Early Photons from the Early Universe

The fame of the 3K cosmic, microwave, background, black body, relict, isotropic, thermal radiation has eclipsed that of all its rivals. But the universe is actually pervaded by backgrounds of electromagnetic radiation at all wavelengths, not to mention particles, neutrinos, magnetic fields, and gravitational radiation. The talk will explore the history of predictions and discoveries of some of these as well as the, at least six, prediscoveries and near misses of the CMB itself.