1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Fellow conspiracy realist. This classic is for all our fellow 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: aviation nerds out there. It's a little bit ridiculous history. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: It's a little bit unsolved mystery. It's definitely it's definitely 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: one that caught us in twenty nineteen. And even when 5 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: we started exploring this, the mystery was decades and decades old. 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is a story that we've heard about for 7 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 2: a long time. It's talked about in almost every unsolved 8 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 2: mystery series that's ever been on television, right because it's 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 2: one of the most enduring ones. A human being that 10 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 2: was lauded, talked about all the time, a huge deal 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 2: and then just gone. 12 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: Or did they actually disappear? This is the story of 13 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart. I gotta tell you, guys, with the benefit 14 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: of retrospect giant crabs, you heard it here first, folks. 15 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic hours and government conspiracies, history is 16 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 17 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: learn this stuff they don't want you to know. A 18 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radios How Stuff Works. 19 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 3: Hello, and welcome to the show. 20 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: My name is Noel, and our compatriot Matt is on 21 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: adventures but will be returning soon they call me Ben. 22 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: We were joined with our super producer Paul mission control 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: decand most importantly, you are here and that makes this stuff. 24 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: They don't want you to know. Now, Noel, you just 25 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: got off a plane, Is that correct? 26 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: I did, and I got the plane crid and I 27 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 3: hope I don't pass it on to you in this 28 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: sort of fuselage asque environment that we're currently inhabiting. 29 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: That's fine with me. Honestly. When I have a little 30 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: bit of the cred or a head cold, I love writing. 31 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: It's I don't know it does. It does great stuff 32 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: for creativity. Maybe it's because I don't feel like going 33 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: outside and doing things. 34 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 3: Also true, man, also true? 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: Also true? 36 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 3: What's you? 37 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: And I have been on a lot of planes, as 38 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: have you Paul, and has had many people listening to 39 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 1: this show today, and this is a question for everyone 40 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: to think about. You and I can take a sabbage 41 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: answering this too right now, if you'd like, NOL, what 42 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: is the craziest flight you've ever had or what's the longest? 43 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 1: Are you a person who's terrified of flying? I would 44 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: say you're not. 45 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 3: No, I'm not. I haven't been on any super long 46 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 3: flights in a while. But I think I maybe mentioned 47 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: this on our other show, Ridiculous History, when we talked 48 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 3: about luxury airlines and why they don't really exist anymore. 49 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 3: Check that one out. But there was one time where 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 3: and this is gonna be this makes me sound such 51 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,079 Speaker 3: a tool, but I'm gonna say it anyway, and the 52 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 3: quick version, there was one time where I'm used to 53 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 3: ticking Delta where they have us be chargers and screens 54 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: on the back of the chairs in front of you, 55 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 3: and I took a Southwest flight for the first time 56 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 3: and didn't have like a power brick for my phone, 57 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 3: and I was expected until you have a USB and 58 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 3: didn't have one, and my phone died and I had 59 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 3: to be alone with my thoughts for the entire flight. 60 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: It was terrifying, especially if you were It's so strange 61 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: how quickly things become normalized. And if you are expecting something, 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: not to crib too hard from our earlier episode on 63 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History, but if you're expecting something all of a 64 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: sudden it's taken away, it's tough to recover from that. 65 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 3: It really is. 66 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: It's in a strange way. It's similar to having two 67 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:31,239 Speaker 1: very different beverages next to your plates when you're eating 68 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: and then expecting you were going to, I don't know, 69 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: drink water, but you accidentally pick up the juice or 70 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: the milk and your mouth goes what why? Or the 71 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: kerosene or the kerosene? I weren't the kerosene very popular 72 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: beverage here in Atlanta. It's strange that there are millions 73 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: of people frankly terrified of flying, especially when you consider 74 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: that statistically, you are much much, much more likely to 75 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: get into an automobile accident than ever to be involved 76 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: in a plane crash. But whether you love fly, whether 77 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: you hate those vast stretches of sky, sun and cloud, 78 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: whether you've been on a plane you know, three times 79 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: a week for most of your life, or whether you've 80 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: never been on a plane or have it yet, you 81 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: have at least some inkling of the story of one 82 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart, And this is the topic of our episode today. 83 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,679 Speaker 1: So here are the facts. 84 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 3: Amelia Earhart was born on July twenty fourth, eighteen ninety seven, 85 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 3: and she was the daughter of Amy and Edwin. Earhart 86 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 3: lived with her mother's parents until she was twelve, and 87 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 3: they were quite wealthy, so she was afforded some privilege, 88 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 3: including attending private school. And then in nineteen oh nine, 89 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 3: Amelia and her youngest sister moved to Des Moines. Did 90 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 3: you pronounce the s? I say de Wine des Moine. 91 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 3: I want to go with de Moines, Iowa. And that's 92 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 3: where they were reunited with their parents because their father 93 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,799 Speaker 3: went to work for a railroad company and he moved 94 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 3: there to join them and take that gig. 95 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, they moved him to a new position. The family 96 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: continued to move around from Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Springfield, Illinois, 97 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,479 Speaker 1: and so on. This was not a happy home, you see. 98 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: Edwin Earhart had been waging an unsuccessful battle with alcoholism 99 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: for the entirety of Amelia's life, and this experience with 100 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: a parent who had substance abuse problems gave Earhart a lifelong, 101 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 1: abiding dislike of booze, along with the deep, deep desire 102 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: for financial security. And you have to you know, you 103 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: can understand it when you think of the disparity she 104 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: encountered in her life. She had very wealthy maternal grandparents 105 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: and then struggling immediate parents, you know, so she saw 106 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: both sides, the have and the have nots of life. 107 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: So in nineteen fourteen, Amy Earhart, Amelia's mother, takes the kids, 108 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: she leaves her husband, and they go to Chicago. In Chicago, 109 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: Amelia graduates from the Hyde Park School in nineteen fifteen. 110 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 1: Interesting historical side note. In the yearbook, she is described 111 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: as ae the girl in brown who walks alone. It's 112 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: a dubious what do they call them? 113 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 3: Monica superlative? Yeah, the honorific maybe a thing. 114 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,239 Speaker 1: Honorifics are a thing, but I think honorifics are closer 115 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: to titles. 116 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 3: He might be right. I think you might be right. 117 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 3: It's true, the girl in brown who walks along. That's intense. Actually, yeah, 118 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 3: it's almost like a ninja wondering ninja kind of nickname, you. 119 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: Know, unhappy intellectual. I mean, high school Ben Bullen would 120 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: have been all about getting her number, telegram address. What 121 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: did they do back then? 122 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,239 Speaker 3: Noe, not clear, Maybe a particular Morse code right signal. 123 00:06:57,880 --> 00:06:57,960 Speaker 1: No. 124 00:06:58,080 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 3: But she went on to go to a place called 125 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 3: the Ogonte School, which was a private high school. And 126 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 3: this is interesting. I never really heard this. I guess 127 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 3: it goes straight from high school to junior college, which 128 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 3: I guess it's like the early year of college or 129 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 3: is it more of like a community college. 130 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it feels like it's either a community college or 131 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: a prep school, you know. 132 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 3: Right, because if it was a community college, sort of 133 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 3: as a sort of like a second like not as prestigious. Right. 134 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 3: It's a two year program. 135 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: A lot of community colleges have a two year program, 136 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: and so sometimes people, for one reason or another will 137 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: take their prerequisites at a community college two year college 138 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: and then go for the latter half of their college 139 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: career at a more expensive institution. 140 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 3: That makes sense. So then she went on to visit 141 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 3: her sister Muriel, who was living in Toronto, and that 142 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 3: is where she saw someone who had returned from World 143 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 3: War One and had lost a limb in combat, an amputee. 144 00:07:55,480 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: Yes, and this moves her. She immediately refuses to return 145 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: to her junior college high school and instead becomes a 146 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: volunteer nurse in a veteran hospital. And then she also, 147 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: during her time working as a volunteer nurse, she also 148 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: becomes a pacifist and this is something that she will 149 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: keep for as far as we know the rest of 150 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: her life. Emphasis on, as far as we know. So 151 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: that's the early days of Amelia Earhart, but of course, 152 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: most of us know her for her aviation. 153 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 3: Career, that's right. Another first for Amelia was in nineteen 154 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: fifteen when she saw her very first air show and 155 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 3: had the opportunity to actually ride on an airplane. She 156 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 3: seemed to become passionate about things pretty quickly. She was 157 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 3: very driven and had a sense of what her mission 158 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 3: was in life. I think that's interesting part of her character. 159 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 3: She knew right away that she wanted to take flying lessons, 160 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 3: so she went to a place called Burt Canner's Airfield, 161 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 3: which is on Long Beach, Bulevard in LA from a 162 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 3: woman with a lovely name, Nedda Snooks. 163 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Nedda Snooks, which sounds like a made up 164 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,719 Speaker 1: name but is very real. But again, as I think 165 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: we've said before, on the air, all names are made up. 166 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: At some point. On December fifteenth, nineteen twenty one, Amelia 167 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: finally receives her license from the National Aeronautics Association or NAH. 168 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 1: She was working part time as a file clerk, as 169 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: an office assistant, as a photographer, as a truck driver, 170 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 1: and she was pinching her pennies. She was scrounging and 171 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: saving and she got a little bit of help from 172 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: her mother, which enabled Amelia Earhart to buy her own plane. 173 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: Think about how extraordinary that is. 174 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 3: Okay, first of all, like a little bit of scratch 175 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 3: from her mother to buy a plane, right, And we 176 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 3: know a little bit about this plane, don't we. 177 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: We do know a little bit about it. It was 178 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: what was called a Kinner airster, just like the Kinner 179 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: air Field. Kinder airster was a two seat, single engine biplane. 180 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: So it wasn't you know, it was still a plane. 181 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: It would get you in the air. You can actually 182 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: see a photograph of Amelia Earhart and her instructor, Netta 183 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: Snook standing together by the airstar. Oh. 184 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's like it looks almost like one of 185 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 3: those fighter type planes you would have seen in World 186 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:26,440 Speaker 3: War One. 187 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like a biplane, I guess, yeah, that exactly. Yeah, 188 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: And she loved this plane and she was It was 189 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: such a tremendous moving moment for her to be able 190 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: to purchase her own plane. That's still a pipe dream 191 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: for a lot of people here in twenty nineteen as 192 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: we record this. However, flying as anybody with a pilot's 193 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 1: license ken assurus can be a very expensive hobby and 194 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: she could afford to buy the plane, but she could 195 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: not afford to continue flying. You know, the maintenance fee's 196 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: fuel fuel definitely. So eventually she sold her plane and 197 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: she bought an automobile. She drove her mother to Boston, 198 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: where her younger sister, Muriel was teaching school, and a 199 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 1: little bit after that she re enrolls in college. She 200 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: goes to Columbia University in New York City, but she 201 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: doesn't have the scratch again to continue studies for more 202 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: than one year. A little bit dejected, she returns to Boston. 203 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: She becomes a social worker, She joins the National Aeronautics Association, 204 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: and she still in her spare time when she can 205 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: find finds opportunities to fly. 206 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 3: So I wonder what she thinks. She must have just 207 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 3: like taken a class or like, you know, rented one 208 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 3: for the afternoon or. 209 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: Guess so, yeah, that feels like a big trust fall. 210 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:50,079 Speaker 1: Really rent my. 211 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 3: Plane, rent my plane exactly. So then in nineteen twenty eight, 212 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 3: Erhart gets a pretty incredible opportunity. You guys remember Charles W. E. 213 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 3: Charles Lyndenburg, who became the first person, obviously a man, 214 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 3: to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean back in nineteen 215 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 3: twenty seven. So this guy named George Palmer Putnam was 216 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 3: the editor of a book about Charles Lindbergh's voyage and 217 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 3: decided to kind of drum up some pr with a 218 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 3: sort of a stunt that he would have. We have 219 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 3: seen it as a stunt at the time. It's like, hey, 220 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:27,200 Speaker 3: lets let's let's put a lady on a plane. You know, 221 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 3: we'll make a make a lady do the same flight. 222 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 3: Because that that's crazy, that could never happen. 223 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: Imagine that. 224 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 3: Imagine that. Yeah, put a name up in a byplan. 225 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 3: Goodness gracious, yeah, the the uproar must have been marked. 226 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 3: So he dubs her lady Lyndy because of yeah, it 227 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 3: sits just a little bit on the nose and kind 228 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,040 Speaker 3: of a little misogynistic to say, to say the least, 229 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: and decides to make her kind of the star of 230 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 3: the show. So puts her on a plane with a 231 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 3: pilot by the name of William Stultz and a mechanic 232 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 3: by the name of Lewis Gordon, and she crossed the 233 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 3: Atlantic from Newfoundland to Wales on June eighteenth through nineteenth 234 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 3: of nineteen twenty eight. But she wasn't flying the plane. 235 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and this really bothered her. She never once touched 236 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: the controls of the plane and afterward described herself as 237 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: little more than a quote sack of potatoes. Still, she 238 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 1: became world renowned as the first woman to fly the Atlantic. 239 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: George Putnam clearly was capitalizing on this marketing opportunity. He 240 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: became Amelia Earhart's manager and later her husband when they 241 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: married in nineteen thirty one. So here's what he did. 242 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: As her manager. He arranged all of her flying engagements 243 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: in step with this exhaustive series of lecture tours, like 244 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: she would lecture for twenty nine days out of thirty one, 245 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: like in a row. 246 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 3: Jeez. Yeah. 247 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: And eventually she grew irritated because she said, you know, 248 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: I'm I'm reading the press here and people are saying 249 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: that I am not an actual pilot, that more or 250 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: less a puppet that my husband created for public relations purposes. 251 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: So I am going to prove to people that I 252 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: am the real deal, a genuine aviator. And this leads 253 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: her to pilot a Lockheed Electra from Newfoundland, Canada, all 254 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: the way to Ireland. This is impressive because a Lockheed 255 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: Electra is a tiny, tiny, tiny plane. It's a single engine. 256 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 3: It's true. And lest you think you've made a mistake 257 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 3: and you're actually listening to an episode of ridiculous history, 258 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 3: that's sort of how it sounds with just the two 259 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 3: of us doing a topic like this. I actually kind 260 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 3: of forgot myself for a second what show we're doing. 261 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 3: But we're getting there, guys. There's a twist coming, I promise. 262 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: Yes there is. On May twentieth, the twenty first, nineteen 263 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: thirty two, five years after Lindberg makes his solo flight, 264 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the 265 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: Atlantic Soul and for the next five years she is 266 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: a champion of women's rights as well as commercial aviation. 267 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,479 Speaker 1: She sets numerous world records, she gets accolades and awards 268 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: from across the planet, and she decides eventually that she 269 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: will circumnavigate the globe, that she will fly around the world, and, 270 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: after a brief word with our sponsors, will walk through 271 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: the infamous last voyage of Amelia Earhart. 272 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 3: On July second, nineteen thirty seven, just twenty two days 273 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 3: before her fortieth birthday, Amelia Earhart and her navigator friend 274 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 3: Fred Noonan vanished partially through their attempt at circumnavigating the globe. 275 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 3: They vanished. We know this. They vanished somewhere between Ley, 276 00:15:55,520 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 3: New Guinea and Howland Island and the navy. The US 277 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 3: Navy searched the largest swath they'd ever searched for a 278 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 3: missing person an history at that point, and they found 279 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 3: neither plane nor crew. Then, on January fifth of nineteen 280 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 3: thirty nine, Amelia Earhart was declared legally dead after being 281 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 3: missing for eighteen months. So what happened? 282 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: Here's where it gets crazy. Theories on the disappearance of 283 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart have proliferated for almost a century now. The 284 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: official report concluded that Earhart and Noonan were unable to 285 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: land on their their planned destination of Holland Island, and 286 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: that while trying to find this destination they ran out 287 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: of fuel, they crashed into the water and sank. But 288 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: of course that sort of explanation did very little to 289 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 1: quell suspicion, especially because there were no remains of plane 290 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,640 Speaker 1: nor person to be found. Owned there are a couple 291 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: of different theories that run counter to the official narrative. 292 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: One theory suggests that this is the weirdest one, that 293 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart actually didn't die. She not only survived, but 294 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: she returned to the US. She changed her name to 295 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: Irene Bolm b O L A M. And lived a long, 296 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: long life in obscurity. There are actually some books written 297 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: about this. 298 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 3: But why to what end? It's strange? Yeah, she unhappy 299 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 3: and I want to do what a weird name? To 300 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 3: change her name to Bolum? No one suspects them, right, No, 301 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 3: I guess not right, that's true. It's very clear. I 302 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 3: don't know van are you? Are you potentially a missing aviator? 303 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: No relation to Bolum? Okay, all right, you like how 304 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: I didn't really answer your question. 305 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 3: I do like that, you know, I love it when 306 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 3: you do that. Actually, it's one of my favorite things 307 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 3: in the whole world. So in a book by Joe 308 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 3: Class from the nineteen seventies, I'm not quite sure exactly 309 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: what your came out called Amelia Earhart lives. This gentleman 310 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,199 Speaker 3: makes the case that Earhart was in fact captured and 311 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:10,080 Speaker 3: then taken to Saipan and then to Tokyo, where she 312 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 3: was a prisoner of the Imperial Palace until nineteen forty five. 313 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 3: The theory argues that Earhart's secret was used as a 314 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 3: bargaining chip after the war to allow the Japanese emperor 315 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 3: to remain in power. What secret has this been? 316 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,639 Speaker 1: The secret would be that they were able that the 317 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 1: Japanese government was using Earhart as leverage to preserve the 318 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: emperor's standing in the community post World War Two. The 319 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: idea here being that there was a what's the term 320 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: so popular nowadays, a bit of a quid pro quo? 321 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,200 Speaker 3: Oh, yes, clarius, a bit of a. 322 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: Quid pro quo, and that you know, if the Allies 323 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: allowed the emperor to retain the position of the royal family, 324 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: then Earhart would be returned to the US. Yes, of 325 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: course that doesn't explain the name change, right, So bracket 326 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: that we'll get back to that one. There's another much 327 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 1: more popular theory that we wanted to share with you today. 328 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 3: That's right. Another widely held belief is that Earhart and 329 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 3: Noonan actually did touch down on a remote South Pacific 330 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 3: island called Nicu Maroro. You okay there in I thought 331 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 3: they did agree. I'm not a native speaker and I'm 332 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 3: not either, but we always try to do our best. 333 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 3: And this at the time of their disappearance would have 334 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 3: been uninhabited and was known as Gardiner Island. The Airhart Project, 335 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 3: which is a division of the International Group for Historic 336 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 3: Aircraft Recovery or TIGER or Tiger GHAR, I still think 337 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,680 Speaker 3: it's pronounced Tiger, and it's an organization dedicated to investigating 338 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 3: this hypothesis. So TIGER has been investigating the island since 339 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty nine and they've collected a ton of intriguing 340 00:19:55,359 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 3: things related to the case, improvised tools, remains of shoes, 341 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 3: in aircraft wreckage parts, which is consistent with Airhart's plane 342 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 3: an Electra exactly. 343 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: They also discovered that a few years after Earhart vanished, 344 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: a British colonial officer found the remains of a castaway 345 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: on what was then called Gardner Island, now known as 346 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: Nico Morero. The bones were sent to Fiji for analysis, 347 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: but ultimately they were misplaced and lost. Let's fast forward 348 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: to the future. During Tigers Tigers twenty ten expedition, their 349 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,479 Speaker 1: team found some of the most compelling clues they had 350 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: ever seen. They were looking around in a spot where 351 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: they had previously identified what was likely the remains of 352 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,160 Speaker 1: a campfire, and they found three pieces of a pocket knife. 353 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,879 Speaker 1: They found shells that have been cut open, glass cosmetic 354 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 1: jar fragments. Thereof little bits of makeup and and bone 355 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: fragments that they thought might be from a human being. Now, 356 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 1: let's let's put our skeptic hats on because we're gonna 357 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about a History Channel documentary. Did 358 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: you hear about this one? 359 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 3: No? 360 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 1: We know how a History Channel and a lot of 361 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: the cable TV channels have those investigative shows, and sometimes 362 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: they're top notch, very well researched, very honest, and other 363 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 1: times they're a little too George Suklos, you know, saying 364 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: ancient aliens kind of stuff. 365 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 3: The fro mm. 366 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's less of a fro. 367 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 3: And more of just like a wild hairdo. 368 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:40,679 Speaker 1: Let's say it's a main Yeah, he's a he's a 369 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: nice guy. 370 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 3: I've heard I like his I'd like his whole name 371 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 3: and hair situations. Fun to say, it's got a nice mouthfeel. Yeah, No, 372 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 3: it's true, and this one was of that variety. No, 373 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 3: was it good? 374 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: Well, this is the question we leave to you and 375 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,160 Speaker 1: your fellow listeners. Right the name of the document who 376 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: was Amelia Earhart? The Lost Evidence? And it dives headfirst 377 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: into the theory that Noonan and Earhart were captured by 378 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: Japanese forces. In the documentary, there's a retired federal agent. 379 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 1: His name is Les Kenny and less. Kenny and his 380 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,439 Speaker 1: team searched through records at the National Archives to find 381 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: any overlooked clues to the disappearance of Aarhart. 382 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 3: That's right. He and his team found a photograph that 383 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 3: was stamped with official Office of Naval Intelligence marks that 384 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 3: read Marshall Islands, Jalui Atoll, Jalue Island, Jaluwe Harbor and 385 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 3: the photo a ship can be seen that's towing a 386 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 3: barge with an Airplan on the back of it, and 387 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 3: then nearby on a dock you can see several people. 388 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 3: And Kenny argues that the photo had to have been 389 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 3: taken before nineteen forty three because US Air Forces conducted 390 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 3: more than thirty bombing runs on Jalui in nineteen forty 391 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 3: three and forty four. He believed are through that was 392 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 3: like a range of time, so they did it quite frequently. 393 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,120 Speaker 3: He believes the plane on the barge is the Electra 394 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 3: and that the two people are two of the people 395 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 3: on the dock are Airhart and Nonan. 396 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: And then we have a way in also in the 397 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: same documentary from Doug Karner and Kent Gibson. These are 398 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: forensic analysts, and Karner looked at it and said, Okay, 399 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: no one is messed with this photo, meaning no one 400 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: has altered it. It was from that time and is legit. 401 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: And then Kent Gibson specializes in recognizing faces, and he 402 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,920 Speaker 1: says it's very likely that the two individuals they point 403 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: out on the dock there are Earhart and Nonan. Both 404 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:50,120 Speaker 1: of them also say that the ship in the photo 405 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 1: is a Japanese vessel called the Koshu Maru, and they 406 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,479 Speaker 1: think this is the ship that took Earhart and Nonin 407 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: away after they survived that crash landing. If that is 408 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,439 Speaker 1: you believe the television show, that's where we have our 409 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: skepticats on, you know what I mean, because we have 410 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: to ask ourselves, not in any way being a derogatory 411 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: toward the experts in the show, nor to the History 412 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: Channel or what have you. We have to ask ourselves 413 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: how much of this we believe? And it's it's a 414 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:28,239 Speaker 1: good question. We have to ask ourselves how sincere or 415 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: how disingenuous some of these outfits can be. 416 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 3: You know, what was the name of the ship in question. 417 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 3: The Koshu Ma rooms have the same as the Kobayashi 418 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 3: Ma room. 419 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: That is similar. I thought the same thing, but it 420 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: is not the unsolvable scenario and Star Trek isn't it. 421 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 3: Though an unsolvable scenario. I'm sorry for the Amelia Earhart version. 422 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: We could call it like that Maru, the Aarhart Maru, 423 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: the kosh kosh kosh. 424 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 3: Remember bats Maru? That was always my favorite Sanrio character. 425 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: Oh god, yeah, barely bats ma little? 426 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:07,640 Speaker 3: Was he a penguin? 427 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:09,360 Speaker 1: I can't remember. 428 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 3: I don't know. Let's see, this is not important. We're 429 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 3: taking a little sidetrack here. Bats Marou, penguin with four 430 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,920 Speaker 3: little spiky hairs coincidence. 431 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: Always looks like he's in the just the worst moods. 432 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 3: He's a little cranky guy. 433 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: He's you know, he's. 434 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 3: Got dead eyes. He's staring you like, uh, like he 435 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:33,639 Speaker 3: wants to murder you. Yeah, want to double down on that. Yes, 436 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 3: weren't you finger wagged by the public? I thought you were. 437 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 3: I thought somebody reached out and said something about how 438 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 3: that they didn't think it was very nice that you 439 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 3: would malign Kristen Dunst his eyes in. 440 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: That well I don't think it's very nice that they're 441 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: anti dead eyes as someone who has a pair of 442 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 1: dead eyes themselves. 443 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,280 Speaker 3: Funny story. Again, don't want to get derailed too much, 444 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 3: but this is worth describing buddy of ours. You we 445 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 3: we both know. His name is Connor Ratliffe. He's a 446 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 3: comedian with the Chelon's Brigade. He made a podcast called 447 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 3: Dead Eyes because he auditioned for a band of Brothers. 448 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 3: Remember that television sequel to Saving Private Ryan that Tom 449 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 3: Hanks had something to do with. He directed and he 450 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,679 Speaker 3: was cast but then fired in the eleventh hour and 451 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 3: an agent made the horrible mistake of telling him mister 452 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 3: Hanks says, he decided you have dead eyes, and now 453 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 3: you're gonna and that now he like made a podcast 454 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,360 Speaker 3: series about how he wants to like track down Tom 455 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 3: Hanks and get to the bottom of this whole dead 456 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 3: Eyes situation. So you can check that out. It's on 457 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 3: it's on the interwebs. 458 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: It's to be fair to Kirsten Dudds, who is I 459 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 1: think a great actor. I'm particularly doubling down on her 460 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 1: role in Interview with a Vampire, not her fantastic turn 461 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: in that series of cheerleader movies. 462 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 3: Do you remember those? What was it? 463 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 1: Bring it On? 464 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 3: Bring it On? Bringing On was great? Yeah, Stomp the Yard. 465 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: Now that that was. That was another one, right, It 466 00:26:58,840 --> 00:26:59,159 Speaker 1: was more of. 467 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 3: A stomp movie. It was in that same time time 468 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,159 Speaker 3: there were a lot of what is it bringing on? 469 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 3: So what she just said, Yeah, no, there's another one though, 470 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 3: you got served. That's right where it's like I'm gonna 471 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 3: dance up on you remember South Park made fun of that. 472 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,360 Speaker 3: It's so funny. Ben, I was just briefly scrolling through 473 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 3: Instagram and our friends over Unladylike posted today this maybe 474 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 3: is going to be pressing it for the story. A 475 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 3: headline from back in these days, Amelia Earhart weds gp Putnam, 476 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:31,200 Speaker 3: but Atlantic Flyer will remain Miss Earhart for business purposes 477 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 3: and writing exactly. 478 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, this was a huge, huge deal. This is one 479 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: of the most famous people on the planet, no smoke, 480 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: no hyperbole. So it's no wonder that there was such 481 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: an extensive, expensive search for these missing aviators, and it's 482 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: also no wonder that the media became obsessed with it. 483 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: It's correct, it's absolutely correct to be skeptical of the 484 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: the television show. Again, we're not saying it's not true. 485 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 1: We're not saying it's manipulative. We're just saying be aware 486 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,400 Speaker 1: of be aware of the motives behind some of those 487 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: sorts of programs. Anyhow, there are other things that add 488 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 1: tantalizing bits to the cauldron of conspiracy here. One is 489 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 1: that a number of the residents of Marshall Islands claimed 490 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: they witnessed the aviator's land there, and the Marshall Islands 491 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: issued stamps commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Aarhart flight, 492 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:34,159 Speaker 1: and the stamps show Airhart's plane crash landing at mili 493 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:38,840 Speaker 1: A Toll and the recovery of that plane by the 494 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: Koshu Maru. This leads to one quite okay, So this 495 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: is a lot of fun as a thought exercise to say, 496 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: what if the people on the plane survived the plane 497 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: crash just difficult thing to do, and what if Japanese 498 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: forces took them captive? The big question is why on 499 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 1: earth would they take her captive? We'll tell you after 500 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 1: a word from our sponsors, and we're back. So people 501 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: who believe this theory don't believe that the Japanese forces 502 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 1: were just randomly capturing people for fundsies. And they don't 503 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: think that they captured Earhart specifically because she was a celebrity. No. 504 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: You see, people who believe in this post crash survival 505 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: abduction scenario also believed that Amelia Earhart was a spy 506 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: was working as a secret agent for Uncle Sam. Partially, 507 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: this is based on the fact that she did have 508 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: a documented close friendship with Franklin Roosevelt and his wife 509 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: Eleanor Roosevelt. 510 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 3: And folks who believe this theory tend to suggest that 511 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 3: the plane crashed after the pilot's veered off course in 512 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 3: order to pursue a spying mission over japan occupied islands 513 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 3: in the Pacific, right. 514 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: And the thing about that is it feels plausible because 515 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: they're in the right place. They have a great cover, 516 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, They can always fly over 517 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:22,280 Speaker 1: smilings and then just say that they got lost, right. 518 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: And this is fascinating to me because we have seen 519 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: accusations similar to this kind of thing happened before in 520 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: the world of espionage. As a matter of fact, a 521 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: few years back, there were three three Western students arrested 522 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: in Iran because they had apparently crossed over the border. 523 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 1: They were arrested as spies. They were all in their 524 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: early twenties and there ostensibly they were just hikers with 525 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 1: a very bad sense of direction, and that story kind 526 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: of disappeared from the news, but it is an excellent 527 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: cover story to just say, whoops, we were you know, 528 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: we were in the air for so long, we just 529 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: got a little mixed up. 530 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:06,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, it doesn't really quite add up. 531 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: It's a little. 532 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 3: Yeah. 533 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: It's one of those things where you kind of just 534 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: suck in air between your teeth and go all right, yeah, maybe. 535 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 3: My teeth are cold sensitive. I can't suck air between 536 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 3: my teeth like, oh man, I know, it hurts me 537 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 3: right to the core of my root. 538 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:23,840 Speaker 1: Well probably the yeah, the roots of your dental roots. 539 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: It probably. It probably makes you seem like a nicer 540 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 1: person because you don't have that expression in your nonverbal vocabulary. 541 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 3: I do this though, suck my teeth. 542 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. I remember a few years back one of 543 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 1: my friend groups literally banned me, suspended me for a 544 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: while from saying tut tut. It's very tut, man, I know, 545 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: and then I just describing things as tut. 546 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 3: This one tut is a little less egregious. I would 547 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 3: argue yeah. Yeah. 548 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,240 Speaker 1: Well, also it's it's a little more dismissive. It's calling 549 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: some tut means you don't have time for both tuts. 550 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 3: Oh dang, you're right because tut tut's scolding. But tut 551 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 3: is almost like, sh yeah, you're a real sucker. I 552 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 3: don't even have time for the second tough for you. 553 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: And I've actually been able to propagate that way. 554 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:11,720 Speaker 3: That's weird. I use it. 555 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 1: Everybody knows what we mean when we say it. 556 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, and every time I just want you to know. Man, 557 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 3: every time I use it under my breath, I give 558 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 3: you credit. Thank you very well. 559 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:24,479 Speaker 1: That must be an interesting conversation for people. And so 560 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: this is strange though it's plausible, No, it's possible. It 561 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: is plausible that spycraft will be conducted that way, but 562 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: it's a little bit of a leap to say it 563 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: was definitely air Heart. The story, however, does not end there. 564 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:43,280 Speaker 1: We mentioned those the British forces that found those thirteen bones, 565 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: including a skull, on the island. They sent a telegram 566 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:49,719 Speaker 1: after the discovery. This is back in the forties, and 567 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,480 Speaker 1: they said it was possibly the skull of Amelia Earhart. 568 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: But doctors who examined it at the time said it 569 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 1: belonged to a short European male. Even now some people 570 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: dis agree with this assessment. But here's the question. If 571 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: the thirteen bones they found did in fact belong to 572 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: Amelia Earhart, what happened to all the other bones in 573 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: a human skeleton? Where did they go? There's a weird theory. 574 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: It's that giant coconut crabs consumed the flesh and carried 575 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: away the bones, and coconut crabs actually do that kind 576 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: of thing. Have you seen a coconut crab? 577 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 3: Did we not talk about them in the Cryptid sequel episode? 578 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: Now? 579 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 3: They are mistaken because they're so bonkers looking. 580 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 1: They're gigantic. 581 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 3: First of all, these creatures are crazy looking. Yeah again, 582 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 3: I forgive us if this is redundant, but they look 583 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 3: like something of like a face hugger meets a lobster 584 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:52,080 Speaker 3: meets a crayfish meets a crab. And they're they're heavily armored, 585 00:33:52,480 --> 00:33:55,880 Speaker 3: and the limbs are all kinds of cthulhu esque, and 586 00:33:55,920 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 3: they can crack coconuts. They just wrapped their weird you 587 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 3: know in this arms what do you call them? Limbs 588 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 3: around these coconuts and they can crack them right open, 589 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 3: and as we all know, that's it's a hell of 590 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 3: a job. 591 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely this. They look like the hybrid of a 592 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 1: lobster and crab that also took a lot of steroids. 593 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,440 Speaker 1: They look like that arthropod that's been juicing. And what 594 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: we found is that they are capable of moving bones, 595 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: So they could have taken those other one hundred and 596 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:32,280 Speaker 1: ninety three bones in the human skeleton and moved it around. 597 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:37,360 Speaker 1: But at this point we have to pause and ask ourselves, 598 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: what is the most likely sequence of events here? Well, 599 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: remember the Amelia Earhart Lives guy class. It turns out 600 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:50,760 Speaker 1: there is a real Irene Bolum and she was super 601 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 1: not cool with being accused of being Amelia Earhart. She 602 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,680 Speaker 1: sued Klaus's publishers for one point five million dollars and said, 603 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: I'm not Amelia Earhart. I've got pictures from of myself 604 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: from the thirties that prove it. Stop bugging me and 605 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 1: pull this book from publication. 606 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 3: She holding up newspapers of the day. Come on, it's 607 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 3: the only thing that's going to take to convince me. 608 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 3: You gotta hold up a newspaper. 609 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: That's the only thing that checks out. 610 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:17,520 Speaker 3: Yea, so. 611 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,759 Speaker 1: We have another we have another series of developments here. 612 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: Doctor Aaron Kimberly, a researcher at the University of South Florida, 613 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: was recently asked to examine some of those bones that 614 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,880 Speaker 1: have been rediscovered at a museum on this island, Nico Morou, 615 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: to see if they might be Earhart's actual bones, because, 616 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,800 Speaker 1: as we said before, they have been examined in the past, 617 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:46,640 Speaker 1: but they mysteriously disappeared in Fiji, and now experts are 618 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:49,280 Speaker 1: thinking the bones have been found again at a museum 619 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:53,960 Speaker 1: and cultural center in Kiribati. The bones were stored in 620 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,000 Speaker 1: this large box where there are several sets of different 621 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,680 Speaker 1: remains that have all been stored together. One set was 622 00:35:59,680 --> 00:36:04,279 Speaker 1: female and matched Earhart's rough description. As we record now 623 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: just this year, just a little while ago, these bones 624 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:11,880 Speaker 1: were sent for DNA testing, and the plan is to 625 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: compare the DNA from the bones against the DNA of 626 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:20,439 Speaker 1: Earhart's one living niece. So while a mystery remains for now, 627 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: we're closer to a solid answer than we've ever been before. 628 00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:26,960 Speaker 3: Wait, so this is ongoing, This is like the tests 629 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 3: are in the mail. 630 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, Like October of twenty nineteen. 631 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,359 Speaker 3: That's pretty cool. When are we gonna hear We don't know. 632 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:38,840 Speaker 1: You know, it's weird because we get these close calls, 633 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:43,440 Speaker 1: these tantalizing brushes with answers in DNA cases all the time, Like. 634 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:48,359 Speaker 3: There was one involving the Zodiac Killer that was you know, 635 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:50,719 Speaker 3: the team we worked very closely with it does the 636 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,360 Speaker 3: Monster Zodiac series. We're really hoping it was going to 637 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 3: be a big scoop at the end of the of 638 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:56,399 Speaker 3: the series and it did not pan out. 639 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: If I'm not mistaken, yeah, absolutely, or we're still waiting, 640 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,879 Speaker 1: right and this is another waiting game. That's where we'll 641 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 1: leave it today. But we want to hear from you. 642 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:09,480 Speaker 1: This concludes our episode, but not our show. Let us 643 00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,279 Speaker 1: know what you think happened to Amelia Earhart. Do you 644 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 1: think that there's enough evidence to prove that either she 645 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: or Noonan or both of them survived for a time 646 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: after the plane crash. Do you think it's just a 647 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:26,360 Speaker 1: case where humanity likes a good story and a good mystery. 648 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: What do you think the DNA will find. 649 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 3: Were they secret lovers? 650 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: Were they secret lovers? Were they secret spies? 651 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:37,320 Speaker 3: Also a question, and. 652 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 1: That's our classic episode for this evening. We can't wait 653 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 1: to hear your thoughts. 654 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:44,000 Speaker 3: It's right let us know what you think. You can reach. 655 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 3: You to the handle Conspiracy Stuff where we exist on 656 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:50,840 Speaker 3: Facebook X and YouTube on Instagram and TikTok work Conspiracy 657 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:51,399 Speaker 3: Stuff Show. 658 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 2: If you want to call us dial one eight three 659 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:58,920 Speaker 2: three std WYTK that's our voicemail system. 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For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 671 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.