EPISODE · Aug 22, 2026 · 12 MIN
What was the Great Molasses Flood?
from History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast · host SCL
Imagine looking down your street and seeing a massive, 40-foot-tall wave crashing toward you... but instead of water, it's made of brown, sticky, super-sweet syrup! In this unbelievably sticky episode of History's Not Boring, Mira and Finn travel back to Boston in 1919 to uncover the wild true story of the Great Molasses Flood! How did 2.3 million gallons of thick molasses end up flooding a city street? You'll find out why a giant, leaky metal tank was secretly painted brown to hide a huge problem, and what happened when it finally burst open! Picture a 160-foot-wide tidal wave of syrup racing through the neighborhood at a shocking 35 miles per hour—faster than you can run! Learn about the incredible heroes who jumped into the freezing, gooey mess to save people, including a brave railway worker who stopped a passenger train just in time. Plus, discover the bizarre secret to cleaning up a city covered in sticky syrup (hint: you can't just use a mop!). Grab your time travel goggles and get ready to learn about the strangest, stickiest disaster in American history!
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Imagine looking down your street and seeing a massive, 40-foot-tall wave crashing toward you... but instead of water, it's made of brown, sticky, super-sweet syrup! In this unbelievably sticky episode of History's Not Boring, Mira and Finn travel back to Boston in 1919 to uncover the wild true story of the Great Molasses Flood! How did 2.3 million gallons of thick molasses end up flooding a city street? You'll find out why a giant, leaky metal tank was secretly painted brown to hide a huge p...
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What was the Great Molasses Flood?
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