Episode 83 features the stories of two unusual men who walked a lot. One was a mysterious man in Northeastern America who spoke to nearly no one for years, despite walking a monthlong circular path. He was known as The Old Leatherman. Also, hear the story of Oxekula a man who boarded a boat from Russia, bound for America despite not knowing a soul, nor a lick of English. His mysterious journey through coastal Virginia caught everyone off guard since no one could understand his unusual language. Thanks to Hello Fresh for their support. Go to HelloFresh.com/50pastandcurious and use code 50pastandcurious for 50% off plus 15% off the next 2 months

Episode 82 features the story of the Transcontinental Railroad, including the famous Golden Spike. Also in this episode is the story of Joseph Kekuku, a boy from Hawaii who changed music after being inspired by a random occurrence, possibly involving another railroad spike. If you'd like to learn more about Kekuku and the role of Hawaii in music through the steel guitar, I recommend the book Kika Kila, by John Troutman. It was very important to creating this episode.

Episode 81: The Washington Monument is just one of many Obelisks in the world. Somehow several originals from Egypt have wound up all over the globe. And they inspired a stinky imitation in Australia, known as Thornton's Scent Bottle. The Washington Monument is the tallest, but it took DECADES for it to be completed - for a bunch of reasons. Don't forget to help out with our Survey - Here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/thepast. We really appreciate it! Thank you to our sponsor Kids’ Chemical Solutions and their chemistry comic book series filled with colorful characters and exciting storylines. Order now at www.kidschemicalsolutions.com Thanks HelloFresh! Go to hellofresh.com/pastandcurious50 and use code pastandcurious50 for 50% off plus free shipping!

Episode 80: Fabian Garcia, changed agriculture (and people's taste) with his ground breaking New Mexico No. 9 Chile, which is the genetic ancestor of nearly every chile grown in southwest America today. His dedication and intelligence with plants changed lives, livelihoods, and culture. Elliot Michener, on the other hand, was a career criminal whose life was changed for the better when he was put in charge of a garden on Alcatraz Island. Thank you to our sponsor Kids’ Chemical Solutions and their chemistry comic book series filled with colorful characters and exciting storylines. Order now at www.kidschemicalsolutions.com

Maria Mitchell was the first American to discover a new comet, which brought her great fame, but her career in the 1800s as a professor at Vassar College left her greatest legacy. In the next century, Ann Hodges was not looking to get involved in objects from space, but one of them crashed into her house anyway. The Past and The Curious is an Airwave Media Podcast

Melly Victor of Stoopkid Stories joins us for the story of Ella Fitzgerald's first performance at the famous Apollo Theatre. Also, we talk about the history of tuning, how the Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I also tried to standardize musical tuning, and how singers hurt their voices to keep up with instrumentalists raising the relative pitch.

The Virginia became a major attraction when it got stuck in a cornfield, which is a place a boat does not belong. Also, The Meachums escaped slavery, and educated hundreds of children in a school known as the Floating Freedom School. Their school in a steamboat was untouched by an unjust Missouri law while in the middle of the river.

The Wright Brothers became the first to fly a controlled powered aircraft with a pilot onboard, but just a few days before, Smithsonian Secretary James Langley almost beat them. His failure didn't stop the Smithsonian from claiming the first flight. But Orville and Wilber weren't the only two who fought for their place in history. Their sister Katharine did too.

Here's two more underwear stories that aren't in the the book I See Lincoln's Underpants (which is now available!) First Benedict Arnold betrays the American Army but gets caught thanks to something hiding in someone's underwear. Also When NASA planned to get someone to the moon, they needed a special Space Suit, and the only designers and makers up to the challenge had only made underwear for Playtex before the marvelous work of technology.

The last installment of The Underwear Chronicles - to celebrate the release of I See Lincoln's Underpants now available from booksellers! Al Capone grew up somewhere in the middle of a big family. Hand me downs were a way of life, so it makes sense that as an adult he was eager to have not just his own underpants, but his own fancy underpants. After arriving in Chicago from his native Brooklyn, he worked his way up to being the most powerful mob boss in town. He was famous all over the country, but he never really worried about going to jail.  In the end he brought down by some salesmen, including the man who sold him underwear.

In the 2000s an anonymous American man found an egg worth millions. It was a Faberge Imperial Egg and it's story is fascinating. This episode traces the origin of the Faberge Eggs, and also the story of how it wound up in a kitchen in America’s Midwest. Also, as the Gold Rush boomed in the 1800s there were not enough actually, edible eggs to feed all the new faces in California. As a result, an Egg War developed over unusual eggs laid by murres on an island chain off the the coast of San Francisco

Episode 73: Ralph Baer fled Nazi Germany and settled in America where he eventually created the first home video game console, known as the Magnavox Odyssey. Not long after Ralph's creation, Jerry Lawson, a Black computer engineer, built on that idea and lead the team that created the first video game cartridge. Both men have very interesting lives, and are a huge part of gaming history. Things they did changed your life!

The penultimate episode of The Underwear Chronicles (soon to be the book I See Lincoln's Underpants) revisits inventor and leader Garrett Morgan. We've covered Garrett Before, but not like this! The Paris, Kentucky-born man would change the world in profound ways! He was absolutely amazing. Be sure to check thepastandthecurious.com for details about the I See Lincoln's Underwear book.

Episode 72: Edgar Allan Poe is about as famous as an author can be, but that might be owed largely to Rufus Wilmot Griswold. Rufus didn't really like Poe and wrote a scathing obituary and biography on the man, creating the dark figure many of us think Poe to be. In addition the story of Poe and Rufus, Mick does a dramatic reading of "The Raven" a poem which made Edgar Allan Poe a literary superstar.

Episode twelve of the Fourteen episode series features Buzz Aldrin. Buzz had a great nickname and pair of underwear to match it, but things didn't work out the way they were supposed to when he became the second man to walk on the moon - and the first to pee there. Please consider filling out the Kids Listen Survey to help creators who focus on the kids and family categories. Find it at KidsListen.org

Harry Houdini almost quit and sold his tricks and secrets in 1899. It was good that he didn’t because in the 1900s he became a household name as the greatest escape artist in the world. It was a chance encounter that changed it all. Likewise, Anna Mary Moses was 78 years old when her life changed and set her on a path to becoming one of the most famous painters in America. During her 80s and 90s she created art that wound up in hundreds of thousands of homes!

A scientist who lost his arm in the American Civil War wants to conquer The Grand Canyon. He needs a life-saving assist from his friends underwear. From the Upcoming Book "I See Lincoln's Underpants" due in the winter of 2022-23.

Slipping on banana peels was really a thing! Even Theodore Roosevelt got involved! Also, Black explorer Matthew Henson was quite possibly the first man to step on the North Pole. He also crossed paths with Mr. Roosevelt.

From Mick's upcoming book (end of 2022) "I See Lincoln's Underpants," this chapter focuses on Queen Victoria's life, preferred underwear, and also a pesky boy who takes to breaking and entering in Buckingham Palace.

A special mashup with our friends from Cool Facts About Animals. Mick tells the tale of the Great Serum Run of 1925 in two parts. When a Diphtheria epidemic threatens the small and far-off town of Nome Alaska, the only hope to get medicine to the sick is dogs. Many help, but two Siberian Huskies named Togo and Balto are most remembered by history. In between part one and part two of the story, the crew from Cool Facts About Animals shares ten interesting facts about sled dogs.