A distracted, daydreaming assistant clerk once imagined he was riding a bus traveling at light speed. In a rush of inspiration, he suddenly understood the universe in ways no one had ever imagined. When his published theories invalidated two centuries of scientific thought, Einstein was in a race to prove his theory, but World War I threatened to unravel everything.

Backtrack History

BH04-Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Einstein's Relativity

For over two centuries, Japan was a locked country. Any foreigner who set foot on Japanese soil was executed. But the world wasn't it content to let it stay closed forever. In 1853, a brash American Commodore sailed into the forbidden waters of Edo (Tokyo) Bay, turned his guns on the city, and demanded Japan open its doors.

The Black Squadron Of Matthew Perry

This week Stu looks at the historic contexts of the symbols displayed and protested in the recent violence at Charlottesville, VA. Was the Civil War about slavery? How do we remember the Confederacy and the war that tore the country in two?

Symbols, Myths, and Dreams

What happened this week in history? The people, decisions, disasters, and triumphs that have shaped our world come to life in Backtrack History.

Backtrack History

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