How To 250: Live from On Air Fest!

How To 250: Live from On Air Fest!

Author: Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia March 1, 2026 Duration: 25:59
This past week, we took part in On Air Fest in Brooklyn, soft-launching a series of bonus conversations about America 250 and the work of history in 2026. We talked about which events we're actually excited to attend, how we'd craft the perfect historical road trip, and what stories from our series have stuck with us the most. As we do more bonus conversations, those will be available in full for paying subscribers to our newsletter. Join our America250 newsletter community! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now. This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia.

Hosted by Jody Avirgan alongside historians Nicole Hemmer and Kellie Carter Jackson, This Day is a historical podcast from Radiotopia that steps back from the relentless news cycle to find context in the past. The series "50 Weeks That Shaped America" serves as its core, offering a rich, narrative-driven examination of pivotal moments that have fundamentally influenced the nation's political landscape and cultural identity. This isn't a dry recitation of dates but a deep, engaging exploration of the stories and decisions that collectively brought us to the present. Each episode functions as a carefully researched journey, unpacking the complexities and unintended consequences of historical events you might think you know, revealing the surprising threads that connect them to contemporary life. By focusing on these formative weeks, the podcast provides a unique and clarifying lens, arguing that to understand today's headlines, you often need to listen to the echoes of yesterday. The conversations between Avirgan, Hemmer, and Jackson are insightful and accessible, blending scholarly depth with compelling storytelling. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining a new set of tools for thinking about America, its ongoing struggles, and its evolving character, all through the meticulous and thoughtful work of its hosts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

This Day (An America 250 History Show)
Podcast Episodes
America Debates WWI (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:59
**We've got new merch! Check it out.** For the thirteenth episode of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we go to 1917 and the growing pressure on Woodrow Wilson to send American troops to Europe and enter WWI. We discuss the…
The Boston Molasses Disaster [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:24
For our "Sunday Context" episode, we look at another industrial disaster from the 1910s -- the time a river of molasses wiped out much of Boston's North End. While not as tragic as the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, and somew…
How Triangle Ushered In An Era Of Reform [Part 2] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:55
Our conversation about the Triangle Shirtwaist fire continues with how reformers responded to the tragedy, and how those who witnessed the fire personally made it their life's mission to change labor laws in America. Joi…
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Shocks America [Part 1] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:41
For the twelfth episode of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we go to 1911 and the massive fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. The fire started on the 8th floor, spread to the 9th and 10…
Obama's Rocky 2008 + A 538 Doc Teaser [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:47
**One week only, get a 20% discount on the newsletter using this link! thisdaypod.substack.com/35c7aaa4** For our "Sunday Context" episode, we go back to an episode from week two (!) of this podcast to look at the contro…
How Obama Spoke To Us About Race [Part 2] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:20
Our conversation about Barack Obama and Reverend Jeremiah Wright continues with a look at what he said about race in America during his "A More Perfect Union" speech. Jody, Niki, and Kellie also look at how the speech pr…
Obama, Rev. Wright, and "A More Perfect Union" [Part 1] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:19
For the eleventh episode of “50 Weeks That Shaped America,” we go to the spring of 2008. Barack Obama was largely on path to clinch the Democratic nomination, but he had to navigate one last major controversy. In April,…
The Gingrich Revolution [Some Sunday Context] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:07
For our "Sunday Context" episode, go back to the Clinton administration and look at how Republicans swept into power in 1994. It allowed them to present a new version of the GOP -- and organize a unified opposition to Cl…
How Clinton-Lewinsky Set The Template For Modern Politics [Part Two] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:54
Our conversation about the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky affair continues, with a look at the changing media environment, the rise of FOX News, and how this created a template for the modern hyper-politicized scandal.…
Clinton, Lewinsky, FOX & Drudge [Part 1] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:46
This week on “50 Weeks That Shaped America” series, we go to fairly recent history — and the rise of the modern media-driven political scandal. During the government shutdown of 1995, Bill Clinton started a sexual relati…