History Ignited

Author: History Ignited

Winner of the 2025 Webby Peoples Voice Award for Best Kids and Family Podcast, History Ignited has one mission: teach kids history, prevent repeats. Hosted by 9-year-old Caroline, 11-year-old Andrew, and their parents Amy and Dave, each 58 minute episode brings an event from Billy Joels We Didnt Start the Fire to life with fun, accurate storytelling and a quick joke at the end. Perfect for curious kids, parents, and classrooms.
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Language: en-us

Genres: History, Kids & Family, Stories for Kids

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Starkweather Homicide: The Real Story of Charles Starkweather | History Ignited
Episode 68
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026

Why does a name like 'Starkweather' still ring out in a pop song thirty years later? Today, we’re unpacking one of the darkest references in Billy Joel’s We Didn't Start the Fire. Join us as we trace how a real-life homicide spree in 1958 became a permanent fixture in American pop culture, inspiring everything from Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska to films like Badlands and Natural Born Killers. We discuss why Billy Joel chose this specific event to represent the chaos of the fifties and how Starkweather’s 'James Dean' persona created a terrifying new archetype of the American rebel. Send us a text𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱! 🎙️We break down history’s most fascinating moments, making complex topics fun and easy to explore. Don’t forget to comment with your ideas — we might feature them in our next episode! 🎉𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀: • Website: historyignited.com• Instagram: @HistoryIgnitedPodcast• Facebook: History Ignited Podcast• Apple Podcasts: Subscribe here• YouTube: History Ignited Channel🔔 Subscribe and click the bell for more exciting episodes!𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝗹’𝘀 “𝗪𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲” 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆! See you next time!