“There is a million dollars here for the asking!”
This is the story of Christmas in the 1920s.
Yeah, the whole decade—why not? One hundred years ago, people were just beginning (or reviving) traditions that are entrenched in our holiday celebrations today. Charitable giving at Christmas is ever present, and the winter of 1920 features the Great Humanitari ... Show More
Mar 16
201: A Soft Underbelly: The Allied Invasion of Sicily & the Fall of Il Duce
"My dear Duce, it’s no longer any good… At this moment you are the most hated man in Italy.” This is the story of Operations Underworld, Mincemeat, and Husky. On the heels of the decisive Allied victory in Africa, leaders decide to take the fight north. But Hitler and Mussolini s ... Show More
58m 53s
Mar 2
200: The North African Campaign: Desert Rats, the Desert Fox, & Operation Torch
“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.” This is the story of the Allied campaign in North Africa. Long under the colonial thumb of the belligerent European nations—namely, France, Italy, and Britain—North Africa ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 16
199: Building the Anglo-American Alliance: The US Enters the European Theater
“When do we get a whack at those Germans?” This is the story of America’s entry into the European Theater. After Pearl Harbor, American foot soldiers and generals alike are eager to get in on the action in Europe, but first, they have to cross the embattled Atlantic—easier said t ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2024
The First Recorded Christmas Was The Latest Birthday Party Ever
Whether or not you yourself celebrate Christmas, there's no denying it's one of the world's most well'known holidays -- in fact, this commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ may be the most famous birthday in the Western world. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in this holida ... Show More
36m 9s
Nov 2024
Happyish Holidays: The Worst Thanksgiving Ever?
Subscribe to TTFA Anthologies here. Two days after Nora’s husband Aaron died, she celebrated Thanksgiving with her family. Well... maybe not “celebrated.” Every year, millions of people do the same thing during the holidays. In this episode, we talk with some of those folks, incl ... Show More
56m 45s
<p>This episode looks at the early days of Christmas trees, the origin of glass ornaments, and the practice of mounting lit candles on trees before electric bulbs were invented. </p> <p><strong>Research:</strong></p> <p>· “36 Perish as Pa ... Show More
