Historical Figures

Jesse Owens broke four world records in a single day. Even after facing down the bigotry of Hitler's Germany in the 1936 Olympics, he returned to an America that was not willing to accept him. Sponsors! Simon & Schuster - The Vagabonds is available now wherever books are sold.

Johann Bach never knew it during his lifetime, but he revolutionized classical music. Centuries after his death in 1750, Bach is known as one of the main fathers of classical composition. Sponsors! Gabi - Take TWO MINUTES and Go to Gabi.com/HISTORICAL to see if you can save up to $865 a year on car insurance today! Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/HISTORICAL to get a FREE FIVE-PIECE Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove.

Born in 1940 in British-occupied Kenya, Wangarĩ Muta Maathai learned at a young age how the environment and poverty were inextricably linked. As one of Africa's first women to obtain a PhD, she dedicated over forty years of her adult life fighting to teach the people of Kenya about sustainable farming and standing up against the corrupt institutions of her home country's government Sponsors! The Farmer’s Dog  -  Get 50% off your two week trial of fresh, healthy food at The Farmers Dog dot com slash HISTORICAL. Plus, you get FREE shipping! 

As one of the earliest pioneers in the field of quantum physics in the late 19th century, Max Planck would work with his protege, Albert Einstein, to redefine an entire field of science... just as Germany was falling under the iron fist of the Nazi Regime.  Sponsors! The Farmer’s Dog - Get 50% off your two week trial of fresh, healthy food at The Farmers Dog.com/HISTORICAL. Plus, you get FREE shipping! Grove Collaborative - Go to Grove.co/HISTORICAL you will get a FREE FIVE PIECE Spring Cleaning Set from Mrs. Meyer’s and Grove - a THIRTY DOLLAR value!

The prize most coveted by the best and brightest minds in society owes its name to one man: Alfred Nobel. This Swedish inventor born in 1833, has a complicated history after battling through childhood poverty in which only three of his seven siblings reached adulthood.  Parcasters - We're tackling one of the most famous couples in history this week on Crimes of Passion? Can you guess who made up this outlaw pairing? Find out now at parcast.com/passion