Amazing Tales About History

Mike Allen
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Oct 30, 2025 • 25min

A Discussion with Paul Revere - Really

Being Paul Revere’s descendant is an important fact of life for Paul Revere III; however, he also looks for the humorous side of being related to his legendary ancestor. For instance, what happens after he tells someone his name is Paul Revere? Or, would his own wife be upset if he said he had to take off for a few hours to go do something rather important? Paul Revere III has a wonderful perspective on his ancestor – as well as his own role in maintaining our history.
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Oct 23, 2025 • 18min

Two Horrible Plane Crashes You've Forgotten About

Two plane crash incidents from more than half-a-century ago killed 150 people in New York City, including (1) when a B-52 bomber rammed the Empire State Building and (2) when TWA and United jets collided over Staten Island, scattering passenger bodies and debris there and in Brooklyn. Most amazing are the stories of the survivor from each separate incident.
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Oct 16, 2025 • 16min

The First Time Somebody Steered a Hot Air Balloon

Hot air balloons are subject to the wind – where the wind blows, so goes the balloon. Charles Ritchel upset that paradigm in 1878 by creating a lighter-than-air craft that could be steered. His craft was able to land exactly where it took off from. It worked - most of the time; but, when it didn’t, the pilot had to make hair-raising, in-air adjustments to survive.
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Oct 9, 2025 • 18min

Trails the Spies Followed

Nathan Hale, Caleb Brewster, Benedict Arnold, John Andre – all part of spy rings or treasonous activities. One man, who has studied them all, retraced 200 miles of their paths during the Revolutionary War by bicycle and kayak. He recounts their historic and harrowing stories.
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Oct 2, 2025 • 22min

Disneyland of the East

Do you remember Freedomland – a theme park in The Bronx, NY that was surprisingly open for only five years? It was dubbed “Disneyland of the East” because it was created by the same person who designed the original Disneyland – the first employee ever hired by Walt Disney. It turns out that Freedomland’s financial backers never intended for it to be open more than five years – and the reason will amaze you.
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Sep 25, 2025 • 23min

Did Gustave Whitehead Fly Before the Wright Brothers?

Did Gustave Whitehead beat the Wright Brothers as the first to fly? His supporters say he beat them by two years, but that an unfair agreement between the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Wrights’ estate unfairly stacks the deck against Whitehead. The arguments are strong on both sides, and this 125-year-old dispute shows no signs of dying down.
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Sep 18, 2025 • 19min

The Secret Behind the Old Farmer's Almanac Weather Forecasts

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the oldest continuously published periodical in the U.S. Started in the late 1700s, it’s been known for its highly accurate weather forecasts for more than 230 years as well as information of agriculture, gardening, astronomy, and home-spun wisdom. The current editor shares the basics of the weather forecasting formula.
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Sep 11, 2025 • 20min

The Day British Occupation Finally Ended

It used to be a major holiday. It’s been largely forgotten. But it’s trying to make a comeback. It’s Evacuation Day. It’s when the British left their military headquarters in New York City for the last time after the Revolutionary War, leaving the new United States to stand on its own. On November 25, 1783, General George Washington led his troops down Broadway, but all did not go smoothly that day. The British left a final surprise.
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Sep 4, 2025 • 22min

How ESPN Began

Starting an all-sports television network took guts, money, and talent. These miraculously came together to meet a September 7, 1989 deadline for ESPN to go live. The first employee was Peter Fox – ESPN’s original Executive Producer. He has numerous, priceless, and unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories of the people and circumstances that brought us ESPN.
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Aug 28, 2025 • 21min

The Colonial Hero You Never Heard Of

There’s a Colonial Era hero who many people have never heard of – John Durkee. Ten years before the Declaration of Independence, Durkee stopped the highly unpopular British Stamp Act from taking effect in Connecticut. You won’t believe how he did it, though. His actions spurred a movement that brought Jonathan Trumbull to the Governor’s office, cementing CT’s role as the only colony to officially back the Patriots during the Revolutionary War.

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