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
Can you recommend a Murder podcast?? -- True Crime Episodes: Part 1
Oh boy do we have a lot of Murder episodes!! We started off mostly doing true crime before we pivoted to history and some true crime and other fun things! This is part 1 of three of our Murder episodes! Re-releases on the way! Episodes:Ep 4…
Re-Release: Destroying Cultures isn't Cool - Friar Diego De Landa & the Mayans
Speaking of religious history - here's a re-release of our episode on Friar Diego De Landa & the Mayans. There are many Maya people still living in Central / Meso America. They have a rich culture, but they did have tons of written history …
Can you recommend a Religious History podcast?
Religion has sparked wars, inspired art, toppled empires, and comforted the faithful. In these episodes, we explore the stories where belief shaped human history in unforgettable and sometimes unsettling ways. Episodes:Ep 5 - Part 1: Divorc…
Ep 220: One for you, Sixteen for me - Sybil & her Multiple Personalities
Sources:Sybil - by Flora Rheta Schreiber - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/sybil-by-flora-rheta-schreiber/259328/item/84207467/?#edition=4801599&idiq=3086510Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case - …
Re-Release: Cut it out, do literally anything else - Climbing Mt. Everest
Imagine you have a lot of money and months of free time, so you decide to climb the highest mountain we've got. That's good for you, but if you die there, you stay there, and recently, there's a line to the top. In this re-release, we'll di…
Re-Release: Paradise Lost - The Salton Sea
Remember the 1950s? We don't either, and it wasn't like, ideal for women and minorities... but there WAS this idea of a place you could go to get away - think Palm Springs now (if you ignore all the unhoused people, which you should not, so…
Re-Release: Lost in Time - The burying of Pompeii from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius
Let's go back to our Volcano Series for Natural Disaster Week! Today, we'll tell the story of how Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. We'll cover what type of volcano, the warnings of doom, the cities the…
Can you recommend a Natural Disaster podcast?
🌋 VolcanoesEp 38: Volcanoes Pt 1 - Mt. Toba's Echo: Journey into Earth's Cataclysmic PastA prehistoric eruption so massive it may have nearly wiped out humanity.Ep 42: Volcanoes Pt 2 - Time Capsule of Tragedy: Exploring Pompeii's Frozen Hi…
Ep 219: A wild way to dispose of a body - The Murder of Helle Crafts
We've said it before, and we'll say it again - divorce is an option. It's not great, people will be sad, kids will be traumatized, but it's WORSE to be the child of a murderer and not have a mom. Today, Farz tells us about how Helle Crafts'…
Can you recommend a Book podcast?
Episodes:Ep 7 - Part 1: Dorian Gray-t Expectations - Oscar Wilde's wild rideOscar Wilde’s wit, scandal, and downfall - the wild ride of one of literature’s sharpest voices. Ep 23 - Part 1: Our Lady of the Night - Mary ShelleyMary Shelley, t…
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…