Dr. Paul Offit discusses the Cutter Incident, a tragic event that compromised the polio vaccine. Topics include the impact of polio, challenges in vaccine production, and the importance of vaccines in combating diseases like polio.

Discover the origins of a wild conspiracy theory about a supposed government concentration camp in Alaska, involving brainwashing, Scientology, and communist-hunting housewives in the 1950s.

In the early days of television, women struggled to find their place. In 1955, they got it: forecasting the weather, on stations all across the country. But as these “weather girls” transformed the airwaves, a group of powerful men hatched a plan—one that had the potential to push women weathercasters off the air forever.Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad. It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the birth and popularity of the Davy Crockett craze in 1955, fueled by a TV show and post-war affluence. Learn about Disney's struggles and frustrations, the impact of Davy Crockett on American children, and the rise and fall of the craze. Discover the enduring influence of Davy Crockett and the rise of rock and roll music in America.

The Cannon Street All-Stars dreamed of playing in the 1955 Little League World Series. Their biggest obstacle didn’t come on the field. In the year that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus, these Black 12-year-olds became unlikely civil rights pioneers—and faced the wrath of a white society that wasn’t ready to change.Josh Levin is One Year’s editorial director. One Year’s senior producer is Evan Chung.This episode was produced by Kelly Jones and Evan Chung, with additional production by Sophie Summergrad. It was edited by Joel Meyer and Derek John, Slate’s executive producer of narrative podcasts. Merritt Jacob is our senior technical director.Join Slate Plus to get the first three episodes of One Year: 1955 right away—and a bonus 1955 story at the end of the season. Slate Plus members also get to listen to all Slate podcasts without any ads. Sign up now to support One Year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming Thursday, August 31st, the fifth season of One Year covers 1955. A year when a team of 12-year-olds tried to integrate Little League, “weather girls” took the country by storm, and a conspiracy theory about Communist brainwashing infected the nation’s politics.One Year is history like you’ve never heard it before. In each season, host Josh Levin brings you the weirdest, wildest, and most captivating moments from a single year in American history. You’ll hear stories you may have forgotten and ones you won’t believe you didn’t know, all told by the people who lived through them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this Slate Plus episode, host Josh Levin and senior producer Evan Chung share behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the fourth season of One Year. Then, Josh is joined by historian Tracy Campbell to talk about his book The Year of Peril: America in 1942.Slate Plus members have access to this whole conversation. Sign up for Slate Plus to listen to this exclusive episode and support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1942, federal officials targeted a group of Black Americans who were allegedly hoping for a Japanese invasion. They uncovered a plot that included stockpiles of weapons and secret passwords—but was any of it true? This week, Joel Anderson tells the story of a shadowy organization in East St. Louis, Illinois, the group’s mysterious leader, and an alleged conspiracy against America during World War II.This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Joel Anderson, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.Derek John is executive producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six months after Pearl Harbor, Japan launched another attack on the United States. This time, Axis forces actually invaded, turning the Aleutian Islands into a battleground. What the country did next, in the name of “protecting” Alaska’s indigenous people, is a shameful chapter of the war. And it’s one the nation has never fully reckoned with.This episode of One Year was produced by Evan Chung, Sophie Summergrad, Sam Kim, Sol Werthan, and Josh Levin.Derek John is senior supervising producer of narrative podcasts and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.Slate Plus members get to hear more about the making of One Year. Get access to extra episodes, listen to the show without any ads, and support One Year by signing up for Slate Plus for just $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exploring the deceptive agenda of a radio show during WWII. Role of propaganda in shaping public opinion. Herbert Bergman's shift to Nazi propaganda. Impact of rumors and hate speech in America. Unmasking exaggerated claims of propaganda broadcasters. Reflections on treason and misinformation in 1942.