The Mel Robbins Podcast
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Today in Canadian History
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Latest episodes
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On This Day in 1871: Great Fire of Chicago Begins in Mrs. O'Leary's Barn
October 8, 2026 · 9 minOn October 8, 1871, a fire broke out in Kate O'Leary's barn. It quickly got out of hand and became the Great Fire of Chicago. Vote for me in the Signal Awards! It's free, and I'd really appreciate it. Go to https://vot…
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La Llorona, the Weeping Woman
October 1, 2026 · 22 minThis year's Halloween episode is about La Llorona, the tale of a ghostly woman weeping for her children. It's told all over Latin America, and while it doesn't have a historical basis in fact (as far as we know), it still says a lot about…
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On This Day in 1942: Lise de Baissac Begins Her Spy Mission
September 24, 2026 · 6 minOn September 24, 1942, Lise de Baissac parachuted into Nazi-occupied France. She was a spy, sent by Great Britain, to cause disruption behind enemy lines. I am currently on research break preparing Series 17: Women Together. This is a…
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On This Day in 1849: Harriet Tubman Runs Away
September 17, 2026 · 7 minBonus episode from the newsletter On This Day in Women's History! On September 17, 1849, Harriet Tubman made her break for freedom. She ran away from her enslaver in Maryland, making for the Pennsylvania line and the free North. Though…
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The Topic of Series 17 Will Be ...
September 10, 2026 · 2 minSeries 16 on the First Woman has closed out and the vote on the topic of Series 17 is in. It will be ... Women Together. I’m currently researching episodes on Vestal Virgins, medieval nuns, female soldiers in Africa, the women’s march on…
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Aretha Franklin, First Woman in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (ep. 16.24)
September 3, 2026 · 25 minAretha Franklin was the Queen of Soul, and one of the most remarkable singers of the 20th century. At various points in her life she sang gospel, jazz, blues, R&B, pop, rock and roll, folk, Broadway, and even opera classics. She also…
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Wilma Mankiller, First Woman Chief of the Cherokee Nation (ep. 16.23)
August 27, 2026 · 22 minThe indigenous people of North America had many powerful women through the ages, but in many cases, we have lost their stories. One story we have not lost is that of Wilma Mankiller, who served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation…
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Junko Tabei, First Woman to Climb Everest (ep. 16.22)
August 20, 2026 · 25 minIn 1975, Junko Tabei was part of an all-female, all-Japanese team climbing the world's highest mountain. It was touch and go there for a while, but she made: the first woman at the summit of Everest. It's voting time! Please let me know…
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On This Day in 1967: Two Women, Two Grizzlies, and Changes in Wildlife Policies
August 13, 2026 · 9 minBonus episode from the newsletter On This Day in Women's History! On August 12-13, 1967, Glacier National Park had a double tragedy: two 19-year-old girls were hiking in separate groups in separate parts of the park. Both were attacked by…
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Valentina Tereshkova, First Woman in Space (ep. 16.21)
August 6, 2026 · 19 minIn the race for space, the Soviets won all of the opening rounds, including the race to put the first woman in orbit. Her name was Valentina Tereshkova, and while we are clear on her success out there, the exact details are a whole lot…
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Sirimavo Bandaranaike, First Woman Elected as Head of Government (ep. 16.20)
July 30, 2026 · 19 minMany women have served as the head of government for their respected countries. But usually that's because they were part of a royal family, and they inherited the office. Getting elected to the top job is an entirely different matter. The…
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Regina Jonas, First Woman Rabbi (ep. 16.19)
July 23, 2026 · 21 minMost of the world's great religions have reserved most of the authority for men. This was certainly true of Judaism, but in the early 20th century, Regina Jonas was trained and ordained to serve her people as a rabbi. She continued to do…
About the show
Women's history doesn't have be boring or depressing. I tell the stories of extraordinary women in history, including queens, slaves, spies, scientists, artists, wives, mothers, and more. But most women didn't leave us enough material for a biography, so I also tell you what it was like to be an ordinary woman, including what they wore, how they did housework, how they worked, and how they played.
In short, what were the women doing all that time while men were writing the standard history books? This podcast will tell you what those history books forgot to mention.