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
Sep 19, 2024 • 23min
A 185-year-old Mutiny that Impacted the Slave Era
It's one of the more quoted stories from the slave era. Four deaths during a mutiny aboard a ship - La Amistad - carrying 50 kidnapped Africans from Cuba led to high profile court cases in the U.S. about the immoral slave trade in the 1800s, drawing international attention.
Sep 12, 2024 • 23min
The Deafening Sound of the Invisible Enemy Frightened an Entire Town
Veteran soldiers in the 1700s were as perplexed as ordinary towns folks - and even as scared - by the deafening, ongoing noise that woke them up on a particularly dark night. Nobody could see the source of the sound - a sound like never heard before. Was it Judgement Day? When the morning light came, the mystery was solved.
Sep 5, 2024 • 26min
Who was the 1899 Bank Robber Whose Grave Still Reads X-Y-Z?
His gravestone reads "X-Y-Z" because the identity of the man who staged an 1899 bank robbery is still unconfirmed. He was shot dead during the robbery and photos of him were widely circulated in the newspapers of the day. No one ever positively identified him.
Aug 29, 2024 • 28min
The True Story Behind Arsenic and Old Lace
Maybe you've seen the classic 1944 Cary Grant movie "Arsenic and Old Lace." It's about two spinster women who lure unsuspecting men to their home and then poison them. What you may not know, is that it's based on a true story.
Aug 22, 2024 • 21min
The CT Compromise - It Saved Our Country
Roger Sherman is the only founding father who signed all four of the country's original documents. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and brokered the Connecticut Compromise, breaking a political impasse and allowing the Constitution to be approved.
Aug 15, 2024 • 21min
The First Flying Automobile was Invented Decades Ago
The first flying automobile approved by the FAA was invented in the 1940s. Robert Fulton's Airphibian was only one of his incredible gifts to society. He also invented the flight simulator, that teaches pilots to fly, and Skyhook, featured in a 007 film.
Aug 8, 2024 • 20min
Can We Settle the Question of Who Settled First?
Was it Wethersfield or Windsor? After English settlers arrived at Plymouth in the 1600s, they moved into Connecticut. A dispute over which town they settled first continues. Either way, Wethersfield boasts some of the nation's most incredible history.
Aug 1, 2024 • 22min
Tweed - The Little Airport That Could
The development of airports has occurred with many today surrounded by neighborhoods that were built when the airports were small. The Tweed-New Haven Airport fits this bill - and its runway is on the actual border between two towns.
Jul 25, 2024 • 18min
Yankee Peddlers - The First Door-to-Door Salesmen, in the 1700s
Yankee Peddlers - the original door-to-door salesmen. Starting in New England in the 1700s, two brothers not only created the Yankee Peddler approach to consumerism, but they also happened to establish the use of tin for plates, coffee pots and dozens of other applications in the U.S.
Jul 18, 2024 • 26min
The Man Who Chiseled Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore. It was conceived and chiseled by Gutzon Borglum, a controversial artist who was the one who decided which four presidents to feature. And when he couldn't quite finish the project, in stepped his son.
