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)Nixon Attacked In Caracas (1958)
It's May 14th. This day in 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon is on a goodwill tour of South America when his motorcade is attacked by a violent mob in…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Jefferson Davis Trial That Wasn't (1867)
It's May 12th. This day in 1867, Jefferson Davis, the former President of the Confederacy, left a courthouse in Richmond after waiting in jail on treason…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)What Do We Call The President? w/ A.J. Jacobs
Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by author A.J. Jacobs, whose new book "The Year of Living Constitutionally" dives into the weird world of our founding…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
It's May7th. This day in 1882, Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, aimed at curbing Chinese immigration as fears about Asian immigrants threatening…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Deep Dive Into The Cultural Cold War (1960) w/ Benjamen Walker
It's May 5th. This day in 1960, a British theater critic named Kenneth Tynan is hauled before a Senate sub-committee to answer questions about what is seen as…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Pepsi Trades Soda For Soviet Warships (1989)
It's May 2nd. This day in 1989, Pepsi cuts a trade deal with the USSR in which it receives 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer. Jody, Niki…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Columbia Protests (1968)
It's April 30th. This day in 1968, Columbia University asks the NYPD to intervene and break up campus protests. Sound familiar? Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Veepstakes Week: JFK Picks LBJ (1960)
Welcome to Veepstakes Week! From time to time this election year, we're going to do some special series that highlight the rhythm of an election cycle. This…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Veepstakes Week: The Legend Of The Sarah Palin Cruise Ship (2007)
Welcome to Veepstakes Week! From time to time this election year, we're going to do some special series that highlight the rhythm of an election cycle. This…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Veepstakes Week: Does A VP Pick Matter?
Welcome to Veepstakes Week! From time to time this election year, we're going to do some special series that highlight the rhythm of an election cycle. This…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Great San Francisco Earthquake (1906)
It's April 18th. This day in 1906, a massive earthquake devastates San Francisco. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the political impact of the quake -- from how…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Walter Cronkite's America (1962)
It's April 16th. This day in 1962, Walter Cronkite takes over as the anchor of CBS's evening news program. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Cronkite quickly…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)George W. Bush Meets With Gay Voters (2000) w/ Neil J. Young
It's April 14th. This day in 2000, GOP candidate for president George W. Bush meets with a group of "Log Cabin" Republicans to discuss how the GOP can better…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Democrats Seize Power In South Carolina (1877)
It’s April 11th. This day in 1877, Democrat Wade Hampton finally becomes the sole Governor of South Carolina after months of in-fighting and maneuvering…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Marian Anderson Sings On The Steps Of The Lincoln Memorial (1939)
It’s April 9th. This day in 1939, singer Marian Anderson performs for 75,000 people outdoors on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial -- after being denied the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Wisconsin Tries To Recall Scott Walker (2012)
It’s April 7th. This day in 2012, there is an effort underway to recall Republican Governor Scott Walker. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the recall effort…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Why William Henry Harrison Really Died (1841)
It’s April 4th. This day in 1841, President William Henry Harrison died, just 30 days after his inauguration. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the myth about how…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Richmond Bread Riots (1863)
It’s April 2nd. This day in 1863, a riot breaks out in the Confederate capitol of Richmond, due to deepening hunger and frustration among residents as the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Truman Says He Won't Seek Re-Election (1952)
It’s March 31st. This day (actually March 29th) President Harry Truman announces that he won’t be seeking the Democratic re-nomination for the election that…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Slaveowner Executed for Killing His Slave (1839)
It’s March 27th This day in 1839, a North Carolina man by the name of John Hoover is found guilty and sentenced to be executed for killing a woman he’d…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)DC Plants The Cherry Blossoms (1912)
It’s March 26th. This day in 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft planted two cherry trees in Washington, DC. The trees were a gift from Japan, and have become a…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Lincoln's Avenger And The Aftermath Of Assassination (1894) [[Archive Episode]]
Today we’re bringing you a favorite recent episode, in part because there’s a new series on Apple TV about the aftermath of the Lincoln Assassination. Enjoy!…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Montana Enshrines a Right To Privacy (1972)
It’s March 21st. This day in 1972, a group of 100 regular citizens are meeting to re-write Montana’s constitution. Among other provisions, the new document…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The First Government Shutdown Fight (1879)
It’s March 19th. This day in 1879, a small group of Southern Democrats is holding up budget appropriations bills in order to force a fight over federal troops…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Shamrock Summit (1985)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s March 16th. This day in 1985, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney met for what came to be…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)FDR Says Bottoms Up (1933)
It’s March 14th. This day in 1933, just over a week after taking office, President Frankin Roosevelt announces that a top priority is legalizing 3.2% alcohol…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Kennedy's Latin American Marshall Plan (1964)
It’s March 12th. This day in 1961, President John F Kennedy is hosting a couple hundred Latin American diplomats to lay out his vision for the “Alliance for…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Hoover Almost Takes Over Baseball (1951)
It’s March 10th. This day in 1951, the owners of Major League Baseball are looking for a new commissioner, and a surprising name appears on the list — FBI…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
When "Primary" Became A Verb (2004)
It’s March 4th. This day in 2004, Pat Toomey is challenging Republican Senator Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania senate race — trying to outflank him from the…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Ask President Carter 1-900 Number (1977)
It’s March 5th. This day in 1977, President Jimmy Carter and CBS’s Walter Cronkite took phone calls, unfiltered, from Americans all over the country who had…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Hangers On Week: Al Smith and Remakes The Democratic Party
Throughout this election year, we’re going to be doing a few special series tied to the notable stretches in an election cycle, from primaries to conventions…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Hangers On Week: Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition
Throughout this election year, we’re going to be doing a few special series tied to the notable stretches in an election cycle, from primaries to conventions…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Hangers On Week: Sowing The Seeds of Trump
Throughout this election year, we’re going to be doing a few special series tied to the notable stretches in an election cycle, from primaries to conventions…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Hangers On Week: Why Candidates Stick Around w/ Amy Walter
Throughout this election year, we’re going to be doing a few special series tied to the notable stretches in an election cycle, from primaries to conventions…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Malcolm X Is Assassinated (1965)
It’s February 22nd. This day (February 21st, in fact) in 1965, Malcolm X is assassinated as he’s giving a speech at a Harlem ballroom. Jody, NIki, and Kellie…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Dick Cheney Shoots His Friend In The Face (2006)
It’s February 20th. This day in 2006, the news — and the jokes — are swirling about the incident that took place earlier in the month, when Vice President Dick…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)NJ Law Calls For "Gradual Emancipation Of Slaves" (1804)
It’s February 18th. This day in 1804, the Northern state of New Jersey passed a law that included a call for a “gradual emancipation of slaves.” Jody, Niki…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The FDR Assassination Attempt (1933)
It’s February 15th. This day in 1933, in Miami, Giuseppe Zangara pulled out a pistol and, while yelling “too many people are starving!” fired at…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Mandela Released From Prison (1990)
It’s February 13th. This day — actually, February 11th — in 1990, South African leader Nelson Mandela emerges from prison after 27 years. Jody, NIki, and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The First Execution By Gas Chamber (1924)
It’s February 11th. This day in 1924, the State of Nevada executed a man named Gee Jon, using the gas chamber for the first time as capital punishment. Jody…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Lockheed Caught Bribing The Japanese Government (1976)
It’s February 8th. This day in 1976, officials for defense and airline manufacturer Lockheed Martin admit to spending millions of dollars to bribe Japanese…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)FDR's Court-Packing Plan Backfires (1937)
It’s February 6th. This day in 1937, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announces a plan to reforming the judiciary, most notably forcing older members of the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Sketchy Deal That Makes Hayes President (1877)
It’s February 4th. This day in 1877, a hastily assembled commission is meeting to try and sort out the very messy aftermath of the previous fall’s election…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Groundhog Day's Very Weird Origins (1877)
It’s February 1st. This day in 1877, the first Groundhog Day ceremony is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania — in which a small rodent’s shadow determines…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Brawl In Congress (1798) w/ Joanne Freeman
It’s January 30th. This day in 1798, representatives Roger Lyon and Matthew Griswold get into a fight on the house floor — with spitting, wrestling, and even a…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)No Nukes In Space (1967)
It’s January 28th. This day in 1967, the U.S., U.K., and Russia sign a treaty that, among other things, says that outer space should be off-limits for the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Why Do We Vote On Tuesday? (1845)
It’s January 25th. This day in 1845, Congress passed a law designating that Americans would henceforth vote on “the first Tuesday after the first Monday of…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Ed Roberts, Father Of Independent Living (2010)
It’s January 23rd, happy Ed Roberts Day! This day in 2010, the State of California proclaimed this day to commemorate the life and work of the pioneering…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Marion Barry Caught Smoking Crack (1990)
This day, January 19th, 1990, at the end of a joint sting operation by FBI agents and District of Columbia Police, DC Mayor Marion Barry is arrested and…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Pentagon, The Building (1943)
It’s January 17th. This day in 1943, the U.S. military has a shiny - and massive - new home. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the design of the building came…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)America's Biggest Slave Rebellion (1811)
It’s January 16th. This day in 1811, the aftermath of what came to be known as the “German Coast” uprising in the Orleans territory. Jody, NIki, and Kellie…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)America Drags Its Feet on MLK Day (1986)
It’s January 14th. This day in 1986, Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation that January 15th would be a federal holiday recognizing the contributions of Martin…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Children's Blizzard (1888)
It’s January 11th. In 1888, a massive and quick-moving storm swept across the American Midwest, trapping hundreds of school-children in their schoolhouses…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Jefferson's Wall Between Church and State (1802)
It’s January 9th. In 1802, Thomas Jefferson penned a letter in which he referred to a “wall of separation between church and state. Jody and Niki discuss how…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Vietnam Draft Lottery Is Exposed (1970) w/ Walt Hickey
It’s January 7th. In 1970, the New York Times published an article with the headline “Statisticians Charge Draft Lottery Was Not Random.” Jody and Niki are…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Ike vs. Squirrels (1955) [Archive Episode]
**We’ll be back on Sunday with our first new epsiode of 2024. In the meantime, here’s a treat from the archives!** It’s March 13th. This day in 1955, news…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Great Idaho Beaver Parachute Drop (1948) w/ Ian Chillag
** It’s the final day of the Radiotopia fundraiser! Support the show using this link and you’ll get a 20% discount to our new merch store!…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)A Bombing At LaGuardia Airport (1975)
** It’s the Radiotopia fundraiser! Support the show using this link and you’ll get a 20% discount to our new merch store! https://on.prx.org/46XCf1R ** It’s…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Assassination of Harry and Harriette Moore (1951)
** It’s the Radiotopia fundraiser! Support the show using this link and you’ll get a 20% discount to our new merch store! https://on.prx.org/46XCf1R ** It’s…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)How Puzzles Explain WWII w/ A.J. Jacobs
** It’s the Radiotopia fundraiser! Support the show using this link and you’ll get a 20% discount to our new merch store! https://on.prx.org/46XCf1R ** It’s…