1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Mankey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: When the Bolsheviks sees power in Russia in nineteen seventeen, 7 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: their main message was freedom, freedom from the Russian aristocracy, 8 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: freedom from the hated wars, and freedom for workers. As 9 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: we know, what actually followed was a harsh crackdown on 10 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: many freedoms, including free speech. The censorship became a central 11 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: tenant of the Bolshevik government, cracking down on criticism of 12 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: Stalin the U S s R. The government claimed that 13 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: censorship was devoted to protecting workers interests. Really, it was 14 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: focused on eliminating Stalin's political opponents and keeping the regime 15 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: in power by any means necessary. Books and novels, even 16 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: those by Russian authors, were heavily censored. Certain music was anathema, 17 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: and modern art was considered an attack on the Soviet 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: people's sensibilities. The States was very focused on ensuring that 19 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: they had absolute control over every aspect of life, both 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 1: public and private. During the Cold War, there was a 21 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,399 Speaker 1: battle of propagandists happening behind the scenes. Both countries were 22 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: trying to influence the culture and beliefs of the other 23 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: citizens to weaken their resolve. The USSR seemed to despise 24 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: Western media, considering it a scourge on good Soviet beliefs 25 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: and sensibilities, but the Kremlin likely realized early on that 26 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: they weren't going to be able to keep all Western 27 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: media and products out forever. Although they had a pretty 28 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: good crack at it, something has managed to slip through 29 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: and even became quite popular. Despite the Iron Curtain and 30 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: the emphasis on only purchasing Soviet made products, plenty of 31 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: Western businesses managed to strike trade deals. Admittedly, these opportunities 32 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: were slim and mostly revolved around swapping products for Russian 33 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: gas and oil. The Soviet government recognized that by allowing 34 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: small amounts of these products in they could largely control 35 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 1: their countries exposure to the decadent West. Soviet officials made 36 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: short trips to Western countries and allowed small delegations in 37 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: to both investigate what was going on in the rest 38 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: of the world, and show off the best the Soviets 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: had to offer. In nineteen fifty nine, there was an 40 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: American National Exhibits in Moscow. Then Vice President Richard Nixon 41 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 1: attended the exhibits, which was meant to be part of 42 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: a series of cultural exchanges happening in both countries. There 43 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: was a corresponding Soviet exhibits in New York City. Soviet 44 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: leader Nikita Khrushchev toward the display with Nixon, but tempers 45 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: flared as the two men baited each other over the 46 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: captive Nation's resolution that had been passed by Congress a 47 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: few days before. Khruschev saw this as a direct attack 48 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: on Soviet policies of expansion, and to make a long 49 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: story short, the two men fought in the middle of 50 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: a model US kitchen. Raised voices and wagging fingers caught 51 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: the attention of the press, and the two men forced 52 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: themselves to calm down before outright threats were made. One 53 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: of the other attendees, Donald Kendall, was the head of 54 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: Pepsi's international division. He stepped in when the argument cooled 55 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: off and offered everyone a glass of Pepsi to help 56 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: them calm down and remind them about the point of 57 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: the exhibition. It was a good press moment for both 58 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: men to be photographed having a soda together, but it 59 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: was an even greater moment for pepsi. Kendall wasn't even 60 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: supposed to be at the exhibition. He had taken a 61 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: risk convincing other Pepsi executives that they needed to showcase 62 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: their product to the Soviets, and now his gambits had 63 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: paid off, and the leader of the Soviet Union himself 64 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: was drinking, even enjoying a pepsi. In fact, he was 65 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: enjoy it so much he wanted to import it and 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: sell it to Soviet citizens. This could have been a 67 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: huge new market for pepsi, but there were a few 68 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: hurdles to overcome. First, the ruble Soviet currency had no 69 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: value outside the U s SR, so they had to 70 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: fall back on the barter system to get what they wanted. 71 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: Pepsi and the USSR worked out a deal, though for 72 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: every bottle of pepsi they would trade an equal amount 73 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: of Stolechnaya vodka that could be sold in the United States. 74 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy two, Pepsi officially flooded the Soviet market, 75 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: and they loved it. However, their cozy little deal was 76 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: interrupted in the nineteen eighties by the Soviet Afghan War. 77 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: Americans boycotted the few Soviet products on the markets, which 78 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: meant that Pepsi was unable to sell their vodka. They 79 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: had too much vodka and not enough cash, so the 80 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: Soviets had to send something new to secure their beloved beverage. 81 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: This led to one of the most bizarre trades I 82 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: have ever read about. In exchange for the soda, the 83 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: USSR traded Pepsi seventeen marines, a frigate, a cruiser, and 84 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: a destroyer in nine This led to Pepsi owning the 85 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: sixth largest naval fleet in the world, although just for 86 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: a little while. In reality, these weapons of war were 87 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: obsolete and barely usable, and although it might seem silly 88 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: to us, it wasn't a stupid deal for either party. 89 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: The Navy didn't even go directly to Pepsi. Instead, it 90 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: was sent to a Norwegian firm, where the vessels were scrapped. 91 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: The deal between Pepsi and the Soviets crumbled not long 92 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: after this trade, when the Soviet Union itself came crashing down. 93 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: But what a bizarre twist of fate that a Western 94 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: soda was able to sweet talk some heavy weaponry out 95 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: of the USSR just think for a little while in 96 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: their quest for domination in the international coal a wars 97 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: pepsi literally could have blown coke out of the water. 98 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: Waking up to a gray day isn't exactly abnormal in London, 99 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: where cloudy days are the majority. The city rests on 100 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: a large river valley, which means that air often becomes 101 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: trapped and can't circulate, which helps push weather like fog 102 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,359 Speaker 1: or rain out more quickly. London fog has been called 103 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: everything from romantic too mysterious. One thing we know is 104 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: that it seems to be nearly constant. That's why it 105 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: was probably no surprise when in December of nineteen fifty 106 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: two they woke up to what looked to be a 107 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: typically dreary day. Maybe the fog looked a bit denser 108 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: than usual, but it would blow over eventually, right. Well, 109 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: The funny thing happened the night before a thirty mile 110 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: wide cold air mass rolled into the area and covered 111 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: the city, sitting so heavily on top of the valley 112 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: that none of the air below could escape or even circulate. 113 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: Most of the world still heated their homes, businesses, and 114 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: factories with coal, so when the Cold Front swept in 115 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 1: in late November, people simply tossed more coal on the 116 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: fire and just kept going. Britain was still trying to 117 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: claw its way out of World War two austerity and 118 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: jump start their economy, so factories were working full tilt, 119 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: which meant that they were pumping out plenty of smoke. 120 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: Fires were stoked, wool jumpers were layered, and the heavy 121 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: fog was no match for the determined. They had had 122 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: these kind of days before, and there was actually a 123 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: name for them, peace supers, as the fog is as 124 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: thick as peace soup. Except the fog wouldn't lift as 125 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: the day went on. It only became heavier and darker, 126 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: and streets became less and less visible, which would have 127 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: been spooky and mysterious if it hadn't also been deadly. 128 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: The street lights could barely cast enough light for pedestrians 129 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: to see, let alone be seen, and automobile headlamps didn't 130 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: illuminate other people or vehicles until it was too late. 131 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: And then somehow things got worse as the fog took 132 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: on a yellowish brown tint and began to wreek of 133 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: rotten eggs. London was trapped in a sea of coal, smoke, soot, 134 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: and noxious gases that could and would cause serious damage. 135 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: December five, nine fifty two was Day one of the 136 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: Great Smog, and everyone was sure that it would dissipate. Yes, 137 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: the air stink, but surely a great catastrophe could be avoided. 138 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: I mean, they survived the blitz and still went to 139 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: work the next day. No one was going to let 140 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: a little fog keep them down right, but they had 141 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: no idea. In central London, visibility got so bad that 142 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. 143 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: People abandoned their cars in the middle of the road 144 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: when it got too murky to see. Some of the 145 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 1: smogs solidified into a black, oozy substance like tar, something 146 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 1: that crawled out of the black lagoon. During each day 147 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: of the Great Smog, one thousand tons of particulate matter, 148 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: two thousand tons of carbon dioxide, eight hundred tons of 149 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: sulfuric acid and more were released into the air. People 150 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: choked and wheezed along the sidewalks, covering their faces with 151 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: scarves or handkerchiefs or cloth masks. They tried to get help. 152 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: People tumbled into hospitals, their faces smeared with grits and grime, 153 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: looking like they just climbed out of a coal mine. 154 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: Nearly all public transit was shut down, as were ambulances. 155 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: Flights and trains were canceled, and boats, London's primary source 156 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: of importation, came to a standstill. Children were even kept 157 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: home from school for fear of being lost out in 158 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: the fog. Sporting events were canceled and businesses and theaters 159 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: shut down. Crime spiked as some took advantage of the 160 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: desperate situation to steal from shops, homes, and people on 161 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: the streets who could barely see, let alone breathe. The 162 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:39,199 Speaker 1: Great Smog lasted for five days, five days of chaos, desperation, 163 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: and not enough air to breathe, before it finally blessedly lifted. Doctors, nurses, 164 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: ambulance drivers, former servicemen, really anyone who could banded together 165 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: as best they could to pull the city through the 166 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: disaster with limited supplies or help from the government, And 167 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: as you might imagine, plenty of folks were vulnerable to 168 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: the Terrible smog and the pandemonia that resulted. The elderly, 169 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: little kids, smokers, and folks with respiratory problems were badly 170 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: affected by the fog. People may have been ready and 171 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: willing to brush it off as a freak event, but 172 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: when the undertakers ran out of coffins and there wasn't 173 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: a single funeral wreath to be found in London for 174 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: love or money, the true impact became clear. At the time, 175 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: experts estimate about four thousand people died due to the 176 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: Great Smog, But like COVID nineteen and other respiratory pollutants, 177 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: things like this have a way of lingering and having 178 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: effects on the human body for decades to come. Today, 179 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:34,680 Speaker 1: the death toll is estimated to be between eight thousand 180 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: and twelve thousand people. The government was slow to act 181 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,199 Speaker 1: and slower to send resources and aid to swamp hospitals 182 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: and care stations. However, there's no great loss without some 183 00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: small gain. The resulting investigation into the causes of the 184 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: fog and the government's actions led Britain to pass the 185 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: Clean Air Act of nineteen fifty six, which worked to 186 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: reduce smoke pollution, a solution that took a once suffering 187 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: city and breathed new life into it. I hope you've 188 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,719 Speaker 1: enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe 189 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,319 Speaker 1: for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the 190 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was 191 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. 192 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 193 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 194 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the World of Lore 195 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.