This Day in Esoteric Political History
667 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 913 ratingsWe’re living in unprecedented times. Maybe. In this show, Jody Avirgan (538, 30for30, TED) and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt) and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley) take one moment, big or small, from that day in U.S. political history and explore how it might inform our present –– all in about fifteen minutes.
New episodes release Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Sign up for the newsletter and more at ThisDayPod.com. We’re also posting about moments from the past @thisdaypod on Threads and Instagram. If you have a suggestion for a topic, get in touch.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX.
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Episodes
The Battle In Seattle (1999)
November 30, 2021 14:56 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBIt’s November 30th. This day in 1999, the city of Seattle was the site of massive protests during the meeting of the World Trade Organization. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the WTO protests represented a new kind of coalition between populist and environmental forces, and more — and marked a new era of protest in this country. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and awar...
'21 Favorite: Drafting the Confederate Constitution (1861)
November 28, 2021 14:03 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThis Thanksgiving week, we’re running some favorite episodes from the year that you may have missed. We’ll be back with new episodes the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. ///// This episode originally ran on March 11th. This day in 1861, the Confederate States of America ratifies its own constitution. It’s largely based on the United States constitution, but with some key changes. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what values were expressed in the constitutional do-over, and why the simil...
'21 Favorite: Oprah's Beef Beef (1996)
November 25, 2021 13:11 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBThis Thanksgiving week, we’re running some favorite episodes from the year that you may have missed. We’ll be back the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. //// This episode originally aired on April 15th. On this day in 1996, Oprah Winfrey hosted a segment on her show about “Mad Cow Disease” and proclaimed that she would no longer eat beef. That same day, cattle futures plummeted, and she was soon sued by the cattle industry. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the power of Oprah, the “veggie...
'21 Favorite: Instant City (1889) w/ Sam Anderson
November 23, 2021 13:53 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThis Thanksgiving week, we’re running some favorite episodes from the year that you may have missed. We’ll be back the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. //// This episode originally ran on April 22nd. This day in 1889, tens of thousands of people gathered in the middle of “unassigned territory” to wait for the signal at high noon — at which point they rushed to claim their free land in what would, overnight, become Oklahoma City. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by Sam Anderson of the...
'21 Favorite: The Kerner Alarm (1967) w/ Jelani Cobb
November 21, 2021 15:07 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBThis Thanksgiving week, we’re running some favorite episodes from the year that you may have missed. We’ll be back the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. //// This episode originally aired on July 27th. This day in 1967, LBJ convened the “Kerner Commission” to look into the roots of violence and unrest in America, largely in Black and brown communities around the country. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by The New Yorkers Jelani Cobb to discuss the convening of the Kerner commission a...
Milhouse's Missing Minutes (1973)
November 18, 2021 14:43 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBIt’s November 18th. This day in 1973, the major revelation that there are 18 1/2 minutes missing from the secret recordings Richard Nixon was making in the Oval Office as he discussed the Watergate break-in. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the missing minutes supercharged the Watergate scandal, created loads of theories and conspiracies — an whether what’s on those tapes will ever be recovered. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Yo...
Murkowski's Write-In Surprise (2010)
November 16, 2021 14:49 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBIt’s November 16th. This day in 2010, Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski prevailed in her re-election effort — one in which she was forced to mount a write-in campaign after losing the primary. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how hard it is to get a successful write-in campaign going, and what the Murkowski story says about the way in which parties and voters can moderate themselves. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps fo...
Why Sherman Marched (1864) w/ Anne Sara Rubin
November 14, 2021 13:47 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBIt’s November 14th. This day in 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman left Atlanta and began destructive march to the sea, burning buildings and supply lines in his attempt to “break the back” of the Confederacy. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Anne Sarah Rubin of UMBC to talk about why Sherman’s March endures as such a powerful story of “total war,” and how the story of the march has been reframed over the years. Anne’s book is Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s Ma...
Bootlegger Biplane Bombings (1926)
November 11, 2021 13:07 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBIt’s November 11th. This day in 1926, members of the Shelton gang in southern Illinois commandeered a biplane to drop homemade bombs on the hideout of their main bootlegging rivals, the Birgers. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the scheme, how the Shelton-Birger feud reached this level, and where this story fits in to the history of aerial bombings on American soil. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independen...
"The Enemy Is The Knife" (1974)
November 09, 2021 12:36 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBIt’s November 9th. This day in 1974, Dr. Connie Redbird Uri testified at a hearing about the practice of forced sterilization at Indian Health Services clinics. She sounded the alarm about the large numbers of women who were given hysterectomies and other procedures without their consent. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the long and shameful history of forced sterilization in this country, usually among poor and marginalized communities.
Snatching Lincoln's Body (1876)
November 07, 2021 13:20 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBIt’s November 7th. This day in 1876, a group of Chicago-area men attempt to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body from his grave in Springfield, Illinois, hoping to hold it ransom to release one of their colleagues from prison. It does not go well. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the harebrained scheme, the larger context of grave-robbing in the 19th century, and what ended up happening to Lincoln’s body. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your...
Carol Moseley-Braun Wears Pants (1992)
November 04, 2021 13:17 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MBIt’s November 4th. This day in 1992, Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois is elected Senator, becoming the first Black woman elected to the Senate, the first African-American senator from the Democratic party, the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator in an election, and the first female senator from Illinois. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Moseley-Brauns impressive list of firsts, and how her first term was both consequential and fairly quickly dragged down by scandal and allegati...
A Minimum Minimum Wage Increase (1977)
November 02, 2021 15:59 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBIt’s November 2nd. This day in 1977, Jimmy Carter signed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $3.35. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the relatively short history of the minimum wage in this country — one in which the rate was increased fairly regularly, until a generation ago. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show d...
Spy vs. Spy in Louisiana (2015)
October 31, 2021 12:37 - 20 minutes - 19 MBIt’s October 31st. This day in 2015, the campaign of Louisiana Senator David Vitter is in a tailspin after reports of a bungled spying attempt on his opponent, Bel Edwards. Jody, NIki and Kellie discuss why the Vitter campaign had sent a spy into a coffee shop to record conversations among Edwards supporters — and what happened when word got out that there was another spy in that same room. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your supp...
Godless Americans (2008)
October 28, 2021 11:30 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBIt’s October 27th. This day in 2008, an ad endorsed by Elizabeth Dole is running in North Carolina accusing Senate candidate Kay Hagan of being a “godless American.” Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the ad was deceptively edited, why it created such a backlash, and why the charge of “Godlessness” is so stick in American politics. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and awar...
Central Park's Black Village is Demolished (1857) w/ Bobby Wooten
October 26, 2021 15:26 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBIt’s October 26th. In October of 1857, the residents of Seneca Village, a community mostly comprised of formerly enslaved African-Americans, were forcibly removed in order to make room for the construction of Manhattan’s Central Park. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by musician Bobby Wooten to discuss the forgotten history of Seneca Village, the use of eminent domain, and how to go beyond signs and placards in terms of repairing the damage done to the residents. Bobby is the bas...
Lennon's FBI File (1971) w/ Hrishikesh Hirway
October 24, 2021 13:22 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIt’s October 24th. This day in 1973, former Beatle John Lennon sued the U.S. government, demanding to know whether he was under FBI surveillance. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder to discuss Lennon’s post-Beatles political life, his personal evolution, the threat of deportation he faced, and what was in his FBI file. Check out Hrishi’s new music, his TED Talk, Song Exploder episode with John Lennon, and lots more here. This Day In Esoteric Po...
Billy Beer (1978)
October 21, 2021 11:46 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIt’s October 21st. In October 1978, the Falls City Brewing Company ceased production of Billy Beer, a cheap brew endorsed by the younger brother of President Jimmy Carter. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the rise and quick fall of Billy Beer, why Billy Carter was an ongoing headache for the Carter administration, and the role of presidential siblings in general. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, ...
The Textbook Wars Spiral Out of Control (1974)
October 19, 2021 12:56 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBIt’s October 19th. This day in 1974, Kanawha County, West Virginia is embroiled in an increasingly violent battle over a slate of new textbooks being added to the local school curriculum. Over the course of a few weeks, there would be shootings, bombings, conspiracies to attack school buses full of children, and more. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the textbook battle got so out of control, what it says about the rise of backlash politics, and echoes to today’s violent politica...
Why Lincoln Grew A Beard (1860)
October 17, 2021 12:24 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBIt’s October 17th. This day in 1860, in the run-up to the next month’s presidential election, Abraham Lincoln received a letter from an 11-year-old girl urging him to grow a beard and improve his prospects. Jody, NIki, and Kellie read from the incredibly charming exchange between Lincoln and Grace Bedell of Westfield, NY. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning ...
The President Who Cried Swine Flu (1976) w/ Jim Hamblin
October 14, 2021 11:56 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBIt’s October 14th. This day in 1976, President Ford invited cameras into the White House as he got his vaccination for the influenza strain that was commonly referred to as “swine flu.” It was part of a big effort from the White House to avoid a health disaster — a pandemic that never actually came to pass. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Dr. James Hamblin to talk about the swine flu response, whether political factors played into the administration’s response, and the paralle...
Perot Crashes The Debate (1992)
October 12, 2021 11:34 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBIt’s October 12th. This day in 1992, Ross Perot joined Bill Clinton and incumbent George HW Bush on stage for the first three-person debate in modern presidential election history. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Perot’s candidacy, how he was able to destabilize both Clinton and Bush on stage — and whether he was actually a “spoiler” in that election. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owne...
The HoJo Incident (1957)
October 10, 2021 12:14 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBIt’s October 10th. This day in 1957, Ghanaian finance minister Komla Gbedemah was refused service at a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Delaware. The incident led to an apology from president Eisenhower and a meeting at the White House, which paved the way for American investment in a major infrastructure project in Ghana. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the incident, how American racism effected the U.S. standing on the global stage, and the rise of economic colonialism. This Day In...
The Access Hollywood Tape (2016) w/ Roy Wood, Jr
October 07, 2021 13:01 - 26 minutes - 24.4 MBIt’s October 7th. This day in 2016, the Washington Post published excerpts of a tape of Donald Trump talking to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about how he commits sexual assault. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. to talk about the impact of that tape, the way the Trump campaign quickly reacted by arranging for the release of Hillary Clinton’s emails, and other memories of that moment. Check out Roy on tour this fall, and listen to “...
Borking (1987) w/ Jay Willis
October 05, 2021 11:23 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBIt’s October 5th. This day in 1987, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork to a full senate vote — with the recommendation that he be struck down. Later that month, after an incredibly contentious hearing, Bork would be denied a seat on the court. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by Jay Willis of Balls and Strikes to talk about what is misremembered regarding the Bork fight — and how “borking” lives on in conservative legal circles. Th...
Earl "Rusty" Butz Gets Weirdly Racist (1976)
October 03, 2021 13:45 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBIt’s October 3rd. This day in 1976, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz hands in his resignation after a media firestorm over racist comments he made on an airplane in front of Pat Boone, Sonny Bono, and former Nixon White House Counsel John Dean. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss Butz’s very baroque form of racism, and what to make of the argument that there’s no connection between what someone says in private and who they really are. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud...
The Congressional Page Scandal (2006)
September 30, 2021 11:25 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBIt’s September 30th. This day in 2006, Florida Congressman Mark Foley resigned after inappropriate messages he’d sent to underage congressional pages were made public. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how rumors about Foley’s behavior persisted for years before the scandal broke, and how this story has so many of the hallmarks of future scandals. Plus, why Foley has still been able to maintain his standing within the Florida GOP. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud mem...
Lincoln's Spiritualist Stumper (1864)
September 28, 2021 11:55 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBIt’s September 28th. This day in 1864, in the midst of the civil war and the run-up to the election of 1864, the notable spiritualist Emma Hardinge Britten gave a series of lectures in support of Lincoln's reelection. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Britten transitioned into politics and the rise of spiritualism in the midst of national tragedy. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned ...
The War on Rats (1977)
September 26, 2021 12:37 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBIt’s September 26th. This day in 1977, a Chicago alderman offered a $1 bounty to every one of his constituents who presented him with a severed rat tail. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how bad the rat problem got in Chicago in other cities throughout the 1970s, and how rodent infestations reflect larger questions of local government and services. Plus: everyone shares their most traumatizing rat stories. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from P...
Atlanta Massacre (1906)
September 23, 2021 13:36 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBIt’s September 23rd. This day in 1906, racialized mob violence broke out in Atlanta, GA, as part of a growing post-Reconstruction wave of violence and rioting around the country. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the familiar mix of factors that led to the rioting — but also how these events are uniquely Atlanta. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If...
DADT No More (2011)
September 21, 2021 11:33 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBIt’s September 21st. This day in 2011, President Obama repealed the Clinton-era policy of “don’t ask don’t tell,” regarding openly gay military service members. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the repeal took almost twenty years, and the push and pull between cultural shifts and policy change. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to s...
Charlie Chaplin's Exile (1952)
September 19, 2021 11:30 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBIt’s September 19th. This day in 1952, during a trip abroad, the U.S. attorney general announced an inquiry into whether Chaplin would be allowed to return to the country. He would stay in Europe for the next 20 years. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how Chaplin’s political views evolved, and how he was caught up in red scare fears during the 1940s and 50s. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artis...
Calendar Confusion (1752)
September 16, 2021 11:30 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MBIt’s September 16th. Or is it? We recently got an email from a listener asking us which calendar we are using when we discuss episodes prior to 1752. Jody, Niki, and Kellie look at the switchover from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar that took place in the mid-1700s, how it got politicized, and how it continues to lead to mass confusion. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcast...
Attica (1971) w/ Heather Ann Thompson
September 14, 2021 11:46 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBIt’s September 14th. This day in 1971, the Attica Prison uprising was coming to a close. Over the prior four days, a massive riot had rocked the facility, killing dozens of prisoners and guards. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Heather Thompson to discuss how the story of Attica has been manipulated through the years — from the very first moments — and what lessons there are for prison reform today. Heather Thompson’s book is called Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprisi...
Ship of Gold (1857)
September 12, 2021 11:30 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBIt’s September 12th. This day in 1857, the SS Central America, a ship loaded with 30,000 pounds of gold, sank to the bottom of the ocean in a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina. Jody, Niki and Kellie discuss the ship’s sinking and how the loss of the gold destabilized the world economy and may have even had implications for the civil war. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned pod...
Monkey Business (1987) w/ Matt Bai
September 09, 2021 12:52 - 28 minutes - 26 MBIt’s September 9th. This day in 1987, former Colorado Senator Gary Hart gave an interview on Nightline where he, finally, admitted that he’d been unfaithful to his wife. But it was too little, too late. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Matt Bai, author of “The Frontrunner,” to discuss the infidelity scandal that brought down Hart’s campaign, and changed political journalism forever. Matt’s book was also turned into the movie “The Frontrunner” starring Hugh Jackman. This Day I...
McKinley Shot (1901)
September 07, 2021 13:08 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBIt’s September 7th. This day in 1901, President William McKinley is in Buffalo, NY when he is shot twice in the chest. He would succumb to the injury a few weeks later. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss McKinley’s assassination and how it came at a moment when the nature of the presidency and American politics were shifting radically. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and awar...
The Condom On Jesse Helms's House (1991)
September 05, 2021 11:36 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBIt’s September 5th. This day in 1991, members of the group ACT UP erected a giant yellow condom over the home of North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms to protest his stance on AIDS research and awareness. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the stunt, why Helms was a target, and just how you go about removing a two-story condom. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning s...
Camp Casey (2005)
September 02, 2021 13:17 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBIt’s September 2nd. This day in 2005, Cindy Sheehan embarks on a tour around the country to protest the Iraq War, where her son Casey had died the prior year. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Sheehan’s protests, the “Camp Casey” encampment she established outside of George W. Bush’s Texas ranch, and how public opinion around a number of issues was starting to shift in late 2005. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps fost...
Fred Korematsu's Internment (1942)
August 31, 2021 14:01 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIt’s August 31st. This day in 1942, a judge upholds the arrest of a Japanese-American man named Fred Korematsu. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Korematsu tried to resist the detention of Japanese-Americans in the wake of Pearl Harbor, and the legal battles that broke out after the Roosevelt administration moved hundreds of thousands of people to concentration camps along the west coast. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your suppo...
Teacher In Space (1984)
August 29, 2021 12:44 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBIt’s August 29th. This day in 1984, NASA and the Reagan administration announced a “Teacher in Space” program intended to find one American teacher who would join a shuttle mission. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the program to reinvigorate interest in space travel, some of the criticism it received — and the tragic conclusion two years later with the Challenger explosion. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster i...
Capitol for A Day (1814)
August 26, 2021 13:49 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBIt’s August 26th. This day in 1814, the small town of Brookeville, MD becomes the Capitol of the United States — for one night. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Brookeville became the seat of government amidst the chaos of the War of 1812. Plus, a bonus conversation about another story on this day, from 1970 — the bombing of a research facility at the University of Wisconsin. Thanks to Ana and Chris, the listeners who wrote in to suggest these two stories! This Day In Esoteric ...
The Battle of Blair Mountain (1921) w/ Anna Sale
August 24, 2021 10:30 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIt’s August 24th. This day in 1921, tensions are mounting in southwestern West Virginia, where some 10-15,000 miners are going on strike to protest working and economic conditions. Eventually, this would lead to a violent showdown with the mining companies, local police, and federal forces — including bombs dropped from airplanes on the protesters. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Anna Sale, West Virginia native and host of the podcast “Death, Sex & Money” to discuss the Battle...
Nat Turner's Community (1831) w/ Vanessa Holden
August 22, 2021 13:06 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBIt’s August 22nd. This day in 1831, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner is leading a rebellion in Southampton, Virginia — what would become perhaps the most famous slave revolt in the Antebellum South. But there’s a hidden story. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky to discuss how it was the larger community in Southampton, particularly women, who made the rebellion possible. Vanessa is the author of Surviving Southampton: African American Women and...
Banneker's Sneaky Letter (1791)
August 19, 2021 13:37 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBIt’s August 19th. This day in 1791, Benjamin Banneker sent an advance copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson. Along with the almanac, he included a letter pleading with Jefferson to recognize slavery as a moral wrong. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Banneker’s enlightenment-era appeal, Jefferson’s reaction, and how the correspondence between the two helped galvanize the abolitionist movement. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your su...
Leo Frank and the KKK's Resurgence (1915)
August 17, 2021 12:58 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBIt’s August 17th. This day in 1915, a Jewish man by the name of Leo Frank was kidnapped from jail and hanged by a mob in Marietta, Georgia. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the incident helped galvanize a resurgent Ku Klux Klan, and how much anti-Semitism should be part of the story of lynchings and mob violence in the early part of the 20th century. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-ow...
The Flag, Elvis, Aliens (1977) w/ Josh Levin
August 15, 2021 13:05 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBIt’s August 15th. This episode, we discuss three notable events from this day in 1977: a young woman’s protest over the pledge of allegiance; a scramble for photos of Elvis’s dead body; and possible alien contact. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin, host of the new series “One Year.” He has an episode devoted to these three events, and the series as a whole takes a look at why 1977 was such a consequential and interesting year. You can listen to “One Year” fro...
Lizzie Borden, Axe Murderer, Maybe (1892)
August 12, 2021 11:30 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBIt’s August 12th. This day in 1892, Lizzie Borden is arrested for the murder of her father and step-mother, accused of hacking them to death with an axe in a gruesome murder that caused a media sensation. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the story of Lizzie Borden has continued to fascinate Americans, from articles to movies and podcasts, right up through the present — and what that says about our obsession with true crime. Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.c...
"Macaca" (2006) w/ Peter Hamby
August 10, 2021 11:30 - 26 minutes - 23.8 MBIt’s August 10th. This day in 2006, Virginia Senator George Allen is caught on tape referring to S.R. Sidarth, a young man filming his event, as “macaca.” This video became an early viral moment and helped lead to Allen’s defeat later that fall — showing how viral video could transform politics. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Peter Hamby of Snapchat and Puck News to discuss the incident, how the internet was changing politics in the mid-2000s, and whether Allen’s comments wou...
East Africa Bombings (1998) w/ Karen Greenberg
August 08, 2021 13:11 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBIt’s August 8th. This day in 1998, two massive truck bombs detonated outside American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. They were the work of Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Karen Greenberg of the Fordham Law School Center on National Security to discuss why the embassies were targeted, the massive intelligence response, and what clues were missed about the rise of Al-Qaeda. Karen is the host of the “Vital Interests” podcas...