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
Feb 22, 2024 • 22min
Did This Man Survive the Titanic by Wearing a Dress?
1,500 victims drowned on the Titanic. William Sloper survived. He escaped on an a “women and children only” lifeboat. One reporter claimed he got in it by wearing a dress. What was the truth?
Feb 15, 2024 • 35min
When Your Small Plane Pilot Dies in Mid-Flight
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the pilot of a small plane you were riding in died in mid-flight? On Easter Sunday, 2009, the pilot of a twin-engine plane out of Florida suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving a father, his wife, and two daughters alone in the plane. A CT flight instructor tried to talk him down.
Feb 8, 2024 • 20min
169 Towns - Which One was First?
Is a "trading post" a "settlement?" This seemingly straightforward question is at the heart of a 400-year-old argument as to whether Windsor or Wethersfield was the first town settled by the English in Connecticut.
Feb 1, 2024 • 24min
PART 2: 20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound
In part two of this two-part series, we learn the fate of the 41-member submarine crew, trapped under Long Island Sound with flooded compartments, no radio onboard, deadly chlorine gas filling the vessel, and freezing water temperatures.
Jan 25, 2024 • 23min
PART 1: 20,000 Leagues Under Long Island Sound
In 1921, a submarine set sail in Long Island Sound for the New London Naval Base. In part one of this two-part series, we hear how the 41-member crew faced multiple, spellbinding challenges when the vessel sank, with no radio onboard.
Jan 18, 2024 • 29min
This Ghost Story has Dozens of Witnesses
This ghost story has dozens of witnesses. The well publicized "Lindley Street Poltergeist" saw thousands of people gathering nightly outside the house to witness supernatural activities seen by police and firefighters - floating refrigerators, knives flying through the air, and even a talking cat.
Jan 11, 2024 • 18min
The First Site Proposed for the U.N. Ran Into a Buzz Saw
Instead of New York City, imagine the United Nations in Greenwich, CT. It was the search committee's first choice. The ensuing community battle gave rise to the slogan "NIMBY": not in my backyard. The Rockefeller and Bush political dynasties also got involved.
Jan 4, 2024 • 27min
A Founding Father’s Son Jailed
William Franklin was the son of famous founding father Ben Franklin. He was also the Governor of New Jersey, representing the British Crown. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Patriot forces captured William and imprisoned him. How did Ben respond?
Dec 28, 2023 • 28min
The Mystery Behind the Eerie Moodus Noises
The sounds have been described as eerie, dreadful, and fearful, and they've been heard for centuries. The so-called "Moodus noises" have come to define the small village where the sounds come from, and intriguing legends have grown around them.
Dec 21, 2023 • 19min
The Strongest Man in the World
Farmer Elmer Bitgood drank 10 gallons of milk at lunchtime to wash down several pounds of hamburger. His biceps were 20 inches around. Newspapers nationwide in the 1920s dubbed him the strongest man in the world, for lifting 2,000 pounds.
