Episodes
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Sowing History: The Judean Date Palm’s 2,000 Year Old Comeback
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
For 1,000 years the Judean Date Palm has been extinct, likely wiped out due to human warfare which took a toll on the palm plantations that required copious amount of water and care in the harsh desert environment.
The fruit from this particular species was said to be unusually sweet and was valued for its medicinal properties. Appearing on ancient coins and in ancient texts and given as gifts to Roman emperors, these dates were a symbol of property, beauty, and abundance.
This treasured fruit was lost to history—until two scientists dared to try the ‘impossible.’
In the 1960’s archaeologists excavating at Masada, a fortress built near the Dead Sea by King Herod the Great and used as the last stronghold for Jewish rebels between 70 and 73CE at the end of the first Jewish-Roman war, turned up something surprising—a 2,000-year-old jar of Judean Date Palm seeds.
For 15 years Dr. Elaine Solowey and Dr. Sarah Salon painstakingly germinated and cultivated this species back to life, and in 2020, the ancients world’s favorite date was brought back to life. Join me as we explore one of history’s most incredible comebacks 2,000 years in the making.
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
From the Cache: Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the Coelacanth
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
It was believed the Coelacanth went extinct along with the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago when the Chicxulub impactor smashed into planet Earth…that was until Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the East London Museum, found one in a pile of fish on a dock in South Africa in 1938.
This primordial fish shocked the scientific world when the first-ever living specimen was pulled up by Captain Hendrik Goosen while he was trawling for fish near the mouth of the Chalumna River. The Coelacanth was dubbed a “living fossil” though it was eventually discovered that it had continued to evolve over the last 400 million years. Come hear the story of how one determined scientist saved the world’s first extant Coelacanth specimen, and what exactly makes this strange, ancient species so special.
This episode originally aired two years ago. I hope you enjoy (again)!
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
From the Cache: History’s Happy Little Accidents
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
From the cache! Until an all-new episode premiers this October, please enjoy this recast. Bob Ross, American painter and iconic TV host of the 80s and 90s, famously told us that there are no mistakes, only “happy little accidents.” There are numerous examples of history happening by accident--archaeologists accidentally stumbling upon a find, scientists accidentally discovering a breakthrough--and today we explore four such stories.
First, we travel to 1856 when a teenager accidentally discovered mauve and synthetic dye while he was on vacation, which led to the pioneering of immunology and a Nobel prize. Then we head to 1940s France, when a group of teenagers chasing after a dog accidentally stumbled upon Lascaux cave, one of the greatest prehistoric finds of all time. Then we travel to 1767 to visit the Ayutthaya kingdom just before it was invaded by Burma. Almost 200 years later, a seemingly unremarkable statue pulled from its ruins finally tells its secrets: the Golden Buddha or, Phra Phuttha Maha Suwana Patimakon, is now one of the world’s most famous statues, and if it hadn’t been for an accident in the 1950s, we would all still believe it was made of nothing more than plaster and colored glass. Finally, we skip ahead all the way into the 2000s for a look at some accidental breakthrough MS research.
Come join me as we uncover some of history’s most incredible happy little accidents.
Wednesday May 10, 2023
The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition Part 2: Their Legacy Remains
Wednesday May 10, 2023
Wednesday May 10, 2023
We continue the story of the tragic Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, also known as the Greely Expedition, in the Canadian Arctic. We pick back up and Camp Clay on Cape Sabine after the crew had fled their previous station when their relief ship had failed to arrive a second year in a row.
At their new outpost, the crew finally realized they were on their own for another Arctic winter, one they were not prepared for. Their rations were dwindling and death from starvation came quickly. Most of the crew struggling to survive at Camp Clay would never see home again.
When the few survivors returned after their long-awaited rescue, they were met with scandal. Accusations of cannibalism followed them for the remainder of their lives and the data they died for was virtually dismissed. It sat collecting dust for a century until now, when its importance has finally been recognized.
The data taken by the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition has been used to help us understand how global warming has impacted our planet, and 140 years later, we’ve finally come to understand its importance.
Join me for the finale on the true story of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, as we uncover a 140-year-old legacy that still remains.
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition Part 1: No Way Home
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
In 1881 an expedition to the Arctic led by Lieutenant Adolphus Greely and organized by the US Army set off for Lady Franklin Bay, Canada, well above the Arctic circle. The plan was to establish a temporary meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, a worldwide effort to better understand Earth’s climate by collecting astronomical and magnetic data.
Most of the data was collected by astronomer Edward Israel, a young University of Michigan graduate from Kalamazoo.
Though their mission of data collection was successful, and they would set a record for traveling further north than anyone at the time ever had, this expedition would go down in history as one of the most tragic polar expeditions of all time.
Join me for a true Arctic tale like no other.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Stingy Jack and the Origin of Jack-o’-Lanterns
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
It’s officially Halloween season and chances are you’ve already seen a considerable amount of Jack-o’-Lanterns. Perhaps you’ve even carved one yourself, taking part in a centuries old tradition. But where does this old Celtic custom come from? Today we explore the origins of Jack-o-Lanterns, discuss the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and meet Stingy Jack, the cheeky character who just may be behind the origin of the term ‘Jack-o-Lantern’ itself. Wrap up and grab some cider, today’s history is served up with an extra side of spooky.
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
From the Cache: A Strange Experiment on Mackinac Island
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
From the cache! Until an all-new episode this October, please enjoy this recast on Dr. Beaumont's strange experiment on Mackinac Island.
In 1822 French Canadian Fur Trader Alexis St Martin was shot in the side at a distance of less than one meter. The experiments following his miraculous survival just may be the weirdest piece of history ever seen in the Straits of Mackinac.
The bullet wound left a hole in St Martin’s side giving Dr. William Beaumont the first ever access to a living human stomach. The doctor would tie pieces of food to a silk string and dangle them down into St Martin’s stomach in order to better understand the process of digestion. Nearly 250 experiments were performed over a decade.
Dr. Beaumont’s book on his experiments the paved the way for our understanding of the human gastric system and earned Beaumont the title as the "Father of Gastric Physiology."
St Martin lived his entire life with a bullet hole his side. He was buried in a secret location eight feet below ground with two feet of rocks on his coffin to deter grave robbers from stealing his corpse or his stomach, which was highly sought after when he died.
Come hear the true story of Dr. William Beaumont and Alexis St Martin in this extra strange episode of the History Cache Podcast.
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Joe Carstairs: The Fastest Woman on Water Part 1
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Joe Carstairs is remembered for being the fastest woman on water in the 1920s. She raced power boats, won trophies, and loved adventure and speed. But her life was so much more than races and fast machines. Born in 1900, Joe was a British eccentric, an heiress, openly a lesbian, and shed many gender conformities of her day.
She served with the American Red Cross in France during WW1, established the X Garage, a chauffeuring business employing a staff of all female drivers and mechanics who had learned their skills while serving during the war, and after receiving some notoriety from racing, Joe bought Whale Cay, an Island in the Bahamas, which she ran almost as if it were her own country.
Her life was so full and colorful it became clear early on that this would have to be a two-part series. This is part one of a deep dive into the relentlessly fascinating life of Joe Carstairs, the fastest woman on water.
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Historic Pranks
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Laughter is a universal language and today we celebrate humor through the ages by exploring three historic pranks. The first involves Anthemius of Tralles, one of the main architects involved in building the Hagia Sophia and a genius who really knew how to hold a grudge. Then we skip ahead several handfuls of centuries to uncover the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 when a newspaper editor for The Sun ignited a hoax that had everyone looking to the moon for bipedal beavers, bat-like humanoids, and even a unicorn. After that we head to the 1950s near Atlanta, Georgia where three guys, a $10 bet, a fake UFO sighting, and one unfortunate "Monkey from Mars" show us just how quickly a prank can go too far.
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
600 Years of Animals Put on Trial
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
Wednesday Sep 22, 2021
We’ve been putting animals on trial probably as long as we’ve been putting one another on trial. In this episode we examine several animal trials spanning nearly a 600-year period. We cover six trials extending over three continents: A monkey in Hartlepool accused of espionage, a murderous pig in Savigny, a group of slugs who just wouldn’t listen, a circus elephant in Tennessee we should never forget, a bear who served time with good behavior in Kazakhstan, and a rooster (or basilisk depending on whom you ask) in Basel, Switzerland, burned at the stake for laying an egg. Grab you gavels and get ready to travel on this sometimes whimsical, sometimes sad, and constantly strange episode exploring the history of animals put on trial.
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the Coelacanth
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
Wednesday Sep 01, 2021
It was believed the Coelacanth went extinct along with the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago when the Chicxulub impactor smashed into planet Earth…that was until Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the East London Museum, found one in a pile of fish on a dock in South Africa in 1938. This ancient fish surprised the scientific world when the first living specimen was pulled up by Captain Hendrik Goosen while he was trawling for fish near the mouth of the Chalumna River. The Coelacanth was dubbed a “living fossil” though it was eventually discovered that it has evolved over the last 400 million years. Come hear the story of how the determined Marjorie saved the world’s first extant Coelacanth specimen, and what exactly makes this strange, ancient species so special.
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
The Real Scorpion King
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
Wednesday Jul 21, 2021
Over 5,200 years ago a king rose to power in Upper Egypt. His name was Scorpion. Yes, there was a real Scorpion king, and we can piece together a fragmentary picture of his life through the archaeological evidence left behind. Though the details of his life are debated, it’s clear he was an important part of Egyptian history. Come join me as we time travel back to predynastic Egypt and meet the legendary Scorpion King.
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
The Shark Attacks of 1916
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Decades before the movie phenomenon of Jaws, our fear of sharks was ignited by a series of real shark attacks that all occurred within a 12-day period in the summer of 1916. Before these attacks along the New Jersey shore, many believed sharks were not capable of killing or attacking humans. This week we sift through the lore to find the real history surrounding the five attacks-and four deaths-that kindled our fascination with these animals. We also discuss how the shark mania that spread out from the 1916 attacks and the sensational film Jaws, has given sharks a reputation as blood thirsty killers, and how that mentality is shifting the more we learn about these incredible animals. Let’s jump into the water with some of history’s most famous sharks.
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
History is weird sometimes. In this first episode of a two-part series, we discuss historical oddities, and highlight some of the most curious events and people history has to offer. Today we begin with Frank Hayes, an unstoppable jockey, and Sweet Kiss, a bay mare no one was betting on. She and her jockey would make history with one race—but not because of their victory. Then we skip across the pond to find the unsinkable Violet Jessop, a woman who survived three of the 20th century’s most harrowing shipwrecks. South Africa is our last stop where we find Jack the Baboon who was better at his job working for the Cape Town Port Elizabeth Railway service than most of us are today. Plug in and get weird!
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Clever Hans: The Horse That Outsmarted Everyone
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
We know that a lot of our communication happens not just through words, but through facial expressions, tone, and body language too. This can cause a researcher to unintentionally influence the person or animal they are examining. There are ways of getting around this-double blind studies are one way-where neither the researcher nor the subject knows if they are in a control or experimental group. But where did our understanding of subtle cues come from? Well, they came from a particularly clever horse. Clever Hans, a horse who took the media by storm in the early 1900s. Clever Hans was wowing the world with his ability to calculate numbers, identify musical tones, and ace any test thrown his way. His trainer, retired school teacher Wilhelm Van Osten, taught this horse as he would have a human child in front of a chalkboard and a counting machine in his backyard for years. Van Osten and the world truly believed Clever Hans was capable of extraordinary things. And he was…it just wasn’t what they had all suspected. Little did they know, they were all being outsmarted by one clever horse.
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 2: A Short History on Being Buried Alive
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
The finale of our miniseries comes to a close as we cover several real historical instances of people actually being buried along with a few who had some uncomfortable close calls. We hear about the incredible case of Mathew Wall and find out why on October 2nd for the last 450 years or so, the town of Braughing in Hertfordshire has celebrated “Old Man’s Day.” We learn about the curious cases of Nicephorous Glycas from Lesbos and Anne Green from Oxfordshire who nearly made it to their own funerals and/or dissections. We learn about Alice Blunden and why you should always check twice, maybe even three times, before you bury someone. After that we hear about the unfortunate case of Anna Hockwalt in 19th century Dayton, Ohio, before making a pit stop in France to visit Angelo Hays and find out just what a toilet was doing in a coffin in the 1970’s.
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 1: A History of Death Tests and Safety Coffins
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
It’s Halloween season, and that means it’s time for some spooky history. And what is spookier than being buried alive? Nothing really, and that’s where this two-part miniseries is headed. Today in Part 1 we cover taphophobia-the fear of being buried alive-and examine some of the ways we’ve dealt with this fear throughout history. Safety coffins, devices built to save the prematurely buried, and the death tests we used to determine if a person was really, completely dead, are showcased. Edgar Allen Poe, Houdini, and some ill-fated escape artists even make an appearance. If you love the macabre, you don’t want to miss this one. Come get your spook on.
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
A Strange Experiment: Dr. William Beaumont and the 'Guinea Pig' of Mackinac Island.
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
In 1822 on Mackinac Island, French Canadian Fur Trader Alexis St Martin was shot in the side at a distance of less than one meter. The experiments following his miraculous survival just may be the weirdest piece of history ever seen in the Straits of Mackinac.
The bullet wound left a hole in St Martin’s side giving Dr. William Beaumont the first ever access to a living human stomach. The doctor would tie pieces of food to a silk string and dangle them down into St Martin’s stomach in order to better understand the process of digestion. But the experiments didn’t stop there. Nearly 250 experiments were performed over nearly a decade.
Dr. Beaumont’s book on the experiments first published in 1833 entitled “Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion” paved the way for our understanding of the human gastric system and earned Beaumont the title of Father of Gastric Physiology.
St Martin lived his entire life with a bullet hole his side, which became a gastric fistula, or “passageway” that never closed. He was buried in a secret location eight feet below ground with two feet of rocks on his coffin to deter grave robbers from stealing his corpse or his stomach, which was highly sought after when he died.
Come hear the true story of Dr. William Beaumont and Alexis St Martin in this extra strange episode of the History Cache Podcast.
Wednesday May 13, 2020
The Prehistory of Compassion and the Search for Human Happiness
Wednesday May 13, 2020
Wednesday May 13, 2020
This week we travel back in time 430,000 years to find some of the first examples of compassion in the fossil record. This time we fuse psychology and science with history as we discuss why compassion exists, its potential health benefits, the consequences of stress, fight or flight, and what that all has to do with human happiness. This one packs a scientific punch as we turn up the nerd level to 11.
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
The First Robot
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Robots have revolutionized our world and are continuing to do so at an exponential rate. But what was the first robot? Who invented it? What will the future of robotics look like? And what happens when robots kill? This episode examines the evolution of robots, the history behind them, our fear of them, and where it all might be headed.
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 5 of 5
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
The finale is here! Come find out just how one of the most inspiring stories of human endurance ended. We head back to Antarctica and watch the crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition make history as Shackleton attempts one last desperate attempt at a rescue mission. This episode has all the answers you've been waiting for.
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 4 of 5
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
In 1914 the 28 member crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. It is now the beginning of 1916. Their ship has been crushed, they've been stranded on the ice with no way out, and they've taken to the boats in a last ditch effort to escape the ice melting beneath them. In Part 4 we hear what happens next as they head for the yet unexplored Elephant Island, and Shackleton with a sets out on an 820 mile open boat journey on the roughest sea passage in the world to either find rescue, or doom them all to an icy grave.
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 3 of 5
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
In Part 3 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, we join the stranded crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914, who have been stranded on the ice now for well over a year. Their ship has been crushed, starvation and madness have begun to set in, and they've been trapped by the ice and sea with no way out. In this episode, we watch as they make a desperate escape attempt while the ice splits beneath them, before heading out towards the unknown on the open sea.
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
The Screaming Mummies of Guanajuato and a Horde of Egyptian Cats
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
In this two story episode we travel to Guanajuato, Mexico, and discover a cache of mummies that were literally evicted from their graves. Then we head to Beni Hassan, Egypt, where a farmer digging a well in 1888 accidentally stumbled upon one of the largest hoards of cat mummies ever found, and, possibly, an ancient, illegal crime ring of cat killers (seriously). We also meet Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess that started it all.
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
The First Monsters
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
In this episode we explore history's first monsters. From the prehistoric beasts that stalked our ancestors to the first mythological oral traditions, then to the first ancient written accounts through the modern day; this is the history of what scares us. What were the first monsters, why do we fear them, and why do we need them? Let's find out and examine the first things that appeared from the darkness.
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 2 of 5
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
In Part 2 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, the crew of the Endurance find themselves frozen fast in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind what happens to the human mind during the long Polar Night as we join the crew on the next leg of their journey. Disaster, heartbreak, and uncanny resilience unfold in this second chapter before the finale of Part 3.
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 1 of 5
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
In 1914 the crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, they believed their journey would bring them adventure, scientific discovery, and fame. What actually unfolded would become one of the greatest stories of human endurance the world has ever seen. Crushed by ice, lost, and wandering at the bottom of the world, they would harrow the most severe environment on Earth as they gave everything to make it home again. Come hear the story of the Trans Antarctic Expedition and the polar explorers that colored in the last pieces of the world's map.
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
History Byte: Animal Astronauts
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Come and meet Ham the astronaut chimp and discover how the animal astronauts of history just may have saved us all. Also featuring Space Dogs and one phenomenal Astro Cat for an episode that's literally out of this world.
Friday Aug 30, 2019