Albert and Colleen explore the history of telephone switchboard operators. This is a job that no longer exists like it once did. The "Hello Girls" connected hundreds of calls each hour. There are some wild parts of the history, like...

• how WWI operators connecting calls near the front lines,
• that an undertaker invented the automated switchboard because he was convinced business opportunities were being stolen from him,
• and how a measles outbreak led to the phone number system.

In this episode we hear snippets of two copyright free songs: "Hello! ma Baby" by Arthur Collins and "Over There" by Arthur Fields.

Remember to visit our website for more episodes and our merch shop at curiousworldhistory.com.

Albert and Colleen dig into another tasty treat in this episode of Curious World History. Learn all about the 2500 year history of ice cream. From ancient Persian and Chinese history to presidents, ice cream has been enjoyed by many people around the world.

If you want to see Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten recipe, visit this website: https://www.monticello.org/encyclopedia/ice-cream

On our episode page, you can see ice cream photos from the Library of Congress from the 1920s, 40s, and 50s. https://www.curiousworldhistory.com/e/ep-15-the-history-of-ice-cream/

Albert and Colleen share their recent experience on a visit to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. In Part 1, they go into the history of the battles in the Pacific Theater, and how shrimp boats, M&Ms, Julia Child, and a secret in a soldier's journal all factor into the war.

To learn about or visit the museum, go to https://www.nationalww2museum.org/.

Thank you to our listeners -- who now represent 40 countries and 41 of the United States!