1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Millions of people enjoy visiting Madame Tussauds Wax Museums each year, but only a very few know the macabre history behind the first one that opened in London in 1831, containing the death masks and wax figures of actual victims of the French Revolution on 1789-1793- which were made by a 20 year old young lady named Anna Marie Grosholtz who had trained to be an artist and sculptor of wax and wor...

Heinrich Himmler, second in command only to Adolph Hitler, rebuilt Castle Wewelsburg (pronounced VIVES-BORK) in Germany to house special meetings which included all types of idol worship and satanic rituals for his SS commanders, to which he gave Death's Head rings to symbolize their lifelong devotion to the Nazi party. The castle served as a training academy for new SS, where they were steeped in...

In 2002,, according to this legend, a special forces unit which had been sent to find a missing patrol  in the remote mountain area of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, encountered a 12 foot tall giant just outside a cave mouth, the floor of which was littered with bones and pieces of communication equipment. The Giatnt carried a spear, with which he attacked on of the soldiers, running the spear th...

After the untimely death of Captain John Paul Jones in Paris, a funeral was provided as well as a lead-lined coffin, and the coffin was deposited in the New Orleans area of Paris, a graveyard for non-citizen Protestants. This occurred during the height of the French Revolution, and the papers marking the place of burial were burned, making it difficult years later to locate.  In addition, the ceme...

Part two of Iwo Jima: Nightmare in the Pacific covers the story of the fighting as well as the raising of the first and second flags on Mt. Surabachi, including the stories of the mistaken identities of the flag raisers and that of marine pfc. Ira Hayes. Dedicated to all the men who fought there from all services. We thank you for your service and sacrifice. Veterans Voices: Marine pfc Vaughn Russ...

When the US Battleship Maine was blown up in Havana, Teddy Roosevelt and others knew that war was inevitable- and he wanted to go and fight. When Congress gave the OK to form a volunteer cavalry brigade, Roosevelt got busy recruiting-specifically men who could ride and shoot- and soon had applications from all over the US.  Within weeks he had nearly 1,000 men from every walk of life- lawmen, cowb...

This is the incredible two-part story of a true American hero, John Paul Jones, a man who sought nothing for himself, and all for his adopted country, for which he fought bravely throughout the American Revolution as a naval Captain, bringing honor to the fledgling American Navy.  In part one we cover his boyhood, which was spent studying naval journals and languages, with hopes of becoming a sea...

IWO JIMA: NIGHTMARE IN THE PACIFIC (PT I): the US makes the tough decision to attack the well-fortified island of Iwo Jima, and does so beginning on Feb. 18th, 1945, with heavy losses. This episode covers the US attack through day one. Conclusion coming in two weeks.   Mentioned in this episode: The #NavahoCodeTalkers, John Basilone, Pete Stein, Darrell S Cole (The Reluctant Bugler), #USSYorktown,...

It was March 21st, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, at about 9pm, when the first 7,000 or more ticket holders streamed into the Cleveland Arena with high hopes of seeing 5 of their favorite Rhytm & Blues artists perform for a huge dance. By 9:30pm, the place was filled to capacity with over 9,000 teens- but there were still more than 10,000 more "Moondoggers" waiting outside. The doors broke down, glass...

  There are many versions of the Maltese Cross, including the one shown with this episode, which is commonly used by fire and rescue departments. It is also seen around the world on flags, on medals given for bravery, on uniforms, and on military insignias. The story of the Maltese Cross reaches hundreds of years back into the past to a tiny island of rock called Malta, located about 80 miles off...

The Legend of the 13 Turtle Moons is a powerful example of the Indian's belief in oneness with the earth. Look on the shell of most fresh water turtles and you will see 13 large scales. The Indians believe that these 13 scales represent the 13 new moons which occure in nature and make up the full year. Each new moon begins a 28 day "month" - 13 months make up one year (364 days- leaving one day fo...

  The incredible true story of Jack Dempsey, the tough Irish prize fighter who popularized modern boxing and held the heavyweight title from 1919-1926, losing it to a controversial decision in his second fight against Gene Tunney,  Jack Dempsey was a living legend and made New York City his home, running a restaurant there well into the 50's.  His nickname was the Manassa Mauler- "Manassa" because...

In June of 2014, David and Maria Broaddus were making ready to move into their recently purchased dream home in Westfield, New Jersey, when a mysterious envelope addressed to "new occupant" arrived in their mailbox.  The letter was both creepy and threatening in tone-assuming that the person who wrote the letter and signed it with"The Watcher" had a strange personal connection with the old house....

We explore the history and the celebrities of New York City's "Tin Pan Alley", which was the birthplace of modern music publishing, and the place that gave us much of the popular music from 1880 to 1929. Included: the stories of Stephen Foster (who spent his last days in NYC), Irving Berlin, George C. Cohen, George Gershwin, Jack Northworth, Scott Joplin, Charles K.Harris, and many others. Songs i...

Scots-Irish Timothy Murphy, born 1751, died 1818, was an American frontiersman and top rifleman who served in the American Revolution, turning the tide of the battle at Saratoga , served at Valley Forge, and joined the fighting at Boston, Long island, West Chester, Monmouth, Princeton, Yorktown, and the Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys of Upstate New York, where his courage and fortitude saved the Mid...

Brave Young Heroes- Author Interview-Kids Are Heroes Too!  Bolaji Oyejide has wriiten over 50 books for children and young adults in his "Brave Young Heroes" series- giving us stories that help young people face big challenges by letting them know that there is a superhero in all of us.  In this interview Bolaji discusses his inspiration and some of his characters- from Kid Creative, an orphan dea...

The Uintah Mountains of Northeaster Utah are one of the most scenic places in North America and said to be a prime destination for wilderness hikers, backpackers, and sportsmen. It also attracts gold seekers due to its history of being a source of gold deposits for both the ancient Aztecs and the early Spanish explorers, who enslaved many of the local Ute Indians and forced them into laboring in t...

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The 12 brave men Jesus picked to spread the word of his resurrection and of the one God were regular men, fishermen, brothers, husbands and fathers, tax collectors- men who knew Jesus and had seen his deeds and believed in him. They were given the mission to spread the word across the known world- a world filled with non-believers and ruthless leaders. No Roman...

Shark attacks have been steadily on the increase for the past few years, and many people believe that this increase is due to federal and state laws limiting catches and protecting predator species like the Great White and the Bull Shark. Environmentalists are fighting against nets that protect swimmers but catch marine life and fighting any efforts to cull certain shark populations, going so far...

Annie Oakley was a 5 foot tall American sharpshooter who overcame a very hard childhood to become an international celebrity traveling with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She developed her skills early as a child hunting and trapping with her father until he died and she was indentured to a cruel family in Ohio which she later referred to as human wolves. In her lifetime she set more shooting reco...

In 1917, the beaches in New Jersey were just coming into their own as tourists began to seek out the pleasures of sand and surf. There had never been a publicized shark attack, and there was no reason to fear the water, All that stopped when the Great White Shark they called the Maneater of Matawan started hunting victims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most folks think of orbs as those round circles of light that sometimes appear on film and video and are often caused by particles of dust or lint reflecting the flash from the camera.. Beyond that there are serious photography experts who travel to graveyards and battlefields to get pictures of orbs- which they believe are balls of energy which contain spirits of the dead. And there are those who...

An informative interview with 'The Light of Battle' author Michel Paradis as we discuss the role Eisehower played in the success of D-Day and the challenges he faced with everything from the changing weather to the huge egos of world and military leaders like Churchill, Patton, Montgomery, Stalin and others. Author Paradis shares insights about Eisenhower the man gleaned from diaries, accounts fro...

"Tom Horn: The True Story of a Western Legend": He was the man who Geronimo trusted and respected enough to arrange his surrender to Gatewood and Miles. He was there when Ed Schefflin discovered a rich load of gold and gave Tombstone its name. In his life he was a scout and interpreter for the US Cavalry, a Pinkerton Detective, a Sheriff, a Rancher, and a bounty hunter for the Wyoming Cattleman's...

After conquering all of Asia and Europe from China's coast to France, Attila The Hun had amassed an incredible treasure of gold, silver, and artifacts- enough treasure that it required an atmy just to protect it. When he died in 453 AD, according to one account, he was interred in three coffins- an outer one of lead, a middle one of silver, and an inner one of gold. His huge treasure, which is tho...