Historically High

The men who would first comprise E Company (Easy) would begin their journey at Camp Taccoa, Georgia. Parachute Infantry or Paratroopers were a new concept in WW2. They would be the pioneers. Jumping from planes behind enemy lines, they were supposed to fight surrounded. Engaging the enemy with limited weaponry and fighting with without vehicles or tanks required them to be in exceptionally well trained. They took part in some of the most pivotal events of the war and through it all leaned on each other for survival. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Challenger Disaster marked one of the lowest points in the history of NASA, and what's worse is it was completely preventable. The Space Shuttle program had been kicked off in April 1981 and had executed 24 successful launches prior to January 28th, 1986. For a while it had been known by Morton Thiokol, the builders of the solid fuel rocket boosters that carried the shuttle into orbit, and NASA, an issue with the boosters O-Ring seals was present during launches. While nothing disastrous has happened it was the opinion of the engineers at Thiokol that it was only a matter of time. It was such a concern the night before the challenger launch, a group of engineers flat out told NASA staff they did not recommend launching until the issue could be resolved. The few individuals at NASA aware of this chose to ignore the experts warning and launch anyway. 73 seconds into the launch the nightmare became a reality. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Books close, pull out your Pens and Papers. Time to find out if you know your sweets, or if you're just a salty little bitch. Snacks....we're talking about the origins of some of history's greatest snacks. Subscribe to Patreon.com/historicallyhigh to support the show and get weekly bonus content like this and other things. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're big fans of Princess Di here at Historically High. She had it all, the looks, the brains, the cheeky sense of humor. But what she really wanted was a family. Diana Spencer grew up in the aristocracy. Her parents divorced early in her life due to her dad being an asshole creating her desire for a stable family. Her father was Earl Spencer (Earl being a Title) which made Di and her siblings Lords and Ladies. She never really did fit that mold though. She met the man she would eventually marry (Prince Charles) when she was 16. He was 29 at the time, and oh yeah he was dating Diana's sister, Sarah. Well Sarah and Charles didn't work out and in the summer of 1977, a now 18 year old Diana caught the eye of Charles yet again. Dude was 31 at the time. A whirlwind courting followed that saw Diana making front page headlines as the possible future Princess and Queen of England. She accepted Charles proposal in February 1981, a total of about 8 months after they began seeing each other. A royal wedding followed, watched by over 750 million people worldwide. Diana was an instant star, she bridged the gap between the common folk and the stuffy royals. She gave the country not one but two boys, The Heir and the Spare they said, Princes William and Harry. She could do no wrong. But despite being adored by nearly everyone, Charles just couldn't pull his head out and be the man she was hoping he was when she agreed to marry him. Charles had dated Camilla Parker prior to Diana but the relationship never really stopped, it just went on extended breaks. Diana herself would have a few steps outside the marriage as well, trying to find happiness where it didn't exist with Charles. A royal divorce followed, but it wasn't Diana that suffered, she was still the People's Princess, and she continued using her fame for philanthropic endeavors. She de-stigmatized the perception that simply contact with HIV/AIDS patients would spread the disease. She brought awareness to war torn areas where landmines were still killing innocent people, and much more. Sadly, for the world, her life would be tragically cut short when she was fatally injured in a car crash at the age of 36. Her boys lost their mother and the world lost its princess. If you're not in love with this woman by the end of this episode, you weren't paying attention. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fabled lost city of Atlantis was introduced to the world by the Father of Western Philosophy, Plato himself. He described in detail an advanced island civilization who's unmatched navy came from west of the Mediterranean attempting to destroy Athens, only to be driven back by the scrappy smaller city-state. Due to their slight against a favored city of the gods and their continued hubris a great disaster befell Atlantis destroying it and sinking it below the waves. Now we feel need to mention, as Plato tells it, this place which he very much claims is real, existed 9000 years before Plato was alive. But here's the thing...Plato was a story teller, and the funny thing about stories is a lot of them have a basis in truth. What if there was a place that inspired Plato to create the story of Atlantis? Could that place have existed? Well lets have a little chat and find out. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the success of the D-Day landings in France and the break out from the Normandy area, momentum was on the side of the Allies. The German Army was being pushed back across a wide front and had yet to put up a resistance capable of halting the advance. Confidence was sky-high and the Allies thought ending the war by Christmas of 1945 was a real possibility. All that was needed was a corridor into Germany itself. The Siegfried Line limited the routes available to move armor so any and all options were being considered. Bernard Montgomery had an idea to Uno reverse card Hitler and march back along the route through Belgium the Nazi's had used to invade France. The problem with this plan's success was completely contingent on the capture of 8 or 9 bridges along the route...all currently in enemy hands. The two most crucial bridges across the largest waterways just happened to be the furthest behind enemy lines. You'd think with so many things that could go wrong this plan would be scrapped right....right? Well instead more than 41,000 airborne troops were dropped via plane or glider behind enemy lines to capture key bridges while a ground forces would race to through the area those men captured. Everything relied on timing. Towns had to be captured and secured before the armored convoy could pass through so any delays meant that Allied troops dropped further away would be on their own against what turned out to be a much stronger German force than anticipated. Market Garden was not destined to succeed but that didn't stop the men of the Airborne from giving everything they had trying to make it.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Al Capone came to the head of the Chicago Outfit at 26 years of age. Now leading the largest organized crime family outside of New York, Al made a fortune by bootlegging in liquor during prohibition. He definitely did all the other mob stuff, Gambling, Sex Work, Racketeering, but booze is where he hit it big. Fighting for control of the lucrative alcohol game spilled onto the streets of Chicago in a way that hadn't and still hasn't been seen. This was a time when you'd be walking down Michigan Avenue and see 4 guys jump out of a car in broad days light and open up with Tommy Guns trying to bump off a rival leader. Bombings were commonplace, and almost the entire law enforcement establishment was on the take, bought and paid for by Capone. Finally the Federal Government has to step in to take him down. How'd they do it?....well you're gonna have to listen to find out. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yes we know that's a lengthy title. By the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, it had been 20 years since the U.S. won the gold. Those two decades saw a dominance unlike any other at the time by the Soviet Union and their seemingly unbeatable team. The Cold War was front and center. Expectations were pretty low for the U.S. Men's team going into the games but through a series of lucky events a man named Herb Brooks was put in the driver seat. Herb was coming off a NCAA Hockey National Championship in 1979 at the University of Minnesota and looked to create a team that could stand toe to toe with the Soviets using creativity and team chemistry. Now we should note this comes at a time when professional athletes didn't compete on olympic national teams. This team would be comprised of college athletes, many from Minnesota and many from Boston, and oh man some of these guys did not like each other, carrying over rivalries from school. They only had about 7 months to become a team capable of doing what many believed impossible. Well if you know the story, you know they did, and what follows would come to be known as The Miracle on Ice. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The man who would come to be known as The Bard, was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. One of, if not the greatest playwright in human history, William Shakespeare is responsible for 38 plays, 154 Sonnets, and credited with the invention of over 600 words in the English language. We still use phrases he invented on a daily basis. The man lived the theater and had a gift for capturing the complicated nature of people, creating complex but relatable characters and doing so with a masterful use of language. The man was also an entrepreneur, owning a share of his theater company and theater itself. Performing for royalty became common place for Shakespeare as he established himself as the premier playwright in London while never forgoting his roots in Stratford-upon-Avon where his family resided. Join us today as we explore the life and works of William Shakespeare. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Red Ball Express was the life line of supplies that kept the allies going after the D-Day landings. The Allies had no port in mainland Europe capable of bringing in the supplies needed right after the invasion. Enter the Red Ball Express, a literal army of trucks and drivers moving an almost unimaginable amount of ammo, fuel, etc to the allied armies as they moved to push the Germans out of France. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

World War 1 features a couple battles that stand out above the rest. The Battle of the Somme is one, The Battle of Verdun would be the other vying for the top spot. Now where the Somme was a nasty meat-grinder, of trench warfare, Verdun was all about laying siege to forts. Lasting over 300 days it was by far the longest battle of The Great War. Verdun was a fortress town that served as the symbolic home to France's military power. The Verdun region was home to around 20 other forts making it the most heavily defended part of France. German General Erich von Falkenhayn determined the French would do anything to defend this region and if it was lost, do anything to get it back. The plan was to overwhelm the defenders in the area, destroy their fortifications and take advantageous positions. When the French had to counter attack to re-take Verdun, the German Army would be in position to inflict massive casualties or as Falkenhayn put it "bleed the French white." How did that all turn our for him, find out this week as we get Historically High on the Battle of VerdunSupport the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Professor Adam is in the driver's seat this week for a Serial Killer history episode. Gary Ridgway, better known as The Green River Killer, is the 2nd most infamous serial killer in U.S. history. Ridgway murdered at least 49 women in the state of Washington. He worked areas known for prostitution, and preyed on a part of society that law enforcement had turned a blind eye on. Gary wasn't a mastermind. He wasn't a super criminal. He's certainly not well spoken. In fact, he would even point out his own stature to victims as a way of proving he wasn't the Green River Killer. Even he knew he was a loser. That loser is, was, and always will be purely evil. Join us today as we get Historically High on The Green River KillerSupport the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Cook is one of those explorers where upon hearing his name, you gotta take a beat and try to decide if he's a real person or if you're thinking of Captain Hook from Peter Pan or Captain Cook from Breaking Bad. But don't sleep on Jimmy cause the man knew how to quest. Starting out from humble origins cutting his teeth in the coal shipping game, he learned his way around a ship and around the water. Eventually the Royal Navy came calling and he was sent to the new world during the Seven Years War and found he had a talent for cartography. A few years of honing his skills later and James found himself charged with locating the great southern continent that balanced the hemispheres. His voyages would take him around the world several times, seeing places like Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, both circles (Antarctic and Arctic), and many others. Compared with other explorers of his era he was on the lighter side when it came to the mistreatment of indigenous people so he's got that going for him, which is nice. Join us this week as we set sail on the high seas with Captain James Cook. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During WW2 a lot of airmen and a lot of sailors found themselves treading water in the ocean instead of flying in their plane or standing on the deck of their ship. Rescuing these men eventually became a well practiced task, but how exactly was it done? Go to Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and subscribe to find out and more. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What is an archeologist's wet dream? Our guess would be two pre-christian Roman Empire cities preserved almost perfectly under pumice and ash. Something that could be excavated and studied for a lifetime. Each little detail laying out the historical record of what everyday life in a Roman port city/vacation town would look like. Thanks to Mount Vesuvius erupting in 79 CE, that wet dream is a reality. Lava was not involved in the eruption of Vesuvius. It spewed ash and pumice that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum. For those unfortunate souls who could not leave, the pyroclastic flows took them in an instant. Today we are going to talk about what happened on that day. The panic, the terror, the normality of the day Vesuvius erupted. Then we get to talk about what the excavation at the two sites has uncovered. Spoiler alert: this episode is a lot of fun. Join us today as we get Historically High on Pompeii!Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1975 a man named George Lucas began preparing to make an audacious film that would come to be known as Star Wars. The movie, released in 1977 would go on to blow the minds and capture the hearts of countless people all over the world. The movie showed them things they'd never imagined they'd see, space battles, laser swords, a battle-station the size of a moon destroying a planet, and a guy in a suit with asthma.  The problem was, back in 75 no company existed to create the effects George needed to see his dream become reality...so he created one. Industrial Light & Magic was born. The crew that initially created the visual effects were a rag tag team of nerds, outcasts, and people with hobbies other's saw as ridiculous. Together they literally made magic happen, and it didn't end there. For the last 50 years ILM has been making the impossible possible by creating some of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. ILM has put you on the edge of your seat, they've put your jaw on the floor, and they've taken your breath away more times than you know. It's time to tell their story, the Historically High way. Punch it Chewie. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We here at Historically High will admit, we have been a little critical of the French. I mean historically, like the British they've started a lotta shit. WW2 was a different scenario. Germany steam rolled what was supposed to be the most powerful army in Europe at the time. France sought a way to try and preserve some semblance of itself by signing an armistice which legitimized Nazi occupation in the north while allow the "Free Zone" in the south the be controlled by the Weekend at Bernies of governments, The Vichy French. Now while the government may have been okay with occupation there were a lot of people who weren't. Some resisted in small ways like taking down propaganda posters or listening to illegal BBC broadcasts. Others resisted by derailing trains, feeding enemy information to the allies and ambushing nazi convoys. All of them wanted a free France, some were just willing to go further than others. This is their story. Viva La Resistance!!Oh and we started a Patreon, if you like what you hear and want to support the show you can at www.patreon.com/historicallyhigh.Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1830 Belgium became its own country after winning independence from the Netherlands. Founded as a Constitutional Monarchy the national congress elected Leopold I (who of course was tied to the British Monarchy) to serve as king. Following Leopold as monarch was, surprise surprise, Leopold II. Being a new country, Belgium was late to the party establishing any colonial holdings. Leopold II heard about the Congo in Africa and crafted one of the biggest cons in human history. Under the guise of ruling the country to help advance and civilize the people and region, Leopold was made sole ruler of the Congo with no one to answer to. He used his total and utter control of the Congo to brutalize the people and strip the country of its resources to enrich himself personally. This happened over a period 20 years until the atrocities he committed were brought to light. Murder, Mutilation, Slavery, nothing was off the table for Leopold II. Join us as we discuss one of histories worst humans and his reign of terror. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are certain people in history that never really got to collect their roses. They come along at a pivotal time in human advancement and just kinda operated behind the scenes, sometimes contributing massively to humanity. Nikola Tesla is one of those people. Were it not for the car brand (not gonna get into that here) Tesla's name would still be relegated to the historical hamper under men like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham-Bell, and Henry Ford. While not inventing electricity, Nikola did discover the best way to use it. Partnering with literal power-powerhouse Westinghouse (thats not a type) they were ready to bring Tesla's AC (Alternating Current) power to the masses. This didn't rub old Tom Edison right as he the big name in the electric game with DC (Direct Current). He was also Tesla's employer for about 6 months until he didn't make good on a deal when Tesla improved a bunch of his stuff. Now he would see his mistake come back to haunt him. But Tesla wasn't just volts and watts, the guys mind was an idea factory, some were good, some not so much, but most of the time they alway had the touch of genius. Let's meet the man that powered the world, Nikola Tesla.Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are looking at an everlasting gobstopper of true crime history. Patricia Hearst is the grand daughter of Newspaper magnate, and notable dickhead enemy of the show, William Randolph Hearst. In 1974, Patty was kidnapped from her townhouse by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was held captive as the SLA negotiated with her father to feed the hungry of California, in exchange for her release. Then a strange thing happened. Patty the hostage became Patty the Guerilla. Instead of being the victim, it appeared she had become a gun wielding member of the SLA. Once Patty was "rescued" there were questions that needed answers. We have a question that she cannot answer. Why did Donald DeFreeze, the founder of the SLA, have so much contact in prison with a CIA agent? Find out the answer to these questions as we get Historically High on the Kidnapping of Patty Hearst!Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.