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Writer's pictureThe Lawrencian

Historia Obscura, a Simpler Way to Learning History

Updated: Aug 18, 2022

Jessica Romero Silver (‘23)


Interested in history? Want to learn interesting historical facts in a fast, easy, and fun way? There are many who are fascinated by history but just don't know where to start. Luckily the podcast, Historia Obscura is here to help. Jack Granahan, class of 2022 student at Lawrence High School and the editor in chief for The Lawrencian, is the creator of Historia Obscura, which is Latin for "Obscure History." Almost two years ago Jack got the idea to create the podcast. “History has always been seen as a useless subject at school.


"I want to talk about the important things, so we are able to learn from the past and not just forget about it,” said Jack during our interview. “It is shocking to me how many historical events aren't taught in history class. If we don’t learn about them now we are at risk of repeating the same mistakes that were made in the past.” Historically correct, unbiased, and often overshadowed history needs to be taught. Jack saw this problem and Historia Obscura was born.


"There is more to history than what your teachers taught you. In Historia Obscura, you will learn about the lesser known chapters of humanity's past.” Jack Granahan, creator of Historia Obscura

I sat down with some other students to listen to a few episodes of Jack's podcasts and I can say is that I'm impressed. He did a fantastic job at giving well researched information in each episode.


“I really liked how the episodes were not too long. This is something that I could listen to while driving to work and it feels good knowing that I learned something new,” said Sophia Madzy (‘23).


Each episode of Historia Obuscua runs from an average of 15 to 30 minutes. Personally, one of my favorite episodes has to be “Nix v. Hedden: The Catalyst of the Tomato Controversy.” In this episode, Jack discusses the Supreme Court case that is connected to the American childhood obesity crisis. I really learned a lot of information on the case that I otherwise wouldn't have known even existed. I feel there is something for everyone on Historia Obscura.


You can listen to Historia Obscura on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts biweekly at 6pm on Friday nights. Listeners can also go to patreon.com/historiaobscura and become a patreon to help support the podcast. I encourage anyone interested in learning some obscure history to come check it out. I guarantee you won't regret it.







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