The Backstory with Patty Steele

iHeartPodcasts

<p>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.</p>

  • 8 minutes 43 seconds
    The Backstory: Space Junk Falling From the Sky

    We’ve been watching Artemis 2 and its $23 million dollar toilet journey to the dark side of the moon this week, but you have to ask a question. As we launch all these rockets, satellites, and space stations into the sky... what happens if they somehow come falling back to Earth? Well, it did happen almost 50 years ago, and folks around the globe spent a nervous few weeks... looking up.

    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.

    7 April 2026, 4:00 am
  • 7 minutes 34 seconds
    The Backstory: Artemis 2: To the Moon . . . And Beyond

    Artemis 2 blasted off this week on NASA’s first manned trip into deep space in over 50 years. How did we get there and where are we going? The answers are both fascinating and inspirational.

    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.

    3 April 2026, 4:00 am
  • 9 minutes 43 seconds
    The Backstory: Mary Todd Lincoln: Hellcat or Victim?

    It’s Been 161 Years Since the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He’s Considered Our Greatest President. His Wife Mary Todd Lincoln However, Hasn’t Fared So Well in the Historical Narrative. But There’s a Deeper, More Complex Reason for That.

    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.

    31 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 6 seconds
    The Backstory: What Do O.J. Simpson and Lizzie Borden Have in Common?

    Lizzie Borden was a church going New England heiress . . who was suspected of taking an ax to the heads of her father and stepmother back in 1892. But what led to the murders and the surprising verdict from the jury? 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.

    27 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 7 minutes 4 seconds
    The Backstory: The #%$@ History of Cursing

    Swearing, cursing, cussing... giving somebody the finger. It’s kind of ubiquitous these days, but it’s been around for thousands of years. And now researchers say yelling out a favorite four-letter word can even lower your blood pressure. But where in the &^%* did it all start, and how has it evolved?

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 3 seconds
    The Backstory: The Origin of the Most Famous Tongue in Rock and Roll

    We all wonder where the larger than life rock and roll stars of the mid 20th century originated. But the demon of Kiss, Gene Simmons, has had an unbelievable journey. And he credits one person with his inspiration.

    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.

    20 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 5 seconds
    The Backstory: The Real Life Painful Origin of Barney Fife

    Watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and particularly Deputy Barney Fife, to this day make you feel happy. You feel like that part of America’s past was a time of calm and safety. But for Don Knotts, the guy that played Barney Fife, life never felt calm or safe. This is how he used his pain.

    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.

    17 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 45 seconds
    The Backstory: The Tylenol Murders

    We’ve all had a nasty headache and run to grab some OTC pain relief, only to get thwarted by the childproof wrapping. But 7 still unsolved murders explain why our meds are wrapped so tight 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.

    13 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 8 minutes 53 seconds
    The Backstory: Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and a Billion Dollar Feud

    Breakfast pre-1900 usually involved fried meats, eggs, biscuits, and potatoes. Then a kitchen fail at a health sanitarium led to a whole new way to eat your morning meal. After that, a vicious disagreement between the Kellogg brothers allowed one to build a multi billion dollar company with Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereal recipes he'd stolen from his brother.

    Please DM me if you have a story you'd like me to dig into. On Facebook it's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 March 2026, 4:00 am
  • 6 minutes 48 seconds
    The Backstory: Victorian Death Parties

    In the 1800s death was a lot more of a regular occurrence in people’s lives. Almost half of all children died by the time they were 5! So . . the Victorians developed some pretty unusual ways of processing that reality.

    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.

    6 March 2026, 5:00 am
  • 6 minutes 4 seconds
    The Backstory: An Endless Earworm Turns an Oscar Winner Into a Songwriter

    It was supposed to be minor, routine surgery. But the anesthesia had a strange effect on this Academy Award winning actress. Afterward, every thought, every conversation, and even things she saw . . literally turned into music in her head. This is what she did with the endless earworm.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    3 March 2026, 5:00 am
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