In the first of a weeklong series of episodes about spies, subterfuge and intelligence, a look at how the CIA used dead rats to send secret messages in the former Soviet Union.

The rat that helped win the Cold War

Retropod is a show for history-lovers, featuring stories about the past, rediscovered. Host Mike Rosenwald introduces you to history’s most colorful characters - forgotten heroes, overlooked villains, dreamers, explorers, world changers.

History

Society & Culture

Kids & Family

Education for Kids

On Christmas Eve in 1968, the Apollo 8 astronauts captured an image that symbolizes hope and inspired environmentalism.

Earthrise

On March 25, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were a few days into their marriage when they invited the press to join them at their honeymoon suite at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel.

Hair peace. Bed peace.

Jazz singer Ethel Ennis’s voice wowed audiences and won praise from critics. But when she was faced with the opportunity to become a superstar, Ennis chose a different path.

The jazz queen who chose home over fame

The nurse who founded the American Red Cross had no formal training in medicine. She tended to countless wounded soldiers.

Clara Barton, America's most famous nurse, broke boundaries to treat Civil War victims

In the 1950s, a child trying to call Santa Claus accidentally called NORAD and changed Christmas Eve forever.

The rat that helped win the Cold War

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