logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
18m 55s

The Balloons That Ate Cleveland (A Cauti...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

When Disneyland released one million helium balloons to set a new world record, Cleveland, Ohio looked on in envy. Could it top the Magic Kingdom? What did citizens hope to gain from getting into the record books... and at what cost?

This is a special Cautionary Tales Short - a bitesize warning for history. To hear FOUR more Cautionary Tales Shorts (plus other exclusive and ad-free Pushkin content) join Pushkin+ in Apple Podcasts or at https://www.pushkin.fm/plus/ .

For a full list of sources go to timharford.com

If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 22
Paradise Poisoned: How Utopias Fall Apart
Dore Strauch and Friedrich Ritter make an unconventional couple, united by their contempt for shoes, root vegetables and, above all, society. In 1929 they leave Germany and begin anew on the deserted Galapagos island of Floreana. At first, it feels like a paradise, but soon crack ... Show More
41 m
Aug 15
"Genius Still Unrecognised" - The Worst Poet in the World
William McGonagall's poems are something else. The jarring meter, the banal imagery, the awkward rhymes: they made him a laughing stock in 19th Century Scotland and are still derided to this day. How does someone get that bad at poetry? Or have we been misunderstanding McGonagall ... Show More
40m 3s
Aug 8
Office Hell: The Demise of the Playful Workspace (Classic)
In the early 90s, cutting-edge advertising agency Chiat/Day announced a radical plan, aimed at giving the company a jolt of creative renewal. They would sweep away corner offices and cubicles and replace them with zany open spaces, as well as innovative portable computers and pho ... Show More
38m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
1.5 Million Balloons Cause Chaos in Cleveland with Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh | 22
Back in 1986, Cleveland was trying to make a new name for itself with a huge, record-breaking balloon launch. The goal was to increase the population, raise money for the community, and make Clevelanders proud. By the end, fingers would be blistered, horses traumatized, a search ... Show More
40m 41s
Feb 2023
A Treat for the Die-Hards
Every writer, podcaster and storyteller obsesses about how they begin a story. But they rarely pay enough attention to endings. Nothing matters more. Malcolm and Mike Birbiglia solve endings for you. From our first-ever Revisionist History: LIVE events at the Town Hall in New Yor ... Show More
30m 29s
Jul 2022
“I Was A Stranger and You Welcomed Me”
Malcolm tells the story of how his parents and their friends sponsored three Vietnamese refugees, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. And wonders: do we underestimate the value of ordinary acts of kindness? If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other P ... Show More
33m 47s
Jul 2020
Goodbye, Farewell and Amen
How do we remember one of the deadliest nights in human history? We don't. Part four.Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for priva ... Show More
39m 38s
Jun 2023
Feeling A Bit Attacked with Maria Konnikova
Maria Konnikova, Revisionist History’s ombudsman—who's also an author, psychologist and professional poker player—is back for another round. This time she reads letters from the audience on the power of debate, and whether or not certain four letter words belong in Pushkin’s podc ... Show More
42m 51s
Aug 2020
"Oh Howard, You Idiot!”
A billionaire turned recluse befriends a minor novelist. Together they seize the public’s imagination. Kind of. The true story behind the greatest autobiography you’ve never read.Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm.Credits:BBC Moti ... Show More
45m 41s
Oct 2021
Teaser: The Compromises of Al Levitt
In this month’s subscriber-only episode, a look at the complicated and possibly cursed career of Helen Levitt’s other half.This is a sneak peek at the second in our series of subscriber episodes. To hear the rest, subscribe to PushNik by visiting our show page in Apple Podcasts. ... Show More
3m 37s
Sep 2022
The Rise of the Guinea Pigs
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment could never be done today. No scientist could get permission to starve 36 healthy people for close to a year. But why? Revisionist History tries to follow the strange logic that governs our thinking about medical experiments. If you’d like to k ... Show More
42m 36s
Jul 2020
Bombs-Away LeMay
The arguments, accidents, cold-blooded logic and sheer serendipity that led to the longest night of the Second World War. Part three.Get Revisionist History updates first by signing up for our newsletter at pushkin.fm. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcast ... Show More
39m 49s