History Loves Company

Persian New Year, better known as Nowruz, coincides with the vernal (or spring) equinox and is a lively and colorful holiday celebrated by millions of people the world over. But the origins of this holiday, though shrouded in the darkness of the distant past, can be traced at least some three thousand years back to antiquity. Join me as we celebrate and explore the Persian New Year. Happy Nowruz!

Last week, we discussed what led up to the notorious Gallipoli Campaign on the Eastern Front of World War One. Now, experience it from the perspective of those embroiled in the conflict as we explore the battles themselves and what led to it being a costly mistake in human lives.

The outbreak of the Great War (World War One) saw several nations plunged into the mounting conflict. When the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey) joined the fight, a vital lifeline was cut off from the Russians, whose supplies would eventually dwindle and run out. To secure this lifeline, a campaign was launched at Gallipoli on the southern end of the Turkish Straits to secure the waterway leading up to Istanbul and the Black Sea, thus allowing supplies to reach Russia and force the Turks out of the war. But the campaign would prove to be far trickier than the Allies could have imagined. Find out all about in this week's episode.

With the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in the 1930s, the Jews of Germany and Austria found themselves searching for a way out. The answer came in the form of a Chinese consul in Vienna, who began issuing exit visas for all those who wished to escape Nazi persecution. The destination: Shanghai, a bustling port city in East China half a world away from anything these Jews knew. Tune in to this episode to find out about the surprising yet fascinating enclave of Jewish refugees in the Far East during World War Two.

Long before Philadelphia became the largest city in the fledgling United States in 1780, the distinction of the city with the largest population on American soil belonged to a sophisticated Native American settlement that had emerged on the banks of the Mississippi River a millennium prior. Known as Cahokia, its inhabitants, a culture known as the Mississippians, built it up over several generations, turning it from a sleepy backwater into a thriving religious and commercial center. But then, in the mid-14th Century, it was abandoned for reasons that are unclear. Join me as we explore this most fascinating city, the greatest North of the Mayan and Aztec metropolises of Mexico and Mesoamerica!

Known as "the Smiling Coast of Africa" and renowned worldwide for its warm hospitality and friendly people, The Gambia is a tiny country nestled along the continent's western coast, yet its history is larger than life. Tune in to this brand new episode to discover this beautiful yet complex country!

The Sámi people of Europe's Far North are one of the oldest indigenous cultures to call the continent home. Long before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans, the Sámi traditionally herded reindeer, worshipped nature and lived communally in the Arctic Circle. But then, after years of being pushed into the fringes of the modern countries in which they lived, their culture was virtually eradicated in a systematic attempt at assimilation and even destruction. But activism in recent years has brought them into the spotlight and brought about renewed interest in their ancient way of life. Tune in to this brand-new episode to find out all about the Sámi of the Far North.

"Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card." If that's the case, then scholars in the Ancient World must have been having lots of fun when the Library of Alexandria opened in the Third Century BC. Planned as the greatest library that ever existed up to that point, it boasted a collection of some 400,000 texts and was the undisputed center of cultural light and knowledge at the time. But then, in the Third Century AD, it all came crashing down. What made the Library of Alexandria so great? What was it like in its heyday? And what caused its slow decline and ultimate downfall? Find out in this week's episode!

Few empires in history were as sophisticated and impressive as the Timurid Empire, a Central Asian sovereignty that, at its height, was the undisputed cultural and intellectual center of both the Eastern and Islamic Worlds. Ushered in by Tamerlane, the first of the empire's many rulers, it would last for some two centuries. What were the circumstances that brought about this golden age? What were some of its achievements? And how did it all come crumbling down? Check out this week's episode to find out!

Today, we take the calendar for granted. Yet this important piece of timekeeping plays a critical role in our everyday lives, whether it's scheduling an appointment, planning a business trip, or simply meeting up with friends. But where does this most imperative of tools come from? Who were the people responsible for its creation? And how does it compare to earlier forms of timekeeping? Tune in to the final episode of 2021 to find out!