On This Day
Podcast Series
Hear the stories that propelled us to the present day through insights that lend perspective to our world with a nod to our own humanity. Britannica media editor Kurt Heintz, together with Emily Goldstein and Meg Matthias, is on a mission to spotlight poignant and noteworthy events for every day of the year.
Hosted By
Kurt Heintz
Kurt Heintz is Senior Media Developer at Britannica. He is the producer for the podcasts On This Day, Postcards from the 6th Mass Extinction, and Botanize!. He has been with Britannica since 2001.
Episodes
Episode 1
On This Day: May 1
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica explores the significance of May 1 as a labour holiday, a day traditionally used to celebrate the return of spring and much else.
Episode 2
On This Day: May 2
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica explores the significance of May 2 as the day on which the King James Version of the Bible was first published, in 1611, and much else.
Episode 3
On This Day: May 3
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica considers the legacy of Margaret Mitchell, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Gone with the Wind on May 3, 1937, and much more.
Episode 4
On This Day: May 4
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica explores the lasting impact of the deadly clash between police and labour protesters at Chicago's Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886, in addition to other events.
Episode 5
On This Day: May 8
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica describes the origins of V-E Day, which was first celebrated on May 8, 1945, to mark the end of World War II in Europe, and much else.
Episode 6
On This Day: May 9
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica describes what led to impeachment hearings against U.S. President Richard Nixon, which began on May 9, 1974, and how Christopher Columbus fared on his fourth and final voyage, which launched on May 9, 1502.
Episode 7
On This Day: May 10
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica tells the stories of actor and presidential assassin John Wilkes Booth, who was born on May 10, 1838, and others who changed history.
Episode 8
On This Day: May 11
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica describes the capture of Nazi official Adolph Eichmann by Israeli secret service agents, and a chess champion's loss against an IBM computer.
Episode 9
On This Day: May 12
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica explores the nursing career and social activism of Florence Nightingale, whose nightly wanderings through medical wards earned her the nickname “Lady with the Lamp.”
Episode 10
On This Day: May 13
Kurt Heintz of Encyclopædia Britannica tells the story of the first Latino rock and roller: Ritchie Valens. Plus, the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II and a psychologist with a talent for winning game shows.
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