History Notes

The real origins of the iPhone’s power stems from the pioneering efforts of communication innovators that preceded the AT&T engineers of the 1920s. The story of wired long-distance communication really begins with the Western Union post-diggers who laid the first American transcontinental telegraph in 1861 and the Atlantic Telegraph Company that dropped the first transatlantic telegraph cable into the Atlantic Ocean in 1858. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the history of the telephone.  

Written by Bart Elmore. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://go.osu.edu/telephonehistory.  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video Production Assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod, @ProloguedPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.

In August 1942, the most famous battle of the Second World War began. More than four million combatants fought in the gargantuan struggle at Stalingrad between the Nazi and Soviet armies. Over 1.8 million became casualties. More Soviet soldiers died in the five-month battle than Americans in the entire war. But by February 2, 1943, when the Germans trapped in the city surrendered, it was clear that the momentum on the Eastern Front had shifted. The Germans would never fully recover.  

Written by Ian Johnson. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/au....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod, @ProloguedPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.

As national governments and the global scientific community struggle to contain the spread of the coronavirus, they have also spent the last few months confronting a different type of outbreak.  Misinformation about the current public health crisis—which has either denied the existence of the virus entirely or framed it as an intentional product—has proliferated at an alarming rate. It has also enjoyed the most mainstream attention of any conspiracy theory since the 9/11 truther movement.  

Written by Cameron Givens. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video Production Assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio Production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne.  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.  

This content is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this content do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

On the surface, HIV/AIDS and Covid-19 seem as dissimilar as two viruses could possibly be. Yet, the ways in which the Soviet Union reacted to the arrival of HIV/AIDS, and how it spread in the first years of the outbreak, yield valuable insights into our current coronavirus pandemic.  

Written by Svetlana Ter-Grigoryan. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video Production Assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.  

This content is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this content do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In geologic years, the Galapagos Islands are infants. Located on the perpetually moving Nazca tectonic plate, the islands were formed through repeated volcanic activity. Layer by layer, the islands have risen off the ocean floor, forming a chain that is approximately five million years old.   

Written by David Bernstein and narrated by Nicholas Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.

On August 25th, 1944, the Allies liberated Paris from Nazi occupation, ending more than four years of fear, hunger, and death. Learn more about this important moment in World War II, as well as the soldiers and civilians who took part in the liberation.  

Written and narrated by Lauren Henry.  A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/milestones/the....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Mina Park and Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.

When we reflect on the history of government response to natural disasters such as plagues, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and now Covid-19, we discover that the expectation that central governments should play a role in recovering from such disasters can be traced back to the actions of three Roman emperors of the 1st century: Titus, Nero and Tiberius. This podcast traces their history of response to disasters and how it relates to today.  

Written by Steven L. Tuck, Professor of Classics at Miami University. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton and Brionna Mendoza; Associate Editor: Mina Park and Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.  

This content is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this content do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Australian scientists have been successful in growing the Wuham virus in a lab, increasing the possible development of a vaccine for the Corona virus. Just what do we know about the history behind the creation of vaccines? Find out the most important things to know in "Top Ten Origins: Vaccination" written by Dr. Christopher Otter.

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  The written version of "Top Ten Origins: Vaccination" is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services.The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton, and Renae Sullivan; Associate Editors: Mina Park and Kristin Osborne  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.

On April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, a square near the Sikh Golden Temple of Amritsar in India, British soldiers led by Colonel Reginald Dyer fired on an unarmed, non-violent crowd of Indians. Learn  what led up to the massacre and its repercussions.  

Written by Archana Venkatesh. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/milestones/apr....  

This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry, Sarah Paxton, and Renae Sullivan; Associate Editors: Mina Park and Stephen Richardson  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/

The Black Death was the second pandemic of bubonic plague and the most devastating pandemic in world history. It was a descendant of the ancient plague that had afflicted Rome, from 541 to 549 CE, during the time of emperor Justinian. The bubonic plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, persisted for centuries in wild rodent colonies in Central Asia and, somewhere in the early 1300s, mutated into a form much more virulent to humans.  

Written by John Brooke. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at http://origins.osu.edu/connecting-his....  This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit http://origins.osu.edu.  

Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production assistance by Kristin Osborne. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services. The Origins' editorial team includes Editors Nicholas Breyfogle, Steven Conn and David Steigerwald; Managing Editors Lauren Henry and Sarah Paxton; Associate Editors: Mina Park and Kristin Osborne.  

We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects. http://thestantonfoundation.org/ 

Follow us on Twitter: @HistoryTalkPod and @OriginsOSU, Facebook: @Origins OSU and Tumblr: at osuorigins.tumblr.com.  

This content is made possible, in part, by Ohio Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this content do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.