From the cache! Until an all-new episode premiers this October, please enjoy this recast. Bob Ross, American painter and iconic TV host of the 80s and 90s, famously told us that there are no mistakes, only “happy little accidents.” There are numerous examples of history happening by accident--archaeologists accidentally stumbling upon a find, scientists accidentally discovering a breakthrough--and today we explore four such stories.
First, we travel to 1856 when a teenager accidentally discovered mauve and synthetic dye while he was on vacation, which led to the pioneering of immunology and a Nobel prize. Then we head to 1940s France, when a group of teenagers chasing after a dog accidentally stumbled upon Lascaux cave, one of the greatest prehistoric finds of all time. Then we travel to 1767 to visit the Ayutthaya kingdom just before it was invaded by Burma. Almost 200 years later, a seemingly unremarkable statue pulled from its ruins finally tells its secrets: the Golden Buddha or, Phra Phuttha Maha Suwana Patimakon, is now one of the world’s most famous statues, and if it hadn’t been for an accident in the 1950s, we would all still believe it was made of nothing more than plaster and colored glass. Finally, we skip ahead all the way into the 2000s for a look at some accidental breakthrough MS research.
Come join me as we uncover some of history’s most incredible happy little accidents.
The Real Scorpion King
The Disappearance of Glen and Bessie Hyde
Escape from the Amazon
A Victorian Murder Most Foul
Shackleton in 30 Minutes(ish)
Stealing the Mona Lisa
The Shark Attacks of 1916
Bessie Coleman: A Legend in Flight
Historical Oddities Part 2: The Incredible Afterlife of Outlaw Elmer McCurdy and the London Bridge of Arizona
Historical Oddities Part 1: Frank Hayes, the Unsinkable Violet Jessop, and Jack the Incredible Baboon
The History of Ghosts at Christmas
Stealing and Stealing Back the Stone of Destiny
Clever Hans: The Horse That Outsmarted Everyone
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 2: A Short History on Being Buried Alive
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 1: A History of Death Tests and Safety Coffins
A Strange Experiment: Dr. William Beaumont and the 'Guinea Pig' of Mackinac Island.
Leadbelly Part 5: Death of a Legend
Leadbelly Part 4: Angola, John Lomax, and a Song for the Governor
Leadbelly Part 3: Music and Murder
Leadbelly Part 2: Fugitive King of the 12 Sting Guitar
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