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History
MOVE 101: Why, 35 years ago, Philadelphia dropped a bomb on itself
How did an attempt to arrest MOVE members turn into a fiery inferno that killed 11 people and destroyed a neighborhood of more than 60 homes?
5 years ago
Ahmaud Arbery’s death raises echoes of US racial terror legacy
It took more than two months for Arbery's pursuers — who told police they suspected he was a burglar — to be arrested and taken into custody.
5 years ago
How the approval of the birth control pill 60 years ago helped change lives
When the pill was approved in 1960, women had few relatively few contraceptive options, and the pill offered more reliability and convenience than methods like condoms.
5 years ago
Learning about life on Earth at the Wagner Museum
In the next installment of our series 'Why didn’t I go there?' co-host Shai ben-Yaacov and his son take a virtual tour the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philly.
Air Date: May 4, 2020
Listen 18:39Choral music about 1918 flu resonates today
The Crossing choir premiered the original work last year. “Protect yourself from infection” is now available to stream online.
5 years ago
Listen 2:14Out of pandemic crisis, what could a new New Deal look like?
As the U.S. confronts its most profound financial crisis since the Depression, there are early soundings of a larger question: What would a “new” New Deal look like?
5 years ago
Inside the Jefferson medical archives, where the most popular item is 1840’s ‘Anatomy of the Breast’
Pass time in quarantine exploring health records of Philly’s past.
5 years ago
Coronavirus brings PPE waste, clearer skies, and nostalgia for Philly’s first Earth Day 50 years ago
StateImpact Pennsylvania reporter Susan Phillips talks to Morning Edition host Jennifer Lynn about COVID-19 waste and the first Earth Day in Philly.
5 years ago
Listen 7:12How ‘Filthydelphia’ made Earth Day a thing
No, the Unicorn Killer did not found Earth Day. A look back at Philadelphia’s role in creating Earth Day and shaping the environmental movement.
5 years ago
Listen 1:16Philly hosted the first Earth Week 50 years ago. Today, we’re still fighting for our green spaces.
Fifty years ago this week, Philadelphia hosted the first Earth Week at Fairmount Park’s Belmont Plateau. The need for collective action continues.
5 years ago
How a pandemic inspired your bathroom
Before COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic changed our world and with it, home design. This is how a century-old pandemic inspired the modern bathroom.
5 years ago
Inside Philly’s famous rare books collection
Join The Why's Shai Ben-Yaacov and his son for virtual tours of cool Philly spots they wish they could visit instead of being cooped up at home. First up: The Rosenbach.
Air Date: April 14, 2020
Listen 17:00Delaware Historical Society wants people to share stories for ‘COVID Chronicles’
Files can be uploaded to the society’s website in text, audio, video or other forms. Selected recollections will be shared via social media.
5 years ago
We're joined by two historians who will discuss the 1918 flu pandemic and what we can learn from it today.
Air Date: March 25, 2020 10:00 am
Listen 49:15Why the 1918 flu pandemic hit Philadelphia especially hard and what we can take from it today during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Air Date: March 24, 2020
Listen 14:28