Unexplained History: What Historians Still Don’t Understand

Caroline Winterer is an American historian and the William Robertson Coe Professor of History and American Studies at Stanford University. Previously the director of the Stanford Humanities Center, she received her bachelor's degree from Pomona College and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She is the recipient of the American Ingenuity Award, Smithsonian Institution, for mapping the social network of Benjamin Franklin.

One Day University presents a series of audio lectures recorded in real-time from some of the top minds in the United States. Given by award-winning professors and experts in their field, these recorded lectures dive deep into the worlds of religion, government, literature, and social justice.Despite what the song Wonderful World says, there's a lot we know about history. But there are still some pretty big gaps in our knowledge, for the simple reason that a lot of information about the past gets lost over time. Wars, fires, floods, deliberate destruction, or just plain carelessness--all of these factors and more contribute to some pretty fascinating historical mysteries. Together, we'll discuss the latest reliable evidence and theories for some major events, people, and buildings that fascinate all of us. Who were the first Americans, and when--and how--did they arrive? How on earth did Stonehenge get built? What did Cleopatra look like? What caused the Salem witchcraft outbreak of 1692? All of these, and more, will be examined during this fun and fascinating talk.This audio lecture includes a supplemental PDF.