15-Minute History

It’s raining. The men in the group are drenched and have been so almost all day. Nobles in their finest attire stand ankle-deep in mud, their expressions a mixture of triumph and apprehension. Before them, a thin, gray-faced king looks at the document. His jaw clenches."You would strip me of my God-given rights?" the king yells, his voice thick with contempt."We would remind Your Majesty of your duties to your subjects," replied one of the barons, his voice firm despite the gravity of the moment. "The crown does not place you above the law but binds you to uphold it."King John's eyes narrow. These men who would dare put limitations on him had brought not just their demands, but their armies. They had seized London; his London. They were standing in his meadow. This was his land and he was their king. Now, they dared to impose demands on him. He knew he had to sign it. He also knew that it wasn’t going to end here. The King’s hands trembled as he pressed his royal seal into the soft wax at the bottom of the parchment. The Great Charter was been sealed, though neither the king nor the barons could have possibly imagined what such a seal actually meant.___Join us as we explore the history of the Magna Carta, its impact on English governance, and its enduring influence on all democracies and constitutional federal republics that have followed.

In part two of this pop quiz series, Joe and I discuss the New Deal's long-term legacy and the controversial idea that anything can really be "free."As always, we love to hear from you, so leave a comment on this episode with any questions or thoughts, and you can also give us a topic that you'd like us to discuss in another pop quiz this summer!

This week, the team wanted to revisit one of the most popular episodes from last season. A new, exciting episode is coming to you on Monday. ____“I was fifteen years old when the Khmer Rouge came to power in April 1975. I can still remember how overwhelmed with joy I was that the war had finally ended. It did not matter who won. I and many Cambodians wanted peace at any price. The civil war had tired us out, and we could not make much sense out of killing our own brothers and sisters for a cause that was not ours. We were ready to support our new government to rebuild our country. We wanted to bring back that slow-paced, simple life we grew up with and loved dearly. At the time we didn't realize how high the price was that we had to pay for the Khmer Rouge's peace."Join us as we teach you about the absolute horror that was the Khmer Rouge.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook, where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she travels to a divided country. Crowds are breaking down a barrier that until that moment had separated a city and nation. Your kids will learn about unity and be present for one of the defining moments at the end of the Cold War.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!

Join us as we discuss the Manhattan Project, the reason behind the development of nuclear weapons, and the ethical implications of such an invention.

In this first of a two-part pop quiz on the New Deal, Joe and I chat about the real origins of the Great Depression and how we still feel its effects today.Join us for the rest of this conversation in two weeks!

It was still dark. The group of men felt the breeze getting warmer as the eastern horizon began to show signs of light. One of the men, tall with no expression, watched as final preparations were made to a large object in front of the group. The others saw the anxiety in his face in a way that only those had had been around him could discern. The man walked forward, spoke with some of the technicians, and watched them haul it away. It was going to a tower, visible in the distance. Conversations around him continued, but only because it seemed like they had to. Somehow, the silence would have been louder. Not long after, notifications came from the tower; an all clear was given. At 5:29 a.m., a flash of light that was so brilliant it could be seen from 200 miles away blossomed in the desert. The mushroom cloud rose 40,000 feet into the air, and the shock wave was felt 100 miles from ground zero. The man who all that morning had worn no expression, would later recall remembering a Hindu scripture in that moment: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."Another man who witnessed the test described the overwhelming impression it left: "A new thing had just been born; a new control; a new understanding of man, which man had acquired over nature." Another observer said, "The lighting effects beggared description. The whole country was lighted by a searing light with the intensity many times that of the midday sun."Humanity had crossed a threshold.___Join us as we show you the Manhattan Project, the reason behind the development of nuclear weapons, and the ethical implications of such an invention.

The 15-Minute History Podcast team brings you a new segment, just for kids, called Sketches in History, where history isn’t just a story—it’s an adventure. Join Lottie Archer as she dives into her extraordinary notebook where sketches from history come to life.In this episode, she travels to a workshop in Menlo Park. A man is working on an invention that will forever change how we communicate with one another. Your kids will learn about transformation and witness one of the most important communications in history.Listen and subscribe to the 15-Minute History podcast to hear Sketches in History every other Thursday. Got a favorite historical moment? Share it with us at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, and it might just make its way into the notebook!

Join us as we discuss the life of Pope Francis, his reforms, and the controversies that defined his papacy. From his humble beginnings to his efforts to reshape the Catholic Church, discover how Francis challenged tradition, sparked global debate, and inspired both admiration and criticism. Whether you’re a devoted Catholic, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about one of the world’s most influential leaders, this podcast offers a deep dive into the history of the papacy and the legacy of Pope Francis.

In this pop quiz, Joe asks me why some historians choose to interpret the past through current-day lenses and the problems that can create for students of history. We then get into a discussion on the role of experts in academic inquiry and see why a narrow focus can lead to some truly awful outcomes.