Today's episode is a bit unique. The date I chose is February 19, 1918, but the event actually lasted for many months, and the exact day it began can't quite be pinpointed. This episode is about the devastating Spanish flu--a pandemic that affected millions around the world. Although many were focused on their health, it wasn't the only thing making headlines. What else was being reported at that time?

SOURCES

• “341 F. A. Band Notes.” Trench and Camp (Fort Riley, Kansas), March 23, 1918. 

• “Advertisement: Hlil’s Bromide Cascara Quinine.” Burlington Daily News (Burlington, Vermont), January 30, 1919. www.newspapers.com. 

• Benji. “The Best Magicians of History: My Top 10 Picks.” The Daily Magician, February 1, 2024.https://thedailymagician.com/who-is-the-best-magician-of-all-time.

• “Capt. Thompson Dies Here at 72.” The Miami Daily News (Miami, Florida), February 10, 1946. www.newspapers.com.

• Churchill, Allen. “The Girl Who Never Came Back.” AMERICAN HERITAGE, January 1, 2025.https://www.americanheritage.com/girl-who-never came-back.  

• “Confesses Fiendish Murder of Boy.” The Santa Ana Register (Santa Ana, California), December 10, 1917. www.newspapers.com.

• “Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold.” Wikipedia, January 25, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Dorothy_Arnold.

• “Fiendish Murder Near Newport Beach.” The Anaheim Gazette (Anaheim, California), December 13, 1917. www.newspapers.com.

• “Is This the Great Fish That Swallowed Prophet Jonah?” The Tampa Daily Times (Tampa, Florida), April 27, 1918. www.newspapers.com. 

• Maurice, Arthur B. “Great Mysteries of the World Still Live in Romance.” New York Daily Herald (New York, New York), December 14, 1919. www.newspapers.com.

• “Monster of the Sea Conquered After Twenty-Four Hours Fight by Capt. Charles Thompson.” Miami Daily Metropolis (Miami, Herald), June 3, 1912. www.newspapers.com.

• “Murder of Leonard Herwick Ranks As Most Atrocious in History of OrangeCounty.” The Santa Ana Register (Santa Ana, California), December 17, 1917. www.newspapers.com. 

• “Murderer of Newsboy Cheats Gallows by Dying With Influenza.” The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California), October 23, 1918. www.newspapers.com.
• Palmer, Emily. “What Happened to Dorothy Arnold? N.Y. Socialite’s 1910 Disappearance Is Oldest Missing Persons Case in U.S.” People.com, June 12, 2024.https://people.com/dorothy-arnold-missing-persons-case-new-york-socialite-vanished-8662474.

• Parker, P. G. “Influenza.” The Roanoke-Chowan Times (Rich Square, North Carolina), February 19, 1918. www.newspapers.com.

• “Purple Death: The Great Flu of 1918.” PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. /Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.paho.org/en/who-we-are/history-paho/purple-death-great-flu-1918.

• “Seems to Doze As Men To Try Him For Life Are Quizzed.” Santa Ana Daily Register (Santa Ana, California), February 4, 1918. www.newspapers.com.

SOUND SOURCES

• Al Jolson. “I’ll Say She Does.” www.pixabay.com/music.

• Lucille Hegamin and The Dixie Daisies. “Cold Winter Blues.” www.pixabay.com/music.
• Sophie Tucker. “Reuben Rag.” www.pixabay.com/music.