Sidequests

President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to abandon electromagnetic aircraft catapults and return to 1950s-era steam launch systems — despite Navy reports that the electromagnetic system is now working as designed and contributing to higher aircraft sortie rates than older carriers. This episode of Sidequests covers how aircraft carrier catapults actually work, why EMALS was genuinely problematic dur...

President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy to abandon electromagnetic aircraft catapults and return to 1950s-era steam launch systems — despite Navy reports that the electromagnetic system is now working as designed and contributing to higher aircraft sortie rates than older carriers. This episode of Sidequests covers how aircraft carrier catapults actually work, why EMALS was genuinely problematic dur...

On the night of August 14-15, 1945, Japanese Army officers stormed the Imperial Palace, killed a senior general, forged military orders, and searched desperately for the recordings of Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech — determined to destroy them and continue the war. They failed. At noon on August 15, Japan surrendered. This episode of Sidequests covers Japan's last days: the political deadlock...

On the night of August 14-15, 1945, Japanese Army officers stormed the Imperial Palace, killed a senior general, forged military orders, and searched desperately for the recordings of Emperor Hirohito's surrender speech — determined to destroy them and continue the war. They failed. At noon on August 15, Japan surrendered. This episode of Sidequests covers Japan's last days: the political deadlock...

On the night of August 12-13, 1961, East German soldiers erected barbed wire across Berlin's streets while the city slept, separating families, severing train lines, and dividing a city overnight. This episode of Sidequests covers the construction of the Berlin Wall — why it was built (East Germany was losing nearly 20 percent of its population to the West and couldn't stop the exodus), how it evo...

On the night of August 12-13, 1961, East German soldiers erected barbed wire across Berlin's streets while the city slept, separating families, severing train lines, and dividing a city overnight. This episode of Sidequests covers the construction of the Berlin Wall — why it was built (East Germany was losing nearly 20 percent of its population to the West and couldn't stop the exodus), how it evo...

On August 6, 1945, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was walking through Hiroshima when the first atomic bomb detonated. He survived — burned, his eardrums ruptured, temporarily blind. Three days later, still bandaged, he reported to work in Nagasaki. At 11:02 AM on August 9, the sky lit up again. This episode of Sidequests tells the story of the only person officially recognized as a survivor of both atomic bomb...

On August 6, 1945, Tsutomu Yamaguchi was walking through Hiroshima when the first atomic bomb detonated. He survived — burned, his eardrums ruptured, temporarily blind. Three days later, still bandaged, he reported to work in Nagasaki. At 11:02 AM on August 9, the sky lit up again. This episode of Sidequests tells the story of the only person officially recognized as a survivor of both atomic bomb...

In August 1835, The New York Sun published a six-part series claiming that Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon — including crystal forests, bipedal beavers, and four-foot-tall bat-winged humanoids worshipping at sapphire cathedrals. It was completely made up. It also made the Sun the most widely read newspaper in the world, sent circulation soaring, got reprinted across the country a...

In August 1835, The New York Sun published a six-part series claiming that Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon — including crystal forests, bipedal beavers, and four-foot-tall bat-winged humanoids worshipping at sapphire cathedrals. It was completely made up. It also made the Sun the most widely read newspaper in the world, sent circulation soaring, got reprinted across the country a...

At 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981, MTV launched in a handful of cable markets with fewer than two million viewers, an ironic first video, and enough content to fill maybe a week before repeating. This episode of Sidequests marks the anniversary by tracing how a long-shot cable experiment transformed music, television, fashion, and advertising within a decade — how Michael Jackson's "Thriller" crystall...

At 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981, MTV launched in a handful of cable markets with fewer than two million viewers, an ironic first video, and enough content to fill maybe a week before repeating. This episode of Sidequests marks the anniversary by tracing how a long-shot cable experiment transformed music, television, fashion, and advertising within a decade — how Michael Jackson's "Thriller" crystall...

On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa pulled into a restaurant parking lot in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, around 2 PM. He was expecting a meeting with two Mafia figures. He made a couple of phone calls complaining that nobody had shown up. Then he vanished. His car was found abandoned in the lot. No struggle. No blood. No signs of violence. Just an empty car where one of the most powerful men in Americ...

On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa pulled into a restaurant parking lot in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, around 2 PM. He was expecting a meeting with two Mafia figures. He made a couple of phone calls complaining that nobody had shown up. Then he vanished. His car was found abandoned in the lot. No struggle. No blood. No signs of violence. Just an empty car where one of the most powerful men in Americ...

On June 28, 1914, a young Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip stepped from a crowd in Sarajevo and fired two shots at the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Both died within the hour. Thirty-seven days later, all the major European powers were at war. The free episode covers the essential arc: the powder keg of nationalism and military buildup that made 1914 Europe so volatile, the "blan...

On June 28, 1914, a young Bosnian Serb named Gavrilo Princip stepped from a crowd in Sarajevo and fired two shots at the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Both died within the hour. Thirty-seven days later, all the major European powers were at war. The free episode covers the essential arc: the powder keg of nationalism and military buildup that made 1914 Europe so volatile, the "blan...

On July 20, 1944, a briefcase bomb planted beneath a conference table at Hitler's field headquarters came within an architectural accident of ending World War II. The conference had been moved from a concrete bunker to a wooden barrack — and that single change dissipated the blast enough for Hitler to survive. This episode of Sidequests covers Operation Valkyrie: the conspiracy involving hundreds...

On July 20, 1944, a briefcase bomb planted beneath a conference table at Hitler's field headquarters came within an architectural accident of ending World War II. The conference had been moved from a concrete bunker to a wooden barrack — and that single change dissipated the blast enough for Hitler to survive. This episode of Sidequests covers Operation Valkyrie: the conspiracy involving hundreds...

On July 19, 1912, a fireball brighter than the full Moon crossed the evening sky over northeastern Arizona, followed by an explosion that rattled windows for miles — and then thousands of meteorites rained down on the town of Holbrook. Over 14,000 fragments would eventually be recovered, making it one of the largest documented meteorite falls in history. This episode of Sidequests covers what actu...

On July 19, 1912, a fireball brighter than the full Moon crossed the evening sky over northeastern Arizona, followed by an explosion that rattled windows for miles — and then thousands of meteorites rained down on the town of Holbrook. Over 14,000 fragments would eventually be recovered, making it one of the largest documented meteorite falls in history. This episode of Sidequests covers what actu...

On July 16, 1945, at 5:29 and 45 seconds in the morning, a flash brighter than several suns lit up a remote New Mexico desert called Jornada del Muerto — the Journey of the Dead Man. A mushroom cloud climbed seven miles into the sky. Windows shattered more than a hundred miles away. And humanity crossed a threshold from which it could never return. The free episode covers the essential arc: how Ei...

On July 16, 1945, at 5:29 and 45 seconds in the morning, a flash brighter than several suns lit up a remote New Mexico desert called Jornada del Muerto — the Journey of the Dead Man. A mushroom cloud climbed seven miles into the sky. Windows shattered more than a hundred miles away. And humanity crossed a threshold from which it could never return. The free episode covers the essential arc: how Ei...

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened to roughly twice as many people as invited — thanks to counterfeit tickets, forged credentials, and guests literally climbing fences. The fresh asphalt melted in the Southern California heat, sinking women's heels. The drinking fountains didn't work. A gas leak closed entire sections of the park. Rides broke down. Food ran out. ABC broadcast all of it live to mi...

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened to roughly twice as many people as invited — thanks to counterfeit tickets, forged credentials, and guests literally climbing fences. The fresh asphalt melted in the Southern California heat, sinking women's heels. The drinking fountains didn't work. A gas leak closed entire sections of the park. Rides broke down. Food ran out. ABC broadcast all of it live to mi...

On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 launched for the Moon. What most people don't know is that less than nine months earlier, NASA had never flown a crewed Apollo spacecraft. This episode of Sidequests marks the anniversary of the launch by tracing the five missions in 281 days that made the Moon landing possible: Apollo 7's first crewed test of the redesigned Command Module, Apollo 8's audacious decision...