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

Wernher von Braun’s pivotal role in the American moon landing remains inextricably linked to his Faustian bargain with the Third Reich. Driven by a singular obsession with space exploration, von Braun developed the V-2 ballistic missile for Nazi Germany, utilizing forced labor from concentration camps in a brutal, hell...

A Borrowed Time

17 Oct 2019

42m

AI processed

Hong Kong’s current political unrest stems from a complex history of colonial rule and shifting sovereignty. Originally ceded to Britain following the Opium Wars, the territory developed as a distinct financial and cultural hub under a 99-year lease that expired in 1997. The subsequent "one country, two systems" framew...