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A History of the United States in 100 Objects
100 Objects #1: The Century Safe
100 Objects #1: The Century Safe
In 1876, Americans filled an iron safe with objects meant to tell their story — to be opened a century later. Roman Mars and historian Jill Lepore trace its long wait, from Reconstruction to Watergate, and the surprising, unsettling contents that emerged in 1976. What do the objects we choose to preserve — or forget — reveal about how we author our own history?
Host: Roman Mars
Producers: Priscilla Alabi, Brenna Daldorph, Isaac Fisher, Ellie Lightfoot
EPs: Annie Brown, Courtney Harrell, Kathy Tu
On radio
Sat 4 Jul 2026
18:32GMT
91¸£ÀûÉç World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
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- Sat 4 Jul 2026 18:32GMT91¸£ÀûÉç World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Sun 5 Jul 2026 08:32GMT91¸£ÀûÉç World Service Australasia, South Asia & East Asia only
- Sun 5 Jul 2026 11:32GMT91¸£ÀûÉç World Service except Australasia, East Asia & South Asia