Amazing Tales About History
Mike Allen
Marilyn Monroe, PT Barnum, American history, and Revolutionary War insights ... Dive deep into the hidden corners of history with mysteries, fascinating inventions, secret military operations, magical islands, ancient trails, forgotten roadways, Native Americans, supernatural activity, UFOs. 20-minute episodes. Memorable stories. Great guests. We present history as it should be – accurate, engaging, and told with a touch of magic. New episodes every Thursday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 11, 2022 • 15min
When Christianity Met Native Americans
The Moravian sect is the oldest Protestant religion. They sent missionaries in the 1700s to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Over 15 years, they converted several dozen. In fact, their main preacher was so revered that Native Americans buried him on their land, an honor.
Aug 4, 2022 • 32min
The First Gold Strike East of the Mississippi
Minerals and gemstones. Highly profitable rock formations have been unearthed across CT. It's where the first gold strike occurred east of the Mississippi River. Iron deposits led to the first cannon balls. One mine supplied the granite for the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Jul 28, 2022 • 15min
Putting a Stop to Grave Robbing
Grave robbing is rare today. It was common in the 1800s. Stealing valuables buried with the dead occurred. So did the removal of recently-buried corpses - used by medical institutions to learn more about the human body. One notorious case involved Yale University. Finally, the practice had to be outlawed.
Jul 21, 2022 • 19min
The First Mass Murder in the U.S.
Mass murders are common today. In the 1700s, they were unheard of in Colonial America. Until the case of Barnett Davenport. He brutally murdered 5 people in a farmhouse. As grisly as the murders were, so was the manner in which capital punishment was carried out in those days.
Jul 14, 2022 • 25min
The Hubble Telescope: Uncovering the Secrets of the Universe
When the Hubble space telescope first sent back photos, NASA called it the single most important contribution to outer space knowledge since Galileo. It was the first telescope sent beyond the “waviness” of Earth’s atmosphere, giving crystal clear views. Building it was a monumental challenge.
Jul 7, 2022 • 34min
The Greatness of Marian Anderson
International opera superstar Marian Anderson. Best remembered for singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She had been barred from singing in 1939 at Constitution Hall because she was Black. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt made sure Anderson would be heard.
Jun 30, 2022 • 19min
The Odd Border Notch Between Connecticut and Massachusetts
The border between Massachusetts and Connecticut is straight. The King of England declared that in a charter issued in 1642. So where did the notch in the border come from, which juts into Connecticut? There's 160-years' worth of disputes about this one-square-mile of territory.
Jun 23, 2022 • 13min
An Old, Forgotten Pro Football Team
Trivia at a sports bar: who were the Hartford Blues? Most people can't answer correctly. They were the first and only pro football team based in Connecticut. They were part of the official National Football League and even played the New York Giants.
Jun 16, 2022 • 16min
How an American Industry Grew but Then Left Big Problems
It's an old story. An industry comes to town, builds a factory, employs hundreds, and then closes - often leaving pollution that's expensive to clean up. The Gilbert & Bennett Company is the epitome of this story. In fact, they're were even featured in the movie "Other People's Money" about such situations.
Jun 9, 2022 • 13min
Did JFK Single-Handedly Kill the Hatting Industry?
There was a time when a man didn't venture out without a hat. He wouldn’t have been completely dressed otherwise. What killed the hatting industry? Many people say it was President John Kennedy. He didn't wear a top hat to his inauguration in 1961. Is that what really happened?
