Stuff You Missed in History Class

Mary Somerville was dubbed the Queen of Science, a title earned through a lifetime of learning all she could about various math and science subjects and then parsing those concepts out in her writing for more general audiences.

Research:

• Collins, Helen. “Mary Somerville: Her Legacy for Women in Science.” Oxford Scientist. Feb. 11, 2022. https://oxsci.org/mary-somerville-her-legacy-for-women-in-science/
• Gregersen, Erik. "Mary Somerville". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Somerville
• Neeley, Kathryn A. “Mary Somerville: Science, Illumination, and the Female Mind.” Cambridge University Press. 2001.
• Somerville, Mary. “On the magnetizing power of the more refrangible solar rays.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. December 31, 1833. Volume 2. Accessed online: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspl.1815.0282
• Somerville, Mary. “Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville.” John Murray, London. 1872. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/27747/pg27747-images.html
• Somerville, Mary. “On Molecular and Microscopic Science.” John Murray. London. 1869. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/55886/pg55886-images.html
• Uri, John. “175 Years Ago: Astronomers Discover Neptune, the Eighth Planet.” NASA. Sept. 21, 2021. https://www.nasa.gov/history/175-years-ago-astronomers-discover-neptune-the-eighth-planet/#:~:text=On%20the%20night%20of%20Sept,orbit%20of%20the%20planet%20Uranus.
• Wills, Matthew. “Mary Somerville, Queen of 19th Century Science.” JSTOR Daily. March 2, 2016. https://daily.jstor.org/mary-somerville-queen-of-19th-century-science/
• Lewis, Jone Johnson. "Biography of Mary Somerville, Mathematician, Scientist, and Writer." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/mary-somerville-biography-3530354.

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The shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland happened just before the start of World War I and was the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history to happen during peacetime.

Research:

• Blatchford, Andy. “Empress of Ireland, ‘Canada’s Titanic,’ finally getting its due after 100 years.” Globe and Mail. 5/23/2014. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/empress-of-ireland-canadas-titanic-finally-getting-its-due-after-100-years/article18819164/
• Boyd, Ellsworth. “Empress of Ireland was ‘Canada’s Titanic.’” NUMA. 10/9/2017. https://numa.net/2017/10/empress-of-ireland-was-canadas-titanic/
• Butler, Don. “Museum of Civilization finally acquires Empress of Ireland collection.” Ottawa Citizen. 10/27/2012. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa%20&%20area/museum-of-civilization-finally-acquires-empress-of-ireland-collection
• Canadian Pacific Railway Company. “Atlantic Royal Mail Service – ‘The Empresses’.” 1906. https://archive.org/details/cihm_71926/
• “Empress of Ireland.” From “Lost Liners” by Robert D. Ballard and Rick Archbold, Madison Press Books. Via PBS. https://www.pbs.org/lostliners/empress.html
• Empress of Ireland Commemoration. “The Forgotten Tragedy.” Pointe-au-Pere Site Historique Maritime. http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/home.html
• Fry, Krsiten. “Saving the Empress's treasures.” Beaver. Apr/May2008, Vol. 88 Issue 2, p10-11.
• Hertz, Kayla. “On this day: The Empress of Ireland, 'Canada's Titanic,' sinks in 1914.” Irish Central. 5/29/2022. https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/empress-of-ireland-sinking
• Marshall, Logan. “The tragic story of the Empress of Ireland; an authentic account of the most horrible disaster in Canadian history, constructed from the real facts obtained from those on board who survived and other great sea disasters, containing the statements of Captain Henry George Kendall, commanding the Empress of Ireland and Captain Thomas Andersen, commanding the Storstad.” Philadelphia Printed by John C. Winston. 1914. https://archive.org/details/tragicstoryofemp00marsuoft
• Mersey, John C. Bigham (John Charles Bigham). “Report of Commission of Inquiry into the casualty to the British steamship 'Empress of Ireland,' which sunk after collision with the Norwegian steamer 'Storstad' in the River St. Lawrence, on 29th May 1914.” 1914. https://archive.org/details/op1256477-1001/mode/2up
• National Museums of Liverpool. “Empress of Ireland Disaster.” https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime-museum/empress-of-ireland-disaster
• “Report and Evidence of the Commission of Inquiry into the Loss of the British Steamship ‘Empress of Irelnad.’” From “Sessional papers of the Dominion of Canada 1915.” Canadian Parliament. 1914. https://archive.org/details/n16sessionalpaper50canauoft/

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This 2017 episode examines the practice of British and French monarchs laying on hands to cure sick people from the medieval period to the 18th century. One disease was so often "cured" it came to be known as the King's Evil.

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Holly discusses the strange reassurance she finds in examining historical crime stories. Tracy talks about the way Lenormand cartomancy decks differ from tarot.

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Lenormand was a fortune-teller in France in the 19th century. She was hugely influential, because despite her work being illegal, very important and powerful people consulted her for cartomancy readings.

Research: 

• "Marie Anne Lenormand." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, vol. 38, Gale, 2018. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631010818/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=13b27256. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
• “Madmoiselle Lenormand.” Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts, Volume 3. W.R. Chambers. 1845. https://books.google.com/books?id=TodTAAAAYAAJ
• Delistraty, Cody. “The Surprising Historical Significance of Fortune-Telling.” JSTOR Daily. 10/26/2016. https://daily.jstor.org/surprising-historical-significance-fortune-telling/
• Goodrich, Frank Boott. “The court of Napoleon.” New York, Derby & Jackson. 1857. https://archive.org/details/courtofnapoleon00good
• Greer, Mary K. “Mlle. Lenormand, the most famous card reader of all time.” Mary K. Greer's Tarot Blog. https://marykgreer.com/2008/02/12/madame-le-normand-the-most-famous-card-reader-of-all-time/
• Gronow, Rees Howell. “Celebrities of London and Paris: Being a Third Series of Reminiscences and Anecdotes of the Camp the Court and the Clubs : Containing a Correct Account of the Coup D'état.” Smith, Elder & Company, 1865
• Harvey, David Allen. “Beyond Enlightenment: Occultism, Politics, and Culture in France from the Old Regime to the Fin-de-Siècle.” The Historian , SPRING 2003, Vol. 65, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24452371
• Howitt, William. “Mademoiselle le Normand, The Parisian Sibyl of the Revolution.” The Spiritual magazine. London, F. Pitman [etc.]. 1860.
• Irving, Washington. “The journals of Washington Irving (hitherto unpublished).” Boston. Bibliophile Society. 1919. https://archive.org/details/journalsofwashin03irvi/
• Jewett, J.P. “Remarkable Women of Different Nations and Ages.” 1858. https://archive.org/details/remarkablewomen00unkngoog/page/n220/
• Le Normand, M. A. “The oracle of human destiny: or, the unerring foreteller of future events, and accurate interpreter of mystical signs and influences; through the medium of common cards.” London. C.S. Arnold. 1825. https://archive.org/details/b29337926/page/n24/mode/1up
• Levi, Eliphas. “Dogma et Rituel de la Haute Magie.” Translated by A. E. Waite. Vol. 2. Originally published by Rider & Company, England, 1896.
• O'Meara, Barry Edward. “Napoleon in Exile, Or, A Voice from St. Helena.” W. Simpkin and R. Marshall, 1822.
• Rogers, Charles. “Memorials of the earl of Stirling and of the house of Alexander.” 1877. https://books.google.com/books?id=zXABAAAAQAAJ
• Shelley, Lady Frances. “The diary of Frances, Lady Shelley.” Vol. 1. 1912. https://archive.org/details/diaryoffrancesla0001shel/
• Sylverne, Stephanie. “Good Fortune: How Empress Bonaparte Popularized the Tarot Card Trend and Made Her Cartomancer a Household Name.” Mental Floss. 11/1/2017. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/509667/good-fortune-how-empress-bonaparte-popularized-tarot-card-trend-and-made-her-cartomancer-household
• The National Magazine. “Mademoiselle le Normand.” 1853. https://archive.org/details/sim_national-magazine-devoted-to-literature-art-and-religion_1853-05_2_5

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The story of what happened to Pearl Bryan is horrifying and frightening. The scandalous particulars of the events that led to her murder captivated the attention of the U.S. in the late 1800s, but Pearl gets sort of lost in the shuffle.

Research:

• “An Awful Find.” Cincinnati Enquirer. Feb. 2, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/30900213/?terms=%22body%20found%22&match=1
• Associated Press. “Youth’s Depravity.” The Lexington Herald. Feb. 7, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/680738959/?terms=%22ANOTHER%20CONFESSION%22%20&match=1
• Associated Press. “The Decapitated Woman.” Los Angeles Herald. Feb. 6, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/80565627/?terms=%22pearl%20bryan%22&match=1
• “Both Are Guilty!” Journal and Tribune. Feb. 8, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584194865/?terms=decapitated&match=1
• “Clues Were Misleading.” Green Bay Press-Gazette. Feb. 7, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/186951911/?terms=%22ANOTHER%20CONFESSION%22%20&match=1
• “Does Crime Cause Physical Degenration?” San Francisco Examiner. May 11, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/457505640/?terms=kiffmeyer&match=1
• “Drugged With Cocaine.” Chattanooga Daily Times. Feb. 13, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/604389689/?terms=%22body%20found%22&match=1
• “Grades of Murder.” Indianapolis Journal. May 10, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/322021567/?terms=%22alonzo%20walling%22%20
• “Jackson’s Trial.” Jackson County Banner. April 30, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/206893196/?terms=pearl%20bryan&match=1
• “Murdered and Beheaded.” Philadelphia Times. Feb. 2, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/52374183/?terms=%22body%20found%22&match=1
• “The Mysterious Murder of Pearl Bryan, or The Headless Horror.” Barclay and Co. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/29569/29569-h/29569-h.htm#history
• “Newport’s Hanging.” Hamilton County Ledger. March 26, 1897. https://www.newspapers.com/image/353595219/?terms=%22alonzo%20walling%22%20&match=1
• “Pearl Bryan’s Story.” Chicago Chrinicle. May 10, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/668071687/?terms=pearl%20bryan
• “Pearl Bryan: Her Murderers Still Accusing Other of the Deed.” Topeka State Journal. Feb. 8, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/323039676/?terms=%22JACKSON%27S%20COAT%20FOUND%20IN%20A%20SEWER%22&match=1
• Rolandelli, Frank, Jr. “Mystery in Pearl Bryan Murder Still Unsolved.” Indianapolis Sunday Star. March 7, 1937. https://www.newspapers.com/image/105412793/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEwNTQxMjc5MywiaWF0IjoxNjk4MTAzODA0LCJleHAiOjE2OTgxOTAyMDR9.2bQOm9f88dN8unJ91gfkigYR6z0Z5yAmvxOQirxa2xw
• “Scott Jackson the Murderer.” New York Times. May 15, 1896. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1896/05/15/105749337.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
• “Searching the Sewers.” The Tennessean. Feb. 13, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/603549764/?terms=decapitation&match=1
• “She Has a New Story.” Indianapolis Journal. Feb. 11, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/321981642/?terms=pearl%20bryan&match=1
• “Under Arrest.” Chillicothe Gazette. Feb. 7, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/291122814/?terms=%22alonzo%20walling%22%20&match=1
• “Walling Testifies.” Jackson County Banner. June 11, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/206898137/?terms=%22alonzo%20walling%22%20&match=1
• Young, Andrew. “Our Rich History: Shoe dealer solves ghastly murder of Pearl Bryan, found missing her head, in 1893.” Northern Kentucky Tribune. Aug. 17, 2020. https://nkytribune.com/2020/08/our-rich-history-shoe-dealer-solves-ghastly-murder-of-pearl-bryan-found-missing-her-head-in-1893/

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This 2019 episode notes that the Catacombs contain the bones of an estimated 6 to 7 million people, and explains that their history is really two interconnected stories of mines and human remains.

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Holly and Tracy talk about pumpkin carving traditions and techniques. They also discuss Pearl Curran's life and the writing output of Patience.

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Patience Worth was a popular writer in the early 20th century. But she was a 17th-century ghost, using Pearl Curran as her conduit from spirit realm to printed page.

Research:

• Braude, Stephen E. “Dissociation and Latent Abilities.” Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. June 2000. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233449262_Dissociation_and_Latent_Abilities
• Cory, Charles. “Patience Worth.” Psychological Review. 1919. pp. 397-407. https://archive.org/details/psychologicalre01pratgoog/page/396/mode/2up
• Denny, Diana. “Written by Pearl Curran … Or Ouija Board?” Saturday Evening Post. Sept. 16, 2010. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2010/09/written-pearl-curranor-ouija-board/
• Diliberto, Gioia. “Patience Worth: Author From the Great Beyond.” Smithsonian. Sept. 2010. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/patience-worth-author-from-the-great-beyond-54333749/
• Millard, Bailey. “Will she meet her astral guide?” Los Angeles Times. Jan. 16, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380740453/?terms=pearl%20curran&match=1
• “Mrs. Pearl Curran, Known as ‘Patience Worth,” Dies.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dec. 4, 1937. https://www.newspapers.com/image/139329811/
• Prince, Walter Franklin. “The Case of Patience Worth.” Boston Society for Psychic Research. https://books.google.com/books?id=KUvOAAAAMAAJ&dq=I+am+molten+silver,+running.+Let+man+catch+me+within+his+cup.+Let+him+proceed+upon+his+labor,+Smithing+upon+me.+Let+him+with+cunning+smite+my+substance.+Let+him+at+his+dream,+Lending+my+stuff+unto+its+creation.+It+shall+be+no+less+me.&source=gbs_navlinks_s
• Ross, Isabel M. “Enduring Mystery of the Ouija Board reincarnation.” New York Tribune. November 23, 1919. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/data/batches/dlc_davis_ver01/data/sn83030214/00206532452/1919112301/0761.pdf
• Simon, Ed. “Ghostwriter and Ghost.” The Public Domain Review. Sept. 17, 2014. https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/ghostwriter-and-ghost-the-strange-case-of-pearl-curran-patience-worth/
• “The Women Helping to Boost.” Cherryvale Journal. January 28, 1910. https://www.newspapers.com/image/418556008/?terms=%22pearl%20curran%22&match=1
• “State Aid By Women.” The St. Louis Star and Times. January 27, 1910. Https://www.newspapers.com/image/204738278/?terms=%22pearl%20curran%22&match=1
• Yost, Casper S. “PATIENCE WORTH: A PSYCHIC MYSTERY.” New York. Henry Holt and Co. 1916. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50810/50810-h/50810-h.htm
• Worth, Patience. “The Sorry Tale; a Story of the Time of Christ.” Henry Holt and Company. June 1917. https://archive.org/stream/sorrytaleastory01currgoog/sorrytaleastory01currgoog_djvu.txt
• Simon, Ed. “Darkness Made Visible: Eamonn Peters on Imagined Literature.” The Anthology of Babel, edited by Ed Simon, Punctum Books, 2020, pp. 365–88. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.2353922.22

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Jack-o’-lanterns have become one of the most iconic symbols of Halloween. Their origin story isn’t exactly well documented, so tracing their roots involves some folklore, some agriculture, and literary influence. 

Research:

• Bachelor, Blane. “ The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o’-lanterns.” National Geographic. Oct. 27, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-twisted-transatlantic-tale-of-american-jack-o-lanterns?rnd=1696858487928&loggedin=true
• Ellis, Hurcules. “The Rhyme Book.” Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans. 1851. https://books.google.com/books?id=1DxcAAAAcAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s
• Fox, Frances. "Waialua Children Use Papaias for Pumkins to Scare on Hallowe'en." Honolulu Advertiser. Oct. 31, 1931. https://www.newspapers.com/image/258961518/?terms=jack%20o%27lantern&match=1
• Christofi, N. “BIOASSAYS | Microbial Tests.” Encyclopedia of Analytical Science (Second Edition). Elsevier. 2005. Pages 265-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-369397-7/00044-3
• “How did the squash get its name?” Library of Congress. Nov. 19, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/agriculture/item/how-did-squash-get-its-name/
• Lang, Cady. “What Is Samhain? What to Know About the Ancient Pagan Festival That Came Before Halloween.” TIME. Oct. 30, 2018. https://time.com/5434659/halloween-pagan-origins-in-samhain/
• National Park Service. “The Three Sisters.” https://www.nps.gov/tont/learn/nature/the-three-sisters.htm
• “London, Oct. 2.” The Bath Journal. October 4, 1779. https://www.newspapers.com/image/975623103/?terms=jack-o-lantern&match=1
• “Paris, November 30.” The Freeman’s Journal or The North American Intelligencer. Feb. 15, 1792. https://www.newspapers.com/image/39395048/?terms=jack-o-lantern&match=1
• “For This Gazette.” The Portland Gazette. Sept. 17, 1798. https://www.newspapers.com/image/904401967/?terms=jack-o-lantern
• Gish, Hannah. “Stingy Jack: The Origin of the Jack-O-Lantern.” Carnegie Center for Art & History. https://carnegiecenter.org/stingy-jack-the-origin-of-the-jack-o-lantern/
• Grannan, Cydney. "Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Oct. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-carve-pumpkins-at-halloween
• Oliveira, Rosane. “10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Pumpkins.” University of California. Oct. 25, 2018. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-pumpkins#:~:text=Scientists%20believe%20that%20pumpkins%20originated,food%20staple%20among%20Native%20Americans.
• “Will-o’-the Wisp: Monstrous Flame or Scientific Phenomenon.” Monstrum. PBS. October 5, 2021. https://www.pbs.org/video/will-o-the-wisp-monstrous-flame-or-scientific-phenomenon-dsugln/
• Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Samhain". Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Samhain
• Irving, Washington. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41/41-h/41-h.htm
• Allen, Ida Bailey. “Try Jack-o’-Lantern Halloween Supper.” Quad-City Times. Oct. 31, 1952. https://www.newspapers.com/image/301873757/?terms=jack%20o%27lantern&match=1
• Huntley, Andrew. “The Jack-o-Lantern’s Origins.” Carnegie Museum of Natural History. https://carnegiemnh.org/the-jack-o-lanterns-origins/
• Ott, Cindy. “Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon.” University of Washington Press. 2013.
• Traynor, Jessica. “The story of Jack-o’-lantern: ‘If you knew the sufferings of that forsaken craythur.’” Irish Times. Oct. 29, 2019. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/the-story-of-jack-o-lantern-if-you-knew-the-sufferings-of-that-forsaken-craythur-1.4065773

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