History FrogCast

The ‘Twiggy Lashes,’ launched by Yardley London in 1967 in collaboration with supermodel Twiggy, were marketed as a way for consumers to recreate her iconic wide-eyed look and became a symbol of Swinging Sixties youth culture and accessible glamour. Decades earlier, however, facial modification took a very different form in the hand-crafted facial prosthetics made during World War I by Francis Derwent Wood and Anna Coleman Ladd at ...

The Supermarine Spitfire and HMS Belfast stand as complementary symbols of British military power during the Second World War, representing air and naval dominance through advanced engineering and wartime service. Designed by Reginald Joseph Mitchell, the Spitfire’s compact frame, elliptical wings, and Rolls-Royce Merlin engine gave it superior maneuverability and climb rate, advantages that proved decisive in aerial combat despite...

Together, the hunger strike medal awarded to suffragette Lillian Margaret Metge and the 1924 photograph of Ramsay MacDonald’s first Labour Cabinet illustrate two interconnected moments of political transformation in early twentieth-century Britain. Metge’s medal, engraved with “For Valour” and dated August 10, 1914, symbolizes the militant struggle of women who endured imprisonment and hunger strikes to force political change, high...

The shadow of tragedy in European football, exemplified by the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster—where poor stadium safety and inadequate policing led to the deaths of 39 supporters and sweeping bans on English clubs—forms an important backdrop to the sport’s later efforts to rebuild its image and culture. A decade later, that recovery was symbolized by the emergence of David Beckham and his iconic 1996–1998 Manchester United jersey, a ...

Madan Lal Dhingra was a figure initially vilified for his violent actions but later remembered as a revolutionary driven by an intense desire for the freedom of his land and people, a cause for which he was willing to take drastic measures. In contrast, Sir Edward Henry emerged as a prominent authority in both the United Kingdom and India through his contributions to criminal justice, particularly his pioneering work on fingerprint...

Queen Victoria’s death on January 22, 1901, marked a moment of immense ceremonial and symbolic importance, culminating in a military-style funeral she herself had carefully planned. Held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and followed by her interment at Frogmore Mausoleum, the procession emphasized discipline, tradition, and monarchy’s enduring authority, from the gun carriage bearing her coffin to the white mourning attire she reque...

In this episode, student historians Marin Newman and Cuatro Welder tackle the myth that Isaac Newton's laws of motion and theory of gravity were seen as a direct challenge to widespread seventeenth-century belief in a universe created and ordered by God.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individua...

In this episode, student historians Charles Worrell, Aidan Shackelford, and Isaac Mulat tackle the myth that the seventeenth-century French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes invented the idea of mind-body dualism.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessa...

In this episode, student historians Ranger Fair and Nico Mosquera tackle the myth that the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was tortured by the Catholic Church for his scientific beliefs. 

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent the official stance...

In this episode, Viktor Lord Harrington, Samuel Saenz, and Lauren Flores tackle the myth that the sixteenth-century Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus dealt a psychic blow to all of humankind when he published a book insisting that humans aren't the center of the universe after all.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast a...

In this episode, Cooper Moog, Remington Strickland, and Wyatt Franz tackle the myth that the medieval church prohibited human dissection, supposedly setting back the progress of modern medicine by centuries.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent the ...

In this episode, Whitney Kay, Merit Wagstaff, and Abby Pruns tackle the myth that when Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, he and his crew—and everyone else in Europe at the time—believed the earth was flat.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessaril...

In Season 5 of the Forecast, we travel back in time more than four centuries to early modern Europe, where ideas and practices fundamental to modern science were just emerging. Popular histories of the Scientific Revolution often frame this period as one of conflict between science and religion, as reason finally triumphed over superstition. This season, student historians get to the heart of those myths, uncovering a more complex ...

The third episode follows Col. Verheul to Germany with the 24th Infantry Division before his return to the United States and subsequent work advising the Arkansas Army National Guard with the 39th Infantry Division. This episode focuses upon the Army's nuclear weapons strategy and reorganization during the Cold War, and what it meant for US deterrence efforts. The episode concludes by highlighting the service of National Guardsmen ...

The second episode focuses upon Col. Verheul's time in Peru, Korea, and Japan, his stint at Michigan State University as a Professor of Military Science, and his work with nuclear weapons development at Fort Monroe Virginia. This episode evaluates Cold War US foreign policy in Latin America, the impact of ROTC programs during the Korean War, the role of military intelligence in East Asia, and the development of the Davy Crockett re...

Episode one examines Col. Verheul's experience during World War II at The Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and with the 92nd "Buffalo" Infantry Division. Notably, as a white officer in this Division, Verheul found himself on the frontlines of a significant struggle which helped change the very nature of the US military.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opi...

This project situates the thirty-year Army career of the host’s Great-Grandfather, Colonel Richard H. Verheul into the broader historical contexts through which he served. Each episode considers different periods of Verheul’s career in light of the given historical developments. Throughout the season, you will hear from several professors who are experts on the given topic.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, create...

This episode discusses one of the United States Defense Agency and its mission to identify and retrieve missing military personnel like Captain Howard A. Wilson Jr., a past TCU student athlete that was reported MIA during the Korean War.

This podcast is a product of academic coursework, created by students for educational purposes. The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and d...