Documents That Changed the World

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A look at documents that have made a difference in the world. Joe Janes, of the University of Washington Information School, tells the stories of these important information objects, how and why they were created, and the impacts they've had. These documents also tell the story of human society.…

Joe Janes


    • Jul 6, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 66 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Documents That Changed the World

    First Motion Picture Camera Patent, 1888

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2025


    Edison invented the movie camera, right? Nope - and therein lies a Hollywood story that doesn't take place anywhere near Hollywood, with guest appearances by Greer Garson, Spencer Tracy, Jack the Ripper, and Louis Le Prince, the real inventor, and his real life mystery

    hollywood camera ripper patent motion pictures spencer tracy greer garson louis le prince
    NCAA Transfer Portal, 2018

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024


    Just enter the portal and fame and fortune await, right? Maybe, though nothing is guaranteed - one of many misconceptions about a tool that does its job and makes things work, no wormholes required

    transfer portal ncaa transfer
    "First" Social Security Number, 1936

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024


    social security numbers
    Incan Quipu (knotted fiber cords), by c1300

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2024


    fiber cords incan knotted
    Sumerian Complaint Tablet, c1750 BCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2024


    complaints tablet sumerian
    Oldest Known Galaxy, 13+ billion years ago

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024


    galaxy years ago oldest billion years
    Mètre des Archives (original standard meter), 1799

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2024


    original archives meter
    Egyptian "Book of the Dead", c1600 BCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2023


    book of the dead egyptian book
    Emily Post's Etiquette, 1922

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2023


    etiquette emily post
    Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2022


    human rights universal declaration
    Electoral College Documents, 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2021


    documents electoral college
    World's Fair Time Capsule, 1938

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2020


    time capsules world's fair fair time
    Articles of Impeachment, 1868

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2020


    impeachment
    Code of Hammurabi, c1754 BCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2019


    code hammurabi
    Eurovision/European Broadcast Union Statutes, 1950

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2019


    european union broadcast eurovision statutes
    IRS Form 1040, 1914

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2019


    irs form
    "Operation Mincemeat" Faked Documents, 1943

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2018


    documents faked operation mincemeat
    Voyager "Golden Records", 1977

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2017


    golden records voyager
    Webster's Dictionary, 1828

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2016


    webster's dictionary
    Liber Abaci (Arabic Numerals), 1202

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2016


    arabic liber numerals
    Palm Beach County "Butterfly" Ballot, 2000

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2016


    butterflies ballot palm beach county
    Stock Market Crash Ticker Tape, 1929

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2015


    stock market crash ticker tape
    Declaration of Independence Deleted Passage, 1776

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2015


    passage declaration of independence
    Nupedia (Wikipedia precursor), 2000

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2015


    wikipedia precursor nupedia
    Richter Scale, 1935

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2015


    richter scale
    Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 1896

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2015


    farmers cookbook
    Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 1982

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2015


    vietnam veterans memorial
    Statistical Significance, 1925

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2015


    statistical significance
    Annals of the World, 1650

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2015


    annals
    Alfred Nobel's Will, 1895

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2015


    "The Star-Spangled Banner", 1814

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2014


    star spangled banner
    Philosophical Transactions, 1665

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2014


    philosophical transactions
    First Woman's College Diploma, 1840

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2014


    college diploma
    Joseph McCarthy's "List", 1950

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2014


    The Exaltation of Inanna, c2300 BCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2014


    exaltation inanna
    Donation of Constantine, c750

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2014


    donations
    Zimmerman Telegram, 1917

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2014


    zimmerman telegram
    Airplane Black Box/Flight Data Recorder, 1958

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2014


    data flight airplanes black box recorder
    "We Can Do It!" Poster/Rosie the Riveter, 1943

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2014


    poster riveter
    Alaska Purchase Check, 1868

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2014


    alaska
    Zapruder Film, 1963

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2013


    zapruder film
    Rosetta Stone, 196BCE

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2013


    rosetta stone
    Mental Disorder Diagnosis Manual, 1952

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2013


    diagnosis manual mental disorder
    The Book of Mormon, 1830

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2013


    book of mormon
    Einstein's Letter to Roosevelt, 1939

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2013


    letter roosevelt
    X-Ray, 1895

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2013


    x ray
    Riot Act, 1714

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2013


    riot act
    IQ Test, 1905

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2013


    iq tests
    Space Needle "Sketch", 1959 (Live)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2013


    sketch space needle
    Pope Benedict XVI Resignation, 2013

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2013


    resignation pope benedict xvi

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