Byte Sized Biographies…

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of graphic violence. After almost fifty years of litigation, the MacDonald murders remain one of America's most controversial murder cases.

Brought to Russia as fourteen-year-old Princess Sophia from a tiny German principality, she became Catherine the Great, the most powerful woman in Europe. Peter III, Catherine's husband Catherine's mother, Princess Johanna The Empress Elizabeth Frederick the Great Grigori Orlov Poniatowski Catherine on the the balcony of the Winter Palace after she seized the throne from Peter III Catherine, in the uniform of the Imperial Guard

Listen to this February 5, 2020 flashback episode about Bob Marley, homeless at age 20 in one of the poorest cities of the Third World, he became a popular music phenomenon and 20th century icon. Bob Marley performing in July of 1980 Bob Marley's mother's home, Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica Bunny Wailer, one of Marley's earliest collaborators Peter Tosh, another Marley associate, performing in 1978 The I Threes, performing with Marley, Rita, his wife, center

This special flashback episode, from March 16, 2018, discusses D. B. Cooper and the most infamous unsolved hijacking in US history. Some of the crew members from the plane Cooper hijacked Initial crude wanted poster circulated by the FBI Richard McCoy, wanted poster circulated after he escaped from a federal penitentiary Another potential D. B. Cooper, Robert Rackstraw.

On April 5, 1976, when he died in a private jet, en route to Houston, Texas, Howard Hughes was a hopeless drug addict, weighed 93 pounds and hadn’t even taken a step on his own in several years. He was also the world’s wealthiest man, living proof that money can’t buy happiness. Howard R. Hughes Sr., standing next to a drill site Howard Hughes as a small boy Howard Hughes' boyhood home in Houston, Texas Movie poster for Hell's Angels Jane Russell, The Outlaw Hercules, aka The Spruce Goose, taxiing in Long beach Harbor

In 2013, while working as a contractor at the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden leaked an extensive collection of top secret documents, an act of defiance that, today, still reverberates throughout US intelligence and international relations. National Security Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, MD Edward Snowden Glenn Greenwald, publicity photo Laura Poitras General Keith Alexander

J. D. Salinger, photo used on book jacket, The Catcher in the Rye Original book jacket cover, The Catcher in the Rye Cornish-Windsor Bridge, near Salinger's home The Catcher in the Rye, paperback book edition cover, designed by Salinger Jean Miller, 2013 J.D. Salinger: The Reclusive Genius Behind "The Catcher in the Rye" Discover the untold story of J.D. Salinger, the enigmatic author who captivated a generation with "The Catcher in the Rye." This bite-sized biography delves into Salinger's early life, his traumatic experiences in World War II, and the creative process behind his iconic novel. Learn how Salinger's masterpiece transformed American literature and why he retreated from the public eye at the height of his fame. From his privileged Manhattan upbringing to his struggles with PTSD, uncover the fascinating journey of a literary legend. This episode reveals Salinger's complex relationships, his battles with publishers, and the lasting impact of his work.