Stuff You Missed in History Class

During an eclipse in 1889, Jack Wilson dreamed that he died, spoke with God and returned to spread a message through the resurrection of a ritual called the Ghost Dance. Learn more about the Ghost Dance in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When Sacco and Vanzetti were charged with murder, the Italian-born anarchists didn't receive a fair trial because of their political views and foreign birth. Learn more about the trial -- and its repercussions -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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From the average Joe to the president of the United States, people across the world have pet dogs. Get the details on the canine companions of history's most influential personalities in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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As political rivals, Hamilton and Burr began a bitter exchange of insults, leading to a duel in 1804 that resulted in Hamilton's death. Learn about the ideas that drove Hamilton and Burr to violence in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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In 1916, a series of shark attacks took place along the shores of New Jersey. The media downplayed the first attack as a fluke -- but the attacks continued. Tune in and learn more about the story that inspired Jaws in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Established in 1897, Storyville was a legal twenty block red-light district in New Orleans. Tune in as Katie and Candace take a look at the colorful history of New Orleans' infamous prostitution district in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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The idea for the Panama Canal goes back to 1534, when the Spanish surveyed the area. However, the canal wasn't built for centuries, and it was an arduous task. Learn more about the malaria plaguing canal builders in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Born Henry McCarty in New York City, Billy the Kid committed his first act of murder before he turned 20. Join Candace and Katie as they explore the fact -- and fiction -- surrounding the legendary outlaw in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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In the summer of 1518, a woman in Strasbourg, France started dancing -- and didn't stop. By the end of the week, the compulsion to dance had spread to hundreds of people. Learn more about the dancing sickness in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, one of the few bars that welcomed gay patrons. Learn how this raid triggered the first major gay rights protest in U.S. history in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was also known as the Empress of Fashion. Married at the age of 16, the Duchess soon became enormously popular and led a life of excess. Learn what happened next in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Legends surround the history of the Borley Rectory, which is known as the most haunted house in England. Tune in to learn more about the ghosts reputed to haunt the Rectory in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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In 1937, famous aviator Amelia Earhart attempted to circumnavigate the globe via airplane. However, she disappeared over the Pacific and was never seen again. Listen in to learn more about the mystery in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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In 1901, two women visiting Versailles lost their way and met a series of strange, anachronistic characters. Looking back on the event, the women became certain they had slipped through time into 1789. Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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In Jewish folklore, golems are powerful creatures created from clay. According to legend, a golem was created to defend the Jewish population of Prague during the reign of Rudolph II. Learn more about golems in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When a psychic told Sarah Winchester that the spirits of every person who died from a Winchester rifle would haunt her unless they were appeased, she built one of the world's strangest houses. Learn more with this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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With help from listeners, our resident history buffs take a look at the world's great innovators and try to pick the best of the bunch. Listen in to learn more about three of the best innovators in history with this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Although America's robber barons are often viewed in negative terms, they left a philanthropic legacy that continues today. Learn more about philanthropy and charity -- as well as the difference between the two -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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What is happiness? To answer this question, our resident history buffs turn back the clock and take a closer look at ancient Greek philosophy, from Herodotus to Epicurus. Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Teddy Roosevelt was renowned for his hunting and enthusiasm for the outdoors, but he was also very concerned with conservation. Discover why he tops the list of "Green" presidents in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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As one of history's most well-known globetrotters, Marco Polo is credited with many important contributions to Western civilization. Many believe pasta is one of these contributions -- but is it a myth? Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When a person becomes the president, he or she is entitled to a 400k salary, as well as a hefty expense account -- and the benefits don't stop there! Learn more about the perks of being president in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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After the Kent State shootings, colleges across the country closed. However, decades later, researchers still aren't sure what actually happened at Kent State. Tune in and learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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The Tuskegee Airmen made up the first African American air squadron. Tune in to this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com to learn more about desegregation in the American army and how the Tuskegee Airmen helped win World War II.

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Did Betsy Ross really make the first American flag, or is this just another revolutionary legend? Learn the myths and facts about Betsy Ross and the first American flag in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Mesopotamia is often called the 'cradle of civilization,' but some scholars believe other ancient areas (such as Catal Huyuk) hold a better claim to the title. Tune in and learn more with this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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The Battle of Gettysburg remains the most memorable conflict of the Civil War, and historians continue to analyze the events preceding and following from the battle. Tune in and learn more about Gettysburg in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Under a loophole of Muslim law, a sultan could take one-fifth of the spoils of war, including slaves. Learn how the sultan began a slave army -- and why would someone would want to be a soldier-slave -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When the British Empire controlled India, it used legislation like the salt tax to control the population. Learn how Gandhi's non-violent salt march triggered a wave of protest leading to Indian independence in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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It's hard to believe that anyone would trade the thriving island of Manhattan for a spice, but history is full of surprises. Find out why -- and how -- the Dutch traded Manhattan for nutmeg in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When Herodotus explored Egypt, he was startled by the contradictory gender roles -- women were doing tasks the Greeks restricted to males. Does this mean the Egyptians were the first feminists? Learn more in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Joan of Arc was a startling, larger-than-life figure, and she had a very strange trial. Learn why the Joan of Arc trial is so contentious -- along with much more -- in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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On Christmas Day in 800 AD, Charlemagne became the emperor of Rome in a coronation headed by none other than Pope Leo III. Learn more about the growth of the Holy Roman Empire in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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During a Harvard commencement speech, Secretary of State George Marshall outlined a plan to assist Europe after World War II. Listen in and learn how this 12 minute speech changed the future of Europe in this HowStuffWorks.com podcast.

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Archimedes' death ray is one of history's most fabled legendary weapons -- but what was it? Was it even real? Listen in as Candace and Jane sift through the legends and find the facts behind the ancient death ray in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Originally, Spanish silver was meant to stabilize the Louisiana territory -- but the ship carrying the necessary funds sank in the Gulf of Mexico. Find out more about the El Cazador shipwreck in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Approximately 7,000 clay soldiers guard the burial site of Qin Shi Huangdi, China's first emperor. Learn more about the emperor's mysterious army in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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From the Opium Wars to the Boston Tea Party, the British East India Company had a profound effect on the course of history. Tune in and learn more about the influence of the British East India Company in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Although moviegoers love period pieces, filmmakers are notorious for getting the details wrong. Tune in as our resident history buffs take a look at historically inaccurate movies -- from Pocahontas to The Bridge on the River Kwai -- in this podcast from

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The Code of Hammurabi is one of humanity's earliest, most intact code of laws. Historians continue to discuss the effects and importance of this code today. Listen in and learn more about the Code of Hammurabi in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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50 million people died over the course of World War II, and historians often cite it as the bloodiest war in human history. Tune in to learn more about World War II in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Historians agree that Typhoid Mary really existed -- but who was she, and how did she come to infect so many people? Tune in and learn more about Typhoid Mary in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Everyone knows the story of the Pied Piper -- but how much of this legend is factual? Learn more about the fact and fiction behind the story of the Pied Piper in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Adolph Hitler's legendary propaganda programs steered public opinion with unprecedented precision. Learn how this massive campaign influenced the average war-time German in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Legends and lore surround the story of the Alamo. As a result, it can be difficult to separate the fact from fiction. Listen in as our resident historians take a look at the true story of the Alamo in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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The knights of medieval Europe are often associated with a code of behavior known as chivalry -- but what were these knights actually like? Learn more about the reality behind the popular image of knights in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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Although the Spanish-American War was a short conflict, many historians believe this conflict marked the United States' emergence as a major world power. Tune in and learn more about the Spanish-American War in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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When the Black Death swept across Europe, it killed an estimated 25 million people -- one third of Europe's total population. Tune in and learn more about the lasting effects of the Black Death in this HowStuffWorks podcast.

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Thomas Jefferson, one of America's founding fathers, was a very unorthodox thinker. His revision of the Bible was one of his most controversial projects -- tune into this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn why.

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Eva Peron died on July 26, 1952. After a 13-day wake, Dr. Pedro Ara mummified the body -- but it would take more than twenty years to bury the corpse. Learn more about Eva Peron's decades-long travel to the grave in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.

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