Engines of Change | How Steam Powered the Modern Age

Join us as we discuss confronting evil, the three figures in history, and the actions that inspire others to stand.

4 Des 202335min

Welcome to the Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more with you, our outstanding audience. Have an idea for a topic? Want to try and stump Jon? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.

30 Nov 20237min

How do leaders confront villains? Among history’s most important lessons are seeing how people and nations face down rising evil. In this episode, we are going to examine the actions of three statesmen as they looked outward and saw gathering storms on the horizon. They took different approaches; some failed and others succeeded. And perhaps their deeds can shape our own if ever our societies are under threat.

27 Nov 202316min

Welcome to a new segment in 15-Minute History called, Thursday Thoughts! Every other Thursday, Joe will speak about a specific person, place, or event in history in under five minutes. This week, we teach about the real history of a pastry you know and love. Spoiler Alert: The truth may cause some of you to reach a baking point.

23 Nov 20233min

Join us as we discuss the Inquisition, the horrors it brought, the heroes that ended it, and the fiction around this dark time in history.

20 Nov 202336min

Welcome to a new segment in 15-Minute History called, Pop Quiz! Every other Thursday, Joe asks a topical question about history, and Jon has to answer it without any help or resources - other than his legendary memory and knowledge of history. These episodes are unedited and a fun way for the team to interact more with you, our outstanding audience. Have an idea for a topic? Want to try and stump Jon? Send it to us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com or submit it to our website at https://www.15minutehistorypodcast.org. We promise not to give him any hints.

16 Nov 20236min

A small chapel in the German town of Erfurt was hardly a proper venue for world-shaping events to begin. Nothing much had happened in this part of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Augustinian monk who swept the chapel's floor thought mainly about his lunch. His straw broom pushed dust from the tombs built into the floor before the altar. The monk then lit candles and said a brief prayer. He heard the doors open and turned to see a group of young men walking single-file toward him. The new servants of God were ready to take their vows and be ordained in His Church. Moments later, the bishop swept into the chapel resplendent in his best clerical garb. He stood before the new priests and led them through their oath to the Almighty. The monk, standing off to the side, was barely listening. He saw his new colleagues kneeling before the altar on the freshly-swept tombs and thought to himself, "All my work wasted." Join us as we teach you about the Inquisition, the horrors it brought, and the heroes that ended it.

13 Nov 202317min

Welcome back to 15-Minute History! We are excited to be back with you, our amazing audience, each week for more walks in history’s footsteps. History, like a haunted house, is filled with monsters. The people and events we selected for this season illustrate trends that have caused suffering and death for countless innocents. We know villains first by their words and then, if left unchecked or unchallenged, by their deeds. History is actionable. History matters, and before we dive deep into our conversation about villains, we first want to discuss how the application of history can help us see them. Be sure to stay close as we walk into the dark this season. We will encounter both horror and heroism. We will ask questions, challenge ideas, and see the best and worst in humanity. Only by taking this journey together can we be better on the other side.

6 Nov 202311min