For our 15th episode we explore crimes in our favourite cold places: the poles! We answer the questions you never thought to ask, like: how does law operate outside national borders, and what happens if you kill someone? What’s it like living in the northernmost town in the world? Who has jurisdiction on an iceberg? And how do you deal with arson in Antarctica?

In 1896, Sweden had fallen far behind in the race for the North Pole. Out of the fray emerged Salomon August Andrée, who put forward a proposal so cutting edge it was immediately funded and flooded with national support. He would fly a balloon over the Arctic circle, sweeping ahead of Norwegian attempts and taking the glory for Sweden. Unfortunately, weather and science were not on Andrée’s side.

On December 7th 1951, a shocking photograph hit the front page of British newspapers. Taken half a world away, high on a glacier in the Himalayas, the image showed a footprint that defied belief. This footprint would propel the mysterious Yeti from mountaineering folklore into potential scientific reality.

Western climbers have been trekking the Himalayas for over a hundred years, and through all that time they have been bringing back stories of a mysterious ape-like creature they called the Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti.

On 4th of June, 1629, the Batavia struck a reef off the coast of a then unknown land (now Western Australia). It took a week for the Batavia to sink, and the tragedy had not even begun.

As a treat for the 10th episode, hosts Luca and Ana share some wholesome (and hilarious) stories about interesting animals in history. We meet epidemic-fighting sled dogs, unsinkable cats, war hero pigeons, beer-drinking bears, catstronauts (cat astronauts), and more!

In the Sicilian port city of Messina, Genoese ships began arriving from the East in 1347 sailed by crews either dead or dying. From there, a terrible and unknown disease swiftly spread through Europe. Whole families or towns could be decimated in a matter of weeks. For the people of the 14th century it looked like the end of the world had come.

On 16th December, 1860, explorer Robert O’hara Burke decided to begin his overland trek to the Gulf of Carpentaria, right as Australia was entering the summer months. What followed was a disastrous tale of irony and tragic coincidence, and so, the most expensive expedition of its kind comes to an end.

On 20 August 1860, after years of stalling and squabbling among organisers, the most expensive overland expedition of its kind left Royal Park, Melbourne, amid much fanfare. Over-equipped and severely lacking in experienced explorers, the Victorian Exploring Expedition was a disaster before it had even left the boundaries of the park. 

On the night of February 1st 1959, a group of 9 hikers in the Ural Mountains experienced an unknown disastrous event. By morning they were all dead. Join hosts Ana and Luca as they explore one of Soviet Russia’s greatest and most enduring mysteries.

As a special Halloween treat we're bringing you a collection of spooky stories of ghost ships, sunken ships and maybe-almost-definitely fake ships, plus an eerie lighthouse thrown in for good measure!

On 28 April 1789, William Bligh was set adrift on the ocean with 18 companions in a launch boat made for 10. What followed was beyond even Apollo’s powers of prophecy.

On 28 April 1789, the HMS Bounty was seized in the early hours of the morning by Fletcher Christian and a handful of mutineers. What proceeded and what followed was a dramatic tale of friendship, betrayal, overconfidence, and incompetence.

Our story of Scott’s team continues in our second and final episode on the Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica. Listen now to learn about how sea ice can mess up research trips for geologists, why you shouldn’t study Emperor Penguin eggs in the winter, and what exactly happened on Scott’s fatal journey to the South Pole.

On November 12th 1912, a tent containing the bodies of 3 men was found on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. In this episode, we discuss what brought them to Antarctica, and what troubles awaited there.

Welcome to the introductory episode of the Mayday Podcast!

Listen in to hear what this podcast is all about, who exactly Ana and Luca are, how we’re going to deep dive into mysteries and misadventures in history, and how the mayday signal was first created.