Slate Presents: One Year
The people and struggles that changed America—one year at a time. In each episode, host Josh Levin explores a story you may have forgotten, or one you’ve never heard of before. What were the moments that transformed politics, culture, science, religion, and more? And how does the nation’s past shape our present?
26
1986: Herschel vs. the Blubber Busters
How a cute story about a hungry sea lion became a fight over targeted animal killing.
46 min
27
1986: A Boycott in Mississippi
The civil rights battle that divided a small Southern town, and captivated the nation.
54 min
28
1986: The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults
How a live television special became a legendary American fiasco.
58 min
29
1986: The Ultimate Field Trip
They competed for a spot on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Then they watched it explode.
55 min
30
1986: No Crime Day
Would Isiah Thomas’ vision of a crime-free world set Detroit on a new path, or was it a recipe for failure?
50 min
31
1977 Rewind: Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights
The pop singer who launched an anti-gay movement, and the activists who fought back.
61 min
32
1995: Carolyn's Diary
The first true online diarist blurred the lines between private and public life—and paid a price for her radical transparency.
30 min
33
1995: Hey Macarena!
A musical phenomenon that wormed its way into our brains, and maybe never left.
54 min
34
1995: Ann Arbor's DNA Dragnet
A controversy over genetic testing ripped a college town apart, and put 160 innocent Black men under suspicion.
46 min
35
1995: Hitting the Spot
In 1995, an online soap opera revealed the internet’s potential as a venue for creative expression—and a tool for destruction.
56 min
36
1995: Dr. GIFT
At a fertility clinic in California, patients entrusted their dreams—and their genetic material—to a doctor who followed no code of ethics but his own.
52 min
37
1995: Fake Oxford
A group of American teenagers went looking for old-world excellence. They got a different kind of education.
50 min
38
1995: The Man Who Didn't Bomb Oklahoma City
How a Muslim American got blamed for one of the most horrific crimes in American history.
56 min
39
One Year: 1995 Trailer
1 min
40
Slow Burn S6 Ep. 1: The Tape
In 1991, a 68-second video set off a chain of events that would change Los Angeles forever.
38 min
41
1977: Jesus on a Tortilla
How a burn mark in the shape of Christ changed a family.
50 min
42
1977: Roots: The Saga of Alex Haley
The author who changed America—and ignited a controversy about fact and fiction.
51 min
43
1977: Elvis, the Pledge, and Extraterrestrials
Three stories from a single day in August 1977.
54 min
44
1977: The Miracle Cure
Medical experts said the cancer drug Laetrile was dangerous quackery. It became a national sensation anyway.
56 min
45
1977: Mary Shane's Rookie Season
The little-known story of the first woman hired as a legitimate major-league baseball announcer.
48 min
46
1977: Mr. Marijuana and the Drug Czar
Keith Stroup and Peter Bourne were on the verge of changing America’s pot laws—and then a blowout Christmas party in 1977 changed everything.
48 min
47
1977: Anita Bryant's War on Gay Rights
The pop singer who launched an anti-gay movement, and the activists who fought back.
60 min
48
Introducing: One Year
A new history podcast from Slate, coming July 8th.
1 min
49
Slow Burn S4 Ep. 1: White Knight
45 min
50
Slate Presents: Lockdown
Living through the era of school shootings, one drill at a time.
24 min