Épisodes

  • The Sheer Exhilaration of Ski Jumping
    May 8 2025

    Ski jumping took hold in the U.S. 100 years ago, when Norwegians introduced the sport here. You go down a steep ramp at 50 miles an hour, jump off into the wind, fly for around 10 seconds, and land 2-3 football fields farther away. It’s not for the meek.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    13 min
  • Who Padlocked the Governor's Door, Barring Him from His Own Office?
    May 1 2025

    The election for CT Governor in the late 1800s was too close to call. The divided legislature couldn’t agree on a winner. So, the incumbent stayed on for another term. The Comptroller didn’t like that and took matters into his own hands.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    19 min
  • The Slaying of one of the Biggest Robber Barons, Diamond Jim Fisk
    Apr 24 2025

    Big Jim or Diamond Jim – those were names for the legendary Gilded Age robber baron Jim Fisk. He caused the gold crisis collapse after fooling President Ulysses Grant and stole millions from Cornelius Vanderbilt. A lover’s triangle, at age 37, would lead to his untimely end

    Voir plus Voir moins
    23 min
  • His Trove of Letters Document Bloody Civil War Battles, Prisons, and Conditions
    Apr 17 2025

    Captain Andrew Upson wrote up to 2-letters-a-day from the front lines of the Civil War to his wife and children. The 200+ letters, a rare collection that still exists, paint a vivid picture of life in the war, including as a captive.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    21 min
  • He was the Last Person Executed in CT - She Knew Him Best, 'Til the Day He Died
    Apr 10 2025

    Michael Ross was the last person executed in CT. He raped and murdered 8 women. His doctors said he was mentally ill and shouldn’t have been executed. A journalist got to know him well for his final 10 years and shares her insights.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    27 min
  • The Tiny Worm Behind an Enormous Industry
    Apr 3 2025

    The Cheney brothers invented a process for mastering nature’s magical creation of silk, driving their business to the #1 position globally. They made the parachutes used on D-Day. They also introduced corporate paternalism, providing employees with housing, schools, and more.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    20 min
  • John Hancock: The Giant Signature that Fanned the Flames of Revolution
    Mar 27 2025

    Three families, from the same town. Did they start the American Revolution? John Hancock and his friends (the Adams and Quincy’s) fanned the flames. Hancock, meanwhile, married childhood sweetheart Dolly Quincy, after a love triangle involving Aaron Burr

    Voir plus Voir moins
    23 min
  • This Hero Stayed on a Sinking Sub to Save a Man
    Mar 20 2025

    He could have abandoned ship, just like everyone else. After all, the sub sank in just one minute. Everyone was scrambling. But he didn’t. A fellow submariner was still onboard.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    19 min