History Daily
History Daily
On History Daily, we do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in infamy,” or to celebrate that 20th day in July, 1969, when mankind reached the moon, History Daily is there to tell you the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a time. So if you’re stuck in traffic, bored at work—wherever you are, listen to History Daily to remind yourself that something incredible happened to make that day historic.
Episodes
Mentioned books
18 snips
Mar 28, 2026 • 52min
Saturday Matinee: Real Vikings
Ian Glenn, narrator of Real Vikings, offers vivid storytelling from the Viking Age. He dramatizes the 793 Lindisfarne raid and recounts violent clashes like Chesil Beach. Short segments explore who Vikings really were, their ships and seafaring tech, why raiding began, and how Viking society, trade, and slavery shaped medieval Europe.
8 snips
Mar 27, 2026 • 16min
Friendship Blooms Between Japan and America
A 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., and the planting of the first sapling by Helen Taft and a Japanese viscountess. The diplomatic backdrop of immigration tensions and the Gentlemen's Agreement. Wartime vandalism and renaming of the trees during World War II. Postwar exchanges that returned cuttings to Tokyo and sparked a lantern-lighting tradition.
24 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 16min
Bangladesh Declares Independence
A dramatic political standoff after a landslide election and the blocked transfer of power. A bold telegram declaration sparks guerrilla raids and naval actions. Preemptive strikes escalate into full-scale Indian military intervention and a swift victory. Postwar return, nation-building efforts, and the founding leader's later assassination are also covered.
11 snips
Mar 25, 2026 • 17min
The Abolition of the British Slave Trade
A retelling of the Zong massacre and its chilling impact at sea. The meeting of Equiano and Granville Sharp and their fight over a notorious court case. Public campaigns like the Sons of Africa and the power of Equiano’s bestselling narrative. William Wilberforce’s long parliamentary campaign culminating in the 1807 vote to end the trade.
10 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 15min
The John Christie Murders
A grisly London discovery reveals multiple hidden female bodies behind wallpaper. A desperate woman seeks an illegal abortion and turns to a neighbor who betrays her trust. A wrongful conviction and execution cast a long shadow before the true killer is unmasked. The case sparks a manhunt, confessions, and a national reckoning over capital punishment.
5 snips
Mar 23, 2026 • 15min
The First Passenger Elevator
A dramatic 1857 tale about a Yonkers accident that sparked a safety-driven invention. The inventor refines hoist design with guide rails and a spring-activated brake. A theatrical World's Fair demonstration proves the new mechanism. The story traces the installation that helped enable tall buildings.
28 snips
Mar 21, 2026 • 1h 1min
Saturday Matinee: History For The Reckoning
George Takei, famed actor and activist who survived WWII Japanese American incarceration, shares his family's experience. He recounts being housed in horse stalls, the train to Rohwer, life behind barbed wire, the loyalty questionnaire fallout, tensions at Tule Lake, legal rescues, and the long road to redress. Short, powerful stories that trace trauma, resilience, and the stakes for democracy.
9 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 16min
Babe Didrikson’s Hitless Inning
A 1934 spring training surprise where a trailblazing sportswoman takes the mound and throws a hitless inning. Flashbacks cover her Olympic dominance, medal controversy, and the pay-for-play shift that sent her into baseball exhibitions. The story follows her later pivot to golf greatness, major championships, and a courageous return after cancer.
7 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 17min
Discovering the Wreck of the SS Georgiana
A teen diver's 1965 discovery of a Civil War wreck and its 1863 artifacts sparks a deep dive into a blocked-runner's dramatic scuttling. Learn about covert Liverpool ship commissions and the booming transatlantic blockade trade. The story explores the vessel's secret design, bold tactics to outrun Union ships, and the wealthy operators who profited from wartime smuggling.
19 snips
Mar 18, 2026 • 16min
The Assassination of King George I of Greece
A dramatic political murder on a bustling Thessaloniki waterfront. The rise of a foreign-born king and his efforts to modernize Greece. Military defeats, a failed earlier attempt on his life, and the Balkan Wars that reshaped the region. The killing's ripple effects on national politics and the monarchy's future.
