Historium

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Did you ever fall asleep in history class? You’re not alone. History can be boring when focusing on only dates and statistics. Historium seeks to find the narrative of history in some of the most unlikely places. Seamlessly blending history and storytelling, Jake Barton draws you into historical tal…

Orbital Jigsaw Network

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    • Jul 8, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 84 EPISODES

    4.8 from 399 ratings Listeners of Historium that love the show mention: barton, jake is an amazing, jake makes, research and writing, stories from history, brings history to life, harlem, jake does a great, well researched stories, jake's, fantastic story telling, great history podcast, storytelling style, best history podcast, unique stories, brought me to tears, decided to listen, historical events, love history, nicely done.


    Ivy Insights

    The Historium podcast is an absolute gem for history enthusiasts. I stumbled upon this show while searching for information on the Manhattan Project and Robert Oppenheimer, and I was blown away by the quality of the content. The writing is phenomenal, managing to cover a wide range of material while still creating an engaging story arc. This podcast has enriched my understanding of historical events and figures, and I am incredibly grateful for the hard work and dedication that clearly went into its creation.

    One of the best aspects of The Historium is its incredible depth and breadth of topics. It covers everything from well-known historical events to more obscure stories that deserve to be brought to light. Each episode is meticulously researched, providing listeners with a wealth of information on each subject. The storytelling style is gripping and filled with drama and intensity, making it feel like you're watching an HBO miniseries rather than just listening to a podcast.

    Another standout aspect of The Historium is the narrator's delivery. Jake, the host of the show, has an eloquent yet relatable speaking style that draws you in from the very beginning. His tone and cadence are perfect for delivering historical information in an interesting and entertaining way. It's clear that he has a passion for history and storytelling, which shines through in each episode.

    While it's hard to find any major flaws with The Historium, one minor issue could be occasional inaccuracies or biases in how certain historical events are presented. However, these instances are few and far between, and they do not detract significantly from the overall quality of the podcast.

    In conclusion, The Historium is hands down one of the best history podcasts out there. From the exceptional writing to the captivating narration, it ticks all the boxes for what makes a great podcast. I have been listening to this show for years now, eagerly awaiting new episodes whenever they are released. If you're a fan of history or simply enjoy well-crafted storytelling, I highly recommend giving The Historium a listen. You won't be disappointed.



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    Latest episodes from Historium

    #79 Eternity's Echo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 29:00


    What if sound lives forever?Music:Imaginary Landscape No. 4 by John CageTezeta by Mulatu AskatkeElectronium Music Score by Raymond ScottLacrymae by MelodiumKapsburger by ClogsA Lake by Emily A. SpragueTiden Effert Hoffet by I.B. SundstromWhen the Northern Lights by Max RichterX-Ray by Youth LagoonLegions (War) by Zoe KeatingDisintegration Loops #3 by William Basinski92982.3 by William BasinskiPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the Show.

    #78 The Blowout

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 39:40


    The story of one of the worst numerical beatdowns in the history of professional sports.Music:- Reckless by Brocker Way- Green Groves of Erin by Yo Yo Ma - Concerto No. 2 in G minor by Vivaldi- Classic Battle by Sam Spence- Denmark by Portland Cello Project- Independant by Brocker Way- Tilting at Windmills by Brocker Way- Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner- Spanish Flea by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass- 2 by AAEPSO- Climax Rag by James Scott- Chariots of Fire by Vangelis- En Gang Agde by 1900- Epilogue by Brocker WayFor more episodes and pictures for the episode:https://www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the show

    [UNLOCKED] Bonus Episode #30: The Day Disco Died

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 91:31


    (This is an unlocked Patreon bonus episode. For more bonus episodes, check out www.patreon.com/historium)Chicago, 1979. Disco was on top of the world. And some people didn't like that…When a failing baseball team and a peg-legged promoter hosted an anti-disco radio DJ armed with a quarter stick of dynamite… things quickly got out of hand.Welcome to Disco Demolition Night.Support the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    Historium Presents: The Wind

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2023 51:10


    An episode from a show I love called The Wind.  "Western Films as America's origin story, and why they sound the way they do."For more episodes: https://thewind.org/For our bonus episode with Fil: patreon.com/historiumSupport the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    #77 ATOMIC DAWN - The Red Menace: The Cold War and the Trial of Robert Oppenheimer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 90:34


    Neils Bohr returns with a new plan for world peace, Oppenheimer's enemies close in from all sides as the Cold War warms up, and shadowy figures from the world of high finance work to expand the American nuclear weapons program.Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Alarm Will Sound, Marisa Anderson, Kali Malone, Zoe Keating, Julie Kent, Ben Von Wildenhaus, Brocker Way, William Basinski, Nine Inch Nails, Mulatu Astatke, Richard D. James, Jon Hopkins, and Nils Frahm. Final song by King Dude. For bonus episodes and a custom series patch, become a patron at: patreon.com/historiumSupport the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    #76 ATOMIC DAWN: Heavy Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 59:10


    Norwegian commandos execute a daring sabotage mission to cripple the Nazi nuclear program. The fall of Werner Heisenberg. Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Max Richter, William Basinski, Moondog, Sølvguttene, Jed Kurzel, Hala Strana, Anne Hytta, Nine Inch Nails, and Nico. Support the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    #75 ATOMIC DAWN: A Prime Suspect

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2023 60:17


    Robert Oppenheimer leads the Manhattan Project at a secret research facility in Los Alamos. Meanwhile, counterintelligence seeks to unearth a secret communist spy ring within the very heart of the nuclear weapons program. A cold war starts before a world war ends.Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Ludovico Einauldi, Luke Howard, Alarm Will Sound, Ben Sollee, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, and Lulu Belle & Scotty. For more episodes and a Historium Manhattan Project patch: www.patreon.com/historiumSupport the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    #74 ATOMIC DAWN: Complementarity and Uncertainty

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2023 48:58


    On the eve of the Second World War, physicists learn of the possibility of splitting the atom. Two rival nuclear programs emerge and the race to the atomic bomb begins... Original music for this series by https://mountainstandardtime.substack.com/Additional music by Kali Malone, Benoît Pioulard, Zoe Keating, Nine Inch Nails, Choral Arts Northwest, and The Louvin Brothers.For the rest of the series and a limited edition Historium patch made specifically for this episode: patreon.com/historiumSupport the showwww.patreon.com/historium

    #73 Once in a Lifetime

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2022 24:47


    The story of Halley's Comet—the only reoccurring comet visible to the naked eye that shows up every 75 years or so. Throughout history its appearance has marked profound change, from the conquest of the British Isles to the fall of the Qing Dynasty.For more bonus episodes: patreon.com/historium Music:Hello! by David Wingo & Explosions in the SkyTime's Blur by Lord HuronOpening (arr. for marimba) by Philip Glass & Nathaniel BartlettKatrina Outtake by Matthew Robert CooperCeiling Gazing by Mark KozelekExpectation by Matthew Robert CooperNever Ever by Lord HuronSupport the show

    #72: The Trial of Sunshine Charlie

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2022 83:50


    Summer 1929 was the pinnacle of a new era of banking, and Charles E. Mitchell emblematized the live-fast-die-young ethos of roaring twenties stock salesmen. As the Great Crash led into the Great Depression, Charlie's ambition brought about his downfall and forced him to go toe-to-toe with one of most doggedly committed prosecutors of the era: Ferdinand Pecora. It's a story that's more timely now than ever.For more episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic:Hindustan by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsDogtown Blues by Bob Crosby & The Bob CatsAdagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ by the London Philharmonic OrchestraEasy Opium by Ben von WildenhausBattle of the Species by AntibalasMusic for the Royal Fireworks by HandelOne Bad Motherfucker in His Day by Ben von WildenhausReckless by Brocker WayThe Ox by The WhoPotato Boy by Mac DemarcoTryouts by Brocker WayHeartaches by Al BowllyThe Beast by Dick DaleLet There Be Drums by Sandy NelsonIt Was a Town by Brocker WayGlass Etudes by Etudes No. 6 by Philip GlassEtude by Joep BevingIn Love and Justice by Colin Stetson Happy Days are Here Again by Ben Selvin & The CroonersEnd of Summer Part 2 by Johann JohannssonLess Likely by Trent Reznor1929 by Merle HaggardSupport the show

    #71 Operation Eureka

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 43:32


    Tehran 1943. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meet together for the first time with hopes of overcoming their ideological differences in order to win the Second World War.For bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic: Nightbook by Ludovico Einauldi Vanguard by Bear McCrearyHistory is Listening by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonIncrease by David LangPrelude by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonThe War Rooms by Dario Marianelli & Vikingur OlafssonMoscow, 1953 by Christopher WillisWelcome to the Bloody first by Wilbert Roget IIFour Winds by Adam HurstStaging a Coup by Christopher WillisDungtitled (In a Major) by Stars of the LidA Softer World by Luke HowardA Meaningful Moment Through a Meaningless Process by Stars of the LidSupport the show

    #70 Mendacium Ex Machina

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2022 34:03


    In the late 1700s, a chess-playing automaton marched across Europe, achieving checkmates against novices and masters alike–all while hiding an incredible secret…Music:- Concerto for Lute and Plucked Strings by Siefried Behrend & DZO Chamber Orchestra- Clockwork Toccata, Op. 68 by Fulvio Caldini & the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet- Concerto no. 5 en la mineur by Bach- Mr. Moustafa by Alexandre Desplat- Denmark by Gideon Fruedmann & the Portland Cello Project- Night Train to Nebelsbad by Alexandre Desplat- Water Music Suite by Handel & the English Concert- Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard- Morning Talk/Supersymmetry by Arcade Fire & Owen PallettGet bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historium)

    #7 The Christmas Truce (Shiny & Chrome Edition)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2021 16:25


    This episode was always a feel-good fan favorite, so I decided to pluck it from the archives, rewrite it, re-record it, and remix it now that I'm a better writer with better equipment. Merry Christmas!'During the first Christmas of the First World War, troops from opposing armies defied orders and participated in a series of impromptu ceasefires in the no man's land between the trenches.'Music:Keetley by OK IkumiBeyond the Milk Wood by Federico AlbaneseWe Move Lightly by Dustin O'Halloran#20 (Lichen) by Aphex TwinPauvre Simon by Sylvain ChauveauSilent Night by the St. John's College ChoirAuld Lang Syne by Dexter BritainFollow me on Wisdom here to get notified when I go live on January 2nd at 3 PM EST: https://joinwisdom.audio/historiumSupport the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historium)

    #69 The Great Race of Mercy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 64:52


    In 1925, dog sled teams faced extreme subzero temperatures, whiteout conditions, and hurricane-force winds to deliver medicine to sick children in the remote mining town of Nome, Alaska. This feat of interspecies heroism would become one of the most harrowing rescue attempts in American history.Music:Etude by Joep BevingPrelude for Piano and Malaria by WorrytrainBorn Unto Trouble by Bill Elm & Woody JacksonSuicide by Marc StreitenfeldThe Diary by Dexter BritainWriting the Letter by Marc StreitenfeldIn Threes by LoscilLabyrinthine by Julianna BarwickA Softer world by Luke HowardThe Evil The Never Arrived by Stars of the LidOpening by Nathaniel BartlettAt the Beach by David WingoLale's Theme by Nick Cave & Warren EllisI Will Be Back One Day (Instrumental) by Lord HuronSupport the show and listen to bonus episodes: patreon.com/historiumSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historium)

    #68 The Fifth Beatle

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2021 56:45


    In early 1964, on the eve of The Beatles' first international tour, Ringo Starr fell ill. To avoid cancelling the shows at the height of Beatlemania, they hired Jimmie Nicol as a temporary replacement. The stand-in drummer serves as a case study in what happens to a human psyche when propelled from relative obscurity to worldwide fame (and back again…) all in the span of a few months. For relevant photos and access to more episodes: patreon.com/historiumMusic:It Was a Town by Brocker WayMr. Rogers Day by Jonathan KirksceySchool Day by Chuck BerryRave On by Buddy HollyLast Days of Disco by Yo La TengoYea Yea by Vince EagerTwenty Flight Rock by Colin Hicks & His Cabin BoysDrum Diddley by The SpotnicksBuzz, Buzz, Buzz by Vince EagerSummertime Blues by Eddie CochranI Saw Her Standing There by The Silver BeatlesNight Train by The ShubdubsPracticing by Justin HurwitzDismissed by Justin HurwitzDo What You Are Doing by Dexter BritainI Want To Hold Your Hand by The BeatlesThe Horse by Cliff Nobles & Co.A Hard Day's Night by The BeatlesCan't Buy Me Love by The BeatlesLove Me Do by The BeatlesFrances & Her Friends by Francis FayeLong Tall Sally by The BeatlesHumpty Dumpty by The ShubdubsOn the Green Tape by MusetteLast Date by The SpotnicksThree King Fishers by Gabor SzaboGetting Better by The BeatlesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/historium)

    #67 The Andean Gambit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2021 132:32


    After Columbus opened Pandora's Box by crossing the Atlantic, conquistadors ventured into the New World for god, glory, and gold; rarely in that order. One of these conquistadors, Francisco Pizarro, could not ignore the rumors of an empire of golden cities in the cloud peaks of the Andes, which sent him on a collision course with Atualpa, the god emperor of the Inca Empire.Facebook: @HistoriumPodcastTwitter: @HistoriumPodInstagram: @historiumpodcastFor more episodes: patreon.com/historium

    #66 Microstorium

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2020 16:43


    As the final episode of this wild year called 2020, here's fifteen quick mini-stories from throughout history!

    [BONUS] Book Review of ‘1491’ by Charles C. Mann

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2020 36:43


    Lots of myth busting of misconceptions about indigenous people coupled with new research that shines a light of what the New World and its inhabitants were actually like. The post [BONUS] Book Review of ‘1491’ by Charles C. Mann appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #65 Firebombing of Tokyo

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 32:51


    How do we Americans remember the deadliest night in human history? The answer is simple. We don't. The post #65 Firebombing of Tokyo appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #64 Marathon of Madness

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2020 14:00


    This is the story of the strangest race ever run. The post #64 Marathon of Madness appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #63 The Dividing Line

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2020 30:55


    In 1919, rage from injustices erupted into violent race riots which spread throughout Chicago. All the while, Spanish Flu spread like wildfire in this unfortunately relevant story about the Chicago Race Riots. The post #63 The Dividing Line appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #62 Side By Side

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2020 76:50


    This is the story of the original Siamese Twins! The post #62 Side By Side appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #61 Dirtbag Gold Rush

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2020 26:05


    In Yosemite Valley, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, a rag-tag group of rock climbers in the 1970s stumble upon the score of a lifetime. The post #61 Dirtbag Gold Rush appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #60 Plague of Corrupted Blood

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2020 13:23


    This is a fun story about the Corrupted Blood plague that hit the realm of World of Warcraft and what it can teach us about epidemiology. The post #60 Plague of Corrupted Blood appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #59 The Siege of Seeds

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2020 31:39


    In the midst of the siege of Leningrad, a small enclave of Soviet scientists did what they could to protect a massive collection of seeds in order to save countless future human lives. The post #59 The Siege of Seeds appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #58 The Battle of Los Angeles

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2020 11:14


    In Los Angeles, California, the fresh recruits, with their new crew cuts and wrinkled uniforms, would get their first taste of combat on February 24th, 1942... The post #58 The Battle of Los Angeles appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #57 A White Christmas in Saigon

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2019 20:08


    Saigon, Vietnam. April 1975. The post #57 A White Christmas in Saigon appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #56 Savior of Mothers

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2019 26:30


    Childbed fever was killing new mothers with a vengeance. In Hungary, young doctor Ignaz Semmelweis found a cure. However, there was one problem... No one believed him. The post #56 Savior of Mothers appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #55 Death Row Baseball

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2019 26:10


    Baseball has long been dubbed America’s pastime, but would that change if players had to literally play for their lives? The post #55 Death Row Baseball appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #54 The Second Son of God

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2019 153:44


    In the 1850s, a Christian cult rattles imperial China to its core... The post #54 The Second Son of God appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #53 Interview with Egyptologist Colleen Darnell

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2019 41:48


    Mummies, hieroglyphs, pyramids, vintage fashion; this episode has it all! The post #53 Interview with Egyptologist Colleen Darnell appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #52 [MiniStorium] Bad Luck

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2019 35:12


    History is full of moments of misfortune, irony, or just plain ol’ bad luck. This episode contains eight mini-stories about the times where things went from bad to worse. The post #52 [MiniStorium] Bad Luck appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #51 The Ghosts of Notre Dame

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2019 30:42


    This episode is devoted to story of 800 year old Notre Dame cathedral and it's incredibly storied past. The post #51 The Ghosts of Notre Dame appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #50 Interview with Dirk Langeveld, author of The Artful Dodger

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2019 41:58


    The story of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll has everything I'm looking for when looking for topics: A wild ride full of twists, turns, and downright unbelievable moments. The post #50 Interview with Dirk Langeveld, author of The Artful Dodger appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #49 Dead Reckoning

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2019 15:21


    In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue... The post #49 Dead Reckoning appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #48 The Pinball Wizard

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2019 18:52


    In the 1970s, a hero arose to defend the fact that pinball was a game of skill, not a game of chance. The post #48 The Pinball Wizard appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #47 Wreck of the Batavia

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2019 36:17


    The ill-fated voyage encountered mutiny, torture, murder, and a mad tyrant as things went from bad to worse... The post #47 Wreck of the Batavia appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #46 Interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2019 57:12


    This episode is an interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America’s Founding Father. The post #46 Interview with Peter Stark, author of Young Washington appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    interview washington young founding fathers peter stark young washington how wilderness war forged america
    #45 Ballroom Blitz

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2018 6:44


    New Years Eve, 1922. The post #45 Ballroom Blitz appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #44 Dungeons & Dragons and The Satanic Panic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2018 26:36


    This is the story of Dungeons & Dragons and how an innocent tabletop RPG was caught in the crossfire of moral outrage and religious fundamentalism. The post #44 Dungeons & Dragons and The Satanic Panic appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #43 The Harlem Hellfighters

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2018 26:17


    In this episode, we’ll follow the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment known as the “Harlem Hellfighters” through the horrors of trench warfare, and through their struggle for equality. The post #43 The Harlem Hellfighters appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #42 The Great Grave Robbery

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2018 23:19


    In a tale involving ancient Egyptians, grave robbers, charlatans, and European aristocracy, we'll explore burial rites, desecration, and what they reveal about relationship with how we treat our dead. The post #42 The Great Grave Robbery appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #41 The Island Lost in Time

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2018 18:31


    Occasionally, people will find tribes of humans that have not had contact with the modern world. The post #41 The Island Lost in Time appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #40 Operation Valkyrie

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2018 29:45


    This is the story of German officers committing high treason for the greater good of Germany. The post #40 Operation Valkyrie appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

    #39 The Long Friday

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2018 14:05


    In 1975, women were still in the process of breaking out of the domestic bubble and into politics and the modern workforce. But in Iceland, one event that year changed everything… The post #39 The Long Friday appeared first on Orbital Jigsaw.

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