B-47 over the USSR

From The History Guy. The 1960 "U2 incident" revealed what the Soviets had claimed for years, that the US was violating Soviet airspace with covert spy missions. But the breadth of the so called “ferret flights” remained a state secret that only started to emerge decades later. Many of those flights were made in a…

The Olympic Art Competitions

From The History Guy. The Olympics are known as an international gathering of the world’s greatest athletes, a competition meant to showcase the greatest physical feats the world has to offer. But, largely forgotten today, for decades the Olympics were not just a physical competition, but an artistic one. Check out our new shop for…

Cotswold Lions and British History

From The History Guy. Lions have not been native to the British Isles since cave lions went extinct there some 12 – 14 thousand years ago. Yet there is one type of lion that, if not native, at least has been prospering on the British isles since prehistory, and one that is centrally important to…

Best of History Guy: Hats

From The History Guy. Few items get as much interest as The History Guy’s hats. Five classic episodes about The History Guy’s hats. Nearly a full hour of The History Guy! 00:00 – The Pressed Fiber Sun Helmet 07:11 – The Fez: History of the Tarboosh 20:06 – The Kepi and Forgotten History 29:04 –…

Spacecraft on Wheels: NASA’s LRV

From The History Guy. While only four were built, the two seat, one horsepower electric roadster that the press dubbed “the moon buggy” was the most popular automotive model on the planetary body on which it was designed to drive and one that, those who drove it say, changed everything. Image credits: NASA Check out…

From Blimps to Microchips: Moffett Field

From The History Guy. Silicon Valley is synonymous today with high-tech startups and technology, a center for computer research and big-name tech companies. But in the 1930s that reputation was just beginning to form when the city of Sunnyvale sold some land to the US government to establish an airbase, today known as Moffett Field.…

1896 Crash at Crush Texas

From The History Guy. There are many thousands of videos online that begin with the line “hold my beer.” In fact, people often deliberately do dangerous things and pull truly mind-numbingly ill-conceived pranks just to get those all important “clicks” and become internet famous. But if you think that is all a trend of the…

1951 C-124 disappearance

From The History Guy. At 1:06 am on March 23rd. 1951, a C-124 Globemaster II of the United States Air Force, bound from Maine to the United Kingdom, sent a routine message to oceanic control in Ireland, providing a revised estimated time of arrival. The Plane, with 53 people aboard, never reached its destination. The…

1915 Battle of the Gulf of Riga

From The History Guy. Play World of Warships here: https://wo.ws/3OqoO2u Thank you World of Warships for sponsoring this video. During registration use the promo code WARSHIPS to receive a huge starter pack including a bunch of Doubloons, Credits, Premium Account time, and a FREE ship after you complete 15 battles! The promo code is only…

Philippine Sea A-4 incident, 1965

From The History Guy. One of the biggest events of 1965 didn’t make the news, and, in fact, was kept completely secret for decades: possibly the worst nuclear weapon accident in American history. The December 5, 1965, Philippine sea A-4 incident deserves to be remembered. Check out our new shop for fun The History Guy…

Best of: Submarines, Volume 2

From The History Guy. Five classic The History Guy episodes about war under the sea. Nearly a full hour of The History guy. 00:00 – December 1944: USS Bergall vs IJN Myōkō and Ushio 14:41 – SM U-156 and the Battle of Orleans 26:46 – Reactor accident on Soviet Submarine K-19 32:56 – U-1206’s Toilet…

George Washington and the Badge of Military Merit

From The History Guy. It is August seventh, and on this date in 1782 America’s first official military decoration of the United States was created by a general order issued by the Commander in chief of the continental army. But the creation of the award was almost lost to time, very nearly, forgotten history. Check…

The 1925 US Fleet Visit to Australia

From The History Guy. In 1925 the United States decided to send a significant naval fleet on a visit to Australia and New Zealand. The press emphasized goodwill, and events like sports contests between US sailors and local residents. But the voyage had much deeper, and more complex, diplomatic goals. Check out our new shop…

Heat Wave in 1896: New York City

From The History Guy. In August, 1896 record heat over a ten day period struck the Eastern United States. In New York city, the heat killed hundreds of people, and dramatically shifted the careers of two of the most important political figures of the era. Check out our new shop for fun The History Guy…

Umami: A History of Monosodium Glutamate

From The History Guy. In 1907 a professor of chemistry at Tokyo Imperial University named Kikunea Ikeda was eating dinner when he noticed that his broth was particularly delicious. A year later, on July 25, 1908 he determined why. Professor Ikeda had identified a chemical compound that today represents a nearly seven billion dollar industry,…

Predicting the Tides: Old Brass Brains

From The History Guy. Mechanical computers are complex machines designed to do various functions, but which worked entirely without electricity. Among the most interesting and complex was a machine used by the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, called affectionately “Old Brass Brains.” For more stories from NOAA’s history, visit noaa.gov/heritage. Check out our new shop…

The 1940 Battle of Calabria

From The History Guy. Play World of Warships here: https://wo.ws/3NVTxnI Thank you World of Warships for sponsoring this video.During registration use the promo code WARSHIPS to receive a huge starter pack including a bunch of Doubloons, Credits, Premium Account time, and a FREE ship after you complete 15 battles! The promo code is only for…

Best of The History Guy: Weird Biography

From The History Guy. From The History Guy Vaults, four classic episodes about some of histories oddest personalities. Nearly a full hour of the History Guy. 00:00 – The Exploits and Ailments of Sir Evelyn Wood 16:04 – The Imposter Princess 31:15 – The Misadventures of Truman C Everts 46:21 – A Ghoul, a Ghost…

Best of The History Guy: Gotham

From The History Guy. From The History Guy Vaults, five classic episodes about New York City. Nearly a full hour of the History Guy! 0:00 – The Brooklyn Bridge and the Gilded Age 12:45 – The Manhattan Well Murder Trial 26:54 – New York City and The Great White Hurricane 31:49 – Smoking Ban for…

When Whales Attack

From The History Guy. By now you have probably heard the startling reports that, beginning in 2020, orcas- also commonly called killer whales- off the straits of Gibraltar, started attacking sailboats. While Orcas have not historically generally represented danger to people or boats, this new behavior isn’t the first time that people at sea have…

Mixology: A Short History of the Cocktail

From The History Guy. If you enjoy an occasional cocktail, you likely have heard, at some time or another, the origin stories for some of your favorite mixed drinks. But you might not know that for most of these drinks, someone else somewhere else is telling a different origin story. In fact, there is even…

USS Wyoming and the Battle of Shimonoseki Straits

From The History Guy. July of 1863 represented a significant turning point in the American Civil War. The capture of Vicksburg represented final victory in the campaign in the west, cementing Union control of the Mississippi river, while victory at Gettysburg shifted the momentum of the war in the east. Given the importance, and staggering…

Ida Mayfield Wood: Mystery Millionairess

From The History Guy. The death of 94 year old Ida Mayfield Wood in 1932 represented more than the passing of a famous socialite, but the beginning of a startling mystery, a tale more strange than anyone imagined, all amid literally piles of cash. Check out our new shop for fun The History Guy merchandise:…

Heeeere’s Johnny! The King of Late Night.

From The History Guy. On June 30, 1955, a show premiered on CBS primetime. The traditional variety show was not very successful, did not do well in the ratings, and was canceled less than a year later. But the short-lived Johnny Carson show set the stage for a much longer late-night run that is a…