Olympias is known for being the mother of Alexander the Great and for being Very Fond Of Snakes. She was subject to centuries of slander by the historians who followed her - but in this episode, we right some of the wrongs, give you some context for her actions, and reveal her connection to the Olympic Games.

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This year, the Statue of Liberty's Little Sister is coming to the US for a lengthy stay. The 9' reproduction travels first to New York for the Fourth of July, then to Washington for Bastille Day...and the next ten years. We thought that this was a good time to revisit the OG, the icon, the symbol of freedom for millions over the last 135 years: Liberty Enlightening the World.

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Marjorie Merriweather Post was a natural philanthropist and organizer. Her fortune may have come to her by chance, and she is perhaps most famous for her outward signs of wealth, but she was no mere society butterfly.

Rather than her extensive collection of jewels and artifacts, her true legacy is the multitude of people she was able to help with grace, dignity, and her natural capability for genuine friendship. She was a monarch with a common touch.

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Marjorie Post was not *born* with a silver spoon in her mouth, but breakfast cereal sure provided her with one before her tenth birthday! She parlayed her father's company into a major food conglomerate, and lived like royalty as the Duchess of Washington DC and the Queen of Palm Beach.

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She was many things: an actress, a dancer, a chemist, an artist, and a pioneer in stage lighting and choreography. She was inquisitive and energetic, full of creativity and drive. She was always looking for ways to help her friends and was the belle of Paris and the Art Nouveau movement...but she is best referred to as La Loïe, THE Loïe, one of a kind.

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For International Nurses Day, we're revisiting our coverage of Mary Seacole. While, technically, she wasn't a nurse, she was very much a brave medical caregiver, a "doctress," an entrepreneur, and one heck of a jam-maker who served those fighting at the front of the Crimean War (and so much more.) If you are interested in a more directly related nurse episode, we recommend our coverage of Florence Nightingale (as well as several others, mentioned in this episode.)

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In Part 3, Maya Angelou has stretched to fill many spheres of influence; she gathered accolades as she climbed and was generous with her experiences. Her lantern of wisdom shone all over the world, lighting the way ahead for others to follow. 

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Part 2 is a roller coaster! Maya Angelou faced some of her greatest challenges during this period of her life, and handled them all with the true grit we've come to expect of her. And then she triumphed in three separate spheres, one right after another; theater, journalism, and political activism.

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Where is Maya Angelou Part 2? Likely in a landfill. Let me explain.

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Throughout the twists and turns of her colorful life, Maya Angelou gathered the wisdom of the world and distilled it into a dynamic force with which to educate, to move, and to change society. Words have power!

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