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EPISODE · May 5, 2026 · 12 MIN

1988: The World Before the Great Collapse

from What Happened In... · host Podlatino

In 1988, the world seemed to be preparing for a much larger transformation. This episode explores Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms, the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Seoul Olympic Games, and Ben Johnson’s doping scandal. It also covers the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, the ceasefire between Iran and Iraq, the downing of Iran Air Flight 655, the Armenia earthquake, Chile’s plebiscite, Benazir Bhutto’s rise in Pakistan, the creation of the IPCC, and the Morris worm. A year full of signals before the historic turning point of 1989.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 5, 2026

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1988: The World Before the Great Collapse

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