History In Five Minutes Podcast

Gutenberg's moveable type printing press was the prime mover of the Renaissance. From his machine came millions of books, leading to the democratization of knowledge, the fall of the papacy, and the rise of reason. But what if this wasn't Gutenberg's goal? What if he was a happy client of the papacy? What if he worked directly with the medieval church to sell indulgences? Turns out he did. Learn more in this episode. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can get exclusive access to this new free online course studying the life of Churchill by going to Hillsdale.edu/h5m and signing up today. Almost a million people have taken Hillsdale’s renowned courses like Constitution 101,  American Heritage. As a history fan, you won’t want to miss this one

In the early 1800s there was no English explorer greater than James Holman. He travelled almost 20 times farther than Marco Polo. He travelled among 200 different cultures, charted undiscovered parts of Australia, and by October 1846 had visited every inhabited continent. He did all this despite being completely blind. How did he travel the world when any sort of international exploration was exceptionally dangerous? Learn how in this episode. WANT TO GET DAD THE PERFECT FATHER'S DAY GIFT? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Harry's. They are one of my favorite companies. Harry’s produces shaving products.“I’ve used their products and say that it’s the best shave I’ve had in a long time, and I’m a guy who has his own straight razor that he sharpens with his own strop. But they sell everything online, making their premium products as cheap as a plastic Bics razor. Plus, shipping to the U.S. is free for all Harry’s shave sets. Harry’s will give you $5 off your first purchase with promo code harrys

  Britain's World War II leader is considered as the gold standard of confident leadership. He gave Britain strength during the darkest moments of the war through his unflagging determination to survive and prove to the world of his nation's unshakeable courage. He was not born that way. Churchill had a disappointing career as an author, journalist, politician and statesman. He suffered adversity and failure throughout a life. As a child he was scorned by teachers for hyperactivity. As a soldier he was considered a medal hound. As a politician he was chided for being an opportunist. Beyond that he suffered from depression. How did he become Britain's beacon of light? Listen to this podcast to learn more. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can

  Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- the victor at the Battle of Gallipoli, Turkey's first president, and a reformer so zealous that he replaced six centuries of Ottoman Islamic legal and cultural custom with Western practices in the space of 15 years -- lost his father at the age of 7, was neglected by his family, and lacked most formal education. Learn how he overcame these challenges to become the beloved national hero of millions of Turkish citizens. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can get exclusive access to this new free online course studying the life of Churchill by going to Hillsdale.edu/h5m and signing up today. Almost a million people have taken Hillsdale’s renowned courses like Constitution 101,  American Heritage. As a history fan, you

  Recognized by most historians and much of the public as one of our country’s greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln is known for his impressive accomplishments, including preserving the union during the Civil War and signing The Emancipation Proclamation. But he is less known for his ability to overcome a significant obstacle in his life—clinical depression. He also failed at every upward step in his career - losing multiple elections, denounced by his opponents, and described by his colleagues as suicidal. But it is because of these failures that he became such a towering figure, not in spite of them. Learn more about the trials and tribulations of Abraham Lincoln in this podcast episode. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can get exclusive

  Perhaps nobody transformed American politics in the first half of the 1800s more than Andrew Jackson. He spoke on behalf of common people, settlers, and farmers instead of earlier presidents who represented the East Coast establishment. Jackson broke open opportunities for non-elite Americans in political life. Jackson was born on the frontier between North and South Carolina. The son of Irish immigrants, he had little formal schooling and taught himself law in his late teens and earned entry to the North Carolina bar in 1787. Jackson became a lawyer, then a militia officer, then a U.S. Representative, then a contested White House candidate. In each of his careers Jackson fought as tenaciously as if he were on the frontier in a shoot-out with a band of mountain brigands. When he won the presidency, Jackson brought the same tenacity to the White House. Learn more about the incredible difficulties Jackson overcame in this podcast episode. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BE

  No institution went untouched by Peter the Great. In the early 1700s he took the Russian Empire -- considered by Europeans to be a backward Asiatic monster stuck in the Middle Ages -- and forced it into the modern era. He accomplished despite being the unwanted 14th child of his father, exiled as a boy. Things became no easier when he ascended the throne. Everyone opposed his reforms, included his boyars, state ministers, religious clergy, and peasants. How did he stand against his own people and win? Find out in this episode. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can get exclusive access to this new free online course studying the life of Churchill by going to Hillsdale.edu/h5m and signing up today. Almost a million people have taken Hillsdal

  "Do not scorn a weak cub; he may become a brutal tiger.” -- Mongolian proverb. Genghis Khan is the greatest conqueror in history. His descendants triggered 40 million deaths. His conquest covered 22 percent of the earth. But his origins are incredibly humble. His father was killed and the family left to die in the harsh Mongolian winter. Genghis claimed his father's position as chieftain of the tribe, but the tribe rejected him and his family, leaving them isolated and without protection. For the next several years, he lived in abject poverty, surviving on wild fruits, ox carcasses, and marmots.  Temperatures in the winter plummeted to minus 20 degrees. To make things worse, he was then captured and enslaved by his father's former allies In this episode, learn how he overcame adversity to become the greatest conqueror in history. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more abou

  William of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror, had to overcome challenges not faced by most royalty. We know this because his other moniker was William the Bastard. He was born in 1028 to Robert I, the sixth Duke of Normandy. His mother was Herleva the humble daughter of a Tanner. They were unmarried, hence William's sobriquet. Despite this humble upbringing he became a formidable Norman ruler and one of England's most influential kings. Here's my question when I researched the life of William. He was a bastard offspring. In some contexts this would disqualify one from receiving his father's office, especially a Duke. But it didn't appear to be a problem for William. How did the illegitimate offspring of a tanner's daughter become king of England? Find out in this podcast episode. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating m

We are launching a new series, looking at leaders in history who overcame significant adversity. History has demonstrated time and again that effective leaders emerge in times of great stress, change and uncertainty. The first person in this series is Empress Theodora, the co-ruler of the Byzantine Empire at the height of its power in the 6th century. Learn how she rose from prostitute to mistress of a provincial governor to the co-ruler of Byzantine Empire, the defacto world's most powerful woman. She stopped the Nika Revolts, kept Constantinople from falling to mob rule, commissioned dozens of churches and monasteries, and open up charitable institutions across the Eastern Mediterranean. WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man -- one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill. You can get exclusive acce

  In a remote forest clearing in Burgundy, France, a 13th-century castle is slowly being constructed using only the tools, techniques, and materials that would have been available to the builders of the day. It's archaeology in reverse. What started out as an eccentric pipe dream is now an established enterprise, drawing in tens of thousands of visitors from around Europe every year. Learn what it took to build a castle in 13th-century France in this podcast episode. If you want to learn first-hand, go to Burgundy and check it out! This podcast is brought to you by Harry's. Harry's is an awesome and wonderfully disruptive razor company. It was started by two guys who wanted to create the most debonair shaving experience possible but at the best price. They bough a blade factory in German that has crafted some of the world's highest quality blades for nearly a century. They cut out the middle man and offer an amazing shave and meticulous craftsmanship at less than half the price of a pack of Gillettes. I

  Marco Polo is the most famous European explorer to the Far East, but he definitely wasn't the first. His father and uncle came there years before. And they found a small colony of Europeans who lived permanently in China. Perhaps the most famous pre-Polo European in the Far East is William of Rubruck. This plucky monk did his best to convert the Great Khan to Christianity. He made his effort by debating Muslims and Buddhists as to which religion was the true one. See how that turns out in this week's episode. This podcast is brought to you by Harry's. Harry's is an awesome and wonderfully disruptive razor company. It was started by two guys who wanted to create the most debonair shaving experience possible but at the best price. They bough a blade factory in German that has crafted some of the world's highest quality blades for nearly a century. They cut out the middle man and offer an amazing shave and meticulous craftsmanship at less than half the price of a pack of Gillettes. I can personally vouch t

Damascus swords, which were generally made in the Middle East anywhere from 540 A.D. to 1800 A.D., were sharper, more flexible and harder/stronger than other contemporary blades. According to legend, the blades can cut a piece of silk in half as it falls to the ground and maintain their edge after cleaving through stone, metal, or even other swords. However nobody knew exactly how it had been produced, and the last Damascus Steel had been produced in the early 1800s. How was the technology lost? This podcast is brought to you by Harry's. Harry's is an awesome and wonderfully disruptive razor company. It was started by two guys who wanted to create the most debonair shaving experience possible but at the best price. They bough a blade factory in German that has crafted some of the world's highest quality blades for nearly a century. They cut out the middle man and offer an amazing shave and meticulous craftsmanship at less than half the price of a pack of Gillettes. I can personally vouch that using it is a

Can you sew your own clothing? That one is easy. What about making your own shoes, butchering an animal, removing its skin, tanning the leather, then rending the fat to make candles? If you can answer 'yes' to all those things, then you are merely average for a medieval peasant. Learn more about what a person could do in the Middle Ages that you likely can't. This podcast is brought to you by Harry's. Harry's is an awesome and wonderfully disruptive razor company. It was started by two guys who wanted to create the most debonair shaving experience possible but at the best price. They bough a blade factory in German that has crafted some of the world's highest quality blades for nearly a century. They cut out the middle man and offer an amazing shave and meticulous craftsmanship at less than half the price of a pack of Gillettes. I can personally vouch that using it is amazing. When using it, I feel like I am about to put on a tux and go gambling in Monte Carlo. Go to harrys.com, where you can get a starter

Think you have a good memory? The average peasant of 1,000 years ago had 10x more memorized than you ever will. Learn more about people trained in the  ars memoriae, who were living databases of information. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

We've all done it in moments of anger. But why do we use our middle finger to express anger? And why do we call it "the bird." Suggestions range from The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 to Ancient Rome. We find out the history everyone's favorite one-finger salute in this episode. Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

Elon Musk is the inspiration for Tony Stark. The 43-year-old native South African is also CEO of SpaceX, the first private rocket company able to send payloads to the International Space Station. On top of that he is the CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors, which has produced a line of electric cars since 2008. Despite the cars running six figures, there is a months-long waiting list. He sells thousands of its Model S sedans per month and claims Tesla will sell a few million cars by 2025. If so, Musk will fulfill the dream of making electric cars a mass-market reality, which other car makers have failed to accomplish for over a century.  Learn how he does what he does in this podcast. Learn more about his life by getting my new book The Most Productive People in History: 18 Extraordinarily Prolific Inventors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, From Archimedes to Elon Musk by clicking here.  Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

Thomas Aquinas is arguably the greatest theologian in Catholic Church. During his lifetime he wrote over 60 tomes of philosophy and theology, most the size of a scholar's magnum opus. The total word count of his extant writings exceeds 6 million words, perhaps the largest set of complete works created by one man before the invention of the word processor. The pages of these books contain dense concepts – much more so than Isaac Asimov's thoughtful-but-workmanlike prose – packing in enough ideas per paragraph to warrant a three-hour graduate student session. They include exegeses of scripture, theological syntheses (Summas), commentaries on church fathers or Aristotelian philosophy, and polemical works. Philosophy professor Peter Kreeft believes that were it not for the scarcity of parchment and ink, Thomas could have written more than 500 books in his lifetime. How did he do it? By delegation, extraordinary focus, and always keeping his eyes on larger goals. Learn more about his life by getting my new book Th

  Theodore Roosevelt won the presidency twice, was the first American to earn a belt in judo, hunted, wrote numerous books, and read four hours a day even during the busiest moments of his political life. For good measure he also won a Nobel Peace Prize and visited the Panama Canal works, making him the first sitting president to leave the United States. How did he do it all? Learn more in this podcast episode.  Learn more about his life by getting my new book The Most Productive People in History: 18 Extraordinarily Prolific Inventors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs, From Archimedes to Elon Musk by clicking here.  Like this podcast? Click here to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes

Few Renaissance figures have as many legends swirling around their life as Leonardo da Vinci. The myths persist because of the unconventional nature of his life. Leonardo was a painter, architect, sculptor, mathematician, engineer, musician, inventor, anatomist, geologist, botanist, cartographer, military strategist, and writer. Leonardo is the ideal of a multi-accomplished humanist figure, of limitless curiosity and feverish imagination. He employed unusual empirical methods of the time to approach his broad scope of interest. He made discoveries in optics, hydrodynamics, engineering, and anatomy. He conceived of flying machines, armored vehicles, calculators, the double hull, and even concentrated solar power. Few of his designs came to fruition – his flying machine would have crashed into the ground if ever built and tested – but some of his designs were manufactured, such as a machine that tested the tensile strength of wire and an automated bobbin winder. Learn more about his life by getting my new book