The Missing Chapter Podcast

How long does it take the earth to revolve around the sun?  The answer is easy, one year, 365 days right?  Actually, the Earth revolves around the sun in 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds. So the longer time goes on, the more inaccurate the calendar becomes. So how do we accurately create a calendar that accounts for the fractions of time?  How has the human race adjusted to keep accuracy in the calendar, while also making it easy to follow?  And what happens if those decisions fall into the wrong hands?  Find out on today's MC Short, "Take Your Time."

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a...

How many of you just completed that line?  A Christmas intro so famous and so iconic, that it rivals almost any other seasonal story, song, or fable.  A tradition so nostalgic, it conjures up images of children sitting with their parents, listening intently, in anticipation of Santa Claus's arrival the Night Before Christmas.  

But where did such a classic story originate?  Who is credited with writing this timeless childhood tale that has captivated households for generations and what controversy do some historians still debate this many years later?

Find out today on a very special holiday episode of The Missing Chapter, where we share and give the history to one of Christmas' most time-honored stories.

The unbreakable bond between man and canine was put to the test like never before in the winter of 1925.  An unbelievable journey, over the nation's harshest terrains, in unimaginable conditions, with life and death of an entire village in the balance.  Against all odds, these specialized teams must deliver the serum, that only they can, to a remote Alaskan coastal town.  But can they make it before time runs out?  And how will their sacrifice lead to the greatest race that man and animal share?

Who knew that when a poor, 17 year-old boy from New Orleans found a cornet in the street, that he would dominate the city's music scene for the next 10 years and start an entirely new style of music, and be crowned the "First King of New Orleans?"

In 1938, an unassuming carpenter finds himself in a German beer hall, having a couple drinks with his meal.  A regular of this establishment, this man has seemingly become a loyal customer.  But this man is not here for the atmosphere or the refreshments, he is here on a personal mission.  Not much of a reader, and far from a political activist, this carpenter sneaks into an upstairs closet and stays far past closing hours...why?...to plant a bomb.  The target?  Adolf Hitler.  How will he pull off this secret plot to assassinate the world’s most famous tyrant?  What lengths will this carpenter go to to ensure the success of his plan?  And how does a 13-minute alteration give us a glimpse of a world devoid of Hitler’s fascist, genocidal ideology?  Find out on todays’ episode of the Missing Chapter.

Many families traveling to the sun-drenched ocean town of Long Beach, California in the summer of 1977, would take a day trip and visit the Nu-Pike Amusement Park; picture Coney Island on the West Coast.  With its vintage rides, shows, games and attractions and located on the beautiful breeze-swept beach, Nu-Pike was a favorite amongst locals, as much as it was with out-of-town tourists.  But in the summer of 1977, amongst all of the sun and fun, not everything was what it appeared to be, even with all of the intentional illusions and deceptions. Imagine:  You walk off of the Long Beach Boardwalk and into an amusement parlor.  The operator instructs you to carefully step down into the ride car.  The lighting is so dim, that seeing what is around you, much less where you are stepping is challenging.  You take a seat and the attendant slides the arm-bar down over your lap, with an audible ‘click.’  The car lurches forward and into the brightly colored, black-lit door welcoming you into Nu-Park’s House of Horrors.

So, sit back, buckle up, and maybe dim the lights just a bit… as we take YOU on a ride through this week’s episode of The Missing Chapter.

It's May 5th, 1945. Adolf Hitler has just committed suicide five days prior.  Chief of Operations Officer Alfred Jodl and Field Marshall Vilhelm Keital will order the unconditional surrender of all German armed forces two days from now. It will be on this day, however, that the strangest battle of World War II will unfold. Under the ashes of Stalingrad, Kursk, Normandy, and the innumerable battlefields of Europe, the vision of the Third Reich has now perished. Millions of German soldiers paid the ultimate price and now millions more are left to defend their own cities, towns, and families. Striving to retain their honor and dignity at all costs, they were forced to battle their own elite fighting force; the Waffen-SS. While Germany’s struggles in World War II have come to an end, another internal conflict has just begun, leaving their House Divided.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to our Podcast and making history come alive!

In the spring of 1943, mainland Europe lay in the firm grip of Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers.  A year removed from the D-Day invasions of Normandy, Allied intelligence is formulating a plan that involves a lone serviceman - military courier, Major William Martin.  Martin would prove to be the key to deceiving the Germans of the Allied plans to liberate Sicily and alter the tide of the war.  British officials know they have only one shot to implement their plan at deceiving Adolf Hitler and are putting their faith and their resources behind a single soldier...who doesn't actually exist.

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, is touted in the history textbooks as being one of the most influential Presidents in American History.  From the Gettysburg Address to the Emancipation Proclamation to his untimely demise at the hands of John Wilkes Booth, following in Lincoln’s footsteps would be no small task.  The only one of his four sons to live into adulthood, however, would take on the role of carrying out the Lincoln namesake.  How does the son of such a prominent figure leave his mark on society?  By being in a web of coincidences and being caught in the crossfire.