Byte Sized Biographies…

In thirteen months, John Dillinger transformed himself from inconsequential ex-con to the most famous criminal celebrity in US history and the first Public Enemy Number One. John Dillinger, at the height of his fame Homer Van Meter Tommy Carroll Billy Frechette, wanted poster Dillinger arrest location, Tucson, Arizona Biograph Theater, early morning July 23, 1934 Chicago alley where Dillinger was shot Dillinger family plot, Crown Hill Cemetery One of several Dillinger death masks

In thirteen months, John Dillinger transformed himself from inconsequential ex-con to the most famous criminal celebrity in US history and the first Public Enemy Number One. Lester Gillis aka Baby Face Nelson Eddie Green, St. Paul criminal Melvin Purvis Front entrance, The Little Bohemia Lodge, Manitowish Falls, Wisconsin Anna Sage

On July 19, 1969 an auto accident, involving Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the death of a young woman, changed the course of American political history forever. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 1968 Edward Kennedy, campaigning in 1962 John Farrar examining the Kennedy automobile as it is being removed from the water near Dike Bridge Ted Kennedy during nationwide speech following the Chappaquiddick accident District Attorney Edmund Dinis Edgartown Police Chief Dominick “Jim” Arena, later in life

On July 19, 1969 an auto accident, involving Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the death of a young woman, changed the course of American political history forever. Senator Edward Kennedy and his wife Joan in the mid-sixties Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Joe Gargan’s sister Ann, Joe Kennedy’s longtime caretaker. Joe Gargan, late in life. Kopechne family gravestone

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. Howard R. Hughes Sr., standing next to a drill site Howard Hughes as a small boy Howard Hughes’ boyhood home in Houston, Texas Movie poster for Hell’s Angels Jane Russell, The Outlaw Hercules, aka The Spruce Goose, taxiing in Long beach Harbor

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. The entrance to the Beverly Hills Hotel, Howard Hughes’ home for over a decade Jean Peters The Desert Inn, circa 1968 Actress Terry Moore, one of Hughes’ female companions, who claimed after his death that he married her in a boat in international waters and that she gave birth to Hughes’ illegitimate child that died shortly after childbirth. The Hughes estate settled with her for a sum believed to be around 400,000 dollars.

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. National Security Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, MD Edward Snowden Glenn Greenwald, publicity photo Laura Poitras General Keith Alexander

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. Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport Edward Snowden in his Hong Kong hotel room Glen Greenwald and Ewan Mckaskill, in Hong Kong Academy Award onstage presentation to Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald and Lindsay Mills, second from right Keith Alexander 2014 retirement party, with Chuck Hagel and James Clapper 

  J. D. Salinger, photo used on book jacket, The Catcher in the Rye Original book jacket cover, The Catcher in the Rye Cornish-Windsor Bridge, near Salinger’s home The Catcher in the Rye, paperback book edition cover, designed by Salinger Jean Miller, 2013 J.D. Salinger: The Reclusive Genius Behind “The Catcher in the Rye” Discover the untold story of J.D. Salinger, the enigmatic author who captivated a generation with “The Catcher in the Rye.” This bite-sized biography delves into Salinger’s early life, his traumatic experiences in World War II, and the creative process behind his iconic novel. Learn how Salinger’s masterpiece transformed American literature and why he retreated from the public eye at the height of his fame. From his privileged Manhattan upbringing to his struggles with PTSD, uncover the fascinating journey of a literary legend. This episode reveals Salinger’s complex relationships, his battles with publishers, and the lasting impact of his work.

J. D. Salinger, Time Magazine, 1961 Original dust jacket of The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger eventually demanded that his photo be removed. J. D. Salinger, on the streets of Windsor, Vermont, later in life. Joyce Maynard, later in life. J.D. Salinger: The Reclusive Genius Behind “The Catcher in the Rye” Discover the untold story of J.D. Salinger, the enigmatic author who captivated a generation with “The Catcher in the Rye.” This bite-sized biography delves into Salinger’s early life, his traumatic experiences in World War II, and the creative process behind his iconic novel. Learn how Salinger’s masterpiece transformed American literature and why he retreated from the public eye at the height of his fame. From his privileged Manhattan upbringing to his struggles with PTSD, uncover the fascinating journey of a literary legend. This episode reveals Salinger’s complex relationships, his battles with publishers, and the lasting impact of his work.

  Admiral Gunther Lutjens Hitler on naval inspection tour of the “Deutschland,” in 1934. Crew of Bismarck on deck, its 15 inch guns visible Spitfire reconnaissance photo near Bergen, Norway. Bismarck during the Battle of the Denmark Strait 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.

Captain Ernst Lindemann HMS Prince of Wales Admiral John Tovey on the deck of the George V Swordfish Torpedo dive bomber Swordfish returning to the Ark Royal after attacking the Bismarck Ark Royal and Renown from HMS Sheffield Bismarck survivors being rescued by the Dorsetshire Hitler and Raeder, 1943 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.   Burial Marker for Vermeer, Oude Kirk, Delft The Astronomer in the Altaussee salt mine Two paintings at 2023 Rijksmuseum exhibit St. Praxedes Diana and her Companions Christ in the House of Mary and Martha The Procuress A Girl Asleep A Girl Reading a Letter by an Open Window, before restoration A Girl Reading a Letter, restored Cavalier and Young Woman The Milkmaid The Glass of Wine Girl Interrupted in her Music Young Woman With A Wine Glass The Little Street View of Delft 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. Young Woman With A Water Pitcher Woman With a Lute The Music Lesson The Concert Woman in Blue Reading a letter Woman With a Pearl Necklace Woman with a Balance A Lady Writing Mistress and Maid Girl With a Pearl Earring Study of a Young Woman Girl With a Red Hat Girl With a Flute The Art of Painting The Geographer The Astronomer The Lacemaker The Love Letter A Lady Writing a Letter With Her Maid Allegory of the Catholic Faith Young Woman Standing a Virginal Young Woman Seated at a Virginal The Guitar Player Young Woman Seated at a Virginal (Leiden Collection) 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