The Feminine Mystique
History Daily
History Daily
4.4 • 2.5K Ratings
🗓️ 19 February 2026
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
February 19, 1963. The publication of The Feminine Mystique, widely seen as the beginning of second-wave feminism.
- Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.
History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.
Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job. |
| 0:03.5 | You need the right person with a right background who can move your business forward. |
| 0:07.4 | If you want candidates who match what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsored jobs. |
| 0:12.3 | And listeners of the show will get a 100-pound sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash broadcast. Just go to |
| 0:22.3 | Indeed.com slash broadcast right now and support this show by saying you heard about Indeed on |
| 0:27.6 | this podcast. Indeed.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring, do it the right way |
| 0:34.4 | with Indeed. |
| 0:45.3 | Music do it the right way with Indeed. It's midsummer 1957 on the grounds of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. |
| 0:51.5 | 36-year-old Smith alumna Betty Friedan smooths the creases from her dress and takes a deep, settling breath. Three-year-old Smith alumna Betty Friedan smooths the creases from her dress |
| 0:55.8 | and takes a deep settling breath. Through the gate in front of her, a wide lawn stretches out. |
| 1:01.5 | Groups of women cluster beneath the trees laughing and talking. Today is the 15th anniversary |
| 1:07.0 | reunion for the Smith College class of 1942. Betty forces a smile and then steps through the gates. |
| 1:13.6 | As she crosses the lawn, she recognizes faces she's not seen since the day they graduated. |
| 1:19.6 | She smiles a little awkwardly, unsure which group to join first, |
| 1:23.6 | but then a cheerful voice calls Betty's name. |
| 1:26.6 | A small group of former classmates |
| 1:28.7 | waves her over and reach for her hands and greeting. Some compliment her hair or her clothes. |
| 1:34.1 | Someone presses a cold drink into her palm. They talk of husbands and homes, children in schools, |
| 1:39.9 | and at first Betty just listens, sipping from her glass. But she's not here to make small talk. |
| 1:45.6 | So eventually she puts down her drink and reaches into her purse for a small reporter's notebook and pencil. |
| 1:51.6 | The movement draws glances and the chatter falters. |
| 1:55.1 | Wasting no more time, Betty launches into a series of questions she's prepared earlier. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from History Daily, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of History Daily and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

