Learn something new every day!
Everything Everywhere Daily is a daily podcast for Intellectually Curious People. Host Gary Arndt tells the stories of interesting people, places, and things from around the world and throughout history. Gary is an accomplished world traveler, travel photographer, and polymath.
Topics covered include history, science, mathematics, anthropology, archeology, geography, and culture.
Past history episodes have dealt with ancient Rome, Phoenicia, Persia, Greece, China, Egypt, and India. as well as historical leaders such as Julius Caesar, Emperor Augustus, Sparticus, and the Carthaginian general Hannibal.
Geography episodes have covered Malta, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Monaco, Luxembourg, Vatican City, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Isle of Man, san marino, Namibia, the Golden Gate Bridge, Montenegro, and Greenland.
Technology episodes have covered nanotechnology, aluminum, fingerprints, longitude, qwerty keyboards, morse code, the telegraph, radio, television, computer gaming,
Episodes explaining the origin of holidays include Memorial Day, April Fool’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, May Day, Christmas, Ramadan, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Canada Day, the Fourth of July,
Famous people in history covered in the podcast include Salvador Dali, Jim Thorpe, Ada Lovelace, Jessie Owens, Robert Oppenheimer, Picasso, Isaac Newton, Attila the Hun, Lady Jane Grey, Cleopatra, Sun Yat Sen, Houdini, Tokyo Rose, William Shakespeare, Queen Boudica, Empress Livia, Marie Antoinette, the Queen of Sheba, Ramanujan, and Zheng He.
Located in Northern China is not only one of the largest cities in the world but also the capital of the largest country in the world, Beijing. Like many great cities, Beijing has had its ups and downs. It has gone from a sleepy village to a global city. It has seen its share of wars, revolutions, and historical events. Not only has it had a front-row seat to history, but it has also changed its name multiple times in multiple languages. Learn more about Beijing and how it has evolved over the c...
Every four years on January 20th, the United States holds a ceremony for the inauguration of the President of the United States. There are traditions for the inauguration, some of which have been passed down since the very first. Why do we use January 20th as the date, and how did many of these traditions get started? Learn more about the history and traditions of the Presidential Inauguration on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks...
After the Allied landing in Normandy in World War II, the Allies made progress pushing back the Germans. However, by September, things had slowed down. One allied commander devised a plan that he thought would end the war in one fell swoop. The plan was bold, audacious, and highly risky, and in the end, it was ultimately a failure. Learn more about Operation Market Garden and the attempt to quickly bring an end to the war on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut y...
In 1880, the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned to compose a work in honor of the completion of a new cathedral. What he wrote became one of the best-known, over-the-top, and difficult-to-produce pieces of music in history. Despite its popularity almost 150 years later, the composer actually thought it was one of his worst works. Learn more about the 1812 Overture, how it was created, and just how crazy it actually is to properly perform, on this episode of Everything Eve...
Learn about the First Triumvirate, the political alliance formed in 60 BC by three ambitious Roman leaders: Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Marcus Licinius Crassus. Despite their differing backgrounds and goals, their combined power allowed them to control the Roman Republic for years, ultimately setting the stage for civil war and the end of the Republic when their alliance fractured.
Imagine a device that could supply an unlimited amount of energy. It would solve many of the world’s problems in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, such a device is impossible to build, but that hasn’t stopped people throughout history from trying. In fact, to this very day, people still claim that they have created perpetual motion machines, and they keep getting proven wrong. Learn more about perpetual motion machines, or the lack thereof, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors M...
One of the most devastating disasters that has afflicted humanity are famines. Unlike other natural disasters, famines do not have a single cause. They have happened all over the world for a wide variety of reasons; some of them have natural causes, and others are man-made. Famines are typically much worse than natural disasters and are rivaled only by pandemics and wars. Learn more about famines, their causes, and how they devastated humanity throughout history on this episode of Everything Eve...
In the early 20th century, the Schlitz Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the largest brewery in the world. However, by 1980, the company had fallen on hard times and was purchased by a competitor in a hostile takeover. The company was so bad that it eventually killed the company that bought them. However, the demise of Schlitz wasn’t one of changing tastes or bad luck. It was a series of self-inflicted wounds. Learn more about the Schlitz Mistake and how a series of bad decisions kill...
One of the most popular foods in the world is tomatoes. Tomatoes are grown almost everywhere in the world today, and they have become the basis of several international cuisines. However, just a few hundred years ago, very few people were eating tomatoes as we know them today. In fact, even after they were cultivated, there were people terrified to actually eat them. Learn more about tomatoes and tomatoes and their history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut ...
In the first and second centuries, a Christian sect found a wide following throughout the Roman world. They weren’t your normal run-of-the-mill Christians. They had beliefs that were nothing like those of any Christian sect today, and they drew the ire of many Christian leaders at the time. What we knew about them was limited to the writings of their critics until a stunning find in the mid-20th century shed new light on them. Learn more about Gnosticism and the Gnostics, their beliefs, and the ...
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a problem that stumped even the best minds in physics. Eventually, one man, Max Planck, solved the problem, but his solution was one that was out of left field. While the math worked, he didn’t actually believe that the mathematics explained reality. It turned out his discovery was more true than he realized and it ushed in a revolution in the world of physics that completely changed our view of nature and reality. Learn more about the ult...
Some of the most beautiful things in the world of mathematics are fractals. Fractals are unique geometric objects that are both easy to comprehend and have complicated mathematics. Moreover, fractals are not just a theoretical mathematical construction. Fractals can be found everywhere in nature, including trees, beaches, and even your own body. Learn more about fractals, what they are, and how they work in this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut your wireless bill ...
In July 2017, the International Olympic Committee did something unprecedented. It awarded not one, but two cities Olympic games at the same time. The 2024 games to Paris and the 2028 games to Los Angeles. However, this decision wasn’t a stroke of genius. It was an act of desperation. That is because no one really wants to host an Olympics anymore. Learn more about the economics and politics of hosting the Olympic games and how it has radically changed over time on this episode of Everything Ever...
Explore the history and workings of the Canadian Parliament. Learn how Canada transitioned from colonial rule to a federal parliamentary system modeled after Westminster, understand the role of the Crown and Governor General, and discover the functions of the appointed Senate and elected House of Commons, including how the Prime Minister is chosen and elections are conducted.
During the 14th century, the world saw one of its most traumatic episodes. A plague spread through Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa that was unlike anything the world had ever seen. In some locations, over half of the population died. Those who survived found themselves in a whole new world where the social and economic rules had been totally changed. Learn more about the Black Death, how it happened, and how it changed the world on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Spo...
In 1908, the United States did something unprecedented in its history: It created a general-purpose investigative police branch for the Department of Justice. The federal government had enforcement organizations before, but they had very narrow missions. From its humble beginnings, the FBI radically changed over the next several decades and became one of the most powerful federal agencies. Learn more about the Federal Bureau of Investigation, how it was established, and how it has evolved on thi...
One of the most feared groups of people from the 8th to the 11th centuries was the Vikings. The Vikings stuck fear into the hearts of people all around coastal Europe. They could appear like a bolt out of the blue to raid and pillage villages. Yet the Vikings were more than mindless pillagers. They were also explorers and traders and had a much more vibrant culture than how they appeared in popular culture. Learn more about the Vikings and how they impacted the course of civilization on his epis...
Lions are one of the most respected animals in the animal kingdom. They are called the king of the jungle, they are used on the crests of royal houses, and the ancients made a lion one of the signs of the zodiac. They have been the subject of fables and some of the world’s most popular movies. But how did an animal that is today found in Sub-Saharan Africa manage to become a cultural reference for countries in Asia and Europe well before there was any regular contact between the regions? Learn m...
You’ve seen it in your science classroom, and there was probably a copy of it on the inside cover of your chemistry book. Maybe if you are a real nerd, you might even have your own personal copy. Yet its very creation was a revolutionary breakthrough that helped scientists and generations of students understand the very things that make up our world. Learn more about the Periodic Table of the Elements and how it helped explain the natural world, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sp...
January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Its name derives from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. Janus symbolizes new opportunities and looks both forward and backward. It is often associated with new resolutions, fresh starts, and winter in the Northern Hemisphere, while it marks the peak of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. January also represents something else…..questions and answers. Stay tuned as I answer your questions on this episode of Everyth...
Every year, people around the world ring in the New Year. How they do this, however, can differ radically from place to place. New Year’s traditions tend to be even more varied than Christmas celebrations. As with Christmas, traditions involve drinks, food, and rituals, but usually with a lot more noise and staying up later. Learn more about traditions surrounding how we ring in the New Year on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a...
Discover the fascinating history of Tokyo, a city whose rise to global prominence is relatively recent. Unlike older capitals, Tokyo began as the humble fishing village of Edo, transforming under the Tokugawa shogunate into a major center. The episode details its evolution through the Meiji Restoration, devastating earthquakes and firebombing, post-war recovery marked by events like the 1964 Olympics, and its status today as the world's largest and a leading global metropolis despite facing economic bubbles.
Ever since the advent of broadcast television, one of the staples of television programming has been game shows. Game shows have been around for almost 90 years, and during that time, contestants have won everything from a goat to millions of dollars. Some game shows require an incredible amount of skill, and others require nothing but dumb luck. However, it hasn’t been all fun and games. They have also been the subject of scandal and controversy. Learn more about game shows, how they work, and ...
In 1941, in the midst of the North Africa Campaign, the British found themselves on the ropes. Under General Erwin Rommel's leadership, the German advance threatened Cairo and the Suez Canal. The one thing that was stopping the Germans was that the British still held the strategic port city of Tobruk in Libya. For over half a year, the Germans laid siege to the city, and the British tried to relieve it. Learn more about the Siege of Tobruk and its importance in the North Africa campaign on this ...
Canada, the world's second-largest country, boasts immense geographic diversity from coastlines to varied regions. The episode explores how geography shapes its landscape, population distribution, inland waterways, and even economic factors.
Every year, primarily in Commonwealth countries, the day after Christmas is a legal holiday. It is a rather odd holiday in that it doesn’t celebrate anything or anyone in particular. Most people who celebrate the day have no clue what the origins of the holiday are, and many of the people who think they know the origins of the day are wrong. Learn more about Boxing Day and how the day after Christmas became a holiday on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Mint Mobile Cut your w...
In the winter of 1776, things did not look good for the Continental Army. Everything got off to a great start in 1775, but this year saw a series of defeats at the hands of the British. Things were looking so bad that many Americans thought that the revolution was effectually over. If Washington was to keep the revolution going, he needed a miracle. He needed a Christmas miracle. Learn about the Battle of Trenton and the Christmas attack that kept that revolution alive on this episode of Everyth...
The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, is one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the United States. Their motto of “Duty, Honor, Country” is something for every cadet that attends the academy to aspire to. However, things haven’t always been that way. There was a period when West Point was downright rowdy and rambunctious. Learn more about the 1826 West Point Egg Nog riot and how the military academy completely went out of control one Christmas on this episode ...
Christmas is the time of year for getting together with loved ones, celebrating, and giving gifts. As a song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Nobody could possibly dislike Christmas, right? Well, some people don’t like Christmas, and historically, some people really don’t like Christmas. In fact, in 17th century England, they actually banned Christmas….and that did not go over well. Learn more about the Plum Pudding Riots and the Puritan War on Christmas on this episode of Every...
In the 19th century, the British and the Chinese went to war on two separate occasions—the reasons why they went to war are both simple and complicated. The more complicated reason has to do with the trade policies of the British Empire and centuries-old entrenched attitudes on the part of the Qing dynasty. The simple reason had to do with pushing drugs as a matter of national policy. Learn more about the Opium Wars, why Britain and China went to war, and how it affected the future of China on t...
