This week, as promised, I welcomed special guest Lori Davis, host of Her Half of History podcast. Join Lori and me as we chat about the unknown history of laundry. Find out just what has made laundry a complete nightmare throughout pretty much all of history and why few people today are even aware of this millennia old struggle. 

For more, check out the Her Half of History podcast episode about laundry, "Wash on Monday" and connect with Lori on Instagram @herhalfofhistory  

Sources:

• Miss Beecher's Housekeeper and Healthkeeper

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Ranavalona I, Queen of Madagascar has a bad reputation, to say the least. Few biographical sources exist about her but they all make their opinions well known in the titles alone: "Ranavalona I: Reign of Terror,” “Female Caligula: Ranavalona the Mad Queen of Madagascar,” “The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar.” But, I see reason to question this reputation. Was Ranavalona really a bloodthirsty tyrant or was she simply a powerful woman determined to put a stop to European imperialism at a time when history was recorded almost exclusively by European imperialists. You be the judge! 

Sources: 

• Here Half of History podcast with Lori Davis
• Medium "The Terror of Queen Ranavalona I in Madagascar"
• Mada Magazine "Ranavalona's I Reign of Terror"
• teamqueens.org "Ranavalona I"
• US Department of State "Madagascar"
• Smithsonian Magazine "The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen"
• CNN "Famadihana, Madagascar, a sacred ritual unearths the dead"
• Carolina Plantation "Rice History"
• Harvard Library "Tropical Diseases and the Construction of the Panama Canal"
• womeninexploration.com "Ida Laura Pfeiffer"

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Join me as I explore the Nazca lines of Peru, one of the most enduring historical mysteries. We'll talk about the Nazca people including all of the juicy details... like pooping in people's mouths? Yeah. We'll also explore some of the prevailing theories as to why the Nazca put so much effort into etching these gigantic lines, shapes, and pictures into the desert floor, everything from solar calendars to ancient aliens. 

Sources: 

• worldhistory.org "Nazca Civilization"
• British Museum "Who Were the Nasca?"
• National Geographic "Why the Nazca lines are among Peru's greatest mysteries"
• Applied Sciences "Astronomical Investigation to Verify the Calendar Theory of the Nazca Lines"
• The Los Angeles Times "Remembering archaeologist Maria Reiche..."
• Discover Magazine "The Nasca Lines Solution"
• UMASS "The Nazca Lines Project"
• Johan Reinhard "The Nazca Lines"
• Nazca Lines Tour "Nazca Lines Theories"
• Wikipedia "Erich von Daniken"

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PLEASE SHARE! This is the tell all story of how fluoroquinolone antibiotics led to disabling and potentially permanent side effects for my previously healthy 32 year old husband. Since taking Cipro in March of 2021, Joey has suffered from non-stop chronic pain,  weakness, and joint and muscle injuries that do not heal. This particular class of antibiotics is dangerously overprescribed despite coming with an FDA black box warning that they should only be used as a last resort. Doctors do not take it seriously, but you should! This information might literally save your life.

If you listened to this week's episode on the history of antibiotics, than you've already heard this! I wanted to put this information in a shorter, more digestible chunk that's easy to share.

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This week, I'll delve into the surprising history of antibiotics. You'll learn how penicillin was discovered by accident and how its development was helped along by a moldy cantaloupe from a Peoria, Illinois farmers market. I'll also uncover how it went on to act as a secret weapon, helping the allied forces to victory during World War II. Plus I'm going to get real personal to share the tell all story of why my husband is physically disabled and suffering from chronic pain at the age of 35 from taking a particular type of antibiotic. This is not easy to share, but I need to warn you. It may very well save your life. 

Sources: 

• The Microbiology Society "The History of Antibiotics"
• National Library of Medicine "The Treasure Called Antibiotics"
• National Library of Medicine "Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek: Master of Fleas and Father of Microbiology"
• National Library of Medicine "A Brief History of the Antibiotics Era"
• PBS "The real story behind penicillin"
• Live Science "What is penicillin, and how was it discovered?"
• healthychildren.org "The History of Antibiotics"
• World Health Organization "Global child deaths reach historic low in 2022 - UN report"
• Harvard Library "Germ Theory"
• USDA "The Enduring Mystery of Moldy Mary"
• HistoryNet "Penicillin: Wonder Drug of WWII" 
• The Atlantic "What Americans Don't Know About Their Medications"
• FDA "FDA updates warnings for oral and injectable fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to disabling side affects"
• American Chemical Society "Discovery and Development of Penicillin"
• MN Department of Health "About MRSA"

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This week I tell the stories of 9 feral children found surviving alone in the wilderness. Some even appear to have been cared for by wild animals - wolves, bears, dogs, and monkeys. Most walked on all fours, ate raw meat, and could only communicate in grunts, growls, and "wild cries." Some would never gain the ability to speak, burying their backstories in mystery to this day. Feral children have always fascinated us. Legends and myths are full of them - Romulus and Remus, Valentine and Orson, Amphion and Zethos, Moses, Oedipus, Mowgli. In examining these stories, an overarching theme emerges, one that forces us to re-examine what it means to be "civilized."

Sources: 

• BBC History Magazine "Raised by wolves: the history of feral children"
• History.com "6 Famous Wild Children From History"
• "Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children" reprinted in The Guardian
• India Today "During the last century, nearly 50 cases of wolf children reported in India
• History Collection "10 Stories of Feral Children You Won't Find in Your History Books"
• University of Cambridge "The adventures of Sir Kinelm Digby: 17th century pirate, philosopher, and foodie"
• History Uncovered "Dina Sanichar"
• Daily Mail "Man raised by pack of stray dogs..."

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Mental health has been one of the greatest mysteries throughout human history. An illness with an invisible cause, no surgery will fix it, no tonic, no bandage. Is it supernatural? Evil spirits? Demonic possession? Our lack of understanding about the human mind and stigmatization of mental health issues has led to untold horrors throughout time. And while, yes, we’ve come a long way, is it possible the journey has only just begun? Let’s fix that. Join me this week to uncover how mental health has been viewed and treated throughout history.

Taboo with Mimi episode about Cannibalism (with video!)

Sources: 

• CSP Global "A History of Mental Illness Treatment: Obsolete Practices"
• PBS "Treatments for Mental Illness"
• NOBA Project "History of Mental Illness"
• National Library of Medicine "Cycles of reform in the history of psychosis treatment in the United States"
• National Women's History Museum "Dorthea Dix"
• New Scientist "From sanctuary to snake pit: the rise and fall of asylums"
• Penn Nursing "History of Psychiatric Hospitals"
• National Library of Medicine "Dorthea Dix"
• Boston Magazine "TBT: Dorthea Dix Visits East Cambridge Jail for the First Time"
• JSTOR "Did Victorians Really Get Brain Fever?"
• History Extra "Bethlem Royal Hospital"
• FHE Health "Are Mental Disorders Increasing Over Time?"

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Uncover the history of Hawaii from its earliest habitation to its illegal overthrow by the US government in 1893. Join me as I discover exactly how the United States sank its claws into this island paradise, erased its native culture, and violently forced its queen to relinquish her throne without the approval of the US government. By the end, I think I'll have you convinced that Hawaii is not technically part of the United States, nor has it ever been. Don't believe me? Press play! 

Sources: 

• PBS American Masters "Learn about the rich history of Hawaii"
• Hawaiian Airlines "10 interesting facts about Hawaii"
• neaToday "The Illegal Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government"
• History.com "Americans Overthrow Hawaiian Monarchy"
• TEDEd "The dark history of the overthrow of Hawaii"
• hawaii-nation.org "Is Hawaii Really a State of the Union?"
• National Park Service "Early Hawaiians"
• Reuters "Study shows ancient contact between Polynesian and South American peoples"
• History.com "Captain Cook killed in Hawaii"
• National Park Service "Kamehameha the Great"
• Historic Hawaii Foundation "Bicentennial of the Arrival of ABMC Missionaries and Establishment of Three Historic Churches"
• Wikipedia "Hawaii Admission Act"

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Join me as I uncover the unknown history of bread and how it has shaped our entire world. From its earliest existence 14,400 years ago, bread has played a major role in the formation of human civilizations. This week, we'll follow the path of bread from ancient Egypt, to ancient Rome, to medieval Europe, revolutionary France, and early America to discover how this universal food staple has become a symbol of success, accomplishment, and self-worth, making and breaking empires throughout history. 

Sources: 

• NPR "14,000 Year Old Piece of Bread Rewrites the History of Baking and Farming"
• Food Studies Institute "Celebrating the Story of Bread"
• National Library of Medicine "Archaeobotanical evidence reveals the origins of bread 14,400 years ago in northeastern Jordan"
• Smithsonian Magazine "Archaeologists Uncover Brutal 'Bakery-Prison' at Pompeii"
• Grants Bakery "Bread: The Most Important Thing in Human History"
• Technogym "Bread: the extraordinary fate of an ordinary food item"
• National Geographic "The Development of Agriculture"
• University of Nebraska "Sandwich Upgrades"
• Prospect Magazine "Flour power: why every revolution begins with a piece of bread"
• worldhistory.org "Flour War"
• Smithsonian Magazine "When Food Changed History: The French Revolution"
• Encyclopedia Virginia "Bread Riot, Richmond"
• CBS News "Egyptians Riot in the Streets in 1977"
• FRED Economic Data "Average Price: Bread, White, Pan (Cost per Pound/453.6 Grams) in U.S. City Average"

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Few celebrities have captured the public’s attention like Marilyn Monroe. Mention of her immediately evokes images of platinum blonde curls, beauty marks, and that white dress, flapping in the updraft of a New York City subway grate. But despite being almost universally known, no one knows the real Marilyn Monroe because she never existed. She was less of a person and more of a product, created, invented for public consumption and packaged with a pretty bow, unforgettable, while the real person, Norma Jeane, went completely unseen. Join me this week to discover the real Marilyn from her traumatic childhood, to her tragic failed marriages, her experiments with psychoanalysis, stint in a psych ward, and mysterious entanglement with the Kennedys leading up to her untimely death at the age of just 36.

Sources: 

• Smithsonian Magazine "Who Was the Real Marilyn Monroe?"
• Vanity Fair "Marilyn and Her Monsters"
• Tatler "The real story of Marilyn Monroe: who was the woman behind the mask?"
• The Indian Express "Before Blonde, revisiting Marilyn Monroe's tragic life and mysterious death"
• Women Film Pioneers Project "Cutting Women"
• National Library of Medicine "The history of barbiturates a century after their clinical introduction"
• Vice "Take Some Pills For Your Hysteria, Lady"
• People Magazine "All About Marilyn Monroe's Alleged Affair With JFK and Brother Bobby"

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