Shows / This Day (An America 250 History Show)
This Day (An America 250 History Show)
To mark our 250th birthday, “This Day” presents "50 Weeks That Shaped America," a series of deep dives into the stories that brought us to this moment.
"This Day" takes you beyond the head-spinning headlines of today and into the unexpected historical moments that have shaped American politics and culture. Hosted by Jody Avirgan (538), and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt), and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley), each episode explores a moment from that day in U.S. political history to…
Episodes
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The US-Canada "Special Relationship" (Some Sunday Context)
Today, an episode from the archives that may provide some context for the news playing out today. We'll be doing more Sunday episodes -- from the archives and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The King Of Haiti (1811)
It's March 6th. This day in 1811, Henri Christophe is proclaiming himself as the first King of Haiti -- he would also be the nation's last. Jody, Niki, and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Mexico Meddling (1913)
This day, it's 1913. Mexico City is in the midst of what would come to be known as "la decena tragica" -- the ten tragic days. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Anti-DEI Cycle (Some Sunday Context)
There's an anti-DEI push taking place under the Trump administration -- is it just another in the long cycle of backlashes going all the way to reconstruction?…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Anti-Pay-Toilet Fight (1973)
It's February 27th. This day in 1973, the City of Chicago is converting all of its pay toilets to free toilets. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the grassroots…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Truth Inside Indian Boarding Schools (1928/2025) w/ Dana Hedgpeth
It's February 24th. This day in 1928, a major report is issued highlighting conditions inside the so-called Indian Boarding Schools, which were set up by the…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
A Very Strange Black History Month (Some Sunday Context)
Today, an episode from the archives that may provide some context for the news playing out today. We'll be doing more Sunday episodes -- from the archives and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Why They Banned Dunking (1968) w/ Mike Sielski
It's February 19th. This day in 1967, the NCAA has decided to ban dunking in the college game -- a move largely seen as a response to Lew Alcindor (soon known…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The PTA Is Born (1897)
It's February 18th. This day in 1897, 2000 educators, parents and legislators are gathered to kick off a new organization that would come to be known as the…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The President vs. The Courts (Some Sunday Context)
Donald Trump has issued a flurry of executive orders, and Elon Musk is slashing and burning state capacity. But the courts, Congress, and public opinion may…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
SNL Turns Fifty: Our Favorite Political Sketches (1975-2025)
This weekend Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary. To help celebrate, we're bringing you an episode we recorded last fall about SNL's political…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Last Senator To Be Expelled (1862)
It's February 11th. This day in 1862, the U.S. Senate has expelled Indiana Senator Jesse David Bright for colluding with the Confederacy. Jody, Niki, and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Immigration And MAGA (Some Sunday Context)
Today, an episode from the archives that may provide some context for the news playing out today. We'll be doing more Some Sunday Context episodes -- from the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The U.S.S. Pueblo Hostage Crisis (1968)
It's February 6th. This day in 1968, 82 crewmembers of the U.S.S. Pueblo have been captured by North Korea, setting off a major hostage crisis in the midst of…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)ABSCAM Arrives (1980)
It's February 4th. This day in 1980, the story is breaking about the FBI's "ABSCAM" operation -- a bribery sting that ended up implicating many congressman and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Airline Deregulation (Some Sunday Context)
Today, an episode from the archives that may provide some context for the news playing out today. We'll be doing more Sunday episodes -- from the archives and…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The "Bedsheet Ballot" (1964)
It's January 29th. In 1964, because of an impasse over redistricting, the state of Illinois held elections in which every candidate was at-large. Jody, Niki…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The First Issue Of National Geographic (1888)
It's January 28th. This day in 1888, a new society is formed in Washington D.C. to support the exploration of the entire globe -- and soon thereafter the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Push To Impeach Perkins (1939) w/ Rebecca Brenner Graham
It's January 25th. This day in 1939, Republicans in Congress are holding hearings to impeach labor secretary Frances Perkins, claiming that she'd failed to…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Trump's First 48 Hours, In Context
It's January 23rd. This day, we discuss Donald Trump's first 48 hours, and how other presidents have spent their first hours, days, and weeks in office. Sign…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Pussy Hat Protests (2017)
It's January 21st. This day in 2017, millions of people marched in Washington, DC and across the United States to protest for women's rights and against the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Biden's Farewell Address (2025)
It's January 19th. Today, we look at Joe Biden's farewell address, and the history of presidential goodbyes. Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Prohibition Starts, Everyone Still Drinks (1920)
It's January 16th. 1920, at midnight (of the 17th) the Volstead Act took hold, bringing prohibition to the United States. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Elizabeth Packard Is Not Insane (1864) w/ Therese O'Neill
It's January 14th. This day in 1864, an Illinois woman by the name of Elizabeth Packard is on trial, claiming that she has been wrongfully imprisoned -- and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Panama Canal Flag Riots (1964)
It's January 9th. This day in 1964, riots broke out in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone over the flying of a Panamanian flag alongside the U.S. flag at a…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Pardon Season, And A Case Before Biden w/ Shannon Lynch
It's January 7th. Today, we take a look at the history of presidential pardons, which often take place at the end of an outgoing president's term. Joe Biden is…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Emancipation, Of Sorts (1863) w/ Jonathan Lande
It's January 4th. This day, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved Americans in the South. It also freed up Black…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Hello 2025! How History Will Help
Happy New Year, everyone! What will 2025 bring? We're not in the prediction business, but we do think there's a lot of history that can help us navigate…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Goodbye Jimmy Carter, Goodbye 2024
We wrap up the year by talking about the death of Jimmy Carter, who we've done almost ten episodes about -- and was president during a period of American…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Cheney Shoots His Friend (2006) [[Archive Episode]]
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
You Can Smoke, But.. (1987) w/ Sarah Milov
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
R.A.D.D. - Reagan Against Drunk Driving (1982)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Ike Wages War On A Golf Course Tree (1956)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Gold Rush! (1848)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Mail Delivery For Everyone (1896)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Polio Vaccine Arrives! (1954) [Archive Episode]
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Al Gore's Concession Speech (2000) w/ Leon Neyfakh
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Clinton's National Conversation On Race (1997)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)What "The Wizard Of Oz" Might Mean (1900-Present) w/ Ranjit Dighe
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Till, Memory, History and Place w/ Wright Thompson
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
What Really Killed Emmett Till (1955) w/ Wright Thompson
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Franksgiving: When FDR Moved Thanksgiving w/ Adam Conover [Archive Episode]
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- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Red Delicious Apple Crisis (2000)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Treaty Divvies Up The Colorado River (1922) w/ Charly Edsitty
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)The National Women's Conference, and the Schlafly Backlash (1977)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Fluoride To The Rescue (1945) [Archive Episode]
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Memory Palace Week: The Art Of Storytelling w/ Nate DiMeo
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Memory Palace Week: How A Rock Became Plymouth Rock (1741)
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This Day (An America 250 History Show)Memory Palace Week: Hercules Posey and George Washington (1797) w/ Nate DiMeo
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The USSR Almost Builds The Internet (1970) w/ Kevin Roose
It's November 9th. This day in 1970, a Soviet computer scientist named Victor Glushkov pitched to his bosses for a series of decentralized computer networks…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
2024 Election: Donald Trump Wins, Joins Grover Cleveland
One final episode about the 2024 election, as we gather to discuss Donald Trump's decisive victory on Tuesday night, how to place it in historical context, and…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Why Do We Vote On A Tuesday Anyway? (1845-Present)
Happy Election Day! Today we're bringing you an episode from earlier this year about how we ended up with Tuesday as our voting day to begin with. Jody, Niki…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
2024 Election Sunday: Final Days, Polling, Lawn Sings, Balance
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)SNL's Political Impact (1974-Present)
It's October 31st. Happy Halloween! In October 1974, Saturday Night Live premiered and, from the jump, included political satire. Jody, Niki, and Kellie…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Harrison-Cleveland Rematch Takes A Pause (1892)
It's October 29rd. This day in 1892, Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland are locked in a presidential election rematch, but not out on the campaign trail in…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Hamilton's Diss Letter To Adams (1800) w/ Lindsay Chervinsky
It's October 23rd. This day in 1800, Alexander Hamilton penned a letter titled "The Public Conduct and Character of John Adams." Jody, Niki, and Kellie are…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Reagan's Age and "Youth and Inexperience" Quip (1984)
It's October 22nd. This day in 1984, Ronald Reagan served up one of the most memorable lines in political history when he said that he would not "exploit, for…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
2024 Election Sunday: Trump Is Addled, The New Dark Money
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Brief History Of Election TV Ads (Part 2)
We continue our look at the history of television ads in American elections. This episode, how ads got so negative, and who watches TV ads anymore anyway? This…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Brief History Of Election TV Ads (Part 1)
As we wrap up our very informal "media ecosystem week" we take a look at the history of television ads in American elections. This episode, how Madison Avenue…