One Year: 1986

The third season of One Year covers 1986, a year when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, the mystery of Al Capone’s vaults got solved, and a sea lion named Herschel caused chaos in Seattle.

Advertisement

About the Show

The people and struggles that changed America—one year at a time. In each episode, host Josh Levin explores a story you may have forgotten, or one you’ve never heard of before. What were the moments that transformed politics, culture, science, religion, and more? And how does the nation’s past shape our present?

The third season of One Year covers 1986, a year when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, the mystery of Al Capone’s vaults got solved, and a sea lion named Herschel caused chaos in Seattle.


Host

Season 3: Episode 1

No Crime Day

Would Isiah Thomas’ vision of a crime-free world set Detroit on a new path, or was it a recipe for failure?
Season 3: Episode 2

The Ultimate Field Trip

They competed for a spot on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Then they watched it explode.
Season 3: Episode 3

The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults

How a live television special became a legendary American fiasco.
Season 3: Episode 4

A Boycott in Mississippi

The civil rights battle that divided a small Southern town, and captivated the nation.
Season 3: Episode 5

Herschel vs. the Blubber Busters

How a cute story about a hungry sea lion became a fight over targeted animal killing.
Season 3: Episode 6

The Miracle of Cokeville

How the worst school attack in U.S. history was narrowly averted.
Season 3: Episode 7

The Man From Fifth Avenue

The stranger-than-fiction story of a mysterious American who starred in a Soviet propaganda film.
Season 3

The Making of One Year: 1986

Josh Levin and Evan Chung discuss the stories behind the third season.