Episode 2: Ohio v. the Universe: Are we alone? We analyze the Wow! Signal, what many consider the first legitimate contact with an extraterrestrial source, which happened in Ohio in August 1977. Alex goes all in on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the history, the science and the most fascinating moment in SETI at the Ohio State…

Alex details the rise of anti-semitic and fascist groups during the Depression in America. These groups hatred of Jews, FDR and core American values spreads across the country and its roots begin in Ohio and the entire Midwest. The Radio Priest, Father Charles Coughlin, becomes the most popular media figure in US history. His demagoguery propels th…

Part Two: Ohio v. Fascism. The cautionary tale of the rise and fall of American Fascism in the 1930s is explored in detail in Part Two of our Season 8 premiere. Nazi Germany and her allies in the US are defeated as World War II begins in Europe but not without a fight. The propaganda effort finds an effective home on Capitol Hill with George Sylves…

We're back! Season 8 of Ohio v. the World drops on March 5, 2024. Thanks for being patient through our 2023 hiatus but Season 8 is in production and on its way to your ears. Go back and listen to all of our 99 episodes on the Evergreen Podcast Network https://evergreenpodcasts.com/ohio-v-the-world Email us at ohiovtheworld@gmail.com with show ideas…

FyreFest, Altamont, Woodstock '99, Astroworld are some of the biggest festival disasters in American history, today we'll look at some of the most flawed festivals in Ohio history in our Season 7 Finale. We start with BalloonFest '86 a fatally flawed world record setting balloon release festival in Downtown Cleveland. We relive the ecological disas…

In the penultimate episode of Season 7, Alex travels back to the Gilded Age to uncover the forgotten story of the greatest con woman of the era, Cleveland's Cassie Chadwick. In the second part of a two-part con artist series, Alex tells the story of how Cassie defrauded some $60 million from banks using her alleged connection to America's richest m…

Alex tells the story of John Spano, the con man who managed to buy a National Hockey League team despite having almost no money. Spano's ill-fated purchase of the New York Islanders in 1997 is examined with the journalist who lead the investigation that exposed one of the biggest scams in American sports history. Alex is joined by John Valenti of N…

Alex finally gets around to telling the story of the most famous Ohioan, Thomas Alva Edison. We sit down with the leading Edison scholars to discuss his amazing life of invention and innovation. And to spice it up we tell the story of "the Wizard of Menlo Park" in reverse, from death to birth. Alex details his most important inventions from electri…

Mary Church Terrell was born in 1863 the year of the Emancipation Proclamation and died months after the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954. Over four generations, she was involved in fighting for African American rights on the front lines. A truly remarkable life. Her story is too little told but there's so muc…

We're back from summer break for the 2nd half of Season 7! We're locked and loaded over the skies of Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for the biggest and most consequential battle in US Naval history: the Battle of Midway. Fought by air and sea on June 4, 1942, the United States defeated Imperial Japan and turned the tide of World W…

Alex dives into the biggest medical experiment of the 20th Century: the development of the polio vaccines and the story of rivalry between its creators, Drs. Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk. A disease that was terrorizing parents all over the United States, the polio virus changed American medical history. We sit down with four amazing medical experts …

An episode we've been waiting to do for a long while, Alex examines the consequential life of Cincinnati's own, Salmon P. Chase. Chase, the namesake for Chase Bank, served as a Senator and Governor from Ohio, the Secretary of the Treasury during the Lincoln Administration and the 6th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. We sit down wit…

Friend of the show, Vince Tornero, joins the show to preview the 2nd Season of his Evergreen Podcast Network show PROHFILES: "The Wrath of the Buzzard." Season two (6 episodes) will be titled “THE WRATH OF THE BUZZARD” and will document the meteoric rise and fall of 100.7 WMMS - the iconic Cleveland FM rock station that proved to be one of the most…

When the Beatles arrived on US soil in February 1964 the music world and social norms in this country changed forever. And nowhere did Beatlemania have more of an effect than on the Baby Boomers in the Buckeye State. By analyzing their touring years in the States (1964-66) and their four Ohio live shows we see just how crazy it was to be in the Fab…

In 1989, the United States went to war with Panama and their military dictator, Manuel Noriega in what is called Operation Just Cause. In "Ohio v. Panama" Alex explores the complex history between the US and the isthmus of Panama since the the country's birth in 1903. This Memorial Day we will honor the legacy of PFC James Markwell (1968-1989), the…

In the Season 7 premiere episode, Alex tells the story of George Koval, the Manhattan Project spy that got away. We’re joined by author Ann Hagedorn to discuss her excellent book, Sleeper Agent (Simon & Schuster, 2021) about Koval’s journey from normal Midwestern kid to celebrated Russian spy that brought the atom bomb to the Soviet Union. Click th…

It's the Season 6 Finale and we saved our best for last. Powered by interviews from a proposed documentary we give an oral history of the infamous Ten Cent Beer Night in Cleveland, Ohio on June 4, 1974. We hear from the people who were there that muggy night on Lake Erie when a baseball game became a beer-fueled riot. Special thanks to our friends …

In the penultimate episode of Season 6 Alex dives into the history of America's First War on Terror against a new white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan in the 1870s. We study the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) following the Civil War and the ultimate failure to reconcile the country and the races. Charles Lane, author and Washington Post column…

In the wake of the chaotic end to the War in Afghanistan, Alex & Co. revisit America's first Asian counterinsurgency war, the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). America's quest for empire is met with stiff resistance on the Philippine Islands as well as on the homefront. We follow the bloody conflict and political upheaval through the decisions a…

Alex travels to the Sunshine State to discover the story of Henry Flagler, the Cleveland native, known as "the Father of Modern Florida." We analyze Flagler's career at Standard Oil and his close relationship with John D. Rockefeller during their years building the oil giant in Cleveland, Ohio. We follow Flagler's second act as a railroad tycoon an…

In Part 2 of a 2-part episode, Alex concludes the fascinating saga of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his central role in the Cuban Revolution and its aftermath changed world history. If you haven't listened to Part One from last week go back and do that, we'll wait...ok, good, you're caught up. We are join…

In Part 1 of a 2-part episode, Alex reveals the fascinating story of the American Comandante, William Alexander Morgan of Toledo, Ohio and how his unlikely service in the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s changed world history. We look at the story of the Cuban Revolution of Fidel Castro on the whole and the improbable victory of the Cuban rebels over …

The Japanese American incarceration during World War II is a policy decision that will live in infamy. Alex analyzes why did FDR and the American government forcible remove 120,000 Japanese Americans to 10 camps across the American West? We speak with three experts about this complicated and fateful decision that remains a stain on US history. We s…

Alex tells the story of the most famous lawyer in American history, Clarence Darrow. We welcome an all-star cast of guests to discuss the sterling career of "the Attorney for the Damned." We go through Darrow's life and legal career and how the issues he tackled 100 years ago are still problems in modern America. Alex looks at Darrow's three most f…

Alex speaks with four experts on the black Civil War experience from emancipation to the post-war years. We're celebrating Juneteenth with a comprehensive look at the history of the battles, the struggles and the ultimate triumph of the United States Colored Troops (USCT), as they were known during the Civil War. From the battle of Fort Wagner to t…

Treason has been a popular topic in 2021 and Alex looks at two of the most infamous treason trials in American History w/Ohio connections: the Aaron Burr Conspiracy and the trial of Axis Sally. We sit down with one of our favorite historians, David O. Stewart, to discuss the long forgotten Burr Conspiracy of 1806-07. David sharers insight into Burr…

Lions, tigers and bears...oh my! Alex travels to Eastern Ohio and the city of Zanesville to tell the story of one of the craziest and most dangerous events in Ohio history: the Zanesville Zoo Escape. When Terry Thompson released 50 of the world's most exotic and deadly animals on his hometown and then took his own life in October 2011. Alex relives…

In Episode 2 of Season 6, Alex analyzes the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism's effect on the country and Ohio during the 2nd Red Scare of the 1950s. We study how America's love affair with bullies and how a paranoid nation briefly lost its way during the early years of the Cold War. We're joined by best selling author Larry …

We're back! In the Season 6 premiere episode Alex looks at the extraordinary life of Akron, Ohio native NASA astronaut, Judy Resnik. We analyze the causes behind her tragic death in the Challenger Disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. On this 35th anniversary we take a fresh look at Judy's career and NASA's role in the loss of Challenger. Our guests include H…

Bonus Episode: Ohio v the Presidency. Alex sits down with Vince Tornero the host of “This is Wessler Media” on 610am WTVN in Columbus, Ohio. Alex discusses Ohio’s 8 presidents and how their terms in office show that history really does repeat itself. This interview aired back on October 31, 2020 and serves as a great recap for Season 5 on Ohio and …

Episode 13: “William Howard Taft v. the World”. The Season 5 finale is here and we end our season on Ohio and the Presidency in a big way. Alex travels to Cincinnati, Ohio to bring you the story of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States. The only person to be the Chief Executive and the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. W…

Episode 12: Ohio v. First Ladies. Alex travels to Canton to the National First Ladies and Historic Site to speak with President and CEO Jennifer Highfield about Ohio’s 1st Ladies. We look at all 8 spouses of Ohio’s presidents and the evolution of the role of the First Lady. Visit the museum and library at www.firstladies.org in downtown Canton. Jen…

Episode 11: Ohio v Debates. It’s presidential debate season! As Trump and Biden prepare to square off this week in Cleveland at the 1st presidential debate of 2020, Alex looks back at the top 5 debates in presidential (and VP) debate history. We also look at the two previous debates that have taken place in the Buckeye State prior to Trump-Biden, P…

Episode 10: Benjamin Harrison v. the World. Alex goes to 4 different areas of the country to tell the story of one of America’s most forgotten Presidents, Benjamin Harrison. Our 23rd President was raised and educated in Ohio before moving to Indianapolis in his 20s and is claimed by both states. We discover that Harrison was a strong advocate for A…

Episode 9: “Warren G. Harding v. the World”. Alex gives the 29th President, Warren G. Harding, a thorough reevalutation 100 years after his election. You might be surprised with what he found. Harding, from Marion, OH, is always ranked near the bottom of the presidential rankings. After our research, we have to ask why? There’s scandals but there’s…

Episode 8: “Ohio v. Conventions”. Alex visits the convention hall floor and the smoke-filled rooms of America’s past political conventions in Ohio. Political conventions are going to look very different in 2020 but usually they’re the Super Bowl for political junkies. We breakdown all six major party political conventions that have taken place in O…

Episode 7: Ohio v. the Contenders. Alex catches “presidential fever” with 4 Ohioans who attempted to capture the highest office in the land. We sit down with the co-creators of “1865”, Steven Walters and Erik Archilla, to discuss the presidency and impeachment of Andrew Johnson. We discuss their 1865 Podcast, the impeachment of Andrew Johnson and t…

Episode 6: Rutherford B. Hayes v. the World. Alex and his guests take a deep dive on Central Ohio’s only President and the most controversial election in US history. It’s time to talk some Rutherford B. Hayes, our 19th President (1877-1881). We visit the Hayes Presidential Museum & Library in Fremont, Ohio to discuss Rud’s career and his childhood …

Episode 5: William Henry Harrison v. The World. Alex jumps in the way, way back machine to the Campaign of 1840 to tell the story of the election of Ohio’s 1st President, William Henry Harrison. We learn why 1840 is truly the first modern presidential campaign from journalist and historian, Ron Shafer, as he walks us through the exciting campaign o…

EPISODE 4: “OHIO v. THE CAMPAIGN”. Alex takes a break from Ohio’s presidents to go on the campaign trail through the history of presidential elections in the Buckeye State. We focus on the Ohio campaigns of four famous chief executives: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Barack Obama. We visit the Ohio Statehouse to talk with Chri…

Episode 3: James Garfield v. the World. Alex tells a story he’s waited years to share, the improbable rise and tragic death of our 20th President, Cleveland’s own James Garfield. We’re joined by one of Alex’s favorite authors and historians, the incomparable Candice Millard. Millard, the Ohio native, is the author of the award-winning book Destiny …

Episode 2: Ulysses S. Grant v. the World. Alex is back with the story of one of the most famous Ohioans of all time, our 18th President Ulysses S. Grant of Georgetown, Ohio. We explain why Grant, the hero of the Civil War, is one of America’s most underrated Presidents. In fact no President is rising faster in 21st Century presidential rankings tha…

EP. 1: William McKinley v. the World (Part 2). Thanks for listening to the exciting conclusion of our Season 5 premiere. We discuss with our guests McKinley’s relationship with Theodore Roosevelt, the “Splendid Little War” known as the Spanish American War, the economic boom of the McKinley years and his tragic assassination in Buffalo, NY in 1901.…

EP. 1: William McKinley v. the World (Part 1). We’re back and ready to get presidential in 2020. We kickoff Season 5 with a two-part episode on our 25th President, William McKinley from Canton, OH. Part One examines McKinley’s childhood in NE Ohio, Civil War service (he was the final Civil War vet to be POTUS), rise in Ohio and national politics an…

Season 5 Preview: We’ll preview Season 5 of Ohio v. the World with clips and sneak peaks of all 13 episodes for our election year season. We’re calling Season 5: “Ohio v. the Presidency.” From President Monroe to President Trump we’ll relive all the famous presidents and presidential moments from the history of the Buckeye State. Episode 1: William…

Episode 12: Ohio v. Segregation (Tuskegee Airmen). Our Season 4 finale celebrates Black History Month 2020 by studying the trailblazing Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. Alex meets with Dr. Anthony Milburn and Warren Mott to discuss the segregation of the US military and the courage of the “Red Tails” as well as their years in the Buckeye State foll…

Episode 11: “Ohio v. Water” (Mark Hanna). Alex discovers the important life and even more important death of Cleveland’s Mark Hanna. The political kingmaker’s rise to the top of American politics is analyzed with Case Western Reserve Univ. professor, John Grabowski. We also discuss the dangerous history of drinking water in the United States and ho…

Episode 10: “Ohio v. the Copperheads” (Clement Vallandigham). Alex talks with US Air Force Academy Professor of History, Jennifer Weber, about the copperhead political movement in the North during the Civil War. We travel back to the homefront in Ohio and the Midwest during the war and find out millions of Americans were against the war effort and …

Episode 9: “Ohio v. Annexation” (Hawaii). Mele kalikimaka and happy holidays! Alex journeys to the Aloha State to discover the story of the overthrow of the Hawaii Kingdom in the 1890s by a group of mostly American businessmen. We sit down with Australian author and historian, Stephen Dando-Collins, to discuss his book Taking Hawaii: How 13 Honolul…

Episode 8: “Ohio v. Organized Crime” (Black Hand Society). Alex meets up with co-authors William Oldfield and Victoria Bruce to discuss the first major Italian organized crime ring and their subsequent trial. This little-known piece of Ohio and American history is the story behind Bill and Vicki’s hit book Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Soci…