Stuff You Missed in History Class

Advertise on podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Rating
4.2
from
23361 reviews
This podcast has
2010 episodes
Language
Publisher
Explicit
No
Date created
2008/06/19
Latest episode
2026/02/16
Average duration
34 min.
Release period
2 days

Description

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Unlock Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast Email contact info,
Listeners & Audience details

Email contact information

Direct podcast contact details

Listeners

Audience numbers & engagement insights

Audience details

Podcast Insights

Social media

Check Stuff You Missed in History Class social media presence


Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast


Benzedrine, Pervitin, and WWII
2026/02/16
The use of stimulants during WWII is no secret, but in the last decade, there has been a lot of discussion and analysis of it. Just how significant was drug use in Nazi Germany, and how did the Allies compare? Research: Ackermann, Paul. “Les soldats nazis dopés à la méthamphétamine pour rester concentrés.” HuffPost France. June 4, 2013. https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/actualites/article/les-soldats-nazis-dopes-a-la-methamphetamine-pour-rester-concentres_19714.html Andreas, Peter. “How Methamphetamine Became a Key Part of Nazi Military Strategy.” Time. Jan. 7, 2020. https://time.com/5752114/nazi-military-drugs/ Blakemore, Erin. “A Speedy History of America’s Addiction to Amphetamine.” Smithsonian. Oct. 27, 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/speedy-history-americas-addiction-amphetamine-180966989/ Boeck, Gisela, and Vera Koester. “Who Was the First to Synthesize Methamphetamine?” Chemistry Views. https://www.chemistryviews.org/9-who-first-synthesized-methamphetamine/ “Ephedra.” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.” https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ephedra Eghigian, Greg, PhD. “A Methamphetamine Dictatorship? Hitler, Nazi Germany, and Drug Abuse.” Psychiatric Times. June 23, 2016. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/methamphetamine-dictatorship-hitler-nazi-germany-and-drug-abuse Garber, Megan, “‘Pilot’s Salt’: The Third Reich Kept Its Soldiers Alert With Meth.” The Atlantic. May 31, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/pilots-salt-the-third-reich-kept-its-soldiers-alert-with-meth/276429/ Gifford, Bill. “The Scientific AmericanGuide to Cheating in the Olympics.” Scientific American. August 5, 2016. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-american-guide-to-cheating-in-the-olympics/ Gorvett, Zaria. “The Drug Pilots Take to Stay Awake.” BBC. March 14, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240314-the-drug-pilots-take-to-stay-awake Grinspoon, Lester. “The speed culture : amphetamine use and abuse in America.” Harvard University Press. 1975. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/speedcultureamph0000grin_n3i0/mode/1up Gupta, Raghav et al. “Understanding the Influence of Parkinson Disease on Adolf Hitler's Decision-Making during World War II.” World Neurosurgery. Volume 84, Issue 5. 2015. Pages 1447-1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2015.06.014. Hurst, Fabienne. “The German Granddaddy of Crystal Meth.” Spiegel. Dec. 23, 2013. https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/crystal-meth-origins-link-back-to-nazi-germany-and-world-war-ii-a-901755.html Isenberg, Madison. “Volksdrogen: The Third Reich Powered by Methamphetamine.” The Macksey Journal. University of Texas at Tyler. Volume 4, Article 21. 2023. https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=senior_projects Laskow, Sarah. “Brewing Bad: The All-Natural Origins of Meth.” The Atlantic. Oct. 3, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/brewing-bad-the-all-natural-origins-of-meth/381045/ Lee, Ella. “Fact check: Cocaine in Coke? Soda once contained drug but likely much less than post claims.” USA Today. July 25, 2021. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/07/25/fact-check-coke-once-contained-cocaine-but-likely-less-than-claimed/8008325002/ Leite, Fagner Carvalho et al. “Curine, an alkaloid isolated from Chondrodendron platyphyllum inhibits prostaglandin E2 in experimental models of inflammation and pain.” Planta medica 80,13 (2014): 1072-8. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1382997 Meyer, Ulrich. “Fritz hauschild (1908-1974) and drug research in the 'German Democratic Republic' (GDR).” Die Pharmazie 60 6 (2005): 468-72. Natale, Fabian. “Pervitin: how drugs transformed warfare in 1939-45.” Security Distillery. May 6, 2020. https://thesecuritydistillery.org/all-articles/pervitin-how-drugs-transformed-warfare-in-1939-45 Ohler, Norman. “Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2017. Rasmussen, Nicolas. “Medical Science and the Military: The Allies’ Use of Amphetamine during World War II.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 42, no. 2, 2011, pp. 205–33. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41291190 “Reich Minister of Health Dr. Leonardo Conti Speaks with Hitler’s Personal Physician, Dr. Karl Brandt (August 1, 1942).” German History in Documents and Images. https://germanhistorydocs.org/en/nazi-germany-1933-1945/reich-minister-of-health-dr-leonardo-conti-speaks-with-hitler-s-personal-physician-dr-karl-brandt-august-1-1942 Schwarcz, Joe. “The Right Chemistry: Once a weapon, methamphetamine is now a target.” Oct. 1, 2021. https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-once-a-weapon-methamphetamine-is-now-a-target Snelders, Stephen and Toine Pieters. “Speed in the Third Reich: Metamphetamine (Pervitin) Use and a Drug History From Below.” Social History of Medicine. Volume 24, Issue 3. December 2011. Pages 686–699. https://doi.org/10.1093/shm/hkq101 “Stimulant Pervitin.” Deutschland Museum. https://www.deutschlandmuseum.de/en/collection/stimulant-pervitin/ Tinsley, Grant. “Ephedra (Ma Huang): Weight Loss, Dangers, and Legal Status.” Helthline. March 14, 2019. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ephedra-sinica See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
SYMHC Classics: COINTELPRO 1
2026/02/14
Part 1 of this 2020 two-parter covers background on the FBI and on the origins of its counterintelligence programs, as well as one specific operation, called COINTELPRO-White Hate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
Behind the Scenes Minis: It's Not Unprecedented
2026/02/13
Tracy shares her desire to see the rest of the letter that was quoted in this week's episodes on Anthony Burns. Talk also turns to the fact that many of the things that are surprising people today are, in fact, precedented. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 2
2026/02/11
Our second episode on the life of Anthony Burns begins with his detention in Boston, which outraged Massachusetts abolitionists. Even after Burns was returned to Virginia to be enslaved once again, his supporters in Boston continued to work for his freedom. Research: Buehrens, John A. “Spiritual friendship and social justice.” UU World. Fall 2019. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/spiritual-friendship Sutton, Robert K. “’We waked up stark mad Abolitionists.’” From "Stark Mad Abolitionists.” Salon. 8/5/2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/05/we-waked-up-stark-mad-abolitionists/ Sutton, Robert K. “The Wealthy Activist Who Helped Turn ‘Bleeding Kansas’ Free.” Smithsonian. 8/16/2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wealthy-activist-who-helped-turn-bleeding-kansas-free-180964494/ Delblanco, Andrew. “America’s Struggle for Moral Coherence.” The Atlantic. 12/12/2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/the-nation-has-been-this-dividedin-the-civil-war/575587/ Finkelman, Paul & Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Anthony Burns (1834–1862). (2020, December 07). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-1834-1862. “Anthony Burns Captured.” Africans in America. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2915.html Boston African American National Historic Site. “"God made me a man- not a slave": The Arrest of Anthony Burns.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/-god-made-me-a-man-not-a-slave-the-arrest-of-anthony-burns.htm#_ftnref14 Linder, Douglas O. “The (Fugitive Slave)Trials of Anthony Burns: An Account.” UMKC School of Law: Famous Trials. 2019. https://www.famous-trials.com/anthonyburns/2425-the-fugitive-slave-trials-of-anthony-burns-an-account Encyclopedia Virginia. “The Trial of Anthony Burns (1854).” https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-the-trial-of-1854/ Stevens, Charles Emery. “Anthony Burns: A History.” Boston : John P. Jewett and Co. 1856. Shapiro, Samuel. “The Rendition of Anthony Burns.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan., 1959). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716312 Maginnes, David R. “The Case of the Court House Rioters in the Rendition of the Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns, 1854.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1971). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716024 Landon, Fred. “Anthony Burns in Canada.” Reprinted from the Ontario Historical Society’s “Papers and Records” volume XXII. 1925. https://archive.org/details/anthonyburnsinca00land/ Potter, Joseph S. “The Boston Slave Riot, and Trial of Anthony Burns.” Boston: Fetridge and Company. 1854. https://archive.org/details/DKC0103/mode/1up Perlstein, Henry, “From the Ashes of the Common Law”: Personal Replevin in the 21st Century (February 05, 2024). Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, Volume 19, pp. 257-309, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5407082 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5407082 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
The Rendition of Anthony Burns, Part 1
2026/02/09
The story of Anthony Burns is one that resonates in our current times. Part one covers his early enslaved life, his escape from enslavement, and his arrest under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Research: Buehrens, John A. “Spiritual friendship and social justice.” UU World. Fall 2019. https://www.uuworld.org/articles/spiritual-friendship Sutton, Robert K. “’We waked up stark mad Abolitionists.’” From "Stark Mad Abolitionists.” Salon. 8/5/2017. https://www.salon.com/2017/08/05/we-waked-up-stark-mad-abolitionists/ Sutton, Robert K. “The Wealthy Activist Who Helped Turn ‘Bleeding Kansas’ Free.” Smithsonian. 8/16/2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/wealthy-activist-who-helped-turn-bleeding-kansas-free-180964494/ Delblanco, Andrew. “America’s Struggle for Moral Coherence.” The Atlantic. 12/12/2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/11/the-nation-has-been-this-dividedin-the-civil-war/575587/ Finkelman, Paul & Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Anthony Burns (1834–1862). (2020, December 07). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-1834-1862. “Anthony Burns Captured.” Africans in America. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2915.html Boston African American National Historic Site. “"God made me a man- not a slave": The Arrest of Anthony Burns.” National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/-god-made-me-a-man-not-a-slave-the-arrest-of-anthony-burns.htm#_ftnref14 Linder, Douglas O. “The (Fugitive Slave)Trials of Anthony Burns: An Account.” UMKC School of Law: Famous Trials. 2019. https://www.famous-trials.com/anthonyburns/2425-the-fugitive-slave-trials-of-anthony-burns-an-account Encyclopedia Virginia. “The Trial of Anthony Burns (1854).” https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/burns-anthony-the-trial-of-1854/ Stevens, Charles Emery. “Anthony Burns: A History.” Boston : John P. Jewett and Co. 1856. Shapiro, Samuel. “The Rendition of Anthony Burns.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan., 1959). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716312 Maginnes, David R. “The Case of the Court House Rioters in the Rendition of the Fugitive Slave Anthony Burns, 1854.” The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Jan., 1971). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2716024 Landon, Fred. “Anthony Burns in Canada.” Reprinted from the Ontario Historical Society’s “Papers and Records” volume XXII. 1925. https://archive.org/details/anthonyburnsinca00land/ Potter, Joseph S. “The Boston Slave Riot, and Trial of Anthony Burns.” Boston: Fetridge and Company. 1854. https://archive.org/details/DKC0103/mode/1up Perlstein, Henry, “From the Ashes of the Common Law”: Personal Replevin in the 21st Century (February 05, 2024). Intercultural Human Rights Law Review, Volume 19, pp. 257-309, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5407082 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5407082 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
SYMHC Classics: Samuel Pepys
2026/02/07
This 2019 episode takes a closer look the famous diary of Samuel Pepys, and also at who Pepys was beyond his famous chronicle of life in 17th-century London. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pollution Olympics
2026/02/06
Tracy talks about her selection of "Fumifugium" as a show topic. Holly shares a mischievous story about Helen Preece. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Notable Early Women Olympians
2026/02/04
Despite Pierre de Coubertin's vision of the Olympics being for male athletes only, women did participate in the games starting in 1900. But the road to equal participation was long and filled with disappointments. Research: Barker, Philip. “Women’s Sporting Pioneer Milliat Remembered At Paris 2024.” International Society of Olympic Historians. https://isoh.org/womens-sporting-pioneer-milliat-remembered-at-paris-2024/ Branch, John. “They Called It ‘Improper’ to Have Women in the Olympics. But She Persisted.” New York Times. July 11, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/olympics-women-milliat.html Camps Y Wilant, Natalie and George Hirthler. “The rationale behind Coubertin's opposition to women competing in the Olympic Games.” International Olympic Committee. https://www.olympics.com/ioc/pierre-de-coubertin/the-rationale-behind-coubertins-opposition-to-women-competing-in-the-olympic-games Coubertin, Pierre de, et al., edited by the International Olympic Committee. “Olympism: selected writings / Pierre de Coubertin.” 2000. https://library.olympics.com/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/65192/olympism-selected-writings-pierre-de-coubertin Gillen, Nancy. “La Vie Jamais Racontée: Alice Milliat, a French Heroine and Sporting Suffragette.” Pitch Publishing. 2024. “Girl of 15 Is Only Woman Entrant in Olympic Games.” Democrat and Chrinicle. July 7, 1912. https://www.newspapers.com/image/135686582/?match=1&terms=helen%20preece Leigh, Mary H., and Thérèse M. Bonin. “The Pioneering Role Of Madame Alice Milliat and the FSFI in Establishing International Trade and Field Competition for Women.” Journal of Sport History, vol. 4, no. 1, 1977, pp. 72–83. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43611530 Lennartz, Karl, and Walter Teutenberg. “THE COUNTESS DE POURTALES - AFTER ALL THE FIRST MODERN FEMALE OLYMPIC STARTER.” International Society of Olympic Historians. https://isoh.org/wp-content/uploads/JOH-Archives/JOHv4n2e.pdf Lough, Tom, et al. “’A possibility of a lady competitor’: Helen Preece and the 1912 Olympic modern pentathlon.” Journal of Olympic History. 2021. https://library.olympics.com/Default/doc/SYRACUSE/3156581/a-possibility-of-a-lady-competitor-helen-preece-and-the-1912-olympic-modern-pentathlon-by-tom-lough-?_lg=en-GB McSweeney, Megan. “Women’s History Spotlight: Hélène de Pourtalès.” Sail. March 4, 2022. https://sailmagazine.com/web-exclusives/womens-history-spotlight-helene-de-pourtales/ Mallon, Bill. “The 1900 Olympic Games: Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. McFarland. 2009. Married to Instructor at Her School.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dec. 18, 1934. https://www.newspapers.com/image/139260559/?clipping_id=15003174&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEzOTI2MDU1OSwiaWF0IjoxNzY5NDYyNzQ2LCJleHAiOjE3Njk1NDkxNDZ9.Lyc2T8nmqG9SxDg4PVDUDy6zfD_710wD6wKDLrIIC-dt72QRLBeUb8SruN75BdgtucDfcSzfYx8UgqVgqY57vw “Paris 1900 Olympic Poster.” Qatar Museums. https://collections.qm.org.qa/en/objects/paris-1900-olympic-poster-qosm20136233 “Personalities at the Olympia Horse Show.” The Sphere (London). June 18, 1910. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1149409173/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20Preece%22 “The Queen and the Girl Rider.” Telegraph and Argus. March 12, 1910. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1219683551/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20Preece%22 “Sailing at the 1900 Summer Olympics (includes text of A Review of Olympic Yachting – 1900; by Ian Buchanan).” Olympedia. https://www.olympedia.org/editions/2/sports/SAL “Sues to Have Girl Cease Using Her Name.” The Tampa Times. July 13, 1915. https://www.newspapers.com/image/325742028/?clipping_id=15002352&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjMyNTc0MjAyOCwiaWF0IjoxNzY5NDYyNzQxLCJleHAiOjE3Njk1NDkxNDF9.McrNQr7AvEveo5cVIJdb4lYPetsUxCr-RW1Nn7W70PGKwC7FacJsU23KT0eewZT8zHm55Jkblmm-lc7dUKPslw Vuilleumier, Christophe. “The First Female Olympic Champion.” Swiss National Museum. Dec. 17, 2025. https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2021/07/the-first-female-olympic-champion/ “Winner of Polo Pony Jumping Competition.” Daily Mirror. March 15, 1909. https://www.newspapers.com/image/789742337/?match=1&terms=%22Helen%20Preece%22   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
John Evelyn's 'Fumifugium'
2026/02/02
"Fumifugium" was a treatise on air pollution written in 1661. In addition to warning about the dangers of coal smoke, John Evelyn wrote this work to improve the reputation of King Charles II. Research: Chambers, Douglas D. C. "Evelyn, John (1620–1706), diarist and writer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 13 Jan. 2026, https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-8996 "Evelyn, John (1620-1706)." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A148426050/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=ab356add. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026. Borunda, Alejandra. “The EPA is changing how it considers the costs and benefits of air pollution rules.” NPR. 1/13/2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/01/13/nx-s1-5675307/epa-air-regulations-health-benefits DeWispelare, Daniel. “’Heavy Fumes of Charcoal Creep into the Brain.’” The 18th-century Common. 5/14/2018. https://www.18thcenturycommon.org/evelyn/ Hovde, Sarah. “A solution for pollution?” Folger Shakespeare Library. 4/21/2017. https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/air-pollution-london-fumifugium/ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “Pamphlet Collection: Fumifugium, by John Evelyn.” Library, Archive & Open Research Services Blog. 7/11/2022. https://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/library/2022/11/07/pamphlet-collection-fumifugium-by-john-evelyn/ Jenner, Mark. (1995) The politics of London air : John Evelyn's 'Fumifugium' and the Restoration. The Historical Journal. pp. 535-551. ISSN: 1469-5103. https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/id/eprint/1550/1/jennerm1.pdf Heidorn, K.C. “A Chronology of Important Events in the History of Air Pollution Meteorology to 1970.” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, December 1978, Vol. 59, No. 12 (December 1978). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26219252 Foster, John Bellamy. “Introduction to John Evelyn’s ‘Fumifugium.’” Organization & Environment, June 1999, Vol. 12, No. 2 (June 1999). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26161864 Brimblecombe, Peter. “Interest in Air Pollution among Early Fellows of the Royal Society.” Notes and Records of the Royal Society of London, Mar., 1978, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Mar., 1978). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/531723 Cavert, William M. “The Environmental Policy of Charles I: Coal Smoke and the English Monarchy, 1624–40.” Journal of British Studies, APRIL 2014, Vol. 53, No. 2 (APRIL 2014). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24701865 Darley, Gillian. “John Evelyn: Britain's First Environmentalist.” Gresham College. 11/12/2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOik751LhHk Surrey Heritage. “John Evelyn (1620 – 1706).” https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/people/writers/john_evelyn/ Evelyn, John. “Fumifugium.” 1661. https://archive.org/details/fumifugium00eveluoft/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
Behind the Scenes Minis: Odd Baby Train
2026/01/30
Tracy talks about amusing old illustrations of babies in utero. Holly shares anecdotes about George Stephenson's life that rarely make it into discussions of his life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
SYMHC Classics: Hennig Brand
2026/01/30
This 2019 episode shares how Hennig Brand discovered phosphorous by boiling pee. But he was really thought the secret to the philosopher’s stone might be found in urine.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
George Stephenson, Father of Railways
2026/01/28
George Stephenson started life in extremely humble circumstances, but his ingenuity and pursuit of education led him to an impressive legacy. He invented a miner’s lamp, but is most well known for his work on locomotives and railways. Research: “George Stephenson (1781-1848).” https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/stephenson_george.shtml#:~:text=In%201814%2C%20Stephenson%20constructed%20his%20first%20locomotive%2C,construction%20of%20the%20Stockton%20and%20Darlington%20railway.\ Bellis, Mary. “George Stephenson and the Invention of the Steam Locomotive Engine.” ThoughtCo. May 13, 2025. https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-railroad-1992457 Bellis, Mary. “Biography of James Watt, Inventor of the Modern Steam Engine.” ThoughtCo. April 27, 2020. https://www.thoughtco.com/james-watt-inventor-of-the-modern-steam-engine-1992685 Bellis, Mary. “Biography of Thomas Newcomen, Inventor of the Steam Engine.” July 15, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/thomas-newcomen-profile-1992201 Bibby, Miriam. “Rainhill Trials.” Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Rainhill-Trials/ Burton, Ken. “Local History: John Blenkinsop 1783-1831.” South Leeds Life. April 29, 2023. https://southleedslife.com/local-history-john-blenkinsop-1783-1831/ Cavendish, Richard. “George Stephenson's First Steam Locomotive.” History Today. July 7, 2014. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/george-stephensons-first-steam-locomotive Institution of Civil Engineers. “George Stephenson.” https://www.ice.org.uk/what-is-civil-engineering/meet-the-engineers/george-stephenson Network Rail. “George Stephenson (1781–1848).” https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/eminent-engineers/george-stephenson-1781-1848/ Rolt, L.T.C. “George and Robert Stephenson.” Amberley Publishing. 2016. “Safety Lamps.” Smithsonian. https://www.si.edu/spotlight/mining-lights-and-hats/safety-lamps Smiles, Samuel. “Lives of Engineers. The Locomotive. GEORGE AND ROBERT STEPHENSON.” LONDON. JOHN MURRAY. 1879. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27710/27710-h/27710-h.htm#footnote129 Stephenson Steam Railway Museum. https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/stephensonsteamrailway Stephenson, George. “A description of the safety lamp, invented by George Stephenson. To which is added, an account of the lamp constructed by sir H. Davy. [With] A collection of all the letters which have appeared in the Newcastle papers, with other documents, relating to the safety lamps.” London. Baldwin, Craddock and Joy. January 1817. Accessed online: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SYkIAAAAQAAJ&rdid=book-SYkIAAAAQAAJ&rdot=1 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
Rickets
2026/01/26
Nutritional rickets is caused by a vitamin D deficiency, and people figured out two ways to treat it before we even knew what vitamin D was. Research: “Oldest UK case of rickets in Neolithic Tiree skeleton.” 9/10/2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-34208976 Carpenter, Kenneth J. “Harriette Chick and the Problem of Rickets.” The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 138, Issue 5, 827 – 832 Chesney, Russell W. “New thoughts concerning the epidemic of rickets: was the role of alum overlooked?.” Pediatric Nephrology. (2012) 27:3–6. DOI 10.1007/s00467-011-2004-9. Craig, Wallace and Morris Belkin. “The Prevention and Cure of Rickets.” The Scientific Monthly , May, 1925, Vol. 20, No. 5 (May, 1925). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/7260 Davidson, Tish. "Rickets." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe, 6th ed., vol. 7, Gale, 2020, pp. 4485-4487. Gale OneFile: Health and Medicine, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7986601644/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=811f7e02. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026. Friedman, Aaron. “A brief history of rickets.” Pediatric Nephrology (2020) 35:1835–1841. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-019-04366-9 Hawkes, Colin P, and Michael A Levine. “A painting of the Christ Child with bowed legs: Rickets in the Renaissance.” American journal of medical genetics. Part C, Seminars in medical genetics vol. 187,2 (2021): 216-218. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.31894 Ihde, Aaron J. “Studies on the History of Rickets. I: Recognition of Rickets as a Deficiency Disease.” Pharmacy in History, 1974, Vol. 16, No. 3 (1974). https://www.jstor.org/stable/41108858 Ihde, Aaron J. “Studies on the History of Rickets. II : The Roles of Cod Liver Oil and Light.” Pharmacy in History, 1975, Vol. 17, No. 1 (1975). https://www.jstor.org/stable/41108885 Newton, Gil. “Diagnosing Rickets in Early Modern England: Statistical Evidence and Social Response.” Social History of Medicine Vol. 35, No. 2 pp. 566–588. https://academic.oup.com/shm/article/35/2/566/6381535 O'Riordan, Jeffrey L H, and Olav L M Bijvoet. “Rickets before the discovery of vitamin D.” BoneKEy reports vol. 3 478. 8 Jan. 2014, doi:10.1038/bonekey.2013.212. Palm, T. “Etiology of Rickets.” Br Med J 1888; 2 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.1457.1247 (Published 01 December 1888) Rajakumar, Kumaravel and Stephen B. Thomas. “Reemerging Nutritional Rickets: A Historical Perspective.” Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. Published Online: April 2005 2005;159;(4):335-341. doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.4.335 Swinburne, Layinka M. “Rickets and the Fairfax family receipt books.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Vol. 99. August 2006. Tait, H. P.. “Daniel Whistler and His Contribution to Pædiatrics.” Edinburgh Medical Journal vol. 53,6 (1946): 325–330. Warren, Christian. “No Magic Bolus: What the History of Rickets and Vitamin D Can Teach Us About Setting Standards.” Journal of Adolescent Health. 66 (2020) 379e380. https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(20)30038-0/pdf Wheeler, Benjamin J et al. “A Brief History of Nutritional Rickets.” Frontiers in endocrinology vol. 10 795. 14 Nov. 2019, doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00795 World Health Organization. “The Magnitude and Distribution of Nutritoinal Rickets: Disease Burden in Infants, Children, and Adolescents.” 2019. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep27899.7 Zhang, M., Shen, F., Petryk, A., Tang, J., Chen, X., & Sergi, C. (2016). “English Disease”: Historical Notes on Rickets, the Bone–Lung Link and Child Neglect Issues. Nutrients, 8(11), 722. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8110722 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
SYMHC Classics: Three Legendary Pranks
2026/01/24
This 2021 episode covers three prank stories, including a joke that became a living legend, a large-scale prank that created havoc, and a televised hoax that reminds us all of the importance of critical thinking.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more
Behind the Scenes Minis: Embroidery Love Letter
2026/01/23
Holly talks about the various inspirations for her love of embroidery. Tracy shares her experiences with movies and her cat while embroidering. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
more

Podcast reviews

Read Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast reviews


4.2 out of 5
23361 reviews
theotartanian 2026/02/11
“Pizzazz” is not a word
“PIZZAZZ”!? HISTORY ISN’T ABOUT “PIZZAZZ”, IDIOT! READING FROM A BOOK IS THE INTIRE POINT OF HISTORY! IT’S NOT ABOUT FUN, FREINDSY ATMOSPHERE! IT, IT’...
more
MyBadTeam 2009/01/04
Annoying hosts
The premise is great, but these are two of the most annoying women I've ever heard. Please dump the current hosts and I'll start downloading on a reg...
more
OSURoss 2008/07/21
Great Topics, Terrible Hosts.
This podcast is just like listening to a sorority girl and her jock friend flirt and stumble through quasi-history lessons and trying to compel more p...
more
Medical consumer87 2026/02/14
Over a decade. I’ve had enough
I have learned so much. I was unaware of the Tulsa racial attack on black Wall Street and the history surrounding Maria tallchief. I really appreciat...
more
never review, had to 2026/01/31
Vaccines
Love the podcast but your take on vaccines does not include a complete study of the history! Please read or get a summery of The Moth and the Iron Lun...
more
Funny thing 13 2026/02/04
Anyone can read from a book
How are you doing anything different from any one else.. you need more pizzazz
This is to Ohio Gyat skibity 2026/02/02
Just no just no
Before I started the show I read throw the comments and boy oh boy where they right. They talked about the adds witch is turę they also talked about t...
more
sarah2247 2026/01/30
Librarian approved podcast
Just listened to the Edmonia Lewis episode, who I have also researched. They did a wonderful job and great work fact checking.
awsmchic2020 2026/01/30
Snooze fest
The information is interesting but the presentation is like a teacher reading from a textbook.
mike2.0 2026/01/10
Fantastic Storytelling
This is my absolute favorite podcast! Tracy and Holly are wonderful storytellers and they choose topics that often engage with current events in ways ...
more
check all reviews on apple podcasts

Podcast sponsorship advertising

Start advertising on Stuff You Missed in History Class & sponsor relevant audience podcasts


What do you want to promote?

Ad Format

Campaign Budget

Business Details