Shows / 15-Minute History
15-Minute History
Walking in the footsteps of history, fifteen minutes at a time. Join us for a 15-minute episode covering a person, place, or event in history, and stay for an extended discussion. New episodes and discussions every week.
Episodes
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Janissaries, Sepoys, and Praetorian Guards
This week, Joe asked about the soldiers who guard political leaders and why they sometimes turn on those whom they are sworn to protect. Why does it happen?…
- 15-Minute History
The Eagle Against the Sun | The Second World War in the Pacific, part 1 (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 10…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Liquor, Guns, Bacon, and...Sydney Sweeney?
This week's pop quiz takes a historic approach to Marketing 101. Joe gives us his thoughts on recent trends at American Eagle, Cracker Barrel, Budweiser, and a…
- 15-Minute History
NEW Episode | Three Catastrophes in History That (Almost) Changed Everything | A Discussion
Join Jon, Joe, and longtime guest host Dan as they discuss pivotal moments in history that could have gone very wrong, the effects of their outcomes, and the…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Who Built the Pyramids? (Republish)
Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every Thursday, one of the hosts will ask the other a question about history they must answer. Have an idea for a topic? Send it to us…
- 15-Minute History
Espionage | Kim Philby and The Cambridge Five (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on November 18…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Demon Cat of Washington and Folklore
What is the Demon Cat of Washington? Where does folklore originate in culture? How do historians read folklore? Join us for this extended pop quiz as Joe and…
- 15-Minute History
Audie Murphy | An Uncommon Hero (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on May 4, 2023. ___…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Phantom Time
Was Charlemagne real? Did we land on the moon? Who are the real villains in history? Join us in this week's conversation about myths vs. reality and theory vs…
- 15-Minute History
Xerxes I | Hubris (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on January 16…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Operation Mincemeat (or) Liar, Liar, Literal Pants on Fire
As Churchill once said, "Truth must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies," and this is never more true in wartime (or a presidential campaign). This week we…
- 15-Minute History
Ivan the Terrible | The Sources of Evil (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on February 26…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Health & Safety
Do we need government regulations to protect employees in the workplace? Can labor unions go too far in efforts to safeguard their members? And did the sinking…
- 15-Minute History
Colt, Gatling, and Browning | Shooting for the Future (Republish)
Samuel Colt’s name is forever linked to the company he founded and the revolver he called the “Peacemaker.” Born in Connecticut in 1814, he was steeped in…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The War of Jenkin's Ear (or) That Escalated Quickly!
What started as a simple question about The War of Jenkin's Ear devolved into a mighty whirlwind on social media, immortality, and Jon's opinion of Elon Musk!…
- 15-Minute History
The Ash Heap of History | The End of the Cold War (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on March 20, 2020…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Holy Relics?
Why, in medieval times, were holy relics so popular? Was the church displaying them to give people hope in the divine or for financial gain, or both? In this…
- 15-Minute History
What If? | A Lasting Peace at Tilsit (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on July 12, 2021…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | "Stagflation"
With economics being all the rage these days and everyone on social media becoming experts in tariff and spending policy, Joe and Jon discuss one of the most…
- 15-Minute History
What if? | Pizzaro & the Potato (Republish)
During the summer break, the 15-Minute History podcast team are republishing some of their favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on August 30, 2021…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | "Sherman's Neckties"
Recently, Jon mentioned "Sherman's Neckties" in an episode that referenced the American Civil War. Now it's time to talk about these fascinating--and…
- 15-Minute History
America's Utopian Mores | A Discussion
Where does utopianism come from? Can we really create a perfect world, and did the colonists think they could create utopia in the New World? And why did Jon…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | The Speaking Stone
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
America's Utopian Mores
This season has been about good and bad ideas, and we are concluding with Jon's thoughts on a journey he's been on through early American history. In his 1989…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Future of Warfare
This week, Joe and I discuss how warfare is evolving on the battlefields of Ukraine, the role drones and other new technologies are changing the battlespace…
- 15-Minute History
"Dieu et mon droit" | A discussion on the Divine Right of Kings
Join us for a discussion on the Divine Right of Kings and how it continues to shape modern political systems in our world today! Leave a comment below with any…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | A Silent Symphony
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
"Dieu et mon droit" | The Divine Right of Kings
Throughout history, leaders have claimed their positions in a variety of ways: military conquests, electoral mandates, revolutionary uprisings, and more. But…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Answering an Audience Question & The Overton Window
In this double pop quiz, Jon answers a question from an audience member and then discusses the Overton Window and how the range of "acceptable" political…
- 15-Minute History
The Magna Carta | A Discussion on Power, Politics, and the Birth of Liberty
Join us as we discuss the history of the Magna Carta, how it changed English governance, and its influence on all democracies and constitutional federal…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Connecting Continents
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
The Magna Carta | Power, Politics, and the Birth of Liberty
It’s raining. The men in the group are drenched and have been so almost all day. Nobles in their finest attire stand ankle-deep in mud, their expressions a…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The New Deal, part 2
In part two of this pop quiz series, Joe and I discuss the New Deal's long-term legacy and the controversial idea that anything can really be "free." As…
- 15-Minute History
The Khmer Rouge | “To Destroy You is No Loss” (Repost)
This week, the team wanted to revisit one of the most popular episodes from last season. A new, exciting episode is coming to you on Monday. ____ “I was…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | When the Walls Come Down
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
The Manhattan Project | Discussing Scientific Achievement vs Ethical Responsibility
Join us as we discuss the Manhattan Project, the reason behind the development of nuclear weapons, and the ethical implications of such an invention.
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The New Deal, part 1
In this first of a two-part pop quiz on the New Deal, Joe and I chat about the real origins of the Great Depression and how we still feel its effects today…
- 15-Minute History
The Manhattan Project | Scientific Achievement vs Ethical Responsibility
It was still dark. The group of men felt the breeze getting warmer as the eastern horizon began to show signs of light. One of the men, tall with no…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Voices in the Wire
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
The Francis Factor | Inside the Modern Papacy
Join us as we discuss the life of Pope Francis, his reforms, and the controversies that defined his papacy. From his humble beginnings to his efforts to…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Everything is Awful (How to Get Historical Interpretation Wrong)
In this pop quiz, Joe asks me why some historians choose to interpret the past through current-day lenses and the problems that can create for students of…
- 15-Minute History
Tariffs, Tariffs Everywhere | A Discussion on the Intricacies of Global Trade
Join us this week as Joe and I delve into the political, social, and (of course) economic consequences of tariffs. We stay away from the politics--mostly--and…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | Impossible Escape
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
Tariffs, Tariffs Everywhere | The Intricacies of Global Trade
We're back from our spring break a week early! This episode is a timely overview of tariffs--taxes on imported goods--from a historical perspective. We will…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Yalta (and a "What If?")
This week, Joe comes awfully close to asking a "what if" question (and getting a shoe thrown at him)! Join us as we discuss historical perspectives on the…
- 15-Minute History
Caesar Augustus | From Clay to Marble (Republish)
During the next few weeks, the 15-History Podcast team is taking a break and bringing you some of their favorite previous episodes. This episode originally…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | A Discovery in the Sand
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
Genius | Michelangelo Buonarroti (Republish)
During the next few weeks, the 15-History Podcast team is taking a break and bringing you some of their favorite previous episodes. This episode originally…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | Blurring the Lines
This week, Jon got to ask Joe about the morality of a military attacking civilian targets in war. His answer was very thought-provoking!
- 15-Minute History
"Hatched from a Cannon-Ball" | A Discussion on the Unification of Germany
Join us for a conversation about the ideas behind Germany's unification, how that pivotal moment in world history shaped decades to come, and its legacy that…
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | To the Skies
The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure…
- 15-Minute History
"Hatched from a Cannon-Ball" | The Unification of Germany
The creation of a united, powerful Germany completely reshaped European power politics in the late 19th century. But how did it happen? What was the character…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Federal Reserve (and some Conspiracies?)
Join us every other week for a Pop Quiz! This week, Joe asked me about the Federal Reserve, how it works, and whether or not it's run by reptilian aliens…
- 15-Minute History
Engines of Change | A Discussion on Steam Power and the Effects of Industrialization
Join us as we explore the history of the steam engine, its impact on industrialization, and how both have translated into the modern age.
- 15-Minute History
Sketches in History | The Midnight Ride
The 15-Minute History Podcast team is bringing you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an…
- 15-Minute History
Engines of Change | How Steam Powered the Modern Age
In the workshop, all he could smell was the coal. It filled his nostrils day and night. The metal under his hands was hot. A few months before, the heat would…
- 15-Minute History
A Trip to a Museum | Pop Quiz - The Future of NATO
Hey kids! I know you were excited to hear Lottie bring you another episode of "Sketches in History." Unfortunately, she isn't here this week. But Joe has a…
- 15-Minute History
The Eagle Against the Sun | A Discussion on the Second World War in the Pacific
After a two-part podcast on this immense topic, Joe and I discussed some of the war's greatest impacts on society, how it shaped the lives of those who fought…
- 15-Minute History
Pop Quiz | The Great Debasement
In today's episode, Joe and Jon discuss King Henry VIII's "Great Debasement" (which has nothing to do with his palace's root cellar) and how it shaped our…
- 15-Minute History
The Eagle Against the Sun | The Second World War in the Pacific, part 2
Seven years ago, Joe and I began this podcast with a two-part episode on the Second World War in Europe. Today, we bring you part two, followed by our…