NPR · History

Throughline

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.

Episodes

Nostalgia functions as a complex emotional response to instability, evolving from a perceived 17th-century medical illness among Swiss mercenaries into a defining modern sentiment. Initially pathologized as a deadly disease caused by homesickness, the concept shifted during the Romantic era into a literary sensibility ...