Flashback: History's Unintended Consequences

When a newspaper mistakenly proclaimed Alfred Nobel dead in 1888, the inventor of dynamite set out to reinvent his legacy.

Flashback listeners send us examples of the unexpected results of some historical events -- from two World Wars to an unfortunate landscaping trend. 

Why the story of human flight begins on a frozen pond in Dayton, Ohio…and why there was only one Wright Brother with the Right Stuff.

The birth of Hollywood owes a surprising amount to the untimely demise of a single Frenchman.

A tale of rugged frontier individualism gone corporate, and how the Ingalls’ family farm led to the Koch brothers’ political machine.

The discovery of one of the most hazardous elements on earth helped spark the greatest underdog story in the history of human labor relations.

Gypsy moths and the invasive vine kudzu were supposed to be solutions. Instead they’re problems that seem to grow … and grow.

The backlash to a 19th century chastity law ended up sparking a far more controversial new freedom for women.

Did one dictator’s chronic flatulence wind up causing needless suffering for millions?

Michael Jordan’s famous sabbatical from professional basketball might have lasted much longer had Major League Baseball not experienced the worst strike in its history.

Cooler homes transformed Americans’ lives — and eventually their government as well.

Check out this episode's "Lecture Notes" at https://www.ozy.com/flashback/

The YMCA provided American soldiers with billions of cigarettes during World War I — and smugglers and terrorists with billions of new incentives to evade the law.

Hate speech is also something that can be mass-produced, and with disastrous consequences.

Our first season connects the dots on 10 incredible tales of unintended consequences that changed history, from Henry Ford’s role in the Oklahoma City bombing to the home appliance that changed the landscape of American politics.