Episodes

Long before Harry and Meghan, a much more serious crisis and scandal enveloped the British monarchy and the House of Windsor, the abdication of Edward VIII King George V and his family, The Prince of Wales, far left The future Edward VIII, known within his immediate family by the nickname of David, was born on June 23, 1894. His father, George V, did not become the king until 1910, then anointing David, his eldest son, with the title of Prince of Wales, next in the line of royal succession. Davi...

Long before Harry and Meghan, a much more serious crisis and scandal enveloped the British monarchy and the House of Windsor, the abdication of Edward VIII The Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, 1935 By mid-1934, even British high society insiders were aghast at what, “the little man,” as David was scornfully known as behind his back, had actually taken up with. When the Royal family deliberately deleted the Simpsons from the Royal guest list for the wedding of David’s brother, George, in Novem...

In July of 1954, an obscure milk shake mixer salesman walked into a fast food restaurant in San Bernardino, CA. The restaurant was operated by two brothers named McDonald, the result of this interaction profoundly changed American culture, business and nutrition forever. Ray Kroc, in the twenties Ray Kroc first interacted with Prince Castle as the Chicago based account manager for Lily-Tulip and sensing the enormous potential of the Multimixer device, he secured the national distribution rights ...

In July of 1954, an obscure milk shake mixer salesman walked into a fast food restaurant in San Bernardino, CA. The restaurant was operated by two brothers named McDonald, the result of this interaction profoundly changed American culture, business and nutrition forever. Joan Kroc Despite four decades and many years of dealing with a virtual absentee husband and serious anxiety over their household debt, Eleanor Kroc was still hanging in on the marriage. That is until, in 1961, when Kroc said he...

In 1770, the French people greeted Austrian Marie Antoinette as the beautiful and future French queen. Twenty-three years later they guillotined her as the most reviled woman in France. Marie Antoinette, as a young girl In Europe, with most political powers ruled by monarchies, the best method of insuring a stable alliance with another ruling dynasty was through marriage. Maria Theresa aggressively forged alliances with the French Bourbons dynasty through marriages of her daughters Maria Amalia ...

In 1770, the French people greeted Austrian Marie Antoinette as the beautiful and future French queen. Twenty-three years later they guillotined her as the most reviled woman in France. The Comtesse de la Motte The affair of the Diamond Necklace had its origin in a piece of jewelry that was commissioned by Louis XV in 1772 and meant as a gift for his mistress, the Madame Du Barry. He requested that the royal jewelers Charles Boehmer and Paul Bassenge create a diamond necklace that exceeded anyth...

An enduring American legend, hear what actually happened at the Battle of the Alamo David Crockett By 1817, after emerging from the military, David situated his family in Lawrence County, Tennessee as one of the area’s first inhabitants. Making a living as a professional hunter, mostly of wild bears, Crockett also began to involve himself in local politics, serving as a county commissioner and eventually as a state appointed justice of the peace. He also served several terms in the state legisla...

An enduring American legend, hear what actually happened at the Battle of the Alamo. James Fannin Fannin’s typically sluggish retreat left him out in the open and resulted in a March 19 battle near Coleto Creek only a few miles east of Goliad. Fannin’s men successfully repulsed repeated Mexican attacks but suffered many wounded troops that they could neither treat or transport. The following morning, with another Mexican attack imminent, Fannin surrendered with Urrea only promising that he would...

The true story about the man who contributed mightily to the destruction of one of America’s greatest 20th century icons. Elvis and the Colonel, on set. According to Colonel Tom Parker personally, he was born in early 1900, in Huntington, West Virginia and began working in touring carnivals at a very young age. He served in the military, eventually developed and promoted his own carnival acts and graduated to first promoting and then managing country musicians until obtaining the exclusive manag...

The true story about the man who contributed mightily to the destruction of one of America's greatest 20th century icons. Elvis, Aloha From Hawaii The Colonel, understanding that the lack of international touring was a major irritant for Elvis, then devised an ingenious plan to circumvent his personal abhorrence of such a tour. He made a deal with various television networks all over the world for Elvis to appear in a live format for live international satellite transmission to countries includi...

For twenty years, Whitey Bulger terrorized Boston with the full collusion of the FBI. On the run for sixteen years, he was eventually arrested on June 22, 2011. Whitey, mug shot, early fifties. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen Bulger was arrested ten times, for crimes ranging from larceny, drunk in public and assault and battery. Only once were charges ever pursued to the point of a criminal conviction and even then, Whitey was able to get the charge reduced on appeal. It is no wonder t...

For twenty years, Whitey Bulger terrorized Boston with the full collusion of the FBI. On the run for sixteen years, he was eventually arrested on June 22, 2011. Louis Litif, murder victim Litif got off with this stern warning but then made the mistake of telling Bulger that he was going to murder his bookmaker partner, a last straw. On April, he was invited to the Triple O’s where Bulger stabbed him repeatedly with an ice pick and Steve Flemmi shot him in the head. His body was found in the trun...

For twenty years, Whitey Bulger terrorized Boston with the full collusion of the FBI. On the run for sixteen years, he was eventually arrested on June 22, 2011. The Massachusetts State Police Wanted poster for Whitey. Whitey did not limit himself geographically to South Boston. No longer able to access Marshall Motors because a jailed, cash strapped Howie Winter’s family needed to rent it out, in early 1980, in a location owned by confederate George Kaufman, he set up another headquarters at a g...

Few personalities have achieved the worldwide fame and popularity of Harry Houdini. Successful in several different media ranging from vaudeville to motion pictures, this performer was also an astute businessman who incorporated both groundbreaking copyright implementation and sensational publicity to establish himself as the first 20th century entertainment superstar. Houdini, early publicity photo To garner publicity, Houdini now started to promote himself by slipping handcuffs in police stati...

Few personalities have achieved the worldwide fame and popularity of Harry Houdini. Successful in several different media ranging from vaudeville to motion pictures, this performer was also an astute businessman who incorporated both groundbreaking copyright implementation and sensational publicity to establish himself as the first 20th century entertainment superstar. Houdini, moments before jumping into the Charles River. To publicize commercial appearances, the escape artist also began the pr...

In March of 1895, Oscar Wilde enjoyed fame and fortune as one of Britain’s foremost literary figures. Only four months later he was inprisoned for the crime of “gross indecency,” convicted of violating Britain’s laws against same sex relationships. Upon his release, he exiled himself to France, his career in ruins and never saw his family again. Oscar Wilde, college years At Oxford, Wilde continued his immersion in the classics. The school was definitely a step up in class, his fellow students h...

In March of 1895, Oscar Wilde enjoyed fame and fortune as one of Britain's foremost literary figures. Only four months later he was inprisoned for the crime of "gross indecency," convicted of violating Britain's laws against same sex relationships. Upon his release, he exiled himself to France, his career in ruins and never saw his family again. Wilde and Douglas in Naples, 1897 Unfortunately, their reunion was so successful that both men began contemplating running off to Naples, the consequenc...

On August 7, 1974, a twenty-five year old man named Philippe Petit walked across a 200 foot wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, 1,350 feet above the ground, something that even the policeman who arrested him described as a once in a lifetime event. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, site of Philippe Petit's 1971 coup On the night of June 25th and the early morning of June 26th ,1971 Philippe Petit and his associates ascended the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral. Blondeau tossed a fis...

On August 7, 1974, a twenty-five year old man named Philippe Petit walked across a 200 foot wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, 1,350 feet above the ground, something that even the policeman who arrested him described as a once in a lifetime event. Philippe Petit, entertaining the police who arrested him on August 7 After Philip and Jean Francois are booked and fingerprinted, they were handcuffed to chairs while paperwork is composed that specifically defines the charges of C...

On November 14, 1959, two petty criminals, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, crossed Kansas, murdered the Clutter family in the tiny hamlet of Holcomb, Kansas and unwittingly enabled a New York City writer named Truman Capote to achieve immortality for all three of them. Capote, as he would have dressed while visiting Holcomb and Garden City Kansas When Truman Capote arrived in Kansas, Smith and Hickock were not yet on law enforcement’s radar. Capote’s initial intent was to write about the reaction ...

On November 14, 1959, two petty criminals, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, crossed Kansas, murdered the Clutter family in the tiny hamlet of Holcomb, Kansas and unwittingly enabled a New York City writer named Truman Capote to achieve immortality for all three of them. The stolen license plate spotted by Las Vegas police that led to Smith and Hickock's arrest. This arrest was most likely the result of the efforts of KBI investigator Harold Nye, who, in the interim after the Wells revelation, had t...

In 1942, the Czech government in exile decided to parachute two commandos into the former Czechoslovakia to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, considered the most brutal and sinister Nazi in Occupied Europe. Code named Operation Anthropoid, this suicide mission remains one of the most heroic and remarkable stories of World War II. Himmler and Heydrich, Vienna, 1938 Nazi lore has it that Heinrich Himmler, appointed in 1929 as the head of the newly formed SS, was intent on developing a unit consigned ...

In 1942, the Czech government in exile decided to parachute two commandos into the former Czechoslovakia to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich, considered the most brutal and sinister Nazi in Occupied Europe. Code named Operation Anthropoid, this suicide mission remains one of the most heroic and remarkable stories of World War II On the evening of June 26, 1942, Heydrich hosted a concert featuring classical music composed by his father. Twelve hours later he would be fighting for his life after one ...

In 1961, an unemployed cab driver, Kempton Bunton, pulled off one of the most remarkable art thefts of the 20th century. Or did he? Kempton Bunton, 1965 Bunton’s mother named him Kempton Cannon Bunton after a British jockey, Kempton Cannon, who won the Epsom Derby only days before her son’s birth, June 14, 1904, a victory she financially backed. When asked about his unusual name, Bunton also always replied, “It’s Kempton as in Kempton Park racecourse,” as if to underscore his interest in such an...