In this episode of How We Got Here – the history of one of Richmond’s most glamorous and ritzy places to stay, the Jefferson Hotel. And, what you didn’t learn about Bacon’s rebellion in high school history class. We’ll take you inside a catastrophic disaster at NASA’s Wallops Island facility as a rocket headed for the International Space Station explodes just seconds after liftoff. Finally, the day British General Charles Cornwallis is suddenly paroled and allowed to sail back to Britain after his surrender at Yorktown.

In this episode of How We Got Here - the extraordinary life of a naval aviator and explorer from Virginia. The incredible journeys to both ends of the earth by Adm. Richard Byrd. Plus—a deadly delivery in the mail as anthrax is found in envelopes in the aftermath of 9/11. We take you inside the moment human speech first crossed the Atlantic Ocean, going from Virginia to Paris. And—one of NASCAR’s darkest days, as news of a tragedy in the skies finally reaches the half-mile of mayhem.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the search for a serial rapist and murderer in Charlottesville. Plus, the birth of a woman who would go on to lead a Union spy ring in the heart of the Confederate Capital. We delve deeper into the death of an American household staple—the phone book. One monument in Richmond that isn’t causing controversy on Capitol grounds. And we look back at one of the top five worst hurricanes to hit Virginia.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the death of founding father George Mason. How his extraordinary life was full of both contributions and contradictions.

Plus, the day another revolutionary is hanged after working to break the bonds of slavery. Gabriel’s conspiracy in the context of today.

We take a look back at a hurricane in Belize that claimed the lives of 17 Virginians.

And the day the United States Supreme Court ruled love wins.  

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we take a look back at the infamous collapse of the Church Hill tunnel in Richmond. On Oct. 2, 1925, the train tunnel gave way during construction work, killing at least four men and entombing at least two people whose bodies remain there today. A steam locomotive and ten flatcars are still buried beneath Church Hill as well. We talk to the son of two survivors of that fateful day, as he visits the now-sealed tunnel entrance for the very first time

Season 4 launches on Monday, Oct. 5. How We Got Here, presented by NBC12 in Richmond, Virginia, is a podcast highlighting Virginia’s rich history, one week at a time.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we sit down with Francis Gary Powers Junior, the son of the CIA spy who was shot down over the USSR on May 1, 1960. After Episode 4 of Season 3 was released, Powers Jr. contacted us to tell us he lives in Central Virginia and would be willing to discuss his father's incredible story of espionage and imprisonment by the KGB. Powers Jr. has written a book about his dad and travels the country to set the record straight about his dad’s famous crash in the Soviet Union.

In this bonus episode of How We Got Here, we go behind the sounds with Digital Director Kate Albright and Executive Producer Colten Weekley to dive deep into how we made this season. You’ll hear about some of our favorite guests and which segments really stuck with us. Plus, we have exciting news about the future of the podcast!

In this episode of How We Got Here – The birth of Richmond’s Monument Avenue. The day the Robert E. Lee monument is unveiled in a field west of the city to a crowd of thousands of Confederate veterans. How it’s meaning has evolved over the last 130 years.

The day the world stopped in Virginia Beach - how the heroes among us emerged at yet another tragedy.

And the birth of a man who fanned the flames of the American Revolution. “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

In this episode of How We Got Here – A tainted treaty for peace in the Virginia Colony. Colonists seeking revenge poison Powhatan Native Americans with a deadly drink.

Plus, the hostess with the mostest – how Dolley Madison, the first “First Lady,” helped her husband navigate the precipitous political scene of a young United States.

And, the angel of the battlefield. How a woman whose passion for helping soldiers during the Civil War led to her launching the American Red Cross.