Based on a True Story

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 23-29, 2024) — AMC's Turn: Washington's Spies shows us how Benedict Arnold's treason was discovered back on September 24th, 1780. The next day, on Wednesday this week, marks the anniversary of Operation Market Garden coming to a close, which we see in the classic film A Bridge Too Far. And then The Godfather, Part III has a key plot point surrounding a very real event that happened on September 26th, 1978: The death of Pope John Paul I. This week's movie premiere to compare with history is the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans, which has its 24-year anniversary this Sunday. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Tuesday: Turn: Washington's Spies | BOATS #139 Wednesday: A Bridge Too Far Thursday: The Godfather, Part III Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty | BOATS #156 Thursday: T.S. Eliot in Tom & Viv Friday: Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici in Medici Historical movies releasing this week in history Sunday: Remember the Titans Mentioned in this episode Turn: Washington's Spies: The "Treason House" where Arnold and Andre met this week in history Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/349 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 16-22, 2024) — Tuesday is the 99th anniversary of the bus accident that changed Frido Kahlo's life, and we'll learn more about the way the movie Frida shows it happening. After that we'll jump to the movie with Robert Downey Jr. as Charlie Chaplin for his being kicked out of the U.S., which happened 72 years ago on Thursday this week. Then we'll learn a bit about the start of an adventure that ended this week in history when The Hobbit was published on September 21st, 1937. Finally, Wednesday is the release anniversary of a classic Martin Scorsese gangster movie releasing, so we'll wrap up this week by learning more about the true story of Goodfellas. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Tuesday: Frida Thursday: Chaplin | BOATS #283 Saturday: Tolkien | BOATS #141 Birthdays from this week in history Wednesday: Greta Garbo in The Silent Lovers Friday: Maxwell Perkins in Genius Friday: "Red" Auerbach in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Historical movies releasing this week in history Wednesday: Goodfellas Mentioned in this episode Scott Eyman's book Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided BBC documentary with Tolkien Did you enjoy this episode? Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/348 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (BOATS EP. 347) — Travel back to the 1960s during the Vietnam War while historian Joshua Donohue unpacks the real events behind the 2002 film We Were Soldiers. From the crucial role of helicopter pilots in the heat of battle, to the heart-pounding "Broken Arrow" moment, discover what Hollywood got right and where it took creative liberties depicting the Battle of Ia Drang in We Were Soldiers. Where to watch We Were Soldiers now Where to start learning more of the true story We Were Soldiers Once...and Young Josh's article: Heroic Fight for Wake Island    Also mentioned in this episode Wikipedia's map of the battle Records about Ia Drang at the Library of Congress Did you enjoy this episode? Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/347 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEP 9-15, 2024) — Tuesday this week marks the anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, which we see in the movie 300: Rise of an Empire. Then, of course, we'll be looking at this week's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks from the movie United 93. For our third historical event, we'll learn about A Star-Spangled Story and how an event from this week in history inspired the U.S. national anthem. We'll also learn about the true story behind The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which released exactly 19 years ago today. Did you enjoy this episode? Support the next one! Events from this week in history Tuesday: 300: Rise of an Empire Wednesday: United 93 | BOATS #113 Saturday: A Star-Spangled Story Birthdays from this week in history Thursday: Henry Hudson in The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson Friday: Daniel Defoe in Robinson Crusoe Sunday: Marco Polo in Marco Polo Historical movies released this week in history Friday: The Exorcism of Emily Rose Also mentioned in this episode 300: Rise of an Empire: Based on a True Story episode #5 about 300 300: Rise of an Empire: Photos from the battlefield at Marathon as it looks today 300: Rise of an Empire: Map of the Battle of Marathon 300: Rise of an Empire: More about the Battle of Marathon's affect on democracy today The Exorcism of Emily Rose: The Windsor Star 1978 article interviewing the priests The Exorcism of Emily Rose: National Catholic Register article about the 1998 revised rite of exorcism Unlock ad-free episodes Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/346 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS TODAY (SEPT 5, 2024) — After four days of fighting the flames, the Great Fire of London was finally extinguished on this day in 1666 so today we'll learn more about how the events from exactly 358 years ago today were shown in the TV miniseries called The Great Fire. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Watch it now: Find where The Great Fire is streaming Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/345 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (SEPT 2-8, 2024) — On this day almost two thousand years ago, the Battle of Actium decided power in Rome. Not coincidentally, we'll learn about that today from a TV show called Rome. The second event from this week in history according to the movies comes from the 1993 film called Geronimo: An American Legend, because Wednesday this week marks the 138th anniversary of that event. For our third event, we'll learn about one of Jesse James' infamous holdups from September 7th, 1876 as it's shown in the movie The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from This Week in History Monday: Rome Wednesday: Geronimo: An American Legend Saturday: The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid Birthdays from This Week in History Tuesday: James "Whitey" Bulger in Black Mass Thursday: Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | BOATS #166 Friday: Marquis de Lafayette in Turn: Washington's Spies | BOATS #139 Saturday: Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age | BOATS #106 (Elizabeth) | BOATS #112 (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) A Historical Movie Releasing This Week Friday: 1992 Mentioned in this episode Krakatoa and Edvard Munch's The Scream Original newspaper reports of each Jack the Ripper victim Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/343 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Editor's Note: The fire started after midnight on September 2nd in London, so if you're in the United States like I am then you might see this minisode release on September 1st due to time zones. BOATS TODAY (SEPT 2, 2024) — The Great Fire of London started exactly 358 years ago today, so we'll learn how well the TV miniseries called The Great Fire shows the way it all started. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Watch it now: Find where The Great Fire is streaming Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/344 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 26-SEPT 1, 2024) — Tomorrow marks the 60th anniversary of Disney's Mary Poppins premiered, and that event is shown in the 2013 movie called Saving Mr. Banks about the making of Mary Poppins. If that's too confusing, give the episode a listen to unravel it all. From there, we'll travel to the west of Java to the movie incorrectly titled Krakatoa, East of Java. It got the geography wrong in the title, but we'll find out how well it shows the eruption of Krakatoa from August 28th, 1883. Then we'll go to London in 1888 because this Saturday is the anniversary of the first Jack the Ripper victim being discovered; an event from the movie From Hell. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from This Week in History Tuesday: Saving Mr. Banks Wednesday: Krakatoa, East of Java Thursday: From Hell | BOATS #93 | Jack the Ripper newspaper reports Birthdays from This Week in History Tuesday: President Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ Friday: Mary Shelley in Mary Shelley Saturday: Caligula in The Robe Historical Movies Releasing This Week Friday: 1992 Mentioned in this episode Krakatoa and Edvard Munch's The Scream Original newspaper reports of each Jack the Ripper victim Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/342 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 19-25,2024) — Historical events from the movies start with The Crucible and how it depicts the Salem witch trials from this week in 1692. Then, we'll learn a bit about Patsy Cline's hit song "Crazy" because it was this week in 1961 that she started recording it in the studio, and that's shown in the 1985 biopic about her life called Sweet Dreams. For our third event, we'll learn about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius as it was shown in the movie Pompeii. Editor's note: The filmmakers couldn't have known this, but there's a good chance it didn't actually happen this week in history. Listen to the episode to learn more. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from this week in history Monday: The Crucible Wednesday: Sweet Dreams Saturday: Pompeii Birthdays from this week in history Friday: King Louis XVI of France in Marie Antionette Saturday: William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace Sunday: Ivan Vasilyevich "Ivan the Terrible" in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Historical movie released this week in history Wednesday: Inglorious Basterds Also mentioned in this episode Photos from the real Pompeii Schindler's List with Dr. Dan McMillan Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/341 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mummy (1999) is packed with supernatural powers, Hollywood magic, and...maybe some truth? After all, mummies were a real thing. We'll chat with acclaimed Egyptologist Dr. Aidan Dodson to find out how much of the movie is based in history. Where to start learning more of the true story Monarchs of the Nile Sethy I, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife More from Aidan's Lives and Afterlives series Nefertiti, Queen and Pharaoh of Egypt: Her Life and Afterlife The First Pharaohs: Their Lives and Afterlives Tutankhamun, King of Egypt: His Life and Afterlife The Nubian Pharaohs of Egypt: Their Lives and Afterlives Thutmose III and Hatshepsut, Pharaohs of Egypt: Their Lives and Afterlives Aidan's author page Did you enjoy this episode? Join the BOATS Discord community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/discord Find the transcript and full show notes: https://links.boatspodcast.com/340 Support our sponsors: https://links.boatspodcast.com/advertisers Remove the ads by supporting the show: https://links.boatspodcast.com/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 12-18,2024) — Today is the 81st anniversary of the conspiracy theory from the 1984 movie The Philadelphia Experiment. Or is it? Tune in to find out. After that, we'll move into the Shakespearean classic-turned-modern movie Macbeth (2015) because this Wednesday is the 984th anniversary (1040 CE) of King Duncan I of Scotland's death. This week also marks the 79th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day, so our third event will come from the HBO miniseries The Pacific. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from This Week in History Monday: The Philadelphia Experiment Wednesday: Macbeth Thursday: The Pacific | BOATS The Pacific Miniseries Birthdays from This Week in History Tuesday: Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun Wednesday: Doc Holliday in Tombstone | BOATS #59 | BOATS #142 (Chris Wimmer) | BOATS #317 (Tom Clavin) Thursday: Napoleon Bonaparte in Napoleon | BOATS Napoleon Miniseries Friday: T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia | BOATS #49 Historical Movies Released This Week in History Thursday: Apocalypse Now Saturday: Monty Python's Life of Brian Mentioned in this episode The Philadelphia Experiment II The Philadelphia Experiment (2012) Potsdam Conference photos Chris Wimmer's Legends of the Old West podcast Tom Clavin's Tombstone book Louis Sarkozy's book Napoleon's Library Alexander Mikaberidze's book The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History Lt. Col. John Stockton photo Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/339 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (AUG 5-11,2024) — This week's events from historical movies starts with Monday's 719th anniversary (August 5th, 1305) of William Wallace's (Mel Gibson) capture shown in the movie 'Braveheart.' In the History Channel's dramatic miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys", we'll see how it portrays the feud between their two families turning to bloodshed for the first time on August 7th, 1882. It was also on August 7th, but in the year 1974, that Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) became the only person in history to ever walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. We'll learn about that from the 2015 Robert Zemeckis film "The Walk." Finally, we'll learn about President Nixon's (Frank Langella) resignation from August 8th, 1974 as it was shown in the Ron Howard film "Frost/Nixon." And last but certainly not least, our 'based on a true story' movie from this week in history is the comedy-drama from August 7th, 2009 "Julie & Julia." Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from This Week in History Monday, August 5th: Braveheart | BOATS #45  Wednesday, August 7th: Hatfields & McCoys Wednesday, August 7th: The Walk Thursday, August 8th: Frost/Nixon | BOATS #4 Birthdays from This Week in History Monday, August 5th: Neil Armstrong in First Man | BOATS #144 Wednesday, August 7th: Mata Hari in Mata Hari | BOATS #74 Sunday, August 10th: Herbert Hoover in The Day the Bubble Burst A Historical Movie Released This Week in History Wednesday, August 7th: Julie & Julia Mentioned in this episode Frost/Nixon: President Nixon's resignation address Julie & Julia: Julie Powell's book Julie & Julia: Julia Child's book Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/338 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS THIS WEEK (JUL 29-AUG 4,2024) — There were two major disaster this week in history. The first we'll learn about is an event many consider the worst shark attack in history, which began on July 30th, 1945, and is shown in the movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.  Our next historical disaster marks its 48th anniversary on Thursday this week, and we'll watch the racing movie starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl called Rush, because it was on August 1st, 1976, that Daniel Brühl's character in that movie, Formula One legend Niki Lauda, nearly died in a fiery wreck during the German Grand Prix. Then, we'll learn about the "Slap Heard 'Round the World" from the World War II movie Patton, because this Saturday is the 81st anniversary of when General George S. Patton slapped U.S. Army Private Charles Kuhl. Last but certainly not least, our 'based on a true story' movie from this week in history is yet another disaster movie: Ron Howard's 2022 movie called Thirteen Lives. Until next time, here's where you can continue the story. Events from This Week in History Tuesday: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage | BOATS #48 Thursday: Rush | BOATS #70 Saturday: Patton | BOATS #163 Birthdays from This Week in History Monday: Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie Thursday: William Travis in The Alamo | BOATS #172 Sunday: Louis Armstrong in Louis A Historical Movie Released This Week in History Monday: Thirteen Lives Mentioned in this episode Rush: Original footage of Niki Lauda's crash Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/337 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BOATS TODAY (JULY 24, 1969/2024) — Apollo 11 splashed down exactly 55 years ago, so today we'll wrap up our 3-part miniseries with the end of Apollo 11 mission. Need to catch up?  Apollo 11 Launch: https://links.boatspodcast.com/333 Apollo 11 Lunar Landing: https://links.boatspodcast.com/334 Apollo 11 Splashdown: https://links.boatspodcast.com/336* Watch the Movie Movie: Find where First Man is streaming True Story: Watch historical coverage Apollo 11's splashdown Did you enjoy this episode? Get the BOATS email newsletter Leave a comment Support our sponsors Unlock ad-free episodes Note: If your podcast app doesn't support clickable links, copy/paste this in your browser to find all the links: https://links.boatspodcast.com/336 *Additional note: That's this episode, because listing a 3-part miniseries needs a list of 3 parts. This is basically the Dorothy Boyd to my Jerry Maguire: It completes (the list). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we'll delve into Dick Cheney’s political rise in the Nixon and Ford administrations and his role in post-9/11 policies as they were shown in the 2018 political satire comedy-drama "Vice" from director Adam McKay. Get William's book How America Works . . . and Why It Doesn’t: A Brief Guide to the US Political System: https://links.boatspodcast.com/335book Did you enjoy this episode? Join the BOATS Discord community: https://links.boatspodcast.com/discord Find the transcript and full show notes: https://links.boatspodcast.com/335 Support our sponsors: https://links.boatspodcast.com/advertisers Remove the ads by supporting the show: https://links.boatspodcast.com/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices