Brought to Russia as fourteen-year-old Princess Sophia from a tiny German principality, she became Catherine the Great, the most powerful woman in Europe.

Peter III, Catherine's husband

Catherine's mother, Princess Johanna

The Empress Elizabeth

Frederick the Great

Grigori Orlov

Poniatowski

Catherine on the the balcony of the Winter Palace after she seized the throne from Peter III

Catherine, in the uniform of the Imperial Guard

Brought to Russia as fourteen-year-old Princess Sophia from a tiny German principality, she became Catherine the Great, the most powerful woman in Europe.

Catherine's coronation painting, wearing her remarkable crown

Pugachev, harassing captive nobles before their execution

Paul I, Catherine's son and heir

Grigori Potemkin

Peterhof Palace

The Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum

The Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great

Listen to this February 5, 2020 flashback episode about Bob Marley, homeless at age 20 in one of the poorest cities of the Third World, he became a popular music phenomenon and 20th century icon.

Bob Marley performing in July of 1980

Bob Marley's mother's home, Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica

Bunny Wailer, one of Marley's earliest collaborators

Peter Tosh, another Marley associate, performing in 1978

The I Threes, performing with Marley, Rita, his wife, center

Listen to this February 5, 2020 flashback episode about Bob Marley, homeless at age 20 in one of the poorest cities of the Third World, he became a popular music phenomenon and 20th century icon.

Marley, performing last outdoor show, Dublin, Ireland, July 6, 1980

Marley, publicity photo

Marley's son, Ziggy

Bob Marley, mausoleum complex entrance, Nine Mile, Jamaica

This special flashback episode, from March 16, 2018, discusses D. B. Cooper and the most infamous unsolved hijacking in US history.

Some of the crew members from the plane Cooper hijacked

Initial crude wanted poster circulated by the FBI

Richard McCoy, wanted poster circulated after he escaped from a federal penitentiary

Another potential D. B. Cooper, Robert Rackstraw.

This special flashback episode, from March 16, 2018, discusses D. B. Cooper and the most infamous unsolved hijacking in US history.

Northwest Orient Plane similar to the one DB Cooper hijacked.

Money recovered on the shores of the Columbia River that was ultimately identified as part of Cooper's $200,000

Grave of Richard Mccoy, who many believe was D. B. Cooper

 

On April 5, 1976, when he died in a private jet,  en route to Houston, Texas, Howard Hughes was a hopeless drug addict, weighed 93 pounds and hadn’t even taken a step on his own in several years.  He was also the world’s wealthiest man, living proof that money can’t buy happiness.

On April 5, 1976, when he died in a private jet,  en route to Houston, Texas, Howard Hughes was a hopeless drug addict, weighed 93 pounds and hadn’t even taken a step on his own in several years.  He was also the world’s wealthiest man, living proof that money can’t buy happiness.

In 2013, while working as a contractor at the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden leaked an extensive collection of top secret documents, an act of defiance that, today, still reverberates throughout US intelligence and international relations.

In 2013, while working as a contractor at the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden leaked an extensive collection of top secret documents, an act of defiance that, today, still reverberates throughout US intelligence and international relations.

One of the most popular novels in US literary history, The Catcher in the Rye permanently transformed both its readers and its enigmatic author, J. D. Salinger.

One of the most popular novels in US literary history, The Catcher in the Rye permanently transformed both its readers and its enigmatic author, J. D. Salinger.

 
Gunther Lutjens: The Admiral Behind the Bismarck’s Fateful Voyage
Discover the untold story of Admiral Gunther Lutjens and the nine-day voyage of Nazi Germany’s most powerful battleship, the Bismarck. This bite-sized biography delves into the naval strategies, political tensions, and dramatic sea battles that led to one of World War II’s most epic maritime confrontations. From Hitler’s rearmament plans to the sinking of the HMS Hood, uncover the forgotten details of this pivotal moment in naval history.

Today, no more than thirty-seven paintings are attributed to Jan Vermeer. Still, he remains one of the greatest artists who ever lived.
 
This podcast explores the life and works of Dutch master Jan Vermeer. It delves into Vermeer’s enigmatic biography, his meticulous artistic process, and the rediscovery of his genius centuries after his death. The episode covers Vermeer’s early life in Delft, his marriage, and his struggle to support a large family through art and dealing. It traces the journey of several of Vermeer’s most famous paintings, including “The Milkmaid” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” through history and various collections. The podcast also touches on the impact of historical events like wars on the fate of Vermeer’s works and the artist’s enduring legacy in the art world.
0:00 Intro: Jan Vermeer’s enigmatic life and legacy
5:30 Vermeer’s early life and artistic beginnings
16:45 Vermeer’s artistic style and meticulous process
28:05 St. Praxedis: Vermeer’s earliest surviving work
33:45 The Procuress: Vermeer’s dramatic stylistic shift
39:20 A Girl Asleep: Symbolism in everyday scenes
44:55 The Milkmaid: Dutch appreciation for Vermeer
50:35 Landscapes: The Little Street and View of Delft

Today, no more than thirty-seven paintings are attributed to Jan Vermeer. Still, he remains one of the greatest artists who ever lived.

Arrested for selling secrets to the Russians, their incarceration and Christopher Boyce’s subsequent escape from a Federal prison was headline news.  Ultimately, the Falcon and the Snowman spent decades behind bars.

Arrested for selling secrets to the Russians, their incarceration and Christopher Boyce’s subsequent escape from a Federal prison was headline news.  Ultimately, the Falcon and the Snowman spent decades behind bars.

Theodore Roosevelt: Nobel Laureate, Medal of Honor Winner, Political Progressive, Executor of the Panama Canal, Best Selling Author, Conservationist and always the Man in the Arena.

Theodore Roosevelt: Nobel Laureate, Medal of Honor Winner, Political Progressive, Executor of the Panama Canal, Best Selling Author, Conservationist and always the Man in the Arena.