End of Story

Ghenghis Khan: The Dark Rise of The Mongol Empire

Travel back to the brutal world of the Mongol steppe and uncover the true story of Genghis Khan — from his childhood as Temüjin to his rise as the leader of the largest contiguous land empire in history. This episode explores the real history behind the Mongol Empire, including tribal warfare, betrayal, survival, psychological warfare, and the terrifying military strategies that made the Mongols one of the most feared forces the world had ever seen. Discover how a starving boy abandoned on the Mongolian steppe became the conqueror who destroyed empires, united the Mongols, and changed world history forever. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of war, violence, murder, sexual violence, human suffering, and historical accounts of mass death connected to the Mongol conquests. Some descriptions may be disturbing to listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Sources: * Genghis Khan: The Secret History of the Mongols Docuseries from National Geographic * Book: The Mongols by Timothy May * https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971221000205 * https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-18/genghis-khan-dies * https://historynet.com/genghis-khans-secrets-success/

By Any Means Necessary: China's One Child Policy

This episode explores China’s One-Child Policy, one of the most controversial population control policies in modern history. We examine how it was enforced, the methods used by authorities, and the profound human cost experienced by families across the country. Content Warning: This episode discusses the enforcement of China’s One-Child Policy, including forced abortions, sterilization, and the death of infants. Listener discretion is advised. Sources One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment by Mei Fong Documentary: One Child Nation Websites: * https://www.britannica.com/topic/one-child-policy/Consequences-of-Chinas-one-child-policy * https://www.npr.org/2021/06/21/1008656293/the-legacy-of-the-lasting-effects-of-chinas-1-child-policy#:~:text=%22The%20doctors%20would%20inject%20poison,remembers%20Lu%20Bilun%2C%20a%20resident. * https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17181951 * https://chrissmith.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2012-07-09_continued_human_rights_attacks_on_families_in_china.pdf * Chang, Gordon G.“SHRINKING CHINA: A Demographic Crisis.” World Affairs 178, no. 1, (2015): 35–41. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4355528 * Feng, Wang, BaochangGu, and Yong Cai. “The End of China’s One-Child Policy.” Studies in    Family Planning 47, no. 1 (2016): 83–86. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24720399 * Hsia,Tao-Tai, Author, Constance A Johnson, and Issuing Body Library Of Congress. FarEastern Law Division. Populationcontrol in the People's Republic of China. [Washington, D.C.: Far Eastern Law Division, Law Library,Library of Congress, 1985] Pdf.            https://www.loc.gov/item/2019668313/ * Wang,Zhihe, Ming Yang, Jiaming Zhang, and Jiang Chang. “Ending an Era of Population Control in China: Was the One-Child Policy Ever Needed?” The American Journal of   Economics and Sociology 75, no. 4 (2016): 929–79. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45129326 * Yuesheng, Sun, and Zhangling, Wei. “TheOne-Child Policy in China Today.” Journal of         Comparative Family Studies 18, no. 2 (1987):309–25.             http://www.jstor.org/stable/41601462

Balto, Togo, and the Race Against Diphtheria: The 1925 Serum Run

In January 1925, the remote town of Nome, Alaska faced a deadly outbreak of diphtheria—threatening to wipe out an entire community cut off by winter. With no way in or out, a desperate plan was launched: a 674-mile relay across frozen wilderness to deliver life-saving serum. This is the true story of the 1925 Serum Run to Nome—a race against time through brutal blizzards, subzero temperatures, and near-impossible conditions. Led by legendary sled dogs like Balto and Togo, and the mushers who risked everything, this mission became one of the greatest rescue efforts in history. But the story you think you know isn’t the whole truth. Who really saved Nome? Why did one dog become a global hero while another was nearly forgotten? And what happened on the most dangerous stretch of the journey across the ice? If you’re interested in history, survival stories, Arctic exploration, or untold true events, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of death from diphtheria, as well as accounts of humans and animals enduring extreme and life-threatening conditions. Sources: Book The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury Websites https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diphtheria https://www.alaskamushingschool.com/learn/1925-serum-run-to-nome/

The Hanging of Louisa Collins Part 2: A Case Built on Doubt

We continue to examine the case of Louisa Collins, the last woman executed in New South Wales, by carefully weighing the evidence both for and against her guilt. Rather than settling on a single interpretation, we break down the medical findings, witness testimony, and circumstantial evidence to ask a difficult question: how strong was the case against Louisa really? We also explore the alternative theories that emerged during and after the trials—from accidental illness and self-poisoning to uncertainty around arsenic detection in 19th-century medicine. As the evidence is re-examined, the case becomes far less clear-cut than it first appears. But this story is not only about one woman’s fate. Louisa Collins’ case became a turning point in public debate and is often seen as part of a wider shift in attitudes toward justice, gender, and the role of women in society. In many ways, it was not just the end of a trial—it marked the beginning of a growing women’s movement and a new wave of public questioning about how women were judged within the legal system. Source: Last Woman Hanged: The Terrible, True Story of Louisa Collins by Caroline Overington

The Hanging of Louisa Collins | A Historical True Crime Debate | Part 1

Was she a devoted wife… or something far more dangerous? In Part 1 of this true crime story, we explore the life of Louisa Collins—a woman at the center of a mystery from the late 1800s that still sparks debate today. Through two marriages, a pattern begins to emerge. Illness. Caregiving. And a quiet certainty that death was coming. At first, no one questions it. But as whispers grow louder, so do the doubts. And just when you think you understand what happened… this case takes a turn—one that would take four separate trials to reach a verdict. What really happened inside Louisa’s home? And did they get it right? Warning: This episode covers historical crimes, including poisoning, death, and execution. Sources: * Book: Last Woman Hanged: The Terrible True Story of Louisa Collins by Caroline Overington * Newspaper Article from the Execution: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115380911 [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115380911]