Episodes

Feb. 23, 2025

THE 1889 JOHNSTOWN FLOOD (PT 1) HEROES & SURVIVORS

On May 31st 1889 the earthen dam holding back Lake Conemaugh 15 bmiles upstream from Johnstown, PA burst duriung heavy spring rains, sending a 40 foot wave of death down a narrow river valley in which was located 80,000 persons, and finally reaching...
Feb. 9, 2025

PARIS UNDERCOVER: A WARTIME STORY OF COURAGE, FRIENDSHIP, AND BETRAYAL

Two woman in Nazi-occupied Paris, bith close friends over 50 years old create a daring escape line that rescued dozens of allied servicemen . With one still in prison,  one was returned to the states on a prisoner swap and wrote a tell-all book...
Jan. 26, 2025

THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL: HELL IN THE PACIFIC AUG 1942- FEB 1943

The land campaign on Guadalcanal The initial amphibious assault on the southern Solomons represented a superb coordination of Allied naval, air, and ground forces. Warships laid down heavy barrages to screen the approach of troop transports and...
Jan. 19, 2025

THE JFK CONSPIRACY THE SECRET PLOT TO KILL KENNEDY- AND WHY IT FAILED

A Dangerous Loner... The Perfect TARGETS... THYE VERY FIRST PLOT TO KILL JFK Jon talks with NYT Best-selling authors Brad Meltzer and Josh Mentz about THE JFK CONSPIRACY- The secret plot to kill Kennedy- and why it failed.   Check out our...
Jan. 16, 2025

BEST OF (#47 OF 503) THE CURSE OF THE BILLY GOAT

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries
Jan. 12, 2025

THE RYAN HAMMONDS REINCARNATION STORY

A four year-old boy in Oklahoma begins telling his mom all about his other life- that he had had four wives, three brothers and two sisters, and had lived in a big home with a pool, and literally hundreds of other details. He did not know his prior...
Jan. 5, 2025

THE YOUNG BROTHERS MASSACRE: A BAD DAY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

On Jan 2, 1932, in a rural area in southwest Missouri, 6 lawmen were shot and killed and two wounded in a shootout as a groupof 11 sheriffs and deputies surrounded a farmhouse in which two or three well-armed fugitives were holedup. They were brothers...
Dec. 24, 2024

THE HEARTWARMING STORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914:

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries
Dec. 22, 2024

JEEP SHOW: A TROUPER AT THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, REMEMBERING BASTOGNE 80 YEARS AGO IN DEC '44

Few history buffs are aware of the existence of enlisted entertainers (MOS 442) or TEAM SNAFU. Bob O'Connor's novel Jeep Show  follows the life of Jim Tanzer as he follows front line combat infantry to the border of Germany and puts on a...
Dec. 22, 2024

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: PLAYING NOW AT 1001 BEST OF JACK LONDON; OUR HAWAII by CHARMIAN AND JACK LONDON (SEE SHOW NOTES FOR LINKS)

In the winter of 1915-1916 Jack and his wife Charmian London sailed their Snark to Hawaii, It was a bittersweet return to paradise for both of them, Jack have come there twice before, one of those times with Charmaine. But this was his last year of life, and he wanted to spend it on the islands he loved the most. In what we call part 1, Charmian adds a preface and Jack begins a two part story of how Hawaii became an American territory- taking time to extoll the virtues of their terrific surfing ...
Dec. 15, 2024

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF AMBROSE BIERCE

In December of 1914,71 year-old decorated CivilWar Major,  accomplished journalist, and  famous author Ambrose Bierce wrote his Niece and his secretary to tell them he was going to Mexico to cover the Mexican insurrection led by Pancho Villa...
Dec. 14, 2024

ANCHORS AWEIGH- HOW NAVY GOT ITS THEME SONG FOR THE ARMY-NAVY GAME

In 1907 Navy had been losing every year to Army in the annual Army-Navy football game.Finally they tasked Charless A Zimmerman, the new band leader, to devise a song that would put Navy over the op if it was played during the game. Zimmerman came...
Dec. 8, 2024

THE LIBERTY BELL WILL RING AGAIN : THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA'S ICONIC SYMBOL OF FREEDOM- THE LIBERTY BELL (AND YES, IT WILL RING AGAIN IN 2026)

On July 4th, 2026, in fact, all that year, America's Liberty Bell and all its brothers and sisters in every state will be ringing out loud and clear to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  There are...
Nov. 24, 2024

ELVIS MYTHS & LEGENDS (PT 1)

In this interview with U.K. radio personality and author Neil Nixon () we discuss all things mythical and legendary about Elvis the King,including  #"It's Now or Never" (song),  #Fortean Magazine, #'Elvis' movie (2022), #AustinButler, ##The...
Nov. 24, 2024

THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST THANKSGIVING (BEST OF 1001)

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries
Nov. 17, 2024

AMERICAN SCARY: A HISTORY OF HORROR FROM SALEM TO STEPHEN KING AND BEYOND

In this very enjoyable intervoiew with author Jeremy Dauber we discuss his new blockbuster  book American Scary , which is a sweeping and entertaining narrative that details the rise and enduring grip of horror on American culture from the...
Nov. 10, 2024

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION: HOW ONE OF AMERICA'S FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COMEDIES WAS MADE (+ BLOOPERS)

It was the third "Vacation" comedy featuring the Griswald family- Clark. Ellen,Rusty and Audrey- and all Clark wanted to have a simple old-fashioned Christmas with family. His plan: to heavily decorate the house and roof with lights, Santa and...
Nov. 9, 2024

3 MINUTE PREVIEW OF OUR FIRST EPISODE- OUR NEW PODCAST -1001 TRUE CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME- LISTEN NOW....UNSOLVED: THE JAMISON FAMILY DISAPPEARANCE.

In October of 2009 the Jamison Family (Bobby, aged 44, Sherilynn, aged 40, and Madison, age 6), packed thir pickup truck into drove into a nearby state forest, apparently to camp. Three days later their pickup truck was discovered by hunters with their malnourished dog inside and all their belongings, including ID and phones, as well as $32,000 in cash. Their remains were discovered 4 years later 2.7 miles from their truck. This remains one of the most perplexing unsolved cases in the country. W...
Oct. 20, 2024

THE BATTLE OF BEECHER'S ISLAND (PT 2): THE SEIGE AND RESCUE

For days Forsyth's men laid in their shallow holes trying not to get shot, but the doctor was hit badly, Beecher was dying, and qa half dozen others were either dead of wounded, including Forsyth, who was still commanding his men. They had sent scouts...
Oct. 17, 2024

BEST OF (#33 OF 505) (PT 3) THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST AMERICAN-BORN BLACK FIGHTER PILOT- "JACQUES" BULLARD

One of the most moving stories we have ever done jhere at 1001 Heroes- This one deserves a movie!
Oct. 17, 2024

BEST OF (#33 OF 502) ALL BLOOD RUNS RED (PT 1) THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST AMERICAN-BORN BLACK FIGHTER PILOT JACQUES BULLARD (PT 1 OF 3)

Born in the South to a poor black family, young Eugene Bullard ran away from his family when his only parent, his father, was being pursue for a supposed crime. He made it to France and became a fighter pilot for the French air force in WWI.His...