Deep Dive: The Liberation of Auschwitz, Mozart’s Musical Legacy, and the Founding of National Geographic - January 27, 2026

[00:00] Hannah Whitmore: Hello, and welcome to Deep Dive. [00:03] Noah Feldman: Thanks, Hannah. [00:04] Noah Feldman: You know, today is January 27th, a date that carries an incredible amount of weight in the story of the 20th century, [00:13] Noah Feldman: particularly when we look at the liberation of Auschwitz and the global recognition of the Holocaust's atrocities. [00:20] Hannah Whitmore: It really does, Noah. [00:22] Hannah Whitmore: On this day in 1945, Soviet forces reached the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps in Poland. [00:31] Hannah Whitmore: What they discovered there, the evidence of over 1.1 million people murdered by the Nazi regime, [00:38] Hannah Whitmore: revealed the full horrific scale of the Holocaust to a shocked world. [00:44] Hannah Whitmore: It is a moment that fundamentally changed our understanding of human rights and international law. [00:50] Noah Feldman: Exactly. [00:52] Noah Feldman: That significance is preserved today through International Holocaust Remembrance Day, [00:57] Noah Feldman: which is observed on this anniversary. [01:00] Noah Feldman: It serves as a permanent reminder of where hatred can lead when left unchecked. [01:05] Noah Feldman: While we reflect on that somber legacy, January 27th is also a day where we see the absolute [01:12] Noah Feldman: best of human creativity across the centuries. [01:15] Hannah Whitmore: That balance is so important. I mean, if we look at the birthdays today, we have a literal [01:23] Hannah Whitmore: Mount Rushmore of the arts, starting all the way back in 1756 with the birth of Wolfgang [01:31] Hannah Whitmore: Amadeus Mozart. Even as a child prodigy, he was redefining what music could be. [01:39] Hannah Whitmore: His work from the magic flute to the marriage of Figueroa remains the gold standard of classical composition. [01:47] Noah Feldman: It is hard to overstate his influence, Hannah. [01:50] Noah Feldman: And speaking of unique creative minds, we also celebrate Lewis Carroll, born in 1832. [01:58] Noah Feldman: Most people know him for the whimsy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, [02:02] Noah Feldman: but it is fascinating that he was also a mathematician. [02:06] Noah Feldman: That logical undercurrent is what makes his nonsense literature so structurally brilliant and enduring. [02:12] Hannah Whitmore: I never thought about the math behind the mad hatter, but it makes perfect sense. [02:18] Hannah Whitmore: And we have to round out this trio with Mikhail Baryshnikov, born in 1948. [02:25] Hannah Whitmore: He is widely considered one of the greatest ballet dancers to ever grace the stage. [02:31] Hannah Whitmore: His career is such a testament to discipline and evolution, moving from the pinnacle of classical dance into acting and choreography. [02:41] Noah Feldman: Whether it is music, literature, or movement, these three individuals really represent the peak of their crafts. [02:48] Noah Feldman: But, you know, Hannah, human curiosity is not just about internal expression. [02:53] Noah Feldman: It is also about how we organize our knowledge of the external world. [02:58] Noah Feldman: That brings us to our fact of the day. [03:01] Hannah Whitmore: Are we talking about the group of 33 that met in Washington, D.C.? [03:06] Noah Feldman: Right. On January 27, 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded. [03:13] Noah Feldman: It was started by a diverse group of explorers, scientists, and even military officers who wanted to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge. [03:24] Noah Feldman: They created something that became a gateway for millions of people to see the world for the first time. [03:31] Hannah Whitmore: That iconic yellow border on the magazine is basically a symbol for exploration now. [03:38] Hannah Whitmore: It is interesting to think about how they took these scientific expeditions [03:43] Hannah Whitmore: and turned them into something accessible to the public. [03:46] Hannah Whitmore: It really aligns with that mission of making the world smaller through understanding. [03:52] Noah Feldman: It really does, and it ties back to everything we have discussed today. [03:57] Noah Feldman: Whether it is documenting history, creating timeless art, or mapping the globe, [04:02] Noah Feldman: January 27th shows us the many ways we try to make sense of our existence. [04:07] Noah Feldman: It has been a fascinating look at the calendar with you, Hannah. [04:11] Hannah Whitmore: I agree, Noah. Thank you for the insights. [04:14] Noah Feldman: Thanks for listening to Deep Dive. You can explore more at deepdive.neuralnewscast.com. [04:22] Noah Feldman: Deep Dive is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. Explore history every day on neuralnewscast.com. [04:30] Noah Feldman: Deep Dive is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. Explore history every day on neural newscast. [04:38] Noah Feldman: This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.