Stuff You Missed in History Class

Available Episodes

5 of 2519

SYMHC Class: Poison Control
This 2020 episode examines how the U.S. got to the point of having one resource, specifically for poisoning, that’s so reliable and available that it gets printed on the labels of consumer products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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36:04
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36:04
Behind the Scenes Minis: Pens and Dog Radios
Tracy and Holly talk about their favorite pens, and Tracy describes a unique radio she had as a child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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20:27
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20:27
Edwin Howard Armstrong
Edwin Howard Armstrong isn’t exactly a well-known inventor, but his work in radio literally changed communications around the globe. But his most famous invention – FM radio – became a source of constant frustration after he developed it. Research: Armstrong, Edwin H. “Frequency Modulation and Its Future Uses.” The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 213, 1941, pp. 153–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1024069 Armstrong, Edwin H. “Personalities in Science.” Scientific American, vol. 154, no. 1, 1936, pp. 3–3. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26144367 “First public radio broadcast.” Guinness World Records. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/381969-first-public-radio-broadcast “FM Inventor Dies in Fall.” The Patriot News. Feb. 2, 1954. https://www.newspapers.com/image/1094174282/?match=1&terms=%22Edwin%20Howard%20Armstrong%22 Lessing, Lawrence P.. "Edwin H. Armstrong". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edwin-H-Armstrong Lessing, Lawrence P. “Man of High Fidelity: Edwin Howard Armstrong.” Bantam. 1969. Lessing, Lawrence P. “The Late Edwin H. Armstrong.” Scientific American, vol. 190, no. 4, 1954, pp. 64–69. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24944524 “Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers, Volume 5.” Institute of Radio Engineers. 1917. Accessed online: https://books.google.com/books?id=YEASAAAAIAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s “Radio Broadcast.” Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1922-1930. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858044013914&view=1up&seq=277 “Telephoning Without Wires.” The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Oct. 20, 1907. https://www.newspapers.com/image/29125618/?match=1&terms=audion%20%22de%20Forest%22 Tsividis, Yannis. “Edwin Armstrong: Pioneer of the Airwaves.” Columbia Magazine. April 1, 2002. https://magazine.columbia.edu/article/edwin-armstrong-pioneer-airwaves Turner, H. M. “Dr. Edwin H. Armstrong, Edison Medalist.” The Scientific Monthly, vol. 56, no. 2, 1943, pp. 185–87. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/17796 “What’s the Difference Between AM and FM Radio?” National Inventors Hall of Fame. Aug, 16, 2023. https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/difference-between-am-fm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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33:22
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33:22
The Humble Ballpoint Pen
Before the ballpoint pen, people used their hands, reeds, bamboo, brushes, quills, and eventually nibs to write or draw. But how did things evolve from there to get to things like the fountain pen, and eventually, a ballpoint? Research: "pen." Britannica Library, Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Jul. 2021. libraries.state.ma.us/login?eburl=https%3A%2F%2Flibrary.eb.com&ebtarget=%2Flevels%2Freferencecenter%2Farticle%2Fpen%2F59036&ebboatid=9265652. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025. "Pen." UXL Science, UXL, 2008. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV2646000736/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=52ede570. Accessed 27 May 2025 “Patent of Mr. Frederick Bartholomew Folsch, of Oxford street, for improvements on instruments, and pens, to facilitate writing.” https://archive.org/details/jstor-30072521/mode/2up Bayley, Stephen. “Obituary: Baron Marcel Bich.” The Independent. 6/1/1994. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-baron-marcel-bich-1419867.html Bourque, Joseph. “The Waterman Pen.” American Heritage. Jul/Aug92, Vol. 43 Issue 4, p30. Brachmann, Steve. “The Evolution of Modern Ballpoint Pen: A Patent History.” IP Watchdog. 12/10/2014. https://ipwatchdog.com/2014/12/10/the-evolution-of-modern-ballpoint-pen-a-patent-history/id=52550/ Cross, Alonzo T. “Stylographic Pen.” U.S. Patent 232804. 10/5/1880. Daniels, Maygene. “The Ingenious Pen: American Writing Implements from the Eighteenth Century to the Twentieth.” The American Archivist , Summer, 1980, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Summer, 1980). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40292316 Di Nardo, Sam. “When was the Fountain Pen Invented: A Brief History.” Dayspring Pens. 1/2/2023. https://www.dayspringpens.com/blogs/the-jotted-line/when-was-the-fountain-pen-invented-a-brief-history-1 Di Nardo, Sam. “Who Invented the Ballpoint Pen?: A Brief History.” Sayspring Pens. s1/2/2023. https://www.dayspringpens.com/blogs/the-jotted-line/who-invented-the-ballpoint-pen-history?srsltid=AfmBOopQR061KHIKpgm_a0a0IHiTSiY_V-ahwIFQxU5MYzLLQ5vpHjXv Dowling, Stephen. “The cheap pen that changed writing forever.” BBC. 10/29/2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201028-history-of-the-ballpoint-pen German Patent and Trademark Office. “László Biró´s 125th birthday.” https://www.dpma.de/english/our_office/publications/milestones/inventionsthatmadehistory/kugelschreiber/index.html Laszlo, Josef Biro. “Writing Instrument.” U.S. patent 2390636. 12/11/1945. Loud, J.J. “Pen.” U.S. Patent 392046. 10/30/1888. National inventors Hall of Fame. “Laszlo Josef Biro.” https://www.invent.org/inductees/laszlo-josef-biro Riesberg, Van Vechton. “Fountain Pen.” U.S. Patent 1171652. 2/15/1916. Rothman, Lily. “Why the Invention of the Ballpoint Pen Was Such a Big Deal.” Time. 10/29/2015. https://time.com/4083274/ballpoint-pen/ The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. “#236 Birome Ballpoint Pen Collection.” https://www.asme.org/about-asme/engineering-history/landmarks/236-birome-ballpoint-pen-collection Waterman, L.E. “Fountain Pen.” U.S. Patent 293545. 2/12/1884. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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35:35
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35:35
SYMHC Classics: Lettuce, Slavery, and the Bibb Legacy
This 2022 episode starts with the story of John Bibb, credited with cultivating Bibb lettuce. But his family’s legacy, good and bad, is all tied to having enslaved people build their familial wealth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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33:51
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33:51