Podcasts · Kids & Family

The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

Mick Sullivan

152 episodes

A History Podcast for Kids! Parents love us, Teachers love us, and most importantly, kids do too! History can be amazing, inspiring and relevant to anyone. We love to share the stories of Spies, funny foods, George Washington's foibles, early advancements in cartooning and ballooning and much more! A professional music score and important songs accompany nearly every themed episode. Proud Kids Listen Member @pastandcurious

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. Hazards of The Wild: George Shannon, Rattlesnake Kate and more!

    · 33 min

    George Shannon was the youngest member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and his inexperience showed itself a time or two. He did get lost once for 16 days, the longest span of time anyone was separated from the…

  2. Important Animals: Blisters, Shin Splints, Museum Spiders and more

    · 16 min · Bonus

    The Bunion Derby (featured in the last episode) also featured a few four-legged friends, including dogs named Blisters and Shin Splints. We'll also re-visit the Pony Express and meet the Chilean Recluse Spiders who…

  3. Bunion Derby and Route 66

    · 30 min

    November of 2026 will mark the 100th Anniversary of Route 66, a highway that inspired road trips, neon signs, writers, singers, and even a movie about talking cars. But first, the Bunion Derby was a publicity stunt…

  4. War and Pigs : Danish Protest Pigs and the Pig War of 1859

    · 31 min

    It was the best of swine, it was the worst of swine. This is a much requested episode: the great Pig War that almost launched a 3rd violent conflict between American and Great Britain. Enjoy the history and absurdity…

  5. Mary Katharine Goddard, Independence Hall, and The Declaration of Independence

    · 34 min

    Episode 119 looks at some key moment inside Indepedence Hall (and the time they almost tore it down). Likewise, we'll meet Mary Katharine Goddard, who published the first version of the Declaration to contain the names…

  6. Emily the Cow, Geronimo The Beaver, and the Rostocker Pfeilstorch

    · 18 min

    An escaping cow, Operation Beaver Drop, and a migration mystery solved by a bird with a spear - all on this episode of Important Animals From History - Volume 4!

  7. Lost Woods and Found Amendments

    · 33 min

    The story of the Lost 40 - an old growth forest in Minnesota that got lost for nearly a century thanks to a surveying error. We're talking lumberjacks, old growth trees, and silly mistakes. Also, the 27th Amendment…

  8. Animals Vol 3: Signalman Jack, Cacareco, and Pickles!

    · 17 min

    Signalman Jack was a baboon who worked in the railway in South Africa. Cacareco was a Black Rhino elected to political office in Brazil. Pickles was the dog who found the missing World Cup trophy. All of them were…

  9. Past Scent (and Other Senses)

    · 34 min

    How did an extinct flower not seen since 1881 wind up being the subject of a modern day project to recreate a scent from the past? It was a long path from Dr. Charles Short in the 1860s to Dr. Christina Agapakis in the…

  10. Animals: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vic the Cat, and Mungo the Squirrel

    · 17 min

    The Second volume of Important Animals From History, from an upcoming book by Mick Sullivan.

  11. Hidden and Lost

    · 34 min

    The Amber Room was a feat of artistic ability (and a lot of money) but after WWII it has disappeared entirely. Have you seen it? After that we learn about secret codes, the Enigma Machine, Alan Turing, Navajo Code…

  12. Important Animals in History Vol. 1

    · 16 min

    The first release teasing Mick's upcoming book! This episode features three animals of note: Clara the Rhino, Mozart's Starling, and a whale named Mocha Dick. Let's ride through the tales of animals of history!

  13. Life Savers

    · 33 min

    Carolin Hampton needed to pioneer rubber gloves int he operating room after Joseph Lister's big ideas. Richard Etheridge was the first Black keeper at an official Life Saving Station and his team's rescue of a…

  14. Peanut Butter and Jelly

    · 36 min

    You might be surprised to learn the history of the iconic sandwich and all of the ingredients that go into the recipe. First published in 1901, the availability of peanut butter, jelly and sliced bread has changed a…

  15. Misers

    · 31 min

    Two misers for the price of one! Charles Dickens created the world-famous character Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1840s, but he may have been inspired by a real-life miser named John Elwes. Another famous miser is buried…

  16. Art Spies and Underwater Toilets

    · 32 min

    Two fascinating stories from World War II. One is about Rose Valland, a French woman who worked as a spy in Nazi-occupied Paris. Her bravery saved thousands of works of art, many of which were returned to the families…

  17. Moving Water

    · 34 min

    The Erie Canal and The Chicago River were two of the most impressive engineering feats in history. For the 200th Anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal we look at the opening celebration, along with a fun…

  18. Kids Listen Big Emotions

    · 22 min · Bonus

    We're a part of Big Emotions this week! We’re feeling all squishy this week, as we dive into two of the strongest emotions of all. Love is powerful, joyful, and comforting - and when it changes or we feel its absence,…

  19. Halloween Special: Twain's Ouija Novel

    · 23 min

    Did a no-longer-living Mark Twain send a novel from the great beyond with a Ouija Board? Find out about the real story with help from our pal Nate DuFort of the podcast, Unspookable.

  20. Very Hairy

    · 36 min

    Episode 110! Peter the Great, The Hairy Eagle and more! Did I decide on an episode about Peter the Great just so I could say 6-7 a few times to be cringe and make kids laugh? Yes, yes I did. But it's a really fun…

  21. Handwritten

    · 33 min

    Episode 109 tells the story of Lincoln's the speech Lincoln lost before his inauguration in 1861. Also included is the story of Ely S. Parker, an indigenous Seneca man who made an impact in the Civil War - and who had…

  22. Lost Bones

    · 32 min

    Composer Joseph Haydn is buried with two skulls. You'll never believe why (hint: it has to do with phrenology). Meanwhile Thomas Paine's bones went missing thanks to an overly enthusiastic fan.

  23. Mountains To Climb

    · 31 min

    Henriette D'angeville was the first woman to climb Mount Blanc in the Alps, despite everyone advising her not to try it. Decades later, Julia Archibald Holmes (a friend of John Brown's) became the first woman to…

  24. Electric Kids

    · 34 min

    Philo Farnsworth loved electricity so much he came up with a way to invent television - as a 14 year old! Centuries beforehand Stephen Gray, a British scientist, learned more about electricity than anyone before him -…

  25. Good Things to Eat

    · 35 min

    This episode will make you hungry! Rufus Estes and Chin Foin both left a big mark on food, both lived in Chicago at the same time, and both had their food featured in important cookbooks in 1911.

  26. One Year, Two Hoaxes

    · 34 min · Episode 104

    The year 1917 gave us both the birth of the Cottingly Fairies and the silly fake history known as the Bathtub Hoax.

  27. Moving Stuff Around - Hi Jolly and Elisha Otis

    · 32 min

    A man named Hadji Ali, but known as Hi Jolly, was an important figure with the US Army's short lived Camel Corps, and his legend lives on today. Around the same time a man named Elisha Otis changed the world with the…

  28. Banneker's Clock and Pearse's Plane

    · 33 min

    Two guys who grew up on farms. Both were tinkerers. Benjamin Banneker, a free Black American created the first striking clock built in America. Richard Pearse, from New Zealand, was a pioneer in flight. Was he a…

  29. Oceans to Cross with Tori Murden-McClure

    · 52 min

    Episode 101 tells the story of Tori Murden-McClure's solo row across the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to her story, hear her speak with Mick on the 25th anniversary of her successful solo crossing. Learn more about…

  30. Animal Surprises

    · 46 min

    Episode 100, y'all! Beautiful Jim Key was born sickly and weak, but became world famous and is remembered as the smartest horse in the world. His training and care came from a former enslaved man named Doctor William…

  31. Bone Wars and The Ghost Town Rhyolite

    · 36 min

    Our 99th Episode! This episode features the narration talents of musician Will Oldham, also known as Bonnie Prince Billy. Will tells the story of Rhyolite, a town once founded in Death Valley after the discovery of…

  32. A Very Special Desk - an Election Season Special Episode

    · 27 min

    The Resolute Desk is a fixture in the Oval Office. American Presidents have used it during some of the country's most pivotal moments. But what does the Resolute Desk have to do with England's dangerous expeditions…

  33. Microscopes and Telescopes

    · 36 min

    Episode 98 goes to the Netherlands. There is something remarkable about the Dutch when it comes to glass lenses and scientific tools. Maybe Hans Lippershay invented the telescope. Maybe it was some kids in his town. Or…

  34. I Scream for Ice Cream

    · 31 min

    Episode 97 is all about ice cream. Eat it anytime of year - it's a treat that we might take for granted today. It used to be expensive, impossible, or potentially dangerous. From George Washington to Edmund Albius to…

  35. No Chill - Pioneers in Ice

    · 29 min

    Episode 96 is all about Ice - in preparation for our following episode about Ice Cream. Boston's Frederic Tudor became the "Ice King" by taking ice to places in the world where it had never been before. But it wasn't…

  36. International Games: Field of Cloth of Gold and Olympic Marathon

    · 35 min

    Episode 95 covers two great stories of international competition. First, The Field of Cloth and Gold was a historic summit that brought together Henry VIII and Francis I with the hopes of peace, competition, and maybe…

  37. Park People

    · 37 min

    Minerva Hoyt was a wealthy socialite who loved to escape to the desert of California and sleep in the sand. Her hard work and dedication in convincing people about the value of the desert led to preservation of today's…

  38. Bad Milk

    · 38 min

    Episode 93: Milk has been a lot of things through the years, but it was often poisonous, spoiled or both. Learn about how far we've come in making milk safe, and who may or may not have helped us get to the root cause…

  39. Donuts and Cheese

    · 36 min

    Did Captain Hanson Gregory invent the donut? Did the Lord Mayor of Nottingham get trucked by a truckle of cheese during the Nottingham Cheese Riots of 1766? Find out in this very special episode.

  40. Librarians!

    · 37 min

    Episode 91 is about Anne Carrol Moore and The Western Library! Anne Carroll Moore is one of history's most important children's librarians, but not everyone is in love with her legacy. She still changed the world, and…

  41. The Meatshower Part Two (Electric Burgoo)

    · 34 min

    In The Meatshower Part 2 (Electric Burgoo) the saga continues. Originally we aired a segment in 2019 to coincide with Mick's book "The Meatshower: The Mostly True Tale of an Odd and (Somewhat) Edible Occurrence," and…

  42. What Time Is It?

    · 34 min

    Episode 89 looks into the origin of time zones in America and Daylight Saving across the globe. There's bugs, sunburns, train crashes, dropping timeballs, and smashed pocket watches.

  43. Forten and Frank

    · 36 min

    Episode 88 features two incredible Black Americans who were friends born in the 18th Century. James Forten (1766-1842) was a Revolutionary War Veteran who owned one of America's most successful sail-making companies.…

  44. Potatoes and Rocks

    · 31 min

    Episode 87: Potatoes and Rocks It’s our annual end-of-year episode dedicated to toys and we have some fun with Mr. Potato Head and Pet Rocks. From the first toy on a commercial to the earthiest fad, you might soon…

  45. Walt and Dr. Mary

    · 34 min

    Walt Whitman was inspired after hearing Ralph Waldo Emerson speak, and self-published a book of poems he would continue updating for his entire life. When not writing poetry, he worked as a nurse during the Civil War,…

  46. Listen Now: ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Talk Show

    · 5:17 · Trailer

    Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, he’s your new favorite snarky talk show host. Join The Grinch (and his faithful dog Max) each week as he rants against Christmas cheer and roasts celebrity guests like…

  47. In A Cave

    · 34 min

    Stephen Bishop was an enslaved man who became one of the most famous tour guides in the world. His unusual grave stands near Mammoth Cave National Park. Josie Laures joined a team to spend months in isolation in a…

  48. Walkin' (Part Two)

    · 33 min

    Episode 84 is more tales of walking. Meet competitive and record setting pedestrians like Robert Barclay Allardice, Ada Anderson, Edward Payson Weston, and Haitian-American walking super-star Frank Hart. Also hear…

  49. Walkin' (Part One)

    · 33 min

    Episode 83 features the stories of two unusual men who walked a lot. One was a mysterious man in Northeastern America who spoke to nearly no one for years, despite walking a monthlong circular path. He was known as The…

  50. Rail Tales

    · 35 min

    Episode 82 features the story of the Transcontinental Railroad, including the famous Golden Spike. Also in this episode is the story of Joseph Kekuku, a boy from Hawaii who changed music after being inspired by a…

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