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The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.
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The past is never past. Every headline has a history. Join us every week as we go back in time to understand the present. These are stories you can feel and sounds you can see from the moments that shaped our world.

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History

Jane Golden poses in front of her first murals
Arts & Entertainment

Jane Golden to step down from Mural Arts Philadelphia

Golden will stay on through 2026 to see 15 major projects to completion in time for the nation’s semiquincentennial.

3 months ago

Listen 1:37
A performer wearing traditional clothing performs at Indigenous Peoples' Day
Community
Billy Penn

Court reinstates Columbus Day, but all agree there should be an Indigenous Peoples Day

A Pennsylvania court ruled former Mayor Kenney lacked authority to rename the holiday. What comes next?

4 months ago

An old photo of the Lincoln Bar, at the corner of the street
Community

Bristol archive initiative is documenting the history of the borough’s Puerto Rican community

Joel Berrocal, executive director of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, is teaming up with Grundy Library to collect stories from Bristol’s Puerto Rican community.

4 months ago

Listen 1:52
outside the Lansdowne Theater
Arts & Entertainment

‘A feast for your ears’: Century-old Lansdowne Theater set to return as concert hall

The historic theater in Delaware County is set to open its doors Aug. 22 for the first time in nearly 40 years.

4 months ago

Listen 0:53
Protesters try to take down the statue of former mayor and police chief Frank Rizzo
Community

Philadelphia Art Commission agrees to return Rizzo statue to committee that originally gave it to the city to be restored, relocated

The statue of the late mayor will be removed from storage, repaired, refurbished and relocated to an undisclosed location.

4 months ago

Listen 1:16
Terry Gross smiling
Arts & Entertainment

50 years and over 15,000 interviews: The history and legacy of WHYY’s ‘Fresh Air’

Terry Gross has helmed one of the longest-running interview programs in America, which has been embraced by generations of listeners.

4 months ago

Listen 5:59
A photo of Independence Hall in Philadelphia
Studio 2
Politics & Policy

How we remember America’s past

More than a dozen exhibits about slavery at Independence National Historical Park could be removed or covered up in an effort by President Trump to "restore truth and sanity."

Air Date: August 5, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 51:35
Bryan Szeliga holding three oysters
Community

History on a half shell: How Philadelphia was built on oysters

In colonial Philadelphia, oysters were a uniquely democratic food.

4 months ago

Listen 2:41
A visitor at Independence National Historical Park stands in front of an exhibit reading The Dirty Business of Slavery
Politics & Policy
Billy Penn

Tour guides bristle as Philly national park exhibits face Trump administration scrutiny

An executive order has prompted a review of Independence National Historical Park exhibits. Local tour guides say it threatens a truthful accounting of American history.

4 months ago

Activists hold up signs protesting the potential removal of a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia
Community

Philly activists rally at Independence Park to protest Trump’s moves to remove exhibits that depict slavery in early America

Organizers said they are concerned that the White House is trying to whitewash history ahead of semiquincentennial celebrations next year.

4 months ago

The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane
Politics & Policy

Spellbound: the power and paradox of charisma

In her new book "Spellbound," historian Molly Worthen explains how charisma is more about storytelling than charm.

Air Date: August 1, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 50:48
Boys swimming at the Jerusalem Y.M.C.A (G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-matpc-22514.)
The Pulse
Health

Remember when swimsuits weren't allowed? A history of nude swimming

While it might be unbelievable today, boys were once required to swim nude at YMCA pools — yet some recall the experience with no shame.

4 months ago

Listen 11:14
Dick Allen in a swinging stance
Community

Phillies greats Dick Allen, Billy Wagner inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

Seven-time All-Stars Dick Allen and Billy Wagner will forever be enshrined in Cooperstown for their legendary hitting and pitching achievements.

4 months ago

Listen 1:28
Shoppers stop and eat during Italian Market on Sunday, May 23, 1976. Photo: Don Camp (George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photographs/Temple University Libraries Urban Archives)
Studio 2
Lifestyle

Studio 2 Extra: The Italian Market’s history and future

The "Our Market Project" aims to restore, celebrate and advocate for the preservation and livelihood of Philadelphia's longstanding and beloved Italian Market.

Air Date: July 25, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 14:26
Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of Philadelphia Visitor Center
Community

Opera Philadelphia will take over Macy’s this fall

Philadelphia Visitor Center will also bring the Wanamaker Light Show back for the holidays.

4 months ago

Listen 1:15
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