The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

Episode 72: Edgar Allan Poe is about as famous as an author can be, but that might be owed largely to Rufus Wilmot Griswold. Rufus didn't really like Poe and wrote a scathing obituary and biography on the man, creating the dark figure many of us think Poe to be. In addition the story of Poe and Rufus, Mick does a dramatic reading of "The Raven" a poem which made Edgar Allan Poe a literary superstar.

Harry Houdini almost quit and sold his tricks and secrets in 1899. It was good that he didn’t because in the 1900s he became a household name as the greatest escape artist in the world. It was a chance encounter that changed it all. Likewise, Anna Mary Moses was 78 years old when her life changed and set her on a path to becoming one of the most famous painters in America. During her 80s and 90s she created art that wound up in hundreds of thousands of homes!

Slipping on banana peels was really a thing! Even Theodore Roosevelt got involved! Also, Black explorer Matthew Henson was quite possibly the first man to step on the North Pole. He also crossed paths with Mr. Roosevelt.

A special mashup with our friends from Cool Facts About Animals. Mick tells the tale of the Great Serum Run of 1925 in two parts. When a Diphtheria epidemic threatens the small and far-off town of Nome Alaska, the only hope to get medicine to the sick is dogs. Many help, but two Siberian Huskies named Togo and Balto are most remembered by history. In between part one and part two of the story, the crew from Cool Facts About Animals shares ten interesting facts about sled dogs.

Two kids, at two time and two places, find two remarkable things. One starts the first Gold Rush in America and the other leads to a Cold War spy ring! The stories of Conrad Reed and Jimmy Bozart - and more!