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 First Crossword (1913) 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…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Poor Richard's Almanack (1732)
** 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)When Flying Got Miserable (1978) w/ Ganesh Sitaraman
** 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)Alaskan Natives Embrace Capitalism (1971)
** 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 Garment Strikes Before Triangle Shirtwaist (1909)
** 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)Louis Riel Needs Grant's Help (1875)
** 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)Lā Kū'oko'a aka Hawaiian Independence Day (1843)
** 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 ** Today…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Du Bois Joins The Communist Party (1961)
** 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 First Phone In The White House (1878)
** 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 Alcatraz Occupation (1969) w/ Julian Brave Noisecat [[Archive Episode]]
** 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 ** [[This…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Hopis On Alcatraz (1894)
** 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)
A Thanksgiving Potluck!
** 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 ** Happy…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
JFK Almost Assassinated (1960) [Revisited]
** 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)Joe Hill's Last Will (1915)
** 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)Pence Gets Booed At "Hamilton" (2016)
** 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)Henry Ford Contests An Election (1918)
** 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 Exploding Whale (1970)
** 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 Demon of Andersonville" Executed for War Crimes (1865)
** 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)An Explosion Rocks The Capitol (1983)
It’s November 7th. This day in 1983, a bomb placed under a bench on the second floor of the Capitol building’s North Wing goes off, minutes after the Senate…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Elected While In A Coma (1980)
It’s November 5th. This day in 1980, voters in the Maryland 5th Congressional District have just re-elected Gladys Noon Spellman — despite the fact that she is…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Unmarked Grave (2019) w/ Joe Richman
It’s November 2nd. This day in 2019, New York City began a process of opening up Hart Island to the public, after centuries of using the space to bury its…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Americans Fighting In Spain (1938) w/ Adam Hochschild
It’s October 31st. This day in 1938, hundreds of thousands gather in Barcelona, Spain, to say thanks and bid farewell to the thousands of foreign volunteers…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Donora Killer Smog (1948)
It’s October 29th. This day in 1948, a heavy, pollutant-laden fog is sitting over the Pennsylvania town of Donora. Over the course of five days, dozens of…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)NOW is Next (1966)
It’s October 25th. This day in 1966, a group gathers for the first conference of the National Organization for Women, aka NOW. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Colin + Obama (2008) w/ Leah Wright Rigueur
It’s October 24th. This day in 2008, former secretary of state Colin Powell goes on Meet the Press and endorses Barack Obama for president — over his longtime…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)"The Jazz Singer" and Hollywood Empire (1927) w/ Walt Hickey
It’s October 22nd. This day in 1927, Americans are flocking to the theaters to watch “The Jazz Singer,” the first major “talkie” film. Jody, Niki, and Kellie…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Trump Shows Up In New Hampshire (1987) w/ Robert Fleegler
It’s October 19th. This day in 1987, real estate mogul Donald Trump was invited to New Hampshire to give a speech to a local GOP group. He bragged about his…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Carter Restores Jefferson Davis's Citizenship (1978)
It’s October 17th. This day in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution that passed Congress to restore the citizenship of Jefferson Davis, president…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)"Operation Clark County" Totally Backfires (2004)
It’s October 15th. This day in 2004, voters in the swing region of Clark County, Ohio are receiving letters encouraging them to vote for John Kerry — letters…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Real Free State of Jones (1863)
It’s October 12th. This day in 1863, fighting is breaking out in Jones County, Mississippi, as a group of southern farmers starts to rebel against the…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Scrub Bull Trials (1919)
It’s October 9th. In 1919, the US Department of Agriculture began a nationwide campaign to promote better breeding among livestock — and stamp out so-called…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Poisoned Tylenol Panic (1982)
It’s October 5th. This day in 1982, a massive recall is underway for Tylenol, in the wake of a series of random poisonings and deaths in the Chicago era. Jody…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Italy Invades Ethiopia, World Freaks Out (1935) w/ Isaac-Davy Aronson
It’s October 3rd. This day in 1935, Italian leader Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia, one of the only independent Black states in the world. Jody, Niki, and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Hiroshima Maidens (1955) w/ Josh Levin
It’s October 3rd. This day in 1956, a group of 25 Japanese women are heading back to Japan after spending a year in the United States receiving medical and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Yeltsin Refuses To Leave The Plane (1994)
It’s October 1st. In 1994, Russian President Boris Yeltsin is set to stop off for a diplomatic visit in Ireland. But when his plane lands on the tarmac at…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)"Actually, You Forgot Poland" (2004)
It’s September 30th. This day in 2004, George W. Bush and John Kerry take the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2004 election. In response to…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Big Dig Energy (1983) w/ Ian Coss
It’s September 26th. This day in 1983, Massachusetts Senator Michael Dukakis held a press conference to announce an enormous and ambitious infrastructure…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Stanislav Petrov Prevents Armageddon (1983)
It’s September 26th. This day in 1983, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces determined that an alert about an incoming nuclear attack was, in…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)'The West Wing' Premieres (1999) w/ Hrishikesh Hirway
It’s September 22nd. This day in 1999, Aaron Sorkin’s podcast “The West Wing” premiered on NBC. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by fellow Radiotopian…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The First Anti-Amalgamation Law (1664)
It’s September 19th. This day, in 1664, Marlyand passed the first “anti-amalgamation” law in the colonies, outlawing the marriage between Black men and English…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
What YOU Learned On Your Summer Travels
A few episodes ago, we discussed what we’d learned on our summer travels, and asked for your stories. Today, we go through some tidbits, stories, and…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Case For Capitalism (1970) w/ Noel King
It’s September 14th. This day in 1970, economist Milton Friedman pens an op-ed in The New York Times making the case that a corporation’s primary goal is to…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Reagan's Prime-Time Drug Address (1986) w/ Donovan X Ramsey
It’s September 14th. This day in 1986, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan gave a prime-time television address about drugs, drug policy, and…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The First Food Nutrition Labels (1971) w/ Xaq Frohlich
It’s September 8th. This day in 1971, a consumer advocate Esther Peterson worked with the supermarket chain GIANT to come up with the first nutrition labels…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Upton Sinclair's Epic Run For Governor (1933)
It’s September 7th. This day in 1933, journalist Upton Sinclair launches a campaign for California governor. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Sinclair turned…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)What We Learned On Our Summer Travels
It’s the end of summer, and today we’re doing a special episode where we talk about some of the most interesting stories from history we discovered on our…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Adam Mckay is Morris The Cat (1992) [[Archive Episode]]
As we wrap up summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll see you after Labor Day! /// It’s July 28th. This day in 1992…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Man Who Killed The Man Who Killed Lincoln (1894) [[Archive Episode]]
As we wrap up summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll see you after Labor Day! /// It’s August 30th. This day in…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Fred Korematsu's Internment (1942) [[Archive Episode]]
On Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Missouri's Early Emancipation Proclamation (1861)
It’s August 24th. This day in 1861, a Union general in Missouri issued an edict freeing all enslaved people in the territory — this some sixteen months before…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Bridge To Nowhere (2005)
It’s August 22nd. In the summer of 2005, a proposed bridge in rural Alaska was becoming a hot-button controversy, as conservatives assailed its half-billion…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Nat Turner's Community (1831) w/ Vanessa Holden [[Archive Episode]]
On Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Steam Tunnel Incident and the D&D Panic (1979)
It’s August 17th. This day in 1979, a young college student by the name of James Dallas Egber III disappeared into a steam tunnel below his university…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Smithsonian, Great Idea (1846)
It’s August 15th. This day (actually Aug 10th) in 1846, President Polk signed into law a bill establishing the Smithsonian Institution, after almost a decade…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
"Macaca" (2006) w/ Peter Hamby [[Archive Episode]]
On Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Budd Trips Decker at the '84 Olympics (1984)
It’s August 10th. In 1984, at the LA Olympics, South African Zola Budd and American Mary Decker are facing off in the incredibly hyped-up 3000m final. But…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Clinton Finds Life On Mars (1996)
It’s August 8th. This day in 1996, President Bill Clinton gives a startling announcement about a rock — ALH84001 — that seems to indicate the presence of life…
- This Day (An America 250 History Show)
The Roots of "Roots" (1976) [[Archive Episode]]
On Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)Clean Up After Your Dog! (1978)
It’s August 3rd. This day in 1978, dog owners in NYC are dealing with a whole new reality — they are now responsible for cleaning up after their pet’s waste…
This Day (An America 250 History Show)The Subway Vigilante (1984) w/ Leon Neyfakh
It’s August 1st. This day in 1996, a judge ruled that Bernie Goetz still owed his victims millions of dollars in damages as a result of the “Subway Vigilante”…