This Week in History · 22 Jun 2026 · 8 min

Galileo's Recantation, Operation Barbarossa & a River on Fire | Jun 22–28

From Galileo forced to recant before the Inquisition to the largest military invasion in history, this week's historical events span science, war, nature, and art across five centuries. Strap in for a brisk tour of the moments that shaped the world you're living in right now.

This Week in History
Now Playing
Galileo's Recantation, Operation Barbarossa & a River on Fire | Jun 22–28

Audio is available on Spreaker — see link below.

What's covered

On August twenty-fourth, nineteen thirty-two, above the American continent, Amelia Earhart climbed into her cockpit in Los Angeles and pointed her aircraft east. Hours later, she touched down in Newark, New Jersey, becoming the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop in a solo flight.

Listen now →

Chapter summary auto-generated from the verified script. Listen to the full episode for the complete content.

More episodes

From This Week in History