The Missing Chapter Podcast

Don McLean memorialized February 3rd, 1959 in his epic, 8-minute history-lesson as “the day the music died.”  The classic 1972 single is referencing the plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson (better known by his performing name, the Big Bopper), and Ritchie Valens, along with the plane’s pilot, Roger Petersen.  One member of Holly’s band who did not make the flig...

Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was mortally shot by a young Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip.  When Princip pulled the trigger, he would unknowingly convict 20 million soldiers and civilians, many of them young men like himself, to their deaths.  World War I  was called "the war to end all wars", triggered by this lone assassination, would give...

Unfortunately, disasters have plagued human history since the dawn of human transportation.  Some were caused by human error, some have been mistaken by our enemies as threats and some are just simple mishaps.  But when we think of maritime disasters, I’m sure our minds immediately drift to the Titanic, and rightly so.  However, there is an unknown sea vessel mishap that has gone do...

U.S. General Edward King, commander of all American armed forces on Bataan Peninsula in 1942, told his men, “We have no further means of organized resistance, we are low on ammunition, have virtually no medical supplies, and our food is all but gone. The situation has become hopeless.  You did not surrender; I ordered you to surrender.”  78,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers were put at the...

When it comes to college football, no other program in the country conjures up the history and the mystique that the University of Notre Dame does.  Outlined against a blue-grey October sky, the Golden Dome in South Bend has preserved the legacies of football royalty.  In November 1937, arch rival Southern Cal and Notre Dame were tied at 6 in the waning moments of the 4th quarter when a...

At the inception of the Missing Chapter Podcast, little did we know or anticipate that these forgotten stories would have such a reach.  In the first 15 episodes, we have had 3 guest speakers, been played in 38 states, as well as 20 different countries worldwide, and have discussed a wide variety of history topics all while drinking an assortment of different blends of local coffees. We have...

History has always highlighted the political and cultural impact that the Greeks have had on our modern-day world.  From the development of law and government, to their style of architecture, and creation of the Olympic Games, many pieces of Greek history have found their way into our daily lives.  But there’s one piece of Greek history that begs to be told and has run through our commun...

How long does it take the earth to revolve around the sun?  The answer is easy, one year, 365 days right?  Actually, the Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds. So the longer time goes on, the more inaccurate the calendar becomes. So how do we accurately create a calendar that accounts for the fractions of time?  How has the human race adjusted...

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a... How many of you just completed that line?  A Christmas intro so famous and so iconic, that it rivals almost any other seasonal story, song, or fable.  A tradition so nostalgic, it conjures up images of children sitting with their parents, listening intently, in anticipation of Santa C...

The unbreakable bond between man and canine was put to the test like never before in the winter of 1925.  An unbelievable journey, over the nation's harshest terrains, in unimaginable conditions, with life and death of an entire village in the balance.  Against all odds, these specialized teams must deliver the serum, that only they can, to a remote Alaskan coastal town.  But c...

Who knew that when a poor, 17 year-old boy from New Orleans found a cornet in the street, that he would dominate the city's music scene for the next 10 years and start an entirely new style of music, and be crowned the "First King of New Orleans?"

In 1938, an unassuming carpenter finds himself in a German beer hall, having a couple drinks with his meal.  A regular of this establishment, this man has seemingly become a loyal customer.  But this man is not here for the atmosphere or the refreshments, he is here on a personal mission.  Not much of a reader, and far from a political activist, this carpenter sneaks into an upstair...

Many families traveling to the sun-drenched ocean town of Long Beach, California in the summer of 1977, would take a day trip and visit the Nu-Pike Amusement Park; picture Coney Island on the West Coast.  With its vintage rides, shows, games and attractions and located on the beautiful breeze-swept beach, Nu-Pike was a favorite amongst locals, as much as it was with out-of-town tourists. &nbs...

It's May 5th, 1945. Adolf Hitler has just committed suicide five days prior.  Chief of Operations Officer Alfred Jodl and Field Marshall Vilhelm Keital will order the unconditional surrender of all German armed forces two days from now. It will be on this day, however, that the strangest battle of World War II will unfold. Under the ashes of Stalingrad, Kursk, Normandy, and the innumerable ba...

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to our Podcast and making history come alive!

In the spring of 1943, mainland Europe lay in the firm grip of Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers.  A year removed from the D-Day invasions of Normandy, Allied intelligence is formulating a plan that involves a lone serviceman - military courier, Major William Martin.  Martin would prove to be the key to deceiving the Germans of the Allied plans to liberate Sicily and alter the tide of the...

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, is touted in the history textbooks as being one of the most influential Presidents in American History.  From the Gettysburg Address to the Emancipation Proclamation to his untimely demise at the hands of John Wilkes Booth, following in Lincoln’s footsteps would be no small task.  The only one of his four sons to live into adultho...

The U.S. Civil War left in its wake some 750,000 dead, the American countryside in ruins, and a nation healing from bitter division.  The stories of the people and families, however, tell the true impact this war had on our great nation.  Maybe none more so than the story of Wilmer McLean - a merchant and family man from Virginia.  His experience in the Civil War is one of great iro...

In the classic James Fenimore Cooper novel, “The Last of The Mohicans”, trade relations turn hostile between French-backed Mohicans and the Mohawks. The events that transpired introduce us to one of history's forgotten men - Cyrus Van Den Bogart - who was the first European to chronicle the existence and lifestyle of the Mohawk Indian tribes living in the Upper Mohawk Region.  Today's guest s...

The fate of a young couple, deeply in love, in a far-off corner of Europe, triggers the worst war the modern world has ever seen - in 1914.  "The War to End All Wars" would set the stage for World War II and create long-lasting geopolitical tensions that shaped entire generations of people in the 20th and 21st centuries.  All of these well-known events are triggered by a wrong turn, and...

Coming up on the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage, The Missing Chapter delves deeper into a miraculous part of this perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean.  From the impact that the Mayflower Compact had on American democracy, to the millions of descendants that stemmed from the Mayflower voyagers, this well-known story has some unbelievable effects on world history that many wou...

The only thing more mysterious than this famed author's writings - was his death.  Hear a detailed account of this figure's life and times, as well as the events leading up to his untimely demise in 1849.  Can you solve his death and help shed light on the mystery that has plagued historians for centuries?  Tune in to find out...