The Story Behind
By Emily Prokop
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Image by Emily Prokop
Category: History
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Subscribers: 165
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 |