Description
Original Airdate06/15/2025
From perilous playgrounds to precarious products, Henry Winkler hosts a running cavalcade of the most exciting, reckless, unsupervised tales of Americana in our history.
Hazardous History With Henry Winkler
Where to watch Hazardous History With Henry Winkler
- Free On Demand on History
Related To Hazardous History With Henry Winkler
20. Surviving the '70s
Air Date 09/06/2026
Remembering growing up in the '70s, which meant embracing the risk as much as the fun -- from launching our bikes off homemade ramps and braving amusement park rides held together by only thrills and scarce safety regulations; streaking naked through the streets and falling asleep on flammable waterbeds and more.
19. Horrible Hygiene
Air Date 08/30/2026
Remember when the path to good hygiene was anything but clean? From splinter-filled toilet paper and barbers who doubled as surgeons, to communal drinking cups shared by everyone in town and ear candles burning too close for comfort, yesterday's sanitation solutions often blurred the line between health and hazard. These are the everyday habits, grooming rituals and routine remedies that promised to keep us fresh… but often went afoul.
18. School Dazed
Air Date 08/23/2026
Classroom customs and schoolyard rituals that generations of students accepted without a second thought, for better or worse; it's a nostalgic, head-spinning trip back to the old-school days that prove our hazardous history really made the grade.
17. Crazy Cures
Air Date 08/16/2026
Remember when feeling better sometimes meant taking your medicine... and your chances? From miracle snake oils that claimed to cure just about every complaint, to electrified healing devices that swore to restore perfect health, to toxic tonics laced with strychnine and mercury, yesterday's remedies often carried risks as remarkable as their promises. These are the cures and questionable treatments that offered hope to generations of patients, along with a host of unexpected side effects.
16. Precarious Parenting
Air Date 08/09/2026
Remember how parents used to raise us with more freedom and a lot fewer rules? From babies suspended in window cages and kids bouncing in the backs of pickup trucks, to expectant mothers being encouraged to smoke, drink, and relax, the parenting playbook once looked very different; it's an eye-opening, head-shaking trip back to the parenting practices that prove what didn't hurt us made us stronger, and our hazardous history was one for the ages.
15. Harrowing Highways
Air Date 08/02/2026
Remember when hitting the road promised freedom, adventure… and a few risky surprises? From marathon cross-country races that pushed drivers to the limit, to flaming roadside smudge pots that lined the way after dark, to endless stretches of highway that lulled motorists into dangerous trances, America's love affair with the open road was full of unexpected twists and turns; these are the engineering feats and automotive innovations that transformed the journey.
14. Dangerous Dining
Air Date 07/26/2026
From chocolate eaten out of the gutter, to a single cup of ice cream shared by the entire neighborhood, to breakfast cereal that produced colorful consequences, yesterday's culinary delights weren't always as wholesome as they seemed; these are the curious food trends, questionable treats and kitchen experiments that once captured America's appetite, all without raising an eyebrow.
13. Animal Anarchy
Air Date 07/19/2026
From racing atop ostriches and wrestling wild bears, to raising pet skunks at home and ordering monkeys through the mail, we once welcomed the wild into our lives in some truly staggering ways; these are the unforgettable attractions, unusual pets and head-scratching animal encounters that blurred the line between affection and recklessness; it's a rowdy, unpredictable trip back to the critter-filled close calls that prove our hazardous history was anything but tame.
12. Insane Inventions
Air Date 07/12/2026
From personal jetpacks that promised to send us sky-high, to electrified exercise machines that shocked us into shape, to firefighting hand grenades hurled straight into the flames, yesterday's boldest inventions were packed with promise and risks nobody saw coming; these are the ambitious ideas, futuristic gadgets and engineering marvels that aimed to revolutionize everyday life, but sometimes overshot the mark.
11. Young & the Reckless
Air Date 07/05/2026
When being young meant testing the limits of what our bodies could survive; from launching our bikes off homemade ramps and playing chicken in traffic, to using dangerous construction sites as our playground, childhood adventure was often intertwined with how far you were willing to go—and the consequences that came with it; armed with cherry bombs, slingshots and more confidence than caution, we pushed boundaries in ways that would make parents today shudder.
10. Anything for a Buck
Air Date 06/28/2026
When earning a paycheck meant risking life and limb; from dangling off skyscrapers without safety harnesses and riding runaway logs down raging rivers, to digging up corpses for cash and selling your own blood to scrape by, people once took unbelievable risks no paycheck could truly cover; whether racing pizzas across town at breakneck speed or pulling off death-defying Hollywood stunts, people once did whatever it took to earn a living.
9. Crowd Chaos
Air Date 06/21/2026
Remember when being part of the crowd meant taking your chances? From packing in shoulder to shoulder for front row views of Civil War battles, to lining up to watch dead whales explode, to full-blown riots while shopping, the biggest shared moments didn't just bring people together - they stirred things up; it's a wild, edge-of-your-seat trip back to the gatherings that prove our hazardous history was anything but orderly - but always had an eager audience!
8. Fatal Attractions
Air Date 06/14/2026
Remember when popular tourist attractions came with real danger? From climbing onto the backs of live alligators, to hand-feeding hungry bears, to scoring front-row seats to atomic blasts, these heart-pounding experiences promised irresistible thrills you'd never forget - where the risk was part of the draw; it's a jaw-dropping, pulse-racing trip back to the places that prove our hazardous history wasn't just entertaining - it was a death-defying must-see!
7. Hobbies Gone Haywire
Air Date 06/07/2026
Remember when hobbies were more than just a way to pass the time — they were a chance to push the limits? From making model planes with glue that gets you high, to cooking up explosive rocket fuel in the backyard, to strapping ourselves to homemade kites and launching into the unknown, these hands-on pursuits often came with a dangerous edge; it's a thrilling, hair-raising trip back to the crafty obsessions that prove our hazardous history was never just a hobby.
6. Thrills & Spills
Air Date 05/31/2026
Remember when people would do just about anything for an adrenaline fix? From racing cars at the "Murderdrome," to high diving on horseback, to cutting our teeth on looping water slides, revisit the ways people once chased a thrill. These death-defying stunts and gravity-pushing spectacles didn't always stick the landing, but that didn't stop anyone from trying. It's a heart-pumping jolt back to a time when a big rush was worth a little spill.
5. Domestic Dangers
Air Date 05/17/2026
Remember when having a modern home meant living on the edge of danger?; from backyard trash fires and waterbeds that turn bedrooms into flood zones, to electric fans that snatch fingers and garden hoses that serve up toxic sips of water, domestic life is full of hidden peril; these are the familiar fixes and convenient comforts that turn out to be far from safe; it's a hair-raising, eye-opening trip back to the homegrown hazards that can make you wonder what are we thinking?
4. Hell On Wheels
Air Date 05/10/2026
Remember when hitting the road meant flirting with disaster?; from rumble seats that turn passengers into projectiles, to scorching cigarette lighters built right into the dash, to cars that have a habit of going up in flames, even a simple trip can go south; these are the bright ideas and questionable designs that turn people daily commute into a demolition derby; it's a high-speed, white-knuckle ride back to a time when the rules of the road were still being written.
2. Looks That Kill
Air Date 04/26/2026
Remember when looking your best meant risking life and limb?; from dentures that could explode at the dinner table and stiff shirt collars that strangled people to death, to toxic hair implants and tanning pills that left them glowing orange.
1. Killer Crazes
Air Date 04/19/2026
Remember when "everybody's doing it" was the reason enough to dive in headfirst?; from gravity-defying flagpole sitting and phone booth cramming, to pet skunks and goldfish gulpers, revealing the crazes that are sweeping the nation; these obsessions are risky and impossible to resist; it is a trip back to the fads that push the limits and make hazardous history must-see mayhem.