No matter what hero story you read or hear, the location it takes place will be in total alignment with the era it was written. And it has changed over time because society always pushes the hero to face the unknown at the edge of the map. In today's episode we cross paths with Homer, Daniel LaRusso, John Steinbeck, Edgar Rice Burroughs, George Lucas, HG Wells, Joseph Campbell, Shrek and Galileo.
Episode 80: One Step Leads to Another
30.05.2026 | 31 Min.
Today's episode is Part 3 of our Origin Story Series about the start of Tracing The Path. Today's story touches on Russia's Yuri Andropov, Mark Twain, Bram Stoker, Nicolae Ceaușescu the Austro Hungarian Empire, the University of Nebraska, Auschwitz, the Sound of Music and the concept of manifestation.
Episode 79: The Conversation: Yeltsin's Grocery Revolution
02.05.2026 | 28 Min.
In today's episode we discussion the evolution of grocery stores, as discussed in Episode 78. Life in Romania, automatic sliding doors, Walgreens lighting, Rachel's dads inventions and the plight of A&P.
Episode 78: Yeltsin's Grocery Revolution
30.04.2026 | 40 Min.
When Boris Yeltsin came to the United States in 1989 to speak, visit with the President and see the Statue of Liberty, his entire outlook on the world changed in one :20 minute moment. But it wasn't NYC or Miami or President Bush. It was Randall's Grocery Store in Webster Texas. This is the story of the history of that moment.
In this episode we cross paths with Marjorie Merriwether Post, IBM, Spectra-Physics, Wrigley's Gum, James J. Hill, Clarence Saudners, Williams Leslie Maxson, Boris Yeltsin and Grape Nuts.
Episode 77: The Conversation: World's Best Music
01.04.2026 | 33 Min.
Are those really the world's most famous tunes? Rachel and I discuss the "easter eggs" of the show, whether they are songs and more ludicrousness. Foreigner, Twinkle Twinkle, Happy Birthday . . . what do you think?
Tracing The Path explores how ordinary people, products, ideas, and moments unexpectedly shaped the modern world.Every episode begins with something familiar—a word, a company, a song, an invention, a historical event, or a cultural phenomenon—and follows the surprising chain of connections that made it matter.Why did a grocery store change the course of the Cold War?How did a simple greeting become part of everyday life?What do advertising agencies, world leaders, musicians, inventors, and soft drink companies have in common?More than you might think.Hosted by award-winning storyteller Dan R. Morris, Tracing The Path uncovers the forgotten figures, unexpected decisions, and hidden connections behind the people, products, places, and ideas that shaped the 20th Century—and continue to influence our lives today.Inspired by the storytelling traditions of Paul Harvey, Charles Kuralt, Charles Osgood, and Garrison Keillor, each episode is crafted to leave you with that rare feeling:"I had no idea."Whether we're exploring world-changing inventions, iconic brands, cultural turning points, political upheavals, or everyday objects hiding extraordinary histories, you'll discover that history is far more connected than it first appears.Because the modern world didn't appear overnight.Someone built it.Something changed it.Every path has a beginning.New episodes monthly, plus bonus Addendum episodes featuring the stories that didn't make the final cut.Visit TracingThePath.com for episode transcripts, discussion questions, trivia, and additional resources.
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