Tracing The Path: The Connected 20th Century

Where did the words in the "I have a dream" speech come from? W.E.B. Dubois, Abraham Lincoln, A. Philip Randolph, Langston Hughes, Mahalia Jackson, Thomas Dorsey, Harry Belafonte, Prathia Hall Wynn, John D. Rockefeller, and so many others have been fighting for the Dream since 1776. When Martin Luther King gave his speech in Washington, he made sure their voices were heard.

How did Winnie The Pooh change United States Copyright law? Since the beginning they changed considerably - and maybe rightly so. This is the story of how Disney built its empire using the public domain as a tool. Disney, A.A. Milne, Mickey Mouse, Jimmy Stewart, and the U.S. Congress.

Much of what you know from the 20th Century can be traced back to McCann Erickson. Everything that seemingly unites those of us with a common 20th Century History can be linked to them . . . even the toppling of a government. If you've seen Mad Men, you've heard them mentioned. But what you didn't learn was the truth about their role and impact on your life.

Thinking of watching A Charlie Brown Christmas this year? Or creating a Charlie Brown Christmas Trivia Game? What would be better than a full understanding of how it came to be, starting way back in the 1400s. Learn about Charles Schulz, Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez, Vince Guaraldi, Hans Christian Andersen, Felix Mendelssohn, Saul Zaentz, NASA, Coca-Cola and more.

Would you ever think Thomas Edison, George Easton, Ian Fleming and Bill Blass all took part in deception? In the World's Greatest Con? The Ghost Army. It's the story of James Bond, Inflatable Tanks, Celluloid Film and a WW2 Ghost Army. Sit back and be amazed at this story of America's most respected names.

The history of pizza is more than its Naples Origin. You'll be amazed how Mario Puzo, Queen Margherita, Pinocchio, Yogi Berra, Al Capone, The Supreme Court and Sophia Loren all play a part. Today we look at the interconnected history of the world's greatest food (and maybe the Mob).

Could the post office be the single largest cause of America's expansion to Westward? When you look at it through Maslow's lens, it just may be. Sears, Greeting Cards, Charles Lindbergh, Benjamin Franklin, King William III, the California Gold Rush, the Boston Tea Party . . . and Addressing the Unaddressed in Calcutta. Let's talk about the 7 most important words in the U.S. Constitution.

People like Walt Disney, Walter Murisch, Blake Edwards, Friz Freleng and Henry Mancini paved the way for Independent Film Makers today. . . but they had help with the Paramount Decrees of 1948. Now that those are over, has the window closed?

HG Wells motivated authors, inventors, scientists, politicians and the every day man. Specifically Orson Welles, Leo Szilard, Robert Goddard and George Lucas were inspired by Wells to change the world. And from his words we put astronauts on the moon, created NASA and now rovers on Mars. Get ready to hear the story of how one man shaped science.

The Six Degrees of Separation Game originated in 1909 with a Novel Prize winners speech. From there it has grown in reach and truth. What if we connect the most amazing things that could never truly have something in common. We do and it's amazing!

Which 2 wars played a role in the history of M&M Chocolate Candy? And the Nutcracker? How did the Mars Bar, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and Cadbury Easter Eggs come to be? And learn how 2 wars combined to make the most popular candy in the world.

Baseball created strong ties between the U.S. and Cuba, specifically the negro leagues and the Cuban league. For both countries baseball had become the national past time . . . until Fidel Castro stepped in. Today we look at the how baseball impacted the Cuban Missile Crisis along with some of the major traditions surrounding it.

Let's unravel the mysteries of the Trial of the Century where Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan put evolution on trial. What was the long term significance? How did it end? And who got the final justice?

In today's story we explore the interconnected stories of Anacreon the Greek Poet, Francis Scott Key, Robert Ripley, John Philip Sousa and 7 US Presidents. The Star Spangled Banner isn't just about a flag or the Battle of Fort McHenry. It involves slaves, Charles Schulz, Jack London, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and even Barry Goldwater.

Rock N Roll wouldn't exist like it does without these three guys. Because while Chuck Berry and Elvis were ushering in a new age of music. They had a little help from a major invention. We go "Back to the Future" to find out how rock n roll came to be.

The most famous tune in the world has been around for 700 years as part of classical, folk, children's and pop music. It's been played by Mozart, Louis Armstrong, the Simpsons, and Lewis Carroll. In the 1800 it changed the American lexicon, and in the 1960s it became a pop song that was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Did you know Route 66 started in 1857, with Camels? Learn about the history of Route 66 intersects with the Indy 500, Charles Lindbergh, The Lincoln Highway, Rand McNally, L. Frank Baum, Dwight Eisenhower, Edward Fitzgerald Beale and more.

How did Frank Lloyd Wright, Susan B. Anthony, the Great Chicago Fire, L. Frank Baum and Judy Garland help create the 39 year Wizard of Oz Tradition?

Did you know that the Williams family has its hands on Orson Wells, Gilligan's Island, Back to the Future, the Looney Tunes, the Simpsons, Saved By the Bell, the Olympics, Jaws, Star Wars and Tears for Fears? No other family has reached so far.

If you're going to the traveling exhibit of the Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey, this is a great companion podcast. Listen in as we connect the dots between Hans and Margret Rey, Chris Van Allsburg, H.G. Wells, Harry the Dirty Dog and Will Ferrel and more.

What path did Paul Harvey take to become the most influential man of the 20th century? Let me just say that it involves Charles Lindbergh, Pearl Harbor, Joseph Kennedy . . . and you'll have to listen to get the rest of the story.

There's a Twinkie in Maine that's 30 years old. But the story of Twinkie has far outlasted that. How did a brand outlast it's owners and defy all odds to become a success?

Minneapolis's tech community was far ahead of everyone else. And their state government's progressive attitude paved the way for great changes. 1,500 miles away Steve Jobs was building a computer company, but he knew something was missing, and the answer fell in his lap. Learn how Apple went from selling 300 computers, to millions because of a game.