In this episode we go back to March 30th, 1995, in Corpus Christi, Texas. That night, Selena and her father, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr. had a discussion about what to do with Yolanda Saldivar, the manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques and president of Selena’s sizable fan club. Earlier, in January of that year, Quintanilla, Junior, prompted by numerous complaints from Selena’s Boutique employees about Saldivar’s erratic management decisions, began to dig deep into the company’s finances. What he found out was Saldivar had embezzled over thirty thousand dollars’ worth of stolen checks from not only the clothing boutique, but also from Selena’s fan club. Even though her father, as well as other family members, warned Selena to stay away from Saldivar, Selena dismissed their concerns and agreed to meet Saldivar the next day.  The meeting was set for the morning of March thirty first, in Room 158 at the Day’s Inn on the main highway cutting through Corpus Christi.  Selena was troubled by the allegations against Saldivar but was committed to confront her and get a resolution to the matter. Little did she know that Saldivar had bought a pistol weeks earlier and was nervously palming the weapon as Selena pulled into the motel parking lot.  Would today be the day Selena resolved the financial dispute or would it be her last day alive?

Main Points

• Selena was murdered by her fan club president Yolanda Saldivar.
• Selena achieved superstar status by winning Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist nine years in a row.
• Selena is remembered as a pioneer for present-day as well as future female Tejano singers. 

Takeaways

• The discovery of Saldivar’s embezzlement of funds from Selena’s fan club and clothing boutiques led to her murder.
• Hollywood and premium channel movies as well as numerous social media accounts keep Selena’s memory alive. Today, twenty seven years after her murder, 1.2 million people follow Selena's official Instagram account, ranking her just below current superstars Beyoncé and Ariana Grande.  
• Arguably, in her own right, Selena remains the most famous female Tejano singer ever.

Dive Deeper

• Selena. 1997 Movie Available on Amazon
• Selena - The Series. Available on Netflix
• UTSA Virtual Free Course on Selena.  Follow this link to register. Here

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Credits

Grave Matters by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.

I'm Mitchell, the producer of Last Day Alive! and I need your help. I believe your feedback will make a positive impact on future episodes.  and I'm interested in your reaction to: 

• What's the best episode length?
• Which episode did you like the best?
• What one thing would you cut or change in any episode to make it more engaging?

Please take two minutes to record your feedback and send it to me at lastdayalivepodcast@gmail.com. 

In this episode we go back to May 1, 1994. That day, Formula 1 superstar Ayrton Senna was poised to return to winning form having lost both the Brazilian and Pacific Grand Prix earlier in the season. But it was going to be an uphill battle as he was racing in a car he had little confidence that it could be competitive, and two accidents seriously injuring some of his close friends and acquaintances within the last 24 hours had combined to cast a dark, foreboding shadow over Senna. Would today be the day he overcame these distractions or would it be his last day alive?

Main Points

• Before 1994, technological innovations in F1 race cars such as traction control, semi-automatic gearboxes, anti-lock brakes and most importantly, active suspension combined to produce the highest track speeds to date.
• Last minute modifications to the length of the steering column in Senna’s car had lethal consequences.
• The racing death of Ratzenberger and the near death of Barrichello at Imola, just days before his race, seriously affected Senna’s level of confidence. 

Takeaways

• To make the needed adjustments to satisfy the rule changes, all car constructors had to go back to the drawing board, the results were often unstable cars with dangerous driving characteristics.
• Drivers, including Senna, knew the dangers the Imola race track posed but nevertheless chose to drive it,  Senna even said he “had to continue to race,” when offered the chance to quit.

Dive Deeper

• IMDB’s program Seconds from Disaster - Death of Ayrton Senna  
•  Senna  -  a 2010 documentary film offers insights to Senna’s racing career and personal life.

Listen, Review, Subscribe!

If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the show, please share it with others, post about it on social media or leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts. 

Credits

Grave Matters by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100215

I'm Mitchell, the producer of Last Day Alive! and I need your help. I believe your feedback will make a positive impact on future episodes.  and I'm interested in your reaction to: 

• What's the best episode length?
• Which episode did you like the best?
• What one thing would you cut or change in any episode to make it more engaging?

Please take two minutes to record your feedback and send it to me at lastdayalivepodcast@gmail.com. 

In this episode we go back to November 23, 1943. That day, the American Navy was poised to support the invasion of Makin, a Japanese stronghold in the Gilbert Islands. Aboard the USS Liscome Bay, one of three American aircraft carriers participating in the attack on Makin,  was a Winner of the Navy Cross, the second highest award for bravery in the US Navy, Cook Third Class, Dorie Miller. Miller was well acquainted with danger, having manned a machine gun and downing at least two enemy airplanes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Today, as Japanese torpedoes streaked toward the ship he was on, would Miller survive, another encounter with Japan’s imperial forces?

Main Points

• Dorie Miller joined the US Navy in 1939 but because he was African American, only a few jobs were available to him. 
• On December 7, 1941, Miller manned a machine gun on the USS West Virginia and shot down at least two Japanese airplanes. For this and his efforts to save his mortally wounded ship’s captain, Miller was awarded The Navy Cross.
• Miller toured the nation during 1942 and 1943 as part of a nationwide effort to sell war bonds. 
• On November 24, 1943, Miller was killed when his ship, the USS Liscome Bay sank off Markin Island in the Central Pacific.

Takeaways

• Miller displayed exceptional courage and leadership when manning the machine gun on the USS West Virginia during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 
• Miller’s hero status and high visibility served to motivate Americans to end racism both in the military and in civilian life.

Dive Deeper…

• Dorie Miller’s exploits at Pearl Harbor were dramatized in the 2001 movie titled Pearl Harbor. Available: IMDB.

Listen, Review, Subscribe!

If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support the show, please share it with others, post about it on social media or leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts. 

Credits

Grave Matters by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100215

I'm Mitchell, the producer of Last Day Alive! and I need your help. I believe your feedback will make a positive impact on future episodes.  and I'm interested in your reaction to: 

• What's the best episode length?
• Which episode did you like the best?
• What one thing would you cut or change in any episode to make it more engaging?

Please take two minutes to record your feedback and send it to me at lastdayalivepodcast@gmail.com.