Everything Everywhere Daily

Located in an arch sweeping to the east and south of the Marina Islands and Guam is the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. 

Running over 2,500 kilometers or 1,200 miles, the very deepest part of the trench is known as Challenger Deep. 

At the very bottom of the sea, there is no light, temperatures are almost freezing, and the pressure is enough to crush almost anything that might make it down there.  

It is so inhospitable that the number of people who have ever been there is about the number who have walk...

In the 13th century, a French knight came forward and displayed what he claimed was the burial cloth of Jesus Christ.

Almost immediately, its authenticity was challenged by religious authorities. 

In the centuries that followed, it became an object of fascination, curiosity, veneration, and controversy.

Finally, after centuries of conflicting opinions, scientists were allowed access to the cloth to date it, but even that didn’t end the debate.

Learn more about the Shroud of Turin and its history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Finland. 

The Soviet Union forced the Finns to sue for peace after three months of fighting, and on paper, one could conclude that the Soviets won. 

However, despite the supposed military victory, the Soviets' performance and the resistance they faced severely damaged their reputation as a military force to be taken seriously. 

It was something that other European leaders took notice of. 

Learn about the Winter War on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the years following the end of the Second World War, the post-war world that many in the West hoped for never materialized. 

Their former ally, the Soviet Union, turned from friend to foe. They installed puppet communist governments in all of the countries they occupied when pushing their way to Germany, and now the concern was that the Soviets would try to take over the rest of Europe. 

In response, twelve nations in Western Europe and North America joined together in a military alliance, the likes of which hadn’t been seen before in hist...

In November 1989, the world changed when the Berlin Wall came down, marking the beginning of the unraveling of the Iron Curtain.

Almost a month later, on December 16, 1989, Romania faced a sudden revolution that led to the fall of its central government in just over a week. 

While Romania was one of many Eastern European Communist countries that revolted in 1989, the revolution there, unlike those in other countries, was violent and deadly. 

Learn more about the 1989 Romanian Revolution and how it unfolded on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Around 12,900 years ago, the last ice age was ending. Things were warming up, and the glaciers were starting to recede. …and then something happened. 

For about 1,200 years, the climate reversed and got colder again. 

When this cooling trend ended and the ice age was finally over, it also happened to coincide with the rise of agriculture and human civilization. 

Learn more about the Younger Dryas, some of its possible causes, and how it impacted humanity on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Almost everyone has had popcorn and some of you have even probably had some recently.

Popcorn can be made at home, can be purchased pre packaged in stores, and has been tightly associated with movie theaters. 

Yet, despite seeming like a rather modern snack, popcorn has actually been around for thousands of years. It exists because of a unique attribute of corn.

Learn about the history of popcorn and how it has become one of the most popular snacks in the world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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One of the biggest advances in space flight right now is happening with the development of Starship.

Starship is the largest rocket ever flown, but it is fundamentally different than all other rockets that have come before it. Its intent is to be fully reusable. 

This has the potential to completely revolutionize spaceflight and dramatically reduce the cost of bringing cargo to orbit. 

We aren’t there yet, but we’re getting close.

Learn more about Starship and its latest advancements on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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After years of war throughout the continent of Europe, in 1814, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated and was exiled to the small island of Elba off the coast of Italy. 

The European powers thought that they had seen the last of Napoleon. However, they were wrong. 

He came back and, in a shockingly short period of time, regained control of France and its army. 

Learn more about Napoleon’s 100 Days and the last gasp of the Emperor of the French on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1966, the People’s Republic of China entered what became one of the most tumultuous periods in its history. 

In a spasm of revolutionary upheaval primarily led by students, almost everyone in the country, including high-ranking communist officials, was a potential target for public humiliation, denunciations, torture, and hard labor. 

The result was an entire generation of Chinese whose educations and careers were lost, and who vowed never to let political extremism run amok again.

Learn more about the Cultural Revolution, what caused it, and what its purpose was on this episode of Ever...

In the mid-19th century, the French Emperor Napoleon III requested the creation of a product similar to butter but cheaper. 

The result was dubbed margarine. 

Over the years, the ingredients that made up margarine changed radically, all the while becoming closer to butter in both looks and consistency. 

However, it has faced resistance almost its entire life, and at times it was outright banned. 

Learn more about margarine, why it was created, and its odd history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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1968 marked the beginning of one of the most infamous killing sprees in American history.

For two years, Northern California was terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders. It wasn’t just the killings that terrorized people; it was the fact that the killer taunted the police and the media through a series of cryptic letters sent to newspapers. 

Over 50 years later, the case still hasn’t been closed and remains one of the most notorious unsolved crimes in American history. 

Learn about the Zodiac Killer, what we know, and speculation surrounding it on thi...

On September 2, 31 BC, one of the most important battles in history took place off the coast of Greece. 

The forces of Octavian, the posthumously adopted son of Julius Caesar, squared off against the forces of Mark Antony, the former right-hand man of Julius Caesar. 

After having been partners in ruling Rome for years, the two developed irreconcilable differences that had to be resolved on the battlefield. 

The outcome of the battle influenced the course of the Roman Empire for centuries. 

Learn more about the Battle of Actium, what caused it, and how...

Every year, the Nobel Prize committee awards the Nobel Prize in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel. 

Save for the years where there have been world wars, the prize has been given annually since 1901. 

The 2025 prizes have just been announced, and each recipient has made a unique contribution for which they have been recognized.

Learn more about the 2025 Nobel Prize recipients and the work that they were recognized for on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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If you look at the grand sweep of human history, there are centuries where seemingly little happens, and there are decades where centuries take place. 

The first 25 years of the 20th century were one of the most intense periods of change in history. 

Empires fell, social norms were overturned, science and technology made radical advances, and the world experienced its greatest war ever. 

Learn more about the world in the year 1925 and how much it changed since 1900 on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On January 16, 1919, the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed. It banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. 

The path to the 18th Amendment was something that was almost a century in the making, and once it was passed, it was widely ignored both illegally and through numerous legal loopholes. 

Finally, after being in place for almost 14 years, it was repealed with overwhelming popular support using a constitutional method that has never been used before or since.

Learn more about prohibition, how it came about, and how it ended on this ep...

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit is one of the best-known and most important units within the bureau. 

The use of profiling and psychology to apprehend criminals has revolutionized how we understand and identify them.

It has also been the subject of popular TV shows, such as Criminal Minds and Mindhunter, and movies like The Silence of the Lambs. 

However, it is not without controversy. In fact, there are some people who think it doesn’t work at all.

Learn about the development of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit and how agen...

Many filmmakers are known for small signatures that they always put inside their films. Alfred Hitchcock always used himself in a cameo. George Lucas always found a way to integrate the number 1138. Quentin Tarrentio almost always mentions the fictional "Big Kahuna Burger."

And Stan Lee, of course, has found his way into every Marvel Movie.

However, there is one film signature that is shared by a wide range of movie makers and has appeared in hundreds of films. You’ve probably come across it even if you didn’t realize it.

Learn more abou...

When computers were first created, they were enormous.
They would often take up the better part of a building, and they consumed large amounts of energy. 

Despite the size of these early computers, some people saw a future where computers would shrink down small enough that they could fit inside a person’s home. 

Some thought that idea was ridiculous. Not only was that prediction true, but it changed everything. 

Learn more about the history of personal computing and how it developed on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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In the midst of the Great Depression, the City of St. Louis wanted to create a monument to the city’s role in the westward expansion of the United States and general waterfront improvement.

It took thirty years, but they eventually created their monument with the assistance of the Federal Government. When it was completed, it was a structure like no other on Earth. 

It was a 660-foot-tall freestanding stainless steel arch. It required innovations not just in design and architecture, but in materials, construction, and even elevators. 

Learn more about the Gate...

Bhutan is a small country sitting in the heart of the Himalayas.

Best known for its stunning location and its connection to Buddhism, Bhutan was one of the most isolated and undeveloped countries in the world. 

However, over the last 20 years, it has experienced rapid development and has taken steps to integrate itself into the global community. In the process, they have introduced several policies that are not found anywhere else. 

Learn about the history and development of Bhutan on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Every day, everyone who uses the internet uses the Domain Name System.

The key to the domain name system lies in the highest level of the system, the top-level domains. These are the domains such as .com, .org, and .net.

While you are probably very familiar with a few of these, there are actually a lot more. A whole lot more. 

A lucky few top-level domain name holders actually managed to hit the jackpot. 

Learn more about top-level domain names and how they are organized and distributed on this episode of Ev...

For thousands of years, humans all around the world have coveted gemstones. 

Gemstones have been used as symbols of authority by kings, queens, and emperors, have been central to religious ceremonies, and have served as adornments for the wealthy. 

While you may have heard of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, what exactly are they, and where do they come from?

Learn more about gemstones, what they are and how they’ve been used throughout history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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The rise of civilization is one of the most remarkable and important moments in human history. 

However, it didn’t happen one time in one place. It occurred multiple times in multiple locations.  

Historians and archaeologists have identified six distinct civilizations that developed independently of one another, all of which have, in one way or another, contributed to the civilization we live in today. 

Learn more about the six cradles of civilization, what they were, and how they developed on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1803, one of the most significant real estate transactions in world history occurred. 

France, under Napoleon Bonepart, sold approximately 530 million acres of territory in the middle of North America to the newly founded United States.

The reasons for France's selling and the United States' buying were varied, and they attracted considerable controversy on both sides of the Atlantic.In the end, however, some deals are just too good to pass up.

Learn more about the Louisiana Purchase, the reasons behind it, and how it shaped history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Duration: 00:16:48

On January 20, 1942, one of the most infamous meetings in human history took place.

Fifteen of the top-ranking Nazi officials gathered in the Berlin Suburb of Wannsee to come up with the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.”

They discussed who would be eliminated and how, without the slightest hint of emotion. 

In around ninety minutes, the fate of millions was decided.

Learn about the Wannsee Conference and how the “Final Solution” was enacted on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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October is here. Up here in the northern hemisphere, the leaves are changing color, the air is cooler, and suddenly, pumpkin spice is appearing in everything. 

Retailers are putting up Halloween decorations way too early. Desiccated stalks of corn and pumpkins are showing up in places where they have no reason to be.

However, one thing that makes sense this month is your questions and my answers. 

Stay tuned for the 35th installment of questions and answers on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Even if you are not a fan, you are likely familiar with classical music to some extent. 

You’ve heard it in movies, television commercials, and sometimes in concerts. 

It has been around for centuries and can still be heard today, but it has been surpassed in popularity by many different types of music. 

However, many people are intimidated by it because it is so different from the music they are used to.

If that is you, fear not. I am here to help. 

Learn more about classical music and th...

Over the last several centuries, one of the weapons that has defined warfare has been artillery. 

It was used in the conquest of Constantinople by ships on the high seas, reached its apex during the First World War, and is still being used today. 

What has allowed this weapon to remain in use for so long is technological advancements, which have made artillery more accurate, powerful, and deadly. 

Learn more about cannons and artillery and how they evolved and shaped warfare over the centuries on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

S...

In the decades prior to the outbreak of the US Civil War, abolitionists had been ratcheting up their efforts to end the institution of slavery. 

The battle was fought mainly through politics and persuasion, but some were not satisfied with a peaceful approach and felt that more active means were necessary.

One abolitionist stands above others in his willingness to use violence to end the institution of slavery: John Brown. 

Learn about John Brown and his radical abolitionism on this episode of Everything Everywhere Da...

The world as we know it is made up of 193 countries, Antarctica, and a host of territories.
However, between all of those places are the high seas or international waters, which are not controlled by anyone. 

But where do international waters begin? What can you do in international waters? And how close can you actually sail to another country?

Learn more about the Law of the Sea, how it was created, and what it stipulates on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Sometime in the last 24 hours, most of you have used soap or detergent, either directly or indirectly. 

Soap, like many other things, was most likely discovered by accident thousands of years ago. 

Fast forward to today, and these products are used for cleaning almost everything, from our bodies to cars to dishes. 

Soaps and detergents, despite being similar products that serve similar purposes, approach their tasks slightly differently and are used in different circumstances.

Learn more about soap and detergent, how they were developed, and how they work on this episode of...

In the late 19th century, during the scramble for Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized a large landmass in Central Africa. 

By doing this, he created the Congo Free State, but this name was a misnomer as it was anything but free. 

King Leopold’s rule over the Congo Free State was defined by tales of brutality, horrific conditions, and massive amounts of death. 

Learn about King Leopold’s Congo Free State on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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Prisoners of war or POWs during the 20th century were a part of war.

Beligerant nations had to develop systems to guard, house, and feed their prisoners, and before the war, in 1929, most countries had agreed on how prisoners would be treated in captivity.

In reality, conditions for POWs differed dramatically, particularly for captured German soldiers. Those captured by the Soviets faced a far different fate than those captured by the Americans or British. 

Learn more about German POWs who were held in the United States, what they experienced, and how it s...

Almost immediately after the death of George Washington in 1799, the United States began to think of ways to commemorate and honor the father of the country. 

The process of creating a monument took decades. There were multiple aborted designs and one idea that was built but never fully implemented. 

What ended up being constructed became the world’s tallest structure at the time and became the icon that defines the city of Washington, DC.

Learn more about the Washington Monument, why it was built, and how on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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The country of Czechoslovakia was born and died in the 20th century. 

It was created after a war, suffered through another war, was occupied during the Cold War, and was finally liberated in 1989. 

Once it did become free of Soviet Rule, they decided that maybe they should never have been made into a country in the first place. 

Unlike almost every country that came before it, it managed to dissolve without any violence. 

Learn more about Czechoslovakia, the Velvet Revolution, and the Velvet Divorce on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

On May 31, 1970, one of the most devastating disasters in Peruvian history occurred. 

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit just off the coast of Peru, creating the most catastrophic natural disaster in the country's history.  

The “Ancash” or “Great Peruvian Earthquake” not only caused disastrous short-term loss of life, but also had long-term impacts that shaped multiple spheres of Peruvian life for years to come. 

Learn about the Ancash Earthquake and its devastating impact on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Sometime around 11,000 years ago, somewhere in the Middle East or Central Asia, someone figured out how they could keep wild sheep and breed them. 

This simple act had enormous consequences for humanity. It improved food production, revolutionized the production of clothing, and even influenced the development of writing. 

Fast forward over 10,000 years, and sheep are still a significant part of the economies of several nations. 

Learn more about the domestication of sheep and how it changed human civilization on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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The Vietnam War was perhaps the most significant event that took place in the last half of the 20th century. 

It had profound impacts on the United States and, of course, Vietnam.

However, many people have a very simplistic view of the causes of the war. They assume it was just a result of Cold War politics. While that was certainly a cause, the root causes go back much further. 

Learn more about the origins of the Vietnam War and how and why it happened on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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The year 1900 was a pivotal year in world history. It was the end of the 19th century and on the cusp of the 20th century. 

Many of the technical advances that would come to define the next 100 years were just being unleashed. 

Social and economic changes were unfolding that would revolutionize the world. The changes that the world had seen in the 19th century were only a taste of what would come over the next century. 

Learn more about the world in the year 1900 and how the world had changed over the last 50 yea...

On January 15, 1947, a young woman was found dead in Los Angeles, California. 

She was found naked, cut in half, and drained of blood. 

When the crime was reported in the newspaper, the woman received a nickname, the Black Dahlia. 

Though the case has been cold for the better part of a century, the murder of the Black Dahlia has remained one of the most well-known true crime cases in America and still fascinates people to this day.

Learn about the murder of the Black Dahlia, potential, and the media frenzy surrounding the...

One of the most essential aspects of archeology is dating objects found in the past, and one of the most critical tools in dating historic objects is dendochronology. 

Dendrochronology, also called tree-ring dating, is a scientific method used to determine the age of wood and reconstruct past environmental conditions by analyzing growth rings in trees.

However, it isn’t just a matter of counting tree rings; there is a science to it that has allowed us to understand a great deal about our past. 

Learn more about dendrochronology, how it works, and how it i...

A long time ago in a city far, far away….

A young director with several films under his belt had an idea for a movie. His idea was to create a modern version of an old space adventure film like Flash Gordon. 

He wrote a story that would cover several films, negotiated a groundbreaking contract, and in the process, completely changed the film industry. 

Learn more about Star Wars and how this movie revolutionized movie-making and the movie industry on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Located above 66°33? Latitude North is the region we call the Arctic. 

The Arctic is unlike any other environment on Earth, even the Antarctic. It is sparsely populated and has unique wildlife and a biome that can’t be found anywhere else. 

It is completely dark in the winter and the sun never sets in the summer…and of course, it is really cold

Learn more about the Arctic and what makes it so special on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the third century BC, Rome faced its greatest enemy.

One man, a Carthaginian general named Hannibal Barca, led an army into the Italian peninsula and terrorized Rome for over a decade, despite having fewer resources and fighting on Rome's home turf. 

He handed the Roman Republic many of its most humiliating defeats and, in the process, developed a reputation as the greatest general in the ancient world.

Learn about the Second Punic War and Hannibal’s campaign against Rome on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

In 1977, NASA took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the planets to send two probes to the outermost reaches of the solar system. 

They sent back the best images and data yet available about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 

The program was a smashing success.

However, the probes didn’t stop traveling. They kept going and going, all the while maintaining contact with Earth. They ended up teaching us far more about the Solar System than we ever expected.

Learn more about the never-ending Voyager Program and how spacecraft half a cent...

On April 15, 1452, a child was born, the illegitimate son of a peasant woman and a local notary in the village of Vinci, which was then part of the Republic of Florence. 

Given his illegitimate status, no one expected much of the young man, so he was apprenticed in the studio of a local artist. 

He would go on to become, not just one of the world’s greatest artists, but one of the earliest engineers and proto-scientists of the Renaissance. 

He made such a lasting impact that his name has become known around the w...

On October 13, 1972, a fight transporting a Uruguayan rugby club crashed into the Andes Mountains. 

For the following 72 days, survivors of the crash were stranded in the ice and snow, forced to survive in sub-zero temperatures, battling starvation and avalanches. 

Desperate to escape the mountains, two of the crash survivors trekked across the harsh terrain for 10 days, eventually finding rescue for the remaining survivors. 

Learn more about the survival of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On February 22, 1946, George F. Kennan, a career diplomat working in the American embassy in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word cable to the State Department in Washington.In it, he explained why the Soviet Union behaved as it did, outlining its unique combination of a communist ideology and historical Russian paranoia and suspicion. 

He also gave a prescription for how the United States should respond.

Although he couldn’t have known it at the time, that message became the foundation for American policy during the Cold War. 

Learn more about the Long Telegram and how it i...

You may have noticed, on occasion, that friends you have from totally different parts of your life sometimes know each other. 

It often comes as a surprise, but it actually shouldn’t. It turns out that the world is highly connected via personal relationships. 

In fact, it has been suggested that any two people in the world are only six degrees apart from each other via friends of friends of a friend.

In some special cases, this can actually be measured and can even make for a fun game. 

Learn more about...

For thousands of years, many theories have been put forward as to the cause of communicable diseases. 

These theories ranged from the religious to the magical and sometimes quasiscientific, but what they all had in common was that there was no proof for anything. 

Over the centuries, these theories became dogma and often prevented a better understanding of diseases. It wasn’t until the 19th century that we got a clear picture of what the cause actually was.

Learn more about the germ theory of disease and why it took so long to reco...

Adolf Hitler was unquestionably one of the evil people, not just of the 20th century, but in all of history. 

His very name has become a metaphor for someone bad or someone you want to associate with someone horrible. 

However, he was a person, and as such, he had parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews.

How did they deal with being related to the most infamous person in the world, and what exactly do you do when you have the last name Hitler?

Learn more about Hitler’s family and how they deal...

In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh established an English colony on an island in what is today the state of North Carolina.

After a slow start, over 100 people moved to the island to start a new life and establish this English outpost at the edge of the new world. 

When a ship returned to the colony in 1590, what they found shocked them and began a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

Learn more about the Lost Colony of Roanoke and the puzzle that still challenges historians on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Duration: 00:13:58

The Ivory Coast, or as it is officially known, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country located on West Africa’s southern coast. It is a small nation known for its agricultural production. 

Despite its small size, the Ivory Coast is one of the most populous countries in West Africa, with a population of 31.5 million, and roughly 78 different languages are spoken.

Despite recent political upheaval, it has become one of the economic bright spots in Africa.

Learn more about the Ivory Coast, its fascinating history, and what makes the country unique on t...

The English language is weird. 

We have words that are spelled the same but sound different. We have words that are spelled differently but sound the same. 

We have words that sound nothing like how they are spelled, and a host of exceptions that you just have to know and remember.

…and then for some reason, we have totally different arbitrary words for different groups of animals. In fact, we have a lot of those words.

Learn more about the words we have for groups of animals and why they exist on t...

Everything we know in the world is ultimately dependent on energy. Energy fuels our bodies as well as our civilization. Energy is literally everywhere and all around us.

Yet for the longest time, we had no idea what energy really was. It wasn’t until relatively recently that scientists had a grasp on energy as a concept, and once they did, they unlocked the related concepts of work and power. 

Learn more about energy, work, and power, what they are, and how they are different from each other on this episode of Everything Everywhere Dai...

September is upon us. It means going back to school and the autumnal equinox. 

The days get shorter in the north and longer in the south.
The name September means sevenths, even though it is now the 9th month of the year.
Most importantly, it is the time when you have questions and I have answers.

Stay tuned for the 34th installment of questions and answers on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the first century, Rome underwent a major political transition when the Emperor Nero died after being declared an enemy of Rome by the senate. 

With his death, the Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an end, ushering in a period known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

For the common people, many of them simply didn’t believe that Nero was dead. In fact, many thought that he would one day return. 

Learn more about the Nero redivivus phenomenon, Pseudo-Neros, and how the death of Nero was felt for centuries on this episode of E...

Between 1706 and 1718, a group of pirates established a haven in the Bahamas. 

Using a code and system of rules that they developed themselves, the pirates created their own forms of self-governance to maintain order within a society that was otherwise lawless. 

This community grew into a community of thousands of pirates before the British put an end to it.

Learn more about the Republic of Pirates and how it functioned on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1972, the Olympics returned to Germany for the first time since being hosted in Berlin in 1936.

The Games were intended to present a new image of West Germany, one that would reject the image portrayed at the previous Nazi-hosted Games and showcase a modern, peaceful nation.

That didn’t happen.

Instead, it became known for a terrorist attack on the Israeli Olympic team, which led to the death of eleven athletes and coaches, and one German police officer.

Learn about the 1972 Olympics and the Munich Massacre on this episode of Everything Ev...

In the 1980s, an Englishman by the name of Maurice Ward developed a  material which he claimed could withstand temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius. Not only could the material withstand high temperatures, but it could also protect anything in proximity from high temperatures. 

This product didn’t result in a revolution in material science. In fact, it was never produced at all, and in the end, the secret to its creation died with its inventor.

Learn more about Maurice Ward and the creation of Starlite and why it was never developed on this episode of E...

Starting in the late 1970s and lasting for seventeen years, a series of bombings terrorized the American public. 

Primarily targeting technology companies and universities, these attacks befuddled law enforcement officials for almost two decades. The bomber became one of the most wanted criminals in the history of American law enforcement. 

When he was finally caught, the perpetrator wasn’t quite who anyone expected. 

Learn about the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, and his reign of terror on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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In 1968, the colony of Spanish Guinea was granted independence and became the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. 

In its first open election, which turned out to be its last, it elected as president Francisco Macías Nguema.

He very quickly turned out to be a dictator. However, he wasn’t just a dictator. He became one of the worst dictators of the 20th century. 

Learn more about Francisco Macías Nguema, his reign of terror, and how he single-handedly wrecked Equatorial Guinea on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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In the year 54, the Roman Emperor Claudius died, and his adopted son Nero became the Emperor of Rome at the age of 16. 

His reign was one of the most infamous in history, and over 2000 years after he came to power, his name is still used to invoke the image of a cruel ruler and a despot.

But what exactly made him so bad, and was he really as bad as the legends say?
Learn more about Emperor Nero and why his reign became so infamous on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

Sp...

We have all looked at a map and seen all of the different countries represented by different colors. A country has some sort of border, and everything inside that border is what makes up the country. 

However, there are some exceptions. There are exclaves, which are bits of a country that are separated from the main landmass, and enclaves, which are parts of a country totally surrounded by another country. 

Why in the world would such odd arrangements ever exist?

Learn more about the exclaves of Europe and the odd circumstances that created th...

At the end of the 15th century, Spain had almost completed the Reconquista and the removal of the Caliphate in the Iberian Peninsula, ending centuries of Islamic rule.

One of the first things they did was usher in an attempt to unify and purify the country as a Catholic one, rather than a multi-religious one. 

After receiving permission from the Pope, the Spanish monarchy persecuted hundreds of thousands of people for the crime of not being Catholic.

Learn about why the Spanish Inquisition occurred and common misconceptions surrounding the event on this episode o...

Strategically located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, with access to Europe, Asia, and Africa, is the island of Cyprus. 

Cyprus has a history that goes back as far as civilization itself, and it has had a history with almost every major civilization and empire around the Mediterranean.. 

Its history isn’t just a relic of the ancient world. It has remained strategically important and a source of conflict to the present day. 

Learn more about Cyprus and its deep history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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The 19th century was one of rapid technological advancement. 

Of all of the innovations to come out of this century, and there were many, perhaps none was more important than that of the telephone. 

The telephone radically changed communications, allowing personal communications over long distances. 

Despite what many people are often told, this invention wasn’t simply the genius of one man, but was rather something developed over decades. 

Learn more about the invention of the telephone and the controversial story surrounding it on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the early 20th century, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra, welcomed a homeless monk into their home. 

As this scruff, unkempt-looking man became closer to the royal family, he seemingly performed miracles, predicted the future, and cured illnesses. 

He starts to gain influence over the Imperial Family, too much influence for comfort. 

So, a group of nobles decided that he needed to be eliminated. However, that proved to be much easier said than done.

Learn about Rasputin, the magical man who wouldn’t die, on this...

One of the most important and least understood sources of energy in the world today is nuclear power. 

Nuclear power has an energy density tens of millions of times greater than fossil fuels and has one of the most impressive safety records of any energy source. 

Yet, for decades, controversy has surrounded it and has hindered its adoption.

Learn more about nuclear power and how it works on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Between 1830 and 1850, the United States forcibly displaced 60,000 Native Americans living in the Southern United States under the ‘Indian Removal Act.’

While being moved, thousands would die due to starvation, disease, and exposure. 

Its impact has led some scholars to classify the event as a genocide. Regardless of how it is classified, it remains one of the greatest tragedies in American history.

Learn about the Trail of Tears: why it was enacted and why it was so deadly on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1956, one of the most important geopolitical events of the post-war period took place in Egypt. 

The Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways in the world.

In response, a coalition of several countries tried to take it back. However, it didn’t go as planned, and it signaled a major reshuffling of the geopolitical order. 

Learn more about the Suez Crisis and how it shaped the second half of the 20th century on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1428, a young girl from the village of Domrémy, France, audaciously set out to meet the heir apparent to the French throne, the Dauphin, and told him what he had to do to defeat the English occupying her country. 

She claimed that she was told what to do by God. 

Against all odds, the Dauphin took her advice, and it worked. After a series of military victories, the Dauphin was crowned king, and the young girl went on to become one of the greatest heroes in French history. 

Learn more about Joan of A...

In the late 18th century, the newly independent United States of America faced its first major domestic crisis. 

Settlers in its westernmost regions rose up in open armed rebellion against the government. The cause of the rebellion had to do with taxes, which was the very thing that the American Revolution was about in the first place.

The rebellion was seen by some as a threat to the very existence of the new country. 

Learn more about the Whiskey Rebellion, its causes, and its ramifications on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Duration: 00:13:37

One of the things that almost every airline has in common is frequent flyer programs. 

Frequent flyer programs were initially designed for loyal customers who flew frequently. However, they eventually branched out to people who used certain credit cards and earned miles by making everyday purchases.

These programs have become so popular that many airlines now make a considerable amount of their money from them, and in many cases, they are the difference that makes airlines profitable.

Learn more about Frequent Flyer Programs, how they started, and how they work on this episode o...

Two of the most important concepts in the world of mathematics and nature are the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio.

These two concepts seem separate, but they are actually tightly intertwined. 

While they have been known since the ancient world, they are still highly relevant today and can be found all over nature. 

Best of all, despite being important mathematical concepts, they are also among the easiest to understand.

Learn more about the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio, what they are, and how they were discovered on this episode of...

The early days of radio were like the wild west. There were no rules, and that lack of rules often led to problems. 

Eventually, frequency regulations were put into place, which left a large swatch of spectrum available to amateur radio operators. 

Over time, these operators created a worldwide community that predated the internet by decades. It is still a community that exists today with thousands of people around the world.

Learn more about amateur radio and its origins on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the late 17th century, King William III of England was facing a problem. 

He was in the middle of a prolonged war with France. He was in desperate need of money, and he had exhausted most of the traditional sources for funding a war.

A proposal came forward for a new bank that could lend the crown money at favorable interest rates, and also solve several problems for merchants in the country. 

Learn more about the Bank of England, one of the most important banks in history, on this episode of Everything Ev...

Located in the state of Wyoming and a little bit of Montana and Idaho lies one of the greatest national parks on Earth: Yellowstone. 

In the 19th century, Yellowstone was declared the first national park in the world. However, what makes Yellowstone special actually dates back millions of years. 

The geologic circumstances that led to the creation of Yellowstone today make it one of the most visited parks in the world. 

Learn more about Yellowstone, its history, and its possible future on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb.

The announcement shocked the world, especially the United States, which predicted the Soviets wouldn’t have Nuclear Weapons until the mid-1950s.

The big question was, how did the Soviets make the bomb so fast? Well, the Americans inadvertently helped them, as did the resources they captured in Eastern Europe. 

Learn more about how the Soviets got the bomb on this Episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1958, the People’s Republic of China instituted its second five-year plan since the revolution. 

Its goal was to rapidly industrialize China and boost agriculture to levels on par with the advanced economies of the Western world. China was going to become a modern country, not through the widespread adoption of machinery, but through the mass mobilization of labor.

It didn’t work.

Not only didn’t it work, but it was one of the greatest failures in world history. 

Learn more about the Great Leap Forward, what it was, and why it f...

When you think of evil, characters like Hannibal Lecter, the Joker, and Michael Myers probably come to mind. 

But what is evil really? Evil can take different forms: sadistic and brutal, but it can also be boring and normalized. 

During the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann, political philosopher Hannah Arendt reported on the trial for the New Yorker Magazine. Her journalism became incredibly controversial due to her account of Eichmann, viewing him as “banal,” “normal,” and a “clown.”

Learn about the “banality of evil,” what it means, how it can be used to interpret Nazi Germany, and...

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, France was shaken by a crisis that shook French society.

An army officer was wrongly convicted in a sham trial. Then over the next several years, the French military doubled down, refusing to acknowledge what they had done, and punished everyone who attempted to prove them wrong, and even letting the guilty party go.

The long-term results of the controversy changed France in ways that can still be felt today.

Learn more about the Dreyfus affair, why it happened, and how it affected French society...

Today, cookbooks are ubiquitous. Go to any bookstore and you can find dozens, if not hundreds, of different cookbooks. 

Search online, and you can find tens of thousands of websites that provide recipes. 

The story of cookbooks is fascinating because it mirrors the entire evolution of human civilization. Not just how we cook and prepare food, but also how we organize knowledge, and what we deem to be important.

Learn more about the history of cookbooks, how they have evolved over time, and how they reflect our culture on this episode of Everything Ev...

One of the most legendary legions in the history of the Roman military was the Legio IX (nonam) Hispana, or the Ninth Spanish Legion.

They served under Pompey the Great and later with Julius Caesar in Gaul. They later served Augustus and were pivotal in the conquest of Britain under Emperor Claudius. 

Then at some point, they simply disappeared. There was never a mention of them again in the historical record. 

For almost 2000 years, it has been one of the world’s greatest historical mysteries. 

Learn more about the missing Legion and w...

After the American War of Independence, Britain recognized the United States, but it didn’t necessarily make them close allies. 

Each country had its own agendas, and a generation later, they were butting heads again over a host of issues. 

The result was another war, but unlike the Revolutionary War, everyone claimed victory, and no one really won anything. 

Learn more about the War of 1812, its causes, and its resolution on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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The month of August was named in honor of the emperor Augustus Caesar by the Roman Senate.

Originally called Sextilis, the sixth month in the early Roman calendar, it was renamed in 8 BC to recognize Augustus’s achievements, particularly his victories and consolidation of power. 

According to Roman tradition, the month was chosen because several of his significant accomplishments occurred during Sextilis.

In reality, the Senate was really just trying to suck up to Augustus. Instead, they should have asked him some questions 

Stay tuned for the 33rd installment of questions and...

In 1970, the United States passed the Organized Crime Control Act, which established the Witness Security Program or WITSEC. 

Since being enacted, WITSEC has had thousands of witnesses and family members enter the program, none of whom, to date, have been killed under their protection.

The program is a key weapon in the fight against organized crime and has been a subject of public fascination.

Learn about the Witness Security Program, why it exists, and its impact on the American justice system on this Episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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For centuries, food preservation was a significant challenge for humanity. 

Even if you were successful in hunting or gathering food, if you could not preserve it, it would be difficult to keep enough for survival. 

One of the most important advancements in human history was the development of canning, allowing for food to be preserved for significantly longer periods of time. 

Sometimes, very long periods of time.

Find out about the history of canning and its impact on humanity on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. 

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The year 1850 was the mid-point of the 19th century, one of the most transformative centuries in human history. 

The first half of the 19th century saw wars, revolutions, and rapid technical and social changes. 

In fact, there was arguably more technical and social change in the world during those fifty years than there had been in the last thousand years….and it was only just the beginning.

Learn more about the world in the year 1850 on the 1,850th episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Captain James Cook was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy whose three major voyages of exploration between 1768 and 1779 greatly expanded European knowledge of the Pacific region. 

His detailed maps, scientific observations, and interactions with indigenous peoples left a profound impact on geography, ethnography, and natural history. 

He left an indelible mark on the region, and in the end, it also killed him.

Learn more about Captain Cook, his voyages, and how his impact can still be felt today on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

Sometime between the 7th century and 13th century BC, a man was born in Eastern Persia who had a revolutionary idea. 

He claimed that there wasn’t a multiple gods, but rather just one god. 

He established a religion which, at various times, was one of the most followed in the world. Thousands of years later, it still has adherents, although only a fraction of what it once was.

Learn more about Zoroastrianism, its origins, and its tenets on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 259 BC, a boy named Ying Zheng was born in the state of Qin in modern-day China. 

He was born into the royal family of the kingdom and ascended to the throne at the age of 13. 

For most people, becoming king would be the pinnacle of their achievements. However, this was not to be the case with the King of Qin. He would go on to achieve a status that there wasn’t even a word for.

Learn more about Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, his life, and his legacy on t...

Located off the Southeastern coast of Africa is the island nation of Madagascar. It is a massive island nation known for its beautiful and diverse wildlife.

Madagascar is a unique country, both in its history and geography, housing many unique species that are not found anywhere else in the world. 

Despite the nation's abundance of resources, it faces numerous challenges, including high poverty rates, inadequate infrastructure, and corruption. 

Learn more about Madagascar, its fascinating history, and what makes the country so unique and special in this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

Duration: 00:17:05

Like many ancient civilizations, the Romans had a vast pantheon of gods. 

Unlike other civilizations, the Romans were very flexible in where their gods came from. 

In particular, they adopted many of their gods from the Greek pantheon. It wasn’t just a matter of copying them. They would often rename the gods and alter their mythology to align with Roman virtues.

When it came to religion, the Romans weren’t stealing so much as they were like the Borg. 

Learn more about the Roman pantheon of gods and how they borrowe...

On March 13, 1964, at 2:30 am, a woman named Kitty Genovese was returning home from work. As she arrived outside her apartment, a man approached her with a knife. Genovese ran towards her apartment but was stabbed and killed. 

The murder itself is not what made this event noteworthy. It is known for the number of witnesses who heard the attack but did not call the police or intervene. 

When this was reported to the media, it put the case in the national spotlight and led to the development of the psychological phenomenon known as the bystander ef...

In 1946, a former Soviet tank mechanic who had formal training in engineering or manufacturing submitted a design for a new gun in a competition. 

His design was selected, and it became the new rifle for the Soviet military. 

However, it didn’t just become a weapon for the Soviet Union; the design spread and within decades was being used all around the world in almost every armed conflict. 

Learn more about the AK-47 and how it managed to change warfare in the 20th century on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On February 1, 1908, the political fortunes of Portugal changed forever. 

The royal family was returning to Lisbon, traveling in an open horse-drawn carriage. 

While they were traveling, in broad daylight, and in front of dozens of witnesses, two radicals gunned down both the king and the heir apparent, throwing the Portuguese monarchy into chaos. 

The effect of what happened almost 120 years ago can still be felt today.

Learn more about the Lisbon 7Regicide, how and why it happened, and its repercussions, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Some of the most venerated objects in many different religions are holy relics. 

Relics offer a tangible connection to significant figures in various religious traditions, and they are often highly prized and sought after.

In the Middle Ages, relics became a big business, and if a church had the right relics, it could boost a local economy. It became such a big business that many people began to question their authenticity. 

Learn more about relics, their authenticity, and the historical business surrounding them on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

One of the biggest problems that humanity has faced for thousands of years is heat. 

Excessive heat made it difficult to work in the middle of the day. Heat was especially problematic in the tropics, where a shockingly large percentage of humanity lived. 

As cities became more developed, excess heat, all year round, became a limiting factor in how tall buildings could get. 

All of these problems were solved with one invention.

Learn more about air conditioning and how it helped usher in the modern world on this episode of Everything Eve...