Bomber Down: Part Four

On History Daily, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to relive pivotal moments that shaped history. In this special teaser, Graham revisits the tragic events of January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart just 73 seconds after liftoff, claiming the lives of all seven astronauts on board. We also explore March 23, 1806, when Lewis and Clark, having completed the first U.S. overland expedition to the Pacific Ocean, begin their long journey back to St. Louis, Missouri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An informal network of volunteers, most of whom are military veterans, is working behind the scenes and out of the limelight to help find missing military aircraft and crewmembers. The search for MEAL-88 began this way, but has grown to include the not-for-profit organization Project Recover. Still, as plans are refined to search for the bomber in this fourth and final part, the heart of the mission remains finding the lost, and bringing them home to their loved ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The B-52, the model of plane that disappeared in February 1968, is a remarkable and enduring aircraft. More than seven decades after the eight-engine bomber first flew, dozens are still in service for the United States Air Force. The origins of the design are part of the mythology of The Boeing Company, and the iconic bomber – nicknamed the “BUFF” – has carved a niche in American pop culture, from music to food to classic film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Criminal dives deep into the lives and misdeeds of some of history’s most notorious criminals, exploring the dark side of the American Dream. Today, we bring you a clip from Episode 1 of American Criminal’s “Serial Killers, Serial Liars” the story of two killers who claimed to be the most prolific murderers America has ever seen. Listen to all seasons now wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of the missing B-52 is about Cold War readiness and the sacrifices that families make. MEAL-88 is on a night-time exercise, practicing evasion of enemy radar and simulating bombing runs when the plane and crew disappear. A search by the Air Force and Coast Guard comes up empty. Then, a crew member’s wife scours the waters and beaches of the Texas gulf coast and makes an incredible discovery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 28, 1968, a B-52 bomber carrying eight members of the U.S. Air Force crashes while on a training flight near Matagorda Island, Texas. There is no distress call, and no one ejects from the eight-engine, jet-powered bomber before it disappears beneath the waves of the Gulf of Mexico. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season One of Unsolved Histories: What Happened to Flight 293? has inspired Congress to close a loophole that meant the Department of Defense turned its back on the families of hundreds of active-duty servicemembers missing after non-combat military plane crashes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lumber strike in a blue-collar town on Puget Sound attracts members of the IWW – the Industrial Workers of the World or “Wobblies” – from nearby Seattle to join in the labor action. Violence escalates, and in the culminating battle, seven men are killed. More than a century later, the history, and the places where it happened, are disappearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A giant airship sets out on a cross-country tour, testing the viability of lighter-than-air travel for the U.S. Navy. In the skies above Ohio, something goes wrong and the SHENANDOAH breaks apart. A century later, a few artifacts and dedicated historians help keep the story alive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The richest man in America sends a team by sailing ship to the Oregon Country for a share of the fur trade. Before they can land, they must cross the hazardous waters at the mouth of the Columbia River. Then, their tyrannical sea captain sails north, setting the stage for deadly disaster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices