That’s Terrible!

July 24, 1915 should have been a wonderful day for the employees of Western Electric Company's Hawthorne Works and their families. The company had chartered five passenger steamers to carry around 7,000 people from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana for a picnic. But one of those ships, the Eastland, capsized before it even left the docks on the Chicago River. In this episode, Ted and Barb Wachholz from the Eastland Disaster Historical Society join Erika and Amelia to tell the story of the disaster and its survivors.   Stories from the episode: Marion Eichholz  Borghild "Bobbie" Aanstad  Clara Schuster    Read more about the Eastland Disaster:   Scritch Scratch  Capsized! The Forgotten Story of the SS Eastland Disaster Sylvia's Story: The Chicago River Tragedy of the SS Eastland   If you want to replicate Ted Wachholz's "Ultimate Whitey's Experience" (which we officially do NOT recommend...but let us know if you do it), you can visit Whitey's Ice Cream in the Quad Cities.   If you want to play it a little safer, visit Maddy's Ice Cream and More in Gardner, Massachusetts and enjoy a sweet treat this summer!

This week, Erika and Amelia are joined by Dimitry Pompée, one of the hosts of the Eurovangelists podcast, to discuss something that is NOT terrible but is affected by terrible things: The Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision is a contest that brings together the nations of Europe (plus a few others) with one great song from each country, each year. It began as a way to unite Europe in the aftermath of World War II, but many events have affected the contest in big ways, some of those being quite terrible indeed. There might have been a few terrible songs along the way too, but that's bound to happen over 70 years. If you'd like to hear some songs from Eurovision, our friends at Eurovangelists helped us make a playlist for this episode. You can find it on Spotify as That's Terrible's NOT Terrible Eurovision Playlist. So give that wolf a banana, and enjoy the music! If you'd like to tell us what you think of this or any episode, you can send us an email at [email protected]. 

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens experienced the most devastating volcanic eruption the United States had ever seen. Now, on the anniversary, Erika and Amelia are talking with a park ranger who spends every day at the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center in Washington telling people about everything the mountain has to offer. Alysa Adams talks about life before, during and after the eruption, and what it's like to grow up in the shadow of a volcano. One quick correction though, because nobody's perfect: Harmony Falls was 100 feet tall, not 1,000.    Books: Gopher to the Rescue! A volcano recovery story. I Survived the Eruption of Mount Saint Helens VOLCANO: The Eruption and Healing of Mount Saint Helens   Check out these educational videos (with dancing!) Motion of the Mountain - Part 1 Motion of the Mountain - Part 2 Motion of the Mountain - Part 3   Additional educational videos: Earthquake Shake! Have a blast at our Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center! Ashcam Webcam: USGS Volcano Hazards Program Mount St Helens Visitor Center | Washington State Parks Mount St. Helens Institute | Mount St. Helens Institute GeoGirls - Mount St. Helens Science Camp | Mount St. Helens Institute   Resources for adults: Search | U.S. Geological Survey Mount St. Helens

The Great Chicago Fire occurred over three days in October 1871 and destroyed more than three square miles of the city. It began in a barn belonging to Catherine and Patrick O'Leary, but what sparked the fire and who was responsible remains a mystery to this day. The most popular theory is that a cow kicked a lantern over (probably because there's actually a song about it) but the real culprit could be as human as you and me. In this episode, Erika and Amelia talk to Ann Keating, a history professor in Naperville, Illinois about the fire and how it changed Chicago.   If you want to learn more about the fire, check out these books: The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O'Leary's Cow by Richard Bales I Survived the Great Chicago Fire by Lauren Tarshis. There's also a graphic novel version.    We learned after recording this episode that Aly's Monkey Movement has ended their operations, but there's a new group taking up its cause. The Brookie Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children with neurodivergence and medical needs. Their core work is to provide resources and items for these children, but through their initiative called Brookie's Bears, they're able to provide stuffed animals that bring comfort to those who need it most. 

Welcome to Centralia, Pennsylvania, a town with just a few residents and a wild history. Long ago, it was a bustling coal mining town, but everything changed in 1962 when a fire broke out underground. That fire still burns today and will probably continue for 250 years.  Erika and Amelia are joined this week by David DeKok, author of Fire Underground: The Ongoing Tragedy of the Centralia Mine Fire. He shares his theory about how the fire started and what it's like to visit Centralia today. Find more kid-friendly Centralia history here.  And don't forget to check out the Fish Doorbell and assist the lock keeper of Utrecht in The Netherlands in helping the fish move through the lock.

Get ready for an adventure into one of history’s greatest mysteries! In this episode, hosts Amelia and Erika take to the skies to explore the incredible life—and puzzling disappearance—of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart. Who was she? What made her such a fearless trailblazer? And what might have happened on her final flight? Joining the show is special guest Sterling Falk from the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas, who shares fascinating facts, behind-the-scenes stories, and kid-friendly insights about Earhart’s legacy.  Packed with curiosity, history, and a dash of mystery, this episode invites young listeners to think like explorers, ask big questions, and imagine what it takes to chase your dreams—even when the journey gets tough. Special thanks this week to the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum. Also worth visiting in Atchison: the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum, where Amelia herself once lived and the Atchison Area Visitor and Information Center, where we learned the town's rich history outside of aviation. If you want to read more about Amelia Earhart, here are some books we think you'll enjoy: The Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride by Pam Muñoz Ryan Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History (young readers edition) by Heith O'Brien Who Was Amelia Earhart? by Kate Boehm Jerome 20 Hours, 40 Minutes, Our Flight in the Friendship by Amelia Earhart