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Love a good, juicy story that goes beyond what we already know? We're talking scandalous presidential family members, a mass murder at a world-famous architect's home, stolen inventions, nude athletes at the first Olympics, compulsive liars, the arrival of the bikini, and so much more. History fanatic Patty Steele tells you the inside backstories you didn’t know you needed to know.


The Backstory with Patty Steele

We know all about the Christmas traditions we’ve grown up with, but where did they originate? We celebrate with Christmas trees, cards, lights, visits from Santa Claus, and lots of great food. But our ancestors were more likely to celebrate with drunken dancing, weird games, and street fights. How did Santa Claus, Christmas carols, and eggnog become a thing?
 
And a reminder… feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele, and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: When Christmas Was About Drinking, Dancing, and Sex

It’s the winter solstice this weekend. We have a few months of frosty weather to deal with. But it’s amazing to consider how folks dealt with mountains of snow when there were no plows, nobody whose job it was to clear the streets and sidewalks . . and no central heat. Imagine giant cylinders being pulled through the streets to compact the snow!
 
Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The Worst Winters on Record

It’s the holiday season, a time that brings out our desire to please those we love, particularly the kids in our lives. There’s a red hot toy every year, but what happens when that toy puts dollar signs in the eyes of grownups? This is about one toy that caused a lot of folks financial ruin and divorce, while it made a billionaire out of the guy who created it.
 
Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The Great Beanie Baby Bubble Bust

Every invention begins with a spark—a moment when imagination lights up with the thought of . . possibility. Problem is . . the line between that spark . . and an explosive outcome can be thinner than you think. This is about when death comes at the hands of your own invention.
And remember, you can message me if you have a story you’d like me to dive into and share. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Inventions That Killed Their Inventors

A combination of fever dreams and cocaine led to one of the greatest horror stories of all time. Robert Louis Stevenson was dying of tuberculosis when he wrote “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” He almost trashed it, but after nine days of frantic writing he had defined the gothic novel and given us a metaphor for people with split personalities: Jekyll and Hyde.
 
If you have a story you’d like me to take a deeper dive into and share, just DM me. On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Gothic Horror: Giving Birth to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

What Happens When Your Star Doesn’t Burn as Bright as Your Passion? Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding faced that question . . and is now on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List as an international drug lord. It’s about ambition without brakes and what happens when the skills that make you great — focus, risk tolerance, hunger for status — get redirected into a market where the rules are written in blood. This is Wedding’s descent from the mountaintops to the depths of drug dealing and murder.
 
Do you have a story idea you’d like me to share? Just DM me! On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Olympic Athlete to Drug Lord

50 years ago, Friday nights were all about going to the movie theater. Starting in the 1980s, the weekend plan involved heading to Blockbuster to pick up a movie and watching it at home. Today, we just stay home and watch Netflix. So, how did it all evolve? This is about two guys who asked . . and answered . . one simple question.
 
Got an idea for a story you’d like me to cover? Feel free to DM me! On Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Netflix and the Fall of Blockbuster

Many of us see Thanksgiving, most importantly, as a day to express gratitude. But gratitude is a universal expression of appreciation for our lives and our experiences. What’s amazing is how many Native Americans also celebrate gratitude on that day . . even though for them, it’s also a National Day of Mourning. But . . they still believe everyday is a day to give thanks. This is a peek into another perspective.
 
This story was suggested by Backstory listener Mark Chambers from Midlothian Virginia. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: A Native American Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is… the best. Whether you celebrate with family, friends, or even on your own… what makes it the best is the focus on gratitude. At least a dozen countries celebrate with a day or days of gratitude. But… what about all those traditions? Did a few big-time influencers impact when we celebrate, how we celebrate, what we eat, and in our parts… even the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Where did all those traditions come from and how have they evolved?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Popular Influencers Created Thanksgiving??

Agatha Christie is the biggest selling novelist in world history. Well over 2 billion books sold in 103 languages. She is the forever queen of mystery. But her biggest mystery is her 1926 disappearance. It made headlines all over the world.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The Shocking Disappearance of Agatha Christie

On this replay episode of The Backstory: Did you know that as recently as the Victorian era, somebody could have you committed to an insane asylum just because you disobeyed a husband, were too opinionated, were caught masturbating, and so much more? The treatment ranged from being chained to a wall, beaten...and more. And no one had to prove your insanity! This is the story of how one woman, post-lock-up, changed the status quo.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory (Replay): A hero emerges from a 19th century insane asylum

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