On This Day Podcast

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shakes the ground underneath Mount St. Helens in Washington State. The quake sets off a landslide and the entire north slope of the volcano slides away exposing the core of the volcano, triggering the massive and devastating eruption On This Day in 1980.

Michael Jackson's landmark album "Thriller" is released on this day in 1982. The album contains only 9 songs, produces 7 hit singles, wins a record breaking 8 Grammy Awards and goes on to become the best selling album of all time. (rerelease)

Four members of the Clutter Family are murdered in their quiet Holcomb, Kansas farmhouse during the early morning hours On This Day in 1959. Author Truman Capote writes a book about the murders, a book he refers to as a non-fiction novel, one of the first True Crime books ever published: "In Cold Blood". 

The murders of Ronald and Louise DeFeo along with their 4 children, killed by oldest son Ronald "Butch" DeFeo Jr...On This Day in 1974. The murder house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville will subsequently become famous as The Amityville Horror house. (Rerelease)

A chartered plane carrying southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in a wooded swamp near Gillsburg, Mississippi killing six including lead singer/founding member Ronnie Van Zant On This Day in 1977.

Marie Antoinette loses her head at the hands of Monsieur de Paris, Henri Sanson, and his Guillotine, On This Day in 1793.

Hurricane Katrina makes landfall On This Day in 2005. (repeat)

On this day in 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson enters a bank in Norrmalmstorg square in the center of Stockholm, Sweden. Olsson takes all 4 bank employees hostage. The bond that Olsson and his 4 captives form over the next 5 days, the hostages sympathizing with their captor, will be called Stockholm Syndrome. (repeat)

Elvis Presley, The King of Rock'N'Roll, dies On This Day in 1977 in a 2nd floor bathroom in his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee (repeat)

The murders of Leno & Rosemary LaBianca by the Manson Family, On This Day in 1969 (repeat)

The atomic bomb codenamed "Little Boy" is detonated above the Japanese city of Hiroshima in the final days of World War 2, On This Day in 1945. (repeat)  

Lizzie Borden's father and stepmother are found murdered in their Fall River, Massachusetts home On This Day in 1892. Suspicion soon falls on 32-year-old Lizzie. (repeat)

Independence Day in America & the story behind the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Second Continental Congress On This Day in 1776. Plus, a full reading of the Declaration of Independence following the episode. (repeat)

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that creates a ripple effect of conflict throughout the 20th century, beginning with the Great War, World War I.  And Canadian runner and activist Terry Fox, who's Marathon of Hope for cancer awareness makes him a Canadian folk hero and inspiration to millions. (repeat)

The Last Will & Testament of English mineralogist James Smithson, who passes away On This Day in 1829 and leaves his entire fortune to the United States of America for the creation of Smithsonian Institution "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge." (repeat)

The Berlin Airlift begins On This Day in 1948, Operation Vittles and Operation Little Vittles. (repeat)

The sensational murder of architect Stanford White On This Day in 1906 and the trial of the century that follows. (repeat)

The Watergate burglars are caught On This Day in 1972.

The ghost story challenge of 1816 during the Year Without A Summer, and Washington Post Publisher Katherine Graham born On This Day in 1917. (repeat)