October 5, 1871. In what some call the wildest town in the Wild West, bad blood has been building for a long time. Wild Bill Hickok, the sheriff of Abilene, Kansas, is facing down Phil Coe, a saloon owner with a history of antagonizing the law. Then, the guns come out. This kind of shootout isn’t uncommon in the Old West, but it’s a lot more complicated than ... Show More
Today
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
Aug 2024
Tore C. Olsson, "Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past" (St. Martin's Press, 2024)
Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption II, set in 1911 and 1899, are the most-played American history video games since The Oregon Trail. Beloved by millions, they’ve been widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail. But how do they fare as re-creations of his ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2024
Tore Olsson With What's History on Red Dead Redemption 2 | Episode 389
Can games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" help overcome stereotypes around subjects like history, making them more immersive and relatable? In this episode, we delve deep into the transformative role of video games in education. Our guest, an expert in integrating existing video gam ... Show More
34m 4s
Feb 2025
Episode #222 - What's True About Al Capone? (Part I)
The life of the gangster Al Capone could be understood as a violent expression of the American Dream. A poor kid from Brooklyn, born to immigrant parents, used his wits, fists, and a certain ruthless determination to build an empire. The underworld figure has been the fodder for ... Show More
1h 13m
Mar 2018
LEGENDS OF THE OLD WEST | Trailer
On Legends of the Old West, host Chris Wimmer tells the true stories of the iconic people and events of the American West. This podcast features thorough research, cinematic storytelling, and captivating music to keep the legends alive.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg ... Show More
3m 24s
Aug 26
The Code They Killed For — Honor, Manhood, and the American Gunfighter
<p>When you picture a gunfighter, you probably think of a Hollywood cowboy — spurs jangling, six-shooter on his hip, squaring off at high noon in a dusty frontier town. But gunfighters weren’t just products of Hollywood. They were real men who lived and died by a code: one rooted ... Show More
51m 21s
Oct 2024
The Man Who Came From the Railroad
In this chilling episode, I tell you about the "Railroad Killer," a man who terrorized small towns along the U.S. railroads in the late 1990s. We follow the stories of Chris Maier and Holly Dunn, two university students who crossed paths with this brutal attacker, as well as the ... Show More
19m 41s
Jul 2022
The Serial ‘70s: John Wayne Gacy
The "Killer Clown" likely contributed to people's fears of makeup-wearing jesters. But the truth is, John Wayne Gacy's personas, "Pogo" or "Patches," didn't harm a soul. It was the successful suburban businessman hiding in plain sight who was preying on young men and boys. This i ... Show More
51m 12s
Apr 2018
LEGENDS Ep. 1 | “The Coffeyville Raid”
On October 5th, 1892, the Dalton Gang attempted one of the most daring robberies in the history of the West. Armed with Winchester rifles, they tried to rob two banks at the same time in broad daylight in Coffeyville, Kansas. The result was a running gun battle with the townsfolk ... Show More
32m 19s
Apr 2025
Meet The Chicago Outfit's Most Infamous Hitman
Kurt Calabrese grew up in the Chicago mafia known as The Outfit. His father, Frank Calabrese Sr, was the premier hitman, known for strangling his victims with his bare hands. But Frank didn't just leave the violence at work. He trained his sons Kurt and Frank Jr in the mob enforc ... Show More
42m 8s