14.16 Mileva Marić, Einstein's First Wife

Einstein met his first wife in college, where they were both studying math and physics. How much Mileva contributed to his groundbreaking papers is regularly debated. This episode explains what we know, and what we (sadly) don't know about her efforts. Please vote for me in the Women Podcasters Awards! I'm in the History category. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gandhi is among the most documented figures of the 20th century. Most of these sources reveal astonishingly little about his wife Kasturba. But he actually credited her with teaching him the principles of nonviolent resistance. This episode tells the story of her transformation from an ordinary Hindu girl to a woman leading protests against the British Empire. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Schumann is a big name in classical music. However, in his own lifetime, Robert Schumann wasn't “the” Schumann. His wife was the famous one. Clara Schumann was an internationally known virtuoso who delighted audiences for 60 years, including the periods before, during, and after her eight pregnancies, Robert's illness, and eventual death. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Music used in this episode include the following free or licensed tracks: · Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen, Op. 15: Träumerei · Clara Schumann's Soirees Musicales Opus 6: Ii. Notturno , performed by David Ezra Okonsar · Robert Schumann's Album for the Young, Op. 68, No. 10 "The Happy Farmer," performed by Trygve Larsen from Pixabay · Clara Schumann’s Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Opus 20, performed by David Ezra Okonsar · Clara Schumann's Soirees Musicales Opus 6: I. Toccatina, performed by David Ezra Okonsar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wright brothers invented the world's first powered flying machine. Sure, they were geniuses, but even geniuses need a little help. Their sister Katharine managed the bicycle business, managed the media, managed the public, and more than pulled her weight in the family. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a bye-week for the podcast, but I am announcing the winner of the gift certificate giveaway for Women's History Month, 2025. Many thanks to everyone who participated! Come back next week for regular content and the story of Katharine Wright, sister of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When her husband died, Jo was left with a small child, no job, not much money, and a lot of canvases that weren't worth very much. It was the effort of a lifetime, but Jo transformed van Gogh's artwork from something few people wanted to an international sensation. If you're listening before the end of March, 2025 there's still time to get in on the Women's History Month Giveaway. Take a look at Patreon or my website below to show your support for women's history. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vincent van Gogh is one of history's best known artists, but he wasn't during his own lifetime. His rise to fame came slowly through the efforts of the woman who inherited the vast majority of his paintings. Jo van Gogh-Bonger was a Dutch girl who considered herself not very well educated about art, and yet she managed to weave her way through the art world and bring us Vincent's exquisite beauty. If you're listening before the end of March, 2025 there's still time to get in on the Women's History Month Giveaway. Take a look at Patreon or my website below to show your support for women's history. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alfred Nobel's original plans for his famous prize included physics, chemistry, medicine, and literature. But not peace. He thought the peace movement was ridiculous, a bunch of dreamers with no workable plan. But his friend Bertha von Suttner was the most famous person in the peace movement, and she played a big role in changing his mind. To celebrate Women's History Month, please support the show on my Patreon page (https://bit.ly/4iqyLKv) for bonus episodes, polls, and my undying gratitude. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee (https://bit.ly/4krigzK). If you do any of the above before the end of March 31, 2025, you'll be entered into a drawing for a $30 gift certificate to the Her Half of History Store. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

March has been Women's History Month for decades! But this year, some government agencies and corporations have thrown its existence into doubt. Today's episode is a break from my usual. It's an opinion-editorial on why I think we still need women's history. Badly. This originally appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on March 1, 2025. To celebrate Women's History Month, please support the show on my Patreon page (https://bit.ly/4iqyLKv) for bonus episodes, polls, and my undying gratitude. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee (https://bit.ly/4krigzK). If you do any of the above before the end of March 31, 2025, you'll be entered into a drawing for a $30 gift certificate to the Her Half of History Store. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music for the Nutcracker, the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, multiple symphonies, several operas, and more. He is among the most popular composers of the 19th century. But as usual he didn't do it alone. He and his friend Nadezhda von Meck had a 13-year correspondence of 1200 letters. They shared (almost) everything with each other, but they never actually … met. Still, Tchaikovsky credited Nadezhda for saving his bank account (many times over), and also his sanity, and even his life. It's safe to say that some of his most gorgeous music would never have been written without Nadezhda. Music for this episode includes licensed music from Pond5 and copyright-free music from Musopen.org. The pieces referenced include: The Nutcracker Suite Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture Sleeping Beauty Swan Lake 4th Symphony 6th Symphony Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Threads or Instagram as Her Half of History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices