Martin Luther King

Origin of Everything

History Series / 3 Seasons

Every aspect of our daily reality, whether its the words we use, the pop culture we love, the technology that get us through the day, or even the identities we give ourselves, emerge from thousands of intersecting histories. And on this show, we're going to explore them ALL! . . . Okay, maybe not ALL, but you get the idea.

6m 37s

Why Does the ❤️ Heart Symbol ❤️ Look That Way?

S1 E21 / 5m 54s

Whether it’s a chocolate in heart shaped box, an emoji with hearts for eyes, iconic design such as I ❤️ NY or even liking an image on Instagram, the heart symbol is about as ubiquitous as it comes. But have you ever wondered why the ❤️ looks the way it does, considering it’s almost nothing like what an anatomically correct heart actually looks like?

Why Do We Wash Our Hands After Going to the Bathroom?

S1 E22 / 7m 50s

We all know that washing your hands it’s one of the best ways to prevent germs from spreading. But until relatively recently hand washing was something relegated primarily to religious rituals and cultural ceremonies. And the first person to suggest that doctors wash their hands before surgery was put in a mental hospital! Why? Watch the episode to find out.

When DId Marriage Become about Love?

S1 E23 / 7m 28s

Did you know marrying for love is a pretty recent development in human history? A couple in love at a wedding may seem like the most natural thing in the world, but for most of human history this was not the principal motivation for the union of two people. Marriage has traditionally been about alliances, gaining in-laws, and expanding the family labor force. So how did love conquer marriage?

What If Islam Conquered Europe?

S1 E25 / 8m 37s

Could Muslim forces have conquered Europe during the Middle Ages? Well if the Battle of Tours in 732, where Frankish King Charles Martel defeated the army of the Umayyad Caliphate led by 'Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, had the opposite outcome it’s very possible European history could have been wildly different. How so? Watch the episode to find out.

The Origin of Race in the USA

S1 E26 / 9m 22s

Do you believe that your race correlates to your skin tone? Because that wasn’t always the case. So how did Americans come to believe that race equals certain visible physical characteristics such as skin color and hair? And why is it that certain ethnic groups that were once considered “non-white” became reclassified as “white”? Watch the episode to find out.

What If There Were No Taxes?

S1 E27 / 8m 58s

Everybody hates paying taxes, but what if no one had to pay them? As strange as this may seem to modern Americans, until the 16th amendment, the USA didn’t have a permanent federal income tax. So how would America be different if federal income taxes had never been made into law? Watch the episode to find out.

Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal?

S1 E28 / 9m 6s

We’ve all heard that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but where does that idea come from? And is it true? On today’s episode, Vanessa Hill joins us to uncover the history of breakfast and whether or not we can truly determine if it is the day’s most important meal.

The 2nd Amendment Explained

S1 E29 / 9m 28s

When we talk about the 2nd amendment today, we talk almost exclusively about the “right to bear arms” and individual gun ownership. But whatever happened to a “well-regulated militia?” In today’s episode we dive deep into the Supreme Court cases that shaped our understanding of the 2nd amendment and frames the way we still talk about the meaning and limits of “gun control.”

When Men Wore High Heels

S1 E30 / 6m 27s

When you think of high heels, your first thoughts almost certainly center around women. But for much of their history high heels were seen as a marker of an epic masculinity, worn by warriors, kings and noblemen as a sign of strength and virility. Which is bit awkward for the modern mind. So how did this style of shoe go from being for manly men to a fashion accessory exclusively for women?

Do Standardized Tests Do More Harm Than Good?

S1 E31 / 9m 8s

Do standardized test help or harm students? And is the US actually over testing students when compared with other nations? In this episode of Origin of Everything, we ask the big question about why do some American students take an average 112 standardized tests between Kindergarten & Grade 12?

History of the Word “Gay”

S1 E32 / 6m 3s

The word “GAY” has a long history in the English language, but why did “GAY” stop meaning “happy” and start referring “same sex relationships?” Watch this week’s episode of Origin of Everything to find out.

What Was Jesus' Real Name?

S1 E33 / 4m 18s

Jesus’ name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua. So how did we get the name “Jesus”? And is “Christ” a last name? Watch the episode to find out!

Why Was It Illegal to be Ugly?

S1 E34 / 5m 53s

For nearly 100 years it was illegal to be “ugly” in America. Of course, “ugly” wasn’t actually about physical attractiveness, it was a way to criminalize disability and disfigurement and it lead to the rise of the freak show. So how did we put an end to these ridiculous laws? Watch the episode to find out.

Why Do We Say "Asian American" Not "Oriental"?

S1 E35 / 6m 59s

The word Oriental is hundred of years old, so why do Americans no longer use the word “Oriental”? And how did the word “Asian American” take its place? Watch this week’s Origin of Everything to find out.

6 Weird Facts About the History of Birth Control

S1 E36 / 9m 17s

What do World War I, a 16th Century Italian Doctor, Coca-Cola, and a Chicago sausage maker have to do with Birth Control? Well, let’s just say the history of birth control is very long and very odd.

Why Did Europeans Enslave Africans?

S1 E38 / 7m 42s

Why were most slaves in America from West Africa? Slavery has existed throughout history in various forms across the globe, but who became enslaved was almost always based on military conquest. So why did Europeans travel thousands of miles to enslave people from a particular geographic region? Watch the episode to find out.

Six Historically True Facts about Money

S1 E40 / 11m 11s

Money isn’t actually valuable. It’s just pieces of metal, pieces of paper, or more recently, computer code. So how did money come to be such a driving force of modern life?

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