We know that World War I was fought in Europe, but did you know the attack on American soil that nearly destroyed the Statue of Liberty? We've all played the board game Monopoly, but during WWII it was a real life get out of jail free card for POWs. We all know the music to the Star Spangled Banner - but what is its connection to a lurid drinking tune from a country we were once at war with? And Amelia Earhart - was she really the best female pilot of her time? Host Joe Moniaci uncovers the secrets behind some of America's biggest icons.
We all know about the 9/11 terrorist attack, but did you know there was another deadly act of terrorism in New York City on Wall Street in 1920? Or how about the fact that the boy scouts, a deeply American tradition, was actually founded by a British spy! And, would you guess one of America's most beloved beverages -- Coca-Cola got so popular because it used to have an ingredient that made it impossible to resist? Plus, what about DB Cooper? A lot of people have heard his name but very few know the details of how his heist went down. Moniaci exposes the secrets behind some of America's biggest crooks, schemes, and scandals.
We've heard the story of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII, but did you know there was a second surprise designed to devastate America's mainland? We've seen the famous footage of the Hindenburg airship disaster... but was it the worst airship crash ever? Not by a long shot. And what about the first astronaut to be in space for more than 24 hours- Gordon Cooper....How did he manage to pilot his Faith 7 spacecraft after a complete system failure? Plus, can you believe when the United States astronauts first walked on the Moon- the Soviets were there, too? Moniaci uncovers the stories behind some of the biggest disasters, threats and conquests that took place in America's skies.
We know that the U.S. and Soviets went to extreme lengths to win the cold war, but few people know about a top secret project by the US government to bury nuclear missiles under the ice in Greenland within striking distance of the USSR! There was another top secret project during the Vietnam War...the U.S. tried to weaponize the weather to beat the Vietcong. And during WWII, the U.S. military fought the Germans not just with guns and ammo, but with magic tricks and inflatable tanks. Plus, our best defense in the cold war wasn't a nuclear missile... it was a double agent. Moniaci finds the stories of some of the incredible plots, ploys and people behind America's secret weapons.
During World War II, the world was on the verge of total destruction...but did you know that the war was also full of top secret missions that most people know nothing about? A hidden bomb shelter inside of the Brooklyn Bridge; a clandestine cover-up after a D-Day rehearsal leaves dozens of Allied troops dead; and contrary to what most people have been led to believe, those A-bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren't the deadliest bombs in WWII...the firebombings in Tokyo were.
The M-1 Carbine Rifle gave American G.I.'s a fighting edge during WW2, but did you know it was invented by an ex-con busted for making Moonshine? And what about the American pilot who risked everything during the Berlin Airlift to surprise starving German kids with candy? And many believe Rosa Parks was the first lady of civil rights, but long before she refused to get off the bus in the 1950's, came a 19TH century New York activist who stood up to segregation 100 years earlier. Moniaci uncovers WHAT HISTORY FORGOT about these rebels with a cause.
The stories behind some of the biggest deceptions, the top secrets and the secret weapons used to help defy the Nazis in WWII.
The stories behind George Washington, the California Gold Rush, the vast highways that stretch across America, and the wars between the United States and Great Britain.
Learning about the phrase Go for Broke!, the Fall of Saigon at Vietnam's bitter end, the legends spun around top-secret microfilm, and the classic movie, "The Dirty Dozen."
Exploring the secrets and scandals of Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena, and the crime and corruption that surrounded Prohibition Bootlegging.
Exploring the significance of the Civil War, the CIA, the Civil Rights movement, and the advent of flight.
Exploring the unbreakable codes, top secret underground nerve centers, super-human navy seals, and most classified operations of WWII.
