Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughline
319 episodes transcribedNPR science correspondent Geoff Brumfiel shares the story of Nazi Germany's attempt to build a nuclear reactor — and how evidence of that effort was a...
Over the decades the Kurds have been inspired by, allied with, relied upon and betrayed by the United States. This week we explore who the Kurds are,...
50 years ago the world watched as man first landed on the moon, an incredible accomplishment by the engineers and scientists of NASA. But what if some...
Over the past six months, demonstrations in Hong Kong have increasingly become more violent and more determined. What started out as a protest against...
Today the foundations of philosophy are seen as a straight line from Western antiquity, built on thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle. But, between th...
When Andrew Johnson became president in 1865, the United States was in the middle of one of its most volatile chapters. The country was divided after...
For centuries, the United States has been a prime destination for migrants hoping for better economic opportunities, fleeing danger in their home coun...
Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 and for much of the next fifty years Puerto Ricans fought fiercely about this status. Should they struggle...
When Lil Nas X released his viral hit "Old Town Road" last year, he sparked a conversation about what country music is and who is welcome in the genre...
There is more waste in the world today than at any time in history, and the responsibility for keeping the environment clean too often falls on indivi...
When Colin Kaepernick stopped standing for the national anthem at NFL games it sparked a nationwide conversation about patriotism and police brutality...
Billie Holiday helped shape American popular music with her voice and unique style. But, her legacy extends way beyond music with one song in particul...
The United States imprisons more people than any other country in the world, and a disproportionate number of those prisoners are Black. What are the...
The term "concentration camp" is most associated with Nazi Germany and the systematic killing of Jews during World War II. But colonial powers used co...
Huey Pierce Long: you either loved him, or hated him. He combined progressive economic ideas with an autocratic streak, earning him thousands of adori...
After the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, public schools across the country were supposed to become more integrated, but by the 1970...
After Iran shot down an American surveillance drone in June, tensions between the two countries have only gone up. But the US and Iran have been in so...
The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades — but when did that begin? Over the next two weeks, we're exploring the history. This week...
The Star-Spangled Banner is the official anthem for the United States, but there are plenty of songs that have become informal American anthems for mi...
