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.

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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/4.0/  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.

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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. 

In this episode we will go back to the time when pirates prowled the Caribbean in search of gold and other treasures. Most unusual among the long list of pirates was Anne Bonny. Strong willed and fiercely independent, Anne achieved fame and status as a pirate when society at that time severely restricted what a woman could wear, say or do. In every respect, Anne shattered those conventions when she took up piracy and by all accounts was a terror on the high seas just as ferocious as her male counterparts.

Main Points

• From an early age, Anne Bonny defied authority, be it her father’s or the Crown’s. She was confident, independent, determined and prone to violence.
• She began her pirate career after she met Calico Jack Rackham in or around 1720.
• After her capture, Anne was sentenced to die. She managed to escape the hangman’s noose and faded into history as no one is for certain what her fate was.

Takeaways

• Anne’s enduring fame originated from her being history’s only one of two recorded female pirates in the Caribbean. 
• Her pirate career was exceedingly short, only spanning the years from 1719 to 1720.

Dive Deeper…

• Lost Pirate Kingdom Series. Netflix.
• Earliest record of Anne Bonny’s life located in Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates. 

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I hope you liked the episode.  If you did, take a moment to leave a rating, or better still,  write a review wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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 the last year of World War One, specifically April 21st, 1918. On that day, we will reveal the last day of Germany’s ace of aces and greatest hero Manfred von Richthofen, better known as The Red Baron.

Main Points

• Richthofen’s previous head wound affected his judgment and may have contributed to decisions leading to his death
• Richthofen violated his own dictum and flew low over enemy lines in a case of “target fixation”.
• Official credit for downing Richthofen was given to Roy Brown; however, autopsy evidence suggests the round that killed the Red Baron was fired from the ground.
• Richthofen’s two separate autopsies differ in their conclusions.

Dive Deeper

• Richthofen’s Medical Autopsy 
• PBS - Who Killed The Red Baron?

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I hope you liked the program.  If you did, write a review and be sure to recommend the podcast to your friends - we would love to have them onboard!

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 World War 2, specifically April 18, 1943. On that day, we will relive the last day of Imperial Japan’s great strategist and mastermind of the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack on the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.

Main Points

• The Americans intercepted and decoded the secret Japanese message that outlined Yamamoto’s planned visit to the front lines.
• The Americans successfully intercepted and shot down Yamamoto.
• The death of Yamamoto deprived the Japanese of one of their best strategists.

Takeaways

• The Japanese were careless in sending secret messages over the open airwaves.
• Luck as much as skill accounted for the Americans being able to intercept and shoot down Yamamoto.

Dive Deeper

• Dan Hampton. Operation Vengeance: The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II
• YouTube Video Covering Operation Vengeance

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I hope you liked the episode.  If you did, review it wherever you get your podcasts.

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 the fourth year of America’s worst economic depression in history, specifically July 22, 1934.  On that day, we will relive the last day alive of America’s Most Wanted Criminal, Public Enemy #1, John Dillinger. 

Main Points

• Dillinger repeatedly thwarted efforts to jail him, escaping several times from state prisons as well as county jails.
• The FBI took the lead in hunting down and killing John Dillinger.
• A woman Dillinger trusted, betrayed him.

Takeaways

• Dillinger’s meticulous planning lessened the police’s chances of catching him.
• The FBI pressured a woman into betraying Dillinger the night he was killed.

Dive Deeper

• Public Enemies 2009 Movie.
• General Treatment of John Dillinger's Life

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I hope you enjoyed the episode.  If you like the program, show it by reviewing it wherever you hear your podcasts.

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 the American frontier, specifically the mining town of Deadwood, in the Dakota Territory. On that day, we will relive the last day alive of Wild Bill Hickok, famous lawman and notorious gunfighter of the Wild West.

Main Points

• Wild Bill Hickok was equally renowned as a lawman as a gunfighter.
• Hickok arrived in Deadwood in 1876, intent on making a fortune gambling.
• Jack McCall believed Hickok insulted him and shot Hickok in the back of the head.

Takeaways

• Hickok’ actions as a lawman were often so violent that many citizens believed he was more outlaw than law abiding.
• The wealth he hoped to achieve as a gambler never matched the fame he won as a gunfighter.

Dive Deeper…

• Deadwood. HBO Series.
• General treatment of Wild Bill Hickok’s life.

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I hope you liked the episode.  If you like the program, show it by reviewing it wherever you hear your podcasts.

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.