Great Disasters

On a foggy day in 1945, the busy streets of New York City were interrupted by a sound that shouldn't have been there - a plane, flying between the skyscrapers, and set on a collision course with the tallest building in the world. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - let me know what you t...

Every year brings its share of tragic events. A few are somewhat predictable - we will always expect a number of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, for example - while others are more unusual. Some grab headlines and make history, and others are quickly forgotten. These are the events which shaped 2023. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters...

How much tragedy can a single year bring? From the Hunga Tonga volcano to the Buffalo snow storm, let's take a look at the disasters which shaped the year 2022. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support the show

The story of 33 men trapped deep within a Chilean mine gripped not only their nation, but the whole world. This episode of Great Disasters draws on contemporary reporting and the survivors' accounts to tell a fascinating story of  hope and survival against the odds. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , a...

In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the shipwreck of a migrant boat off the coast of Lampedusa in 2013. The beautiful Italian island of Lampedusa is accustomed to the arrival of migrant boats, and the frequent need to rescue their occupants, since it's the closest European land to the coast of Libya. However, this incident was on an unprecedented scale. Drawing on cont...

A look back over the disasters and tragedies which shaped 2021, from COVID-19 to the Surfside Condo Collapse, the La Palma Volcano, and more. (Apologies if my narration isn't as precise as usual - I am in the middle of some significant dental work.) Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - le...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode gives an overview of the events of 9/11.  Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11, and even...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 175, and event...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at aspects of events in New York, not covered in the previous episodes...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 77 and events at The Pent...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, and the brave actions o...

The submarine sank in relatively sheltered waters, just fourteen miles from shore. Although her front end was on the sea bed, her rear end was lifted several feet out of the water. Surely rescue for the 103 men on board would be quite simple?  Drawing from contemporary accounts and modern research, I'll tell the harrowing story of the HMS Thetis. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full tr...

A commercial airliner drops from the sky over Africa without a single word; what happened, and how could it have prevented further tragedy? Drawing from official reports and contemporary reporting, I'll tell the story of LAM Mozambique Flight 470 Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - let m...

It started as a lovely, mild winter's day - but it turned deadly, and those most at risk were the children. Drawing from contemporary newspaper accounts, modern research and more, I'll tell the story of the Schoolhouse Blizzard. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram - let me know what y...

It burned around 1.5 million acres, killed over a thousand people, and ranks as the deadliest wildfire in history. Yet it is largely forgotten, because it happened the same night as the Great Fire of Chicago. Drawing from the tales of survivors, contemporary newspaper accounts and more, I'll tell the story of the Peshtigo Fire. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more....

It was the age of airships - gigantic silver balloons which floated almost silently across the sky - but Britain's dreams of an Imperial airship fleet were about to be tragically dashed. Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, official reports and more, I'll tell the story of the R101. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great...

It should have been a fun evening of music and dancing - but it abruptly turned into a gruesome scene of tragedy. Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, and official reports, I'll tell the story of the Hyatt Regency Skywalk Collapse. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram -...

An incident in an elevator led to an outpouring of hatred, gunfire and flame. It was America's worst single incident of racial violence, yet for decades many had never even heard of it. Drawing from contemporary reporting, eyewitness accounts, and modern research, I'll tell the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Support: htt...

A crowded ferry set sail from Zeebrugge on a cold March evening - but just outside the harbour walls, tragedy struck, and a straightforward crossing turned into a fight to survive. Drawing from contemporary coverage, official reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Herald of Free Enterprise. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Gre...

After a church outing to an amusement park, an old yellow school bus full of sleepy kids made its way home along the interstate. At the same time, a pickup truck was driving the other way - in the same lane. Drawing from contemporary coverage, official reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Carrollton Bus Crash. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and m...

A wave of black, sticky molasses engulfs a Boston neighbourhood, wreaking a sweet-tasting but deadly kind of havoc. It's one of history's more unusual disasters, but that doesn't mean it should be treated lightly. Drawing from both modern and contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Boston Molasses Flood. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the fu...

It should have been an ordinary Wednesday morning commute, with the biggest worry being whether there would be any seats free on the train. Instead, it was described as being akin to the battlefields of the war just seven years past. Drawing from contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash - Britain's deadliest peacetime tra...

A bright, sunny New York morning turned to disaster in a matter of moments - and it would be the city's most deadly disaster for almost a hundred years. This heartbreaking disaster literally decimated a community, with a death toll of over a thousand, mostly women and children. Drawing from contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the General Slocum disaster....

It was supposed to be a fun afternoon; hundreds of children packed into Sunderland's Victoria Hall for a magic show. Their tickets promised the greatest treat ever given, and the chance of presents, too. However, for many it would end in the most heartbreaking tragedy possible. Drawing from contemporary and modern accounts, I'll tell the story of the Victoria Hall disaster. Visit www.gre...