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Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast

Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast

By: Brad Choma
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About this listen

 Doomsday is a history lesson that easily disguises itself as a horror story. We explore the most traumatic, bizarre and most awe-inspiring but largely unheard-of disasters from throughout human history and around the world including the science behind every disturbing detail. If you like shipwrecks, decapitations, things that melt, living blankets of insects and people screaming for their lives, Doomsday is the podcast for you.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.@ 2023 Doomsday Podcast Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The Great Wanggongchang Armory Disaster of 1626 | Episode 97

    The Great Wanggongchang Armory Disaster of 1626 | Episode 97
    Nov 12 2025
    To begin today’s tale, allow me to share a translation of an ancient Chinese joke: Three men were looking at the clouds. One points to a cloud and says, that cloud is shaped like a horse. Another points to a cloud and says, that one is shaped like a whale. The third man points to a mushroom-shaped cloud, and everyone dies. On today’s episode: you’ll find out just how badly ancient China wanted nothing to do with you; you’ll learn about an explosion so large, people miles away had to clear limbs and genitals from their rooves; and you would hear about how at the time, ancient disasters were believed to be Heaven’s way of saying your Government sucked.And if you were listening on Patreon… you would hear about how people were killed in the early development of explosives, including those for whom there wasn’t enough left to put a thermometer in; you would hear about the time San Francisco tried to use dynamite to fight fires, and how that didn’t go as well as you’d think; and you would hear as I climb upon my pulpit and deliver unto you a sermon on blasphemy and the special place in hell reserved for insurance adjusters.As one supporter who already heard this on Patreon said – "everybody Wanggongchang tonight!"Jesus himself will make a quick cameo in this story, and he will explain how all sins are forgivable – except for the blasphemous use of his Dad’s name by insurance adjusters, and how there’s a toasty level of hell that awaits them all. Apologies in advance if you work in insurance, but it’s better to find out now. The last time we visited China, we watched a sideways rocket launch that performed an incomplete orbit over the countryside before landing nose first onto its own launch centre 22 seconds later. Those were the good old days compared to today’s story, which is much older, and much more aggressive. It won’t be as gory of course, but the body count will be much more egregious. In trying to figure out this story’s rightful place in history, I had to start comparing it to meteors and super volcanoes and atomic bombs. Not to spoil anything, but this is one of the more profound disasters we’ve ever covered, and the cause was I believe, something so innocuous and dumb, I’ve done it to my cat by accident before. PULLET YOUR WALLET AWAY AND SUPPORT THE SHOW FOR FREE IN 30 SECONDSIt's been almost six years now and the show is getting close to a million listens a year. I'd like to pay more attention to growing it. All exposure is good exposure, and if DiscoverPod can deliver a little, I'm all for it. Doomsday's been nominated for a 2025 DiscoverPod award and I only just realized it's a few days away, so if you're able and willing, I'd appreciate you filling out a quick supporting nomination on their site for me. It’s discoverpods.com/2025-podcast-awards The full name is "Doomsday: History's Most Dangerous Podcast" under History and if it asks the website, you can just say funeralkazoo.com. If you like what you hear today and you have the means to magic erase a few bucks from your bank account each month, why not consider becoming a supporter of the show atPatreon.com/FuneralKazooAD-FREE EPISODES, LONGER EPISODES, EXTRA CONTENT, all that good stuff (I’m truly sorry about those ads, I don’t get to control them or their placement). Donations from people like you are the only reason I’ve been able to do this show as often as I have over the last almost six years, and I appreciate themFailing that, you could always make a one-time donation at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsdayAll older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channelsApple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for moreFacebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastSafety google off. We'll talk soon. And thanks for listening. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.
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    53 mins
  • The Air Africa Congo Halloween Crashtacular of 1996 | Episode 96

    The Air Africa Congo Halloween Crashtacular of 1996 | Episode 96
    Oct 29 2025
    Take the most frightening death you can imagine, now double it. Then double it again. And then add fire. This is our Halloween episode, and by the time we’re done, your favourite horror movie will have all the impact of a baby food commercial. I’m not saying you’ll never sleep again, but I’m not not saying it. I am apologizing in advance, and I remind you that a Doomsday barf bag is only an email away. Back when we did the Sknyliv Airshow Disaster episode, I had grave concerns about her aggressively violent and gory it was because. If you’ll remember, during the air show, a Ukrainian fighter jet the size of a medium sized store impacted the ground, skidding through a run of barbed wire, which then hooked on the fuselage and was dragged and raked across a crowd. In retrospect, that was quaint compared to the totality of horror visited upon the people of today’s story. I remind you, the point of this show is not simply to disgust and horrify people. It’s to educate and make them safer. It just happens that the best way to do so is to occasionally horrify, and this episode covers that in spades. This was one of the first stories I wrote, but I shelved it because I thought it would drive people away with how gratuitously awful it was. Well, we’re all here toady and filtering it through the lens of a Halloween episode, you’ll finally hear it today.All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channels:Apple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for more:Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastIf you like the idea of your podcast hosts wearing more than duct tape and bits of old Halloween costumes for clothes and can spare a buck or two, you can now buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday or join the patreon at www.funeralkazoo.com/doomsdayBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.
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    54 mins
  • The Cave Creek Platform Disaster of 1995 | Episode 95

    The Cave Creek Platform Disaster of 1995 | Episode 95
    Oct 8 2025
    The most unusual thing about today’s story is that almost everyone is going to bruise their lungs. For your sake, I hope it’s from laughing. Not everyone will be so lucky.On today’s episode: you’ll hear about the one part of your body I want you to consider more worthy of fiddling with than your genitals; if you’re a stickler for building codes, we’re going to take you on a beautiful, potentially one-way hike to see some shoddy-ass worksmanship; and we’ll see what makes helicopter rescues as frightening as whatever you did to earn one in the first place. And if you were listening on Patreon… I would use tales of sharks and octopuses and meth and sex toys to try and make today’s location more appealing; you would meet the surviving inductees to the No-Parachute Hall of Fame; and you would find out how the greatest construction disaster in US history inspired my idea for an OSHA Violation Ouija Board Game.In this episode, so you know, I was going to start by saying we have a story you’re going to fall head over heels for, but that felt like the most unintentionally disrespectful thing I’ve ever said. I’m also going to teach you the reassuring paleontological roots of why you laugh at this show. It is my unique pleasure to be able to take us all back to Oceana on today’s episode. I make a point about how little attention is paid to this part of the world outside of South East Asia. Actually, I make a few points about it, as I’ve done in the past as well. This is, sadly, one of those episodes were young people will die terribly, and frighteningly, but it’s also one of those stories that offers two things. First, a silver lining and legacy of change and safety, sure – but second, a chance to really get your torches and knives out for a government that dropped a ball and then walked behind it kicking it the whole way. I know a lot of listeners get a kind of malicious satisfaction or bureaucraschadenfreude when people in positions of responsibility for our stories get their heads removed. You’ll just have to wait and see. And because we’re now into October and the Halloween Season, I will be creating a masterpiece of horror and gore for our next episode. This is one I originally started writing all the way back in 2016 (yes, it took four years to get this show rolling). I shelved it though. Too violent. Too many limbs. Well, five years in, you’ve all proven how hard it is to scare you off, so from the annals of history comes our most frightening episode ever. Maybe. It’s relative I suppose. All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channelsLApple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for more:Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastIf you like the idea of your podcast hosts wearing more than duct tape and bits of old Halloween costumes for clothes and can spare a buck or two, you can now buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday or join the patreon at www.funeralkazoo.com/doomsdayBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.
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    45 mins
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