In 1919, a giant wave of molasses destroyed homes and swallowed up everyone in its path. Learn how corporate negligence caused one of the most unusual tragedies in Boston history.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/the-great-molasses-flood-of-1919

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Great-Molasses-Flood

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-boston-molasses-disaster-was-so-deadly-180961209/

https://www.boston.com/news/history/2019/01/13/first-hand-accounts-great-boston-molasses-flood/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/04lm6lCa5R4K5xDk2XAzfs

The Essex whaling ship sunk thousands of miles from land after an unusual attack from a sperm whale in 1820. Learn how eight men survived months in the Pacific and why this story served as the inspiration for the famous novel, Moby Dick.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Essex-whaling-ship

https://allthatsinteresting.com/essex-ship

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-true-life-horror-that-inspired-moby-dick-17576/

The horrific warfare of WWI generated a condition never documented before by doctors. Shell shock was a devastating mental injury that many soldiers came home with from the battlefield during a time when proper care was not available. Learn more about this mental condition with Scott Lynch from the Motivated Mind podcast.

Sources:

https://youtu.be/_4KQpJpbwDc

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/shellshock_01.shtml

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/16/military.immigrationpolicy

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/history-of-ptsd-and-shell-shock

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-shell-shock

During World War II, Aimo Koivunen survived days alone in the Finnish wilderness, pursued by enemy soldiers and with little food and water. Learn more about this survival story featuring Kurt Ferrell.

Sources:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/aimo-koivunen

https://www.historicmysteries.com/history/aimo-koivunen/26362/

https://medium.com/exploring-history/the-crazy-crystal-meth-adventure-of-a-finnish-soldier-1cae54a1238f

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/finland-switched-sides-fought-germany-b.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7FyFMwqDmQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfoMvgDY8h

At a time when submarine rescues were unprecedented, the USS Squalus navy submarine suffered a malfunction and sank to the bottom of the sea. With two days of oxygen, the crew was trapped and left to wonder if they would be rescued or suffer the fate of many other submarine crews at the time.

Sources:

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/squalus-ss-192/squalus-ss-192-sinking-rescure-of-survivors-and-salvage.html

https://ussnautilus.org/the-sinking-of-uss-squalus-ss-192/

https://www.fosters.com/story/news/2019/05/19/squalus-sinking-tragedy-and-triumph/5118683007/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRzNr9Q9iOw

Our economy and lifestyles greatly depend on fleets of diesel powered vehicles. Did you know how the diesel engine was invented and that the word diesel is actually a name, the name of the man who conceived the diesel engine.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rudolf-Diesel

https://www.thoughtco.com/rudolf-diesel-diesel-engine-1991648

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38302874

In 1848, flakes of gold were discovered on a German immigrant's property near Sacramento. Soon afterward, the gold rush would begin and greatly change the landscape of California and western life in the United States forever.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/California-Gold-Rush

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/gold-rush-of-1849

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/goldrush-california/

As Americans work on their taxes for this year, you may wonder, why is there an income tax? Because the 16th amendment says so! Learn how this tax came to be a way of life for Americans.

Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/us-constitution-16th-amendment-4165999

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sixteenth-Amendment

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/16th-amendment

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sixteenth-amendment.asp

https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-ratification-of-the-16th-Amendment/