History Notes

Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective

4.5 (16)
HISTORY
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Origins: Current Events In Historical Perspective presents short audio discussions of the historical context of some of today's most important issues. Check out origins.osu.edu for the written versions of these podcasts and more!

APR 18

Justice for the Rwandan Genocide

On September 2, 1998, the first conviction for the crime of genocide was entered by an international tribunal. The date is an essential milestone in the development of criminal responsibility imposed by the international community for the commission of mass atrocities. Written by Dr. John B. Quigley. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/september-2018-genocide-and-rwanda. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

7 min
APR 7

The Great Fire of Rome

Mid-July, 64 CE, in the heart of Rome, tragedy struck as fire erupted into a massive inferno. Did Emperor Nero, regent at the time, purposely set the city ablaze or merely preside over the disaster? Written by Matthew Reich. Narration by Dr. Nicholas Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/great-fire-rome. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. Learn more - Roman History Introduction: Potter, David S. Ancient Rome: A New History. Third Edition. New York, New York: Thames & Hudson, 2018. On the Great Fire: Walsh, Joseph J. The Great Fire of Rome: Life and Death in the Ancient City. Witness to Ancient History. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019. Dando-Collins, Stephen. The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of the Emperor Nero and His City. 1. ed. Cambridge, Mass: Da Capo Press, 2010. Ancient Authors: Tacitus, Annals, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/e/roman/texts/tacitus/annals/15b*.html Suetonius, The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html

9 min
MAR 27

The Tunguska Mystery Explosion

On June 30, 1908, a massive mysterious explosion of a cosmic body shook the skies of Tunguska (in Siberia), on a date that would come to be known as International Asteroid Day. But was it an asteroid? Andy Bruno discusses the history surrounding the event. Written by Andy Bruno. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/june-2018-1908-tunguska-event-and-threats-tomorrow. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

9 min
MAR 11

10 Great World War II Films

Narrator Nicholas Breyfogle gives voice to author Stephen M. Norris' 10 Great World War II films. Video production by Laura Seeger and Nicholas Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/connecting-history/top-ten-origins-world-war-ii-films. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

17 min
FEB 10

Haile Selassie I and an Independent Ethiopia

Haile Selassie’s triumphant return to Ethiopia on May 5, 1941, signaled the re‐establishment of the Solomonic Dynasty and a sovereign Ethiopia. Written by Andrew Carlson. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video and written versions of this podcase are available athttps://origins.osu.edu/milestones/may-2016-emperor-haile-selassie-i-returns-triumphant-ethiopia. This is a production ofOrigins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information aboutOrigins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visitorigins.osu.edu.

7 min
FEB 7

Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon

According to the traditional narrative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith was visited on September 21, 1823 by an angel who told him of an ancient record buried nearby his farm in western New York. Written by Benjamin E. Park. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video and textual versions of this podcast are available at ⁠https://origins.osu.edu/read/joseph-smith-discovers-gold-plates⁠. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

8 min
JAN 22

The Berlin Airlift

The Berlin Airlift began on June 26, 1948, only two days after the Soviet Union's blockade of West Berlin. Written by Ian Gammon. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/berlin-airlift. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Additional resources: To Save a City: The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949 (https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781603440905/to-save-a-city/) Berlin on the Brink: The Blockade, the Airlift, and the Early Cold War (https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813136134/berlin-on-the-brink/) "The Incomplete Blockade: Soviet Zone Supply of West Berlin, 1948–49" (https://www.jstor.org/stable/24913337) "The Role of Britain in the Berlin Airlift" (https://www.jstor.org/stable/24428813) "The Berlin Blockade Revisited" (https://www.jstor.org/stable/40105349) This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

7 min
12/11/2024

The Founding of the People's Republic of China

On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong (1893-1976) stood on the rostrum of Tian’anmen (The Gate of Heavenly Peace) and announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in his strong Hunanese accent. This momentous announcement marked the end of China’s chaotic era of foreign domination since the mid-18th century and of frequent governmental upheavals after 1911. Written by Cruz Guan. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. A textual version of this video is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/establishment-peoples-republic-china. Learn More: Chen, Jian, Mao’s China and the Cold War. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2001 Dikötter, Frank. Mao’s Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-1962. New York: Walker and Company, 2010. Gao, Hua. Translated by Stacy Mosher and Guo Jian. How the Red Sun Rose: The Origins and Development of the Yan’an Rectification Movement, 1930–1945. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2018. Li, Zhisui, The Private Life of Chairman Mao. New York: Random House, 1994. Spence, Jonathan D. The Search for Modern China. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1991 Vogel, Ezra F. Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2011. Wang, Zheng. Never Forget National Humiliation: Historical Memory in Chinese Politics and Foreign Relations. Columbia University Press, 2012. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu.

8 min

See All (119)

4.5

out of 5

16 Ratings

Interesting Discussions of History

01/04/2018

V Tach

The guests are intelligent and explore each subject to a satisfying depth. If you are interested in history and enjoy college level discussions on disparate subjects, this podcast may be for you!
Worth a listen

09/28/2016

Boberta B

Guests usually do a good (and often nuanced) job providing historical context on current political and social issues. I'd recommend this podcast for people who appreciate programs like All Things Considered.

Origins: Current Events In Historical Perspective presents short audio discussions of the historical context of some of today's most important issues. Check out origins.osu.edu for the written versions of these podcasts and more!