July 29th, 1992. The Baltimore Sun runs a feature about a surprise candidate in the upcoming presidential race: Barbie. The 11.5-inch icon of girlhood and glamor is running for office – and flying off the shelves. But how did a plaything become important enough to make national news? To answer that question, we take you on a journey through doll history, fro ... Show More
Yesterday
Trailer: HTW Season Premiere This Monday!
HISTORY This Week will return with new episodes this Monday, February 16th, with a story about the most vital train tunnels in the United States. The North River Tunnels—their formal name—connect New Jersey to Penn Station in New York City, carrying 200,000 passengers every day. ... Show More
2m 3s
Feb 9
Shut Out of the Majors, They Created Their Own
LINK TO OUR LIVE SHOW! (or visit historythisweekpodcast.com) Feb 13, 1920. For over thirty years, Black baseball players have been locked out of the major leagues. So on this day in Kansas City, Rube Foster, a former pitcher and now a team owner, is trying to make his own league ... Show More
31m 25s
Feb 2
The Great Comic Book Scare
February 4, 1955. In a New York courtroom, the Comics Czar takes the stand. He’s in charge of enforcing a new code, meant to keep comic books from corrupting America’s youth, and he’s here to prove that his work has cleaned up the industry. But that afternoon, a noted psychologis ... Show More
31m 13s
Mar 2025
Barbie: The Fashion History of an Icon, Part I (Dressed Classic)
Barbie is so much more than a child's toy. Since making her debut in 1959, the Barbie doll has become a full-fledged global phenomenon--and fashion icon. In this three part series from 2023, we explore the fashion history and cultural significance of the world's most famous doll ... Show More
49m 51s
Sep 2022
Barbie Girl In a Satanic World! (Feat. Sean McCann) 💄
Like most little girls, I played with Barbie dolls my whole childhood! But what if I told you, the Barbie doll, may not have had such humble beginnings? What led to the creation of generations of girls idolizing this doll? Could it be we imagined our way into a satanic world? Sea ... Show More
1h 23m
Jul 2023
🩷 “Barbie, born in 1959” — Barbie’s disruptive history. Netflix’s strike advantage. RIP Starter Homes.
Everyone’s talking about the Barbie movie, but we want to talk about the Barbie doll — Because Barbie isn’t just a doll, she was an early disruptor. Zillennial 1st-time homebuyers aren’t buying “Starter Homes,” they’re buying “Forever Homes” — The solution to our housing problem ... Show More
19m 36s