25 Days of Holiday Songs 2023: “Santa Miss Those Missiles” by Reece Shipley

There are lots of holiday songs about mishaps that almost cause Santa or his helpers to miss Christmas, but only this Cold War carol helpfully points out that World War III would keep Kris Kringle from dropping off presents.

By |2023-10-27T16:51:57-04:00December 10, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Why The USSR Once Thought A Hot Dog Stand Was A Top US Military Installation (Cool Weird Awesome 1091)

Today in 2006, the Pentagon announced it would tear down a fascinating piece of Cold War history: a hot dog stand that the Soviets had once thought was actually a top military target.

By |2023-09-20T08:50:10-04:00September 20, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Gail Halvorsen, The “Candy Bomber” Of The Berlin Airlift (Cool Weird Awesome 1049)

Today in 1948, an unusually sweet moment in the history of the Cold War: American servicemember Gail Halvorsen came up with a plan that would eventually earn him the nickname "the Berlin Candy Bomber."

By |2023-07-17T07:53:15-04:00July 17, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |

Samantha Smith, A Kid From Maine Who Tried To Make The Cold War A Little More Peaceful (Cool Weird Awesome 1043)

Today in 1983, the beginning of an unlikely peace mission: a visit to the Soviet Union by a 10 year old from Maine named Samantha Smith.

By |2023-07-07T10:55:50-04:00July 7, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

In Soviet Russia, Vacation Took You (Cool Weird Awesome 1042)

The Soviet Union's paid time off system was different than the one we have today. The government sent many would-be tourists on group excursions with comrades from the local trade union - not friends or even family.

By |2023-07-06T10:59:13-04:00July 6, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Emergency Broadcast Alert of 1971 That Wasn’t, At Least Outside Fort Wayne (Cruel Weird Awful 3)

If you were in Fort Wayne, Indiana on February 20, 1971, you might have felt like the end of the world was coming, all thanks to a mix-up from the Emergency Broadcast System.

By |2024-01-19T09:23:36-05:00June 17, 2023|Categories: Cruel Weird Awful, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

When Richard Nixon And Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev Went For A Drive (Cool Weird Awesome 923)

Today in 1913, the birthday of Richard Nixon, 37th president of the United States, and the only one who ever went a wild ride with the head of the Soviet Union.

By |2024-01-09T07:15:55-05:00January 9, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Cold War Brought Homework Back To American Students (Cool Weird Awesome 766)

Today is National No Homework Day. For many years in the US, every day was a no homework day - but then Sputnik happened. Plus: this weekend in North Carolina, it's the Smithfield Ham and Yam Festival. 

By |2024-03-09T10:07:27-05:00May 6, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

During The Cold War, A Town In New Mexico Built An Underground Grade School (Cool Weird Awesome 759)

Today in 1962, the community of Artesia, New Mexico formally opened an unusual elementary school: it was built entirely underground just in case the Cold War turned hot.

By |2022-04-20T06:45:12-04:00April 20, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , |

Rock Fans In The Soviet Union Turned Old X-Ray Plates Into Bootleg LPs (Cool Weird Awesome 756)

In the 1940s and 50s, some people in the Soviet Union broke the law and produced makeshift records on old X-ray plates just to hear Western music that the government censored.

By |2022-04-15T08:46:27-04:00April 15, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |
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