From the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum website:

How did engineers and scientists figure out how to travel safely to the Moon and back? The Apollo missions were a triumph of engineering, with thousands of individuals contributing to the effort. The public often refers to these individuals as 'rocket scientists,' but in fact they were primarily engineers, technicians, and managers. Join two National Air and Space Museum experts as they unravel the technological challenges that NASA faced.

Michael Neufeld and Paul Ceruzzi will explain the complexity behind the Saturn Rocket, the Command, Service, and Lunar Modules and the technique of Lunar-Orbital Rendezvous. Dr. Ceruzzi will also discuss the role of computers—a new technology in the 1960s—as well as the lowly slide rule, used by both engineers on the ground and astronauts in space to assist with their calculations.

From the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum website:

"What lessons can we learn from the Apollo Moon landing story? President Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the Moon initiated an intensive period of activity, which resulted in one of the most amazing technological achievements of the 20th century. Senior Curator and former NASA historian Roger Launius and Chair of the Space History Division Michael Neufeld will provide an overview of the period and offer insight into the real story behind Kennedy's famous speech to Congress in May 1961. A panel of museum experts will answer the question: why is Apollo important in United States history?"

From the Bowery Boys website:

"Henry Steinway, a German immigrant who came to New York in 1850, made his name in various showrooms and factories in downtown Manhattan, enticing the wealthy with his award-winning quality pianos. At their grand Steinway Hall on 14th Street, the family turned a popular concert venue into a clever marketing opportunity. But their ultimate fate would lie outside of Manhattan; the Steinways would graduate from an innovative factory on Park Avenue to their very own company village in Queens, the basis of a neighborhood which still bears their name today. You may not know much about pianos, but you've cross path with this family's influence in the city. Tune in for this short history of Henry Steinway and his sons."

From the Kansas Museum of History website:

"A century ago, photography was much more difficult than point-and-shoot. In this podcast we hear about the challenges faced by a pioneering woman photographer. Alice Gardiner Sennrich documented her town—Valley Falls, Kansas—through the lens of a massive camera."

This 28-minute mini-documentary, intended for 11th and 12th grade students, focuses on the stories of young people who took part in the civil rights movement protests of the 1950s and the 1960s. It begins with the story of the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend Central High School, AR, following Brown v. Board of Education; continues with interviews with people who participated in the movement as children and teenagers; and ends with present-day examples of struggles for civil rights.

Curriculum to complement the video is available at the same URL as the video, below.

University of Iowa associate professor Marshall Poe interviews Steve Gillon, Resident Historian for the History Channel and University of Oklahoma professor, on his book The Kennedy Assassination: 24 Hours After: Lyndon B. Johnson's Pivotal First Day as President.

University of Iowa professor Marshall Poe interviews Jennifer Burns about her book Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, on the life and times of Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand.

From the Library of Congress website:

"In the early 1960s, the multitalented musician, filmmaker, and photographer John Cohen journeyed to eastern Kentucky to document the songs of church-goers, miners, and farmers, and the rural community that produced and sustained their uniquely American sound. The result was The High Lonesome Sound, a classic 1963 documentary film than evocatively illustrates how music and religion help Appalachian people maintain their dignity and traditions in the face of change and hardship. Featuring master traditional musician Roscoe Holcomb, Cohen's film also documented how different musical strands are synthesized in the playing of an individual performer. In this presentation, Cohen discussed the making of his influential documentary, its initial reception, and its continued impact in the shaping of documentary filmmaking and ethnographic research on traditional culture both in the United States and abroad."

David Ward, historian at the National Portrait Gallery, gives an overview of the life of Albert Einstein, in relation to a portrait of the scientist by Max Westfield.

From the Constitution Center website:

"2009 marks the 70th anniversary of one of the most dramatic concerts in American history: world famous African American contralto Marian Anderson's concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. In a conversation moderated by scholar Sheldon Hackney, award-winning historian Raymond Arsenault tells the story of Marian Anderson, one of the most enduring and iconic figures of the civil rights movement. Through immense raw talent and unrelenting determination, Anderson overcame racial prejudice to inspire all Americans and to become one of the greatest singers of her time."

To listen to this lecture, scroll to the August 12th, 2009, program.