Author: Gary Arndt

How many continents are there? That sounds like a really easy question. After all, there are only so many giant landmasses on the planet and we can easily count them with our fingers. Yet, for something seemingly so simple, the answer to the question can be surprisingly complicated. Learn more about the continents on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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I’m sure everyone is familiar with the word outlaw. It mostly used as a synonym for “criminal”.  However, if I can paraphrase Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, “that word does not mean what you think it means.”.  Learn about the ancient punishment of outlawry, and how it was used throughout the world and throughout history, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On October 30, 1961, the Soviet Union detonated the largest explosion the world had ever seen, before or since. The explosion was so large, that it permanently changed the course of nuclear weapons development. Learn more about the Tsar Bomba, the world’s largest nuclear explosion, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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If you have ever taken out a loan, you are probably familiar with the details of taking on debt. You have an amount that is borrowed, an interest rate, and a term over which the debt is paid back. However, sometimes, a term might be extremely long. In a few cases, the debts can be served in perpetuity. Learn more about the extremely old debts which took forever to pay off on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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Every four years, citizens of the United States sit down for one or more nights to watch something which is called the Presidential Debates. The debates have become a centerpiece of US Presidential elections, but it wasn’t always that way. Learn more about the history of presidential debates, or the lack thereof, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In a previous episode, I talked about how you can win by not losing. That is called the Fabian Strategy named after Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus. However, the opposite is true as well. You can lose by winning. Here too, ancient history has examples for us, this time in the case of King Pyrrhus, who defeated the Romans but ultimately lost without losing a battle.

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If you think the current American political climate is contentious, then you need to take a step back and take a close look at American history. The most controversial, divisive, and probably corrupt election in US history was the election of 1876. It’s an event that has been largely forgotten by most Americans today. Learn more about the election of 1876, and why we never had a President Tilden, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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In 1867, United States Secretary of State William Seward signed a treaty with the Empire of Russia to purchase the territory of what would be called Alaska. The United States purchased it for 2 cents an acre. At the time it was called one of the worst deals in American History. Today, it is considered the greatest bargain of all-time. Learn more about the purchase of Alaska on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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On April 30, 1943, a Spanish fisherman came across the floating body of Major William Martin of the Royal Marines. Handcuffed to the corpse was a satchel with top-secret plans for the Allied invasions of Greece and Sardinia. With the information gathered from this intelligence, the Germans moved their troops into position to counter the planned landing. ...and Allies couldn’t have been happier.

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On May 28, 1828, a 16-year-old boy mysteriously appeared in Nuremberg, Bavaria. He had a letter in his hand and could only speak a few words. No one knew where he came from, who his parents were, or why he was there. Five years later, just as mysteriously as he appeared, he was found murdered. His tale made him one of the most talked-about celebrities in 19th century Europe. Learn more about the curious case of Kaspar Hauser on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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