Stuff You Missed In History Class

Mary Somerville was dubbed the Queen of Science, a title earned through a lifetime of learning all she could about various math and science subjects and then parsing those concepts out in her writing for more general audiences. Research: Collins, Helen. “Mary Somerville: Her Legacy for Women in Science.” Oxford Scientist. Feb. 11, 2022. https://oxsci.org/mary-somerville-her-legacy-for-women-in-science/ Gregersen, Erik. "Mary Somerville". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Somerville Neeley, Kathryn A. “Mary Somerville: Science, Illumination, and the Female Mind.” Cambridge University Press. 2001. Somerville, Mary. “On the magnetizing power of the more refrangible solar rays.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. December 31, 1833. Volume 2. Accessed online: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rspl.1815.0282 Somerville, Mary. “Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville.” John Murray, London. 1872. Accessed online:

The shipwreck of the Empress of Ireland happened just before the start of World War I and was the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history to happen during peacetime. Research: Blatchford, Andy. “Empress of Ireland, ‘Canada’s Titanic,’ finally getting its due after 100 years.” Globe and Mail. 5/23/2014. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/empress-of-ireland-canadas-titanic-finally-getting-its-due-after-100-years/article18819164/ Boyd, Ellsworth. “Empress of Ireland was ‘Canada’s Titanic.’” NUMA. 10/9/2017. https://numa.net/2017/10/empress-of-ireland-was-canadas-titanic/ Butler, Don. “Museum of Civilization finally acquires Empress of Ireland collection.” Ottawa Citizen. 10/27/2012. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa%20&%20area/museum-of-civilization-finally-acquires-empress-of-ireland-collection Canadian Pacific Railway Company. “Atlantic Royal Mail Service – ‘The Empresses’.” 1906. https://archive.org/details/cihm_71926/ “Empress of Ireland.” From “Lost Liners” by Robert D. Ballard and R

This 2017 episode examines the practice of British and French monarchs laying on hands to cure sick people from the medieval period to the 18th century. One disease was so often "cured" it came to be known as the King's Evil.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly discusses the strange reassurance she finds in examining historical crime stories. Tracy talks about the way Lenormand cartomancy decks differ from tarot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lenormand was a fortune-teller in France in the 19th century. She was hugely influential, because despite her work being illegal, very important and powerful people consulted her for cartomancy readings. Research:  "Marie Anne Lenormand." Encyclopedia of World Biography Online, vol. 38, Gale, 2018. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1631010818/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=13b27256. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023. “Madmoiselle Lenormand.” Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts, Volume 3. W.R. Chambers. 1845. https://books.google.com/books?id=TodTAAAAYAAJ Delistraty, Cody. “The Surprising Historical Significance of Fortune-Telling.” JSTOR Daily. 10/26/2016. https://daily.jstor.org/surprising-historical-significance-fortune-telling/ Goodrich, Frank Boott. “The court of Napoleon.” New York, Derby & Jackson. 1857. https://archive.org/details/courtofnapoleon00good Greer, Mary K. “Mlle. Lenormand, the most famous card reader of all time.” Mary K. Greer's Tarot B

The story of what happened to Pearl Bryan is horrifying and frightening. The scandalous particulars of the events that led to her murder captivated the attention of the U.S. in the late 1800s, but Pearl gets sort of lost in the shuffle. Research: “An Awful Find.” Cincinnati Enquirer. Feb. 2, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/30900213/?terms=%22body%20found%22&match=1 Associated Press. “Youth’s Depravity.” The Lexington Herald. Feb. 7, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/680738959/?terms=%22ANOTHER%20CONFESSION%22%20&match=1 Associated Press. “The Decapitated Woman.” Los Angeles Herald. Feb. 6, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/80565627/?terms=%22pearl%20bryan%22&match=1 “Both Are Guilty!” Journal and Tribune. Feb. 8, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/584194865/?terms=decapitated&match=1 “Clues Were Misleading.” Green Bay Press-Gazette. Feb. 7, 1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/186951911/?terms=%22ANOTHER%20CONFESSION%22%20&match=1 “Does Crime Cause Physical Degenrat

This 2019 episode notes that the Catacombs contain the bones of an estimated 6 to 7 million people, and explains that their history is really two interconnected stories of mines and human remains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy talk about pumpkin carving traditions and techniques. They also discuss Pearl Curran's life and the writing output of Patience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patience Worth was a popular writer in the early 20th century. But she was a 17th-century ghost, using Pearl Curran as her conduit from spirit realm to printed page. Research: Braude, Stephen E. “Dissociation and Latent Abilities.” Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. June 2000. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233449262_Dissociation_and_Latent_Abilities Cory, Charles. “Patience Worth.” Psychological Review. 1919. pp. 397-407. https://archive.org/details/psychologicalre01pratgoog/page/396/mode/2up Denny, Diana. “Written by Pearl Curran … Or Ouija Board?” Saturday Evening Post. Sept. 16, 2010. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2010/09/written-pearl-curranor-ouija-board/ Diliberto, Gioia. “Patience Worth: Author From the Great Beyond.” Smithsonian. Sept. 2010. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/patience-worth-author-from-the-great-beyond-54333749/ Millard, Bailey. “Will she meet her astral guide?” Los Angeles Times. Jan. 16, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/380740453/?terms=pearl%20cu

Jack-o’-lanterns have become one of the most iconic symbols of Halloween. Their origin story isn’t exactly well documented, so tracing their roots involves some folklore, some agriculture, and literary influence.  Research: Bachelor, Blane. “ The twisted transatlantic tale of American jack-o’-lanterns.” National Geographic. Oct. 27, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-twisted-transatlantic-tale-of-american-jack-o-lanterns?rnd=1696858487928&loggedin=true Ellis, Hurcules. “The Rhyme Book.” Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans. 1851. https://books.google.com/books?id=1DxcAAAAcAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s Fox, Frances. "Waialua Children Use Papaias for Pumkins to Scare on Hallowe'en." Honolulu Advertiser. Oct. 31, 1931. https://www.newspapers.com/image/258961518/?terms=jack%20o%27lantern&match=1 Christofi, N. “BIOASSAYS | Microbial Tests.” Encyclopedia of Analytical Science (Second Edition). Elsevier. 2005. Pages 265-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-369397-7/00044-3 “How did th

This 2018 episode covers an uninhabited Italian island that has come to be called all manner of scary things, including, "plague island," "island of ghosts," and "the Venetian island of no return."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about the bummer story that didn't make it into Unearthed!, kids who discover things, and Indiana Jones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of our autumn 2023 edition of Unearthed! includes potpourri, repatriations, shipwrecks, art, and a few perfect October entries. Research:  “Early humans deliberately made mysterious stone 'spheroids'.” PhysOrg. 9/10/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-early-humans-deliberately-mysterious-stone.html Alutiiq Museum. “Archaeologists Recover 3,000-year-old Weavings from Ancestral Alutiiq Settlement.” Alaska Native News. 8/26/2023. https://alaska-native-news.com/archaeologists-recover-3000-year-old-weavings-from-ancestral-alutiiq-settlement/69558/ Australian National Maritime Museum. “Exploring South Australia's oldest shipwreck.” Phys.org. 8/15/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-exploring-south-australia-oldest-shipwreck.html Barker, Christopher. “Stolen van Gogh Painting Worth Millions Returned in an Ikea Bag.” Smithsonian. 9/14/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dutch-art-detective-recovers-a-van-gogh-stolen-in-2020-180982896/ BBC News. “Man finds 8,000-year-old dolphin bones in back gar

In part one of our Autumn 2023 edition of Unearthed!, we have some oldest things, books and letters, projects specifically related to gender, edibles and potables, and animals.  Research:  “Early humans deliberately made mysterious stone 'spheroids'.” PhysOrg. 9/10/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-early-humans-deliberately-mysterious-stone.html Alutiiq Museum. “Archaeologists Recover 3,000-year-old Weavings from Ancestral Alutiiq Settlement.” Alaska Native News. 8/26/2023. https://alaska-native-news.com/archaeologists-recover-3000-year-old-weavings-from-ancestral-alutiiq-settlement/69558/ Australian National Maritime Museum. “Exploring South Australia's oldest shipwreck.” Phys.org. 8/15/2023. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-exploring-south-australia-oldest-shipwreck.html Barker, Christopher. “Stolen van Gogh Painting Worth Millions Returned in an Ikea Bag.” Smithsonian. 9/14/2023. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dutch-art-detective-recovers-a-van-gogh-stolen-in-2020-180982896/ BBC News. “Man finds

This 2016 episode covers the Crescent Hotel of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A colorful part of the hotel's history involves a man who claimed that doctors couldn't be trusted, and that he had the cure for cancer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tracy and Holly talk about the sloppy nature of the William Weare murder. They also discuss ghost stories that may have inspired other media, and Tracy's childhood memories of the Maco light story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

October seemed like a good time for an installment of Six Impossible Episodes all about ghosts and hauntings. A lot of these are very well-known in the places where they originated, but maybe not outside of those places.  Research: Campbelltown Visitor Information Centre. “Frederick Fisher and the Legend of Fisher’s Ghost.” https://indd.adobe.com/view/8e2d788d-56b7-43a7-bf4b-a5c3620ee345 Dictionary of Sydney staff writer, Fishers Ghost Creek, Dictionary of Sydney, 2008, http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/fishers_ghost_creek, viewed 04 Oct 2023 TBS News. “The ghost of little girls in Japanese schools.” https://www.tbsnews.net/splash/ghost-little-girls-japanese-schools-58747 Learn Japanese. “Hanako-San is Creepy, What's the Story?” https://www.jappleng.com/education/course/study/4/japanese-culture/lesson/320/japanese-legend-hanako-san-toire Kishikawa, Molly. “The Real-Life Legend of Toilet-Bound Hanako (and Other Toilet Ghosts).” CBR. 9/27/2021. https://www.cbr.com/toilet-bound-hanako-japanese-toilet-ghosts/

William Weare's murder was brutal, gruesome, and a source of complete fascination for the public, and it set the stage for illustrated crime reporting. Research: Cunningham, Alice. “Radlett: The horrifying 19th century murder that put Hertfordshire's most affluent town on the map.” Hertfordshire Mercury. 11/18/2020. https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/radlett-horrifying-19th-century-murder-4708130 Smith, Daniel. “'Murder jug' from 19th Century sells for big money.” Leicester Mercury. 8/20/2022. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/murder-jug-19th-century-sells-7487222 Muir, John. “Seven Men Sentenced to Die.” From Rare Books Collections, National Library of Scotland.” https://digital.nls.uk/broadsides/view/?id=14718 “A narrative of the mysterious and dreadful murder of Mr. W. Weare : containing the examination before the magistrates, the Coroner's Inquest, the confession of Hunt, and other particulars previous to the trial, collected from the best sources of intell

This 2012 episode from previous hosts Sarah and Deblina covers the unusual circumstances surrounding Edgar Allan Poe's disappearance, reappearance, and death. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holly and Tracy talk about college experiences with Gothic literature, and modern analysis of Ann Radcliffe's work.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.