On a foggy day in 1945, the busy streets of New York City were interrupted by a sound that shouldn't have been there - a plane, flying between the skyscrapers, and set on a collision course with the tallest building in the world. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support the show

Every year brings its share of tragic events. A few are somewhat predictable - we will always expect a number of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones, for example - while others are more unusual. Some grab headlines and make history, and others are quickly forgotten. These are the events which shaped 2023. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support...

How much tragedy can a single year bring? From the Hunga Tonga volcano to the Buffalo snow storm, let's take a look at the disasters which shaped the year 2022. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support the show

The story of 33 men trapped deep within a Chilean mine gripped not only their nation, but the whole world. This episode of Great Disasters draws on contemporary reporting and the survivors' accounts to tell a fascinating story of  hope and survival against the odds. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support the show

In this episode of Great Disasters, I'll be looking at the shipwreck of a migrant boat off the coast of Lampedusa in 2013. The beautiful Italian island of Lampedusa is accustomed to the arrival of migrant boats, and the frequent need to rescue their occupants, since it's the closest European land to the coast of Libya. However, this incident was on an unprecedented scale. Drawing on contemporary reporting and the accounts of witnesses and survivors, I'll tell the full story of what went...

A look back over the disasters and tragedies which shaped 2021, from COVID-19 to the Surfside Condo Collapse, the La Palma Volcano, and more. (Apologies if my narration isn't as precise as usual - I am in the middle of some significant dental work.) Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let me know what you think of the show. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/greatdisasters)

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode gives an overview of the events of 9/11.  Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 175, and events at the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at aspects of events in New York, not covered in the previous episodes. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks specifically at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11, and events at the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 77 and events at The Pentagon in Washington DC. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out...

It was one of the most shocking events of modern times; an attack on an a scale previously unimaginable, and a day that should never be forgotten. Using contemporary accounts, the stories of witnesses and survivors, and the words of the victims, I'll tell the story of 9/11. This is a series in six parts. This episode looks at the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, and the brave actions of the passengers and crew on board. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and...

The submarine sank in relatively sheltered waters, just fourteen miles from shore. Although her front end was on the sea bed, her rear end was lifted several feet out of the water. Surely rescue for the 103 men on board would be quite simple?  Drawing from contemporary accounts and modern research, I'll tell the harrowing story of the HMS Thetis. Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more. Check out the Great Disasters Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - let...

Why did a plane drop from the sky over Africa - and how could it have prevented further tragedy?

It started as a lovely, mild winter's day - but it quickly turned deadly.

It burned around 1.5 million acres, killed over a thousand people, and ranks as the deadliest wildfire in history - yet it is largely forgotten.

It was the age of airships - gigantic silver balloons which floated almost silently across the sky - but Britain's dreams of an Imperial airship fleet were about to be tragically dashed.

An evening of music and dancing turned into a gruesome scene of tragedy.

It was America's worst single incident of racial violence, yet for decades many had never even heard of it.

A crowded ferry sets sail from Zeebrugge, unaware that they are on course for tragedy.

An old yellow school bus full of kids met a pickup truck going the wrong way, with inevitably tragic results.

A wave of black, sticky molasses engulfs a Boston neighbourhood in one of history's more unusual disasters.

It should have been an ordinary Wednesday morning commute, with the biggest worry being whether there would be any seats free on the train. Instead, it was described as being akin to the battlefields of the war just seven years past. Drawing from contemporary reports and eyewitness accounts, I'll tell the story of the Harrow & Wealdstone rail crash - Britain's deadliest peacetime train disaster.Visit www.greatdisasters.co.uk for the full transcript and more.Check out the Great Disasters...

It was New York's deadliest disaster for almost a hundred years - a church group outing which ended in fire and death.