Bonus Episodes | The Compendium

Young women painting glowing watch dials begin to fall mysteriously ill, exposing a deadly truth hidden behind one of America’s most celebrated industries. This episode uncovers the story of the Radium Girls, the dial painters encouraged to use radium paint as if it were harmless and even fashionable. We explore the horrific consequences of exposure, the women who fought for recognition, and the l...

A shy entrepreneur chases the American Dream, only to build an empire that spirals into jealousy, crime, and one of true crime’s wildest scandals. This episode explores the rise of Somen Banerjee and the creation of Chippendales, revealing how a flashy nightclub act became the centre of rivalry, betrayal, and deadly ambition. We trace the backstage tensions, the criminal schemes, and the downfall...

A remote utopian experiment ends in horror when a cult leader orders more than 900 people to drink poisoned flavour aid in one of history’s deadliest mass suicides. This episode examines the Jonestown Massacre, tracing Jim Jones’s rise to power, the creation of the Peoples Temple community in Guyana, and the escalating paranoia that led to Congressman Leo Ryan’s murder and the final, tragic comman...

A string of brutal murders grips London’s East End in 1888, and a nameless killer vanishes into history, leaving terror and speculation in his wake. This episode revisits the Jack the Ripper case, exploring the victims, the chaotic investigation, and the suspects who have fuelled debate for more than a century. We trace the theories ranging from doctors to royals to unknown figures, and examine wh...

A “flying disk” is reported recovered in New Mexico, only for the military to retract the claim overnight, igniting decades of suspicion and conspiracy. This episode revisits the Roswell Incident, tracing the crash discovery, the swift change in the official story, and the speculation that transformed a desert mystery into a cultural phenomenon. We explore the theories, the witnesses, the governme...

A young Austrian archduchess becomes France’s most controversial queen, her life swept from royal splendour to revolution and ruin. This episode traces the story of Marie Antoinette, from her early years and marriage to Louis XVI to the opulence of Versailles and the public resentment it fuelled. We explore the myths that clung to her name, the political tensions that shaped her downfall, and the...

An everyday household staple reveals a hidden story of lobbying, marketing, and government influence that quietly shaped the American diet. This episode uncovers the little-known history of the US dairy industry, tracing its rise from early farming to its deep entanglement with federal policy. We explore the powerful tactics of Big Dairy, the studies and campaigns that shaped public beliefs, and h...

A plane crashes high in the Andes, leaving its passengers stranded on a glacier and fighting for survival long after the world assumes they are dead. This episode revisits the Miracle of the Andes, tracing the ordeal of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 and the extraordinary resilience of the survivors. Drawing on the book Alive and decades of retellings, we explore the brutal conditions, the impossi...

Thieves slip into a Boston museum at night and walk out with half a billion dollars’ worth of masterpieces, leaving one of the greatest art mysteries in history. This episode explores the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist, tracing how two disguised intruders overpowered security, stole 13 irreplaceable works, and vanished without a trace. We examine the theories, the suspects, the criminal und...

A strange handwritten book filled with unknown symbols and impossible drawings appears in the historical record, defying every attempt to decode it. This episode investigates the Voynich Manuscript, examining its mysterious illustrations, baffling structure, and uncertain origins. We explore its botanical sketches, astrological charts, medicinal diagrams, and recipes, as well as its journey throug...

A six-year-old girl is found dead in her own home, a ransom note lies nearby, and an investigation begins that will baffle the world for decades. This episode revisits the JonBenét Ramsey case, tracing the chaotic morning after Christmas, the evidence that shaped early theories, and the suspicion that quickly shifted toward the Ramsey family. We explore the competing narratives, the missteps that...

This is the wild story of the Great Beanie Baby bubble of the 1990s. Cute stuffed animals become the centre of a global frenzy as a simple toy line turns into one of the wildest speculative bubbles of the 1990s. This episode revisits the rise and fall of the Beanie Baby craze, tracing how Ty Warner’s strategies transformed plush toys into a cultural and financial phenomenon. We explore the factory...