his life and work. Professor Phil Nash reminds us of...2417falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/255-robert-kennedy-s-1968-speech-about-martin-luther-king--4891044342705c877c0aa952bb4f5199f25fd88cWed, 04 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHistorian Ray Boomhower joins us to analyze the famous speech given by RFK in Indianapolis, on hearing about the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. It’s one of the most famous and touching speeches in modern American history, and is usually...2440falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-42-mini-myth-george-washington-carver-and-peanut-butter--48910383613c7653da4b7ab101874f58511fc155Fri, 06 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLike all good Americans, I just had a PB&J for lunch. I couldn't help thinking of George Washington Carver, the reputed inventor of peanut butter. You won't be surprised to hear that the invention of peanut butter is much more complicated (and more...298falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/256-woman-crush-wednesday-alice-hamilton--48910363c56872bdc5a5c4332f6c27705c50ebabWed, 11 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlice Hamilton was a pioneer in occupational medicine and industrial toxicology. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that she was the most important person in helping to make the American workplace safer. She also campaigned for women’s rights, social...414falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-44-mini-myth-ben-franklin-and-electricity--489104379ec231b7f546f0bfed5a6280c42b0152Fri, 13 Apr 2018 16:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Ben Franklin really discover electricity by flying a kite in a lightning storm? Well, he may have flown the kite, Buzzkillers, but knowledge of electricity's been around a long, long time. Take the journey of discovery back in time with the old...135falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/257-americans-bailing-out-the-french--489104362a6ca098d46ad956d158d5c4001aadafTue, 17 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid the United States really “bail the French out in two world wars,” or is it a blustering, bigoted myth? Professor Phil Nash joins us to discuss what actually happened in World Wars I and II, and whether the United States was “bailing out” the...2739falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-45-mini-myth-napoleon-short--4891036962fb07c54c05689ef169a404413e6105Fri, 20 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillYou've probably always seen Napoleon depicted as a shorty. And you may have heard that his ambition was driven by a classic "short man's complex." Alas, it's not true. At least not by his measured height. The nickname came about differently. Listen to...111falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-47-mini-myth-catherine-the-great-died-while-attempting-to-have-sex-with-a-horse--489103684420d086f92a02f64b8540ecae84ca13Fri, 27 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillFind any fraternity member who's also a freshman history major. Get him drunk, and he'll start reeling off myths like crazy. One of them will probably be that Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia (1729-1796) died by being crushed by a horse. While...102falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/258-quote-or-no-quote-otto-von-bismarck-laws-and-sausages--489105771e49855aef960baf0f96d1a7e2f181c9Tue, 01 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPolitics is a messy business, even in the best of times, and especially in the worst of times. Many people console themselves with this reality by quoting Otto von Bismarck, the 19th century Prussian politician who, among other things, was the the...222falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-49-mini-myth-african-american-code-quilts--48910563e62ea313fd7116adfcafa002a0a5e55cFri, 04 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most popular history exercises in elementary schools these days is to have students learn about Quilt Codes and the Underground Railroad and make some design themselves. Students are told that quilt patterns gave escaped slaves directions...287falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/259-mother-s-day--48910365efd0403cc5bea0af9cefa06ad6c442a3Wed, 09 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMajor social and political forces led to the establishment of Mother's Day as a major and official holiday. Our new episode explains those forces, and also tells us who founded Mother's Day. Was it Julia Ward Howe with her famous "Appeal to Womanhood"...1082falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-51-mini-myth-nero-fiddled-while-rome-burned--4891056174504a958a7a8cb6b3844d3fd1da42d7Fri, 11 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid the Roman emperor Nero really fiddle while his glorious city of Rome burned? Politicians may often be bad guys, Buzzkillers, but there's no good evidence for this level of mania in old Nero. It's a good story, but that's all it is-- a story. 145falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/260-man-crush-monday-tommy-flowers--489104289c3c19358dcf96702c64b08e7c09453dMon, 14 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillTommy Flowers was a very important British scientist and engineer during the first half of the 20th century. Not only did he do essential work in cracking secret German codes during World War II, he is usually credited with inventing (and building)...621falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-52-mini-myth-sir-walter-raleigh-potatoes-and-tobacco--4891032705a0927a23fa93852494bb4642f9fa9dFri, 18 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlmost nothing about Sir Walter Raleigh is true, or at the very least it's all been highly exaggerated. He didn't lay his clock down for Queen Elizabeth, and he didn't introduce potatoes and tobacco to Europe after his travels in the New World. He...139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/261-u-s-reconstruction--4891025311406589b0a843fbad557edb7fd28be0Tue, 22 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Reconstruction period (1865-1877) after the Civil War was at least as complicated as the war itself. It’s also been fraught with different historian interpretations over the generations. Professor Phil Nash joins us to untangle what happened and...2546falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-71-mini-myth-walt-disney-mickey-mouse-and-ub-iwerks--48910360331801cdc184b58ed78824f006946035Fri, 25 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWalt Disney is one of the most famous names in entertainment. But have you ever heard of Ub Iwerks? Good old Ub was the real artistic genius behind many of Disney's most beloved characters, including Mickey Mouse. Yet there is no IwerksWorld, no...190falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/262-woman-crush-wednesday-elizabeth-magie--489102501b8668c578124b79b4ed4b33a17cf560Wed, 30 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe board game Monopoly seems too complicated to have had one single inventor, right? Well, no. Elizabeth Magie invented it in the first few years of the 20th century, and called it The Landlords Game. But the original game was anti-landlord, and...492falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-56-mini-myth-lee-offered-his-sword-to-grant--489103169c5f7aa47e7f7f467a535bd12517fd64Fri, 01 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's a great "Gone with the Wind" romantic-type story. The defeated, but honorable, General Robert E. Lee offered his sword to the victor, U.S. Grant, during the Confederacy's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Grant, just as honorably, refused to...139falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/263-nadir-of-african-american-history--48910313cc5222ac906849a4839124b19a4dd6aeTue, 05 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill1865. The Civil War is over. Slavery has been abolished. The country is “reconstructing” itself. This should have meant that the lives of African-Americans improved during this period. But it didn’t. 1865-1930 is often called the “nadir of...2580falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-58-mini-myth-witches-burned-at-the-stake-at-salem--48910419e0a49e8700b0f5632c3c7288ef1ea1e6Fri, 08 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBurn the witch! Burn the witch! It makes for a dramatic story, with about as final an ending as you can imagine. Suspected witches were nabbed, but on trial, convicted, and burned at the stake in the 1690s in Massachusetts. But it's just not true. The...132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/264-quote-or-no-quote-einstein-a-little-knowledge-is-a-dangerous-thing--4891035899557a693c8840bb806dd30af3ffa62eTue, 12 Jun 2018 15:07:04 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most common Einstein No Quotes you see coursing around the internet is: “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Sometimes the mis-quote-meisters add “so is a lot,” to this pithy quote saying about knowledge, and we end up with “A little...352falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-60-mini-myth-magellan-didn-t-circumnavigate-the-globe--489102452c514d64bb5444ab3a8f0e1e6d6b095fFri, 15 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHe may have had a GPS system named after him, but Ferdinand Magellan wouldn't have needed it during his trip around the globe back in the early 1500s. He only made it halfway, dying in the Philippines at the hands of natives who got sick of him asking...124falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-66-mini-myth-the-alamo--48910310c23551cd530cea72760d4abe13f64f90Fri, 29 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEveryone was killed at the Alamo. Right, Buzzkillers? That's why "Remember the Alamo" is such a famous rallying cry in American history. But was everyone killed inside the Alamo? Civilians? Women and children? Was Santa Anna essentially a murderer?...339falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/265-world-war-ii-internment-in-the-united-states--4891035437d317de192645f5ae525cc8e823ed46Sat, 30 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillGovernment internment of “enemy aliens” during World War II has been a controversial topic ever since the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Not only is the history much more complicated than is popularly known, the various policies applied...1525falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/266-canadians-burning-the-white-house-1814--48910328f1fc790541d14703b99561cdfa6e44b7Sun, 01 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Canadians burn the White House in 1814, in the last few months of the War of 1812, as President Trump apparently believes? Who was in command, Tim Horton? Bob and Doug MacKenzie? Or was it British forces, as we’ve been told in our history classes...290falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/267-man-crush-monday-melvin-purvis--48910352dc43b913082846de8164db435c580187Mon, 09 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMelvin Purvis, head of the Chicago Division of the young FBI, is usually overshadowed by the character of J. Edgar Hoover. But who did the real work of capturing or killing Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger. Professor Nash joins us to discuss G-Man...752falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-85-droit-du-seigneur--4891030858480c1205d530f6cbaae472530b2dd8Fri, 13 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDroit du Seigneir (French: "right of the lord") refers to the "right" of a feudal lord to sleep with the bride of his vassals on their wedding night. While this "right" appears as early as the Epic of Gilgamesh (c 2100 BC), is an important plot device...132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/268-coming-close-to-nuclear-war--48910575af66c5649bd34ae790fc9a7bcb608a50Tue, 17 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow close have the United States and the Soviet Union come to nuclear war in the past several decades? How many accidents, miscommunications, and misunderstandings have brought us to the brink of annihilation? Professor Phil Nash joins us to explain...3770falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-98-mini-myth-twinkie-defense--4891055673b3fac663ac5199a6142c92a615ada7Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas a junk food diet really used as a defense in a murder case? Did the Twinkie do it? Alas, Buzzkillers, the answer is no, but the story about this myth is fascinating. Sit back, unwrap one of your favorite snacks, listen and learn! 248falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/269-woman-crush-wednesday-henrietta-lacks--48910234daf2ee949d164c73bca339e04b778fb9Wed, 25 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSo far, this is the most famous woman we’ve ever featured on a Woman Crush Wednesday. Henrietta Lacks was a cancer patient in the early 1950s. Her cancer cells were studied and analyzed, and found to be “immortal” under laboratory conditions. They...477falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-16-mini-myth-jumping-wall-street-stockbrokers--48910280d5aa0ecebd24d3544b735496bdf31754Fri, 27 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe weather report for the morning of October 29, 1929, the day of the famous Wall Street Crash, called for falling stockbrokers. Ruined businessmen were supposed to be flinging themselves out of their high office windows in despair. Alas,...119falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/270-why-was-world-war-ii-so-bad--489102821ab6d698dd54472bb3091e4beee29ea6Tue, 31 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAll wars are bad. But why was World War II so extreme? Coming less than 20 years after World War I (the most extreme war up until that time), the Second World War’s death toll is _conservatively_ calculated at 60 million people. And some estimates are...3633falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-29-mini-myth-captain-cook-didn-t-discover-australia--489105543dcd8c7eda3c753b5dfaacd76b856810Fri, 03 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPity the poor Dutch, Buzzkillers! They traveled all over the world and get almost no credit for it. Captain James Cook of England wasn't the first European to discover Australia. Willem Janszoon was. Ever heard of him? I didn't think so. 162falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/271-quote-or-no-quote-ancient-chinese-curse-may-you-live-in-interesting-times--48910232080a3e8a89eb4cf4978328f9ed39b61eTue, 07 Aug 2018 14:32:37 +0000Joe CoohillAre you cursed to be living in interesting times? Would a boring era be easier on the Buzzkill blood pressure? And is “may you live in interesting times” actually an old Chinese curse, or is the history of the saying more complicated? We take you from...270falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-134-mini-myth-jfk-hatless-at-inauguration--489103492bfcbf27aba0d993e5bfd1dd2be0125eFri, 10 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe silk top hat was common headwear in high society from the middle of the 18th century all the way to at least the beginning of the 20th. By the middle of the 20th century, however, the top hat was in rapid decline-- and many blame President John F....217falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/272-slavery-race-and-the-confederate-army--48910233e0eb57f2d41d49819e2dd26767d14026Tue, 14 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Colin Woodward joins us to discuss the importance of slavery in the minds of Confederate soldiers, as well as its effects on military policy and decision making. He tells us about the Rebels’ persistent belief in the need to defend slavery...1792falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-33-mini-myth-abner-doubleday-and-baseball--489102201002cacbc7986c008bc928362d33fb1dFri, 17 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAbner Doubleday didn't invent baseball, and he didn't do it in Cooperstown in 1839, Buzzkillers. Once again, a second- or third-hand story created a persistent myth. It was Alexander Cartwright in Manhattan in 1845. The Baseball Hall of Fame is still...228falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/273-u-s-political-parties--48910537de03ab57d95a4b679c94da4f917bca8eTue, 21 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillI got so sick of idiots posting completely ahistorical things about American Political Parties on Twitter and Facebook, that I called Professor Nash in for an emergency episode. We were able to diagnose the interpretative the wound, stop the bleeding,...2229falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-110-mini-myth-spanish-flu--4891031939417a85597ecd6ff5a4c9f3a178c454Fri, 24 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe great influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 was one of the worst disasters in human history. Somewhere between 50 and 100 million people were killed by the flu worldwide. But did it start in Spain? Was the Spanish health-care system to blame? Listen and...159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/274-man-crush-monday-ron-stallworth--48910528441e15e9096d48159965f26887069e77Mon, 27 Aug 2018 16:28:19 +0000Joe CoohillRon Stallworth, featured in the new Spike Lee film, BlackKkKlansman, was a Colorado police detective who convinced the local Ku Klux Klan to accept him as a member in 1979. Using tremendously creative undercover skills, Stallworth was able to dupe the...256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-13-mini-myth-vikings-didn-t-wear-horned-helmets-into-battle--4891052652034d14635630272ca331d045451aa7Fri, 31 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillA Viking horned helmet would have been very impractical, and perhaps dangerous, in battle, Buzzkillers. There is only one depiction of a horned helmet in ancient Nordic art, and it was probably ceremonial. Horned helmets are most likely the invention...112falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/275-the-monopolists--4891031550b17cc89c7f40759a88c222e80013dbTue, 04 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillJournalist Mary Pilon joins us to discuss the history of the game Monopoly and its wonderful twists, turns, complications, and lawsuits! It all starts during The Depression and doesn't stop until the 21st Century! Make sure to listen, and tell a...1875falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-130-mini-myth-polish-and-american-enigma-codebreakers--48910257cedfa20694622e5e6cdde744b8321e53Fri, 07 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEnigma, the German World War II message encoding machine, was famously cracked by British codebreakers led by Alan Turing. But were there more people involved? Buzzkillers in Dayton, Ohio, will be very proud to hear that one of their native sons,...267falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/276-woman-crush-wednesday-ada-lovelace--489104982253fac3b7c94982a80ca0cd65775f40Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAda Lovelace is frequently called “the first computer programmer,” but is her story more complicated than that? In this Woman Crush Wednesday show, we give a brief overview of what she contributed to the history of computing, and argue that she was...722falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-105-cocaine-in-coca-cola--489102113d9c0875a5b2f9e494871d43ba53c8c1Fri, 14 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillFor decades, a story flew around that Coke was originally full of coke, as in cocaine. The early developers of Coca-Cola stirred cocaine into its famous syrup, so the legend goes. Once mixed with energizing carbonated water, early Coca-Cola became...416falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/277-traveling-while-black-guides-to-african-american-motoring--48910423064b208226e54d37a0fd6464b0fd74c7Wed, 19 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill20th-century automobile travel was supposed to represent freedom, but what else did it represent? Professor Cotten Seiler from Dickinson College joins us to discuss the difficulties and hazards of traveling in the United States faced by...2362falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-151-nixon-s-1960-presidential-election-concession--4891024981f11216d0f481f3a6d71d218a5d3f9cFri, 21 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Richard Nixon genuinely "concede" the 1960 Presidential Election to John Kennedy the day after the election, as so many commentators now tell us? Or did he qualify his remarks so much, and work so feverishly behind the scenes to overturn the...1231falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/278-quote-or-no-quote-mahatma-gandhi-an-eye-for-an-eye-makes-the-whole-world-blind--48910173833e53478fbb4c59b7547a6158236269Tue, 25 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Gandhi say, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”? If he didn’t, where did it come from? The Bible? The Canadian House of Commons? Movie script writers? And is there something more significant in how this phrase has come down to us as an...378falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-123-molly-pitcher--489102462157e89f7309c28cca677b918127f561Fri, 28 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"Molly Pitcher" was the legendary water carrier who kept American soldiers hydrated and poured cool water on cannon barrels during the crucial Battle of Monmouth in 1778. But was she a real person? If so, who was she? As you'll find out, Buzzkillers,...511falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/279-1968-presidential-election--48910254654c1dbb70f34bf5a4905bb9c08ac729Tue, 02 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill1968 was a dramatic, upsetting, and confusing year in many parts of the world. The American Presidential Election was equally strange and unusual. Protests, riots, assassinations, major political parties in turmoil, and a segregationist third party...3971falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-196-legal-immigration-to-the-united-states--48910171c16f1599186036cf24456732483fc6c0Fri, 05 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe history of immigration to the United States is very complicated, Buzzkillers! Millions of people came from all over the world to the United States, and there are almost as many myths about immigration as there were immigrants. What did it mean to...1241falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-186-fdr-s-fireside-chats--48910350ba2be4207389d9b86531eb7928bb1285Fri, 12 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Roosevelt's "Fireside Chats" are famous for breaking new ground in how political leaders communicate with their people. But were they really as ground-breaking as we all tend to believe? Did they really help the American people get through...4322falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/280-nixon-s-1968-october-surprise--48910410b6ba0ea817534d23841d22b544b4f924Tue, 16 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillRichard Nixon was already known as “Tricky Dick” long before the Presidential Election of 1968. But would he do anything so tricky as to negotiate with a foreign country against American interests in order to get elected? Professor Nash comes to the...2302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/281-woman-crush-wednesday-maria-bochkareva--489102359c190c72b6194667a577849817ea136cWed, 24 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a Woman Crush Wednesday! Maria Bochkareva’s life reflects almost all of the tumultuous period of the Russian Revolution (1917-1922). During World War I, she fights, and eventually leads, the “1st Russian Women’s Battalion of Death.” She then...818falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/282-did-teddy-roosevelt-save-american-football--48910403ff355a41c31643e9a46f85fbf9d251a0Tue, 30 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn the wake of over a dozen football-related deaths in 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt rode in in, and threatened football leaders that if they didn’t make the game safer, he’d ban it. They implemented reforms, and Rough Rider Teddy gets the credit...1324falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/283-hate-crimes-and-the-kkk-in-the-us--48910397cc556b692e9d42d6a3d62ecc27c4b49bThu, 01 Nov 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the things that makes the recent hate crimes in the United States so shocking and outrageous is that they seem to go against the grain of American life. They’re out of character, and un-American. But, as one of my fellow historians said...2056falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-64-mini-myth-guy-fawkes--4891031144515d50afaf57e48dd3318dd0d0e0c4Fri, 02 Nov 2018 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillRemember, remember, the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot... Children's rhymes make poor history. So do modern day movies, like V for Vendetta. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators weren't radicals fighting for the working people. So why...302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/284-quote-or-no-quote-pastor-martin-niemoller-first-they-came--489103473918581e14464a349873a6a977c5ee3cTue, 06 Nov 2018 16:45:14 +0000Joe CoohillThe poem that begins “First they came for the socialists, and I did not not speak out --- because I was not a socialist,” goes through a series of other oppressed, but ignored, groups, and ends with, “and then they came for me --- and there was no one...755falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-137-michelangelo-and-the-sistine-chapel--48910309fde63e4a1bc4bece202bb599dcb66567Fri, 09 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillEverybody knows that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, but how did he do it? Did he really paint the entire ceiling from atop a scaffold while reclining on his back? Well, not really. In some cases, the truth is even more amazing than the myth,...344falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/285-how-did-wwi-end--489103956872de75634a4410ad4dd19282e8309aSun, 11 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid World War I end with a bang or a whimper? Prof Phil Nash joins us to discuss the complicated road to the armistice of November 11, 1918. A dozen countries were involved, the Russian Revolution intervened, and the US military provided fresh troops...2751falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-156-ben-franklin-s-turkey--48910495f801a2af1b9eba49c850d401d817ca1bFri, 16 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the legendary stories that re-appear during Thanksgiving season is that no less a luminary and Founding Father than Ben Franklin thought that the bald eagle was an improper choice as a national bird and a national symbol. Franklin preferred the...524falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/286-man-crush-monday-henry-johnson--48910175a0bb485be499493096c7621443c6f1c8Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWilliam Henry Johnson eventually became one of the most decorated soldiers in World War I. His medals and military decorations came only eventually, however. He acted bravely and heroically in the Argonne Forest in May, 1918, killing multiple German...1128falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-69-mini-myth-thanksgiving-popcorn--48910380433410fa4454a81de726047bc6938038Fri, 23 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillAs the pilgrims pushed their chairs back from the first Thanksgiving table, their stomachs full of turkey and potatoes, Squanto appeared with bushels of popped corn and spilled it out on the tables for the Pilgrims to enjoy. That's how Americans got...252falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/287-love-and-death-in-the-great-war--48910345aef3d5a8c92345c5b25a8dbec7bbadb4Tue, 27 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Andrew Huebner joins us to discuss his fascinating new examination of the what World War I meant for Americans. Was it to “make the world safe for democracy” or was it for home and family. Find out!2664falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-157-lincoln-s-civil-war-letter-to-mrs-bixby--48910488e4b4df9c1b5b3790a6b840ff6f820fb5Fri, 30 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Lincoln comforted Lydia Bixby over the loss of her five sons during the Civil War in one of the most famous letters in American history. But what really happened to Mrs. Bixby's five sons? Did they all die fighting for the Union? Or were...689falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/288-woman-crush-wednesday-madam-c-j-walker--489102999cfd0fd6fe654a968f5accaa90bb74f5Wed, 05 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMadame C.J. Walker was a pioneer in the hair care industry, and in broad-based national marketing during the height of Jim Crow in the United States. As an African-American woman, she faced obstacles every time she tried to improve her business....1083falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-159-pearl-harbor--48910307d59c47a0c9cb609c990ea8bd7e8c9af0Fri, 07 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us to explain the myths and misconceptions about the December 7th, 1941, as well as the complexities of the cultural importance of the attack since then. Did FDR know about the attack ahead of time? And who was the attack...2978falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/289-recapturing-the-oval-office--48910389b33e0e518d5943448c8719c6abc38303Tue, 11 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Brian Balogh from the University of Virginia enlightens us about how historians have studied the US Presidency since the 1950s. It’s certainly had its ups and downs, and many historians abandoned the study of the presidency during the 1970s....1966american,elections,history,politics,presidentsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-163-wwi-christmas-truce--489103422ccd77bf6844d204eeb6bd6b057893e8Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe truce between the trenches in Christmas 1914 is one of the most famous stories from World War I. Was it one big truce across the whole Western Front? Or was it lots of little ceasefires? How did it happen, and what did the soldiers do during the...2684falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/290-quote-or-no-quote-dorothy-parker-if-you-don-t-have-anything-nice-to-say-come-and-sit-here-by-me--489102848f5779d7c66f44e18d4822e2cef4a81aTue, 18 Dec 2018 13:40:01 +0000Joe Coohill“If you don’t have anything nice to say, come and sit here by me,” is one of the best snarky-isms ever uttered. But who said it? Dorothy Parker? Joan Crawford? Lady Buzzkill? Hear the full story and learn what in the world Teddy Roosevelt, Nellie...265alice,did,historical,history,know,quotes,roosevelt,teddy,theodore,youfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-165-12-days-of-christmas--4891031429b99468ec926885762be93c239c2acfFri, 21 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas there special, secret meaning behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn't Professor Buzzkill invited? We explain it all and...893falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-154-mini-myth-washington-s-vision-at-valley-forge--48910480efa0345db87e79b7d306c8cf4119d60dFri, 28 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid George Washington have a vision one evening at Valley Forge? Did an angel descend and tell General George about the future of the country, and give him the emotional stamina to carry on and win the Revolutionary War? Or is this Revolutionary-era...880falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/291-1964-surgeon-general-s-report-on-smoking--489101824dbdda5ce91b4529891b855c8726de5cTue, 08 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Sarah Milov explains the political and medical environments in which the 1964 US Surgeon General’s Report on dangers of smoking appeared in 1964. In addition to the medical and scientific concerns in producing the report, there were...1559american,history,smokingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-244-electricity-in-america-life--48910168cdfc3c167d434fc9b8f6aff4097e6af0Fri, 11 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillFlashback Friday Episode! From 1876, when the first effective dynamo/generator that produced a steady current of electricity was invented, Americans reacted to this new phenomenon of electricity in many different ways. Professor Jennifer Lieberman is...2800falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-198-watergate-myths--48910283b80388296cbd448db45af8af0332b846Fri, 18 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIs Watergate the story of heroic journalists working against all odds and in great danger to get at the truth of presidential corruption? Is it more complicated than that? How accurate was All the President's Men? Who really brought the Nixon...1137falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/292-new-map-of-empire-in-british-north-america--489104816ffb69677d3e4492bb8941e0a5aaaebcMon, 21 Jan 2019 19:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillAfter the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War in 1763, British America stretched from Hudson Bay to the Florida Keys, from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, and across new islands in the West Indies. To better rule these vast...1603academia,american,british,history,mapsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-109-st-francis-of-assisi--48910320d43194727313408e885177a4d6478b77Fri, 25 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSt. Francis of Assisi is one of the most popular saints in the Christian religion. He’s known as a lover of animals, the first eco-warrior, and a peace-negotiator during the crusades. How much of this is true, and how much is myth? “Make me the...2360falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/293-birthright-citizenship--48910294f54b054ba2db43af9c340b679c740e6fTue, 29 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBecoming a citizen by being born in a country is an topic that flares up whenever there are controversies about immigration and immigrants. This episode explains birthright citizenship and how it developed in the United States and the western...1881falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-111-workers-entombed-in-concrete--48910164295150e3278c4e59bc6d37f95689e896Fri, 01 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a story that drives tour guides and historians of engineering crazy. A worker falls into a pool of wet concrete that’s being poured as part of a major construction project. Before he can be saved, his body slips beneath the surface and he drowns...357falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/294-woman-crush-wednesday-irene-gut-opdyke--48910460a95a334edf6f47629d2e79765ede0ab2Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSeeing a German soldier killing an infant in 1942 was a transformative moment for Irene Gut, a young Polish nurse. She dedicated the rest of her wartime life to rescuing and hiding Jews, despite the some of the most harrowing circumstances imaginable....521falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/295-border-walls-in-history-why-were-they-built-did-they-work--48910279325e36922fdb4339bba3ae6c192069d0Tue, 12 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBorder walls have long been a feature in history. But why were they built? Was it for protection, as imposing symbols, to regulate trade and migration? Did they work, and for how long? Despite what you may hear in contemporary political debates, the...1299falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-152-mini-myth-1965-blackout-increased-births--48910305aa4c1912404e4003863e477b0c418b50Fri, 15 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe blackout of November 1965 was a big event in the north-east of the United States and in Ontario. But did it result in an increase in babies born nine months later? When deprived of other “entertainments,” did people divert themselves with love?...267falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/296-nazi-socialist-what-s-in-a-name--489103063772b94af77a4242a12887edda4e2a32Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhy was Hitler’s fascist party named the “National-Socialist German Workers' Party”? “Socialist” and “Fascist” usually have totally different, indeed opposite, meanings. How did they get combined and what did the “National Socialist” label mean in the...2544fascism,history,learning,socialismfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-104-mini-myth-bra-burning--48910301f0354cef51e74e6bbfd70aaaef5f3d3dFri, 22 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid women’s rights protesters go so far as to burn their bras in public in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in the same way that anti-war protesters burned their draft cards? Well, no, Buzzkillers. They did throw them in “freedom trash cans,” along...133falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/297-man-crush-monday-ignaz-semmelweis--489103823e993042a0ea4f7db6a94193d58928deMon, 25 Feb 2019 08:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Ignaz Semmelweis became known as the “savior of mothers” due to his pioneering work in antiseptic procedures during childbirth. His clinical and laboratory research proved that hand disinfection for doctors was essential in preventing infections...808history,ignaz,semmelweisfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/green-book-encore-traveling-while-black--489103044026492eabb444149e0163af19a86c5cTue, 26 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill20th century automobile travel was supposed to represent freedom, but what else did it represent? Professor Cotten Seiler from Dickinson College joins us to discuss the difficulties and hazards of traveling in the United States faced by...2616falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-180-executive-orders--489101549b1e59dd97e442cd9f072bc46682a3a4Fri, 01 Mar 2019 08:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHuge numbers of listeners have flooded the Buzzkill Institute with emails, faxes, texts, and Tweets, asking about President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders. They’ve come so fast and furious! With a little help from Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and...1270falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/298-making-of-the-non-smoker--48910459798ab63cd2374f82b3589261a81d0723Tue, 05 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe “Non-Smoker” as a category of persons seems obvious in the 21st century. But it wasn’t always this way. Professor Sarah Milov gives the history of the non-smoking movement, including the medical, legal, and political battles that eventually led to...1691falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-138-hitler-s-early-years--48910465359469c3b5e040e193ff4a1f02ffecbfFri, 08 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSuper Buzzkiller Prof Philip Nash joins us to examine some of the zillion myths surrounding Adolf Hitler and his early years. We discuss the myth of his brutal childhood and youthful poverty, the complicated story of his service in World War I (and...3972falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/299-irish-things-that-are-actually-british--4891014644168430639d4325a75a304b2d3fb450Tue, 12 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he...956falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-229-irish-slaves-myth--489104247095c0810104405ab38deb3d8b3da2e2Fri, 15 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Irish slaves myth claims that Irish people were enslaved by the British and sent to the Americas (especially the Caribbean) to work on plantations. This myth primarily appears in emails and Facebook posts, and goes like this: Irish people were...2141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/300-jesse-james-and-the-civil-war--4891038169afb219e9db4fbabf6c1b92a086f0b6Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas Jesse James a famous “western outlaw” or is the story more complicated than that? Listen as Professor Nash takes us through James’ life and explains the centrality of the Civil War, and how the bitterness enhanced by the civil war motivated his...4627falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-12-rosa-parks--48910225abc9f26f98c1414bb3482eb86cac4e67Fri, 22 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMeek and mild Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1950s Alabama because she was just tired after a long day at work. That’s mostly myth, and it obscures all the work that Mrs. Parks did, as well as over-simplifying the...2045falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/301-woman-crush-wednesday-qiu-jin--48910370c046d47d556049ccbf54adc283589a76Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a rare thing indeed to find someone in history who stands up and rebels against almost all the things she finds oppressive in society. Such a woman was Qiu Jin, the Chinese revolutionary whose short but dramatic life has led her to be called...463falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-209-the-age-of-charisma--489102787ae591876f714f289c77bf7dc8597582Fri, 29 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Jeremy Young joins us to discuss the Age of Charisma (1870-1940). It was an exciting period in US history: industrialization was in high gear; railroads and telegraph lines were spreading widely; mass media was born; and increased...3745falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/302-income-tax-and-inequality-in-us-history--48910270ed290a269ea04308a8f9d1316d08d70eTue, 02 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIncome tax is a troubling issue in American politics and history. We explain its long and complicated history, and delve into the even more complicated history of how personal income tax has related to the question of equality and inequality in US...1903falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-135-mini-myth-bridge-on-the-river-kwai--489102678f28dd812a964ca4b8fc1543e78accb6Fri, 05 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn the Academy Award-winning film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Nicholson is portrayed as a man who willingly betrays his country and his men for an easier ride as prisoner of war. He collaborates with his captors in order to build a railway...251falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/303-quote-or-no-quote-the-pen-is-mighter-than-the-sword--489103615b898bf44c86428bb55d52668d51d5eeTue, 09 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMany of you have written in to ask me to trace the origins of the phrase, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”. Was it Shakespeare, Voltaire, or Thomas Jefferson? Some of you have even seen it attributed to Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and that...391falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-232-programmed-inequality-women-and-british-computing--48910362b9d5e9b3d200438cab9b613c20c03b53Fri, 12 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Marie Hicks joins us to talk about gender and employment in the emerging field of computing in Britain, and all the historical myths that surround them. In 1944, Britain led the world in electronic computing. By 1974, the British computer...3106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/304-truman-assassination-attempt--489104313b1810e4391143069db0688f6c59e232Tue, 16 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPuerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate President Harry Truman in 1950. Then, in 1954, different Puerto Rican Nationalists opened fire in the House of Representatives, wounding Congressmen. Professor Perry Blatz joins us to explain the...3386falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-221-the-kkk-history-and-myth--4891026486d7b0c8fd3941318b2ea1174e9fde37Fri, 19 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPractically nothing in the history of the United States has suffered from myth-making and misunderstanding as much as the history of race relations and racist violence. The history Ku Klux Klan is no exception. This is ironic. In its various...1787falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/305-man-crush-monday-umrao-singh--48910356d91b22c811e845e3a5c4700c2b203f1bMon, 22 Apr 2019 06:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillUmrao Singh was one of thirty-one British Indian Army soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross during WWII, and was the only NCO in Royal Artillery or Royal Indian Artillery to receive a VC during WWII. On the night of 15-16 Dec 1944, Singh commanded a...616falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-127-hitler-jesse-owens-and-the-1963-berlin-olympics--48910337fac196d77e2448368c0f83f4cdf031f6Fri, 26 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHitler storming out of the stadium after Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics is one of most enduring images we have of the tumultuous history of Nazi Germany. Hitler famously “snubbed” Jesse Owens and all African-American...723falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/306-the-professor-gets-personal--48910408a57186efb4b24ed4ada22e5c51508cf5Tue, 30 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillToday’s episode is special! It’s an interview I gave to Colin Woodward from the American Rambler podcast. Among other things, we talk about how I started doing the show, and about the nature of historical myths and how damaging they can be. Colin even...4575falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-242-the-pizza-effect--48910295a2ad9db7db3344d8be69d531d4aca230Fri, 03 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe "pizza effect" helps explain why assumptions about the history and development of certain cultural practices and traditions are among the strongest historical myths out there, how they are self-reinforcing, and how they can build up mistaken...1196falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/307-wcw-mcm-felice-and-boudleaux-bryant--4891025838c63aaaeea44c66b16d84798f08b761Tue, 07 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s Tuesday, and this is a combined Man Crush Monday and Woman Crush Wednesday! Today we’re going to look at a couple, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who were a driving creative force behind perhaps the biggest popular music revolution in American...446falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-213-fdr-polio-and-the-press--4891025630e9c7cf69db4420b27bf458f9073cf8Fri, 17 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillFDR became governor of New York and later President for four terms despite having contracted polio. Professor Matthew Pressman from Seton Hall University joins us to discuss how the press and the American public were told about his disability, and how...2467falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/308-quote-or-no-quote-winston-churchill-if-you-re-not-a-liberal-at-25-you-have-no-heart--48910335af0bbb14fbf44339a1420edcce188c32Tue, 21 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain” is always bandied about when discussing political differences, particularly during election season. But who said it, and...347falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-250-benjamin-lay-and-anti-slavery-in-the-18th-century--4891039023b04b268e1f49d189ea9a41b0f0948fFri, 24 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn this Flashback Friday, the Professor interviews Professor Marcus Rediker about his book, Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist. Benjamin Lay was one of the most famous anti-slavery protesters in colonial...2833falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/309-why-we-need-a-new-civil-war-documentary--48910281https://www.pbs.org/show/reconstruction-america-after-civil-war/ Professor Merritt’s website is: kerileighmerritt.com]]>d9deec8c563b4420a71be70f8cf01453Tue, 28 May 2019 14:06:56 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Keri Leigh Merritt joins us to argue for a new documentary series about the US Civil War. It’s been nearly 30 years since PBS aired the famous series. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of that classic series, as well as why PBS’s new series...https://www.pbs.org/show/reconstruction-america-after-civil-war/ Professor Merritt’s website is: kerileighmerritt.com]]>1514falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-252-civil-war-medicine--48910344f68a1c49e83d4ec986d2e5f9c47960f2Fri, 31 May 2019 13:50:14 +0000Joe CoohillWe usually hear that surgery and medical treatment during the Civil War was backward butchery. But was it? Historian Nic Hoffman from Kennesaw State University tells us how complicated it really was. We discuss: medical care before the war; the shock...3722falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/310-violence-and-terrorism-in-american-slavery--489103323147391271644509a7078d6df42c7e9fTue, 04 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProf Craig Hammond joins us to discuss the violence used in maintaining slavery, both on the farm/plantation, and in broader society before the Civil War. The violence and terror inflicted on slaves is horrific by our 21st standards. Yet, slave-owners...2167falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-236-vietnam-war-and-history--48910329c9fb02ea3bb5479fb8700deee5d6c8c0Fri, 07 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash explains the history of Vietnam in the 20th century, and the very complicated ways in which it was torn apart by war and civil war throughout the mid-century. Along the way, we learn about the deep complications in the history of...3104falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/311-harriet-tubman-on-the-currency--4891027171da066b4feb4375902b808cf035760aTue, 11 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor calls for social and fiscal revolution! Harriet Tubman’s portrait was supposed to replace Andrew Jackson’s on the US $20 bill, but that’s been delayed yet again. In this episode, we explain why change is actually the tradition in the...1162falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/312-loving-day--48910379228b899aed6442229d4bf9351e378027Wed, 12 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s June 12th! Loving Day! Loving Day is being celebrated world-wide. You might think that Loving Day is Valentine’s Day, February 14th, but it’s not, it’s today, June 12th. If you don’t know what Loving Day is, listen to the story we tell you in...555falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-238-vietnam-myth-and-memory--48910138f204ab179a354395b759e127ffd1c43bFri, 14 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash explains how the myths and misconceptions about the Vietnam War started, grew, and have plagued our historical consciousness since the late 1950s. Among other things, the large number of myths about the Vietnam War shows us that...5113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/313-the-treaty-of-versailles-and-the-world--489102520ba61ecf22e1437196d846df9677034aTue, 18 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow did World War I end, and what led to the Paris Peace Conference? How did the Conference proceed, how were the various national demands handled? What territorial changes resulted? And was it a purely European Conference? How did it affect other...2355falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/314-the-us-and-the-treaty-of-versailles--4891013037bfd1bb07f747bf864a80fc19915533Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhy did Woodrow Wilson get the rock star treatment in Paris in 1919? He arrived to help negotiate the Treaty of Versailles that was supposed to settle World War I. Did he deserve his rock star reputation? Did he get the treaty approved by the US...2141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/315-roe-v-wade--48910125622a75e271804cf3a943601aa930caaeTue, 25 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill1414falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-169-quote-or-no-quote-gandhi-be-the-change-you-wish-to-see-in-the-world--48910262ae068cc6d43e73b74801c361407cf6b4Wed, 26 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMohandas K. Gandhi should also be known as the Mahatma of Misquotation. Did he ever say, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” as we read in so many inspirational tweets and messages? Listen as Professor Buzzkill delves into the origin of this...332falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/316-the-many-myths-about-the-declaration-of-independence--48910378458293e1811445579e830b2df049f608Tue, 02 Jul 2019 16:54:11 +0000Joe CoohillEvery July, American Buzzkillers get inundated with chain emails, Facebook posts, and Tweets that spread more myths about the Declaration of Independence. No matter how many times they’ve been disproved, the seem to crop up every year. John Hancock...2223falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/317-quote-or-no-quote-marie-antoinette-let-them-eat-cake--48910326f5350b85d26742a9996c48ae0e1a235bTue, 09 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe one thing that everyone knows about Marie Antoinette (Queen of France in the late 18th century) is that, when told that the peasants were starving because they had no bread, said, “then let them eat cake.” How cold is that, Buzzkillers? It’s Royal...262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-23-betsy-ross-didn-t-sew-the-first-american-flag--489101226295b379d854a485d02dd6e13096614fThu, 11 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's a great and heart-warming story, Buzzkillers, but meek and modest Betsy Ross did not design or sew the first American flag. The story itself follows the classic myth pattern, a second-hand family tale that caught on with a receptive public....242falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/318-wwii-in-the-pacific-pearl-harbor-to-midway-1941-42--4891021965231a297d5845dcb7e21104857a2039Tue, 16 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillSuperstar historian, Professor Nash, joins us to talk about the opening years of American involvement in Pacific during World War II. From Pearl Harbor to Midway, it’s a brutal chess match across the Pacific - a chess match that includes massive...2370falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-36-black-adder-and-world-war-i--48910266a0acb09cbdde598402c7af4bd3b09df4Fri, 19 Jul 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's time to go over the top, Buzzkillers! We interview Professor Richard Grayson about the wildly popular BBC television series, BlackAdder, and how close it is to historical reality. There are probably more myths about war than any other part of...2844falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/319-wwii-in-the-pacific-guadalcanal-to-the-philippines-1942-44--489103666c1ad6b8341d4d7cba739953c72f1cfcTue, 23 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe brutality of World War II in the Pacific continued from Guadalcanal to the Aleutians, from China to the Solomon Islands, and was also a propaganda war at home in Japan and in Allied countries. Professor Nash comes back to tell us about these...1960falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-61-quote-or-no-quote-patrick-henry-give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death--489103481bd545d65f522050d6c2d941158d7f25Wed, 24 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"Give me liberty or give me death," Virginia patriot Patrick Henry was supposed to have said in a stirring speech before the American Revolution. We Buzzkill this quote and show that, like most "quotes," it was written decades after the event....264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/320-quote-or-no-quote-harry-truman-socialism-is-a-republican-scare-word--489102040567f12a6f1946ada23e193b37c45ad2Mon, 29 Jul 2019 15:15:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Harry Truman “quote” about socialism being a Republican scare word is flying around the internet, in response to the over-heated rhetoric of American politics these days. But did “Buck Stops Here” Harry really say it? If so, when, where, and in...451falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/321-wwii-in-the-pacific-the-defeat-of-japan-1944-45--48910206d86b66aece4d4cea8c0a0d3b08e0bcd7Tue, 30 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillJapan’s defensive perimeter kept shrinking during 1944 and 1945, yet the war dragged on. The battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa were as bloody and horrific as any others during the Pacific war. Strategic bombing of Japan increased, both from the Asian...3653falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-117-douglas-macarthur-part-1--4891024423b56d64de4b4658a1d9649cec2cd941Thu, 01 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDouglas MacArthur is one of the most famous and celebrated generals in American history. Along with Patton, however, he’s one of the most misunderstood and most mythologized. Born in the 19th century, MacArthur served in both World Wars, the Korean...2795falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-237-quote-or-no-quote-mahatma-gandhi-first-they-ignore-you-then-they-laugh-at-you-then-they-fight-you-then-you-w--48910325547ccb58e17a426097f4078919d702b7Wed, 07 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThere's a great quote and sentiment about sticking with a righteous movement for much-needed change, particularly when it's faced with a big, entrenched and powerful foe. That quote goes like this: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then...353falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/322-when-did-the-nra-become-extremist--4891024040280d74510d41d0beb0e174bd552290Tue, 13 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow did the National Rifle Association become one of the most controversial and divisive organizations in American history? It used to be a sportsmen’s group. Since the 1970s, however, it has taken a very strict view of the US Constitution’s Second...1690falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-119-douglas-macarthur-part-2--48910338a4cb0d26a3114c869575c57acefe0cb8Thu, 15 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDouglas MacArthur is one of the most famous and celebrated generals in American history. Along with Patton, however, he’s one of the most misunderstood and most mythologized. Born in the 19th century, MacArthur served in both World Wars, the Korean...2775falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/323-man-crush-monday-sardar-vallabhbhai-patel--48910183d3070d901d8544f78bdd63b954188aeeMon, 19 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the Republic of India’s Founding Fathers, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is not as well-known outside India as he should be. This Man Crush Monday is the brief story of his life and career, as perhaps the man most responsible for the unification of...699falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-230-quote-or-no-quote-muhammad-ali-no-vietcong-ever-called-me-n--4891023821ab1e0f34f948ab97c30948c6711222Wed, 21 Aug 2019 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhen asked about being drafted for the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali is often quoted as saying, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." This was immediately followed by the now-more-famous quote, “No Viet Cong ever called me n*****,” in a one-two...409falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-275-the-monopolists--4891033938d7fcd28e0d4bcd8f3be8b6e21b8381Fri, 23 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn this Flashback Friday Episode, journalist Mary Pilon joins the Professor to discuss the history of the game Monopoly and its wonderful twists, turns, complications, and lawsuits! It all starts during The Depression and doesn't stop until the 21st...1875falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-264-quote-or-no-quote-albert-einstein-a-little-knowledge-is-a-dangerous-thing--48910174e801efdcaa274ecc8808610487991487Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most common Einstein No Quotes you see coursing around the internet is: “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Sometimes the mis-quote-meisters add “so is a lot,” to this pithy quote saying about knowledge, and we end up with “A little...352falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-293-birthright-citizenship--48910118b24d30dd80c649788f82b656b11777e5Thu, 29 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillBecoming a citizen by being born in a country is an topic that flares up whenever there are controversies about immigration and immigrants. This episode explains birthright citizenship and how it developed in the United States and the western...1881falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/324-poland-and-world-war-ii--489100927f7066afb1544f998c34d418fe74bfb5Tue, 03 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMyths about Poland during World War II are everywhere. Professor Philip Nash and I destroy some of the biggest ones in this episode. They include: Polish cavalry going up against Nazi tanks, and the story that Poland fell quickly and easily. Not only...32282,history,poland,war,world,ww2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/325-climate-change-science-1750-1900--4891008253ef6113ef384610a6934bd15c712382Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:55:59 +0000Joe CoohillClimate change is a much older subject than is commonly assumed. As early as 1750, Enlightenment thinkers such as David Hume and Thomas Jefferson analyzed and wrote about the role that human activity played in climate change. French scientist, Joseph...2197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-176-the-marie-celeste--489103313dbf9722c11969ce4ad7d7caddaf36faFri, 13 Sep 2019 08:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe tragic story of the ship "Marie Celeste" has been told for over a hundred years. And the tale gets wilder and wilder every time. On December 5, 1872, the vessel was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 miles west of Portugal. The crew...1461falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/326-climate-change-science-1900-2000--489100765b42c33362fb4260844bb81664912cd1Tue, 17 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe continue our discussion with Dr. Andrew Ramey from Carnegie Mellon University about the long history of climate change science. The study of climate change grew rapidly in the 20th century, almost as quickly as climate change itself started to...2750falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-227-the-lost-cause-myth--489102413ac063508c3b4e7fa6337f751ac19f6eThu, 19 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Lost Cause is one of the most troubling aspects of American history. The ways in which the Confederacy and the pre-Civil War south has been romanticized and fictionalized has done immense damage to American historical consciousness and...4098falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/327-lbj-and-the-space-program--4891034301aa60710e0740428105257b7395011bTue, 24 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Kennedy usually gets all the credit for inspiring American to reach for the moon. And President Nixon’s signature is on the ceremonial plaque laid there at the end of the Apollo 11 landing. But President Lyndon Johnson hardly ever gets...2254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-245-impeachment-presidential-removal-and-replacement--48910227dcbbe24d17524c6da1ca3be4e252171cThu, 26 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillImpeachment? The 25th Amendment? Resignation? How do the American people remove a president from office? Why is it so complicated, and what's the history behind each way to get a dangerous, criminal, or just plain crazy chief executive out of the...3003falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-144-kennedy-nixon-debates--48910067e0d196b3fcc04b81bcec5a9ee9b7a131Fri, 27 Sep 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid radio listeners really think that Nixon won the first 1960 presidential debate, while TV viewers thought the more telegenic Kennedy won? This story is the most repeated myth in the history of presidential debates. The Professor explains why. Make...644falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/328-woman-crush-wednesday-first-woman-to-cast-a-vote--4891033033a7f203619748629cdf722ba2ef1833Wed, 02 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIs it possible to determine who was the first woman to cast a ballot in a modern, democratic election? Not really. But, in this episode, we’re going to talk about three of the “first” women to vote. 2019-2020 is the centenary of the passage and...975falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-94-amazing-grace--489100664e8a40772454fa294550f0252a9c5dc0Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill“Amazing Grace” is one of the most popular songs in Christian songbooks, and one of the most recognizable songs in the world. By one account, it is sung over 10 million times annually. It has also been the font of historical myths and...753falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/329-quote-or-no-quote-winston-churchill-atlee-and-the-empty-taxi--48910065b9f7b9f2c41f41b5936c8df93f939aa3Tue, 08 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most famous Churchill-isms is “an empty taxi pulled up and Clement Attlee stepped out of it.” It implies, of course, that Attlee was a political non-entity, weak and ineffective. But did Churchill ever say it? And what do skinny French...483falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-59-cuban-missile-crisis--489100755a0f9ee296842ce5c22d8c4825511957Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:54:29 +0000Joe CoohillThe Cuban Missile Crisis! Kennedy, Castro, Khrushchev, missiles, submarines, cigars! It was the closest we’ve gotten to World War III and nuclear annihilation. Professor Philip Nash joins us in the Buzzkill Bunker as we sweat the details and the...4178falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/330-teddy-roosevelt-and-american-sports--4891032438c5483c928547e88f6f26f073697308Tue, 15 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Ryan Swanson explains the complex history of the relationship between President Theodore Roosevelt and the modernization of American sports culture. We learn about TR’s “tennis cabinet,” his fitness programs, and his role as the “invigorator...2409falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-183-quote-or-no-quote-sigmund-freud-sometimes-a-cigar-is-just-a-cigar--48910059d6ed0d67ac714e5bb330431ae6d988c9Wed, 16 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillMany things seemed phallic to Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. But did this include the humble cigar? Or did Freud just dismiss overanalysis by saying, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar”? What that a genuine Freudian quip? Did Groucho Marx agree?...207falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-278-quote-or-no-quote-mahatma-gandhi-an-eye-for-an-eye-makes-the-whole-world-blind--48910224455b4777d0ca4dca8db524579718ea7dWed, 23 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Gandhi say “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”? If he didn’t, where did it come from? The Bible? The Canadian House of Commons? Movie script writers? And is there something more significant in how this phrase has come down to us as an...378falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-115-paul-revere--48910212103ae79389b044038af1bf29e036a98aFri, 25 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillListen, oh Buzzkillers, and you shall hear, the true story of the Ride of Paul Revere. Silversmith, patriot, brave man and true, but he wasn’t the only one to carry the news.503falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/331-quote-or-no-quote-harriet-tubman-i-freed-thousands-of-slaves-i-could-have-freed-thousands-more-if-they-had-known-they-were-slave--489101691b1d92f2452140ba86fa99f9efdd8b1bTue, 29 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHarriet Tubman is one of the most famous and important figures in American history. Directly and indirectly responsible for freeing many slaves through the Underground Railroad in the 19th century, she also an armed scout and spy for the Union Army in...355falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-63-halloween--48910322e02ee2c4a3b638ca2570d42977b98360Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:19:30 +0000Joe CoohillHalloween is a demonic holiday chock full of sin and endangered by razor blades in trick or treat candy, right? Wrong. Nothing about the origins of Halloween can be called demonic, satanic, or anti-Christian. And the adulterated candy thing is an...713falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/332-the-berlin-wall--4891006357d54e30c587451899ba9865e4b6347cTue, 05 Nov 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Berlin Wall seemed to define Cold War tension and opposition in stone. From 1961 to 1989 it divided East Berlin from West Berlin, and was the focal point of potential Soviet vs. US confrontation. But the history of why it was built and how the...4113falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/watergate-special-impeachment-encore--489101703c9c1f8e67a84f66ba8e8f533027baf0Fri, 08 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillIs Watergate the story of heroic journalists working against all odds and in great danger to get at the truth of presidential corruption? Is it more complicated than that? How accurate was All the President's Men? Who really brought the Nixon...1169watergatefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/333-1919-a-year-in-the-life-of-the-united-states--4891024322c27948c81043318456524a7e15fc84Tue, 12 Nov 2019 08:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill1919 was one of the most tumultuous years in American history. Economic struggles, labor unrest, the Red Scare, anarchist bombings, and race riots plagued the country. 1919 saw the end of the Progressive Era, the beginning of anti-immigration laws, an...2778falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wednesday-wisdom-vince-lombardi-winning-is-the-only-thing--48910153de78b813cf204b99a4d9500404195587Wed, 20 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLegendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi, was fond of telling his players “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” He employed it many times to motivate them, as well having it posted all around the locker room. And he’s usually the...197falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-fdr-s-fireside-chats--489102366219ad53045a42b6ab0feb4e4b09d258Thu, 21 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillPresident Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats” are famous for breaking new ground in how political leaders communicate with their people. But where they really as ground-breaking as we all tend to believe? Did they really help the American people get through...4327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-clean-wehrmacht--489103185d32cfd9bcb3435b9a405410fde3c02bFri, 29 Nov 2019 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow “clean” was the regular German army (Wehrmacht) during World War II? The Nazis and the SS usually get all the blame for war crimes and for the Holocaust. How much blame can be placed at the feet of “ordinary” German military units? Turns out that...4359falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisdom-wednesday-mark-twain-life-is-just-one-damn-thing-after-another--4891005362216a74-d5c5-4255-9005-28344d335c96Wed, 04 Dec 2019 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillSometimes, Buzzkillers, the stars just seem to align. There's a meteor shower and a rainbow on the same day. And a whole bunch of writers, pundits, journalists, and aphorists come up with roughly the same idea at roughly the same time. Or at least...173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/flashback-friday-pearl-harbor--489102265652072e-03b2-4fae-aa90-86945b5295caFri, 06 Dec 2019 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us to explain the myths and misconceptions about the December 7th, 1941, as well as the complexities of the cultural importance of the attack since then. Did FDR know about the attack ahead of time? And who was the attack...3159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-world-war-i-christmas-truce--48910321274088b9-abf9-48b8-8fa3-6e3f3911867aThu, 12 Dec 2019 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe truce between the trenches in Christmas 1914 is one of the most famous stories from World War I. Was it one big truce across the whole Western Front? Or was it lots of little ceasefires? How did it happen, and what did the soldiers do during the...2690falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/12-days-of-christmas--48910298fc4b61dc-4666-4ef1-9898-f55072997073Tue, 17 Dec 2019 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWas there special, secret meaning behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn’t Professor Buzzkill invited? We explain it all and...899falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/martin-luther-king-and-the-arc-of-the-moral-universe--489101527f9cf053-b71f-4e1d-b51a-d6a8f917b6f8Wed, 01 Jan 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people take comfort from the quote “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” and it’s usually credited to Martin Luther King. He said it, but was it an original MLK thought? The long history of this famous quote is...654falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/republicans-and-impeachment-nixon-and-now--48910051cb6b5a5c-84a9-47df-aa1c-6aa47024c97aTue, 07 Jan 2020 01:04:04 +0000Joe CoohillYou often hear that "the real heroes" of the Nixon Impeachment Crisis were the Republicans in Congress. They put country ahead of party, so the story goes, and facts ahead of friendship, and urged Nixon to resign rather than be impeached and removed...2626falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/throwback-thursday-the-pentagon-papers--489102020d277eeb-b2ab-4616-a4a2-ee39b45aab97Thu, 09 Jan 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe explain the complicated and much-mythologized history of the Pentagon Papers, which is shorthand for the government-funded study of US involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. Once leaked by Daniel Ellsberg and others, American newspapers, led by...4049falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-franklin-a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it-quote-or-no-quote--4891004908946ad1-4827-4c91-9e51-0cb7da3f28e7Tue, 14 Jan 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhen announcing the beginning of impeachment proceedings, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, brought up a Ben Franklin “quotation.” Franklin supposedly said this after the Founding Fathers had agreed on the broad nature of the new U.S. government...836falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-unknown-martin-luther-king-flashback-friday--4891015181d0a5ca-8c47-4d42-94a8-dd4f2e80a15fFri, 17 Jan 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillMartin Luther King, Jr. wanted so much more from the US government and US elite, than most people realize. Popular history has airbrushed out far too much about his life and work. Professor Phil Nash reminds us of the importance of King’s work,...2417falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/336-patton-conquers-the-world--48910221d8c94b02-c6f9-4112-a8e6-c872e6356d7aTue, 21 Jan 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe hear this all the time in the US: “George Patton should have been unleashed and taken care of the Soviets in 1945 when we had the chance.” And from the movie, Patton: “We're gonna have to fight them sooner or later anyway. Why not do it now, when...2477falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/winston-churchill-some-chicken-some-neck-quote-or-no-quote--48910293c785468c-1ad5-4ce9-96c7-115a4fa9b12aWed, 29 Jan 2020 17:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhile addressing the Canadian Parliament early in World War II, Churchill famously quipped that Britain, despite being bombed almost into oblivion by the Luftwaffe, never had its neck wrung like a chicken, by responding "some chicken, some neck." We...330falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/love-and-death-in-the-great-war-throwback-thursday--48910218f2dd2126-e75e-4b29-9e88-9a6e2fe6f64aThu, 06 Feb 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Andrew Huebner joins us to discuss his fascinating new examination of what World War I meant for Americans. Was it to “make the world safe for democracy” or was it for home and family. Find out!2664falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/roy-cohn-piece-of-sh-t-saturday-337--48910300dc3e0897-150e-4037-82ec-f12d162ced05Sat, 08 Feb 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOur inaugural POS Saturday episode is dedicated to one of the biggest pieces of s**t in 20th century American history -- Roy Cohn. Cohn’s influence on American politics and society from the 1950s to the 1980s was almost completely negative. Along with...1184falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/why-was-world-war-ii-so-bad-throwback-thursday--48910303b15f7850-78f1-4b83-b056-3decf090ac61Wed, 12 Feb 2020 22:31:44 +0000Joe CoohillAll wars are bad. But why was World War II so extreme? Coming less than 20 years after World War I (the most extreme war up until that time), the Second World War’s death toll is _conservatively_ calculated at 60 million people. And some estimates are...3633falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/your-valentine-st-valentine-quote-or-no-quote--489102142edc7dec-3da2-4297-90fc-bb1b62abeca7Fri, 14 Feb 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillValentine’s Day is here again, Buzzkillers, and you can be certain that we’re depleting the Buzzkill bank account at a rapid clip so that we can give Lady Buzzkill all the best tokens of love and affection befitting her rank and station. And it’s...256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/levi-and-catharine-coffin-the-underground-railroad--489101957dedd255-f1cc-4383-ab24-3bd112afa9d9Tue, 18 Feb 2020 10:25:35 +0000Joe CoohillEpisode #338 - Levi and Catharine Coffin were early leaders of the Underground Railroad. Opposed to slavery from childhood, they helped over 3,000 slaves escape to freedom by the end of the Civil War. They pioneered a very broad anti-slavery approach,...2082falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lincoln-government-of-the-people-by-the-people-for-the-people-wisdomwednesday--48910048bedef925-ab22-466a-abf0-5eb7c1286e69Wed, 19 Feb 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAnybody who's completed an elementary school education knows that Abraham Lincoln finished his dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863 by saying that, "...we here highly resolve that these dead...264wisdomwednesdayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-johnson-man-crush-monday--489102166093f070-2099-4893-92f3-4de60881f4b6Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:13:53 +0000Joe CoohillWilliam Henry Johnson eventually became one of the most decorated soldiers in World War I. His medals and military decorations came only eventually, however. He acted bravely and heroically in the Argonne Forest in May, 1918, killing multiple German...1128falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/george-washinton-carver-and-peanut-butter-mini-myth-monday--489101965d9c189f-a754-49d6-900c-2fb6125bb7adMon, 02 Mar 2020 10:19:13 +0000Joe CoohillIt's a Mini-Myth Monday! Like all good Americans, I just had a PB&J for lunch. I couldn’t help thinking of George Washington Carver, the reputed inventor of peanut butter. You won’t be surprised to hear that the invention of peanut butter is much more...302falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/programmed-inequality-women-and-british-computing--48910302e6a7c38f-07e8-4ba6-b816-f7259e66686aFri, 06 Mar 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Marie Hicks joins us to talk about gender and employment in the emerging field of computing in Britain, and all the historical myths that surround them. In 1944, Britain led the world in electronic computing. By 1974, the British computer...3106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-women-won-the-right-to-vote-an-american-fiction--48910160be2f790b-ad1b-4b91-9a25-1af718e98c36Tue, 10 Mar 2020 12:14:22 +0000Joe CoohillDo women have a constitutional "right to vote" in America? Didn't the 19th Amendment resolve that issue? Professor Lisa Tetrault enlightens us about this very thorny issue in American history and politics. One of our best episodes ever!2552falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gloria-steinem-a-woman-needs-a-man-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle-quote-or-no-quote--48910288daa488c2-377b-42b0-b7c2-60a8b312da64Wed, 11 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe number of different images and different sayings or phrases printed on t-shirts exploded in the early 70s. And one of the most striking was the t-shirt from the women’s rights movement which said, "A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle,"...254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/blackout-births-spike--48910291f07ab765-ba4f-4e8d-8288-0e4991ccc6e1Sun, 15 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe blackout of November 1965 was a big event in the north-east of the United States and in Ontario. But did it result in an increase in babies born nine months later? When deprived of other “entertainments,” did people divert themselves with love?...273falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/st-patrick-s-day--489102903acff1f5-7991-43ee-81de-8dca748da31eMon, 16 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat can possibly be wrong with St. Patrick’s Day? Not much, except that there’s very little historical basis behind stories about St. Patrick. And there’s certainly no historical basis for excess drinking, green beer, and the Chicago River turned...598falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-symbols-and-hidden-hibernians--48910156a2b1aa8a-17ea-4cee-9a2b-e45613682878Tue, 17 Mar 2020 07:23:30 +0000Joe CoohillEver wonder how the shamrock, the Celtic Cross, and the Claddagh Ring became symbols of Irish culture? And which Irish people deserve more historical attention and shouldn't remain "Hidden Hibernians"? Professor Edward O'Donnell explains all in this...3131falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1918-influenza-pandemic--4891027782081c70-1824-4722-a9ad-52356adf0079Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:24:14 +0000Joe CoohillPlease stop saying "the Spanish flu" when referring to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. This encore mini-myth episode shows that the question of origin is complex, but that it certainly didn't start in Spain. Find out why it's called "the Spanish flu."165falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-things-that-are-actually-british--48910187938b324d-52fc-4af7-a040-932418f3864bThu, 19 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he...956falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-myth-of-seneca-falls--48910296d428df9f-8bf8-4c79-bd9f-443467680e07Tue, 24 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlmost all history books, encyclopedia entries, and news items place the exact origin of the women’s rights movement in the USA to the meeting at Seneca Falls, New York in July 1848. But did a movement as big as women’s rights have one specific...3477falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/marilyn-monroe-well-behaved-women-seldom-make-history-quote-or-no-quote--489101803e72831f-0d7b-47cb-bd88-f8f5883541f7Wed, 25 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and our own Aunt Ginger from the Buzzkill Institute. Given time, any...252falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lady-godiva--489101652c1a4e5c-7aeb-4d97-8afb-49818251b08aFri, 27 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWhat a great way to get taxes lowered! Get your land-owning husband to agree to lower property taxes if you ride naked on horseback right down main street. That’s just what Lady Godiva agreed to do in 11th century England in order to get her...170falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fdr-s-fireside-chats--489100603598a510-3c3e-4bf9-8d6c-898e64576e41Tue, 31 Mar 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAre you wondering what it was like when a President addressed the nation competently at a time of crisis and uncertainty? Professor Phil Nash enlightens us about FDR's “Fireside Chats” from the 1930s and 1940s! Were they really as ground-breaking as...4450falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/maya-angelou-a-bird-sings-because-it-has-a-song-quote-or-no-quote--489101916de8ff2f-5c0c-4cb8-9478-5fd9dac06ceaWed, 01 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWednesday Wisdom! The phrase and sentiment, "A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song," is one of the best-known expressions of the intrinsic nature of art and beauty. It has been quoted by presidents and school...327falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/spanish-civil-war-part-1--48910286e767368f-bf22-423d-aa3d-522894c20673Tue, 07 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFind out why the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was one of the most significant conflicts of the 20th Century, and why it's been overlooked. Professor Phil Nash explains the background and the first half of this dreadful episode in European history.2468falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1964-us-surgeon-general-s-report-on-smoking--4891027602702623-17a9-4e9d-8114-908e1c325485Thu, 09 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Sarah Milov explains the political and medical environments in which the 1964 US Surgeon General’s Report on dangers of smoking appeared in 1964. In addition to the medical and scientific concerns in producing the report, there were...1559falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fdr-s-fireside-chat-1-banking--48910158cdf243cf-d05a-4fc4-bf4c-dc4441c73e54Mon, 13 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFDR's first Fireside Chat was about banking. He gave it on March 12th 1933, after the first steps were taken to try to stabilize the American banking system in the first days after his inauguration. So, here it is, in full. And I’ll leave you to try...943falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/spanish-civil-war-part-2--48910193b078637f-6d83-40e5-bd03-5e14023fc5b0Tue, 14 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFind out why the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was one of the most significant conflicts of the 20th Century, and why it's been overlooked. Professor Phil Nash relates the course of the war and its conclusion. We explain why this is one of the most...2847falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fireside-chat-on-the-wpa-and-ssa-fdr-friday--489100428f55c257-4337-4220-8642-58d45d1bdea5Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillToday’s FDR Friday is the 1935 Fireside Chat on the Works Relief Program and Social Security Act. In one Fireside Chat in 1935 President Roosevelt laid out the plans for two of the largest and longest-lasting civilian government programs in American...1885falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/may-you-live-in-interesting-times-chinese-curse-quote-or-no-quote--4891025931b61064-face-4675-95b6-7d75df002c1aTue, 21 Apr 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe are living in interesting times. But is “may you live in interesting times” actually an old Chinese curse, or is the history of the saying more complicated? We take you from Chinese folk tales in 1627 to 20th-century British politicians in this...270falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fireside-chat-on-dust-bowl-drought-conditions-1936-fdr-friday--489102637153fe44-54eb-4c61-a4ec-fa89a3de246dFri, 24 Apr 2020 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillToday’s show presents FDR’s 1936 Fireside Chat about drought conditions in the US during the "dust bowl" years of the mid-1930s. On September 6, 1936, President Roosevelt addressed the nation about his visits to drought-stricken areas, about the...1839falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-confederates-the-civil-war-s-most-persistent-myth--4891004116c852c1-67b2-4362-bcac-58e3d4a0376fTue, 28 Apr 2020 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillCivil War historian, Kevin Levin, explains the history and development of the myth of black soldiers in the Confederate army. He analyses camp servants and slaves during the war, how their service was remembered after the war, and how it became...2509falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fireside-chat-on-national-defense-fdr-friday--489101627bd8e63b-bed3-4cbe-a023-5e7889db2ff4Fri, 01 May 2020 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillThis Fireside Chat was FDR’s attempt to assure Americans that, at least in 1940, the government’s main concern was the defense of the United States. But, in “the name of our common humanity,” he also asked Americans to donate to the Red Cross to try...2055falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-wild-west--48910275cdfe7f0f-7658-4d03-9d75-c16251903a84Tue, 05 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe Coohill“The Wild West,” is one of the strongest conceptions in American history. But “where” was the west? How “wild” was it? “Who” settled it? Did settlers build the west with their hands? How many of the stories about settlers and Native Americans are...2052falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fireside-chat-on-tehran-and-cairo-1943-fdr-friday--48910265f85ed2c2-8c32-47e8-bfa7-939eb8efce3bFri, 08 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOn Christmas Eve, 1943. Roughly half-way through the United States’ involvement in World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt reported to the American people about a war that was far from over, and that was about to cost even more Allied and American...1702falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/g-gordon-liddy-piece-of-sh-t-saturday--489101400bb0a7b9-1f26-4330-b59d-3cbddb0dc886Sat, 09 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillG. Gordon Liddy is the subject of our second Piece of Sh*t Saturday. An American political operative and extremist, Liddy was one of the most fascinating figures of the 20th century. But why was he so sh*tty? Find out!856falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/abe-lincoln-fool-some-of-the-people-all-of-the-time-wednesday-wisdom--48910036b8b035e3-d251-4268-9d7c-66e1578983a2Wed, 13 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHave we all been fooled all the time by people applying this quote to Abraham Lincoln? Where did the quote originate? Honest Abe or someone else? When was it said? During the Lincoln-Douglas Debates? During the 1860 Presidential Election? Find out in...191falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-making-of-the-non-smoker-throwback-thursday--48910189937b6ecd-94d5-4187-9890-4f0689368c58Thu, 14 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe “Non-Smoker” as a category of person seems obvious in the 21st century. But it wasn’t always this way. Professor Sarah Milov gives the history of the non-smoking movement, including the medical, legal, and political battles that eventually led to...1691falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/breaking-protocol-america-s-first-female-ambassadors-part-1--48910200ba129e3c-23cc-4a0a-a12a-3fc33d9e2fa2Tue, 19 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash tells us the history of America's First Female Ambassadors, the "Big Six," and how they carved out their rightful place in history.  He explains how these trailblazers helped pave the way for more gender parity in US foreign...3259falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/breaking-protocol-america-s-first-female-ambassadors-part-2--48910260b5e9ccda-f498-43ae-90ea-b7663c575dbfTue, 26 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash tells us the broader context of America's First Female Ambassadors, the "Big Six," and how they carved out their rightful place in history. He takes the story up to the present day to explain the trajectory of gender parity in US...2521falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dunkirk-throwback-thursday--489101853d247324-a554-43a1-8ddd-3e1491e5fb1aThu, 28 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's 80 years after the Battle of Dunkirk and the subsequent evacuation of allied troops from that area between the 26th of May and the 4th of June 1940. The evacuation has become a very famous and celebrated event in World War II history and...2015falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-orphan-collector-fiction-friday--48910141dfa53ba7-7a56-4cf3-83d1-2cd22e643ccdFri, 29 May 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe're trying something new! Historical Fiction! Join us as we interview Ellen Marie Wiseman, the author of The Orphan Collector. It's a powerful tale of upheaval, resilience, and hope set in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak—the deadly...1299falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/did-jesus-write-the-us-constitution--489102692edbbf33-cad4-4ac1-8034-bfccbef6468bTue, 02 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe idea that Jesus handed the United States Constitution to the American Founding Fathers seems to have become more powerful in recent decades. Why? What was the role of religion in the founding of the country? What was the nature of the...2262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/martin-luther-king-riot-is-the-language-of-the-unheard--489101634d089c54-5a54-4deb-ba5d-15c704003242Wed, 03 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe're seeing the Martin Luther King, Jr. quote “...riot is the language of the unheard” a lot on social media recently. Unlike most famous “quotes” that we see on the internet, this is genuine. Listen to the context and the full speech in this special...3019falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/frances-and-charlotte-rollin-women-crush-wednesday--48910039379c9e42-a4b7-4d87-81f1-947b011cff1eWed, 10 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFrances and Charlotte (Lottie) Rollin occupied a special place in 19th century South Carolina. They were involved in politics, female suffrage, and civil rights for African-Americans. Cappy Yarbrough from the College of Charleston enlightens us on...1636falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/confederate-statues-memorials-and-flags-encore-special--48910035495d83f1-e2f7-4e9e-910f-1a99ff38105cThu, 11 Jun 2020 03:39:53 +0000Joe CoohillWhen and why were statues to Confederate soldiers, generals, and politicians put up across the American south? Why is the Confederate Battle Flag so proudly waved and displayed in many parts of the US? Professor Nash joins us to explain why all of...3070falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-great-escape-flash-back-friday--48910132c53a5f2a-484f-41fc-8acd-9a10648b96ffFri, 12 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Great Escape (1963) is in the pantheon of World War II films, and deservedly so. Generations of Buzzkillers have grown up watching Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and other film stars try to outsmart their captors at Stalag Luft III. But how...1081falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/confederate-named-military-bases-in-the-u-s--489102511f696b0f-1bc2-4345-87b2-9428d6074dc3Mon, 15 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Ty Seidule, Brigadier General U.S. Army (Retired) and Emeritus Professor of History at the United States Military Academy (West Point), enlightens us about the founding of Confederate-named military bases in the United States. Forts Bragg, Lee,...1684falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-s-shadow-raiders-the-race-to-develop-radar-during-world-war-ii--489102423cc1f701-e902-479c-a138-109238858050Tue, 16 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOperation Biting was a daring RAF raid to capture important German radar technology in France during World War II. Award-winning military historian, Damien Lewis explains the planning and execution of this overlooked incident in the war. More...2055falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-false-cause-fraud-fabrication-and-white-supremacy-in-confederate-memory--48910190544bfb04-118b-4e32-bc29-0ad709c1aa65Wed, 17 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Adam Domby explains why the Lost Cause of the Confederacy is full of fraud, fabrication, and white supremacy. And he analyzes how it is expressed in statuary, memory, and commemoration in the American south in the Jim Crow era. This is a...2540falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hong-kong-s-complex-history--489101448d51513e-4355-4200-a800-0bcd285287c6Tue, 23 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe protests and demonstrations in Hong Kong in recent months may have been overwhelmed by other world news. Many listeners have been asking us how Hong Kong came to have its special status over the last couple of centuries. Professor James Carter...2120falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/eleanor-roosevelt-better-to-light-a-candle-than-curse-the-darkness--489101799d2ce15e-f8e3-4635-b74f-0bdb843eaef1Wed, 24 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe all love, and should live by the sentiment expressed in "It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness." But did Eleanor Roosevelt say it? Was it Confucius or an ancient Chinese proverb? Or does it come from the 19th century? We explore the...325falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-irish-slaves-myth--48910127c2df7c13-1a55-4e38-b738-1dca7649d3ffWed, 24 Jun 2020 14:52:18 +0000Joe CoohillThe Irish slaves myth claims that Irish people were enslaved by the British and sent to the Americas (especially the Caribbean) to work on plantations. The history of Irish slaves has been buried by our politically-correct world, so the myth goes, and...2256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lucy-stone-unapologetic-warrior-for-women-s-rights--489102376b76d350-8277-46b0-acf9-0f930144ed7dTue, 30 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Sally McMillen explains why Lucy Stone should be restored to her rightful place at the center of the nineteenth-century women's rights movement. Stone did not relish the limelight the way Elizabeth Cady Stanton did, nor did she gain the many...2111falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/changes-in-american-political-parties--48910044afda9402-1ffa-40d9-9499-dd833e999a35Thu, 02 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillCurrent debates, protests, tensions, and turmoil in the United States have revived a number of ahistorical rants on social media about all kinds of things, including the history of American political parties. We explain why the Democratic and...2577falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1918-pandemic-second-wave--489101288f5d2249-1289-471f-bff3-800202016c3eTue, 07 Jul 2020 01:23:41 +0000Joe CoohillThe second wave of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic was more deadly than the first. In this short episode, Professor Buzzkill explains why, but also wonders whether there are useful parallels for the COVID-19 virus. Listen and learn.1290falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chief-seattle-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from-our-ancestors-we-borrow-it-from-our-children-wednesday-wisdom--4891017292075261-7d62-47ee-8b01-a6a63374c9b0Wed, 08 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAs a parting piece of wisdom about generational stewardship of land and nature, Chief Seattle supposedly said to American colonizers pushing west, "we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." But, like spiritual...243falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/european-nationalists-and-the-confederacy--48910247bf0f9757-fb04-4db0-9a06-53b43314bc3cMon, 13 Jul 2020 23:51:18 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Ann Tucker explains that white American southerners closely analyzed European nationalist movements 1830-1860. This led them to conceive of a separate southern nation, and helped them try to defend and legitimize the Confederacy. This great...2079falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ideological-exclusion-and-deportation-in-us-history--48910177dacda4b6-39dc-4a48-a405-6526e9004776Tue, 21 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Julia Rose Kraut explains the history of American laws used to bar or expel foreigners based on their beliefs and associations.  Immigration history is more complicated than most of us think. Listen and learn!2570falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ante-pavelic-pos-saturday--48910239462e025c-dd53-4d54-8b97-534739c6713cSat, 25 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt's hard to be a bigger POS than Ante Pavelic, the fascist ultranationalist and dictator who was one of the worst war criminals in Europe during the 1930s and 1940. The Nazi SS even tried to rein in his excesses! Professor Nash explains all! BTW,...1462falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-and-gun-control--4891002915875b73-bb10-4624-9eab-91dcb05267e9Tue, 28 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid Hitler disarm the German citizenry as a way to make it easy to control them? Were Jews and other minorities targeted for gun confiscation so that they could be exterminated? Professor Philip Nash explains this _very_ complicated issue, and busts...1881falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fuse-that-helped-win-world-war-ii--48910229d6d7254a-f042-4bd6-a542-4f7f70da8526Tue, 04 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe "proximity fuse" was a technological marvel of its time. Produced under enormous time pressure and urgency to save lives, it is often called one of the three most important technological advances that helped win World War II. Award-winning author...2059falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/arleen-lorrance-be-the-change-special-episode--4891025553b24997-3261-4e70-8b4d-c347171830d0Wed, 05 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOur Quote or No Quote episodes are roaring back with the most important person we've ever interviewed -- Arleen Lorrance, the teacher and social innovator who created the "be the change you want to see happen" idea. As "be the change you want to see...1510falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/league-of-wives-the-women-who-took-on-the-us-government-to-bring-their-husbands-home--48910025bd0457b8-e6df-4b64-a8ee-4c4cb4799de1Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:39:28 +0000Joe CoohillHistorian Heath Hardage Lee tells us the remarkable story of Sybil Stockdale, Jane Denton, Louise Mulligan, and other wives of American Navy and Air Force pilots who pressured the LBJ and Nixon administrations to get their POW husbands freed during...1921falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/albert-battel-man-crush-monday--489101665f950c9a-a276-4049-8e98-77cb3907c0b6Mon, 17 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillYour favorite Professor, Philip Nash, tells us about Albert Battel, a German Army lieutenant and lawyer recognized for his resistance during World War II to the Nazi plans for the 1942 liquidation of a Jewish ghetto in Poland. Battel was posthumously...639falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/j-marion-sims-and-medical-experimentation-on-enslaved-women--4891012103d7d75b-08f5-4c9b-9bb9-3c02d33365d8Tue, 18 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAdvanced Placement student researchers from Caddo Parish Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana explain their research into the career of J. Marion Sims. His medical experiments on enslaved women during the 19th century are still controversial....2358falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/sound-of-music-movie-myths-monday--489101245faf23de-6186-4d48-b929-ade1490f794bMon, 24 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOur first "Movie Myths Monday" episode! We look at the famous, and heart-warming musical, The Sound of Music, and discuss the historical accuracies and inaccuracies. What Captain Von Trapp a member of the Nazi Party? How did the family escape? And...1255falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-a-life-in-the-news--489100265d8c40d7-668b-42cc-9a9c-ae26b3fe3d35Tue, 25 Aug 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Richard Toye tells us how Churchill’s long life and career developed in parallel with the changes in the development of modern media and news. Churchill’s first career was as a journalist and author, and it stayed with him as a second...2097falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/accounting-for-slavery--4891022817053063-d890-4d38-8b5c-b11f79593f3fTue, 01 Sep 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow did Southern slave-owners "manage" their plantations? Was it pastoral or was it more professional and driven by hard-headed accounting, record-keeping, and statistics? Professor Caitlin Rosenthal explains her fascinating new research on "masters...1737falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/vanguard-how-black-women-broke-barriers-won-the-vote-and-insisted-on-equality-for-all--48910018b95ddf38-1be7-4a04-ae03-9315fa580e17Tue, 08 Sep 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Martha Jones offers a new history of African American women's political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of...2480falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/militias-and-the-2nd-amendment-to-the-us-constitution--48910231a25715a8-cba1-465f-8b88-5bdcbb7e9aa3Thu, 10 Sep 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDebates about the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution (“right to bear arms”) never seem to address the 18th-century meaning and importance of “militias” (included in the amendment’s first clause). Professor Noah Shusterman explains the long history...2183falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-boris-johnson-and-brexit--4891021509ee885a-c961-4b8f-8b79-11384a6c6c54Tue, 15 Sep 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Bill Schwartz explains the relationship between Churchill worship, Brexit, and Boris Johnson’s rise to the office of Prime Minister. This crucial episode also explains how “wartime nostalgia continues to work in conjunction with the...1602falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/watergate-myths-flashback-friday--489100119b847bc7-1713-433d-8348-2521328933a4Fri, 18 Sep 2020 01:22:02 +0000Joe CoohillBob Woodward's new book about Trump, entitled "Rage," has reminded Buzzkillers of Woodward's journalism in the early '70s. This Flashback Friday encore episode busts myths about Watergate, Woodward and Bernstein, and the Washington Post. Enjoy! Our...1169falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-myths-in-film-and-television--48910213c4192866-9f88-41e8-b2d3-cfac0199a06aTue, 22 Sep 2020 02:06:30 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Steven Fielding explains Churchill myths in film and television from Mission to Moscow (1943) to Darkest Hour (2017), and everything in between! The new book, “The Churchill Myths” is available on the Buzzkill Bookshelf. Episode #378. Our...1963falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/babe-didrikson-zaharias-woman-crush-wednesday--489101614c82d96f-8b52-426a-baf5-7f45a4aebd2eWed, 23 Sep 2020 10:13:01 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the greatest athletes of all time, Babe Didrikson Zaharias has been somewhat forgotten in the 21st Century. An Olympic gold medalist, she excelled in track and field, basketball, baseball, and golf throughout her career.  Episode #379. Our...2070falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-s-wartime-speeches-the-untold-story--48910199e16be746-c4d5-4b72-9aa2-622d9da20605Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:01:51 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Richard Toye explains the background and context of Winston Churchill's famous World War II speeches, from how they were written, to how they were delivered, to how the public reacted. It's the "untold story"! Episode #380. Our listeners get...1880falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mark-twain-a-lie-can-travel-halfway-around-the-world-before-the-truth-puts-on-its-shoes-quote-or-no-quote--4891011703d389cb-405e-45d2-9bd7-4ee8f983d228Wed, 30 Sep 2020 03:44:29 +0000Joe Coohill"A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World Before the Truth Puts On its Shoes" has been attributed to Mark Twain (and almost everyone else). But who first said it, and why is the quote's history so important during this period of heightened "fake...528falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-image-myth-from-the-kennedy-nixon-1960-debates--4891020805d8f8b6-c074-405c-86bd-253be71aef71Wed, 30 Sep 2020 17:05:11 +0000Joe CoohillThe first Biden-Trump debate was called "a sh*t show" immediately when it was over. And the "Kennedy image" myth from the first 1960 Presidential debate was brought up over and over in the pre-debate, during-debate, and post-debate analysis. Here's...650falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fake-news-in-american-history--489100159689b0a9-62b1-4a9f-94f2-0d671e37ad3bTue, 06 Oct 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Michelle Nickerson explains the complicated and compelling history of the news media in US history, and the changing development of "fake news." She also helps us understand what to do about it! Episode #382. Our listeners get a free trial...2691falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-electoral-college-in-us-history--4891013920360d7e-3cc8-4ab7-a5fc-4f7e2238f724Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:38:38 +0000Joe CoohillWhat is the "electoral college" and how does it work? Why was it created? Was it created to protect slavery and slave states in the 18th century? Is the current electoral college what the Founders intended? And what can Americans do about this broken...3394falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pb-and-axelbank-reports-history-today-interview-each-other--48910230f33c6e29-787f-45f4-9156-752f5997c62aThu, 15 Oct 2020 20:14:46 +0000Joe CoohillEvan Axelbank from the new podcast "Axelbank Reports History and Today" interviews Professor Buzzkill, and vice versa! We talk about books, history, and podcasting. Fun, fun, fun!! Episode #3844114falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-americans-became-political-junkies--489102072b97657f-0180-48b8-82cf-4a7f14f05bc8Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Claire Bond Potter explains how Americans became political junkies in the 20th and 21st centuries. From talk radio to Twitter, she shows us how alternative media hooked us on politics and broke our democracy. Listen right away! Episode #3852692falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/october-surprises-in-us-presidential-elections--48910197c628f4c9-3b58-47b0-a0e2-6a198c885090Thu, 22 Oct 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThere seem to have been a lot of October Surprises in American Presidential elections since the 1940s. And there have been different types of October Surprises, for different reasons, and with different motivations. But have they ever seriously...2531falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1938-war-of-the-worlds-panic--48910150e007b23c-f1a8-4ec6-a0d2-6b1df4f03621Tue, 27 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillA 1938 radio play based on H.G. Wells' novel, The War of the Worlds, supposedly panicked America. The Martians were invading! People went hysterical and ran for their lives! Or did they? Listen to Professors Jefferson Pooley and Michael Socolow...2628falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bonus-original-1938-war-of-the-worlds-radio-drama--48910167df937ba5-5886-43ed-8687-54ccbd77b27aThu, 29 Oct 2020 16:25:08 +0000Joe CoohillBuzzkillers have asked us to play the original 1938 radio drama, War of the Worlds, that allegedly caused such a panic. Here it is, in all its historic glory, with a short introduction from Professor Buzzkill. Don't panic!3682falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/halloween-myths--48910111ab6996b3-26fa-486d-86d0-96de7885afe2Fri, 30 Oct 2020 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHalloween is a demonic holiday chock full of sin and endangered by razor blades in trick or treat candy, right? Wrong. Nothing about the origins of Halloween can be called demonic, satanic, or anti-Christian. And the adulterated candy thing is an...712falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/native-americans-in-film-1941-1960--489101200e6457e9-8597-477d-85f7-81ad1cd5e6e7Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Liza Black enlightens us about her new book, Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film 1941-1960. She examines many misunderstandings and misconceptions about Native Americans working in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Episode #3882343falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/election-polling-errors-in-us-history--48910194523d3ce8-9f33-470f-abff-40924ff09afbTue, 10 Nov 2020 19:15:36 +0000Joe CoohillThe pollsters correctly predicted a Biden win in the 2020 Presidential election. But there was no Blue Wave, and Senate seats didn't flip, as many pollsters predicted. Polling prediction errors are common in American history. Professor W. Joseph...2265falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-press-and-women-politicians-from-victoria-woodhull-to-kamala-harris--489101864e8e3dac-ed87-409d-b6cf-56066a122606Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:49:36 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Terri Finneman explains how the press has portrayed women politicians running for high office in the United State. From Victoria Woodhull in the 1870s to Kamala Harris in 2020, she enlightens us about how media discourse of women politicians...2728falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/georgian-texel-uprising-and-hitler-s-revenge-april-may-1945--48910159db77bd68-1a54-4338-9525-9fc615251f93Sun, 15 Nov 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Texel insurrection was one of last battles of World War II, but few people know about it. Georgians serving in the Wehrmacht on Texel island off the Dutch coast rose up and slaughtered their German masters. Hitler ordered the island to be retaken...1989falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/forward-and-in-high-heels-from-ginger-rogers-to-ann-richards-to-kamala-harris--48910184934ceb4f-27a7-4372-ab9c-1bda45b6d132Thu, 19 Nov 2020 01:43:28 +0000Joe CoohillKamala Harris is just the latest female politician to have her dress sense scrutinized. In this episode, we look at the famous quote about Ginger Rogers doing everything that Fred Astaire did, but backward and in high heels. And the Professor...615falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rallies-for-more-history-at-the-gettysburg-battlefield--4891013718ec48f2-8403-45e9-9632-b979c89780bfTue, 24 Nov 2020 02:30:19 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Scott Hancock from Gettysburg College joins us to explain the development of efforts to contextualize and historicize the Confederate Monuments at the Gettysburg National Military Park. The summer of 2020 saw a great deal of tension and...2657falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gustav-stresemann-man-crush-monday--4891011641f83726-2b74-47bd-8713-ffcc2bfbddceMon, 30 Nov 2020 02:16:45 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash explains his man-crush on Gustav Stresemann, the important German politician during the Weimar period. What do Stresemann's career and his hopes for Germany tell us about the strengths that can be found in nationalism? And we...603falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/george-washington-and-the-development-of-the-cabinet--48910110deea0409-2219-4979-8265-3d701cacc6b3Tue, 01 Dec 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHow and why did George Washington create the cabinet structure that he used in his Presidency? How did it help create new political norms and traditions in the early United States? What was its long-standing effect? Professor Lindsey Chervinsky...1972falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/i-eliza-hamilton-and-the-secret-wife-of-aaron-burr-fiction-friday--489101154139ace1-5399-4a75-91c9-d5780304ca00Fri, 04 Dec 2020 03:52:11 +0000Joe CoohillHistorical novelist, Susan Holloway Scott, joins us to discuss two of her fabulous books -- "I, Eliza Hamilton" and "The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr." We learn a lot about these historical figures, but also how historical novelists are able to create...1399falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmas-commercialism-fdr-the-nazis-and-beyond--48910155f5b6c56d-77eb-41cd-8088-56f0613dbecdTue, 15 Dec 2020 03:48:16 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash explains the complexities of the celebration and commercialism of Christmas -- from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia to the Victorian era to the Nazi period and beyond! Listen to the best explanation of the history of modern...1667falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-myths-and-urban-legends--48910176635f0873-cc15-4e24-b6a4-a646ea5dc907Sun, 20 Dec 2020 02:12:38 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these...2500falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-weemsy-awards-worst-abuses-of-u-s-history-in-2020--48910181b1791b8e-b83d-4f2d-9a62-5f1f516cf8c9Tue, 22 Dec 2020 22:28:29 +0000Joe CoohillThe Weemsy Awards spotlight the most egregious misrepresentations of U.S. History in the past year by politicians, celebrities, executives, and more! Professor Edward T. O'Donnell joins us to unveil the winners! Episode #399.1891falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/votes-for-women-a-portrait-of-persistence--489101134be9e643-cf07-48ef-9324-77427980af4aTue, 29 Dec 2020 16:40:26 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Kate Lemay from the National Portrait Gallery tells us about the popular historical exhibition, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence.” She outlines the movement for women to obtain the right to vote as part of the larger struggle for...2101falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/auld-lang-syne-2020--48910148144f4d66-11f5-4c27-a55a-ac96054f6a0aWed, 30 Dec 2020 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillShould old acquaintance be forgot? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good...941falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/girls-to-the-rescue-american-series-fiction-in-wwi--48910106d4103e12-d00d-475f-9efb-19921148435cTue, 05 Jan 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDuring World War I, many young American women longed to be part of a larger, more glorious war effort. A new genre of young adult books entered the market, written specifically with the young girls of the war period in mind, and demonstrating the...1813falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/presidential-transitions-in-american-history--489101477cf51633-fb72-4170-b43d-c9cdf39ad40eTue, 12 Jan 2021 15:57:03 +0000Joe CoohillEven though nothing tops the 2020-2021 Trump-Biden "transition," presidential transitions have not always been smooth and stable in American history. Professor Philip Nash explains all and puts historical transitions in the context of what's happening...3024falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-unknown-martin-luther-king-encore-episode--489101490d4f89b5-7aa7-4751-8453-012a8e567fe4Sun, 17 Jan 2021 23:02:47 +0000Joe CoohillMartin Luther King did so much more for American society, and wanted so much more from the US government and US elite, than most people realize. Popular history has airbrushed out far too much about his life and work. Professor Phil Nash reminds us of...2417falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/robert-e-lee-and-me-general-ty-seidule--48910103ad184571-adda-423d-a0f9-4100923b13abThu, 28 Jan 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral Ty Seidule returns to the Buzzkill Institute to talk about his wonderful new book, "Robert E. Lee and Me: a Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause." This is required listening for every American, and all those interested in why...1997falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/daughters-of-yalta-the-churchills-the-roosevelts-and-the-harrimans-in-1945--489101082f008ee9-d1be-4991-a47b-cf116e6de3f3Tue, 02 Feb 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillCatherine Grace Katz joins us to tell the story of three intelligent and glamorous young women (Sarah Churchill, Anna Roosevelt, and Kathleen Harriman) who accompanied their famous fathers to the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and how they...1902falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/presidential-impeachment-encore-episode--489101049016c7a0-360b-47d9-a335-094329cf41d1Tue, 09 Feb 2021 13:44:04 +0000Joe CoohillThe Trump second impeachment trial has started. This is a good time to re-visit our episode from 2018. Why is impeachment so complicated, and what's the history behind each way to get a dangerous, criminal, or just plain crazy chief executive out of...3003falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/appeasement-and-guilty-women-in-inter-war-britain--48910100de850a15-c442-483e-8c51-4411e561c704Thu, 18 Feb 2021 01:27:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Julie Gottlieb deepens our understanding of the crisis between World War I and World War 2 in Britain. She shows us how crucial female public opinion was to the development of foreign policy during this period. Chamberlain, Churchill,...2069falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-deviant-s-war-the-homosexual-vs-the-united-states-of-america--4891013673b7c928-52fb-46fc-9ac9-d02b81916579Tue, 23 Feb 2021 20:11:57 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Eric Cervini tells us the secret history of the fight for gay rights that began a generation before Stonewall. Above all, it is a story of America (and Washington) at a cultural and sexual crossroads; of shocking, byzantine public battles...1499falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/history-of-concentration-camps--4891009434fb3f14-8214-4211-b2ab-f9377a7a1108Sat, 06 Mar 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe development of concentration camps in world history is both compelling and distressing. Award-winning author and journalist, Andrea Pitzer, explains how and why human societies have come to use them so frequently. From 1890s Cuba to the detention...3147falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pizza-effect-and-national-pizza-day--489100969dbf3da5-d063-41da-921b-760d59442bd5Mon, 08 Mar 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillFeb 9th is National Pizza Day in the USA! This is a good time to learn about the "pizza effect." It helps explain why assumptions about the history and development of certain cultural practices and traditions help build hardy historical myths. Learn...1196falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-slaves-myth--48910098c641634e-9961-4ddd-b3ab-d953899d1be1Fri, 12 Mar 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Irish slaves myth claims that Irish people were enslaved by the British and sent to the Americas (especially the Caribbean) to work on plantations. The history of Irish slaves has been buried by our politically-correct world, so the myth goes, and...2256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-things-that-are-actually-british--489101452ae9601d-4db9-4b28-9dfb-0b5e43e0a1f0Sat, 13 Mar 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he...956falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-symbols-and-hidden-hibernians--48910135a128920a-fa05-4a48-ad96-f60cde1e372dSun, 14 Mar 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillEver wonder how the shamrock, the Celtic Cross, and the Claddagh Ring became symbols of Irish culture? And which Irish people deserve more historical attention and shouldn't remain "Hidden Hibernians"? Professor Edward O'Donnell explains all in this...3131falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-munich-crisis-1938--489101120692d819-4247-4b7a-b0cb-e4135e0f55e4Tue, 16 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Munich Crisis of 1938 had major diplomatic and political effects. It was also a "people’s crisis," and an event that gripped the world. Join Professors Richard Toye, Julie Gottlieb, and Daniel Hucker as they present new research and findings about...3334falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-myth-of-seneca-falls-women-s-history-month-encore--48910109cb63b993-6aed-4f70-a283-4f129310fcb8Sat, 20 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlmost all history books, encyclopedia entries, and news items place the exact origin of the women’s rights movement in the USA to the meeting at Seneca Falls, New York in July 1848. But did a movement as big as women’s rights have one specific...3477falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-women-won-the-right-to-vote-an-american-fiction-encore--48910143e5a22256-e3ad-4b69-b258-df036381030aSun, 21 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDo women have a constitutional "right to vote" in America? Didn't the 19th Amendment resolve that issue? Professor Lisa Tetrault enlightens us about this very thorny issue in American history and politics. One of our best episodes ever!2552falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/marilyn-monroe-well-behaved-women-seldom-make-history-quote-or-no-quote--489100951251487c-1ea4-475c-a29c-35fdb416213eMon, 22 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and our own Aunt Ginger from the Buzzkill Institute. Given time, any...252falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/woman-crush-wednesday-alice-hamilton-encore--48910090a23138be-3d5b-4d5f-bab7-aab79456507aWed, 24 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillAlice Hamilton was a pioneer in occupational medicine and industrial toxicology. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that she was the most important person in helping to make the American workplace safer. She also campaigned for women’s rights, social...413falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/vanguard-how-black-women-broke-barriers-won-the-vote-and-insisted-on-equality-for-all-encore--489101299e5cfb36-83e4-4e92-ae52-0a16c0098ed0Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Martha Jones offers a new history of African American women's political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of...2480falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/breaking-protocol-america-s-first-female-ambassadors-part-1--4891014267930547-b799-4d03-aadd-c568b7f66752Fri, 26 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash tells us the history of America's First Female Ambassadors, the "Big Six," and how they carved out their rightful place in history.  He explains how these trailblazers helped pave the way for more gender parity in US foreign...3259falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/breaking-protocol-america-s-first-female-ambassadors-part-2--48910072fb28b29d-2970-4fdc-bf1c-5cc0bc621f5bSat, 27 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash tells us the broader context of America's First Female Ambassadors, the "Big Six," and how they carved out their rightful place in history. He takes the story up to the present day to explain the trajectory of gender parity in US...2521falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/programmed-inequality-women-and-british-computing-encore--48910054b5811b03-6d94-48d8-b98c-659ae508644dSun, 28 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Mar Hicks joins us to talk about gender and employment in the emerging field of computing in Britain, and all the historical myths that surround them. In 1944, Britain led the world in electronic computing. By 1974, the British computer...3106falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gloria-steinem-a-woman-needs-a-man-like-a-fish-needs-a-bicycle-quote-or-no-quote--48910047f5b21645-acc0-45e7-a029-d363639bd970Mon, 29 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe number of different images and different sayings or phrases printed on t-shirts exploded in the early 70s. And one of the most striking was the t-shirt from the women’s rights movement which said, "A Woman Needs a Man Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle,"...254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/warfare-technology-constitutions-and-the-making-of-the-modern-world--48910102b892e9cb-8282-4d3d-a75c-4a837d8d4807Tue, 30 Mar 2021 04:42:54 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Linda Colley gives us the first full integrative, as well as literary, examination of the written constitution globally. Tracing their rise to the mid-eighteenth century and the emergence of hybrid warfare (cross-continental battles waged on...1832falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/woman-crush-wednesday-qiu-jin-encore--48910031915105b9-9671-45f3-aebd-9fbff72b7a61Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s a rare thing indeed to find someone in history who stands up and rebels against almost all the things she finds oppressive in society. Such a woman was Qiu Jin, the Chinese revolutionary whose short but dramatic life has led her to be called...462falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/immigration-and-the-deportation-machine-in-the-united-states--48910091fd985c2d-c5a0-46a8-ab32-0e5ff04fe284Tue, 06 Apr 2021 21:06:05 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Adam Goodman explains the unknown history of deportation and of the fear that shapes immigrants' lives in the modern United States. He explains how federal, state, and local officials have targeted various groups for expulsion, from Chinese...1463falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/income-tax-and-inequality-in-us-history-encore--48910123700316d3-59fb-4ee2-a7e1-6fa2ff5ce2d0Sun, 11 Apr 2021 23:31:44 +0000Joe CoohillIncome tax is a troubling issue in American politics and history. We explain its long and complicated history, and delve into the even more complicated history of how personal income tax has related to the question of equality and inequality in US...1903falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gun-violence-in-the-us-and-the-history-of-the-nra-encore--489100851f3305c5-6064-4a42-a301-8332991df6d0Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThis encore episode from 2019 explains how the National Rifle Association become one of the most controversial and divisive organizations in American history. The NRA was once a sportsmen’s group. Since the 1970s, however, it has taken a very strict...1690falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dinner-in-camelot-when-art-literature-and-science-mattered-in-the-united-states--489101010342a81f-0699-4e10-bd3c-05d113648025Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:53:07 +0000Joe CoohillJoseph Esposito tells us about “the night America’s greatest scientist, writers, and scholars partied at the White House in April 1962." We discuss this glittering event, including the untold stories of controversy, protest, and personality clashes...2026falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-s-day--48910083d2b0ac0f-3fee-4a12-9451-a600e85f14a2Tue, 04 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillMajor social and political forces led to the establishment of Mother's Day as a major and official holiday. This episode explains those forces, and also tells us who founded Mother's Day. Was it Julia Ward Howe with her famous "Appeal to Womanhood"...1053falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mary-ware-dennett-woman-crush-wednesday--4891007890022a76-94ee-4ccc-bcf8-205758cf968aWed, 05 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillMary Ware Dennett was an American women's rights activist, pacifist, and pioneer in the areas of birth control, sex education, and women's suffrage. Yet, she is largely unknown to the general public. So, she’s our Woman Crush Wednesday this week!...1719falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-novels-of-anna-lee-huber-fiction-friday--48910114baa1b387-1d28-4f08-a852-ece337e8a46cFri, 07 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHistorical novelist Anna Lee Huber gives us a glimpse of what it's like to be a historical novelist. She discusses her famous Verity Kent series (set in Britain during the WWI period) and her Lady Derby series (set in 1830s Britain). It's a Fiction...1687falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/otto-and-elise-hampel-ordinary-resisters-to-hitler-s-regime--48910064596fccef-229e-48f6-aec5-6dcb25575011Tue, 11 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOtto and Elise Hampel were a working-class German couple who wrote postcards denouncing Hitler's government and left them in public places around Berlin during World War II. Professor Philip Nash explains their significance in a combined Man Crush...1031falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/truman-socialism-is-a-republican-scare-word-quote-or-no-quote-encore--48910105a710b165-a3a5-47c8-89dc-4342297981eeThu, 13 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn the early days of the Biden administration, the Harry Truman “quote” about socialism being a Republican scare word is flying around the internet. Rhetoric is so over-heated in American politics these days. But did “Buck Stops Here” Harry really say...450falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ronald-reagan-terrifying-words-i-m-from-the-government-and-i-m-here-to-help-quote-or-no-quote--4891008834b2804c-b7f3-4048-8a07-779e4450300fFri, 14 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWe scrutinize Reagan's famous quote "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’” in today's episode. Where and when was it coined? What is its broader meaning, and why does Professor...679falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/evangelical-influence-on-human-rights-and-u-s-foreign-relations--4891003220554c19-ec97-4ad1-ab42-4d33d67e42bcTue, 18 May 2021 16:55:32 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Lauren Turek gives us the history of American Christian evangelical influence on foreign affairs, as well as their direct efforts to change American foreign policy. It’s all so much deeper and more interesting than most people think! Listen to her...1747falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nadir-of-african-american-history-encore--489100861db551cf-0f8e-4bb5-8074-2b9de6ffc161Tue, 25 May 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWith the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre nearly here, it's time to listen to an encore presentation of this episode. 1865-1930 is often called the “nadir of African-American life.” Not only did African-Americans gain very little...2540falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/newt-gingrich-and-the-burning-down-of-american-politics--48910057a5556a12-969f-4189-b490-efb55734e5bfTue, 01 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThere’s so much talk these days about the radicalism of the Republican Party. Politics has often been nasty in American history, but when did this particular style of Republican extremism start? Professor Julian Zelizer from Princeton University shows...1693falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nazi-socialist-what-s-in-a-name--48910084a88b46bd-8a42-48f1-b6ee-1cf8ad5edabaTue, 08 Jun 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillMarjorie Taylor Greene has brought up the Nazi-Socialist thing to defame certain left-wing American politicians in 2021. Obviously, she doesn't know history. But why was Hitler’s fascist party named the “National-Socialist German Workers' Party”? And...2544falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/abraham-lincoln-government-of-the-people-by-the-people-and-for-the-people-quote-or-no-quote--489100106097db77-bd5d-4c99-8e0a-66365c83df4dWed, 09 Jun 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillVoting rights are being taken away in 2021. So we should listen again to Honest Abe. Right? But did he actually say, "...government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth"? Was it his phrase originally? The...264falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-filibuster-in-the-united-states-senate--48910081174b32ed-bbb8-43fb-91aa-b517c4bed031Thu, 10 Jun 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe filibuster, and the practice of filibustering in the United States Senate, is a raging topic in American politics these days. And, of course, the abuse of history has been rampant when current politicians attack or defend the filibuster. Professor...1723falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/history-of-the-appalachian-trail--48910089feef09f2-59cb-4221-bedf-66ab4f9bac88Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:02:51 +0000Joe CoohillThe Appalachian Trail has a long and winding place in American history and culture. Professor Philip D’Anieri takes us on a hike through the significant aspects of its history and explains what the trail's construction and development have meant for...1930falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mark-twain-life-is-just-one-damn-thing-after-another-quote-or-no-quote--489100711c291baa-9f7b-45df-b4ad-12530db3d270Wed, 23 Jun 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillSometimes, Buzzkillers, the stars just seem to align. A whole bunch of writers, pundits, journalists, and aphorists can come up with roughly the same idea at roughly the same time. In terms of the history of quotations, that's the story of the...173falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/declaration-of-independence-myths-july-4th-special-encore--48910028108b8f5a-7dec-418b-b0dd-873ed2b873d9Sat, 03 Jul 2021 17:50:26 +0000Joe CoohillEvery July, American Buzzkillers get inundated with chain emails, Facebook posts, and Tweets that spread more myths about the Declaration of Independence. No matter how many times they’ve been disproved, the seem to crop up every year. John Hancock...2223falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/charlie-brown-s-america-the-popular-politics-of-peanuts--4891004657a2d828-bbea-4af4-a119-7726b3e02bb3Tue, 06 Jul 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Blake Scott Ball discusses his new book on the history of the Peanuts comic strip! Despite--or perhaps because of--its huge popular culture status, Peanuts enabled cartoonist Charles Schulz to offer political commentary on the most...2208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lbj-and-the-space-program-encore--4891006946558bf1-1a06-4d98-bc6f-76f35722e05fTue, 13 Jul 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillWith all the Richard Branson space news recently, we thought we'd have an encore of one of our Space Program episodes! President Kennedy usually gets all the credit for inspiring American to reach for the moon. And President Nixon’s signature is on...2254falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/felice-and-boudleaux-bryant-wcw-mcm--489100800a311263-83e4-423c-bf79-69636c04722fTue, 20 Jul 2021 13:20:52 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s Tuesday, and this is a combined Man Crush Monday and Woman Crush Wednesday! Today we’re going to look at a couple, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. They were a driving creative force behind perhaps the biggest popular music revolution in American...446falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/household-gods-the-religious-lives-of-the-adams-family--48910023277d2e90-bb13-4fe2-8488-74535ec73451Tue, 27 Jul 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Sara Georgini enlightens us about the sophisticated religious beliefs and practices of John and Abigail Adams and their descendants. She also inspires us with stories about how her work as an archivist, historian, interpreter, and writer can help...2376falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stephanie-shirley-woman-crush-wednesday-encore--489100178e756df8-ecd4-4b44-b8aa-f3c63c7e1df8Wed, 04 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Mar Hicks tells us the story of Stephanie Shirley, one of Britain's computer programming pioneers. Imagine starting your own company with just £6 (roughly $12) and building it into one of the most powerful programming companies in Europe....434falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cold-war-trading-cards--48910058c73ed6fd-7b45-49c1-bca6-15fd02e70765Tue, 10 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillYes, you read that correctly, Buzzkillers! Trading cards sets like "Fight the Red Menace" were popular in the west, and were regularly purchased by young people (especially boys) during the Cold War. Historian Harriette Kevill-Davies explains the...1747falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-s-rise-to-power--489100552e09dca5-491e-4aaf-bfbd-42deb46bd7bbTue, 17 Aug 2021 23:40:07 +0000Joe CoohillWe examine the many myths surrounding Adolf Hitler’s rise from Chancellor to the outbreak of World War II. These include: how Nazi Germany functioned; the myth of purely tyrannical dictatorship; and the myth of an efficient, orderly dictatorship. We...4010falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ada-lovelace-woman-crush-wednesday--48910077https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse Ada Lovelace is frequently called “the first computer programmer,” but is her story more complicated than that? In this Woman Crush Wednesday show, we give a brief overview of what she contributed to the history of computing, and argue that she was more important than the “first computer programmer.” Find out how we give her more historical praise by listening now!]]>b24b17ec-8bbc-4a32-8d50-fd72b6aebc22Wed, 18 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillStart your own podcast and let me help! Join my new course, "Create a Successful and Rewarding Podcast!" Click here: https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse Ada Lovelace is frequently called “the first computer programmer,” but is her story more complicated...https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse Ada Lovelace is frequently called “the first computer programmer,” but is her story more complicated than that? In this Woman Crush Wednesday show, we give a brief overview of what she contributed to the history of computing, and argue that she was more important than the “first computer programmer.” Find out how we give her more historical praise by listening now!]]>534falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gandhi-first-they-ignore-you-then-they-laugh-at-you-then-they-fight-you-then-you-win-quote-or-no-quote--48910045https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse There's a great quote and sentiment about sticking with a righteous movement for much-needed change, particularly when it's faced with a big, entrenched and powerful foe. That quote goes like this: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." It's often attributed to Gandhi. That's not very surprising. But we here at the Buzzkill Institute don't call him the Mahatma of Misquotation for nothing, and as we'll see in a couple of minutes, if you were forced to boil down one of Gandhi's very lengthy and sophisticated arguments to a bumper sticker slogan, the "First they ignore you…" saying would fit, more or less. Find out the full story in this episode!]]>bc160ac2-df70-4eb4-812d-d86f898d96b3Sat, 21 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillStart your own podcast and let me help! Join my new course, “Create a Successful and Rewarding Podcast!” Click here: https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse There's a great quote and sentiment about sticking with a righteous movement for much-needed change,...https://bit.ly/PBPodcastCourse There's a great quote and sentiment about sticking with a righteous movement for much-needed change, particularly when it's faced with a big, entrenched and powerful foe. That quote goes like this: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." It's often attributed to Gandhi. That's not very surprising. But we here at the Buzzkill Institute don't call him the Mahatma of Misquotation for nothing, and as we'll see in a couple of minutes, if you were forced to boil down one of Gandhi's very lengthy and sophisticated arguments to a bumper sticker slogan, the "First they ignore you…" saying would fit, more or less. Find out the full story in this episode!]]>397falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-during-world-war-ii--48910040574d8a73-5f07-48bf-a034-d596e1bef3efTue, 24 Aug 2021 12:57:36 +0000Joe CoohillSuper Buzzkiller Professor Philip Nash joins us to dispel myths about Hitler during World War II. We talk about strategic and operational blunders (especially Operation Barbarossa), harsh occupation policies, declaration of war against the US, and...3786falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/man-crush-monday-ron-stallworth--48910006dc59e5c4-071e-4e97-adb1-d1adce62a496Mon, 30 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillRon Stallworth, featured in the Spike Lee film, BlackKkKlansman, was a Colorado police detective who convinced the local Ku Klux Klan to accept him as a member in 1979. Using tremendously creative undercover skills, Stallworth was able to dupe the...256falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-confederates-the-civil-war-s-most-persistent-myth--48910027df607830-736f-4c31-8120-0d49de6463f6Tue, 31 Aug 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillCivil War historian, Kevin Levin, explains the history and development of the myth of black soldiers in the Confederate army. He analyses camp servants and slaves during the war, how their service was remembered after the war, and how it became...2509falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-equal-rights-amendment--4891001403ffe451-e476-4d39-a98f-ec3df57611f4Tue, 28 Sep 2021 16:29:29 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Rebecca DeWolf explains the complicated, yet compelling, history of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and lays out possibilities for its eventual inclusion in the US Constitution. She also tells us why the ERA’s history has included a...3673falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/myth-of-global-cooling--48910038520fb4d3-8c70-4d65-b7a7-96cf05323557Tue, 05 Oct 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Global Cooling “evidence” of the 1970s is a “zombie myth” that has plagued public understanding of climate change ever since. Dr. Andrew Ramey from Carnegie Mellon University explains how this myth started, how the media reported it at the time,...1587falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-myth-of-colorblind-christians--48910021d26ed2a7-ea16-46b3-8319-f221ac88ecd8Wed, 13 Oct 2021 00:08:36 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Jesse Curtis shows us how white evangelicals in the 20th century US grew their own institutions and created an evangelical form of whiteness, infusing the politics of colorblindness with sacred fervor. They deployed a Christian brand of...1941falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/americans-bailing-out-the-french-myth--48910073c4d0689c-3c8f-4ddf-8345-c9be8a7467bfTue, 19 Oct 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid the United States really “bail the French out in two world wars,” or is it a blustering, bigoted myth? Professor Phil Nash joins us to discuss what actually happened in World Wars I and II, and whether the United States was “bailing out” the...2739falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1938-war-of-the-worlds-panic--48910004322317f5-cea7-46cb-beaa-56113ed80450Sat, 30 Oct 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillA 1938 radio play based on H.G. Wells' novel, The War of the Worlds, supposedly panicked America. The Martians were invading! People went hysterical and ran for their lives! Or did they? Listen to Professors Jefferson Pooley and Michael Socolow...2628falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bonus-original-1938-war-of-the-worlds-radio-drama--489100872ca815d7-f4c8-4bd6-be9f-e5bbc86a10ddSun, 31 Oct 2021 04:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillBuzzkillers have asked us to play the original 1938 radio drama, War of the Worlds, that allegedly caused such a panic. Here it is, in all its historic glory, with a short introduction from Professor Buzzkill. Don't panic!3682falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/richard-tregaskis-reporting-under-fire-from-guadalcanal-to-vietnam--489100432b83e610-fbb6-4b16-b29f-f357a94a2433Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:54:21 +0000Joe CoohillHistorian Ray Boomhower, one of our most popular guests, tells us the story of war correspondent Richard Tregaskis, who put his life on the line many times to bring Americans the stories of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Listen and learn how...1727falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/american-thanksgiving-encore--489100333fa566c5-454e-45ba-a3d9-b7134832a130Tue, 23 Nov 2021 13:48:52 +0000Joe CoohillThe Pilgrims and Native Americans sat down on the fourth Thursday of November in 16-something and started the first Thanksgiving dinner, right? You guessed it. Wrong! It took almost 300 years to get to Norman Rockwell’s painting and the Macy’s Parade....829falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-franklin-and-the-turkey-thanksgiving-myths--4891002233152c54-e8cb-4568-9aad-48b9d32a4580Wed, 24 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the legendary stories that re-appear during Thanksgiving season is that no less a luminary and Founder than Ben Franklin thought that the bald eagle was an improper choice as the national bird and a national symbol. Franklin preferred the more...530falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-myths-and-urban-legends-encore-2021--4891000863bc723f-11d1-4c10-932f-83d09d325c45Tue, 30 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these...2500falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1947-radio-play-it-s-a-wonderful-life--48910074b343e51e-e6ae-4605-86de-602d6c7f1679Sat, 04 Dec 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillI mentioned on the show the other day that "It's a Wonderful Life" was re-done as a radio play a couple of times. Lots of Buzzkillers have asked me to find the best version and play it. So here it is! This version is from 1947 on the Lux Radio...3749falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pearl-harbor--489100502659bed3-6cd1-4c10-b2c8-9b95ed2a63d2Mon, 06 Dec 2021 15:12:54 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Phil Nash joins us to explain the myths and misconceptions about December 7th, 1941, as well as the complexities of the cultural importance of the attack since then. Did FDR know about the attack ahead of time? And who was the attack more...3159falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmas-commercialism-fdr-the-nazis-and-beyond--48910012066e7bc1-caad-48f1-a971-c7f7fa63eb33Tue, 07 Dec 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash explains the complexities of the celebration and commercialism of Christmas -- from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia to the Victorian era to the Nazi period and beyond! Listen to the best explanation of the history of modern...1667falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-12-days-of-christmas-a-secret-song--48910061de9ae7c1-7e58-427e-9c54-5d4eb136b358Tue, 21 Dec 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillLegend has is that there were special, secret meanings behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn’t Professor Buzzkill invited? We...899falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/auld-lang-syne-2021--48910009f37365dc-79ef-40b8-90da-6feb3d641164Tue, 28 Dec 2021 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillShould old acquaintance be forgot? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good...941falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/j-edgar-hoover-crossdresser-monday-myth-to-start-the-week--489099999529c558-afca-45d0-8e10-7dd3fa463cdcMon, 03 Jan 2022 05:59:30 +0000Joe CoohillThe "fact" that J. Edgar Hoover (director of the FBI) was a cross-dresser is well-known and mentioned constantly in American culture. But is it true? Did J. Edgar go to parties dressed extravagantly as a woman and call himself "Mary"? We explore this...725falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/history-disrupted-by-social-media-and-the-web--48910013de34ddec-8ed9-4cfe-a73c-e789aa755335Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:01:28 +0000Joe CoohillJason Steinhauer joins us to talk over the brilliant ideas and analyses in his new book, "History Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Post." A gripping conversation that's at the cutting edge of where history and...2262falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mussolini-didn-t-make-the-trains-run-on-time--48909996e978ab22-643b-48cc-b9f7-3df887d22afdMon, 10 Jan 2022 05:30:00 +0000Joe Coohill"At least Mussolini made the trains run on time" is one of history's biggest myths. More importantly, it has been used as a lazy rationalization for electing zealots to high office because they can "get things done." We bust this Mussolini train story...437falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-fashionable-politics-of-american-feminism--489100377eeeb3fe-5cd7-4381-a27f-65ffd9869797Thu, 13 Jan 2022 19:15:28 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Einav Rabinovitch-Fox tells us how the rise of mass media culture made fashion a vehicle for women to assert claims over their bodies, femininity, and social roles. As women employed new clothing styles, they expanded feminist activism beyond...1691falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/winston-churchill-alexander-fleming-and-penicillin--48910000f979cc39-8e16-4c1c-a0da-5e4fd36dfa7eMon, 17 Jan 2022 05:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the absolute best stories flying around the web is the one where a young Scottish farmer boy saved a young English aristocrat from drowning. The aristocrat's grateful father paid for the farmer boy's education. That young farmer boy grew up to...527falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nixon-s-1960-southern-strategy--489100013241820d-b63b-4dd0-9175-75b02f7a25afThu, 20 Jan 2022 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHistorian Timothy Galsworthy explains the details and complications of the famous Republican "Southern Strategy" in the election of 1960. He tells us how this strategy was developed much earlier than most people realize, and how Nixon had to use a...2331falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/family-names-changed-at-ellis-island--489099989bbe8be6-c443-47a4-8f41-29f6e99ce949Mon, 24 Jan 2022 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillDid your great granny tell you that your family name was Americanized at Ellis Island? Well, either she was mainlining the after-dinner sherry, or she had bought into an old historical myth. Join Professor Buzzkill as he walks Vito Corleone and other...359falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-the-south-won-the-civil-war--48910003e3368d92-6444-48e2-89d8-ef1769d995c4Thu, 27 Jan 2022 05:32:26 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Heather Cox Richardson explains the historical issues that have underpinned oligarchy, democracy, and the continuing fight for the soul of America. She traces the story of the American paradox – the competing claims of equality and subordination...1813falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/red-cloud-man-crush-monday--4891000235c577e6-9323-4f75-b0f9-ec9d5b594149Mon, 31 Jan 2022 05:30:44 +0000Joe CoohillHeather Cox Richardson tells us about Red Cloud, a Native American leader who deserves more fame and glory. Dr. Richardson gives us a sophisticated understanding of why Red Cloud was important and what he means for American history as a whole! Episode...794heather cox richardson,history,lakota,man crush monday,native americans,red cloudfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/before-metoo-the-history-of-the-9to5-job-survival-hotline--48909997f2921cb2-108c-40d5-9a09-1d7a0f557350Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:48:16 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Emily Twarog enlightens us about the "9to5 Job Survival Hotline," an early effort to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. We bust the myth that women were passive in their reactions to workplace abuse, and show how sophisticated...1749metoofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-jesse-owens-fdr-and-the-1936-olympics--48909993c79c330e-5982-4e16-8498-22a1deeb336cMon, 07 Feb 2022 05:30:00 +0000Joe CoohillHitler storming out of the stadium after Jesse Owens won the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics is one of the most enduring images we have of the tumultuous history of Nazi Germany. Hitler famously “snubbed” Jesse Owens and all...748falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-pizza-effect-on-national-pizza-day--48909991dcdf25f0-bc70-43c1-86cf-d377d49512f1Thu, 10 Feb 2022 04:37:28 +0000Joe CoohillFeb 9th is National Pizza Day in the USA! This is a good time to learn about the "pizza effect." It helps explain why assumptions about the history and development of certain cultural practices and traditions help build hardy historical myths. Learn...1196falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/major-samuel-tucker-man-crush-monday--489099908184ea56-ad38-4481-a6a8-f39c98f1e887Sun, 13 Feb 2022 19:51:53 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral Ty Seidule tells us about Major Samuel Tucker, civil rights champion and American hero. Listen to his amazing story and why we should look around us to find the history of the heroes in our own communities. Episode 441. 926falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/george-washington-not-first-president-myth--489099885ab35576-970d-44e8-b062-f8f85856415fMon, 21 Feb 2022 06:00:57 +0000Joe CoohillA Presidents' Day Special Monday Myth to start the week! The story that John Hanson, not George Washington, was the real first president of the United States, has been squirreling around the internet for years. Should we think about changing the...872falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/who-said-well-behaved-women-rarely-make-history--49647323https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647323Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and many more. Given time, any powerful woman with self-respect,...252falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bonne-maman-jam-and-the-holocaust--49647392https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647392Thu, 10 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe story that the family who owns the Bonne Maman jam company sheltered Jews during the Holocaust has become an internet sensation. Is it true? We examine it in great detail. More importantly, we talk about questions of inherited virtue, inherited...1048falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-slaves-myth--49647343https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647343Mon, 14 Mar 2022 04:12:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Irish slaves myth claims that Irish people were enslaved by the British and sent to the Americas (especially the Caribbean) to work on plantations. The history of Irish slaves has been buried by our politically-correct world, so the myth goes, and...2141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-things-that-are-actually-british--49647433https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647433Tue, 15 Mar 2022 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he...956falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-symbols-and-hidden-hibernians--49647463https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647463Wed, 16 Mar 2022 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillEver wonder how the shamrock, the Celtic Cross, and the Claddagh Ring became symbols of Irish culture? And which Irish people deserve more historical attention and shouldn't remain "Hidden Hibernians"? Professor Edward O'Donnell explains all in this...3131falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-scopes-monkey-trial-myth-and-history--49647792https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647792Mon, 21 Mar 2022 04:04:00 +0000Joe Coohill1001falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ty-cobb-baseball-s-bad-boy--49647652https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647652Mon, 28 Mar 2022 04:05:00 +0000Joe CoohillJust in time for baseball season! Was Ty Cobb, the Georgia Peach, rotten to the core? He is often referred to as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. But was his professional greatness mirrored by personal reprehensibility? Play ball,...286falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-franklin-we-must-all-hang-together-or-all-hang-separately-quote-or-no-quote--49647823https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647823Mon, 04 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000Joe Coohill"We must all hang together, or we will all hang separately" is a famous quote. But did it originate with Ben Franklin, one of the founders of the United States? And does the Franklin attribution tell us something about history and popular memory? The...564falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/people-sleep-peacefully-in-their-beds-at-night-only-because-rough-men-stand-ready-to-do-violence-on-their-behalf-george-orwell-quote-or-no--49647841https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647841Mon, 11 Apr 2022 04:10:00 +0000Joe CoohillThis quote has been attributed to Rudyard Kipling, George Orwell, John Le Carré, Winston Churchill, and many others. We determine the origin. But how the quote became accepted wisdom is also important historically and culturally. Listen as the...493falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lee-didn-t-offer-his-sword-to-grant-monday-extra-credit-myth--49647855https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647855Mon, 18 Apr 2022 04:11:00 +0000Joe CoohillHere's your short Monday Extra Credit Myth for the week! It’s a great “Gone with the Wind” romantic-type story. The defeated, but honorable, General Robert E. Lee offered his sword to the victor, U.S. Grant, during the Confederacy’s surrender at...132falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/thomas-edison-myths--49648200https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49648200Mon, 25 Apr 2022 04:06:00 +0000Joe CoohillThomas Edison invented almost nothing he’s given credit for -- at least not by himself. But he was undoubtedly one of the most important people of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Good old Professor Buzzkill turns on the light and puts the buzz...488falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-hindenburg-disaster-news-report-oh-the-humanity--49647874https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647874Mon, 02 May 2022 04:15:00 +0000Joe CoohillThe 1937 Hindenburg disaster was one of the most dramatic in the 20th century. But what if the dramatic report we're used to hearing was partly the result of a mechanical error in the recording equipment? What if the emotion that comes through in the...417falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/kathleen-stone-female-ambition-from-suffrage-to-mad-men--49647893https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647893Tue, 03 May 2022 22:20:00 +0000Joe CoohillIn “They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men,” Kathleen Stone meets seven of these unconventional women. In insightful, personalized portraits that span a half-century, Kathleen weaves stories of female ambition,...2641falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-s-day--49647920https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647920Tue, 03 May 2022 22:22:19 +0000Joe CoohillMajor social and political forces led to the establishment of Mother's Day as a major and official holiday. This episode explains those forces, and also tells us who founded Mother's Day. Was it Julia Ward Howe with her famous "Appeal to Womanhood"...1053falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/general-hooker-s-hookers--49647967https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49647967Mon, 09 May 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillWas Civil War Union General Joseph “Fightin’ Joe” Hooker’s last name the origin of the slang term for prostitute? He had a perhaps undeserved reputation as a party animal, but did that reputation actually add a new word to the language? Find out,...245civil+war,history,history+myths,hookers,joseph+hooker,prostitution,sex+workers,us+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-did-the-nra-become-extremist--49805208https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49805208Mon, 16 May 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillThis episode explains how the National Rifle Association became one of the most controversial and divisive organizations in American history. Since the 1970s it has taken a very strict view of the US Constitution’s Second Amendment, and has gone to...169020th+century+history,american+history,everytown+usa,gun+control,gun+rights,guns,handguns,history,moms+demand,national+rifle+association,nra,sandy+hook,sandy+hook+promise,us+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/martin-luther-king-jr-arc-of-the-moral-universe-quote-or-no-quote--49866488https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49866488Mon, 23 May 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people take comfort from the quote “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” and it’s usually credited to Martin Luther King. He said it, but was it an original MLK thought? The long history of this famous quote is...654arc+of+the+moral+universe,civil+rights,history,history+podcasts,inspirational+quotes,martin+luther+king+jr,mlk,mlk+quotes,professor+buzzkill,quotes,religionfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/heather-cox-richardson-a-theory-of-historical-tornadoes--49853441https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49853441Thu, 26 May 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillHistorical and economic forces can create "tornadoes" that spin-off in different directions, sometimes causing and re-inforcing oppressive conditions. Professor Heather Cox Richardson theorizes how this happened in American history, and warns us of...1247american+history,american+south,american+west,capitalism,extractive+industries,heather+cox+richardson,historians,historical+forces,historical+theory,history,now+and+then,slaveryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/life-expectancy-myths--49991249https://api.spreaker.com/episode/49991249Mon, 30 May 2022 05:00:03 +0000Joe CoohillWhat does "life expectancy" mean, in historic terms? In ancient times, were you doomed to drop dead at age 36? The Professor explains all in this Monday Extra Credit Myths to Start Your Week! Go to work or school more enlightened. Episode 455.302ancient+history,historical+myths,history,history+podcasts,life+expectancy,life+expectancy+myth,medieval+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/winston-churchill-blood-sweat-and-tears-quote-or-no-quote-encore--50078262https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50078262Mon, 06 Jun 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillAfter his first speech as prime minister, Winston Churchill's "blood, toil, tears, and sweat," got shortened and re-arranged. As "blood, sweat, and tears," it's become one of the most quoted Churchill-isms. But like so many of these "quotes," the idea...308battle+of+britain,churchill,churchill+quotes,house+of+commons,inspirational+quotes,quote,quotes,winston+churchill,world+war+2,world+war+iifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/juneteenth-and-the-end-of-slavery-in-the-us-what-s-in-a-date--50232755https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50232755Fri, 17 Jun 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe Coohill"Juneteenth" (June 19th) is now widely regarded as marking the end of slavery in the United States. Professor Buzzkill examines the many dates related to the abolition of human enslavement in the US. And he pleads for more holidays observing this...93913th+amendment,abraham+lincoln,african-american+history,american+history,black+history,civil+war,emancipation,emancipation+proclamation,history,history+of+slavery,history+podcasts,june+19th,juneteenth,slavery,texas,texas+history,us+constitution,us+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/was-ring-around-the-rosie-about-the-bubonic-plague--50259653https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50259653Mon, 20 Jun 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe Coohill“Ring Around the Rosie” has been a popular nursery rhyme for a very long time. Many of us learned it when we were children. But we often hear people claim that the rhyme is traceable to the time of the Black Plague, and that each line is a morbid...244falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/why-is-it-called-the-liberty-bell--50368697https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50368697Mon, 27 Jun 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe Coohill381falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nra-the-unauthorized-history--50410068https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50410068Thu, 30 Jun 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe history of the American National Rifle Association is completely different from what most American think it is. Award-winning journalist, Frank Smyth, gives us the full history of the NRA, and how it changed so dramatically in 1977. Further, he...27041968+gun+control+act,1977,2nd+amendment,american+history,assault+rifles,daniel+defense,gun+control,gun+industry,gun+manufacturers,gun+rights,history,history+podcasts,hitler+gun+control,national+rifle+association,nra,reconstruction,slavery,spike's+tactical,us+history,wayne+lapierrefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-many-myths-about-the-declaration-of-independence-4th-of-july-special-encore--50434503https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50434503Mon, 04 Jul 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillEvery July, American Buzzkillers get inundated with chain emails, Facebook posts, and Tweets that spread more myths about the Declaration of Independence. No matter how many times they’ve been disproved, they seem to crop up every year. John Hancock...22234th+of+july,american+history,american+independence,american+revolution,apple+podcasts,best+podcasts,declaration+of+independence,founding+fathers,freedom,george+washington,history,history+podcasts,joe+coohill,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,spreaker,the+price+they+paid,thomas+jefferson,us+history,us+independencefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/clare-boothe-luce-american-renaissance-woman-part-1--50463574https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50463574Thu, 07 Jul 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillYour favorite Buzzkill history professor, Dr. Philip Nash, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life of Claire Boothe Luce, an American Renaissance woman if ever there was one. In part one of this two-parter, we discuss her early life and career as...3032american+diplomacy,american+history,clare+booth+luce,cold+war,henry+luce,history,history+podcasts,iheartradio,philip+nash,podcasts,routledge,spreaker,us+history,womens+history,world+war+2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/venus-de-milo-myths--50437263https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50437263Mon, 11 Jul 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe Venus de Milo is considered one of the most beautiful representations of a woman in ancient Greek sculpture. But she is probably more famous for her missing arms. Were they really broken off in a fight over her by zealous archaeologists? And what...274ancient+history,ancient+myths,ancient+sculpture,aphrodite,archaeology,classical+art,classical+sculpture,female+body,greek+history,greek+legends,greek+sculpture,historical+myths,history,history+podcast,indiana+jones,milos,missing+arms,ottoman+empire,venus,venus+de+milofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/clare-boothe-luce-american-renaissance-woman-part-2--50463616https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50463616Thu, 14 Jul 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillYour favorite Buzzkill history professor, Dr. Philip Nash, gives us a fascinating glimpse into the life of Claire Boothe Luce, an American Renaissance woman if ever there was one. In part two of this two-parter, we discuss her career as a diplomat,...324920th+century+history,american+diplomacy,american+diplomats,american+history,clare+boothe+luce,cold+war,henry+luce,history,history+podcasts,iheartradio,political+science,spreaker,state+department,the+women,us+history,world+war+2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/piece-of-sh-t-saturday-salmon-p-chase--50488769https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50488769Sat, 16 Jul 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Heather Cox Richardson gives us the low-down on one of history's pieces of sh*t, Salmon P. Chase (the man on the $10,000 bill). Hear about his machinations during the Lincoln administration, his colossal ego, and how he helped saddle the...790falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-variants-insurrection-hearings-tense-elections-was-may-you-live-in-interesting-times-a-famous-chinese-curse--50603614https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50603614Mon, 18 Jul 2022 04:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillCrikey. These are interesting times. But is “may you live in interesting times” actually an old Chinese curse, or is the history of that saying more complicated? We take you from Chinese folk tales in 1627 to 20th-century British politicians in this...270brainy+quote,china,chinese+curse,chinese+history,chinese+philosophy,chinese+proverb,confucius,famous+quotes,history,iheart+radio,life+quotes,misattributed+quotes,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,quote,quote+examiner,quotes,spreaker,thoughtful+quotesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/people-rarely-bathed-in-the-past--50690319https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50690319Mon, 25 Jul 2022 04:05:04 +0000Joe CoohillMonday Myth for Extra Credit! How often did people bathe in the past? Hardly ever, according to popular perception. Well that’s not true, Buzzkillers! Not only did people wash more frequently than is generally thought, they had innovative and creative...845ancient+egypt,ancient+greece,ancient+history,ancient+rome,historica+myths,history,history+podcasts,hygeine,medieval+history,myths,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,urban+legendsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/before-evil-lenin-stalin-and-putin--50732136https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50732136Thu, 28 Jul 2022 04:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Brandon Gauthier uses Lenin, Stalin, and Putin as case studies to try to help us understand the reasons why certain political leaders become monsters. By looking further into their pasts and noting the important changes in their attitudes...304220th+century,dictators,evil,genocide,history,hitler,lenin,mao,massacres,podcasts,political+extremism,putin,russia,soviet+union,stalinfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/uss-indianapolis-anniversary-encore--50739034https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50739034Fri, 29 Jul 2022 04:55:02 +0000Joe CoohillJuly 30th is the anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during World War II in the Pacific in 1945. Captain Quint’s story about the USS Indianapolis in the movie “Jaws” is only the beginning of a gut-wrenching piece of history. There’s a...678atomic+bomb,history,hunter+scott,jaws,pacific+war,podcast,podcasts,shark+attack,shipwreck,spreaker,us+navy,uss+indianapolis,world+war+2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/vikings-didn-t-wear-horned-helmets--50760604https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50760604Mon, 01 Aug 2022 04:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillMonday Myth for Extra Credit! A Viking horned helmet would have been very impractical, and perhaps dangerous, in battle, Buzzkillers. Horned helmets are most likely the invention of legendary opera composer Wagner’s costume designer in the 19th...113historian+for+the+public,history,horned+helmets,joe+coohill,medieval+history,myths,nordic,opera,podcast,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,thor,viking+films,vikings,wagnerfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/3-year-old-chimney-sweep-video--50811593https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50811593Thu, 04 Aug 2022 10:17:25 +0000Joe CoohillJason Steinhauer of the History Communications Institute joins us to explain the veracity of the film clip of a "3-year-old chimney sweep" from the 1930s that's gone viral on social media. Is it heart-breaking evidence of child labor, or is it...1660child+labor,chimney+sweep,historical+interpretations,history,history+disrupted,jason+steinhauer,podcasts,popular+history,professor+buzzkill,public+history,social+media,viralityfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/manhattan-for-24-best-real-estate-deal-ever-or-was-it--50842240https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50842240Mon, 08 Aug 2022 09:00:03 +0000Joe CoohillNot even Donald Trump could have made this deal. Have you heard that Dutch settlers bought the island of Manhattan from Native Americans for a measly $24? Turns out it was more complicated than that. New York finance always is. Episode 468.368$24,donald+trump,dutch+new+york,history,joe+coohill,lenape,manhattan,manhattan+history,native+american,native+americans,new+york,new+york+city,new+york+history,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,public+history,real+estatefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/race-and-the-us-supreme-court-justice-deferred--50880441https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50880441Thu, 11 Aug 2022 09:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Vernon Burton joins us to explain the long and tortured history of the ways in which the United States Supreme Court has handled race. The Supreme Court is usually seen as the protector of our liberties: it ended segregation, was a guarantor...294313th+amendment,14th+amendment,15th+amendment,america+history,civil+rights,civil+rights+era,dred+scott,earl+warren,judicial+history,justice+deferred,legal+history,race,racism,us+constitution,us+history,us+supreme+court,vernon+burtonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ronald-reagan-and-ann-sheridan-for-the-lead-parts-in-casablanca--50942040https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50942040Mon, 22 Aug 2022 09:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillWarner Bros Studios pumped out this myth, Buzzkillers, before production had even started on the movie. Reagan was too genial to play a world-weary, hard-drinking, cynical American who left occupied France to run a bar in Morocco. Bogart practically...14320th+century,ann+sheridan,casablanca,cinema+history,classic+movies,film+history,hal+wallis,history,history+podcasts,hollywood,humphrey+bogart,ingrid+bergman,motion+pictures,ronald+reagan,warner+brothers,world+war+iifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dog-poop-and-social-order-in-recent-history--50941201https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50941201Tue, 23 Aug 2022 09:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Tim Newburn explains how modern societies (especially Britain) have organized themselves since the 1970s. He uses the new practice of cleaning up after dogs to bust myths about the orderliness of the “good old days.” The relatively recent...187120th+century,21st+century,andrew+ward,british+history,burnley,curb+your+dog,dog+fouling,dog+poop,history,history+podcasts,manhattan,paris,poop+bags,pooper+scoopers,professor+buzzkill,public+order,social+habits,social+order,tim+newburnfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/did-abner-doubleday-invent-baseball--51060349https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51060349Mon, 29 Aug 2022 09:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillIt's baseball season and time for a myth about the national pastime. Once again, a second- or third-hand story created a persistent myth. Did Abner Doubleday invent baseball in Cooperstown in 1839? If not, who did? Find out all about it! Episode 473228abner+doubleday,american+history,baseball,baseball+hall+of+fame,civil+war,cooperstown,doubleday,history,national+pastime,podcast,sports,sports+history,usafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/heather-cox-richardson-explains-lincoln-s-house-divided-speech--50949808https://api.spreaker.com/episode/50949808Mon, 05 Sep 2022 09:00:03 +0000Joe CoohillDid Abraham Lincoln actually say “a house divided against itself cannot stand”? We place that quote in its historical context. And Dr. Heather Cox Richardson gives us a wonderful analysis of its meaning in American history, and its importance for our...707abraham+lincoln,american+history,civil+war,civil+war+era,donald+trump,heather+cox+richardson,history,history+podcasts,house+divided,house+divided+speech,inspirational+quotes,joe+coohill,lincoln+douglas+debates,mar+a+lago,podcasts,professor+buzzkill,quotes,slavery,us+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hatshepsut-the-female-egyptian-pharaoh-woman-crush-wednesday-encore--51162051https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51162051Wed, 07 Sep 2022 09:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillEgyptologists consider Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, one of the most powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history. Join us as we have a Woman Crush Wednesday about the Egyptian pharaoh who the famous American archaeologist...276ancient+egypt,ancient+history,archaeologists,archaeology,deviant+women+podcast,dynasty,education,egypt,egyptian+history,egyptologists,hatshepsut,history,history+podcast,james+henry+breasted,pharaoh,professor+buzzkill,women,women's+historyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/early-baseball-history-and-myth--51243983https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51243983Tue, 13 Sep 2022 15:33:30 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Buzzkill gets schooled on the early history of baseball! Noted baseball historian, Richard Hershberger, corrects the mistakes that Professor Buzzkill made in his earlier show on Abner Doubleday. But he goes further to explain the...2250abner+doubleday,alexander+cartwright,american+culture,baseball,baseball+history,history,knickerbockers,legends,muscular+christianity,myth,new+york+history,podcast,professor+buzzkill,richard+hershberger,rounders,sabr,town+ball,urbanization,urban+legendsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/martin-niemoller-first-they-came-encore-wisdom-wednesday--51249554https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51249554Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillComedian Gary Gulman uses “empathy” as a theme in his new show “Born on Third Base.” Among other things, he discussed Pastor Martin Niemöller famous quote “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out --- because I was not a socialist.”...874falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-roots-of-johnny-cash--51320545https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51320545Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:47:04 +0000Joe CoohillLong-time Buzzkiller, Dr. Colin Woodward, discusses his new book, Country Boy: the Roots of Johnny Cash. Woodward dispels many myths about Cash, but also about the culture he grew up in, as well as the ways his music developed over his long career....2061americana,arkansas,arkansas+history,country+music,history,johnny+cash,music,podcasts,tennesseefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hugh-thompson-man-crush-monday--51379560https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51379560Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillWarrant Officer Hugh Thompson stopped the My Lai Massacre from continuing and saved hundreds of civilian lives. A true hero of the Vietnam War, Thompson was someone whose humanitarian actions have been noted, but not celebrated enough. Professor...994american+history,history,hugh+thompson,humanitarianism,my+lai+massacre,philip+nash,professor+buzzkill,us+army,vietnam,vietnam+era,vietnam+war,war+herofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/operation-torch-the-battle-for-tunisia-during-world-war-ii--51466366https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51466366Tue, 04 Oct 2022 14:53:03 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Philip Nash tells us about the under-appreciated and little-understood battle for Tunisia during the North African campaign in World War II. Operation Torch was vital to the eventual Allied victory, but the reasons and explanations are...2738churchill,eisenhower,history,hitler,military_history,montgomery,nazis,north_african_campaign,operation_torch,patton,podcasts,professor_buzzkill,rommel,tunisia,world_war_iifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-the-cuban-missile-crisis--51543735https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51543735Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillBuzzkill Genius Dr. Philip Nash brings us a fabulous (and very relevant) show on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. There's so much more to those events than the standard "eye-ball-to-eye-ball" story would lead us to believe. Among many other things,...414820th+century+history,brinksmanship,cold+war,cuban+missile+crisis,diplomacy,history,history+podcast,jfk,john+f+kennedy,krushchev,nuclear+annilation,nuclear+war,nuclear+weapons,phillip_nash,phillip+nash,professor+buzzkill,usa,ussr,war,world+war+3falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/obama-the-black-president--51591468https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51591468Tue, 18 Oct 2022 04:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Claude Clegg's new book, The Black President, is the first interpretative, comprehensive history of Barack Obama's presidency in its entirety. He explains some of the major themes in the book in his first appearance on our show. This is...2612afamhistory,africanamericanhistory,americanhistory,barackobama,biden,blackhistory,claudeclegg,education,history,obama,obamapresidency,podcast,presidency,professorbuzzkill,race,trump,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/us-nuclear-testing-in-the-marshall-islands--51678891https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51678891Tue, 25 Oct 2022 06:35:01 +0000Joe CoohillPulitzer Prize-winning journalist Walter Pincus exposes the darkest secret in American nuclear history―sixty-seven nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands that wiped out a people and their land. This is an overlooked aspect of the Cold War, and one of...1713coldwar,eisenhoweradministration,history,historypodcast,marshallese,marshallislands,marshallislandshistory,micronesia,nuclearwar,nuclearweapons,podcasts,radiation,trumanadministration,ushistory,ussrfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/war-of-the-worlds-panic-myth-flashback-friday--51711295https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51711295Fri, 28 Oct 2022 06:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillThis myth will not die! Halloween 1938. A radio play based on H.G. Wells' novel, The War of the Worlds, supposedly panicked America. The Martians were invading! People went hysterical and ran for their lives! Or did they? Listen to Professors...2628falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/halloween-myths-don-t-be-spooked--51711393https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51711393Mon, 31 Oct 2022 06:45:02 +0000Joe CoohillHalloween is a demonic holiday chock full of sin, and endangered by razor blades in trick-or-treat candy, right? Wrong. Nothing about the origins of Halloween can be called demonic, satanic, or anti-Christian. And the adulterated candy thing is an...712falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-1914-sarajevo-assassination-and-the-road-to-world-war-i--51746594https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51746594Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:12:25 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Paul Miller-Melamed tells us the story of the assassination of Archduke Franz in 1914. And he enlightens us on the crucial context of the events that led to World War I. Long-term causes, medium-term causes, and immediate causes. Fascinating!...25681914,austriahungary,causation,franzferdinand,gavrilprincip,history,historypodcasts,podcasts,sarajevo,thesleepwalkers,worldwar1,worldwari,wwifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/roland-freisler-piece-of-sh-t-saturday--51791289https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51791289Sat, 05 Nov 2022 04:55:01 +0000Joe CoohillHitler's Hanging Judge, Roland Freisler, was truly one of the worst pieces of sh*t in a regime that wasn't lacking in those. Professor Philip Nash enlightens us about one of the most reprehensible Nazis who hasn't received the shame and opprobrium...1700airforce,fascism,germany,history,hitler,holocaust,murder,nazi,podcasts,pos,rolandfreisler,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/vernon-burton-historians-as-legal-expert-witnesses--51824986https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51824986Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:24:55 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Vernon Burton tells us about his experiences as an expert witness in civil rights and voting legal cases. It's a fascinating look into how the work of historians can appear in all sorts of places, and can do some direct good for the rights of the...1743civilrights,courtsoflaw,expertwitness,historians,history,historypodcasts,legalsystem,podcasts,vernonburton,votingrightsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/wayward-sisters-depart-in-peace-winfield-scott-quote-or-no-quote--51881374https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51881374Mon, 14 Nov 2022 05:10:01 +0000Joe CoohillGeneral Winfield Scott famously advised Lincoln to let the "wayward sisters" of the Confederacy "depart in peace." Or did he? Was it that simple? And what does this quote's context tell us about political divisions nowadays? Episode 486474civilwar,confederacy,history,podcasts,quotes,secession,winfieldscottfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lydia-maria-child-woman-crush-wednesday--51905507https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51905507Wed, 16 Nov 2022 05:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillJoin us on this Woman Crush Wednesday discussion of Lydia Maria Child, one of nineteenth-century America’s most courageous abolitionists. She started her career as a beloved and self-sufficient female author of children's literature. But in 1833,...2134abolitionism,africanamericanhistory,americanhistory,americanliterature,antislavery,childrensliterature,history,juvenileliterature,lydiamariachild,lydiamoland,podcasts,slavery,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/thanksgiving-history-and-myth--51961233https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51961233Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillWho invented American Thanksgiving, and when did they invent it? The Pilgrims in 1621? Abe Lincoln in 1863? FDR in 1939? Turns out there were a lot of cooks involved in making the traditional American feasting holiday. The Professor gives a brief...545abelincoln,americanhistory,civilwar,fdr,history,holidays,pilgrims,podcasts,thanksgivingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-warren-g-harding--51975804https://api.spreaker.com/episode/51975804Tue, 22 Nov 2022 05:55:01 +0000Joe CoohillCrikey. Most people don't know much about President Warren G. Harding and his corrupt administration, but they should! A fascinating life and, um, a fascinating look at how corruption and graft can so easily slip into the corridors of power,...2407history,podcast,presidents,warren+hardingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/watergate-and-the-history-of-investigative-journalism--52074472https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52074472Fri, 02 Dec 2022 05:20:02 +0000Joe CoohillWe use the Watergate crisis to examine some of the myths surrounding the history of investigative journalism. By looking both at the 1970s and at the 19th century, we learn that investigative journalism has a long history in the United States. We also...2601history,investigativejournalism,watergatefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fit-nation-the-history-of-america-s-exercise-obsession--52105312https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52105312Tue, 06 Dec 2022 05:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela explains why Americans are more obsessed with exercise than ever, and yet also unhealthier. Her great new book, Fit Nation, explains how we got here and imagines how we might create a more inclusive, stronger future....2520aerobics,exercise,fitness,gyms,history,podcasts,running,yogafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-12-days-of-christmas-a-secret-coded-song-encore--52169947https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52169947Tue, 13 Dec 2022 05:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillLegend has it that there were special, secret meanings behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn’t Professor Buzzkill invited? We...899christmas,education,history,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/xmas-encore-commercialism-fdr-the-nazis-and-beyond--52148535https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52148535Fri, 16 Dec 2022 05:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash explains the complexities of the celebration and commercialism of Christmas -- from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia to the Victorian era to the Nazi period and beyond! Listen to the best explanation of the history of modern...1667christmas,commercialism,fdr,history,nazisfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmas-trees-history-and-myth--52232608https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52232608Tue, 20 Dec 2022 05:00:03 +0000Joe CoohillWhat's the history behind the Christmas Tree tradition? Were they used by ancient Christians? Are the stories of it being a German custom true? And why is Professor Buzzkill talking so much about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert? Has he been...563christmas,christmastree,history,podcasts,tannenbaumfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-myths-and-urban-legends--52231290https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52231290Fri, 23 Dec 2022 05:05:01 +0000Joe Coohill“It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic, and one of the greatest movies of all time. It has also given us a cornucopia of myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these stories, talks...2500christmas,donnareed,history,jimmystewart,movies,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1947-radio-play-it-s-a-wonderful-life--52231342https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52231342Sat, 24 Dec 2022 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillI mentioned on the show the other day that "It's a Wonderful Life" was re-done as a radio play a couple of times. Lots of Buzzkillers have asked me to find the best version and play it. So here it is! This version is from 1947 on the Lux Radio...3749christmas,education,history,podcasts,radiofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/auld-lang-syne-2022--52285446https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52285446Tue, 27 Dec 2022 05:05:01 +0000Joe Coohill“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good...940auldlangsyne,folksongs,gaelic,history,historypodcasts,holidays,jeanredpath,newyearseve,podcasts,robertburns,scotland,scots,scotsgaelic,scotslanguagefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/myth-america-historians-take-on-the-biggest-legends-and-lies-about-our-past--52330320https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52330320Tue, 03 Jan 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDrs. Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer introduce “Myth America,” one of the most consequential books to address myths and misunderstandings of American history. They talk about the genesis of the book and its purpose, and the problems historians now face...2455america,basicbooks,books,education,history,julianzelizer,kevinkruse,media,misinformation,misunderstanding,myth,reading,unitedstatesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/confederate-monuments-as-part-of-myth-america--52406307https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52406307Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:56:43 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Karen Cox shows us the complex history of Confederate Monuments in the US, and what has actually happened during this recent period of removal. Professor Buzzkill himself was floored to hear how many monuments still exist, and about the...2422americanhistory,blm,civilwar,confederacy,confederatemonuments,georgefloyd,history,karencox,memorials,podcasts,southfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-real-voter-fraud-in-the-united-states--52464374https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52464374Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:12:48 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Carol Anderson talks about her “Voter Fraud” chapter in “Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past.” Her work is based on the most solid research imaginable. And she gives us shocking new information about the...30772024election,americanhistory,biden,elections,hilaryclinton,history,historypodcasts,podcasts,polls,trump,unitedstates,voterfraud,votersupression,votingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/american-exceptionalism-as-part-of-myth-america--52523909https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52523909Tue, 24 Jan 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. David Bell relates the long and strange history of the concept of “American Exceptionalism,” analyzing various interpretations of the phrase from the Puritan John Winthrop to President (and non-Puritan) Donald Trump. We wrestle with: the true...1654americanexceptionalism,americanhistory,donaldtrump,history,historypodcast,imperialism,johnwinthrop,mythamerica,nationalism,patriotism,podcast,politics,rhetoric,ronaldreaganfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/family-values-feminism-history-and-myth--52589112https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52589112Tue, 31 Jan 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela provides an excellent overview of the debates about how feminism has been discussed in terms of varieties of “family values” in modern American history. From the early suffragists, through the Progressives, through the...1734familyvalues,feminism,history,mythamerica,nataliamehlmanpetrzela,podcasts,suffragists,womenshistory,womensrightsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/robert-smalls-man-crush-monday--52645845https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52645845Mon, 06 Feb 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Vernon Burton tells the many amazing stories that make up the life of Robert Smalls, a genuine Civil War hero, and a man who deserves far more fame and glory than he’s received! From piloting a Confederate States ship out of Charleston Harbor and...2711africanamericahistory,africanamericans,civilwar,civil_war,history,podcasts,reconstruction,robertsmalls,robert_smalls,slavery,vernonburton,vernon_burtonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/insurrection-in-modern-america-history-and-myth--52723296https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52723296Tue, 14 Feb 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Kathleen Belew explains the history and myth behind insurrections in recent American history. She dismantles the “lone wolf” myth about political violence, as well as the myth of “it’s not who we are as Americans.” She shows us how...2187americanhistory,basicbooks,history,insurrection,january6th,kathleenbelew,mythamerica,oathkeepers,podcast,podcasts,professorbuzzkill,proudboys,trump,turnerdiariesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-free-market-the-big-myth-in-modern-america--52795963https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52795963Tue, 21 Feb 2023 05:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessors Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway explain how and why Americans came to believe that the “free market” was not only natural, but also moral, and the highest form of human interaction. Their deep archival research shows how the rise of free...3114adamsmith,capitaliam,economics,freemarket,history,laissezfaire,podcasts,professorbuzzkill,ronaldreaganfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nadir-of-african-american-life-1865-1930--52870327https://api.spreaker.com/episode/52870327Tue, 28 Feb 2023 05:15:01 +0000Joe Coohill1865. The Civil War is over. Slavery has been abolished. The country is “reconstructing” itself. This should have meant that the lives of African-Americans improved during this period. But it didn’t. 1865-1930 is often called the “nadir of...2641falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/half-american-african-americans-fighting-world-war-ii-at-home-and-abroad--53125986https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53125986Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:22:20 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Matthew Delmont explains the complicated and distressing history of African-American participation in World War II at home, and in the war theaters. Discrimination was rampant and inexcusable. African-Americans had to fight for the right to fight...2532falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-irish-slaves-myth--53189958https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53189958Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:25:01 +0000Joe CoohillWhite supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during...2141americanhistory,history,irishhistory,irishslaves,podcasts,race,racism,slavery,whiteslavesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-things-that-are-actually-british-throwback-thursday--53204124https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53204124Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But he...956britain,craic,dannyboy,ireland,irishhistory,stpatrickfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henrietta-lacks-woman-crush-wednesday--53230874https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53230874Fri, 17 Mar 2023 01:21:27 +0000Joe CoohillThis is the most important person we’ve ever featured on a Woman Crush Wednesday. Henrietta Lacks was a cancer patient in the early 1950s. Her cancer cells were studied, analyzed, and found to be “immortal” under laboratory conditions. They formed the...477henriettalacks,history,historypodcast,johnshopkins,johnshopkinsuniversity,podcast,wcw,womancrushwednesday,womenshistorymonthfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-john-birch-society-and-its-influence-on-american-politics--53287224https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53287224Tue, 21 Mar 2023 19:30:07 +0000Joe CoohillThe John Birch Society is one of the most extreme right-wing groups in American history. It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding,...2425americanhistory,extremism,gop,history,johnbirchsociety,libertarianism,podcast,politics,republicanparty,republicans,rightwing,robertwelchfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/black-women-s-radical-activism-in-the-midwest-during-the-great-depression--53315566https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53315566Tue, 28 Mar 2023 07:15:01 +0000Joe CoohillWas the north the promised land for southern African-Americans during the Depression, or was it more complicated than that? Dr. Melissa Ford tells us how African American working-class women, many of whom had just migrated to “the promised land” only...19691930s,africanamericanhistory,americanhistory,blacklivesmatter,blm,communistpartyusa,greatdepression,history,industrialhistory,podcasts,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/regina-twala-woman-crush-wednesday--53374495https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53374495Wed, 29 Mar 2023 05:16:28 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Joel Cabrita tells us about Regina Twala, one of the most important intellectuals and activists of 20th-century South Africa and Eswatini. A leading writer, critic, and liberation leader in both countries, Twala’s life is too important to be...1882africanhistory,eswatini,history,joelcabrita,podcast,reginatwala,southafrica,swaziland,womenshistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/culture-the-story-of-us-from-cave-art-to-k-pop--53436554
Dr. Martin Puchner joins us to talk about his new book, Culture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop. It’s a very important discussion about some of the crucial elements in creating culture: “storage,” “circulation,” and “mixture.” We talk about lots of cultural history, including cave paintings, art and literature “traveling” during imperial and colonial times, and the melange that has become modern pop culture. A real brainiac discussion! Episode 505.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53436554Tue, 04 Apr 2023 05:39:13 +0000Joe CoohillThe Essentials That Make Culture What it Is, and Has Been. Dr. Martin Puchner joins us to talk about his new book, Culture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop. It’s a very important discussion about some of the crucial elements in creating...
Dr. Martin Puchner joins us to talk about his new book, Culture: the Story of Us from Cave Art to K-Pop. It’s a very important discussion about some of the crucial elements in creating culture: “storage,” “circulation,” and “mixture.” We talk about lots of cultural history, including cave paintings, art and literature “traveling” during imperial and colonial times, and the melange that has become modern pop culture. A real brainiac discussion! Episode 505.]]>2173art,culturalhistory,culture,harvard,history,humanities,kpop,literature,martinpuchner,podcast,sculpture,writingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/income-tax-and-inequality-in-us-history-encore--53498024https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53498024Tue, 11 Apr 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillIncome tax is a troubling issue in American politics and history. We explain its long history, and delve into the even more complicated history of how personal income tax has related to the question of equality and inequality in US society. Professor...1994americanhistory,history,incometax,podcast,taxes,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ike-every-gun-that-is-made-signifies-a-theft-from-those-who-hunger-and-are-not-fed-quote-or-no-quote--53533430https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53533430Fri, 14 Apr 2023 08:29:14 +0000Joe CoohillDid President Eisenhower actually say, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed”? And what was the larger...15431950s,americanhistory,coldwar,disarmament,eisenhower,famousspeeches,history,inspirationalquotes,militaryhistory,podcasts,professorbuzzkill,quote,quotes,rhetoric,stalin,usa,ussrfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-after-life-of-covid--53574294https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53574294Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:42:06 +0000Joe CoohillDrs. Keri Leigh Merritt and Yohuru Williams discuss important research and reflection about what happened in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book’s authors document and analyze the effects of the pandemic in ways inspired by the...2437falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/anna-marie-rosenberg-woman-crush-wednesday--53648950https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53648950Wed, 26 Apr 2023 04:38:39 +0000Joe CoohillAnna Marie Rosenberg was one of the most important Americans of the 20th century. Yet she is not nearly as well-known as she should be. Christopher Gorham’s excellent biography of Rosenberg, “The Confidante,” is essential reading for Buzzkillers. He...2530annamarierosenberg,fdr,georgemarshall,truman,wcw,womancrushwednesday,womenshistory,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-the-nazis-and-gun-control--53713054https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53713054Tue, 02 May 2023 04:44:42 +0000Joe CoohillThe intensifying pandemic of gun violence and murder in the U.S. has prompted the usual, tired, and entirely false reaction from gun fanatics -- “the first thing Hitler did was take away everyone’s guns.” Well, did Hitler disarm the German citizenry...1881falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-transmission-of-knowledge-from-ancient-wisdom-to-modern-magic--53787359https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53787359Tue, 09 May 2023 06:50:49 +0000Joe CoohillSimon Winchester takes us on a journey through the history of how knowledge has been acquired, stored, and passed on, and how that dissemination has evolved with time. Crucially, he muses on how—in an age where a world of information is just a cell...2389ancienthistory,communication,culture,education,epistemology,history,knowledge,libraries,philosophy,podcasts,simonwinchesterfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-s-day-2023--53721125https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53721125Fri, 12 May 2023 07:15:01 +0000Joe CoohillMajor social and political forces led to the establishment of Mother's Day as a major and official holiday. This episode explains those forces, and also tells us who founded Mother's Day. Was it Julia Ward Howe with her famous "Appeal to Womanhood"...1053annajarvis,history,historypodcasts,juliawardhowe,motherhood,mothersday,podcasts,professorbuzzkill,usholidaysfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/saving-yellowstone-exploration-and-preservation-in-reconstruction-america--53809734https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53809734Tue, 16 May 2023 07:25:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Megan Kate Nelson puts us in the middle of the history and context of the founding of Yellowstone National Park, one of America’s natural glories. She tells us how he park was an important part of Reconstruction after the Civil War, how explorers...2547americanhistory,history,lakota,megankatenelson,nationalparks,podcasts,reconstruction,sittingbull,ushistory,westernhistory,yellowstone,yellowstonenationalparkfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nuremberg-trials-background-and-buildup--53909212https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53909212Thu, 18 May 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash explains the extremely complicated background of the Nuremberg Trials of 1945-1946. We learn how difficult it was to set up these trials, in terms of international law, the establishment of new charges (such as “crimes against...2522history,hitler,nazi,nazis,nuremberg,nurembergtrials,podcasts,warcrimes,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-nuremberg-trials-justice-for-humanity--53934518https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53934518Tue, 23 May 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillDid the Nurenberg Trials provide justice for humanity after the horrors of World War II? In order to address this question, Professor Philip Nash explains what happened during the trials, how well they adhered to international law, how the judgments...2049germany,goering,hess,history,hitler,nazis,nuremberg,nurembergtrials,podcasts,war,warcrimes,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mourning-the-presidents--54037827https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54037827Tue, 30 May 2023 04:44:58 +0000Joe CoohillPresidential funerals have become major cultural moments in American history. But were they always this important? Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky explains how different presidential funerals have been over the centuries, starting with George Washington’s...2811americanhistory,history,podcasts,presidency,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-american-south-and-country-capitalism--54104985https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54104985Tue, 06 Jun 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillWhy do so many big and iconic American corporations come from the US South, a region traditionally considered a backwater? Dr. Bartow Elmore explains how Coca-Cola, WalMart, and FedEx used “country capitalism” to change the United States and the...3821capitalism,cocacola,economics,environment,fedex,history,podcast,unitedstates,ushistory,walmartfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/loving-day-2023--53860617https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53860617Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:15:01 +0000Joe CoohillJune 12th is Loving Day! Loving Day is now celebrated around the world. If you don’t know what Loving Day is, listen to the story we tell you in this brief, special encore episode. And go to lovingday.org to find out more!556history,love,lovingday,podcasts,racefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/native-americans-in-film-1941-1960--54129738https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54129738Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:25:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Liza Black enlightens us about her new book, Picturing Indians: Native Americans in Film 1941-1960. She examines many misunderstandings and misconceptions about Native Americans working in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Encore Episode!2343falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/juneteenth-and-the-end-of-slavery-in-the-us-what-s-in-a-date--53860729https://api.spreaker.com/episode/53860729Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:35:02 +0000Joe Coohill"Juneteenth" (June 19th) is now widely regarded as marking the end of slavery in the United States. Professor Buzzkill examines the many dates related to the abolition of human enslavement in the US. And he pleads for more holidays observing this...939africanamerican,history,juneteenth,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/charlie-brown-s-america-the-popular-politics-of-peanuts--54129804https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54129804Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Blake Scott Ball discusses his new book on the history of the Peanuts comic strip! Despite--or perhaps because of--its huge popular culture status, Peanuts enabled cartoonist Charles Schulz to offer political commentary on the most...2208falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-the-south-won-the-civil-war-heather-cox-richardson-interview--55048532https://api.spreaker.com/episode/55048532Tue, 27 Jun 2023 05:35:01 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Heather Cox Richardson explains the historical issues that have underpinned oligarchy, democracy, and the continuing fight for the soul of America. She traces the story of the American paradox – the competing claims of equality and subordination...1813falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-many-myths-about-the-declaration-of-independence-4th-of-july-special--54130329https://api.spreaker.com/episode/54130329Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillEvery July, American Buzzkillers get inundated with chain emails, Facebook posts, and Tweets that spread more myths about the Declaration of Independence. No matter how many times they’ve been disproved, they seem to crop up every year. John Hancock...2223falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/symbols-of-freedom-slavery-and-resistance-before-the-civil-war--55974226https://api.spreaker.com/episode/55974226Tue, 04 Jul 2023 08:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillIn a time when the US flag, the Fourth of July, and historical sites have never been more contested, Professor Matthew Clavin reminds us that symbols are living artifacts whose power is derived from the meaning with which we imbue them. And he shows...2489falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/julius-streicher-piece-of-sh-t-saturday--56032432https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56032432Sat, 08 Jul 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillJulius Streicher was the founder and publisher of the virulently antisemitic newspaper “Der Stürmer” – a central element of the Nazi propaganda machine. He was such a Piece of Sh*t that many Nazis thought he was too extreme. Professor Philip Nash...1339falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/all-the-beauty-in-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-patrick-bringley-interview--56057493https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56057493Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillPatrick Bringley’s new book, All the Beauty in the World: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me, is one of the most popular books of the year. In this episode, he tells us about his experiences as a guard at the Met and his interactions with visitors...1863art,met,metropolitanmuseumofart,patrickbringleyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/absalom-markland-and-freedom-s-mail--56120929https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56120929Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillDuring the Civil War, his movements from battlefield to battlefield were followed in the North and in the South nearly as closely as those of generals. He was Absalom Markland, special agent of the United States Post Office, and his work was crucial...1822falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lawyers-in-japanese-american-concentration-camps-during-world-war-ii--56134739https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56134739Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe US government placed white lawyers at Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II. These lawyers were given contradictory instructions: provide legal counsel to the prisoners, and keep the place running. Within that job description...2289falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/religious-conversions-in-modern-america--56205152https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56205152Tue, 25 Jul 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillIn the mid-twentieth century, certain private religious choices became lightning rods for public outrage and debate. In talking about “public confessions,” Dr. Rebecca Davis reveals some of the controversial religious conversions that shaped modern...2510america,politics,religionfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-atomic-bombs-flashback-friday-2023--56254648https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56254648Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillThe recent Oppenheimer film has prompted interest in the events surrounding the building and dropping of the atomic bombs. This Flashback Friday episode addresses whether there was an actual decision to use atomic bombs in World War II. If not, what...3587atomicbombs,oppenheimer,professorbuzzkill,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/oppenheimer-the-man-the-myth-the-movie--56337111https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56337111Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:46:37 +0000Joe CoohillThe blockbuster film, Oppenheimer, is sweeping the cinema world, and has become an historical event in itself. Professor Philip Nash discusses the life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and we analyze his significance. We also review the film. Most...5794oppenheimer,politics,science,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/undelivered-speeches-and-what-they-can-tell-us-about-history--56400330https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56400330Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillFor almost every delivered speech, there exists an undelivered opposite. These "second speeches" provide alternative histories of what could have been if not for schedule changes, changes of heart, or momentous turns of events. Listen as speechwriter...2340dday,eisenhower,johnlewis,kingedwardviii,marchonwashington,quotes,speechesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/titanic-myths-smashed--56471265https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56471265Tue, 15 Aug 2023 06:05:01 +0000Joe CoohillKate Messner, the author of the wonderful "History Smashers" series, enlightens us about the innumerable myths surrounding the famous ship, The Titanic, and its sinking in 1912. Everything from the myth of it being proclaimed "unsinkable" to the myth...2361anighttoremember,titanicfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gun-carnage-in-the-united-states--56533093https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56533093Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Thomas Gabor shatters the many myths that help keep American gun culture alive. His strong evidence-based research shows that the many slogans and claims repeated incessantly by the gun lobby and its surrogates are completely false. The real...2694gunlobby,guns,gunviolence,nra,unitedstatesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/anarcha-one-of-the-mothers-of-gynecology--56624165https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56624165Tue, 29 Aug 2023 10:28:04 +0000Joe CoohillAnarcha was a young enslaved woman who was operated on by J. Marion Sims, the now-discredited 19th-century “father of modern gynecology.” Author J.C. Hallman has made many important discoveries about the life of Anarcha and the malpractice of Sims....2118anarcha,gynecology,jmarionsimsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/coffee-with-hitler-civilized-diplomacy--56694809https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56694809Tue, 05 Sep 2023 04:59:43 +0000Joe Coohill“How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest "what ifs." Dr. Charles Spicer tells us the astounding story of how a handful of amateur British intelligence agents wined, dined, and befriended the leading...1942appeasement,chamberlain,churchill,hitler,nazis,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/naming-gotham-the-villains-rogues-and-heroes-behind-new-york-s-place-names--56772142https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56772142Tue, 12 Sep 2023 04:44:58 +0000Joe CoohillWhy are New York’s roads, bridges, buildings, and institutions named after certain people? Who were those people and why did they matter so much? Professor Rebecca Bratspies explains all in this fascinating romp through not only New York history, but...3148gotham,newyorkfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mccarthy-and-mccarthyism-american-demagoguery-during-the-cold-war--56835777https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56835777Tue, 19 Sep 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillSenator Joseph McCarthy was one of the most notorious politicians in American history. He made wild accusations, ruined the lives and careers of countless people, and stained American politics with investigative tactics similar to those in Stalin’s...3583history,mccarthy,mccarthyism,podcasts,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/heather-cox-richardson-on-saving-democracy-wisdom-wednesday--56862950saymore@globe.com]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56862950Wed, 20 Sep 2023 04:09:16 +0000Joe CoohillWhen it comes to the crush of the American daily news cycle, Heather Cox Richardson has always taken the long view. The New England-based historian gained wide popularity writing casual, history-informed summaries of the news — a perspective millions...saymore@globe.com]]>1307bostonglobe,democracyawakening,heathercoxrichardsonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hands-of-time-a-watchmaker-s-history--56887888https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56887888Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Rebecca Struthers, an academic expert on horology and an award-winning watchmaker, guides us through the fascinating history of wristwatches, and their importance to social history. These seemingly mundane and utilitarian objects can tell us a...1613horology,swatch,watches,watchmakingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/christopher-columbus-myths-large-and-small--56995056Check out Our Fake History here! https://ourfakehistory.com/]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56995056Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillSebastian Major, the producer and host of the "Our Fake History" podcast, explains the myths about Christopher Columbus, who “discovered” the New World. Sebastian schools Professor Buzzkill about where the myths came from and about their larger...Check out Our Fake History here! https://ourfakehistory.com/]]>2150christophercolumbus,columbus,history,podcasts,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/columbus-and-taino-people--57156366https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57156366Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe story of Columbus and the Taino people is fascinating, and is made even more fascinating by Kate Messner’s analysis of it in this episode. She explains who the Taino people were, how they discovered Columbus, and what happened during and after...1574columbus,history,tainofalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/clement-attlee-1945-and-the-year-of-hope-in-britain--57244786https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57244786Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Richard Toye talks about a pivotal year in British history – 1945. The end of the war, a landslide election for the Labour Party under Clement Attlee, and the start of the modern British welfare state. He explains why Labour won the...2031falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dracula-in-fiction-and-history--57358275https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57358275Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillDracula tales, legends, and myths fly around faster than a vampire fleeing from sunlight. Dr. Gemma Masson explains Bram Stoker’s famous novel, “Dracula,” and then goes on to explain the various histories behind Dracula’s namesake – Vlad Dracula, the...2180dracula,history,myths,vladdraculafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/halloween-myths--57171064https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57171064Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:40:02 +0000Joe CoohillHalloween is a demonic holiday chock full of sin, and endangered by razor blades in trick-or-treat candy, right? Wrong. Nothing about the origins of Halloween can be called demonic, satanic, or anti-Christian. And the adulterated candy thing is an...712halloweenfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/gun-country-gun-capitalism-culture-and-control-in-cold-war-america--57535678https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57535678Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:20:02 +0000Joe CoohillIn the wake of yet another gun tragedy in Gun Country USA, we interview Dr. Andrew McKevitt, whose new book is a must-read this year. He shows why so many guns flooded onto the American market after World War II, and how this developed into “gun...2266falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/medieval-myths--57624267https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57624267Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:30:26 +0000Joe CoohillDid medieval people have bad teeth and poor hygiene? Did they all die before they were 40? And what was the actual story about Lady Godiva? Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, the Fake History Hunter, takes us on a great tour of medieval Europe, busting myths and...2467falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/thanksgiving-popcorn-minimyth--57171269https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57171269Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillAs the pilgrims pushed their chairs back from the first Thanksgiving table, their stomachs full of turkey and potatoes, Squanto appeared with bushels of popped corn and spilled it out on the tables for the Pilgrims to enjoy. That's how Americans got...252popcorn,thanksgivingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-franklin-and-the-turkey-thanksgiving-myths--57171302https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57171302Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:20:02 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the legendary stories that reappear during Thanksgiving season is that no less a luminary and Founder than Ben Franklin thought that the bald eagle was an improper choice as the national bird and a national symbol. Franklin preferred the more...530thanksgiving,turkeyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/democracy-dies-in-darkness-philadelphia-and-paris-in-the-1780s--57742267
]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57742267Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillAs both American and French revolutionaries sought to fashion representative government in the late 1780s, they faced a dilemma. In a context where gaining public trust seemed to demand transparency, was secrecy ever legitimate? In Philadelphia and...
]]>1981constitution,history,podcasts,revolutionfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/thanksgiving-history-and-myth--57171461https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57171461Wed, 22 Nov 2023 08:25:01 +0000Joe CoohillWho invented American Thanksgiving, and when did they invent it? The Pilgrims in 1621? Abe Lincoln in 1863? FDR in 1939? Turns out there were a lot of cooks involved in making the traditional American feasting holiday. The Professor gives a brief...545thanksgivingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/1932-politics-protests-and-electioneering-in-a-crucial-american-year--57824057https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57824057Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:05:02 +0000Joe CoohillVeteran journalist and commentator, Scott Martelle, describes the fevered political year of 1932. Farmers’ strikes, industrial difficulties, marches and protests by military veterans, women’s rights protestors, tension over prohibition, and much more...1979falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/quote-or-no-quote-who-said-if-you-don-t-have-anything-nice-to-say-come-and-sit-here-by-me--56872555https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56872555Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:10:02 +0000Joe Coohill“If you don’t have anything nice to say, come and sit here by me,” is one of the best snarky-isms ever uttered. But who said it? Dorothy Parker? Joan Crawford? Lady Buzzkill? Hear the full story, and learn what in the world Teddy Roosevelt, Nellie...266dorothyparker,joancrawford,marktwainfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/resistance-from-the-right-conservatives-and-the-campus-wars-in-modern-america--57910888https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57910888Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:20:02 +0000Joe CoohillWhen thinking of campus protests, most Americans think of left-wing students marching and shouting. Dr. Lauren Lassabe Shepherd shows, however, that right-wing students and groups have protested very frequently on college campuses, even if they...2574campusprotests,politics,rightwingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pearl-harbor-2023-encore--56790632https://api.spreaker.com/episode/56790632Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillDid FDR know about the Pearl Harbor attack ahead of time? And who was the attack more devastating for - the United States or Japan? Professor Phil Nash joins us to explain the myths and misconceptions about December 7th, 1941, as well as the...2844history,pearlharbor,podcasts,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-best-years-of-our-lives-the-greatest-film-you-haven-t-seen--57978375https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57978375Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillReleased in 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives became an immediate success. Life magazine called it “the first big, good movie of the post-war era” to tackle the “veterans problem.” Today we call that problem PTSD, but in the initial aftermath of World...3314bestyearsofourlives,hollywood,ptsd,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-myths-and-urban-legends-2023-encore--57987492https://api.spreaker.com/episode/57987492Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these...2475falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-1947-radio-drama--58010683https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58010683Fri, 15 Dec 2023 08:45:02 +0000Joe CoohillListeners have asked me to post the 1947 Lux Radio Drama version of "It's a Wonderful Life," starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. Enjoy this great story in a different format!3732falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-mozart-saleri-feud-did-amadeus-tell-the-real-story--58002161https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58002161Tue, 19 Dec 2023 08:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe film “Amadeus” was a huge hit in the mid-1980s. It depicted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri as musical rivals in the Austrian court in the late 18th century, which ultimately ends with Mozart's early death. But was anything in the film...1546amadeus,gossip,mozart,salierifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/candy-cane-myths-encore--58010817https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58010817Thu, 21 Dec 2023 08:10:02 +0000Joe CoohillCandy canes are a well-known symbol of the holiday season, but what is the origin and meaning of this peculiar candy? Some say it was invented by a German choirmaster in the 17th century. Others say it was invented by an Indiana confectioner in the...306falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/12-days-of-christmas-a-coded-song--58010898https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58010898Mon, 25 Dec 2023 08:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillWere there special, secret meanings behind the lyrics in the famous Christmas song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Ten Lords a Leaping and Nine Ladies Dancing sounds like a pretty good party! But why wasn’t Professor Buzzkill invited? We explain it all and...731falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/auld-lang-syne-an-appreciation--58011095https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58011095Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:30:03 +0000Joe CoohillShould old acquaintance be forgot? What? Should we forget old friends? Should we sing about remembering them. What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally...930falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/new-year-s-eve-and-new-year-s-day--58011165https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58011165Fri, 29 Dec 2023 08:40:02 +0000Joe CoohillHow did New Year’s Day end up in the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere (and the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere)? Wouldn’t a day in spring be more fitting? Find out how people celebrated New Year's in past centuries and why...236falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/america-what-s-in-a-name--58163251https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58163251Tue, 02 Jan 2024 08:30:03 +0000Joe CoohillThe Professor starts off his January 2024 "What is America" series of shows with a short episode that looks at the naming of "America" and the naming of the "United States of America." Was America named after Amerigo Vespucci, as we were all taught in...770america,amerigovespucci,unitedstates,unitedstatesofamericafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/america-s-origin-stories-and-myths--58163535https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58163535Tue, 09 Jan 2024 08:45:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Brian Regal joins us to discuss some of the stories and myths about who “discovered” America, and what the continued popularity of those myths tell us about American culture. From Irish saints to marauding Vikings to Chinese admirals to African...2987america,columbus,myths,unitedstatesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-unknown-martin-luther-king-2024-mlk-encore--58211051https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58211051Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:50:02 +0000Joe CoohillMartin Luther King did so much more for American society, and wanted so much more from the US government and US elite than most people realize. Popular history has airbrushed out far too much about his life and work. Professor Phil Nash reminds us of...2417martinlutherkingfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/america-a-continental-history--58315895https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58315895Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:50:02 +0000Joe Coohill“Forging America” speaks to both the complexities of historical experience and the meanings of the past for our present-day lives. Warning against the assumption of preordained outcomes, Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian Steve Hahn focuses the reader's...1811america,americanhistory,unitedstatesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lies-of-the-land-rural-america-in-history-and-myth--58412442https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58412442Tue, 23 Jan 2024 08:10:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Steven Conn shows us that rural America—so often characterized as in crisis or in danger of being left behind—has actually been at the center of modern American history, shaped by the same forces as everywhere else in the country:...2456america,rural,rurallife,unitedstatesfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/ben-franklin-a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it-quote-or-no-quote-encore--58499739https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58499739Tue, 30 Jan 2024 12:52:03 +0000Joe CoohillAt the end of this month of asking "what is America," we give you a show on this famous Ben Franklin quote. Franklin supposedly said this after the Founding Fathers had agreed on the broad nature of the new U.S. government in 1787. But is the quote...836america,franklin,republic,usafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-kissinger-part-1-meteoric-rise--58582895https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58582895Tue, 06 Feb 2024 11:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash joins us for Part 1 of our examination of the life and loves of Henry Kissinger, perhaps the most influential American foreign policy figure of the later Cold War. We look at his origins, his education, his move into governing...2944falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-kissinger-part-2-perpetual-power--58746768https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58746768Tue, 20 Feb 2024 12:05:04 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash joins us for Part 2 of our examination of the life and loves of Henry Kissinger, perhaps the most influential American foreign policy figure of the later Cold War. This episode discusses his time in power in the Nixon...3679coldwar,henrykissinger,politicsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/traveling-while-black-the-green-book-guides-to-african-american-motoring-encore--58817631https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58817631Mon, 26 Feb 2024 03:22:45 +0000Joe Coohill20th-century automobile travel was supposed to represent freedom, but what else did it represent? Professor Cotten Seiler from Dickinson College joins us to discuss the difficulties and hazards of traveling in the United States faced by...2362falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/green-book-sites-local-history-and-architecture--58928583https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58928583Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:33:46 +0000Joe CoohillWe've already learned about the importance of "The Negro Motorist Green Book" from our previous show. Here, historians Catherine Zipf and Susan Hellman discuss their project on the architecture of the sites found in the Green Book and what various...2800africanamericanhistory,americanhistory,blackhistory,greenbook,ushistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/who-said-well-behaved-women-rarely-make-history--58937491https://api.spreaker.com/episode/58937491Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:30:01 +0000Joe CoohillLots of people are credited with coining the great phrase, “well-behaved women rarely make history.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Steinem, Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Boleyn, and many more. Given time, any powerful woman with self-respect,...252history,quotes,womenshistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-america-race-and-politics--59014879https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59014879Tue, 12 Mar 2024 11:33:43 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Mary Burke destroys the myths and caricatures of Irish Americans as a monolithic cultural, racial, and political group. Figures from the Scots-Irish Andrew Jackson to the Caribbean-Irish Rihanna, as well as literature, film, caricature, and...2417ireland,irish,irishamericafalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-princess-qajar-meme-junk-history-and-conceptions-of-beauty--59093714https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59093714Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:42:57 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Victoria Martinez joins to debunk and explain Junk history is embodied a viral meme that portrays a nineteenth-century Persian princess with facial hair, alongside the claim that 13 men killed themselves over their unrequited love for her. While...1376falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-press-and-women-politicians-from-victoria-woodhull-to-kamala-harris--59175947https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59175947Tue, 26 Mar 2024 06:35:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Terri Finneman explains how the press has portrayed women politicians running for high office in the United States. From Victoria Woodhull in the 1870s to Kamala Harris in 2020, she enlightens us about how the media treatment of women...2728kamalaharris,victoriawoodhull,women,womenshistory,womenshistorymonthfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hitler-s-rise-to-power-history-and-myth--59257174https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59257174Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:00:03 +0000Joe CoohillWe examine the many myths surrounding Adolf Hitler’s rise from Chancellor to the outbreak of World War II. These include: how Nazi Germany functioned; the myth of his purely tyrannical dictatorship; and the myth of an efficient, orderly dictatorship....4010falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-false-cause-fraud-fabrication-and-white-supremacy-in-confederate-memory--59360097https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59360097Tue, 09 Apr 2024 08:20:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Adam Domby explains why the Lost Cause of the Confederacy is full of fraud, fabrication, and white supremacy. And he analyzes how it is expressed in statuary, memory, and commemoration in the American south in the Jim Crow era. This is a...2540falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/once-a-king-the-lost-memoir-of-edward-viii--59484072https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59484072Tue, 16 Apr 2024 07:29:53 +0000Joe CoohillJane Marguerite Tippett discusses her new book about Edward VIII, the English king who abdicated the throne in 1936 for the woman he loved, the American socialite Wallis Simpson. She describes the complexity of his life and the almost innumerable...2934edwardviii,wallissimpsonfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/british-dandies-engendering-scandal-and-fashioning-a-nation--59605879https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59605879Tue, 23 Apr 2024 07:15:03 +0000Joe CoohillWell-dressed men have played a distinctive part in the cultural and political life of Britain over several centuries. But unlike the twenty-first-century hipster, the British dandies provoked intense degrees of fascination and horror in their homeland...2177britishhistory,dandies,history,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/americans-bailing-out-the-french--59725521https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59725521Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:10:10 +0000Joe CoohillDonald Trump talks about Americans being "suckers" to their allies. Is Uncle Sam really "Uncle Sucker"? Did the United States really “bail the French out in two world wars,” or is it a blustering, bigoted myth? Professor Philip Nash joins us to...2483falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-myth-of-colorblind-christians--59889998https://api.spreaker.com/episode/59889998Tue, 07 May 2024 08:30:04 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Jesse Curtis shows us how white evangelicals in the 20th century US grew their own institutions and created an evangelical form of whiteness, infusing the politics of colorblindness with sacred fervor. They deployed a Christian brand of...1941americanhistory,christianity,evangelicals,history,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/was-the-wild-west-as-wild-as-the-myths-say--60015935https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60015935Tue, 14 May 2024 08:00:04 +0000Joe Coohill“The Wild West,” is one of the strongest conceptions in American history. But “where” was the west? How “wild” was it? “Who” settled it? Did settlers build the west with their hands? How many of the stories about settlers and Native Americans are...2031falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/churchill-s-wartime-speeches-the-untold-story--60108301https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60108301Tue, 21 May 2024 08:30:03 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Richard Toye explains the background and context of Winston Churchill's famous World War II speeches, from how they were written, to how they were delivered, to how the public reacted. Not only is it much more complex than the legend has it,...1746falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/malcolm-browne-and-the-self-immolation-of-thich-quang-duc--60194316https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60194316Tue, 28 May 2024 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillRay Boomhower joins us to discuss how the most unlikely of war correspondents, Malcolm W. Browne, became the only Western reporter to capture Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức's horrific self-immolation on June 11, 1963. Thích Quảng Đức made his ultimate...2057buddhism,buddhistmonk,diem,malcolmbrowne,protests,selfimmolation,thichquangduc,vietnamfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/coming-out-republican-a-history-of-the-gay-right--60270264https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60270264Tue, 04 Jun 2024 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillDr. Neil Young helps us understand how and why gay Republicans regularly faced condemnation from both the LGBTQ+ community and their own political party. They’ve been active and influential for decades, however. Gay conservatives were instrumental,...2002dorrlegg,gay,gayrights,history,lgbtq+,mattachine,mattachinesociety,podcasts,pride,pridemonth,republicanparty,uspoliticsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/heather-haley-historian-for-the-us-navy--60341997https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60341997Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:15:03 +0000Joe CoohillHeather Haley, a civilian historian for the United States Navy, enlightens us about the work of a historian outside traditional academic institutions. She works for the US Naval History and Heritage Command, doing naval history research, finding and...1971civilservice,history,militaryhistory,navalhistory,podcasts,usnavyfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/loving-day-2024-encore--60356902lovingday.org to find out more! Encore episode!]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60356902Wed, 12 Jun 2024 07:30:04 +0000Joe CoohillIt’s June 12th! Loving Day! Loving Day is being celebrated worldwide. You might think that Loving Day is Valentine’s Day, February 14th, but it’s not, it’s today, June 12th. If you don’t know what Loving Day is, listen to the story we tell you in this...lovingday.org to find out more! Encore episode!]]>556interracialmarriage,love,lovingdayfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/juneteenth-and-the-end-of-slavery-in-the-us-what-s-in-a-date-2024-encore--60356898https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60356898Tue, 18 Jun 2024 07:30:04 +0000Joe Coohill"Juneteenth" (June 19th) is now widely regarded as marking the end of slavery in the United States. Professor Buzzkill examines the many dates related to the abolition of human enslavement in the US. And he pleads for more holidays observing this...939history,juneteenth,podcasts,slaveryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/before-trans-three-gender-stories-from-19th-century-france--60497856https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60497856Tue, 25 Jun 2024 07:31:07 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Rachel Mesch guides us through three compelling lives and careers in 19th-century France. The lives of French writers, Jane Dieulafoy (1850–1916), Rachilde (1860–1953), and Marc de Montifaud (1845–1912), did not conform to nineteenth-century...2257gender,history,podcast,transfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-american-liberty-pole--60574230https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60574230Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:00:08 +0000Joe CoohillAmericans put up Liberty Poles to express political beliefs in the period of the Early Republic. These poles were massive, highly decorated, and highly contested. Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists used them to promote their ideas of what the new...2275americanhistory,anti-federalists,federalists,history,podcastfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/felons-and-the-declaration-of-independence--60595310https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60595310Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:31:03 +0000Joe CoohillAfter his many felony convictions, Donald Trump’s supporters have likened him to America’s Founding Fathers. They were also felons, so the MAGA crowd says. But how true is that? We explain all in this episode, and also bust the many myths found in...819falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-john-birch-society-and-its-influence-on-american-politics--60634901 It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.” Brutal history, but essential to know. Encore Episode.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60634901Tue, 09 Jul 2024 07:15:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe 2025 Project and the rise of extreme right-wing politics in America means that it's a good time to listen to our show about one of the 20th century's most extreme right-wing groups, The John Birch Society. It has strongly influenced libertarian... It has strongly influenced libertarian and Republican politics since its founding in 1958. Dr. Matthew Dallek tells us the story of the Society’s founding, growth, and impact on American life. We discuss his new book, “Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right.” Brutal history, but essential to know. Encore Episode.]]>2425falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/may-you-live-in-interesting-times-ancient-chinese-curse-2024-encore--60691958https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60691958Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:10:01 +0000Joe CoohillThe summer of 2024 has been, um, very interesting. An assassination attempt on Donald Trump, frightening Supreme Court rulings, but also hopeful election results in the UK. We are indeed living in interesting times. But is “may you live in interesting...270chinesecurse,history,interestingtimes,podcast,quote,quotes,wisdomfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/southern-violence-and-white-supremacy-in-the-civil-war-era--60781229https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60781229Tue, 23 Jul 2024 20:29:58 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor James Hill Welborn joins us to discuss the question – how did white Southerners in the nineteenth century reconcile a Christian faith that instructed them to turn the other cheek with a pervasive code of honor that instructed them to do just...2461falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/presidential-primaries-and-conventions-just-what-is-the-deal-with-them--60797566https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60797566Thu, 25 Jul 2024 07:30:03 +0000Joe CoohillAmerican Presidential primaries and conventions seem excessively complicated, and maybe even outdated. Could they all just be an email, as office workers say nowadays? Fortunately, Professor Philip Nash explains all! We can't promise that we make...1480conventions,democrats,elections,politics,presidentialprimaries,primaries,republicansfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-uss-indianapolis-and-the-famous-shark-attack-2024-encore--60856514https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60856514Tue, 30 Jul 2024 07:55:01 +0000Joe CoohillJuly 30th is the 79th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during World War II in 1945, and the famous shark attack on its helpless crew floating in the Pacific Ocean. Captain Quint’s story about the USS Indianapolis in the movie “Jaws”...622jaws,sharks,ussindianapolisfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pat-nixon--60933127https://api.spreaker.com/episode/60933127Tue, 06 Aug 2024 07:35:02 +0000Joe CoohillThe real Pat Nixon bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Heath Hardage Lee takes us through Pat Nixon’s life and career. And myths are busted left and right! Learn how Pat Nixon, the...2680falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/women-in-nazi-germany-part-1--61017254https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61017254Tue, 13 Aug 2024 20:48:33 +0000Joe CoohillThe treatment and status of women under Hitler and the Nazis is fascinating, in all the wrong ways. If the Nazi reputation wasn’t bad enough, the detail presented in this episode shows that there’s no bottom to their depravity. Professor Philip Nash...1964history,hitler,nazi,nazigermany,podcast,women,womenshistoryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/women-in-nazi-germany-part-2--61082576https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61082576Tue, 20 Aug 2024 07:30:01 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Nash tells us about wives and lovers of leading Nazis, women who participated in Nazi crimes, and women who worked against the Nazi regime. We look at everyone from Eva Braun, Hitler’s partner, to Sophie Scholl, one of the leaders of the...2477evabraun,germany,hitler,nazi,nazis,sophiescholl,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/an-unholy-traffic-slave-trading-in-the-civil-war-south--61166389https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61166389Tue, 27 Aug 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillSlave trading continued in the south during the Civil War. Between Fort Sumter to Appomattox, Confederates bought and sold thousands of African-American men, women, and children. These transactions in humanity made the internal slave trade a...1918americanhistory,civilwar,history,podcasts,slaveryfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/image-and-the-nixon-kennedy-1960-election-debates--61247045https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61247045Tue, 03 Sep 2024 07:30:01 +0000Joe CoohillDid “image” play a role in the famous presidential debates of 1960? Did Richard Nixon appear sick and frail, compared to a hale and healthy John Kennedy? The standard story is that he did; and that it affected the way people perceived him, and how...7681960,debates,kennedy,nixon,presidentialdebates,presidentialelectionfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/birthright-citizenship-2024-election-special--61316920https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61316920Tue, 10 Sep 2024 08:00:02 +0000Joe CoohillThis 2024 Presidential election has brought the question of “birthright citizenship” up again in the United States, because Donald Trump has questioned whether Kamala Harris is a citizen. Her parents were not born in the United States, and he thinks...20212024election,birthrightcitizenship,harris,trumpfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/german-pows-in-the-ussr--61764260https://api.spreaker.com/episode/61764260Tue, 17 Sep 2024 04:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillGerman soldiers were kept in the Soviet Union until the late 1950s. Professor Grunewald explains why the Soviets kept the POWs after the war, what they did with them, and why they were incarcerated for so long. Was it retribution for the millions of...2223nazis,pows,sovietunion,ussr,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/battle-of-stalingrad-part-1--62084576https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62084576Tue, 24 Sep 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillStalingrad. Even just the name of the city conjures up images of a brutal, months-long battle that helped change the course of the war. Professor Nash discusses the background of the battle, Hitler’s intent in attacking that part of the Soviet Union,...3136hitler,stalin,stalingrad,ussr,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/battle-of-stalingrad-part-2--62205038https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62205038Thu, 03 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Philip Nash continues his excellent analysis of the famous Battle of Stalingrad. The grim complications in the details of the history of this battle give us perfect insight into the nature of warfare during this period. Dr. Nash finishes up...3059hitler,stalin,stalingrad,ussrfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/why-was-world-war-ii-so-bad-2024-encore--62205287https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62205287Fri, 04 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillAll wars are bad. But why was World War II so extreme? Coming less than 20 years after World War I (the most extreme war up until that time), the Second World War’s death toll is _conservatively_ calculated at 60 million people. And some estimates are...3633falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/understanding-the-cuban-missile-crisis-2024-encore--62205345https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62205345Sat, 05 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillBuzzkill Genius Dr. Philip Nash brings us a fabulous (and very relevant) show on the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. There's so much more to those events than the standard "eye-ball-to-eye-ball" story would have us believe. Among many other things, we...4148falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/code-name-puritan-norman-holmes-pearson-super-spy-professor--62286851https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62286851Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:56:54 +0000Joe CoohillNorman Holmes Pearson actually did what a great many professors dream about doing. He was an expert in his field, but he also worked as an Intelligence Officer for the US military during World War II and the Cold War. And he wasn’t a desk jockey, but...2821falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/justice-in-kelly-country-laws-and-outlaws-in-19th-century-australia--62366526https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62366526Tue, 15 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillNed Kelly is Australia’s most famous outlaw. A mix of frontier bandit, murderer, and gang leader, Kelly has gone down in Australian lore as an anti-establishment hero. Dr. Lachlan Strahan tells the story of his great-great-grandfather, Anthony...2015australia,nedkelly,outlawsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/julia-ward-howe-and-the-battle-hymn-of-the-republic-week-intro-episode--62425975https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62425975Mon, 21 Oct 2024 07:45:02 +0000Joe CoohillWe’re dedicating this week to shows about Julia Ward Howe and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She wrote it in 1862 during America’s most serious crisis. As the 2024 Presidential Election looms, we’re facing another threat to our liberties and our...276civilwar,history,juliawardhowe,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/julia-ward-howe-a-biographical-discussion-with-professor-elaine-showalter--62457074https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62457074Tue, 22 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillJulia Ward Howe led one of the most significant lives in US history. She was a poet, feminist, political reformer, champion of international pacifism, and much more. Dr. Elaine Showalter joins us to discuss Julia Ward Howe’s life, and the various...1952battlehymn,civilwar,feminism,history,juliawardhowefalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-glory-hallelujah-suite-with-sparky-and-rhonda-rucker--62470848https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62470848Wed, 23 Oct 2024 13:18:12 +0000Joe CoohillAmerican folk singers, Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, discuss their popular and historically significant “Glory Hallelujah Suite” as part of our Julia Ward Howe/Battle Hymn of the Republic week. Learn about “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us?” “John Brown’s...2826falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-battle-hymn-of-the-republic-the-song-that-marches-on--62492197https://api.spreaker.com/episode/62492197Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:30:02 +0000Joe CoohillHarvard Professor John Stauffer joins us to discuss the history of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and its significance and meanings for American culture. He shows that it’s a song that unites and divides the country, and that it has been used by...1483falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory-why-the-battle-hymn-of-the-republic-still-matters--63098030https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63098030Tue, 03 Dec 2024 08:35:06 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Buzzkill finally gives you the “summation and inspiration” episode about The Battle Hymn of the Republic that he promised you! He traces the Battle Hymn from the post-Civil War years, the Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressive Era, the...2080falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-weeping-frenchman-the-emotion-of-national-loss--63135044https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63135044Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:30:07 +0000Joe CoohillThe “The Weeping Frenchman” photograph from the fall of France in 1940 is one of the most emotional images from World War II. Professor Buzzkill explains the story behind that famous image, and why it’s been used so much in social media by people who...679falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/how-churchill-waged-war--63271191https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63271191Thu, 12 Dec 2024 08:10:06 +0000Joe CoohillHow exactly did Winston Churchill go about directing and managing first the Battle of Britain and then Britain’s part in the wider war? Did he act like a CEO or more like a Chairman of the Board when dealing with the British government? Allen...1806churchill,leadership,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/it-s-a-wonderful-life-myths-and-urban-legends-a-professor-buzzkill-classic--63380298https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63380298Thu, 19 Dec 2024 08:30:06 +0000Joe CoohillOne of the most popular movies of all time, “It’s a Wonderful Life” (starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed) is a holiday classic. It has also given us a cornucopia of history myths and urban legends. Lend an ear as the Professor analyzes these...2475christmas,christmasmovies,history,podcastsfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/auld-lang-syne-that-grand-old-song--63518851https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63518851Tue, 31 Dec 2024 08:30:07 +0000Joe Coohill“Should old acquaintance be forgot”? What? Should we forget old friends? What does Auld Lang Syne actually mean? Why do we sing it every New Year’s Eve? Join the Professor as he waxes lyrical and sentimentally about Auld Lang Syne, Scotland, and good...930falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dear-miss-perkins-frances-perkins-and-refugees-from-nazi-germany--63772620https://api.spreaker.com/episode/63772620Tue, 21 Jan 2025 08:30:06 +0000Joe CoohillFrances Perkins was one of the most important Americans in the 20th century. She helped hundreds of people flee Nazi Germany and come to the United States when she was Secretary of Labor in the Franklin Roosevelt administration. As Hitler rose to...2352fdr,francesperkins,hitler,nazigermany,worldwar2falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-bombing-of-dresden-80th-anniversary-episode--64308884https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64308884Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:00:07 +0000Joe CoohillThis week sees the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden on February 13-14, 1945. It was one of the most destructive of the Allies’ late-war bombing campaigns over Germany. Somewhere between 22,000 and 25,000 people were killed and a famously...2051dresden,history,kurtvonnegut,podcasts,slaughterhouse5,terrorbombing,worldwar2,worldwariifalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-sound-of-music-60th-anniversary-show--64685204https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64685204Tue, 04 Mar 2025 11:00:09 +0000Joe CoohillCarla Von Trapp Hunter (descendant of Captain and Maria Von Trapp) joins Dr. Rebecca Brenner Graham to talk about The Sound of Music, the famous musical that appeared in theaters 60 years ago this week. We bust the many myths in the Sound of Music...3522falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-irish-slaves-myth-2025-encore--64756315https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64756315Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:00:07 +0000Joe CoohillWhite supremacy has been rising at an alarming rate in the last few years. The “Irish Slaves” myth has been given new life by these extremists. The famous “Irish: the Forgotten White Slaves” email has been unearthed and promoted heavily again during...2141falsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/irish-things-that-are-actually-british-flashback-friday--64756942https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64756942Fri, 14 Mar 2025 10:00:07 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Buzzkill seems to want to make enemies in this episode. He shows that many things central to Irish culture and identity are actually British in origin -- St. Patrick, “the craic,” and “Danny Boy” come under his withering analytical gaze. But...956craic,dannyboy,ireland,irish,stpatrick,tribalismfalsefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-did-the-us-civil-war-end--65297500https://api.spreaker.com/episode/65297500Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:00:08 +0000Joe CoohillProfessor Michael Vorenberg joins us to address one of the most perplexing questions in US history. Did the Civil War end on April 9, at Appomattox, as conventional wisdom holds, where Lee surrendered to Grant in Wilmer McLean’s parlor? Or was it ten...2515abrahamlincoln,civilwar,war,warfarefalsefull