Doomed to Fail
We bring you stories of history's most notorious disasters and epic failures. Join us as we analyze the red flags and ask the important questions. How did things go so wrong? Could these disasters have been avoided? Join us as we laugh, learn, and explore the most epic failures of all time.
Episodes
Ep 218: Mystery Deaths at the Bicentennial - Legionnaires' Disease
It's 1976 - thousands of US Veterans in the American Foreign Legion meet up in Philly for a few days of meetings and camaraderie (and we assume not talking about trauma because it was the 70s). Staying at the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, hundr…
Can you recommend an Animal podcast?
Ep. 47: Doomed to fail species? The story of the passenger pigeonOnce the most abundant bird in North America, they darkened the skies in flocks of millions—until humans hunted them into extinction.Ep 179: A Friend Till The End & Beyond - H…
Ep 217: James and the Giant Bitcoin - James Howells
What would you do if you accidentally threw away a fortune? In this episode, we dig into the story of James Howells — the IT worker who tossed out a hard drive holding thousands of Bitcoins, worth hundreds of millions of dollars today. From…
Can you recommend an Ancient History podcast?
Ep 2 - Part 2: Nero: The Fiddling TyrantRome’s most infamous emperor, accused of burning his own city and fiddling while it fell into chaos.Ep 12 - Part 2: Ancient Sport Rivalries - The Nika RiotsWhat started as a sports rivalry in Constant…
Ep 216: Ancient Incendiaries - Greek Fire
Let's go back to ancient warfare, shall we? We'll talk about all the things you can fill a clay pot with to throw at enemies—spikes, bees, boiling hot sand—use your imagination! Then, we will discuss the mysterious Byzantine weapon, Greek F…
Can you recommend a Plane Crash podcast?
Ep 68 - You're Cleared for Disaster: The Tenerife Airport Crash of 1977 The world’s deadliest aviation disaster didn’t happen in the air—it happened on the runway. Two jumbo jets, thick fog, and a fatal misunderstanding.Ep 77 - Cloudy with …
Ep 215: Nowhere to Echo - Whale Entrapment
Let's talk about whales, from what we do and do not know about mammals, to the incredible things that animals have to endure! Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes for life! patreon.com/DoomedtoFailPodWe would love to h…
Can you recommend a Medical History podcast?
The history of medicine is equal parts miracle and nightmare. These episodes prove it.Ep 98 - The Never-ending Story: Henrietta Lacks Her cancer cells were taken without her consent and became the most important cell line in medical researc…
Ep 214: Terror for Peace - The Firebombing of Tokyo
Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb - by James M. Scott - https://www.amazon.com/Black-Snow-Curtis-Firebombing-Atomic/dp/1324002999The Brutal Bombing of Tokyo 1945 | The Deadliest Bombing in H…
Can you recommend a Business podcast?
Ep 27: Cruising through History: The Rise and Fall of the EdselFord’s flashy new car was supposed to be the future. Instead, it became the most famous flop in automotive history.Ep 33: Getting rich quick always works: The story of Charles P…
Ep 213: A Good Thing Exists - Morgan's Wonderland
Today, in good news, Farz tells the story of San Antonio's kindest philanthropist, Gordon Hartman! Gordon created Morgan's Wonderland - an amusement park that makes attending amusement parks possible for people with disabilities. We'll talk…
Can you recommend a Pop Culture podcast?
When people go wrong, the spotlight melts them faster. These episodes explore crimes, courtroom chaos, PR disasters, and unforgettable headlines.Ep 10 Part 1 – OJ & Nicole SimpsonA brutal double murder, a televised Bronco chase, and the mos…
Ep 212: Death at Dutchman's Pass - The Great train wreck of 1918
Let's go back to a time when trains weren't automated and there was A LOT of room for human error. We talk about the 'Swiss Cheese Model' of disasters all the time and this is a classic case. Late trains, overcrowded passenger cars, neglect…
Can you recommend an Engineering Disaster podcast?
From molasses tsunamis to space shuttle tragedies, here are some of history’s most infamous engineering disasters.Ep 20 - Part 2: Oh The Humanity!!! - The HindenburgA luxury airship explodes mid-air in front of a live radio broadcast. Hydro…
Ep 211: Playing With The Devil's Venom - The Nedelin Catastrophe
Post WWII, where did all the Rocket Scientists go? Specifically, where did all the GERMAN Rocket Scientests go? Essentially, they went to the highest bidder; some, like Werner von Braun, went to the US, and others went to Russia. Today, we'…
Can you recommend a Medieval History podcast?
Traditionally, the Middle Ages (which is easier to spell) is the time from the 5th century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. We could also pull it a little later into the birth of the Renaissance, and we might as well bookend this with…
Ep 210: Do Whatever You Want!! - Action Park, New Jersey
Oh, the sweet simplicity of an unregulated water park in the 1980s! You 100% would get injured, you might die, but you'd have an awesome time. Let's discuss Gene Mulvihill and his obsession with creating bigger, better, more dangerous water…
Ep 209: History Repeated - Israel, Iran, and Iraq
Let's dive into the history between Iran, Israel, and Iraq. You probably won't be surprised to know that there has been conflict in the Middle East as long as there have been humans. Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episode…
Ep 208: The Mayor of Castro Street - Harvey Milk
For our last story for Pride Month, let's talk about Harvey Milk. Harvey was only in politics for a few years but he was groundbreaking in that he was an out gay man who encouraged others to also come out and share who they are. We'll cover…
Ep 207: Hey Ladies!!! - Sappho
To continue our look at LGBTQ+ history let's talk about Sappho! While we cannot put modern definitions onto ancient people, we do assume that Sappho had relationships with women based on her love poems to women. She ran a school for women o…
Ep 206: Our new departure time is in 18 years - Mehran Karimi Nasseri
Let's talk about the true story behind the movie 'The Terminal' it's not nearly as romantic IRL! Mehran Karimi Nasseri was trying to get to the UK from Iran when some paperwork needed to be filled out in France... and he just, didn't do it.…
Ep 205: Under Pressure - Japan Airlines Flight 123
Have I said before that I think that we think that talking about plane crashes would just make our deaths in one TOO ironic? So this is saving our lives. Let's talk about the horror of the short trip that was Japan Airlines Flight 123 - A f…
Ep 204: Fancy a Duel after the Opera? - Julie d'Aubigny
Today we dive into the oft-requested story of the dueling, opera singing, bi-sexual Julie d'Aubigny! We'll tell the tale of her remarkable life, from a court mistress, to dueling on the streets of Paris, to burning the body of a nun to run …
Ep 203: Couple Breaks in the chain! - Hands Across America
Today, we dig into the 80s culture of celebrity charity work! From Live Aid to 'We Are the World', we started a trend where massive movements were spearheaded by celebrities. USA for Africa, the organization responsible for We Are the World…
Ep 202: Ok Place, Totally Wrong Time - Not so Lucky Dragon #5
Let's talk about the unlucky crew of the Tuna Fishing ship Lucky Dragon #5. Thousands of miles from Japan, the crew was laying lines when the US tested its Castle Bravo nuclear bomb in Bikini Atoll. The Lucky Dragon was well within the 'Saf…
Ep 201: The Living Market - Organ Transplants Pt 2
Today we travel to the darker side of organ transplants - when demand is greater than supply, that creates a market, right? Well, yes, but also this time people have to be cut open. Join our Founders Club on Patreon to get ad-free episodes…
Ep 200: Disaster on the Graveyard Shift - Chernobyl
Let's talk about the most expensive disaster of all time! The meltdown at Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. A safety test that was anything but 'routine' ended in an explosion of radioactive material, and everything…
Ep 199: Missed the "Mark" to Market Accounting - Enron
Sources - Movie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron:_The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_RoomBook - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smartest_Guys_in_the_Room_(book) For this episode, Taylor got to read the book behind her favorite documentary of a…
Ep 198: I'll take one of those! - Organ Transplants pt 1
Today, in part 1 of Organ Donations, we talk about the history and the rules behind giving someone your organs. It does get a little gross when we learn that lungs come apart into 'lobes' but it's probably still a good thing to know! Join o…
Ep 197: Gotta Have High Hopes - The DeFeo Family
Today, we talk about the incident before the horror in Amityville, Long Island. 23-year-old Ronnie DeFeo murdered his entire family, parents, and four siblings, at 3:15 in the morning. He shot them in their beds while they were sleeping, th…
Ep 196: Table for 87? - The Donner Party
Consider, of course, the definition of 'doomed.' In 1846, several families left the Midwest in pursuit of the California Dream. Eventually, George Donner would be named their leader, and they would follow the Hastings Cutoff for a quick sho…
BONUS: Fun in the sun - Ghost Ships
Why not do a Friday Re-release!?! Let's take a break from the horrors IRL and talk about The Mary Celeste and the MV Joyita - two ships found drifting with no people... where did the people go?? Bonus bonus - you shoud watch the movie 'Ghos…
BONUS: Queen of Hearts - Marie Antoinette
Grab your forks, friends - we're having cake! Today, we re-release Taylor's episode on our dear Marie Antoinette. Yes, we hold her dear - she was just a kid put in a ridiculous situation, YES, she cosplayed being poor, YES, she was addicted…
BONUS: Re-Release - The 2008 Financial Crisis
It's a re-release! Let's revisit Episode 45, where we talked about the financial crisis of 2008—what do you remember? Taylor worked at a hedge fund, and she remembers the yearly 'work trip' moving from the Bahamas to..... the Hamptons.How d…
Ep 195: The men who wrote the Dictionary - Professor James Murray & Dr. W. C. Minor
Today Taylor tells the story of "The Professor and the Madman" - how the Oxford English Dictionary was created in the late 1800s. Professor James Murray took up the almost impossible task of cataloging the entire English Language, and asked…
Ep 194: The Vatican State: How did it come to be?
Discover the rich history of the Papal States and the evolution of the Catholic Church in our latest episode! Learn about the intriguing interplay between politics and faith from Jesus to Napoleon. Don’t miss out on this deep dive into hist…
Ep 193: How fast can this go? PiĂą veloce!! - Enzo Ferrari
Let's talk fast cars and family rivalries! Today, we talk through the Ferrari and Lamborghini families, and how their patriarchs worked to have the fastest engine available, and not necessarily the coolest looking car. I think that just hap…
Ep 192: A Scenic Crash in Antarctica - Air New Zealand Flight 901
Join us for the sad tale of Air New Zealand's flight 901 that crashed in Antarctica in 1979. But first we need a little bit of context and we revisit several Doomed to Fail Episodes: The Franklin Expedition Ep 58Volcanoes - between 38 and 7…
Ep 191: Ancient Voices in Modern Warfare - Navajo Code Talkers
This is the incredible story of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II! We'll talk a little about the history of the Navajo and how the United States really wanted them to forget their heritage, and especially their language. Navajo childr…
Ep 190: Suicidal pilots: Germanwings Flight 9525
At this point, maybe if we talk about plane crashes enough, the irony would be TOO intense if we actually died in one! Let's go back 10 years to March 2015, when Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz was absolutely not in the right headspace to …