Though known for its horrific and senseless killing of millions, World War I, also known as the Great War, was the scene of a curious and wondrous event: The Christmas Truce.

Learn about the prelude to the war, the timeline of events until hostilities began, the propaganda that led the soldiers to kill, and the shared brutality of daily life on the Western Front. That shared experience compelled sworn enemies to see each other as humans again, and gathered in No Man's Land to exchange greetings, have solemn ceremonies, and play football.

What happened during Gilded Age America that led the Rough-Riding President Roosevelt to break up the largest corporations in history? Take a look at Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan as examples of an economy run by the billionaires. See how their mega-corporations were smashed by legislation and the public's desire for reform.

What about our climate can dictate our lives? How about the desires of European explorers? Come along with us on a journey from the Gulf of Mexico to Western Europe and the rest of the world. In this episode, we discuss the origins of the "Age of Exploration" and how climactic circumstances brought us there.

Yule Logs, Christmas trees, and December 25th. These all connect to the bright twinkle lights you see on everyone’s houses in December. What might these have to do with the ancient Roman empire? This episode connects the smell of balsam wood and holly with the Pagan roots of northern Europe. In this episode, we find the thread that brings us to the origins of Christmas customs.

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Sources:

⁠https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas⁠

⁠http://thefaithandtheweird.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-origin-of-christmas.html⁠

⁠https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-general/ancient-roots-christmas-customs-001162⁠

⁠https://www.history.com/news/christmas-traditions-history⁠

⁠https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/12/24/why-is-christmas-on-dec-25-it-wasnt-always/⁠

⁠https://www.almanac.com/content/what-yule-log-christmas-traditions⁠

⁠https://www.getty.edu/news/the-wild-holiday-that-turned-ancient-rome-upside-down/⁠

Have you seen the explosion of ghosthunting shows on TV these days? A dozen networks and online platforms have people going out to scream at things that go "bump in the night". Ever wonder where America's obsession with ghosthunting began? In this episode of Threads of History, we dive into the origin of ghost hunting in America, we discuss a famous magician and escape artist who fought against charlatans and we examine the Victorian spiritualist movement which spawned it all.

Today's episode is on arguably the most consequential change in technology in human history, the results of which started the long march to civilization, and the resulting cities bringing with them new problems which required unique solutions.

What does your last name mean? If you could choose a last name for yourself and your family, what would it be and why?

#lastnames #surnames #origin #history

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This episode is on the unlikely third-party run of a former president, his chosen successor, and a college administrator turned leader of the country and how the leadership of the United States dealt with the explosion of carnage that was World War I in 1914.

This episode includes a rift between former political allies, the creation of a major but short-lived political party, and the Presidential election of 1912, which would allow for the united states to remain neutral regarding the First World War for several years, changing the trajectory for American foreign policy for decades to come.

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Today's episode is on the origin of the first test of federal power in U.S. history, brought about through what many argue to be the first global war, handshake agreements with native populations, amber waves of barley, wheat, and rye, an ancient mountain range, and federal taxation policies.

Major source for this episode is "The Whiskey Rebellion and the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story" by Mark Meyer and Meredith Meyer Grelli

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Listen to more threads of History on Anchor, Google Podcasts, Apple podcasts, and Spotify.