In 1952, Charlotte McLeod left her home in rural Tennessee to receive gender affirming surgery in Denmark. At the time, only one other American - a woman named Christine Jorgensen - had publicly undergone the procedure.

But while Christine's surgery had been simple and her homecoming celebrated by the public, Charlotte's experience was far more harrowing. From back-alley surgeons to ruthless media coverage, a lifetime of obstacles awaited the nation's second trans celebrity.

Listen today and hear how this pioneer of trans representation overcame it all to find the quiet family life she always wanted.

Sources and visuals at lostthreads.org

Russia's Mars 96 was one of the most advanced spacecraft of the 20th Century. Designed to be the first vessel to explore the Red Planet, its mission was to drill up to 20 feet below the surface in search for life. But beyond the (literally) groundbreaking science, Mars 96 had another purpose: Rescue the country's dying space program and prove to the West that the post-Soviet Russia was worth investing in. With the last of the struggling nation's resources pooled into this one mission, there's only one chance to make this work. Will it succeed?

If this is your first time hearing about Mars 96, you might be able to guess the answer. Join us for this week's episode to find out how it all went wrong and what this mission's failure meant for the future of Russian's space program.

For sources and visual elements from today's episode, visit our website at lostthreads.org.

During America's Gilded Age, a wealthy man named John Wanamaker finds his way into the presidential cabinet - and sees an opportunity to grow his business.

For sources and visual elements from today's episode, visit our website at lostthreads.org.

The expansion of cable TV during the 70s and 80s in the United States included a new resource for communication and creativity: public access television. The programs the public created allowed for free expression without any sort of editorial control - which proved to be a difficult issue for some communities.Listen free: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or anywhere else.Lost Threads is independently produced by Cameron Ezell and Cory Munson.Visit us at lostthreads.org

Lost Threads is back from the dead! Cameron and Cory have assembled another fine collection of true, terrifying tales to celebrate Halloween. To see sources from today's episode, visit lostthreads.org.

What do abandoned monasteries, remote farmhouses, and Eastern Oregon all have in common? They all serve as the terrifying settings for our spookiest of Halloween episodes. Cameron and Cory have trudged through stacks of old newspapers to share three tales of horror, mystery, and the unknown as they were reported. To see art for each of today's stories, along with links to the original sources, check out lostthreads.org

The opium poppy has been used by humans since the beginning of recorded history for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Wars have been fought and many lives lost over this flower. No matter how many times we try to change opium, history has a way of repeating itself.

For pictures and sources from today's episode, check out lostthreads.org

In honor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics beginning this week, today's episode is dedicated to forgotten stories from the world of sports! For photos and videos from this episode, check out lostthreads.org

While today they're often seen as a nuisance within cities, pigeons were once one of man's best friends. In today's episode, we discuss the role that domesticated pigeons have played in the lives of humans over millennia. To see pictures of our feathered friends and more, visit our website at www.lostthreads.org

Countess Ida von Claussen was a rich, eccentric heiress who was able to turn 15 minutes of fame into decades of press coverage. In this episode, we discuss Ida's life as it's presented through the papers during the early 20th century. Visit www.lostthreads.org for photos and links from today's episode.