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Throughline

Throughline

By: NPR
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About this listen

 Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.

Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughlineCopyright 2019-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Does America Need a Hero?

    Does America Need a Hero?
    Jul 3 2025
    Captain America: an all-American superhero. Clad in red, white, and blue, he carries only a shield. And he fights only when he must. When it's right.

    But what happens when what's right isn't so clear? And how does a comic book hero designed to represent America's values survive in a changing world?

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    51 mins
  • Iran and the U.S., Part Three: Soleimani's Iran

    Iran and the U.S., Part Three: Soleimani's Iran
    Jun 29 2025
    The Iran-Iraq war, 9/11, and the story of Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani, from his rise to power, to his assassination, by the U.S., to the power his legacy wields now.

    This episode originally ran as Soleimani's Iran. You can find more of Throughline's coverage into the origins of the conflict in the Middle East here.

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    46 mins
  • Iran and the U.S., Part Two: Rules of Engagement

    Iran and the U.S., Part Two: Rules of Engagement
    Jun 28 2025
    Military confrontations, early-morning attacks, and digital warfare: the story of Iran and the U.S. from the 1979 Iranian revolution to the fraught moment we're in today.

    This episode originally ran as Rules of Engagement. You can find more of Throughline's coverage into the origins of the conflict in the Middle East here.

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    47 mins
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