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Throughline

Throughline

By: NPR
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Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalist Rund Abdelfatah.

Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughlineCopyright 2019-2026 NPR - For Personal Use Only Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The World Cup was supposed to bring world peace

    The World Cup was supposed to bring world peace
    Jun 4 2026
    World Cup tickets are going for as high as $45,000. Not in most of our budgets. How did things get so out of hand when the tournament's founder intended to bridge class divides? Today on the show, the origins of the World Cup, from World War I to Mussolini’s fascist Italy, and how it grew into the multibillion-dollar spectacle the world is gearing up to watch.

    Guests:

    Jonathan Wilson, columnist at The Guardian and author of The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup

    Simon Kuper, columnist at the Financial Times and author of World Cup Fever

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    52 mins
  • Bayard Rustin and the March on Washington

    Bayard Rustin and the March on Washington
    Jun 2 2026
    When people remember the March on Washington they often recall the giant crowds or Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. Less known is the person who made the event possible. Today on the show, the story of Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington.

    To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.

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    23 mins
  • History's playbook for taming the beast of inflation

    History's playbook for taming the beast of inflation
    May 28 2026
    Gas. Meat. Flights. Houses. The cost of living is up. Inflation is rearing its head again. And as it rises higher, inflation risks devastating economies and draining savings accounts. So what can be done about it? This week, we explore the history of inflation in the U.S., how the government has responded, and who pays the price. This episode originally aired in 2022.

    Guests:

    John Cochrane, senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution

    Meg Jacobs, senior research scholar, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs


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    47 mins
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