**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** //// [Today we're bringing you an episode from the archives] It’s February 23rd. This day in 1954, children in Pittsburgh began to receive vaccines as part of the first clinical trials for Dr Jonas Salk’s polio eradication efforts. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the arrival of the vaccine, the...
Dec 15, 2024•21 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's December 12th. In 2000, the contested election between Bush and Gore finally comes to a close with a Supreme Court ruling -- and a concession speech. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Leon Neyfakh to discuss Gore's speech, in which he deferred to both the court's ruling and the electio...
Dec 12, 2024•30 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's December 9th. In 1997, Bill Clinton hosted a series of town hall conversations about America's race relations. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Clinton felt the town hall format was the best way to convene these events, and why the "national conversation on race" didn't lead to much act...
Dec 10, 2024•27 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** Today, with the release of WICKED in movie theaters, we look at the many political interpretations of "The Wizard of Oz." Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Ranjit Dighe, chair of the Economics department at SUNY-Oswego, to discuss the theory that "The Wizard of Oz" is a parable about the 18...
Dec 08, 2024•32 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** Jody, Niki, and Kellie continue their conversation with Wright Thompson, author of "The Barn," about how the story of Emmett Till's death stretches back for centuries, and how we can try to reconcile memory and history in modern America. Wright's new book is available now wherever you get your...
Dec 05, 2024•16 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's December 3rd. This day in 1955, the Civil Rights movement is gaining attention across the South and the country, due in part to the protest by Rosa Parks, and the death of 14-year-old Emmett Till earlier that summer. Both acts are often portrayed as singular moments of protest and tragedy...
Dec 03, 2024•29 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** /// It’s November 26th. On this day in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had declared that Thanksgiving would take place a week earlier than usual. Americans were not happy. Jody and Niki are joined by Adam Conover of “Adam Ruins Everything” and the podcast Factually to discuss why FDR...
Nov 28, 2024•23 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's November 26th. This day, in 2000, the US Congress passed an agriculture subsidy bill that included a substantial financial bailout for apple growers in Washington State. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why growers were in so much trouble -- mostly because they'd foisted the substandard "Re...
Nov 26, 2024•22 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's November 24th. This day in 1922, seven Western States enter into the Colorado River Compact, which splits up access to the water supply from the major river -- but cuts out access to indigenous tribes. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by reporter Charly Edsitty to discuss how the compact...
Nov 24, 2024•22 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** It's November 21st. This day in 1977, the National Women's Conference in Houston is coming to a close after a joyous but tense event. It would be the first and last conference of its kind. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the conference came together, how it tried to bring together the many ...
Nov 21, 2024•22 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** As Trump floats RFK Jr -- a fluoride skeptic -- as a possible name to lead the Heath and Human Services department, we thought we'd bring you an episode from the archives about when fluoride first came to the United States. /// It’s January 24th. On this day in 1945, the town of Grand Rapids, ...
Nov 19, 2024•16 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** All this week, we're joined by Nate DiMeo of The Memory Palace to talk about his new book , his long-running podcast, and the art of history storytelling. Be sure to get your copy of Nate's new book " The Memory Palace " now! Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch! Find o...
Nov 17, 2024•24 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** All this week, we're joined by Nate DiMeo of The Memory Palace to talk about his new book , his long-running podcast, and the art of history storytelling. Today: Jody, Niki, Kellie and Nate discuss how the legend of Plymouth Rock got worked into US history, more than a century after the actual...
Nov 14, 2024•25 min
**It's the Radiotopia fundraiser! We can only make this show with your support. Give now and help support This Day and all the independent shows at Radiotopia. Thank you! https://www.radiotopia.fm/donate** All this week, we're joined by Nate DiMeo of The Memory Palace to talk about his new book , his long-running podcast, and the art of history storytelling. Today: Jody, Niki, Kellie and Nate discuss the story of Hercules Posey, a man enslaved by George Washington, how it complicates Washington'...
Nov 12, 2024•25 min
It's November 9th. This day in 1970, a Soviet computer scientist named Victor Glushkov pitched to his bosses for a series of decentralized computer networks that would share information with one another. In other words: an early internet. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Kevin Roose of the New York Times to discuss Glushkov's ambitious idea, why it ultimately clashed with Soviet-style innovation, and how it may have spurred the US to advance its efforts to develop the first computer networks...
Nov 10, 2024•24 min
One final episode about the 2024 election, as we gather to discuss Donald Trump's decisive victory on Tuesday night, how to place it in historical context, and what comes next. And these will all be video episodes! So if you'd like to watch the conversation, visit our YouTube page. www.youtube.com/@ThisDayPod Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch! Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support h...
Nov 06, 2024•28 min
Happy Election Day! Today we're bringing you an episode from earlier this year about how we ended up with Tuesday as our voting day to begin with. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why that day was designated, and the many pitfalls that now exist around the fact that Election Day is only one day, and on a Tuesday. Sign up for our newsletter! Get your hands on This Day merch! Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support...
Nov 05, 2024•17 min
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And these will all be video episodes! So if you'd like to watch the conversation, visit our YouTube page. www.youtube.com/@ThisDayPod Today, Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the final days of the campaign, how to process polling, and Kellie tells the tale of her missing lawn signs. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radio...
Nov 03, 2024•34 min
It's October 31st. Happy Halloween! In October 1974, Saturday Night Live premiered and, from the jump, included political satire. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the way that SNL's spoofs have changed, whether their skits have had a political impact -- and why it can be a struggle to do spoofs in the Trump era. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to supp...
Oct 31, 2024•23 min
It's October 29rd. This day in 1892, Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland are locked in a presidential election rematch, but not out on the campaign trail in the final days of the election. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the campaigns both took a pause after Harrison's wife died -- and ask whether we need to do all this campaigning anyway. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-...
Oct 29, 2024•16 min
It's October 23rd. This day in 1800, Alexander Hamilton penned a letter titled "The Public Conduct and Character of John Adams." Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Lindsay Chervinsky to talk about why Hamilton wrote the scathing letter, and how it played into the politics of the time, just weeks before that year's election. Lindsay's new book is " Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic " This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotop...
Oct 24, 2024•22 min
It's October 22nd. This day in 1984, Ronald Reagan served up one of the most memorable lines in political history when he said that he would not "exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience." Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why the line was so effective, and how deep the concerns over Reagan's mental fitness really were in the 1984 election. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned...
Oct 22, 2024•19 min
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And these will all be video episodes! So if you'd like to watch the conversation, visit our YouTube page. www.youtube.com/@ThisDayPod Today, Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the increasingly addled nature of Trump's rallies; how Howard U is treating the Kamala run; and a very unfortunate reference to Arnold Palmer's penis size. Then they're joine...
Oct 20, 2024•34 min
We continue our look at the history of television ads in American elections. This episode, how ads got so negative, and who watches TV ads anymore anyway? This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com You can also find our newsletter, merch store, transcripts, and lot more on our site. Get...
Oct 17, 2024•26 min
As we wrap up our very informal "media ecosystem week" we take a look at the history of television ads in American elections. This episode, how Madison Avenue execs crafted the first ads for Eisenhower, and how the Johnson "Daisy" ad changed the game in 1964. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website:...
Oct 15, 2024•20 min
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And these will all be video episodes! So if you'd like to watch the conversation, visit our YouTube page. www.youtube.com/@ThisDayPod Today, Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the coin-flip nature of the race, Barack Obama's scolding message to Black men, and more. Then they're joined by Nayeema Raza, co-host of Semafor's Mixed Signals podcast. Thi...
Oct 13, 2024•49 min
We're kicking off a series of episodes about the media environment during the election season. Today, a look at the birth of FOX News Channel. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate's Josh Levin to talk about the launch of FOX News in October 1996. They discuss how the tensions between journalism and partisanship were present in the channel from the very beginning -- but got supercharged with the 2000 election and the post-9/11 Bush presidency. Josh's new season of Slow Burn is called "The R...
Oct 10, 2024•33 min
It's October 8th. This week in 2008, John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign in order to focus on dealing with the fallout of the financial crisis. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why McCain felt it was necessary to stop running for president -- and how the move ultimately backfired on him. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support...
Oct 08, 2024•18 min
On Sundays between now and the election, we're going to dip into the 2024 race to talk about the latest events -- plus offer some historical perspective. And these will all be video episodes! So if you'd like to watch the conversation, visit our YouTube page. www.youtube.com/@ThisDayPod Today, Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Liz Cheney's endorsement of Kamala Harris, whether notable endorsements change the election, and why this race feels like it's in a bit of a state of stasis. This Day In Esot...
Oct 06, 2024•37 min
It's the October before a presidential election, which means that some final twists and turns are surely on the way. Jody, NIki, and Kellie were recently joined by comedian Josh Gondelman at This Day's first ever live show, at WBUR's CitySpace in Boston. They talked about the history of October Surprises, from gaffes to unforseen world events, to pure shenanigans. This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned ...
Oct 03, 2024•23 min
