Author: Gary Arndt

During World War II, the United States had a fleet of over 1,200 combat ships. Each of them had a unique story and service record. With so many ships, there would be many stories of heroism, stories of tragedy, and some stories of total incompetence. One ship, in particular, was so bad, it became the but of jokes throughout the Navy, because they almost killed the President of the United States. Learn more about the USS William D. Porter, The Unluckiest Ship in WWII.

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Historically, in the aftermath of a battle, there was nothing formal in place to take care of injured or captured combatants. There was nothing formally or informally that dictated how such people should be treated. One man in the 19th century, having seen the horror of war, decided to do something about it. It led to the creation of a movement that would go on to save millions of lives. Learn more about the International Red Cross and Red Crescent on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In the United States, there are awards given in many fields of entertainment. For Broadway productions, they have the Tony Awards. Television has the Emmy Awards. Music has the Grammy Awards, and Movies have the Oscars. To win one award is a lifetime accomplishment for most. However, a rare few have won one of each. Learn more about EGOT on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1173, the Italian city of Pisa was on top of the world. They were a significant commercial power in Italy, commanded a sizable Mediterranean fleet, and wanted to demonstrate their power to the world. It had built a marvelous cathedral, and comparable baptistry and they decided to complete the complex by building a bell tower. However, that didn’t quite go as planned. Learn more about the Leaning Tower of Pisa on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In October 1970, a blind woman accidentally walked into a Los Angeles County welfare office with a child in tow. The staff in the office immediately noticed the odd girl with the woman. She walked funny, was emaciated, drooling, didn’t make a sound, and when asked, the woman mentioned that the girl was 13. The staff thought she looked like she was seven. This began one of the saddest cases of child welfare in history, and one which fascinated researchers for years.

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She was never intended to be a queen. She wasn’t the firstborn and the rules of the time didn’t support her as a woman. Yet through cunning and guile, she managed to take power. As a queen, she was at the center of many of the most significant and notorious events in European history, and she was largely responsible for the creation of the country which became Spain. Learn more about Isabella I of Castille and how she influenced the history of Europe on this episode of Everything Everywhere Dail

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In the year 480 BC, one of the most famous battles in history took place on the shore of the Malian Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Several thousand Greeks held back several hundred thousand Persians, in a battle which is still remembered 2,500 years later. While the Greeks lost the battle, they did ultimately win the war. Learn more about the Battle of Thermopylae and the 300 hundred Spartans, on the 300th episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Every year of May 1st, people all around the northern hemisphere celebrate the arrival of spring. A day we call May Day. But it is also the day that communist countries held military parades, and the Soviets would show off all of their military strength in public. Mayday is also the international distress signal for radio. How are these very different things all related? Learn more about May Day on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1815, one of the most catastrophic and deadly events in recorded human history occurred in Indonesia. A volcanic explosion took place which was larger than anything, any human had ever witnessed in over 10,000 years. The total death toll from the event might have been as high as a quarter-million people. Learn more about the Mount Tambora explosion on this Episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Many people have an idealized view of how science works. They think that someone makes a discovery or publishes a paper, then everyone acknowledges their discovery, and everyone moves on to the next thing. Science! However, that isn’t quite how things work in reality. The real advancement of science can be quite messy. One man learned this the hard way. Learn more about J Harlen Bretz and how he changed a scientific discipline through determination and longevity.

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