A lot of elements contributed into winning World War II: Britain refusing to make peace with Nazi Germany after the fall of France along with the Chinese and Soviets willingness to suffer millions of deaths. But World War II was a war between the factories; whichever side could produce the most military equipment would win. The deciding factor in World War II was the fantastic industrial output of the U.S.  ..read more

Polio was one of the scourges of the 20th century. And it mainly struck children. All of a sudden a person contracted polio and suffered terribly for several days; sometimes they recovered, sometimes they died, and sometimes they were left permanently disabled. The most famous polio victim of all time, Franklin Roosevelt, hid his disability from the public. But this story has a true hero: Jonas Salk, who developed a vaccine which led to the almost complete eradication of this dreaded disease. And Dr. Salk never patented the vaccine or earned any money from his discovery ..read more

Wars are never solely military questions. They always involve politics and the will of the people. This episode outlines America's war in Vietnam and explains why the U.S. lost, including the limitations imposed by the American public and the realities of the Cold War.  ..read more

The story of the Vietnam War usually starts with President John Kennedy being assassinated and new President Lyndon Johnson getting the U.S. into a long, unwinnable war from 1964 through 1973. This episode explores what happened before that war: the collapse of the French colony of Indochina, why Vietnam was split into 2 countries of North Vietnam and South Vietnam, why the communists tried to take over the South, and how did America become involved in the quagmire of Vietnam ..read more

The Vikings are history's best example of an irresistible force. They were raiders from Scandinavia that pillaged and slaughtered across much of Europe. They founded Iceland, lived in Greenland, and were the first Europeans in North America. They changed Britain and most of mainland Europe. Find out what made them so formidable and how they reshaped the western world ..read more

In the 1950s, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy led a hunt for Communists in the American government. His brand of persecution based on lies, rumors, and innuendos ruined many lives but did not send a single subversive to jail. He set the standard for politicians who wish to be bullies and demagogues.  ..read more

On December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. What appeared to be a stunning success actually spelled the end of Japan's dreams of empire and led to the defeat of the Axis Powers in World War II ..read more

In 1846, a wagon train which became known as the Donner Party was headed to California. They became trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and resorted to eating those who died. Out of 87 people only 46 survived ..read more

On August 2, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rammed and cut in half an American PT boat captained by a young John F. Kennedy. Due to the determination of JFK, the bravery of his crew, the assistance of some Solomon Islands' natives, and some good luck, most of the PT-109 survived.  ..read more

The 18th Amendment, which banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcohol within the U.S., might be the best example of unintended consequences. Prohibition helped start women's liberation, propelled the Jazz Age, and essentially created Organized Crime in the U.S.  ..read more