{"podcast":{"title":"The Stupid History Minute","slug":"the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","podcast_index_feed_id":4049187,"rss_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/4965707/episodes/feed","website_url":"https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-stupid-history-minute","image_url":"https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/18875e53f7c5089bf3fd2f8c03f7abf3.jpg","author":"Keb Pound","episode_count":1000,"summary":"Most people take everyday things for granted — but what if you could actually know the weird, surprising, and often hilarious stories behind them? I’m Keb Pound, and this is The Stupid History Minute — the most binge-able podcast in the world. One minute at a time, I break down the overlooked, the ordinary, and the absolutely ridiculous parts of everyday life. From the history of paperclips to why we say “bless you” after a sneeze, each episode delivers a fast, funny fact you’ll actually remember. Whether you're a trivia nerd, a podcast junkie, or just someone who loves learning weird stuff quickly, you’ll walk away a little smarter (and maybe a little more sarcastic). Don’t stay stupid — give me a minute. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute--4965707/support .","last_synced_at":"2026-08-01T14:17:31.460766+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187"},"episode":{"title":"Cheerios","slug":"cheerios","published_at":"2026-05-06T07:00:03+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/cheerios","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187","url":"https://www.spreaker.com/episode/cheerios--71777645","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71777645/cheerios.mp3","summary":"Discover how a trademark dispute with Quaker Oats forced General Mills to rename their flagship oat cereal. Learn about the scientific origins of the puffing gun process used to create this breakfast staple.","meta_description":"The surprising history of Cheerios: from Cheery Oats to a global household name following a 1945 legal battle.","key_points":["Main idea: Cheerios originated in 1941 under the name Cheery Oats","Failure mode: A trademark dispute with Quaker Oats forced a complete rebranding in 1945","Technical detail: The cereal was developed by physicist Lester Borchart using a specialized puffing gun process","Main idea: The product was marketed as a pioneer in the ready-to-eat healthy breakfast category","Practical takeaway: Successful branding often requires navigating intense competition and legal constraints"],"chapters":[{"start_ms":0,"title":"The Origins of Cheery Oats","summary":"The introduction of General Mills' oat-based cereal in 1941."},{"start_ms":10000,"title":"The Quaker Oats Dispute","summary":"How a legal battle over the name led to the birth of the Cheerios brand in 1945."},{"start_ms":20000,"title":"The Science of Puffing","summary":"Physicist Lester Borchart's development of the oat flour puffing gun process."},{"start_ms":30000,"title":"A Breakfast Revolution","summary":"The marketing of ready-to-eat cereal as a healthy household staple."}],"topics":["Cheerios","General Mills","Quaker Oats","Food History","Lester Borchart","Trademark Law","Cereal Manufacturing","Breakfast History"],"duration_seconds":75,"processing_state":"processed","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/episodes/cheerios/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-stupid-history-minute-4049187/cheerios.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}