Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalist Rund Abdelfatah. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org . You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including sponsor-free listening for Throughline.
The discovery of the K-T boundary layer in Italy by geologist Walter Alvarez and his physicist father, Louis Alvarez, revealed that an asteroid impact caused the mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. This scientific breakthrough shifted the understanding of Earth's history from gradual processes to sudden,...
The Challenger space shuttle tragedy serves as a harrowing case study in organizational pressure and the failure of dissenting voices. Brian Russell, a former engineer at Morton Thiokol, recounts the intense internal struggle to prevent the 1986 launch due to concerns that cold temperatures would compromise the O-ring ...
Michael Harrington’s career illustrates the complex trajectory of American democratic socialism, moving from his roots in the Catholic Worker movement to his role as a key advisor in the Johnson administration. His seminal 1962 book, The Other America, exposed widespread poverty, forcing it into the national consciousn...
Modern American election strategies are deeply rooted in historical precedents of voter suppression and grassroots political organizing. William Rehnquist’s early career in Phoenix, Arizona, involved aggressive voter challenges at minority-heavy precincts, a tactic that evolved into the national "Operation Eagle Eye" i...
South Korea’s ascent to global cultural dominance, known as the "Korean Wave" or Hallyu, originated from a complex history of war, economic collapse, and deliberate state-led development. Following the devastation of the Korean War, the nation underwent rapid industrialization under Park Chung-hee, fostering a competit...
Monopoly originated not as a rags-to-riches success story, but as a 1904 invention by Lizzie McGee called "The Landlord's Game," designed to illustrate the dangers of land ownership inequality based on Henry George’s economic theories. Journalist Mary Pilon reveals how Charles Darrow later appropriated the game, rebran...
Deng Xiaoping’s pragmatic economic reforms transformed China from an isolated, famine-stricken nation into the world’s manufacturing powerhouse. By establishing Special Economic Zones like Shenzhen in 1980, Deng successfully integrated capitalist market mechanisms into a communist political structure, leveraging cheap,...
Route 66 transformed from a series of disconnected, muddy paths into the "Main Street of America" through the persistent advocacy of Cyrus Avery. As a central figure in the Good Roads movement, Avery leveraged political influence and marketing savvy to secure a national highway designation connecting Chicago to Los Ang...
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