Let’s talk about the Superbowl, Star Trek and timelessness – Beau of the Fifth Column

Democracy, Authoritarian Capitalism, and China: Crash Course World History 230

In which John Green teaches you about the end of World History, and the end of the world as we know it, kind of. For the last hundred years or so, it seemed that one important ingredient for running an economically successful country was a western-style democratic government. All evidence pointed to the idea that

Hundreds of Thousands Take to Streets Worldwide for ‘Uproot the System’ Climate Strikes

“The climate crisis has not disappeared,” said Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. “It’s the opposite—it’s even more urgent now than it was before.” Young people by the hundreds of thousands took to the streets across the globe on Friday to deliver a resounding message to world leaders: The climate crisis is getting worse, and only radical action

The Cold War in Asia: Crash Course US History #38

In which John Green teaches you about the Cold War as it unfolded in Asia. As John pointed out last week, the Cold War was occasionally hot, and a lot of that heat was generated in Asia. This is starting to sound weird with the hot/cold thing, so let’s just say that the United States

Mexico’s Supreme Court rules that abortion is not a crime

Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that it is unconstitutional to punish abortion, unanimously annulling several provisions of a law from Coahuila — a state on the Texas border — that had made abortion a criminal act. The decision will immediately affect only the northern border state, but it establishes a historic precedent and “obligatory criteria

Mexico City to replace Columbus statue with one of indigenous woman

A prominent statue of explorer Christopher Columbus on one of Mexico City’s principal avenues is to be replaced with that of an indigenous Mexican woman, the capital’s mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Sunday. The 19th-century bronze statue was taken down from the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard last year for restoration work ahead of an annual

The Quakers, the Dutch, and the Ladies: Crash Course US History #4

In which John Green teaches you about some of the colonies that were not in Virginia or Massachussetts. Old New York was once New Amsterdam. Why they changed it, I can say; ENGLISH people just liked it better that way, and when the English took New Amsterdam in 1643, that’s just what they did. Before

When is Thanksgiving? Colonizing America: Crash Course US History #2

In which John Green teaches you about the (English) colonies in what is now the United States. He covers the first permanent English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, the various theocracies in Massachusetts, the feudal kingdom in Maryland, and even a bit about the spooky lost colony at Roanoke Island. What were the English doing in

The Black Legend, Native Americans, and Spaniards: Crash Course US History #1

In which John Green kicks off Crash Course US History! Why, you may ask, are we covering US History, and not more World History, or the history of some other country, or the very specific history of your home region? Well, the reasons are many. But, like it or not, the United States has probably

Things Fall Apart, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 209

In which John Green concludes teaching you about Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. You’ll learn about the historical contexts of Things Fall Apart, including 19th century colonization and 20th century decolonization. We’re going to learn a little bit about Achebe’s childhood between two cultures, cover Okonkwo’s sad, sad end, and even learn a little about