HISTORY IN A HURRY

THE EMPEROR CALIGULA

The son of a popular Roman general, Caligula could have been one of Rome’s most amazing leaders. Instead, he became the first Roman emperor to be assassinated. Join Jack & Lauren as we dive into the life of Caligula, whose personal and fiscal excesses still haunt his reputation today.

THOMAS COCHRANE

Not many people can call themselves a naval flag officer, an Earl, a Captain, a politician, a Lord, & a pardoned “criminal”. Thomas Cochrane, at one point or another, was all of these things. Join Jack & Lauren as we dive into this Scottish man’s extraordinary life & naval career that took him from the waters of England & France to the coast of Chile & beyond.

APOLLO 13

Jack and Lauren truly stretch the whole “in a hurry” thing on today’s episode of History in a Hurry. But Apollo 13 is such an epic, daring, stressful, and crazy story of survival that it was really hard to narrow it down, okay? Join us to dive in to six days of near-death experiences for the astronauts on board the 1970 Apollo 13 mission.

HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA

She was a philosopher, teacher, mathematician, and astronomer in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. She’s also the subject of a whole lot of folklore and misinformation. Join Jack and Lauren and dive in to the mysterious life and tragic end of Hypatia.

THE DARK HISTORY OF THE BELGIAN CONGO

Things get dark on this week's episode. That's because we are talking about the tragic and horrific history of the Congo. It's a story filled with atrocities on a scale so large that it's difficult to fathom. It's a tough listen, but we encourage you to listen as Jack and Lauren attempt to give a voice to the many victims of King Leopold's tyranny.

THE TRIANGLE SHIRTWAIST FACTORY FIRE

March 25th, 1911, was a normal Saturday for the women working at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. But by the end of this dark day, 145 workers would be dead. Join us as we discuss these important young women who had a lasting impact on the United States’ labor movement before and after the tragedy, and the carelessness by the owners that cost them their lives.

THE ENERGY CRISIS (AND HOW IT CHANGED AMERICA)

It started with long lines for gasoline and people filling up every gas can they owned. But soon, the situation would spiral, leading to the 1970’s energy crisis and bringing about some big changes in American politics that we still see today. Join Jack and Lauren as we discuss how the energy crisis became a thing. You’ll also hear stories from people who lived through this tumultuous decade.

CORRECTIONS AND DISCUSSION III

It's the third corrections and discussion extravaganza! Okay so extravaganza might be overselling it a bit. But it's still a pretty fun and entertaining episode. Join Jack and Lauren as they clarify a previous episode, reflect on what they've learned, play a game, and review some of the movies based on the topics they've covered over the last weeks. 

 THE MÜNSTER REBELLION

In 1534, a group of religious extremists took complete control of the German town of Munster. Their leader, Jan van Leiden, was convinced the end of the world was coming, and it was up to him and his zealot friends to help God kick off Armageddon. Considering Jack and Lauren are talking about this today in 2019, van Leiden’s plan clearly didn’t work out. Learn more about this 16th century cult in today’s episode of History in a Hurry!

SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT - PART ONE

He was the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. At one point, he reigned over millions of people from Europe to the Middle East. Join Jack and Lauren for Part One on the long life and reign of Suleiman the Magnificent!

SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT - PART TWO

It's time to conclude the story of arguably the greatest Sultan in the history of the Ottoman Empire. Join Jack and Lauren as they discuss the siege of Vienna, a conflict with the Persians, civil war, and matters of succession on this week's episode.

9 ANCIENT INVENTIONS YOU STILL USE TODAY

Did you know the alarm clock that woke you up this morning has been around since the times of Ancient Greece? Of course, the technology has gotten a little bit better… but the concept has stayed the same. Join Jack and Lauren as they dive into 9 ancient inventions you likely still use today.

MARIUS, SULLA, AND THE TWILIGHT OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC - PART ONE

Everyone’s heard of Julius Caesar & the fall of the Roman Republic. But do you know what happened in the generation before Caesar’s? Join Jack & Lauren for Part One on the Twilight of the Roman Republic, and the two dueling men who dominated Rome’s political landscape.

MARIUS, SULLA, AND THE TWILIGHT OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC - PART TWO

When we last left our rivals, Marius and Sulla had come to an odd compromise and Sulla fled Rome. However, it was just a matter of time before the two men were dueling again. In Part Two on Marius and Sulla, hear why not all stories from history turn out the way you expect, and why this tumultuous time frame gave way to Julius Caesar.

THE ROAD TO CIVIL WAR

Most people living in the United States know the major points of the American Civil War. After all, it's the most important event in the history of the country. But Jack and Lauren aren't talking about Gettysburg, Antietam, or any of the other major battles on this week's episode. Instead, they examine America in the decades leading up to the conflict that would go on to take 620,000 lives.

THE BONE WARS

Bet you didn’t know competitive fossil hunting was a thing, but it was and we’re talking about it on History in a Hurry! In one corner: paleontologist and scientist OC Marsh. In the other: paleontologist and scientist Edward Drinker Cope. Although their discoveries in the American West forever changed science and solidified the Theory of Evolution, the rivalry between the two men grew to far-too-epic proportions.

THE EARLY HISTORY OF KOREA

Everyone talks about ancient Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia… Today on History in a Hurry, Jack and Lauren discuss the fascinating history of the Korean Peninsula. From the power struggles to the epic battles, learn more about the events that shaped East Asia all the way from the late stone age to the 10th century AD. 

CORRECTIONS AND DISCUSSION IV

It's the fourth corrections and discussion extravaganza! Join Jack and Lauren as they make amends for their mistakes, discuss the latest batch of episodes and play a game. Plus, we review movies including The Good, The Bad & the Ugly, Gone with the Wind and The Great Battle.

THE 1907 ROMANIAN PEASANT REVOLT

At the turn of the 20th century, Europe was a pretty unstable place. Romania was not immune from the political unrest, but the chaos & violence that broke out here in 1907 remains relatively unknown. Join Jack & Lauren to learn about the Romanian peasant revolt on History in a Hurry!

THE HISTORY OF ROLLER DERBY

From the beginning, roller derby has been an unconventional sport with unconventional players. Its history is as surprising as the game is fast-paced! Join Jack and Lauren as we head to the Great Depression to explore roller derby’s journey and how it became the game played today.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE - PART ONE

In August of 1769, a boy was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte and he would change the world forever. From lowly artillery officer to ruler of a massive empire, join Jack and Lauren as they discuss one of the giants of European history.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE - PART TWO

In Part one we saw Napoleon's incredible rise to become ruler of a powerful European empire. But the good times are about to come to an abrupt end. Join us as we discuss the failed invasions of Spain and Russia, naval disasters, a daring escape from exile, and the infamous Battle of Waterloo, plus so much more on this week's episode of History in a Hurry!

OPERATION RHEINÜBUNG

Early in the morning of May 19th Germany's massive new battleship, the Bismarck, left port as part of Operation Rheinübung. Its goal was to reach the Atlantic and wreak havoc on the merchant vessels keeping Britain alive in the struggle against the Third Reich. Join Jack and Lauren as they discuss one of the most important events in the early years of World War II.

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN

Join Jack and Lauren as we dive into the fascinating life and story of Hildegard of Bingen. Not many women in the Middle Ages can say they were a theologian, composer, writer, abbess, mystic, physician, and visionary.... But Hildegard definitely can.

SNEFERU: BUILDER OF PYRAMIDS

Join Jack and Lauren as we dive in to the oldest subject we’ve ever covered on History in a Hurry: the reign of Sneferu, the Pyramid Builder in Ancient Egypt! Despite his nickname, this pharaoh did much more than set the stage for 2,000 years of Egyptian architecture. Plus, learn more about the fall of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

THE HUNT FOR ADOLF EICHMANN

The man dubbed "the architect of the holocaust", Adolf Eichmann, was able to escape in the aftermath of the second world war. But a tip out of the blue from a source in Argentina gave the Israeli Intelligence Agency, the Mossad, a chance to find and capture him. Join Jack and Lauren as they discuss the secret operation to bring this notorious war criminal to justice.

THE ALL-AMERICAN GIRLS PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE

The 2019 World Series has Jack and Lauren in the mood to tell a story from baseball history! From 1943 to 1954, American families turned up at ballparks to watch a different kind of baseball game. From the outside, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was all about short skirts and lipstick. But after just a few games it became clear: these young women were true American athletes.

CORRECTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS V

It's History in a Hurry's 50th episode! Join Jack and Lauren as we correct & discuss the past ten episodes. We also review movies based on some of the topics we've talked about, including Waterloo and Operation Finale.

THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY

After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the Japanese ran wild and strung together victory and victory against the United States. But thanks to an intelligence break, Admiral Chester Nimitz took a big gamble to try and turn the tide of the war in the Pacific Theater. Join Jack and Lauren as they discuss one of the most important naval victories in the entire Second World War.

ANTONY VS. OCTAVIAN: THE BATTLE FOR ROME - PART ONE

It's time to go back to Jack's happy place, ancient Rome. Just days after the assassination of Julius Caesar, two men emerged to try and fill the vacuum of power. Join Jack and Lauren as they tell you all about Gaius Octavius and Marc Antony, and their rivalry that defined an entire era of Roman history.