ORAL HISTORY

An Oral History of When Geraldo Rivera Opened Al Capone’s Vault

Geraldo Rivera promised to dig deep in Al Capone’s hotel hideout on Chicago’s South Side back in 1986—here’s the oral history of how it all really went down.

Popular Weekly World News cover monster Bat Boy.

Bat Boy Lives! An Oral History of Weekly World News

The pioneers of fake news reflect on nearly 30 years of Elvis, aliens, and a half-human, half-bat child that earned them a very angry phone call from the very real FBI.

Your Friend 'Til the End: An Oral History of Child's Play

How Chucky from 'Child's Play' went from a satire of the Cabbage Patch Kids to a tiny titan of terror.

The Dark Side: An Oral History of The Star Wars Holiday Special

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the biggest tragedy in 'Star Wars' since the destruction of Alderaan. We spoke to the people who witnessed it firsthand.

Alone in the Dark: An Oral History of MTV's Fear

The horror reality show gave contestants their own cameras and set them loose in purportedly haunted locations. The crew still can't explain what happened next.

Traumatic License: An Oral History of Action Park

From 1978 to 1996, New Jersey hosted a ride-at-your-own-risk water park that earned it the nickname “Class Action Park.”

Oral History: The Strangest Super Bowl Halftime Show Ever

With a 3D 'Moonlighting' episode canned, Coca-Cola was sitting on 26 million pairs of glasses. Enter the 1989 Super Bowl—and Elvis Presto.

Oral History: When Tickle Me Elmo Ruled the World

The hottest toy of 1996—which led to concussions, mass hysteria, and one designer becoming a Unabomber suspect—is making a comeback.

I, Darwin: An Oral History of the IKEA Monkey

The Japanese snow macaque managed to unlock a car door and stun bystanders at a Canadian IKEA. Things only got weirder from there.

Take a Look: An Oral History of Reading Rainbow

For 23 seasons, the LeVar Burton-hosted show taught generations of kids to love the written word. Here's how they did it.

Band of Brothers: An Oral History of Hanson's 'MMMBop' and Their Debut Album

Taylor Hanson and the team behind the band's hit song and breakthrough album reflect on just what made their brand of introspective bubblegum pop so irresistible.

An Oral History of Nintendo's Power Glove

On the surface, it seemed like an impossible task. Take an $8800, NASA-approved interface glove running on $250,000 worth of computer hardware, then replicate the performance in a consumer-grade toy with parts costing less than $26.

Out of This World: An Oral History of ALF

He was invited to the White House. He sold $250 million in merchandise. And he nearly caused an actor to have a nervous breakdown on set.

Trash for Cash: An Oral History of Garbage Pail Kids

How Valerie Vomit, Julius Sneezer, and the rest of the gang enraged parents, offended everyone, and made more money off of boogers than Kleenex.

Oral History: Punky Brewster's Refrigerator Danger

The story behind how an adorable orphan and a rusty old appliance conspired to traumatize a nation.

Oral History: In 1985, Mr. Snuffleupagus Shocked Sesame Street

How some disturbing real-life news reports about child welfare forced Big Bird to reveal his "imaginary" friend to the residents of Sesame Street—and the world.