January 15, 1969. It's been less than a year since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Friends, family, and followers are gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. King preached. They are there to remember him on his birthday, honor his legacy, and present a goal: an official celebration of his birthday every year, a holiday to co ... Show More
Jun 8
Why the Crusades Became Cool Again
June 8, 1191. The Crusaders and Muslim forces are locked in battle over the city of Acre. On one side is Saladin, the great Muslim leader who has already recaptured Jerusalem. On the other, an armada arrives carrying England’s king: Richard the Lionheart.The Crusades will become ... Show More
26m 59s
Jun 1
How Higgins and His Boats Won the War
June 6, 1944. As thousands of Allied soldiers prepare to storm the beaches of Normandy, they climb down rope nets into small wooden landing craft bobbing in the dark waters of the English Channel. Within hours, these boats will carry them into the largest amphibious invasion in h ... Show More
30m 17s
Oct 2024
509. America in '68: The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (Part 2)
The peaceful figurehead of the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, Dr Martin Luther King had inspired hundreds of thousands to demand equal rights for African Americans. But by 1968, the once uniting leader seemed to be losing popularity, both amongst activists and in the p ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2024
The Double Life of a Civil Rights Icon
<p>Some of the most enduring photos of the civil rights movement were taken by Ernest Withers. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Withers earned the trust of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders. But as it turns out, he was secretly taking photos for the federal gov ... Show More
50m 9s
Jan 2019
The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
James Earl Ray, a 40-year-old escaped convict, pleaded guilty to the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison without trial. But years later, Ray claimed he didn’t act alone. He was a mere pawn at the center of a dark and twisty conspiracy t ... Show More
45m 58s
Feb 2025
[BONUS]: Ernest Green From The Little Rock Nine | A Black History Month Reflection on Courage
<p>In 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawed segregation in public education. Ernest Green was the first African American to graduate from Little Rock Central High School (May, 1958). In celebration of Black History Month, revisit Ryan's 2023 c ... Show More
54m 5s
Feb 2024
Malcolm X Is Assassinated (1965)
<p>It’s February 22nd. This day (February 21st, in fact) in 1965, Malcolm X is assassinated as he’s giving a speech at a Harlem ballroom.</p>
<p>Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why X felt as if his killing was almost an inevitability, why the details of that day remain murky — an ... Show More
19m 22s