17: “Hunting Hitler” Broke Norm (Part 5)

By the time they realized what they’d done, it was too late. Hastings Cutoff turned out to not be much of a cutoff at all. In fact, it was more time consuming and taxing than the regular California Tr...

13 Aug 20251h 25min

The Donner Party was at a crossroads. They’d made good progress on their journey to California, but they were still about a week behind schedule. Lansford Hasting’s new shortcut appealed to the worrie...

6 Aug 20251h 13min

This episode kicks off our coverage of an infamous American tragedy – the Donner Party. In the mid-1800’s, a group that would later be known as the Donner Party set out West in search of a better lif...

30 Jul 20251h 14min

To this day, the Bath School Disaster of 1927 remains the deadliest mass murder in a school in American history, yet it isn’t often discussed. In this episode, Norm covers May 18, 1927, when school ...

23 Jul 20251h 33min

It was unspeakable. Unthinkable. In 1927, a school board member set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least 58 others. That act of domestic terrorism became ...

16 Jul 20251h 41min

In the late 70s, disco was everywhere. Songs like “Disco Inferno,” “I Will Survive” and “Brick House” topped the charts. Disco had been created and embraced by Black people, Latino people, LGBT+ peopl...

9 Jul 20251h 23min

In 1981, American Airlines offered an incredible deal. For just $250k, people could purchase a lifetime pass that entitled them to unlimited first class travel, anywhere the airline flew, for the rest...

2 Jul 20251h 24min

Here’s a true story: In 1848, an iron rod shot through a man’s head. It smashed up under his cheekbone and came out the top of his skull. Ready for the wild part? Despite the fact that the iron rod ...

25 Jun 20251h 49min