January 27, 2026
The Past And The Curious Live at WBUR in Boston on April 26, 2026!
Holy Cow, I’m super excited to be a part of the Mega Awesome Super Huge Wicked Fun Podcast Playdate again! And alongside other great podcasters! Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious (that’s me) will take the stage at 12:00 Noon on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Information and in-person tickets are available at WBUR’s… [keep reading]
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July 29, 2024
International Games: Field of Cloth of Gold and 1904 Marathon
Episode 95 covers two great stories of international competition: the Field of Cloth of Gold and the 1904 Olympic Marathon.
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February 25, 2024
Episode 89: What Time Is It?
Daylights Saving Time? Time Zones? How did these things come to be? Why did we think they were a good idea? What do bugs and train crashes have to do with it?
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February 4, 2024
Meatshower Day 2025 Live Reading!
Monday, March 3rd 2025 – 7pm EST – Link to LiveFeed In honor of the anniversary of the Kentucky Meatshower of 1876, Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious will read his book The Meatshower on a Youtube Livestream. Tune in and hang out for a while! This will be the sixth year for… [keep reading]
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February 16, 2023
Fourth Annual Live Reading of The Meatshower on Youtube Live 3/3/23 and 3/4/23
In honor of the anniversary of the Kentucky Meatshower of 1876, Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious will read his book The Meatshower on a Youtube Livestream. Tune in and hang out for a while! This will be the fourth year for the reading and celebration of the Meatshower. This year there is… [keep reading]
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August 30, 2021
Episode 59: Safety with Books
The 1939 World’s Fair brought a special visitor from England: an original copy of Magna Carta, but with World War II in full swing, America couldn’t send it back. So the had to babysit the priceless document, which got more complicated than they expected.
ALSO
Marie Curie’s books will not be safe to touch for another 1500 years, so librarians in Paris have to keep people safe from the documents. Learn about Marie, her discoveries, and plenty more in this episode!
March 22, 2019
The Meatshower Book!
UPDATE: The Presale is over, So you can buy it from our publisher Here’s a link to purchase: www.earlyworkspress.com/shop We’re so excited about the release of our new picture book about the day in 1876 when meat fell from the sky! No one knows the answer to why, and that’s a beautiful thing in our… [keep reading]
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January 12, 2019
You Have 30 Seconds!
Here’s how to create your own “You Have 30 Seconds” segment! We might feature it on the show!
Read More
May 2, 2026
Past Scent (and Other Senses)
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 2010s.
And it’s a cool story!
The Past And The Curious Live at WBUR in Boston on April 26, 2026! January 27, 2026
Holy Cow, I’m super excited to be a part of the Mega Awesome Super Huge Wicked Fun Podcast Playdate again! And alongside other great podcasters! Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious (that’s me) will take the stage at 12:00 Noon on Sunday, April 26, 2026. Information and in-person tickets are available at WBUR’s... [keep reading]
International Games: Field of Cloth of Gold and 1904 Marathon July 29, 2024
Episode 95 covers two great stories of international competition: the Field of Cloth of Gold and the 1904 Olympic Marathon.
Episode 89: What Time Is It? February 25, 2024
Daylights Saving Time? Time Zones? How did these things come to be? Why did we think they were a good idea? What do bugs and train crashes have to do with it?
Meatshower Day 2025 Live Reading! February 4, 2024
Monday, March 3rd 2025 – 7pm EST – Link to LiveFeed In honor of the anniversary of the Kentucky Meatshower of 1876, Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious will read his book The Meatshower on a Youtube Livestream. Tune in and hang out for a while! This will be the sixth year for... [keep reading]
Fourth Annual Live Reading of The Meatshower on Youtube Live 3/3/23 and 3/4/23 February 16, 2023
In honor of the anniversary of the Kentucky Meatshower of 1876, Mick Sullivan of The Past and The Curious will read his book The Meatshower on a Youtube Livestream. Tune in and hang out for a while! This will be the fourth year for the reading and celebration of the Meatshower. This year there is... [keep reading]
Episode 59: Safety with Books August 30, 2021
The 1939 World's Fair brought a special visitor from England: an original copy of Magna Carta, but with World War II in full swing, America couldn't send it back. So the had to babysit the priceless document, which got more complicated than they expected.
ALSO
Marie Curie's books will not be safe to touch for another 1500 years, so librarians in Paris have to keep people safe from the documents. Learn about Marie, her discoveries, and plenty more in this episode!
The Meatshower Book! March 22, 2019
UPDATE: The Presale is over, So you can buy it from our publisher Here’s a link to purchase: www.earlyworkspress.com/shop We’re so excited about the release of our new picture book about the day in 1876 when meat fell from the sky! No one knows the answer to why, and that’s a beautiful thing in our... [keep reading]
You Have 30 Seconds! January 12, 2019
Here’s how to create your own “You Have 30 Seconds” segment! We might feature it on the show!
Support us on Patreon March 9, 2017
Support The Past and The Curious!
Important Animals in History Vol. 2 April 16, 2026
Featuring Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vic the Cat, and Mungo the Squirrel (friend of Ben Franklin. that is).
The Second volume of Important Animals From History, from an upcoming book by Mick Sullivan.
Episode 116 – Hidden and Lost March 31, 2026
The Missing Amber Room and The Enigma Machine (and More!)
Episode 115 – Life Savers February 28, 2026
Rescuing Shipwrecks and fighting germs with Richard Etheridge, Caroline Hampton and more!
Episode 114 Peanut Butter and Jelly January 31, 2026
The stories behind your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Episode 113 – Misers! December 29, 2025
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 in a Jewish cemetery in Krakow, Poland. However, it turns out that Yossele the Holy Miser wasn't as miserly as everyone believed him to be during his life.
