Dead Air Time

At a time when x-rays and cars were brand new, another quiet discovery was made. Though it took years for others to understand the significance of this discovery, she did not give up on her research until eventually she began to collect flakes of a glow-in-the dark substance that she kept in a jar by her bed. A substance that would change the world.

Join us as we take a breath of dead air with Marie Curie.

Sources:

Herz, Henry. “Historical Overview: Marie Curie.” The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie, Blackstone Publishing, 2023.

Moore, Kate. The Radium Girls: The Scary but True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow in the Dark. Sourcebooks eXplore, 2020.

Stine, Megan. Who Was Marie Curie? CELA, 2025.

The handcuffs clicked as they bound his hands and feet, the chain connecting them binding him in place. The tank begins to fill with water, his body suspended upside down. There seemed to be no way to escape. The curtains close and the audience is hushed into a tense nervousness - will he manage to escape? Second turn to minutes, and people begin to worry. What if something had gone horribly wrong? After all, who could escape such a trap? Suddenly, the curtains are pulled back to reveal an empty tank, and a man who had escaped the impossible chains. Harry Houdini steps forward, and the audience explodes into applause in wonder. For decades, he continued to escape from situations that always seemed impossible. But on Halloween - October 31st, 1926, the man who was always escaping death died at just 52 years old, leaving a mystery that would haunt his wife and make the world wonder for years. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with Harry Houdini - the man who escaped (almost) everything.

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Houdini 

https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-793970 

https://wisconsinlife.org/story/harry-houdini-and-his-unbreakable-chain-to-appleton/ 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/houdini-biography/ 

https://www.wildabouthoudini.com/p/mayer-samuel-weiss.html 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/nine-famous-people-and-what-theyre-buried-180953186/ 

https://regalhousepublishing.com/2026/04/27/the-margery-crandon-harry-houdini-feud-belief-and-certainty/ 

https://historynet.com/mina-crandon-harry-houdini-the-medium-and-the-magician/

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/music/tracks/brandon-hopkins/neighborhood

License code: JL4EBXWRQFXLG9QG

Known today for its great beaches and tourism, Jamaica and the Bahamas were once home to a rough group of sailors. Some thought of themselves as privateers and some embraced the term pirates. Join us as we dive into the history of this area and take a breath of dead air with the real pirates of the Caribbean.

Sources

Kahler, Abbott. “If There’s a Man among Ye: The Tale of Pirate Queens Anne Bonny and Mary Read.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, 9 Aug. 2011, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/if-theres-a-man-among-ye-the-tale-of-pirate-queens-anne-bonny-and-mary-read-45576461.

“Who Were Anne Bonny and Mary Read?” Anne Bonny and Mary Read | Real Pirate Histories, www.rmg.co.uk/stories/maritime-history/real-pirates-anne-bonny-mary-read. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Blackstone Audio ; Distributed by Recorded Books, 2015.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-cassette/death-of-the-whales

License code: MWZADA3Z25EWG8G0

In our society, we are told that when you get older that automatically means you get weaker - you are less capable, you can’t do big things. Yet, we see that isn’t always the case. Yuichiro Miura climbed Mount Everest at the age of 80. Sister Madonna Buder, known as the “Iron Nun”, finished Ironman triathlons in her 80s. Fauja Singh completed marathons past the age of 100. These people among many others show that age isn’t always a reason to stop them from completing difficult physical challenges. Among these is another woman named Emma Gatewood, nicknamed Grandma Gatewood. She went on to do something in her older years that many in their youth think they could not accomplish, and she did it without bells or whistles. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail by herself.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2015/01/05/grandma-gatewood-survived-domestic-violence-to-walk-the-appalachian-trail-alone-at-67/

https://grandmagatewood.com/

https://www.ohiohistory.org/ohios-most-famous-hiker-emma-grandma-gatewood/

https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/grandma-gatewood-the-first-woman-to-solo-hike-the-entire-appalachian-trail/ 

https://ohiofamilylawblog.com/2023/01/28/no-fault-divorce-laws-ohio/ 

https://lawyerscolumbusohio.com/a-brief-history-of-grounds-for-divorce/ 

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/these-are-the-glory-days

License code: C3PUVBBD5RHUPTL3

A lady of grit and determination, Virginia Hall, became a noteworthy figure in history. Though many do not recognize her name, she had a significant impact, particularly in France. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with Virginia Hall.

Sources:

Purnell, Sonia. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. Penguin Books, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020.

Purnell, Sonia. Agent Most Wanted. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2022.

The Star Spangled Banner is more than a song - it’s a story. The words paint the picture of our beloved flag, tattered and battle torn, hanging on through a battle.  - “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light? What so proudly we hailed, at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight? O’er the ramparts we watched, was so gallantly streaming? And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night, that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.  The song tells a story of death, war, survival, freedom, and the people behind America’s most famous lyrics.  Join us as we take a breath of dead air and learn how The Star Spangled Banner became the song to represent a nation.

Sources:

https://youtu.be/PDxuzAMjj-w?si=z7oqsppyH16cf4wk

https://www.gettysburgflag.com/star-spangled-banner-history 

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/music/story-behind-the-song/the-story-behind-the-song/the-star-spangled-banner/ 

https://youtu.be/H2Iwgq1baks?si=jSnw1QKHdlCX4b_Q 

https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/tsla/exhibits/1812/index.htm 

Music/Sound Effects:

Sound Effect by Scottish Guy from https://pixabay.com/sound-effects//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=164347">Pixabay

Sound Effect by Jurij from https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=394355">Pixabay

Sound Effect by Pankaj Yadav from https://pixabay.com/sound-effects//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=419950">Pixabay

Sound Effect by Jurij from https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=499636">Pixabay 

Sound Effect by freesound_community from https://pixabay.com/sound-effects//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=74064">Pixabay 

Sound Effect by u_r7iwd4nklp from https://pixabay.com/sound-effects//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=108887">Pixabay

A lady of grit and determination, Virginia Hall, became a noteworthy figure in history. Though many do not recognize her name, she had a significant impact, particularly in France. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with Virginia Hall.

Sources:

Purnell, Sonia. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. Penguin Books, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2020.

Purnell, Sonia. Agent Most Wanted. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2022.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/jonny-boyle/crafty-crimeLicense code: 7TSHYUWSJ7XGYATF

How easy it is to see someone well-known for a skill and to say, “They were born with it,” or we assume, ”They must have it so easy.” However, we know that isn’t always true. For many talents and abilities, we struggle and strive to master it, and sometimes we never see the fruits of our labors. Other times, our efforts bring us to places we could never have imagined for ourselves. Now, imagine you are born with the exact deficits to hold you back from succeeding at a specific goal - what would you do? How would you try to overcome it? Or would you simply give up? Today, we follow the story of such a man, born with a severe speech impediment, who went on to accomplish something they never thought he could. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with an orator of ancient Greece, Demosthenes.

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Demosthenes-Greek-statesman-and-orator

https://medium.com/thrive-global/how-7-people-overcame-huge-obstacles-to-become-famous-4ae0386f4ee1

https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=resources&s=char-dir&f=demosthenes2 

https://catholicbiblestudent.com/2022/01/two-ways-to-calculate-the-value-of-a-talent.html#:~:text=The%20value%20of%20ten%20talents%20of%20silver,in%20comparative%20American%20wages%20of%202006%2C%20$6%2C000%2C000 

https://www.heritage-history.com/index.php?c=read&author=lemon&book=greek&story=demosthenes 

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Demosthenes*.html#:~:text=3%20However%2C%20at%20the%20age,force%20him%20to%20do%20so. 

https://www.vaia.com/en-us/explanations/greek/greek-literature/greek-oratory/#:~:text=Greek%20oral%20tradition.-,Classical%20Period,Greek%20oratory%20with%20local%20practices.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/dominique-charpentier/clapotis

License code: UFC1IOXIP5RCUBWF

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/brandon-hopkins/inner-workings

License code: AWKTSAR0YDGTDMZZ

Intro: Before Tony the Tiger, Dig’em Frog, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, breakfast was a very different meal. For the wealthy it included large spreads of meats, eggs, and breads. For the poor, breakfast usually consisted of a daily bowl of porridge. But all of that changed just before the turn of the 20th century, when two brothers discovered something new. Join us as we take a breath of dead air with the Kellogg brothers.

Sources:

“Almanac: Graham Crackers.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, www.cbsnews.com/news/almanac-graham-crackers/.

“Cereal: Accidental Invention That Changed American Breakfast.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 27 Aug. 2025, www.history.com/articles/cereal-breakfast-origins-kellogg. 

Gross, Terry. “How the ‘battling’ Kellogg Brothers Revolutionized American Breakfast.” NPR, NPR, 8 Aug. 2017, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/542145177/how-the-battling-kellogg-brothers-revolutionized-american-breakfast. 

“Our Story & Timeline - WK Kellogg Co.” Our Story & Timeline - WK Kellogg Co®, www.wkkellogg.com/who-we-are/our-story. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026. 

“Sylvester Graham: History: Research Starters: EBSCO Research.” EBSCO, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/sylvester-graham. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026. 

Music was obtained through Riverside.

During a time when tensions were high and grudges were rampant, the city of Berlin had been caught in the crossfire of former allies now at odds. The newly established United States Airforce was called on to bring food and necessities to these people who had, until very recently,  been considered enemies. It was a great humanitarian effort for those who were in dire straits, but would it be enough to sustain the West Berliners while they held out to build their own democratic and free government? Tune in to learn how two sticks of gum changed history, as we take a breath of dead air with Gail Halvorsen.

Sources:

Cherny, Andrei. The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour. CNIB, 2014. 

Halvorsen, Gail S., and Denise H. Williams. The Candy Bomber. Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, 2022. 

Tunnell, Michael O. Candy Bomber. Charlesbridge, 2014.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/kurtz-martin/untamable-love

License code: DUWOTINF0ETHY19D