The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

Mick Sullivan

A History Podcast for Kids! Parents love us, Teachers love us, and most importantly, kids do too!
History can be amazing, inspiring and relevant to anyone. We love to share the stories of Spies, funny foods, George Washington's foibles, early advancements in cartooning and ballooning and much more! A professional music score and important songs accompany nearly every themed episode. Proud Kids Listen Member @pastandcurious

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20 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes20

Newest first

Friday · 31 min
War and Pigs : Danish Protest Pigs and the Pig War of 1859
It was the best of swine, it was the worst of swine. This is a much requested episode: the great Pig War that almost launched a 3rd violent conflict between American and Great Britain. Enjoy the history and absurdity of it all. Also is the story behind an official breed of pigs known as Danish Protest Pigs.
July 1 · 33 min
Mary Katharine Goddard, Independence Hall, and The Declaration of Independence
Episode 119 looks at some key moment inside Indepedence Hall (and the time they almost tore it down). Likewise, we'll meet Mary Katharine Goddard, who published the first version of the Declaration to contain the names of all the signers. If you look closely, you can find her name on the important document too! And to start it off we learn about when Ben Franklin told Thomas Jefferson a story to help him understand the value of editing.
June 17 · 18 min
Emily the Cow, Geronimo The Beaver, and the Rostocker Pfeilstorch
An escaping cow, Operation Beaver Drop, and a migration mystery solved by a bird with a spear - all on this episode of Important Animals From History - Volume 4!
May 31 · 32 min
Lost Woods and Found Amendments
The story of the Lost 40 - an old growth forest in Minnesota that got lost for nearly a century thanks to a surveying error. We're talking lumberjacks, old growth trees, and silly mistakes. Also, the 27th Amendment which was brought back from the dustbin of history thanks to a college student who didn't get the grade he had hoped for on an essay!
May 18 · 17 min
Animals Vol 3: Signalman Jack, Cacareco, and Pickles!
Signalman Jack was a baboon who worked in the railway in South Africa. Cacareco was a Black Rhino elected to political office in Brazil. Pickles was the dog who found the missing World Cup trophy. All of them were awesome. All of them will be in Mick's upcoming book.
April 30 · 34 min
Past Scent (and Other Senses)
How did an extinct flower not seen since 1881 wind up being the subject of a modern day project to recreate a scent from the past? It was a long path from Dr. Charles Short in the 1860s to Dr. Christina Agapakis in the 2010s. And it's a cool story!
April 16 · 16 min
Animals: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vic the Cat, and Mungo the Squirrel
The Second volume of Important Animals From History, from an upcoming book by Mick Sullivan.
March 31 · 34 min
Hidden and Lost
The Amber Room was a feat of artistic ability (and a lot of money) but after WWII it has disappeared entirely. Have you seen it? After that we learn about secret codes, the Enigma Machine, Alan Turing, Navajo Code Talkers and more!
March 16 · 16 min
Important Animals in History Vol. 1
The first release teasing Mick's upcoming book! This episode features three animals of note: Clara the Rhino, Mozart's Starling, and a whale named Mocha Dick. Let's ride through the tales of animals of history!
February 28 · 33 min
Life Savers
Carolin Hampton needed to pioneer rubber gloves int he operating room after Joseph Lister's big ideas. Richard Etheridge was the first Black keeper at an official Life Saving Station and his team's rescue of a shipwrecked family was dramatic and historic.
January 28 · 35 min
Peanut Butter and Jelly
You might be surprised to learn the history of the iconic sandwich and all of the ingredients that go into the recipe. First published in 1901, the availability of peanut butter, jelly and sliced bread has changed a lot over the years. And that's great, so let's eat (or just listen). Special thanks to Lindsay and Marshall from Tumble Podcast for their inspiration on the subject, and help with this episode!
Dec 29, 2025 · 30 min
Misers
Two misers for the price of one! Charles Dickens created the world-famous character Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1840s, but he may have been inspired by a real-life miser named John Elwes. Another famous miser is buried in a Jewish cemetery in Krakow, Poland. However, it turns out that Yossele the Holy Miser wasn't as miserly as everyone believed him to be during his life.
Nov 30, 2025 · 31 min
Art Spies and Underwater Toilets
Two fascinating stories from World War II. One is about Rose Valland, a French woman who worked as a spy in Nazi-occupied Paris. Her bravery saved thousands of works of art, many of which were returned to the families who originally owned them. Secondly, the story of German U-boat U-1206 is a doozy. The new toilet onboard was confounding, and it got the the better of the boat's commander. The result was a big blunder by the German Army.
Oct 31, 2025 · 33 min
Moving Water
Episode 111: Reversing the Chicago River and Opening the Erie Canal
Oct 27, 2025 · 22 min
Kids Listen Big Emotions
We're a part of Big Emotions this week! We’re feeling all squishy this week, as we dive into two of the strongest emotions of all. Love is powerful, joyful, and comforting - and when it changes or we feel its absence, sadness often follows. Sadness can feel heavy, but it helps us slow down, notice what matters, and deepen our connections. In this episode, we explore the softer, quieter corners of the heart where love and sadness meet. You’ll hear stories of friendship, loss and connection, showing how these big emotions help us grow and understand ourselves in new ways. Contributing podcasts in this episode: But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids• The Past and The Curious • Newsy Pooloozy Hosted by: Jerry Kolber of Who Smarted? PDF Activity Sheet for SEL Check out the music in each episode About this series: Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups is a 7-part audio adventure where creators from the Kids Listen community come together to explore feelings in all their shapes and sizes. Each episode pairs two related emotions, sharing original clips and reflections to help kids (and grownups!) understand, name, and navigate their feelings. Follow Kids Listen on Instagram and LinkedIn
Oct 15, 2025 · 22 min
Halloween Special: Twain's Ouija Novel
Did a no-longer-living Mark Twain send a novel from the great beyond with a Ouija Board? Find out about the real story with help from our pal Nate DuFort of the podcast, Unspookable.
Sep 30, 2025 · 36 min
Very Hairy
Episode 110! Peter the Great, The Hairy Eagle and more! Did I decide on an episode about Peter the Great just so I could say 6-7 a few times to be cringe and make kids laugh? Yes, yes I did. But it's a really fun story about when the Tsar of All Russia travelled "incognito" through Europe. And as a bonus, we're talking hair sales, hair wreaths, and even the not-so-famous "Hairy Eagle!"
Aug 29, 2025 · 33 min
Handwritten
Episode 109 tells the story of Lincoln's the speech Lincoln lost before his inauguration in 1861. Also included is the story of Ely S. Parker, an indigenous Seneca man who made an impact in the Civil War - and who had really nice handwriting.
Jul 30, 2025 · 32 min
Lost Bones
Composer Joseph Haydn is buried with two skulls. You'll never believe why (hint: it has to do with phrenology). Meanwhile Thomas Paine's bones went missing thanks to an overly enthusiastic fan.
Jun 30, 2025 · 31 min
Mountains To Climb
Henriette D'angeville was the first woman to climb Mount Blanc in the Alps, despite everyone advising her not to try it. Decades later, Julia Archibald Holmes (a friend of John Brown's) became the first woman to summit Pike's Peak, a feat that Pike himself never did.

The Past and The Curious: A History Podcast for Kids and Families

War and Pigs : Danish Protest Pigs and the Pig War of 1859

Mary Katharine Goddard, Independence Hall, and The Declaration of Independence

Emily the Cow, Geronimo The Beaver, and the Rostocker Pfeilstorch

Lost Woods and Found Amendments

Animals Vol 3: Signalman Jack, Cacareco, and Pickles!

Past Scent (and Other Senses)

Animals: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow, Vic the Cat, and Mungo the Squirrel

Hidden and Lost

Important Animals in History Vol. 1

Life Savers

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Misers

Art Spies and Underwater Toilets

Moving Water

Kids Listen Big Emotions

Halloween Special: Twain's Ouija Novel

Very Hairy

Handwritten

Lost Bones

Mountains To Climb