Episodes

  • The Backstory: The Female Paul Revere: A Gutsy 16-Year-Old
    Jul 4 2025

    It's the 4th of July . . a perfect time to revisit an unsung hero during the Revolutionary War! We all know about the midnight ride of Paul Revere at the onset of the Revolution. But what about Sybil Ludington . . the female Paul Revere. She was just 16 years old when she made her little known 40 mile ride to warn about approaching British troops in Connecticut.

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    9 mins
  • The Backstory: Michael Jackson, Death Masks, and the CPR Woman
    Jun 27 2025

    Maybe you’ve seen death masks of famous people like King Tut or Napoleon. But the 1888 death mask of a completely unknown teenager in Paris was used to create Resusci-Annie . . the CPR doll. And that inspired one of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits!

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    7 mins
  • The Backstory: The FBI’s Bloodiest Shootout
    Jun 24 2025

    The FBI has had some pretty astounding moments of transformation in its 117-year history. But the bloodiest shootout in its history changed the way they do their job forever. It took place less than 40 years ago.

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    8 mins
  • The Backstory: My Perfect Co-worker . . Is a Baboon
    Jun 20 2025

    Got a co-worker who likes to monkey around at work? Don’t be so quick to give them the thumbs down. There are lots of actual animals that are amazing at jobs most humans can’t do. But this is a story of an official railroad worker who was a real baboon . . literally.

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    7 mins
  • The Backstory: Two Degrees of Separation From George Washington!
    Jun 17 2025

    As hard as it is to believe . . we just lost a guy who’s own grandfather was born in the 1700s and was president 185 years ago! It seems like the math doesn’t work . . but we’ll explain the life story of Harrison Tyler and his grandpa . . President John Tyler.

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    7 mins
  • The Backstory: America’s Biggest False Alarm Causes Mass Hysteria in L.A.
    Jun 13 2025

    Usually when an alarm goes off . . we take a minute to consider the possibilities so we don’t over react. But what if it comes on the heels on a world altering disaster? Can an entire city have PTSD? That’s what L.A. faced just 2 months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

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    8 mins
  • The Backstory: Did Barbed Wire End the Wild West?
    Jun 10 2025

    The Wild West as Hollywood Tells the Story, Was Nothing but Gun Battles and Saloon Girls. But the True Story Is Way More Complex and Fascinating, Although It’s Got Its Share of Gun Battles! Overall, It Was a 30-Year Period That in Many Ways Defines Who We Are in America. But Then . . . How Did Barbed Wire Play a Huge Role in Ending the Wild West?

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    9 mins