When I was in Washington, DC, a few weeks ago, I stopped at the International Spy Museum before leaving. I could have stayed in there for hours, and it was incredible to see these gadgets and spy equipment that we normally only see in movies. But a set of pictures intrigued me. They were of both Union and Confederate soldiers using the topic of today’s episode to spy on one another.
Not only would they use this to observe the enemy, but they were also able to learn the terrain of the battlefield, take inventory, and even aim accordingly in the direction of the oncoming enemy. Oh, and this “spy vehicle” wasn’t concealed at all.
You’re listening to The Story Behind: The Extraordinary History of the Ordinary. I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Balloons.
Grab your copy of The Story Behind Book! Are you a member of The Podcast Brunch Club? Find out how you can WIN a copy from them, plus meet other podcast listeners in your area! Check out Emily’s other podcast, Hate to Weight! Join The Story Behind Discussion Group on Facebook! Follow The Story Behind: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Website This episode was brought to you by The Story Behind Executive Producers Click here to become an Executive Producer and support this podcast on Patreon.Media:
Music for MakersSources:
Balloon - Etymonline.com This Party’s Blowin’ Up - Slate Frequently Asked Questions - The Balloon Council The Physics Of The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons - Wired Early Balloons Were Made From Animal Intestines - Mental Floss History of Toy Balloon - Who Invented the Rubber Balloon? - History of Balloons Why We Are Running Out of Helium And What We Can Do About It - Forbes That Dire Helium Shortage? Vastly Inflated - Wired We Discovered Helium 150 Years Ago. Are We Running Out? - National Geographic It's The Dixville Notch Chamber Pot Mystery: Who'll Be First To Vote In First Primary This Year? - Hartford Courant Explainer: Why Dixville Notch Votes at Midnight - WNYC Neil Tillotson, 102, First Presidential Voter - The New York Times Why Does Helium Change the Sound of Your Voice? - WonderopolisThe Paperclip | Office Supply and Demand, Paperclip Trading, and Clippy (RIP) (TSB109)
Mercury Retrograde | Damn it, Planet! (TSB108)
The Paralympics | The Doctor Who Turned World War II Spinal Injury Patients Into Athletes (TSB107)
April Fool's Day "Remastered" | The Quotes Are Intentional ;)
PEZ | History, Candy Marketing, The PEZ Outlaw (TSB106)
Pi(e) | Meetups, Meatpies, and Mathematics (TSB105)
The Band-Aid | Adhesive Bandages, Marketing Highs and Lows, and the 1980s Supergroup (TSB104)
Post-its | Persistence, Productivity, and Romy & Michele (TSB103)
Sliced Bread | The Greatest Thing Since Betty White (TSB102)
The Pink Slip | Enjoyment from Unemployment (TSB101)
The Story Behind: The Musical! (TSB100)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups | A Combination of Epic Proportions (TSB099)
Kit Kat | From Scholarly Clubs in the 1700s to a Not-So-Scholarly Lunch Hour of Taste-Testing in 2017 (TSB098)
Baby Ruth | Layers of Origin Stories, Baseball Tie-Ins and "Ruthless" Marketing (TSB097)
Lollipops | Differing Origin Stories, Salvador Dali, and Ear Worms (TSB096)
Tissues | From Handkerchiefs to Kleenex (TSB095)
Handcuffs | My Hands are Tied (TSB094)
Promo
The Toothbrush | The Nacirema Weird Habit that Took a While To Catch On (TSB093)
Las Vegas | Early Settlers, Quickie Divorces and Weddings, Casinos, and the Fabulous Sign (TSB092)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Lore