Nearly 1,600 years after Patrick arrived on Ireland (first as a slave, then as a missionary who brought Christianity to the island), he is celebrated as the patron saint of the Emerald Isle and apocryphally believed to have eliminated snakes from the...
Today
Cicero—Rome’s Greatest Orator—Saved the Capital From Insurrection, But Couldn’t Save the Republic From Collapse
On December 7, 43 BCE, a sixty-three-year-old man was carried in a litter down a woodland path near the Italian coast, fleeing soldiers who had been sent to kill him. When they caught up, he ordered his attendants to set down the litter, put his head out, and offered them his nec ... Show More
52m 29s
Sep 10
Do Napoleons or Hitlers Really Matter? Whether Leaders Make History or Their Societies Make Them
On March 13, 1930, Adolf Hitler was sitting in the passenger seat of his chauffeur-driven car when a trailer truck sped through an intersection and struck the vehicle, pushing it across the road and stopping just short of crushing it. Everyone survived. Three years later, Hitler ... Show More
44m 16s
Sep 8
Washington’s Most Revolutionary Moment Was Surrendering Absolute Power
Washington’s most extraordinary achievement was not winning the Revolutionary War or helping found a new nation. It was something far rarer: He gave up power, twice. First, when he resigned his command after victory. Then again, when he stepped down as president, establishing a p ... Show More
54m 12s
Mar 2023
Saint Patrick, Síle & Sheela na Gigs
<p>Topics covered : Patrick, historic and legendary; the myth of Síle and Sheela na Gigs. </p><br><p>Shelly Mooney is a historian and artist who lives in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their baby Ferdia and Lola their dog and she runs the brilliant Instagram ... Show More
36m 22s
Mar 2025
Where does St Patrick's Day come from?
If you’re a fan of sitcoms, no doubt you've seen episodes in which the characters were celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. It's a big deal in the UK and Ireland of course, as well as across the pond in North America.
Each year in the build up to March 17th, bars and pubs, especially ... Show More
4m 59s