Jonathan Burdick
Location
Erie, Pennsylvania
School
Edinboro University Of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University Of Pennsylvania
Expertise
U.S. History, Politics, Golden Age Hollywood
- Jonathan's one-on-one interviews include David Harbour of "Stranger Things" and Tom Everett Scott of "That Thing You Do."
- He once wrote a history of Erie, Pennsylvania's famous pepperoni balls for NBA.com to help promote Erie's NBA G League team.
- He's won regional awards for both his writing (Hagen History Center Media Award) and teaching (Golden Apple Award).
Experience
Jonathan has been teaching high school history and economics since 2009. After completing his master's degree in history in 2017, he founded the award-winning public history project Rust & Dirt. That same year, he began writing history and culture pieces for the Erie Reader, a popular alt-weekly out of Erie, Pennsylvania, as well as having stories published in other publications including Belt Magazine, Contingent Magazine, and NBA.com. He began writing for Grunge in 2022.
Education
Jonathan has bachelor's and master's degrees in Secondary Education Social Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a master's degree in history from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
The unique content on Grunge is a result of skilled collaboration between writers and editors with a broad array of expertise in everything from history to classic Hollywood to true crime. Our goal is to provide accurate and diverse content bolstered by expert input.
Focused on accuracy and ethical coverage, the Grunge editorial team consistently fact-checks and reviews site content to provide readers with an informative, entertaining, and engaging experience. Click here for more information on our editorial process.
Stories By Jonathan Burdick
-
The 1950S was a decade of prosperity and innovation. It was also a time where racism, sexism, and fears for the future was rampant.
-
In over 70 years of the NBA, only seven players have done it. Here are the only NBA players to score 70 points in a game — and one who surprisingly didn't.
-
Many might recognize names like Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee from history class, but here are some of the forgotten Union generals from the Civil War.
-
Katharine Hepburn may not be a headliner today, but her star power in Old Hollywood earned her a staggering 12 Oscar nods, surpassed only by Meryl Streep.
-
There have been hundreds of tragic railway accidents over the past two centuries. These are a few of the deadliest train wrecks in human history.
-
The Women's Suffrage Movement won women the right to vote. But here's the story of its "anti" movement, the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.
-
Andy Kaufman, who would insist throughout his career that he wasn't a comedian, is famous but perhaps still a mystery to most people. Here's his untold truth.
-
Approaching decade eight, Randy Newman doesn't look to be slowing down (a tour is planned for 2023), as he continues to create music on his own terms.
-
Clarence Darrow was a lawyer with a long and storied career. Here's his untold truth, from the beginning of his law days to his death.
-
Today, there exist in the world more than 300 different sign languages — a form of communication with an at-times contentious history dating back millennia.
-
The 1960s are one of the most turbulent decades in U.S. history, especially in Chicago. These are the dark secrets of the 1968 Chicago Riot, revealed.
-
Jackie Robinson was a baseball player, but he was also a husband, a father, a civil rights activist, and a businessman. He is his untold truth.
-
In the messy political scene following the Civil War, one man proved especially powerful. This is the truth about US presidential frenemy, Roscoe Conkling.
-
The influence that Malcolm X had on American society and the Civil Rights Movement during his brief life was monumental. Here's his story.
-
Celebrities who live long lives often have legacy that crosses generations. When they die we are left feeling as if it weren't enough time.
-
Jimmy Carter's life is much more than his successes and failures as a president. Here are some little-known facts.
-
Many past presidents have used the world stage to shell out advice. It is likely no surprise that not all advice given by U.S. presidents has been top notch.
-
The Northern Pacific Railway connected the Great Lakes to the Pacific Ocean and promised adventure, opportunity and excitement along the way.