Episiode 115: Capitalism, Socialism and Communism
The Y in History
Though various forms of Capitalism have existed since ancient times, Adam Smith in 1776, was the first to philosophize the concept of free markets. The Industrial Revolution gave Capitalism a massive boost but the exploitation of labor led Karl Marx to publish the Communist Manifesto in 1848 and Das Kapital in 1867.
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Episode 114: the Bermuda Triangle
The Y in History
The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle dates back to 1492 when Christopher Columbus was attempting to reach Asia. During his journey, he passed through this infamous region of water, and according to his notes, something peculiar happened to his compass. He observed that “at the commencement of the night, the needles turned a half point northwest, and in the morning, they turned somewhat more northwest.” He also reported the sea rising and a flickering light in the distance, like a candle. The mysterious disappearances/incidents within the Bermuda Triangle include Flight 19, USS Cyclops and...
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Episode 113: 2025 - Israel's Operation Rising Lion
The Y in History
On June 13, 2025, Israel initiated Operation Rising Lion against Iran, shifting the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran's nuclear sites were bombed, its Air Defense Systems, crippled and top military leadership and nuclear scientists, assassinated. But did Israel achieve the objectives of this operation?
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Episode 112: A history of Cyberattacks
The Y in History
The first computer virus is believed to have been used in 1969 at the University of Washington Computer Center. A person who has never been named installed a program that came to be known as “RABBITS Virus” on one of the computers. The program began replicating itself until it overwhelmed the computer causing it to shut down. Over the years, the scale and sophistication of cyber attacks has increased and with the advent of AI, digital criminals have jumped on the AI bandwagon and become more lethal.
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Episode 111: Global Aviation Disasters
The Y in History
The 1956 Grand Canyon Air crash, the 1977 Tenerife Air Disaster and the 2005 Air France 744 crash were air disasters that had a lasting impact on avaiation safety.
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Episode 110: 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre
The Y in History
The Tiananmen Square protests started in April 1989 with students protesting in favor of a proper state funeral for the popular but disgraced reformist leader, Hu Yaobang. Tensions between the Student Leaders and Chinese government escalated due to a series of missteps from the Chinese government. On June 4, 1989, army tanks rolled into the Tiananmen Square to crush the revolt via military might.
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Episode 109: The US rise to Global Power
The Y in History
The Spanish-American War of 1898 marked the first milestone of the US making an appearance as a global power. But the period between the two World Wars was one of isolation for the US. However, once it entered WWII in 1941, the US showed it military, economic and financial might, emerging as a global Super power, by the end of the War.
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Episode 108: Pakistan Terror Camps
The Y in History
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA began a covert operation known as “Operation Cyclone”, aiming to support Afghan mujahideen through funding, training, and supplying weapons. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region became the hub for the mujahideen training camps. Gradually, Pakistan expanded its terror training infrastructure and expertise to its north eastern border with India to conduct a proxy war in the Indian states of Punjab and Kashmir. Pakistan now struggles to contain this Frankenstein it created, in the 1980s.
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Episode 107: Globalization - a history
The Y in History
European Explorers kicked off globalization during the Age of Discovery as they ventured to find a see route to India and circumnavigate the globe. This was followed by the first wave of globalization from 1870 to 1914. Post WWII, the US led the establishment of a new financial order which culminated in China joining the WTO in December 2001.
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Episode 106: 1914 - the Panama Canal
The Y in History
After taking over from the French, the US oversaw the successful opening of the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914. 3 Chief Engineers - Wallace, Stevens and Goethals overcame several odds, both engineering and manpower related, during their respective tenures, to see the Canal through to completion. Equally commendable was the contribution of Chief Sanitation Officer, William Gorgas in defeating the scourge of Yellow Fever and Malaria, within the Canal Zone.
info_outlineFrom the Dancing Plague of 1518 to the Korea Axe Tree Incident 1976, several bizarre events from history are reviewed in this episode. It includes the soldier who returned after 30 years and an animal species who emerged victorious in a fight with humans.