March 20, 1953. A middle-aged man named John Christie packs up a suitcase and leaves his apartment in Notting Hill, London. No one knows where he’s gone. But a few days later, people realize why he left… a new tenant makes an unsettling discovery: bodies, hidden in the walls of the kitchen. Today: the case of serial killer John Christie. Why, decades later, ... Show More
Nov 24
A Meteorite Hits Ann Hodges
November 30, 1954. At about 12:45 in the afternoon, a space rock comes plummeting through the roof of a house in Sylacauga, Alabama. It bounces off a stand-up radio, ricochets around the living room, and collides with the thigh of Mrs. Ann Hodges, who’s been napping on the couch. ... Show More
37m 23s
Nov 17
Ken Burns Reimagines the American Revolution | A Conversation with Ken Burns & Sarah Botstein
November 16, 1776. George Washington rows toward Manhattan to inspect the fort that bears his name, only to meet a full-scale British assault already underway. By afternoon, Fort Washington has fallen, and General Washington is forced to abandon New York City.
The Continental A ... Show More
38m 45s
Nov 10
The Grinnell 14 Take On the Bomb (feat. Peter Coyote)
November 16, 1961. Fourteen college students from Iowa have driven nearly a thousand miles to the White House. They’re fasting, protesting, and calling for an end to nuclear bomb testing. These students, later known as the Grinnell 14, will help ignite the student peace movement ... Show More
27m 56s
Dec 2022
Episode 215: The hunt for 'The Silver Killer' - the UK's mysterious serial murderer
CHESHIRE, England 1996, Howard Ainsworth violently bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer before taking his own life. Three years later in the same town, Donald Ward beat his wife to death with a ceramic hot water bottle before using the shards of glass to take his own life. ... Show More
37m 58s
Oct 2021
The Escape of Jack the Ripper: History’s Most Infamous Serial Killer, and the Cover-up to Protect His Identity
He was young, handsome, highly educated in the best English schools, a respected professional, and a first-class amateur athlete. He was also a serial killer, the Victorian equivalent of the modern-day Ted Bundy. His name was Montague Druitt—also known as “Jack the Ripper.”<br><b ... Show More
43m 37s
Jul 2023
Strange News: Long Island Serial Killer Suspect Arrested, NPC TikTok, and the Murder of Tupac Shakur
It's been a strange week for serial murder: after years of dead ends, authorities appear to have captured the Long Island Serial Killer -- and there may also be a new lead on the identity of Jack the Ripper. The NPC TikTok trend becomes a subject of confusion and debate on Twitte ... Show More
50m 30s
Oct 2023
The Murder of William Weare
<p>William Weare's murder was brutal, gruesome, and a source of complete fascination for the public, and it set the stage for illustrated crime reporting.</p> <p><strong>Research:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Cunningham, Alice. “Radlett: The horrifying 19th century murder that put Hertf ... Show More
36m 52s
Apr 2023
The Murder of Anna Kenny: Bonus Mini-Episode
20 year old Anna Kenny was walking to George Square in the centre of Glasgow to get a bus home when she was taken from the street and never seen alive again. Nobody has ever been convicted of her murder.<br><br>In 2021, along with co-author Chris Clark, I released a book, 'Gone F ... Show More
12m 11s