Very Special Episodes

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer break. But Matt had someth...

21 Nov 202450min

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Earhart ducked out of a White House event and commandeered a plane. The First Lady and the first lady of aviation flew to Baltimore and back. The event was docume...

13 Nov 202443min

Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. But her biggest mystery unfolded outside the pages of her books. Today Dana examines the 11 days in 1926 when the beloved author went missing,...

8 Nov 202439min

Eugene Bullard would not let America diminish him. So he left to find a place that would let him live free — and found freedom in the skies. On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredibl...

31 Okt 20241h 9min

In 1834, the Three Kichis were on a routine journey to deliver rice to Tokyo. But when a typhoon interfered, they were swept out into the Pacific for 5,000 miles — and became the first Japanese people...

23 Okt 202442min

In late 1998, a furry, nonsense-babbling creature arrived on the toy scene. The Furby could squeal, snore, sneeze, and … learn to speak English? Immediately upon release, thousands were backordered. F...

16 Okt 202442min

Greetings, VSE listeners! Dana, Zaron, and Jason will be back in October with another season. In the meantime, we wanted to share a new podcast from several members of the Very Special team. Introduci...

19 Sep 202440min

In the first half of the 20th century, athletes weren't the only ones competing for Olympic glory. Today's episode takes us back to an era when artists, poets, and even city planners battled for medal...

31 Jul 202435min