T minus 20

🎨 Orange is the New Revolution: Ukraine in 2004 wasn’t just a spot on the map—it was a movement . The Orange Revolution burst onto the scene as Ukrainians ditched political apathy for orange scarves and chants of democracy. Poison plots, rigged elections, and peaceful protests in Kyiv’s Maidan Square took the global stage. By December, Viktor Yushchenko triumphed in a re-vote, and Ukraine took it...

This week in 2004 NASA cranked up the speed dial to an astonishing Mach 9.6 —that’s 7,000 mph—thanks to the experimental X-43A scramjet aircraft. Unlike traditional rockets, this futuristic wonder didn’t rely on onboard oxygen; it sucked in atmospheric air as fuel, reaching record-breaking speeds and paving the way for some thrilling possibilities. We’re talking hypersonic missiles that can outman...

This week is loaded with high-stakes showdowns, culture-defining beats, and innovations that reshaped our digital lives. We begin in Fallujah, Iraq, where the brutal Second Battle of Fallujah—aka Operation Phantom Fury —gripped international attention. Coalition forces faced intense resistance in a city that had become a fortified insurgent hub, leading to one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq...

🗳️ This week, we’re time-traveling to the 2004 U.S. presidential election – where Bush edged out Kerry in a nail-biter that had it all: missing WMDs, National Guard gossip, Patriot Act debates, and a whirlwind of controversies. The result? Bush grabs a second term, thanks partly to a campaign heavy on security and “moral values” … and Kerry's reputation as a professional flip-flopper. 😆 🛰️ M...

We kick things off with the tragic story of Ricky Hendrick, NASCAR's rising star who soared to victory on the track but tragically crashed out of the sky. When his plane went down in 2004, taking nine others with him, it was a devastating loss for motorsports and the Hendrick family.  Next, Osama bin Laden pulled out the ultimate villain move, dropping a video like a sinister mixtape 📼🔥. In...

We kick things off with the brave but tragic story of humanitarian Margaret Hassan, whose kidnapping in Iraq shook the world 🌍. From the sand to the subterranean, we journey to the bottom of Krubera Cave—the deepest cave on the planet—where explorers went farther underground than ever before 🌌. In pop culture, we're all about Delta Goodrem's emotional return to the ARIA Awards stage af...

In this episode, we dig into the criminal underworld taking a closer look at the recent discovery of human remains at a reputed Gambino family burial ground 🦴🔍. We unravel the twisted tale of mobsters Alphonse "Sonny Red" Indelicato, Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone, and Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, and their ill-fated attempt to seize power in the crime world. From b...

Do you remember the infamous Mark Latham vs. John Howard "Handshake of Doom" 🤝? What was supposed to be a friendly greeting turned into a political WWE moment, and spoiler alert: Latham didn’t walk away with the belt (or the votes). Who knew a handshake could shake the entire nation? We’re pouring one out for NBA legend Scottie Pippen 🏀, who officially retired, leaving behind six rings...

Get a grip on your tentacles because this week’s episode dives into a whirlwind of cosmic chaos and squishy surprises! 🎉💥 Asteroid 4179 Toutatis —the celestial tumbleweed that decided to drop by Earth like an uninvited guest at a hurricane party! 🌪️💫 Discovered back in '89, this chunky rock (about 4.5 km of pure asteroid madness) zoomed past us at a cozy distance of four lunar hops. That’s...

Hold onto your iPod Classic and crank up the Green Day because we're time-traveling back to the week of 19 September 2004! 🚀 If you were glued to The Weather Channel, you might remember Hurricane Jeanne 🌪️. This Category 3 beast tore through the Caribbean and Florida with winds strong enough to blow away your summer BBQ plans (and maybe your roof). Jeanne became the deadliest hurricane since...

Get ready to rewind the clock with us as we dive into an absolutely bonkers week from 2004! 🕰️ First, we break down the day “Batman” didn’t just save Gotham—he scaled Buckingham Palace! 🦇🏰 Yup, activist Jason Hatch, decked out in full Bat-gear, gave the royal guards a major wake-up call. Then, just when you thought things couldn’t get wilder, pro-hunt campaigners pulled a Mission Impossible-styl...

🎧✨ Get ready for another blast from the past as we rewind to the week of 5 - 11 September 2004 🌪️ Hurricane Havoc: Brace yourself as Hurricane Ivan, a Category 5 powerhouse, leaves a path of destruction from Grenada to the Gulf Coast. With winds that could blow your socks off, Ivan didn’t just visit—he made an unforgettable entrance! 💥 Bomb Blast in Jakarta: We shift to Jakarta, where a tragic...

Get ready for a rollercoaster of a week! 🎢 We start with a somber note as the Beslan school hostage crisis shakes Russia. Armed militants take over 1,100 hostages, mostly children, turning a celebration into a tragedy. The world watches in horror as the crisis unfolds over three days, ending in a devastating assault. 💔 Across the Atlantic, the Republican National Convention heats up in New York...

🎨 Art Heist Alert! On August 22, 2004, two masked men stormed Oslo’s Munch Museum and pulled off a daring daylight robbery, snatching Edvard Munch’s iconic "The Scream" and "Madonna." With no alarms, dropped paintings, and a chaotic escape, this heist was more Keystone Cops than criminal masterminds. It took two years, a police sting, and the promise of 2 million M&M’s to...

Get ready to rewind to a week where headlines, heartbreaks, and heroics took center stage! From the tense streets of Iraq to the Olympic glory in Athens. 🎥 A Captive’s Tale: On August 19, the world held its breath as Al-Jazeera aired a chilling video of American filmmaker Micah Garen, held captive by Iraqi insurgents. Documenting the looting of archaeological sites, Garen found himself in the clu...

This week, we're rolling through August 2004, where history meets hilarity! 🎙️😄 🌪️ Hurricane Charley's Chaos: August 13th, 2004, saw Hurricane Charley tearing through Florida with winds hitting 150 mph, leaving devastation in its wake. Punta Gorda felt the brunt of this Category 4 storm, causing $16.3 billion in damages but showcasing the resilient spirit of the Sunshine State. 💪🏽🌴 🇬...

🎙️ Hey, throwback junkies! It's time to dive back into 2004 with our latest podcast episode, where we unpack the year’s most iconic moments in news, music, and entertainment! 🔥 Supermarket Inferno in Paraguay: A tragic fire in Asunción turned a regular shopping day into a catastrophe, leaving 396 dead and over 500 injured. The blaze exposed shocking safety failures, locked exits, and a lack...

💛🚴‍♂️ This week on T minus 20, we offer you a yellow bracelet and a whole lot of controversy. Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong bracelets were the hottest accessory, sported by celebs from Eva Mendes to Tom Hanks, but beneath the yellow silicone lay a storm of doping allegations. We dive into the French exposé “LA Confidentiel” and Armstrong’s fiery denials as he pedalled his way to a record sixth To...

🎬 We dive into the glitz and chaos of Hollywood with the premiere of Entourage. The series that gave us a backstage pass to fame, fortune and the wild ride in between! 💉We’re sweating the small stuff – literally! We said bye bye pit stains when the FDA gave Botox the green light for sweat-free underarms. 🏆 We chat the 12th ESPY Awards - the big winners on the day plus deets on where they are no...

🌆 It’s the grand opening of Millennium Park in Chicago, with attractions like Cloud Gate (aka The Bean), the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and Crown Fountain. From construction delays to cost controversies, we spill all on how this urban gem came to be. 🏛️ We turn the spotlight on Martha Stewart's sentencing saga. From selling her New York condo to a courtroom showdown that had fans chanting "...

🏙️ In New York, the cornerstone for One World Trade Center was laid, marking a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal.  👑 Across to London, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled the memorial fountain for Diana, Princess of Wales. We discuss the heartfelt ceremony and the splash of controversy that followed. 📉 We revisit the infamous Enron scandal with the indictment of former Chairman Kenneth Lay. We&a...

⚖️ Saddam Hussein made his first courtroom appearance since being captured. Spoiler alert: he didn't exactly roll over and accept his fate. Defiant and dramatic, Saddam had some choice words and loads of theatrics for the court and President Bush.  🪐 Relive the groundbreaking journey of the Cassini spacecraft as it entered Saturn’s orbit. This monumental mission unveiled secrets of the ringe...

🚀 We’re launching into space history when SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately funded human spaceflight. Funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, this bad boy reached an altitude of 100 kilometres and opened the door to the future of private space travel.  ⚖️ The New York Court of Appeals declared the state's death penalty statute unconstitutional in People v. LaValle. The landmark dec...

Hold onto your low-rise jeans nostalgia nuts, this week we’re chatting boobs, bluetooth and Mr Brightside 🎓 What did you get for your graduation? A watch? A fountain pen? Or a set of breasts? Yep. Back in ’04 parents were gifting their 18-year-olds breast implants as a ‘well done on the exams results kiddo, here are some new cans’. With reality shows like Extreme Makeover fuelling body image issu...

This Week on T Minus 20 we rewind to tragedy in Riyadh, a cosmic crash and an indie film breakthroughs.  🌍 First on our radar is the chilling attack on a BBC news team in Riyadh, where courage met tragedy. We pay tribute to cameraman Simon Cumbers, who lost his life and salute Frank Gardner, whose resilience turned a moment of horror into a lifetime of advocacy for journalist safety.  💥 Then, we...