The Story Behind

By Emily Prokop

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Image by Emily Prokop

Category: History

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Subscribers: 167
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 161

Description

The Story Behind tells the extraordinary history of the ordinary. Everyday objects are more closely examined, from their ancient beginnings through the present—all within 5-10 minutes.

Episode Date
Update on the show + Audiobook link
Oct 27, 2020
Cotton Swabs
Aug 10, 2019
Sunglasses
May 23, 2019
Glitter
Apr 18, 2019
Mouthwash
Apr 09, 2019
Son of a Gun - Operation Switcharoo
Apr 02, 2019
Conversation Hearts
Feb 14, 2019
The Trampoline
Feb 07, 2019
Groundhog Day
Feb 02, 2019
Pantyhose
Jan 17, 2019
Bottled Water
Jan 10, 2019
Toilet Paper
Jan 03, 2019
Re-Release of The Story Behind Christmas Traditions (Part 1)
Dec 27, 2018
Christmas Traditions (Part 2)
Dec 13, 2018
Tipping
Dec 06, 2018
Balloons
Nov 29, 2018
Cranberry Sauce | From Controversy to Canned Creation (TSB132)
Nov 22, 2018
Sick Sayings | Bless You, Frog In Your Throat, Sick as a Dog (TSB131)
Nov 15, 2018
Boston Baked Beans | Traditional New England Fare (TSB130)
Nov 08, 2018
'Africa' by Toto | Two-Year Anniversary Episode (TSB129)
Nov 01, 2018
Play-Doh | From Wallpaper Cleaner to Teacher's Craft Supply (TSB128)
Oct 25, 2018
The Story Behind Book Update #2
Oct 11, 2018
The Printing Press | Gutenberg's Grand Idea and How It Left Him Poor (TSB127)
Oct 11, 2018
Banned Books | A History of Putting Books on Blast (TSB126)
Sep 27, 2018
Hairspray | School Photo Horror, Big Hair Throughout the Decades, and the Real Story that Inspired the Musical (TSB125)
Sep 20, 2018
Matches | Alchemy, Phossy Jaw, and the Matchstick Girls Strike (TSB124)
Sep 13, 2018
The Teddy Bear | Conflicting Stories, Theodore Roosevelt, Steiff Bears (TSB123)
Sep 06, 2018
Roller Coasters | From Russian Ice Slides to Disneyland to the Psychology Behind Thrill Seekers (TSB122)
Aug 30, 2018
S'mores | The (Awkward) History of Graham Crackers, The Medicinal Marshmallows, and All About Milton Hershey (TSB121)
Aug 09, 2018
Roadside Attractions | A Road Trip with Josh Hallmark from Our Americana (TSB120)
Aug 02, 2018
Headphones | From Telephone Operators to the U.S. Navy to Your Ears Today (TSB119)
Jul 19, 2018
The Necktie | From Chinese Soldiers to European Dandies to Politicians (TSB118)
Jul 12, 2018
The Stethoscope | Thoroughly Modest Medicine (TSB117)
Jul 05, 2018
The Story Behind Book Update #1
Jun 28, 2018
Hamburgers | More Than Meats the Eye (TSB116)
Jun 14, 2018
Bingo | From the Italian Lottery to Popular Church Fundraising Game (TSB115)
Jun 07, 2018
Pong | Bleep, Bloop! Table-Tennis for your Television! (TSB114)
May 31, 2018
The Traffic Light | Stop Right Now, Thank You Very Much (TSB113)
May 17, 2018
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen | Freddie Mercury, The Music Video, Wayne's World (TSB1112)
May 10, 2018
Livestream for the Cure | Fundraising for Cancer Research with the Epic Film Guys (TSB111)
May 03, 2018
Emily Prokop | Meet Your Host and Learn About the Show (TSB110)
Apr 26, 2018
The Paperclip | Office Supply and Demand, Paperclip Trading, and Clippy (RIP) (TSB109)
Apr 19, 2018
Mercury Retrograde | Damn it, Planet! (TSB108)
Apr 12, 2018
The Paralympics | The Doctor Who Turned World War II Spinal Injury Patients Into Athletes (TSB107)
Apr 05, 2018
April Fool's Day "Remastered" | The Quotes Are Intentional ;)
Apr 01, 2018
PEZ | History, Candy Marketing, The PEZ Outlaw (TSB106)
Mar 22, 2018
Pi(e) | Meetups, Meatpies, and Mathematics (TSB105)
Mar 15, 2018
The Band-Aid | Adhesive Bandages, Marketing Highs and Lows, and the 1980s Supergroup (TSB104)
Mar 01, 2018
Post-its | Persistence, Productivity, and Romy & Michele (TSB103)
Feb 22, 2018
Sliced Bread | The Greatest Thing Since Betty White (TSB102)
Feb 05, 2018
The Pink Slip | Enjoyment from Unemployment (TSB101)
Jan 29, 2018
The Story Behind: The Musical! (TSB100)
Nov 02, 2017
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups | A Combination of Epic Proportions (TSB099)
Oct 30, 2017
Kit Kat | From Scholarly Clubs in the 1700s to a Not-So-Scholarly Lunch Hour of Taste-Testing in 2017 (TSB098)
Oct 26, 2017
Baby Ruth | Layers of Origin Stories, Baseball Tie-Ins and "Ruthless" Marketing (TSB097)
Oct 23, 2017
Lollipops | Differing Origin Stories, Salvador Dali, and Ear Worms (TSB096)
Oct 19, 2017
Tissues | From Handkerchiefs to Kleenex (TSB095)
Oct 16, 2017
Handcuffs | My Hands are Tied (TSB094)
Oct 12, 2017
Promo
Oct 09, 2017
The Toothbrush | The Nacirema Weird Habit that Took a While To Catch On (TSB093)
Oct 09, 2017
Las Vegas | Early Settlers, Quickie Divorces and Weddings, Casinos, and the Fabulous Sign (TSB092)
Oct 05, 2017
Monster Trucks | Modifying Pick-Ups, Sports Entertainment, and Sunday x 3 (TSB091)
Oct 02, 2017
Podcasts | Celebrate the Power of Podcasts Sept. 30 (TSB090)
Sep 28, 2017
Procrastination | Historic Productivity, Famous Procrastinators, Carpe Diem Real Meaning (TSB089)
Sep 25, 2017
Pockets | One Hand in My Pick-Pocket-Full of Sunshine (TSB088)
Sep 21, 2017
Clowns | Send Them In, But Don't Expect Everyone to Laugh (TSB087)
Sep 18, 2017
The Pumpkin Spice Latte | History of Pumpkins, Birth of the Latte, Starbucks Seasonal Favorite (TSB086)
Sep 14, 2017
Clue: The Game | Clue Series: The Inventor, Changes to the Game, Different Versions, Strategies (TSB085)
Sep 11, 2017
Clue: The Movie | Clue Series: Behind the Scenes, VHS Cult Classic, Alternate Casting (TSB084)
Sep 07, 2017
The Knife | Clue Series: Early Beginnings, Galvarino, and Mrs. Peacock (TSB083)
Sep 04, 2017
The Revolver | Clue Series: The Beatles, Samuel Colt, the Colt .45, and Professor Plum (TSB082)
Aug 31, 2017
The Rope | Clue Series: Ancient Uses, Torture, and Mrs. White (TSB081)
Aug 28, 2017
The Wrench | Clue Series: False Origins, Jack Johnson, and Colonel Mustard (TSB080)
Aug 24, 2017
The Candlestick | Clue Series: Naughty Nursery Rhymes, Liberace, and Miss Scarlet (TSB079)
Aug 21, 2017
The Lead Pipe | Clue Series: Waterways, Poisoning, and Mr. Green (TSB078)
Aug 17, 2017
The Mustache | Facial Feature of Kings & Wrestlers (TSB077)
Jul 13, 2017
Beards | Facial Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow (TSB076)
Jul 10, 2017
America's Bald Eagle | Lies from Sesame Street and The West Wing (TSB075)
Jul 06, 2017
Uncle Sam | The Evolution of America's Mascot (TSB074)
Jul 03, 2017
Surfer Lingo | Cowabunga, Dude! (TSB073)
Jun 29, 2017
Surfing | History of the Sport, Gidget, California Sound (TSB072)
Jun 26, 2017
Hypnosis | Everybody Trance Now! (TSB071)
Jun 22, 2017
Subliminal Messages | Conspiracy Theories, Advertising, Paul is Dead (TSB070)
Jun 19, 2017
Tattoos | Body Art That's Ink-redible (TSB069)
Jun 15, 2017
Ear Piercing | A Hole Lot of History (TSB068)
Jun 12, 2017
Bubble Gum | Pop-Notch Chewing Satisfaction (TSB067)
Jun 08, 2017
Chewing Gum | Tree Sap Made Tasty (TSB066)
Jun 05, 2017
Sporks | KFC Cutlery of Choice (TSB065)
Jun 01, 2017
The T-Shirt | How Marlon Brando Made Underwear Outerwear (TSB064)
May 29, 2017
Lullabies | The Art of Sleeping Like a Baby (TSB063)
May 25, 2017
Fidget Spinners | The Stress-Relief Toy Fad Teachers Hate (TSB062)
May 22, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire Series
May 19, 2017
Thank You | Thank You Cards, Gratitude Journals, #Blessed (TSB061)
May 18, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1964-1989 Part 2: Wheel of Fortune through Rock and Roller Cola Wars (TSB060)
May 15, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1964-1989 Part 1: Birth Control through Russians in Afghanistan (TSB059)
May 11, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1961-1963: Hemingway through JFK Blown Away (TSB058)
May 08, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1959-1960: Buddy Holly through Belgians in the Congo (TSB057)
May 04, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1957-1958: Little Rock through Children of Thalidomide (TSB056)
May 01, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1955-1956: Einstein through Trouble in the Suez (TSB055)
Apr 27, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1953-1954: Joseph Stalin through Rock Around the Clock (TSB054)
Apr 24, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1951-1952: Rosenbergs through Santayana Goodbye (TSB053)
Apr 20, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire 1949-1950: Harry Truman through Marilyn Monroe (TSB052)
Apr 17, 2017
We Didn't Start the Fire | Introduction (WDSTF Series, TSB051)
Apr 13, 2017
The Stanley Cup | Lord Stanley, NHL Play-Offs, New York Rangers (TSB050)
Apr 10, 2017
Mechanical Keyboards | From Typewriters to PC Gaming (TSB049)
Apr 06, 2017
Voice Recognition | Basic Computers, Creepy '80s Dolls, Moviefone and More (TSB048)
Apr 03, 2017
April Fool's Day | Special Mini-Sode
Apr 01, 2017
Wedding Luck & Superstitions | Wearing White, Bridesmaids, Rings, Rice, Cake and More (TSB047)
Mar 30, 2017
Luck in the Home | Opening an Umbrella Indoors, Breaking a Mirror, Walking Under a Ladder, Horseshoes (TSB046)
Mar 27, 2017
Lucky Food | Throwing Salt Over the Shoulder, Protective Garlic, the Incredible Egg (TSB045)
Mar 23, 2017
Sports Superstitions & Curses | The Curses of the Bambino, Cubs and Indians; and Lucky Charms (TSB044)
Mar 20, 2017
The Luck of the Irish | Four-Leaf Clovers, Irish Luck, Leprechauns (TSB043)
Mar 16, 2017
Lucky Numbers | Numerology, Unlucky 13, Lucky 7 (TSB042)
Mar 13, 2017
Lucky Animals | Rabbits (and Their Feet), Spiders, and Cats (TSB041)
Mar 09, 2017
Theater Superstitions | Break a Leg, The Curse of Macbeth, Whistling Backstage (TSB040)
Mar 06, 2017
Luck & Superstitions | An Overview of This Month's Theme (TSB039)
Mar 02, 2017
Forrest Gump (With Nick from The Epic Film Guys) | Forrest Gump February (TSB038)
Feb 27, 2017
Prosthetics | Forrest Gump February (TSB037)
Feb 23, 2017
The Smiley Face | Forrest Gump February (TSB036)
Feb 20, 2017
Imagine (by John Lennon) | Forrest Gump February (TSB035)
Feb 16, 2017
Ping-Pong | Forrest Gump February (TSB034)
Feb 13, 2017
Dr Pepper | Forrest Gump February (TSB033)
Feb 09, 2017
The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door | Forrest Gump February (TSB032)
Feb 06, 2017
Nathan Bedford Forrest | Forrest Gump February (TSB031)
Feb 02, 2017
The Story Behind 30 Random Things | Trivia and History Galore! (TSB030)
Jan 30, 2017
Mad Hatters | From Mercury Poisoning to Johnny Depp (TSB029)
Jan 26, 2017
The Mona Lisa | Stolen Art and a Mysterious Smile (TSB028)
Jan 23, 2017
Betty White | The Later Years (TSB027)
Jan 19, 2017
Betty White | The Early Years (TSB026)
Jan 16, 2017
Pretzels | Knot Your Average Snack (TSB025)
Jan 12, 2017
Potato Chips | Crunch Time (TSB024)
Jan 09, 2017
Soap Operas | A Daily Dose of Drama (TSB023)
Jan 05, 2017
The Treadmill | Where the Sidewalk Doesn't End (TSB022)
Jan 02, 2017
New Year's Eve | Start 2017 Off with Some Fun Facts (TSB021)
Dec 29, 2016
The Four Chords | From Pachelbel to Journey and Beyond (TSB020)
Dec 26, 2016
Christmas Traditions | Santa, Reindeer, Christmas Lights, Candy Canes, A Christmas Story (TSB019)
Dec 22, 2016
The Polygraph | On the Deceiving End (TSB018)
Dec 19, 2016
Cabbage Patch Kids | And You Thought Hatchimals Were Hard to Find (TSB017)
Dec 15, 2016
Lego | Fun to Play With, Awful to Step On (TSB016)
Dec 12, 2016
Madame Tussaud | Just the Wax, Ma'am (TSB015)
Dec 08, 2016
Speakeasies | Prohibition's Open Secret (TSB014)
Dec 05, 2016
Stenomasks | Shorthand Sweet (TSB013)
Dec 01, 2016
Mount Rushmore | Stone-Faced Presidents (TSB012)
Nov 28, 2016
The Cornucopia | From Greek Mythology to the Hunger Games (TSB011)
Nov 24, 2016
Comic Sans | The Font Choice of Batman and the Pope (TSB010)
Nov 21, 2016
Hoodies | For the Everyday Athlete, Rapper and CEO (TSB009)
Nov 17, 2016
Sadie Hawkins | Marry the Man Today (TSB008)
Nov 14, 2016
The Electoral College | A Post-Election Special Episode (TSB007)
Nov 13, 2016
Peanut Butter | Cheap, Easy and Worth Fighting For (TSB006)
Nov 10, 2016
Secret Ballots | A "No Duh" Solution to Election Day Violence (TSB005)
Nov 07, 2016
Gunpowder | 'Cause Baby You're a Firework (TSB004)
Nov 03, 2016
Sugar Skulls | A Sweet Mexican Tradition (TSB003)
Oct 31, 2016
Dry Ice | Science We Didn't Know What To Do With (TSB002)
Oct 31, 2016
Extras
Oct 17, 2016
Subscribe to The Story Behind
Oct 16, 2016
About/Contact
Oct 16, 2016
The Story Behind Book is HERE!
Oct 14, 2016
Support
Oct 13, 2016
Binge
Oct 13, 2016
Gear
Oct 12, 2016
Executive Producers
Oct 09, 2016