Did the World Almost End in 1980?

Beneath the quiet farmlands of Arkansas, a single dropped tool set off a chain of events that could have changed history forever. In this episode, Shea and Jody take you deep underground into the Titan II missile program — the Cold War’s most volatile secret. What happens when human error meets doomsday weapons? And how close did we really come to nuclear apocalypse in 1980?

Strap in. This rabbit hole goes from darkly funny to downright terrifying.

👉 Full story, blog posts, and more episodes at: www.rainydayrabbitholes.com
🙏 Special thanks to Letha Davis for marketing and website design: www.lethadavis.com

⏱ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Rainy Day Rabbit Holes
04:15 – Stepping into a Titan II missile silo
09:40 – The Cold War and Mutually Assured Destruction
15:50 – America’s 103-foot “doomsday stick”
21:30 – Accidents in Kansas and Arkansas silos
28:00 – The Damascus Incident begins
36:20 – A socket wrench drops… and disaster unfolds
45:10 – Explosion in the silo
54:00 – The end of the Titan II program
01:00:15 – Women’s peace movements take a stand
01:08:30 – Why remembering this near-apocalypse matters today
01:15:00 – Closing thoughts (and a little levity)

🔗 Related Links

• Titan II Missile Museum – Official Site

• PBS American Experience: “Command and Control” (Documentary)

• “Command and Control” by Eric Schlosser (book on the Damascus accident)

• Cold War Nuclear History Blog

• U.S. National Archives – Cold War Nuclear Strategy

• YouTube: Footage of Titan II Missile Test Launches

Looking for a funny podcast that makes history wild, weird, and unforgettable?

History Unhinged: Rainy Day Rabbit Holes is the best history podcast for fans of outrageous true stories, ridiculous history, and unfiltered humor—with the occasional dip into true crime.

Hosts Shea and Jody dig up the strangest moments in American history, with a special love for the Pacific Northwest and the rest of Western North America. From haunted ghost towns and scandalous figures to bizarre disasters and a sprinkle of true crime, no rabbit hole is off-limits!

History doesn’t have to be boring—especially when it’s filled with laughter, chaos, and jaw-dropping stories they didn’t teach in school.

Visit www.rainydayrabbitholes.com for more!

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