Episodes

Fletcher Christian And William Bligh are permanently linked to the Mutiny on the Bounty. Here is the true story of this infamous incident. Wreck of the HMS Pandora The Pandora, towing a launch constructed by the mutineers during their stint on Tahiti, reached the vicinity of the Great Barrier Reef in late August. Whether he was careless or stupidly sailing in the dark, Edwards struck a reef on the 29th, the collision so severe that the ship took on four feet of water in five minutes. Throughout ...

In his sixty year career, Alfred Hitchcock established himself as one of the most important cultural figures of the 20th century Publicity photo for The Birds, early sixties. A photo of Hitchcock, early in his career Hitchcock broke into show business by getting a job with the newly arrived motion picture studio Famous Players-Lasky British Producers, a venture associated with Paramount Pictures. He was to design the captions that accompanied the action in the studio’s silent films. Initially, a...

In his sixty year career, Alfred Hitchcock established himself as one of the most important cultural figures of the 20th century. Robert Walker and Farley Granger in Strangers on a Train Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly in Rear Window Grace Kelly, publicity photo for Rear Window Vertigo movie poster With Kim Novak on the set of Vertigo Cary Grant, North by Northwest Eva Marie Saint, North by Northwest Hitchcock at Mount Rushmore Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren on the set of Marnie Tippi Hedren and Rod T...

Although he never robbed a bank or a train, never fought a traditional duel and didn't drink, Billy the Kid remains one of America's most notorious outlaws. The only authenticated photo of Billy the Kid, taken in 1880 Over one hundred films have portrayed him in various scenarios ranging from predictable western themes to plots even involving Count Dracula. He is the subject of music composed by the likes of Aaron Copland, Bob Dylan and Billy Joel. Dead at the age of twenty-one, the Kid’s exploi...

He never robbed a bank or a train and never fought a traditional duel but Billy the Kid remains one of America's most notorious outlaws. Sheriff Pat Garrett Garrett was an acquaintance of Billy the Kid, he had even tended bar in Fort Sumner’s most popular saloon. 6’ 6”, and powerfully built, Garrett ran as an alternative to the current lawlessness in Northern New Mexico. Federal authorities were also intent on cracking down on rampant counterfeiting through the efforts of Treasury Agent Azariah ...

After her rejection by the State Department, Virginia Hall became the most decorated American female civilian during World War II. Virginia Hall Virginia Hall, was savvy enough to anticipate the occupation of Vichy France and only days before the Germans stormed into the region, she made a daring escape by foot over fifty miles of the snowy, rugged Pyrenees Mountains. In Virginia’s case it actually was one foot, her other limb having been amputated at the knee after a hunting accident in her you...

After her rejection by the State Department, Virginia Hall became the most decorated American female civilian of World War II Fake identity card for Virginia Hall Still, two weeks after Virginia’s return, it was her mother who accompanied her to a private ceremony in Washington, where Wild Bill Donovan formally presented her with the Distinguished Service Cross. Donovan already knew that the OSS was about to be disbanded by President Truman, the organization victim of both politics as Donovan wa...

On July 19, 1989, United Air Lines pilot Captain Al Haynes was confronted with a mechanical failure that threatened all 296 passengers aboard his flight, United 232. The response of Haynes and his crew and the ensuing landing provided one of the most remarkable stories in the history of commercial aviation. Captain Al Haynes, at a news conference the day after landing United Flight 232 On Wednesday, July 19, 1989, at approximately 1:09 PM Mountain Time, United Flight 232 took off from Denver’s S...

On July 19, 1989, United Air Lines pilot Captain Al Haynes was confronted with a mechanical failure that threatened all 296 passengers aboard his flight, United Flight 232. The response of Haynes and his crew and the ensuing landing provided one of the most remarkable stories in the history of commercial aviation. The ruptured fan disc of Flight 232, found in an Alta, Iowa cornfield The NTSB and the FAA also immediately began an investigation as to what caused the catastrophic engine failure. Bu...

Part Hank Williams and part Spinal Tap, Gram Parsons' influence on popular music can be heard every day. Gram Parsons Fifty years after his death, Gram Parsons has achieved respect as an influence on many prominent musicians and is perceived as musically way ahead of his time. The Byrds, Chris Hillman, left, Roger McGuinn, center For three years, beginning with their 1965 hits, one band, the Byrds, dominated the Los Angeles music scene. What original music they produced was usually written by le...

Part Hank Williams and part Spinal Tap, fifty years after his death, Gram Parsons' influence on popular music can be heard every day. Gram Parsons' Nudie suit Country Music Hall of Fame Whatever discipline that drove Parsons and Hillman to compose the music that appeared on their first album completely disappeared once they had to perform live. Most observers of their early LA club dates described them as under rehearsed, sloppy and with some members, frequently Gram, under the influence. The ba...

The creator of 1984 and Animal Farm lived a life that was as original and strange as the books themselves. George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair was born in Motihari, Bihar, India on June 25, 1903. He would not assume the pen name of George Orwell until the age of 30. Blair was the son of an English civil servant father and a mother who was the daughter of a French colonial entrepreneur operating in Burma. Passport photo en route to Burma Even today, the catalyst for Eric Blair’s employment in Burma r...

The creator of Animal Farm and 1984 lived a life as original and strange as the books themselves. Barnhill, Orwell's hideaway in Scotland Wanting to escape the distractions of London, in September of 1945, Orwell first travelled to Jura, a remote island in the Southwest corner of Scotland. Once there he stumbled upon Barnhill, a remote and unoccupied farmhouse that he immediately leased from its owner. Barnhill, from a distance by Ken Craig Unreachable by car, without electricity or telephone, o...

The true story of eight nazi spies who landed on American shores via U-Boat at the height of WWII George Dasch, FBI mugshot George John Dasch was born on February 7, 1903 in Speyer, Germany, the fifth of thirteen children. His mother, a social worker and quite influential at critical moments of his life, implored him at the age of thirteen to enter a seminary in preparation for the Catholic priesthood. Dasch was expelled a year later and then served briefly in the German Army at the conclusion o...

The true story of eight nazi spies who landed on American shores via U-Boat at the height of WWII. Typical German U-Boat By the time the Dasch group was loaded on to U-202, Walter Kappe was seemingly glad to be rid of everybody. Although the U-Boat captain Hans-Heinz Linder asked the group to join him in his quarters for a toast to the newcomers, Kappe stayed merely long enough to wish everyone well and then quickly bolted. Attorney General Francis Biddle By the time the Dasch group was loaded o...

Martyr and Saint, Savior of France, National Icon, All by the Age of Nineteen Joan of Arc Joan of Arc was born sometime in January of 1412, the date of the sixth is traditionally mentioned. Her parents, Jacques and Isabelle, were farmers who modestly tended a fifty acre plot in the village of Domremy. This tiny town was located in a remote area of Lorraine, a region loyal to the French monarchy but surrounded by territory controlled by the Duke of Burgundy Joan, entering Orleans After six months...

Martyr and Saint, Savior of France, National Icon, All by the Age of Nineteen Joan of Arc, under interrogation Among the more driven individuals attempting to pry Joan out of the grasp of de Luxembourg was Pierre Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais. Cauchon was a former Dean of the University of Paris, a chaplain to the Duke of Burgundy, as well as an ambitious and calculating high-ranking cleric. Compiegne was in the diocese of Beauvais and Cauchon reasoned that any ecclesistical proceeding should ...

The true story of the television scandal that shocked America. Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel during their climactic game The showdown between the two men continued on December 5, 1956, Stempel having accumulated 66,500 dollars. The first show again resulted in a 21-21 tie. The tension built as the dashing college educator tried to pull off the upset, but in the fourth game Herb Stempel pulled out to a 16-0 lead and seemed on the brink of successfully moving on. 21 had an interesting wrinkle...

The true story of the television scandal that shocked America. Charles Van Doren, 1959 On November 2, 1959, at 10 AM, Charles Van Doren and his attorney Carl Rubino entered the caucus room where the House Subcommittee hearings investigating potential game show corruption were conducted. He had spent the previous evening accompanied by his wife and father at what must have been a very surreal dinner party at the home of Dick Goodwin, as this event was also attended by prosecutor Joseph Stone. Dis...

Homeless at age 19, in one of the poorest cities of the Third World, Bob Marley eventually created what Time Magazine called, "The greatest album of the Twentieth Century. Bob Marley, Dublin, Ireland, 1980 Robert Nesta Marley was born in Nine Mile, Jamaica on February 6, 1945 to Cedella Editha Malcolm and Norval Sinclair Marley. Marley’s mother, a Jamaican of African descent was 18 years old. His father, a Caucasian of British ancestry was 60. Although Norval Marley has been described as a sea c...

18, unemployed and homeless in one of the poorest cities of the Third World, Bob Marley eventually created what Time Magazine called, "The greatest album of the Twentieth Century." The I-Threes, Rita Marley, center Meanwhile, in 1974, he was attempting to reorganize the Wailers and decide on his next musical direction. He needed to replace the two most prominent departed, which he did with a trio of female backing vocalists that included his wife Rita, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, dubbed as...

In life, a prominent Lakota warrior chieftain, in death, an American legend No photo of Crazy Horse has ever been authenticated, this sketch was verified by his sister after his death Most likely, Crazy Horse was born in the spring of 1840, in the Black Hills of western South Dakota, near Rapid City. His father was a member of the Oglala clan, also named Crazy Horse, and his mother, Rattle Blanket Woman was a Minniconju. Marcus Reno The Lakotas and Cheyenne were generally aware of the federal pr...

In life a prominent Lakota warrior-chieftain, in death an American legend. Seven feet tall, "Touch the Clouds" In his final moments of freedom, nervous and bewildered, Crazy Horse accepted the hand of Kennington who began to lead him to Fort Robinson’s jail within the guardhouse. Lee facilitated this process by explaining to Touch the Clouds and the others that they should stay with Crazy Horse overnight and hopefully a meeting with Bradley could happen the next day. Lee did not have the heart o...

A popular actor, John Wilkes Booth used his professional access to Ford's Theater to assassinate President Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth In April of 1865, Booth was an American celebrity. Having earned as much as 20,000 dollars a year, the equivalent of over 600, 000 dollars today, Booth was also described as the handsomest man in America and discretely involved with Lucy Hale, the daughter of a US Senator. But Booth was also a Confederate sympathizer and a virulent racist who was enraged by Lee’s ...