The Missing Chapter Podcast

Some of the most amazing discoveries in history happened by accident.  We have talked about many of those discoveries, so I won’t be redundant and share them again with you now, but I will say, they still amaze me.  On today’s episode of the Missing Chapter, that amazement still holds true.  One of the biggest discoveries in archaeological history not only happened by accident, but the danger invo...

Do you remember the days of developing film?  Wind up your disposable camera, take a peek through the foggy piece of plastic and click - did you get it right, was it in focus, did it come out the way you wanted it?  Uh, you won’t know for about a week unless you go to the new one hour photo down the street!  That was the old way of taking pictures.  And as funny as it sounds now, that’s exactly th...

Phil and I pride ourselves on The Missing Chapter Podcast by giving you, the listeners, the stories that history has overlooked and that, up until now, have been filed away in obscurity. So why is it… that my episode today sounds very familiar and very famous?   A young woman born into darkness – unable to speak, unable to hear, unable to see. But despite these incredible obstacles, her determinat...

Well, everyone, it’s time for a quick story…what happens when you combine 2 co-teachers, 2 podcast hosts, 2 different families, 2 separate schedules, and the happiest place on earth?  An unplanned, welcoming surprise of your podcast hosts running into each other in the middle of Hollywood studios.  Yes, that did happen.  And yes, that inspired today’s episode.  So travel with us today, as we take...

We are all familiar with the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but could the development of these pictures tell us… even more? Here in Upstate New York, we’re renowned for many famous businesses and corporations. Maybe none so more than the Eastman Kodak Company, located in Rochester.  In 1945, no one in the world knew of the highly secretive workings of the U.S. military, outside of...

Do you know what pairs well with our beloved coffee?  Chocolate.  My wife and I love indulging in those chocolate samplers you get for holidays.  Each bite starting with curiosity, and ending with either elation, or a swig of water to wash out a failed attempt to mix chocolate with something that it should never be paired with.  Sounds fun, right?  It is, but if we were in World War II, I’d be ske...

Let me ask you a question: How many things do you "know" about history...that aren't actually true? Did Magellan really circumnavigate the globe? Did Marie Antoinette really say, "Let them eat cake"? Did Napoleon really spend his entire life trying to compensate for being short? And did Van Gogh really slice off his ear? The scary thing is that some of history's most fa...

When you think of deadly natural disasters, you probably think of earthquakes. Tsunamis. Volcanoes. Hurricanes. Things that at least have the ability to look dangerous. But what if I told you that one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history came from...A lake. Not a giant, stormy lake. Not a lake filled with deadly piranhas or some sort of mutant alligators. Just a quiet lake sitting...

You’ve had this plate before… a famous person with a second life or a second career beyond what they’re most renowned for. This story has the ingredients for another one of those surprise dishes; the cook who you think you know, but whose real story will surprise. A touch of mystery, a dash of intrigue, and a healthy dose of, “oh, come on!” This episode will surely have you asking for more. Pour y...

Imagine you're a cartoonist in 1951. You've spent months creating a comic strip about a mischievous little boy. The artwork is finished. The name is perfect. The newspaper is ready to publish. Everything is set and then you wake up one morning and discover that someone, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, has created...the exact same character with the exact same name. And they're...

In the blink of an eye… everything you have worked your entire life for can change. In the blink of an eye… the world that you have come to know, love, and appreciate can be turned upside down. In the blink of an eye… the things you know and love, as well as the things you take for granted, can all be gone. In the blink of an eye… your entire life, as you know it, can change for ever.   Today’s Mi...

You’ve heard the phrase, “desperate times call for desperate measures?” Or how about, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend?” The war between the U.S. government and organized crime has been well documented. It defined American History throughout a large portion of the 20th century and gave rise to numerous iconic books, plays, and especially Hollywood films. So, what would it take exactly, for thes...

Most intelligence gathering involves satellites. Wiretaps. Classified briefings. Highly trained analysts studying global events. You know...serious stuff. But what if I told you that some people believe one of the most reliable indicators of an international crisis isn't found in a secret government report... It's found in a pepperoni pizza. You heard me right, pizza. How is that possible...

Some of the coolest stories in history are the ones that hide in plain sight.  A deck of cards is no exception.  We see them everywhere and almost every household has a deck or two of cards.  From casinos to your grandparents’ house, to that junk drawer in your kitchen nobody cleans out. Fifty-two cards. Four suits. A couple jokers. Simple, yet historic, and absolutely fascinating because none of...

Let me start with a challenge.  How much of the Star-Spangled Banner do you actually know?  Not the first line.  Not the first verse.  The whole thing.  If I handed you a microphone at a baseball game and asked you to sing it, how far would you get?  Ten seconds?  Five?  Would you just start humming confidently and hope nobody notices? Because here's the strange thing: One of the most recogniz...

“Step into a Victorian drawing room. Velvet curtains pool at your feet. Gaslight flickers softly against polished wood. The air is warm… almost comforting. And on the walls, an exquisite emerald-green wallpaper glows with undeniable elegance. It’s beautiful. It’s fashionable. And it’s quietly killing you. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, Britain’s homes became showcases of progress—fi...

I think you reach a certain age, where you start to become very reflective on your life – where you’ve been and where you’re headed. For me, this weekend provides the opportunity to take time out of my busy schedule and reinforce what I already know… my Dad is truly a role model and mentor. There are always actions and traits that dads pass down to their sons – how to shave, how to carry oneself,...

If you are as obsessive as I am, I go crazy when I can’t find something.  It drives me nuts.  I will search far and wide and I am a man on a mission until this object is found.  I think there is something about the human mind that naturally gravitates toward finding the lost - like lost treasure.  People have crossed deserts, financed expeditions, started wars, and ruined their lives trying to fin...

History is full of strange coincidences, and the Civil War is no exception. In fact, we’ve documented many coincidences that occurred during the biggest turning point in our nation’s history – from the story of Wilmer McLean, whose land provided the stage for the first Battle of Bull Run and whose house witnessed the signing of peace in Appomattox, to the Union soldiers from the 27th Indiana Volun...

Have you ever wanted to prove someone wrong when someone told you that you couldn’t do something?  Maybe you proved a nay-sayer wrong.  Maybe you outperformed someone who doubted you.  Maybe you refused to give up when you failed. Now imagine that same energy, but instead of proving a point…You build a multi-million dollar company. Actually, scratch that. You build a company so successful, it comp...

Have you ever wondered about walking over something and had absolutely no idea what was underneath your feet? Maybe finding out about an old battlefield, tunnels, or maybe a subway? Maybe that one mystery smell in the city you’re visiting emanating from that sewer grate underneath your feet? Now imagine this: You’re walking across one of the most famous landmarks in America…The Brooklyn Bridge. Ca...

I don’t know about you, but I rarely have cash on me anymore.  And even more rare is when I carry change.  But you might have had an experience like I have had when you pull out some change in your pocket, and realize there is a coin that feels different from the rest.  And I’m not talking about the now rare, obsolete penny, but maybe the occasional Canadian coin that seems a bit lighter than your...

Let me start today’s episode with a question - What does a goat, a small child, a giant orange fuzzy creature… and a billion-dollar marketing strategy all have in common? …They’re all mascots - you know, those chaotic, dancing, slightly terrifying creatures running around at games -  hugging children, doing acrobats, and mocking their opponents.  They are the entertainers of the game!  But they di...

Humans have innate instincts, just like animals do. We can go to a zoo on vacation and observe mother tigers snuggling their cubs or baby elephants sidling next to their parents for warmth and comfort. That same night, what are my wife and I doing with our boys, while we’re watching a movie? You guessed it… the same parental, natural impulse to “snuggle.” There are few feelings more comforting tha...

Let me start with a quick question: What do coffee, gossip, war and your group chat all have in common? That sounds like the setup to a terrible joke, but it’s not because all of them are connected by the words we use every single day - words that didn’t start in classrooms or offices.  They started in battle. Words like skedaddle , blockbuster , jamoke - they sound harmless and funny. But their o...