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Vivekananda: The Indian Monk Who Introduced Yoga and Meditation to the United States in 1893

If you are one of the 40 million people in the United States who practice yoga, or if you have ever meditated, you have a forgotten Indian monk named Swami Vivekananda to thank. Few thinkers have had so enduring an impact on both Eastern and Western life as him, the…

Parthenon Roundtable: Which Person From History Deserves a Movie?

Who are people from the past whose lives are so cinematic that they deserve their own movie, but haven't received the right silver screen treatment, such as, say, Abraham Lincoln from Steven Spielberg or Napoleon Bonaparte from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Hosts from different shows on the Parthenon Podcast…

Charlie Chaplin vs. America

Charlie Chaplin was the most famous movie star in the world, especially at his height in the 1920s, when the silent film star won the hearts of audience around the globe. But in the aftermath of World War II, Charlie Chaplin was criticized for being politically socialist and internationalist in…

Joe McCartney, the Hydrogen Bomb, and Ten Fateful Months That Kicked Off the Cold War

There’s a good argument to be made that the entire trajectory of the Cold War was set off by ten fateful months of American and global history, between the first Soviet atom bomb test in the late summer of 1949 and the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950.…

The SAS Began as a Lie but Became Britain’s Most Elite WW2 Commando Unit

Created during the World War II, the SAS was a small band of men brought together in the North African desert. They were the toughest and brightest of their cohort, the most resilient, most capable in close combat and most careful in surveillance. Winning approval for this radical new form…

The Messy U.S. College Admissions Process Dates Back to Ivy League Attempts to Limit Jewish Enrollment

Much of what we know about the college admissions process in the United States -- eg. requiring interviews to gauge "character"; seeking diversity of interest; looking for "geographic diversity" – are not timeless features of American higher education. They were actually implemented in the early 20th century to keep their…

Eyewitnesses of History Share Stories of the 1980 Miracle on Ice, Pablo Escobar, Jonestown, and Much More

In this special compilation episode, Josh Cohen of Eyewitness History shares his favorite interview moments and stories from people who witnessed some of history’s most extraordinary events. First up, revisit his conversation with Frank DeAngelis, former principal of Columbine High School, recounting the harrowing events of the 1999 massacre.Apple Podcasts:…

Britain Stole Intelligence from Nazi High Command Via Their British Drinking Buddies

"How might the British have handled Hitler differently?” remains one of history’s greatest "what ifs." Many fault the Neville Chamberlain administration of the 1930s with trying to appease the Fuhrer by any means necessary. But they failed, still got a war, and earned a reputation for cowardice. Or as Winston…

In 1864, Nine Union Officers Escaped from a POW Camp and Trekked 300 Miles to the North

At the height of the Civil War in November 1864, nine Union prisoners-of-war escaped from a Confederate Prison known as Camp Sorghum in Columbia, South Carolina. They scrambled north on foot in rags that had once been uniforms of blue. Traveling in brutal winter conditions more than 300 miles with…

Teddy Roosevelt Nearly Died in a Cavalry Charge Against German Machine Guns in WW1

Teddy Roosevelt faced many challenges at the end of his life. Racked by rheumatism, a ticking embolism, pathogens in his blood, a bad leg from an accident, and a bullet in his chest from an assassination attempt. But none of that stopped Roosevelt from attempting to reassemble the Rough Riders…