The Unusual History of Every Thing

By: Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy
  • Summary

  • The Unusual History of Every Thing is a podcast for lovers of the weird history of common things in our world. Join cultural object preservationists Melanie Dellas and Karen Lacy as they uncover the unusual histories of every thing around us.
    All rights reserved
    Show more Show less
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
Episodes
  • Earthworm Oil: From the Dirt to the Doctor?
    Nov 28 2023

    Typically, people nowadays don’t go into Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods and ask for earthworm oil, but from the 16th to 19th centuries, earthworm oil was used to treat various problems – kind of like how we use tea tree or coconut oils today. On this episode, we’ll show you how to use earthworm oil to treat many things, even gunshot wounds, because…well, why not? 

    Show more Show less
    14 mins
  • The Unusual History of TV Dinners: Giving Thanks to Thanksgiving
    Nov 21 2023

    Who doesn’t love to come home from a long day of work, heat up some yummy food, turn on the TV and plop down on the couch to eat? Although many people still do enjoy a sit-down meal with the family that often doesn’t include a television, back in the 1950s when having a TV in the home was a new concept, people found themselves wanting to eat in front of it. On this episode, we thank Thanksgiving and an overabundance of turkeys back in 1953 for giving us the TV dinner.

    Show more Show less
    7 mins
  • Crap, Crapper, and the History of the Toilet 
    Nov 19 2023

    Happy World Toilet Day! In case you didn’t know, the World Toilet Organization (yes, there is one) declared November 19th to be World Toilet Day back in 2001. Why, you may ask? Well it all had to do with drawing attention to the fact that even today not every country has great sanitation, which of course spreads diseases like cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. On this episode, we flush out what humans did when poop became a problem and how it all led to a universal holiday. 

    Show more Show less
    27 mins

What listeners say about The Unusual History of Every Thing

Average customer ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.