Smarticus Tells History

Genghis Khan is well known for being the most fearsome warrior in history, and for a good reason: his campaigns through Asia made the Mongol Empire the largest in the world. But few people know of his great-great-granddaughter, who accomplished a feat even her old grand-pops would have marveled at: protecting her independence by defeating every single suitor who dared challenge her to a wrestling match. In this installment of Smarticus Tells History, Marty introduces us to the Khutulun, the Mongolian wrestling princess.

Highlights: 

Khutulun continues to inspire new generations of females to wield their strength and intelligence to carve their own paths. Highlights of this episode include: 

• A refresher on the incredible life of Genghis Khan, including:
• Why you should feel a bit sorry for baby Genghis
• Genghis Khan’s rise to power through uniting the tribes of the steppe
• Khan’s campaigns that expanded his kingdom to be the largest in history
• The lineage of Khan’s successors
• Why only-daughter Khutulun was as fearsome as her fourteen brothers
• Khtulun’s unique position of power as her father’s right-hand woman
• The challenge that left Khutulun’s pastures overflowing with horses and her suitors’ egos shattered
•  Theories on Khutulun’s eventual marriage
• A look at the legacy of Genghis Khan and his great-great-granddaughter Khutulun

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://nextshark.com/the-real-legend-of-khutulun-the-undefeated-wrestling-princess-of-mongolia/

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/560956/mongolian-princess-who-challenged-her-suitors-wrestling-match-and-always-won

https://allthatsinteresting.com/khutulun

https://www.badassoftheweek.com/khutulun

https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-genghis-khan

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kaidu

https://www.history.com/topics/china/genghis-khan

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mongolian_wrestling

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               Most of us are well-acquainted with Einstein’s impact on both science and pop culture. E=MC2, the classic tongue-out photo, the Nobel Prize. But did you know that Einstein’s brain continued a remarkable journey long after his death? In this episode of Smarticus Tells History, Marty shares the truly bizarre story of the theft of Einstein’s brain. Taken by an opportunistic pathologist during the autopsy, Einstein’s most valuable asset has spent the last nearly seven decades being sliced, diced, and shared among the scientific community. But will it ever reveal the secret to Einstein’s genius?

Highlights: 

The theft of Einstein’s brain infuriated his family but yielded no scientific value until nearly three decades after his death. Highlights of this week’s episode include: 

• A brief look at Einstein’s impactful scientific career
• Einstein’s death and the opportunity it presented to Dr. Thomas Harvey, who stole his brain during the autopsy
• How Einstein’s family reacted to the news and why Harvey was ultimately allowed to keep the brain
• How a newbie reporter unearthed the hiding place of Einstein’s brain in 1978
• A look at the scientific findings that have been published about the brain and why they should be taken with a grain of salt
• What happened to Einstein’s brain after Harvey died
• Where you can view slices of Einstein’s brain yourself

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-tragic-story-of-how-einsteins-brain-was-stolen-and-wasnt-even-special

https://allthatsinteresting.com/albert-einstein-brain

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1921/einstein/biographical/

https://learnodo-newtonic.com/albert-einstein-accomplishments

https://www.biography.com/news/einstein-love-life-wives-affairs-letters

https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/31/obituaries/dr-harry-zimmerman-93-dies-founded-albert-einstein-college.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/22/science.research

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-einsteins-brain-ended-mutter-museum-philadelphia-180954987/

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Napoleon Bonaparte is widely remembered as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. A man with a genius mind, gift for rousing beaten troops, and unquenchable thirst for power, Napoleon helped secure the success of the French Revolution before instating himself as the new emperor. But one battle that didn’t make its way into many books is that of Bonaparte vs. the Bunnies, a surprising fight that unfolded during a gathering to celebrate the Treaty of Tilsit. In this episode of Smarticus Tells History, our host tells us about the formidable man that was Napoleon Bonaparte and the incredible battle that no one saw coming.

Highlights: 

The incident of Napoleon vs. the bunnies is a little-known anecdote from his illustrious career as military mastermind turned world leader. Highlights from this week’s episode include:

• A look back at Napoleon’s complex life, including its beginnings in Corsica.
• How Napoleon got involved in the French Revolution following his education at the prestigious Ecole Militaire. 
• The Italian campaign against the Austrians that earned Napoleon a reputation as a brilliant military mind. 
• The Battle of the Pyramids and Napoleon’s quiet return to France afterwards. 
• Napoleon’s involvement in the Coup of 18 Brumaire that left him as first consul of France. 
• The significant reforms Napoleon put in place that remain the backbone for much of French government today. 
• Napoleon’s successes across Europe, including the Treaty of Tislit. 
• The epic rabbit hunt turned vicious attack that took Napoleon and France’s greatest military leaders by surprise. 
• Napoleon’s downfall and exile on St. Helena, where he died after writing his memoirs. 
• Why Napoleon is still such a widely contested figure in French history. 

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/51364/time-napoleon-was-attacked-rabbits

https://www.portablepress.com/blog/2015/04/napoleon-vs-the-bunnies/

https://medium.com/la-bibliothèque/the-day-rabbits-attacked-napoleon-3a126e562d09

https://www.trueorbetter.com/2019/01/napoleon-vs-rabbits.html

https://www.christinecaccipuoti.com/post/napoleon-versus-rabbits

https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/05/18/napoleon-and-the-battle-of-the-rabbits/?safari=1

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56977769

https://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_politic/legacy/page_1.html

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Nearly everyone goes through CPR training at some point. After an instructor walks you through the basics of compressions and breathing, you’re invited to try for yourself on a life-sized doll. But few people know this doll’s name is “Annie,” and her likeness is based on a 19th-century death mask of an unidentified drowning victim in Paris. In this episode of Smarticus Tells History, Marty walks us through the history of Resusci Annie, the most kissed girl in the world. 

Highlights: 

Resusci Annie is the gold-standard in CPR training, and millions have learned the techniques of compression and resuscitation from her lifeless torso. But behind the face of the medical doll is the story of a real 19th century woman. Marty tells you all about it in this episode. Highlights include: 

• The discovery of an unidentified body in the Seine River that led to the creation of death mask. 
• How civilizations have used death masks throughout history in their burial rites. 
• Why the likeness of ‘L’Inconnue de la Seine’ became the hottest home accessory in Europe.
• The invention of CPR and how a toy maker ended up being tasked with creating a training doll. 
• The introduction of Resusci Annie and how she evolved following new medical guidelines. 
• Asmund Laerdal’s lifelong contributions to life-saving medical advancements. 
• The impact of Resusci Annie and CPR training on saving lives around the world.
• Current and future improvements to Laerdal’s classic Annie. 
• The enduring mystery of the Inconnue. 

Links: 

Support our show here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SC5G5XFCX8MYW 

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Sources: 

https://www.livescience.com/cpr-doll-resusci-annie-face.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24534069

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_mask

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cpr-annie/

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1049023X00043569

https://laerdal.com/us/information/resusci-anne-then-and-now/

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The Mary Celeste is one of the most enduring and intriguing maritime mysteries in history, and on this episode of Smaritcus Tells History, we tell you why. After setting out from New York with his wife and daughter, Captain Benjamin Briggs, his family and crew were never seen again. But his ship, Mary Celeste, was found off the coast of Portugal, still seaworthy and with no signs of invasion, illness, or disaster. Following a contentious salvage hearing, theories about the fate of Briggs and his crew ranged from sea monster to murder. However, many familiar with the history of the vessel had another theory: a curse. Was Briggs damned from the moment he set foot on board or is there is a logical explanation for the sudden disappearance of ten people in the middle of the Atlantic? 

Highlights: 

Mary Celeste earned the reputation of being a ghost ship after being abandoned near the Azores in 1872. In this week’s episode of Smarticus Tells History, we explore the history and legend behind the infamous ship. Highlights include: 

• Captain Morehouse and his crew of the ship Dei Gratia discover the abandoned Mary Celeste 400 miles from the Azores. 
• The troubled history of Mary Celeste, including captain deaths, shipwrecks, and seizures. 
• How Captain Benjamin Briggs came to be in possession of the newly retrofitted Mary Celeste
• The proposed voyage from New York to Genoa that would take Briggs, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Sophie to Italy along with nearly 2,000 barrels of crude alcohol
• The arrival of Mary Celeste in Gibraltar and the investigation that followed
• Theories about the fate of Mary Celeste’s captain and crew
• Mary Celeste’s return to New York and reputation as a cursed ship
• Captain Parker’s attempted insurance fraud by running Mary Celeste aground near Haiti
• Attempts to locate and salvage the wreckage of Mary Celeste

Links: 

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Sources: 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/

https://www.history.com/news/what-happened-to-the-mary-celeste

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste

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This week, we’re talking about Halley’s Comet Panic of 1910. Comets have long been seen as omens of disaster, bad luck, or death. Even with scientific advancements and solid historical proof that Halley’s Comet had passed Earth repeatedly without incident, its return in 1910 caused widespread panic. After a frightening prediction by French astronomer Camille Flammarion, people across the world prepared for the end of life as they knew it. From anti-comet pills to comet-proof umbrellas, people were willing to try just about anything to survive being consumed by the poisonous tail of the comet. 

Highlights: 

The Halley’s Comet Panic of 1910 was a nearly unbelievable widespread panic about the approach of a comet that had already passed Earth without incident hundreds of times. Highlights of this week’s episode include: 

• A look at omens in ancient history and how they shifted as science, religion, and humans evolved. 
• The work of Edward Halley, the astronomer that correctly predicted the schedule of the comet’s flybys of Earth. 
• Other times in history that comets were treated as harbingers of doom. 
• Camille Flammarion’s prediction that set the world into a panic as Halley’s Comet approached.
• How people reacted to the news that the world may be ending, including charlatan cures and comet-proofing measures. 
• What happened when Halley’s Comet approached Earth on May 19, 1910. 
• The aftermath of Halley’s Comet Panic. 
• What we have learned about comets since that flyby. 

Links: 

Support our show here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=SC5G5XFCX8MYW 

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As always, if you like the episode please leave a review and visit our facebook page at 

facebook.com/SmarticusTellsHistory 

Sources: 

https://www.wired.com/2015/01/fantastically-wrong-halleys-comet/

https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1955/5/14/the-panic-over-halleys-comet

https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2012/dec/20/apocalypse-postponed-halley-comet

https://astronomy.com/news/2020/10/halleys-comet-covid-19-and-the-history-of-miracle-anti-comet-remedies

https://daily.jstor.org/the-long-history-of-comet-phobia/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/halleys-comet-1910

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The Night Witches were a fierce group of Soviet Union women who wreaked havoc on the Germans with surprise attacks in World War II. The most amazing part of their story isn’t that the 1200 people running the regiment were all women. No, it's what they had to overcome to be able to fly into combat at all. Listen now to find out what those obstacles were and what creative tactics they came up with to get the name “The Night Witches.”

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Sources:

The Night Witches and Other Warrior Women of World War II (historycollection.com)

Meet the Night Witches, the Daring Female Pilots Who Bombed Nazis By Night - HISTORY

The Soviet Night Witches | Wright Museum of World War II

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Who in the blazes was Charlemagne exactly? What was it that he did that made him stick in history? Well you are gonna have to listen and find out! As always, if you like the episode please leave a review and visit our facebook page at facebook.com/smarticusstellshistory

If you would like to donate to the show to help make improvements and keep it going, you can make donations here:
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Hello and welcome back listeners! First, I would like to apologize for the buzzing you hear in the first 4 minutes of the episode. I am not sure what caused it, and could not get rid of it. Second, this weeks episode is about the city that was lost for almost 2000 years, Pompeii. It was once a great and flourishing city that was wiped off the face of the earth, killing almost its entire population. I hope you enjoy this episode and as always please leave a review and view our facebook page Smarticus Tells History.

https://www.facebook.com/SmarticusTellsHistory

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We all have our fears. Some fears have led to some pretty crazy inventions in order to conquer those fears. This weeks episode is about one of those fears, and some of those inventions. Give it a listen and let us know if you liked it!

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