The Missing Chapter Podcast

This episode of the Missing Chapter is a special one!  We have special guest Alex Gyurik with us today to discuss the life of a close family relative who served in Vietnam and unfortunately paid the ultimate price.  Alex, through family photos, documents, and artifacts gave a moving and profound presentation to a group of students, staff, and family in April and we are happy to present the audio to you today!  

As we kick off the Missing Chapter's new segment Hometown History, it's our honor and privilege to present to you Alex Gyurik and her presentation of "4 Rows Down, 3 Names Over" to honor her Great Uncle, John Stegeland III.  Enjoy and honor a veteran by thanking them the next time you see one!

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You may be familiar with the 1874 Jules Verne book, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and its 2008 theatrical sibling.  For those of you who may not be familiar with the plot, the title I think is pretty self explanatory, but the story involves the characters discovering and decoding ancient writings that show a dormant volcano leading to caverns inside the earth.  Now, this is just science fiction fantasy, right?  Sure it is, but the theory that it was based upon wasn’t science fiction to some, especially for the main character of today’s episode.  So, let’s dive deeper per se, into one person’s oddball theory that the earth is actually hollow at its core.  Good or bad, it got so much attention that it actually made it to the desk of a sitting president.  Find out who this person was, how he could conjure up such an odd theory, and what this president’s response was to this idea on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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Wow - we got some great feedback from the Historic Phrases episode a couple weeks ago and here we are again - this time...the Sequel.  We don't want you to hear the history of these phrases "through the grape vine", we want you to hear it from us!  So turn your volume up wherever you are and enjoy the new Top 5 Phrases Part II on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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Living in Central New York our entire lives, we have had the privilege of being around sites with lots of local and state history, many of which have gained national attention.  Most people, when they think of New York though, think skyscrapers and subways, when in fact, where we are is more like steers and silos.  In one of those towns in upstate NY, a woman by the name of Annie is born.  On October 24, 1838, Annie Edson Taylor was born in Auburn, NY - one of 8 children and unfortunately, fell upon hard times throughout her life.  Because of those hardships, her life goal became focused on wealth - and she would pursue that at all costs - even her own life!  Find out what Annie did to pursue fame & fortune, and what her life goal ultimately led to on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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The couple ran, hand-in-hand, to the nearest bicycle shop; nervous, frantic, and desperate with the looming armies advancing in the past days. The radios had announced hours earlier that the city would not be defended from the approaching Nazi forces. The couple didn’t have a car; none of the trains were running; two million Parisians had already fled. Hans and Margret tried out the tandem bike for sale but realized that they couldn’t manage. Instead, the anxious pair resorted to buying spare bicycle parts, which cost them as much as they had been paying for a month’s lodging at a respectable hotel—the manic inflation reflective of the exodus at hand. Hans somehow constructed two separate bicycles that night, from the hodgepodge of pieces they had purchased the day prior. Early the next morning, under the cover of still dark skies, the couple departed the city, with the explosion of mortar shells audible in the distance. They carried with them some food rations, a little clothing… and the manuscript for a children’s book.

This is the story about a story… and a couple, whose harrowing tale of survival in the face of grave evil, would help give the world one of its most beloved characters.

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Back by popular demand, the Missing Chapter Podcast Top 5’s - Easily, the most popular episodes from our listener’s perspectives is the Top 5 - The top 5 war movies, top 5 haunted historic places, and this time, we’re talking about the Top 5 most used phrases and their unknown and sometimes ridiculously bizarre origins. We’ve got our 5 - so relax, grab a coffee, and if you’re driving, keep at least one hand on the wheel, and enjoy! The Top 5 Historic Phrases and their origins on this episode of the Missing Chapter. 

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On this episode of the Missing Chapter, we’re switching gears.  Yes you still have some forgotten stories, some history that the text books left out, but today we’re going to play a game.  This person in focus on today’s episode will remain anonymous until the end.  Take in the clues, conjure up some ideas, and piece together today’s puzzle to figure out who the person is that I’ll be referring to today.  The first clue is the fact that this person had a very significant bloodline to some of our nation’s most highly respected figures.  And the second clue, well, is this person’s consistent willingness to lead when others have fallen.  Listen in and enjoy unpacking this story with us, on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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There are 2 camps of people in the world – cat people and dog people. If you’re as old as the Catholic Church, it’s safe to say, you’ve had your fair share of battles and have made your fair share of enemies over the years and the Catholic Church, it would seem, undeniably falls into the latter camp and is certainly not… cat people.

The Church’s war against felines in the 13th-century was of epic proportions and would have repercussions that extended far beyond which domesticated animals people welcomed into their homes. In fact, the decree issued by the Catholic Pope in 1233, would help contribute to the death of nearly 25 million people in Europe.

In this episode of The Missing Chapter Podcast, we look at history’s disdain for cats and how the Catholic Church’s attack on them would help ignite a pestilence that gripped an entire continent.

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The dictionary defines ‘irony’ as, “a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects.” One might use this term when describing the subject of this podcast… It’s ironic that one of history’s biggest opponents of capital punishment, should have his name become nearly synonymous with death and execution.  Find out who this person was and the irony behind his entire story on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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If you’re a fan of the Missing Chapter, you may recognize the title of today’s episode.  If you’re a newbie to all things Missing Chapter, well, welcome to Part II of the crazy bird campaign from another bird-brained dictator.  This time, it’s not Kim Jung Un from North Korea, although the stories are eerily similar, we’re focused on Mao Zedong from China, and Mao’s first order of business - a violent campaign, a declaration of war even, against a threat to his authoritarian regime - what was the threat you ask?  Well it wasn’t the expansion of an imperialist nation or a rising threat on his borders, it was against birds.  You heard me right, birds.  Why would anyone, no less a feared authoritarian leader, make such an odd declaration, especially against birds?  Find out today on this episode of the Missing Chapter.

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