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
May 2, 2024 • 23min
A Top-Secret World War II Project: "PO Box 1142"
American soldiers held in German during WW II made many prison escapes largely thanks to a top-secret project: Post Office Box 1142. Coded info and hidden devices were mailed to prisoners in ingenious ways that got past prison guards.
Apr 25, 2024 • 24min
Who Really Killed Seymour's First Selectman?
About 100 years ago, a town's top leader was shot to death in his Town Hall office. Ray Gilliard telephoned the operator, said he had been shot, described his assailants, and asked for police and a doctor to be dispatched. Then, the line went dead. The investigation's outcome shocked everyone.
Apr 18, 2024 • 21min
The Very First Robot
The "father of robotics," Joseph Engelberger, created the very first industrial robot in the 1980s. It was installed on a car manufacturing production line. His ingenuity led to other advances, including a robot that delivered food trays from a hospital kitchen to a patient's bedside.
Apr 11, 2024 • 21min
One of the Biggest Construction Disasters - the L'Ambiance Collapse
In 1987, a novel construction technique failed, causing a multi-story concrete structure to collapse onto and kill 28 workers. Each floor fell, pancake style, on top of the one below it until the tons of concrete from the L'Ambiance apartment building project trapped the crew. Thomas Bucci was the Mayor who had to manage the disaster.
Apr 4, 2024 • 20min
Benedict Arnold's Most Grizzly Attack
It was a complete mismatch that ended in a Revolutionary War slaughter. 1,600 British soldiers attacked Fort Griswold, where just 165 Patriot defenders gave fight. They surrendered, but the British killed them anyway in a battle directed by Benedict Arnold.
Mar 28, 2024 • 21min
He Murdered for Love - and Hate
It was a difficult murder to solve. The victim's body was not in his house, which had been burned to the ground. The suspect was especially adept at deflecting attention. While he didn't like the victim, he did love a woman - and the two emotions were connected to the crime.
Mar 21, 2024 • 20min
The Draft-Dodging Civil War Doctor
If you were a candidate for military service in the Civil War, and you saw Dr. Josiah Beckwith, odds are you would get a medical exemption. Why did more than 90% of Beckwith's patients end up ducking the draft?
Mar 14, 2024 • 25min
Preserving Open Space is Getting More Difficult
Just because land is forested or undeveloped doesn't mean it's set-aside "open space." Many landowners are just waiting for the right time to sell to developers. The battle to commit enough open space land for future generations to enjoy is behind schedule.
Mar 7, 2024 • 21min
Noah Webster - Our Forgotten Founding Father
Noah Webster doesn't command much attention as a founding father. Yet, he created the first American dictionary and made contributions to education that remain to this day. He's the father of U.S. copyright law and founder of New York’s first daily newspaper.
Feb 29, 2024 • 26min
Are Zoos Becoming a Thing of the Past?
At one point, Connecticut had five zoos. Now, it's just has one accredited facility: Beardsley Zoo. This dwindling resource keeps highly endangered species alive and director Gregg Dancho says its contributions are generally unappreciated by society.
