1945 Empire State Building B-25 Crash

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

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[@XxBuzzedGamingxX]

Hi thank you and your wife for another amazing video. You have my favorite KZbin channel and I greatly appreciate all of the hard work the two of you put in. I hope you have a great day!!!

[@rucker69]

Bro, I wouldn't be putting my private info in cleartext in a video, even if for only a second.

[@EricIrl]

Interestingly, there does exist an audio recording of the actual impact. Somebody in one of the offices in the building was using a dictating machine and inadvertently recorded the noise of the approaching aircraft and then the impact itself. I assume it must have been an old style wire recorder. I heard the recording on a TV documentary many, many years ago.

[@pp7x79]

Amazing video's sir. someone could almost make a book about all the compact stories you tell

[@publicmail2]

Good quick thinking catholic relief worker to throw her plated rings out the window.

[@leatherindian]

I’ve figured out one element that makes your stories so interesting. It’s the connection you make to the people involved. You provide names, background etc..of the people involved that makes it easier to relate. Well done. Keep it up!

[@AkX1353]

The fire chief crying also.

[@Brenda-cf8qe]

I wanted to say something special about the History Guy, but you put it in perspective for me.:D

[@KALASgodpills]

I agree, T.H.G. is so very interesting becouse of the value he puts on the people involved. I describe this to people when I recommend his channel. Thank you for your perspective,well said.

[@johntabler349]

You hit the nail on the head

[@hshs5756]

Therein lies the difference between _good_ history, and the bland textbooks they give kids so they'll never want to study history again. History should be enriching, personal, and applicable to the decisions we make as voting citizens in a republic. Making history boring is a way to make people easier to fool.

[@sgt2dog]

I was 10 years old in 1962 and my father purchased a book of Ripley’s Believe it or Not. The book was a collection of Newspapers stories. This was one of the stories. Not as informative as your lecture but all us kids learned to respect books and we spent many evenings after dinner on the floor of the living room enchanted by these stories. Well I’m just shy of 68 now and all my family have passed but I thank you for bringing a wonderful memory for me and always prayers for the deceased and their families.

[@jennhoff03]

Thank you for sharing that.

[@kimmer6]

Class of 1970? Where the hell did time go?

[@kevinsisney3755]

Thanks!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you!

[@davyaldy76]

This one I did know about, as a child I had a book on disasters and this accident was covered in the book. However, you added significantly more detail to my knowledge of this event.

[@rotwang2000]

Same, from "World Disasters" by Spring Books.

[@OmarTheAtheistAziz]

yes. i heard of the Betty surviving an elevator fall, but i didn't know it was linked to the 1945 plane crash of Empire State Building

[@rogerwhittle2078]

The Perth Guy with the Bowtie. I too have known about this for what seems like most of my life, only I got it from back numbers of the Readers Digest! I seem to remember the article was entitled "Disaster on the Seventy-ninth floor" or something very like it and it's odd how different things stick in the minds of those who read about it, years later. For example, I knew about the fog, the B-25, the engine that went down the lift shaft and the fact it is still, to this day, the highest fire ever successfully fought by firefighters. However, I have no recollection of 'Betty', who survived that terrifying fall down 75 floors.

[@BobSmith1980.]

I had that book also. I must have read it dozens of times when I was young

[@bobmorgan1762]

The Perth Guy with the Bowtie - especially the rings.

[@RadioactiveSherbet]

World record for longest survived elevator fall. There's a dubious honor if ever there was one. Still better that than being the 15th fatality, though.

[@shawnr771]

Did she jump like Bugs Bunny right before it hit?

[@Simonsvids]

@@shawnr771 She must have.

[@leftcoaster67]

Guess that's why there's emergency brakes on elevators now.

[@andrewinbody4301]

@@shawnr771 Loony Toons are instructional.

[@shawnr771]

@@andrewinbody4301 Yep. Three stooges was Hand to hand combat training.

[@logandarklighter]

My father and I, both being aviation buffs, had heard of this story before 2001. On September 11, 2001, We were in a donut shop in Arlington, Texas where we would often meet in the morning after I got off the grave shift. The shop owners typically had an AM Radio set up to the local news channel running on the counter. We sat down to have our donuts and coffee when the first plane flew into the World Trade Center. Before the second one did we talked about the bomber that had flown into the Empire State building in 1945 and wondered if the weather in New York was foggy as on that day. But then we thought about it further and realized that even if it was it was strange for a plane to hit a building considering all the other navigation options available to modern aircraft or usable as added equipment to older planes. Then we got the word that it was clear on the news. And we were confused, wondering "how could an airplane blunder into the WTC on a CLEAR day?" Then we got word of the second plane hitting the towers, and the confusion was dispelled. This was no accident. We also knew without being told who had done it and why. Such was the state of the world at the time. It was patently obvious. Funny how specific knowledge of history - though largely beneficial - can sometimes play you false in comparison with something so utterly unprecedented.

[@FlashoftheBlades]

Time magazine made that comparison in their Year in Review article for 2001, which is how I first heard about the events in this video.

[@OneBentMonkey]

The most detailed and touching retelling of this tragic accident I’ve ever heard. Brilliantly done!! ❤️

[@cheerdiver]

Except the date was wrong, the 28th. The air frame fell to a lower roof terrace, only being dragged into the building by a recovery crew. No accurate account of witnesses, like inside "The building swung, like a pendulum for thirty seconds...we had trouble keeping our feet under us as we ran for cover", or at street level where witnesses agreed (including military officers) 'It sounded like a can being crushed...then five seconds later an explosion'. You must be equating detailed w/ sophistry.

[@OneBentMonkey]

cheerdiver Nope

[@cheerdiver]

@@OneBentMonkey For a channel that has no content, you have the same credibility. Besides, it's not possible for an aluminum projectile to penetrate structural grade steel at subsonic speed. There were no planes, you poorly educated hayseed.

[@OneBentMonkey]

cheerdiver I don’t feed trolls so if you were expecting a snack you’ll have to move on

[@sgomez3047]

@@cheerdiver, please post your correctly dated history videos and I'd be glad to view them. Until then ********* and stop being so critical! Ugh!

[@757575436]

Our uncle was working that fateful day in the empire state building,your documentary gave a better perspective of what happened and what could have happened ,he was uninjured, but helped in the rescue effort.

[@raydunakin]

My dad mentioned this accident to me when I was little. Later as a teen I read about it in a library book. Still didn't know all the background and personal stories that you've recounted here.

[@rc5989]

I enjoyed the charming details regarding the friendship ring.

[@HabacucTheBellboy]

On the side of the empire state building, a spot was left unfinished to remember those that died that day. I tried to find a picture but not successful. I think it may not be that way any more. Because of that plane crash we now have red lights on top of the buildings.

[@nordicphyromaniac]

Thanks for the info on red lights. Had no idea what caused people to put them up. Also I've never heard of the spot on the empire state building. I'll have to look into that. Thanks

[@1SqueakyWheel]

Buildings and towers. Although nowadays, many of those red beacons have been replaced with white strobes. All for the same purpose though!

[@quadsman11]

Have been familiar with this crash for a number of years, but certainly not with this much detail ! It's genuinely appreciated, by someone who is a bit of a history buff, but more importantly, an aviation history enthusiast ! Thank you for bringing these lives into greater focus, they would have otherwise be long forgotten ! Thank you again !

[@myfavoritemartian1]

"Do not use any elevator during an emergency." That used to be posted everywhere in the building. Thank you, I used to think about this crash every now and then. EDIT: I worked for a large elevator manufacturer. The elevator is counter-weighted by a large number (10-20) of single wire ropes going from the car then up over a large drum and back down one side to the counter weight. To free fall, it would need to break all of those ropes. Then, yes, there are gravity brakes along the sides of the car that clamp to vertical rails. One brake will secure the car alone. Earlier elevators were different, as well as the lower story hydraulic elevators. But even they have brakes as well as holding valves on the big lift cylinders.

[@CrackerFL]

And don't use an elevator during a lightning storm! If the power goes out, the brakes don't work! You WILL free fall in the elevator! It happened to me! During a lightning storm I was going down just passed the 11th floor when power went out. I free fell 5 floors, then the emergency generator kicked in. The elevator stopped halfway on the 6th floor! I got out and took the stairs!

[@FriedrichHerschel]

@@CrackerFL I am not an expert, but I believe the brakes are mechanic that activate at certain force/speed thresholds to have a failsafe that works without power. You could easily design a spring mechanism that needs to be hold back by a small electric motor to not engage those breaks, that would make the lift useless during power outages ... the main motor wouldn't work anyways, so you wouldn't even notice this failsafe during a normal loss of power. Edit: and you would need a really bad engineering on that main motors part, to give more cable without power.

[@pickles3128]

@@CrackerFL My BS detector is going off bad. Why would you make stuff up just to scare people? You don't freefall in an elevator when the power goes out.

[@mattmopar440]

@@pickles3128 Correct there is a mechanical back up and a Primary brakes if the elevator over speeds even with the power on the mechanical brakes will engage

[@RCAvhstape]

@@CrackerFL There are spring-loaded brakes on modern elevators; they do not freefall, power outage or not.

[@michaelburgoyne4224]

I remember being told about this tragic crash. But my memory was that the plane crashed into a dentist's office. This is why history needs to be remembered accurately.

[@mandolinic]

That is one cavity that would be difficult to fill...

[@jamespurcer3730]

Putting those ads into your video pretty much guarantees that you will not get a link in any Facebook Group posting. Way to go, man.

[@traj00]

When I heard the news on 9/11 of a plane hitting the WTC, this 1945 crash came to mind.

[@mountainguyed67]

Same.

[@stevek8829]

Me too. In South Jersey I looked at the clear blue sky and it didn't fit. Of course, at first we didn't know it was a jet liner.

[@jbs256]

This video just came into my recommend list. I see it’s very recent. I’m writing this before I watch it as I’ve heard this story many times. My mom, who passed away almost two years ago at 99, was in the building. She told me how the bomber crashed into Catholic Charities offices and how scared she was. She was below the impact, if I remember correctly she worked for IBM at that time. She and others were evacuated down the stairs. While going down she saw an older woman cowering in the corner of the staircase. She grabbed her and helped her up and helped her down the stairs and out of the Empire State Building. All she could do was go home to her parents house in the Bronx. Her dad asked her why she was home early. No CNN or breaking news back then. Now I will watch the video as I’ve never seen a full recounting of the story. When I’d tell others they had no idea something like this happened so long before 9/11.

[@spvillano]

IBM made one of the best M2 .50 BMG machine guns I ever fired! I'm literally not joking. In that era, IBM did calculating machines, the old crank calculators you see in ancient B&W movies. So, having the capability to cast thick sheet metal, IBM did have the contract for the outer cast casing of the M2 .50 BMG machine gun, aka Ma Deuce. Welcome to history! :) Many of those guns, albeit modified, are still in service! Singer Sewing Machine Company also made many, fired a few of those as well. And in basic training, back in early 1982, I handled handguards of an original M16, modded to A1 model, with original Mattel handgrips and still had the open front, tri-slot flash suppressor.

[@beckeredward14]

Although this version does not show the dead man out on the 72nd floor ledge, that dead guy was my maternal grandfather W. Paul Dearing from Buffalo NY who worked in the Catholic Charities office.

[@charltoncarswell9977]

God Bless Betty Oliver and all the others involved in this horrific incident. Thank you, Sir, for keeping the memories alive!

[@irgski]

Thanks for sharing the Betty Lou Oliver part of the story. I had never heard that story before. Fascinating stuff.

[@jaimejohnesee]

Thank you for this video, I had never heard of this before. Thanks, also, for all of the research, and hard work, you put into these.

[@JudithSanchez-ht6jn]

Jaime Johnesee I hear about when I was a young woman and now I am 73 years old. I born in 1946 but I was living in New York City 🌃 them World Trade Center I think one day a airplane will hit the twins. That I was thinking when I hear about the airplane and I was going to take the path train to go to work my station was World Trade Center. My time is not yet.✝️✝️✝️🥰🙏🙏

[@jaimejohnesee]

@@JudithSanchez-ht6jn I am so glad you're still with us. Happy belated birthday! I hope you have something wonderful happens for you today. 💙

[@TheEDFLegacy]

@Jaime Yup! 9/11 was not the first time that a large aircraft hit an iconic tower in Manhattan. What's really interesting, is that, had the terrorists flown one of their aircraft into the Empire State Building, chances are it would have survived, because they way they built buildings back then, is dramatically different from the way they built the World Trade Center. It is also why the World Trade Center, had it not been attacked, would have likely been torn down before the Empire State Building, because the design of the World Trade Center wouldn't have last nearly as long. Long story short, the Empire State building was built like a bunch of boxes made of girders, both inside and out, whereas the World Trade Center was built with the supporting structure on the outside only, with the floors on the inside made of very light materials. In essence, it was a giant square pipe with decorative scaffolding that made up the floors. That is why the World Trade Center pancaked, whereas a similar collapse would have never happened with the Empire State Building. At least, not without a whole bunch of extra effort.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

@@erikdeeNOSPELLSNO I was expecting the conspiracy theorists to come out... For the record, I do agree that the attacks were known by the government, and could very well have been secretly orchestrated. Recent events have made it even more probable. I can easily answer how thermite ended up in the towers: Thermite Compositon: Aluminum (767 is almost completely made of aluminum) Magnesium (Aluminum Alloy, also used in making Steel and Titanium) Titanium (Jet engines) Zinc (Anti-Corrosion & Batteries) Silicon (Computers both in the tower and the plane) Boron (Additives in fiberglass, polymers, ceramics) Combine that with a massive fuel explosion, and the disintegration of all these materials together, and you have basically created a thermite bomb. With all of those crushed materials, I can imagine it would make more than enough oxidizer a varying types to create a thermite reaction. Aluminum alone can burn really well, which is why airplanes burn very quickly if they catch fire. Combine that with a crushing process that combines all that together, and it's disastrous. Even if there wasn't a thermite reaction, the other important point that people forget, is that you do not have to melt the metal to weaken it to the point of collapse. Considering that half of the supports were destroyed by each of the aircraft, and that there were fires that were around 1000 degrees, heating the metal was likely enough to cause it to fail. The reason why the second tower fell first, is because there was far more weight above the fire, which made the point of no return much easier to reach. A good example of this is if you put a cheap reusable plastic cup inside a dishwasher with very hot water. Even though it will maintain its shape, if for some reason it is pushing against one of the metal sorting pins, you will find the cup partially warped from the pressure of the metal pin. Yet, if the cup is not leaning against anything with any pressure whatsoever, the shape will stay the same as it was before. With that in mind, consider that the metal of would not be warping, and the towers would have stood, if not for the fires increasing the heat of the metal to a point where it was losing its strength. I wish conspiracy theorists would focus on the elements that are far easier to pull off (ie. Political dealings), than trying to pick on technical arguments that would be nearly impossible to pull off. With so many tens of thousands of people in the Trade Center every single day, it would be impossible to set up that amount of thermite in a way that no one would ever notice.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

@@erikdeeNOSPELLSNO Oh. Thank God. Lol 😅 You got me good. With how stupid many people online have gotten, I sometimes don't catch the sarcasm. 🤦‍♂️

[@jennaolbermann7663]

My dad had told me this story because he was a witness to it as well as a teenager walking on a nearby street job hunting. He told his family about it when he returned home but they didn’t believe him until they saw the newspaper the next day.

[@scotty3034]

Your stories are very reminiscent of Paul Harvey’s radio segments. Very well done. I was always fascinated with this story. Thanks.

[@jasonmcdaniel345]

...and now you know... the rest of the story.

[@nedludd7622]

What an insult to be compared to the extreme right wing propagandist Paul Harvey. He was an early wingnut shock talk radio personality. I remember hearing his schtick back in the 60's on the car radio. Wherever you went in the Mid-West you could hear that thoroughly despicable ranter.

[@Jacob.Improvises]

And that's... The rest - of the story

[@EddieMillerStudios]

"Paul Harvey... good day!"

[@jimbones155]

I was six months old when this occurred. I was aware of the incident from high school but this is the most comprehensive account I have ever heard or seen.

[@robertguzman6117]

I used to work on the 79th floor where the building got hit. And the new and old stone/cement work could be seen. Univision was building a transmitter site there

[@paulgriffiths8359]

As a lift mechanic in Australia,(elevator technician in the US) we learnt quite a bit about this story during my training 30 plus years ago Fascinating story

[@SteeringSteel]

Now that’s one Guinness world record that I’m sure no one‘s in a hurry to break. 😬

[@BeckVMH]

RIP those who have tried.

[@moxiemaxie3543]

You have to pay to get your record -recorded in the book. Do you think they charged back then?

[@spackle42]

It's not really possible now. There are too many redundant safety systems, especially in high-rise buildings.

[@MartyP-lr7vw]

Wow - I visited the building in 1994 and did not know about this incident or that so much information was retained regarding this accident - thank you.

[@guytansbariva2295]

I visited in 2004, only 3 years after 9/11. New York then was still in lockdown in many ways, but we were able to visit and ride up to the 77th floor where it hit. The workers there knew about it and we had a great time discussing the building's history. History that Deserves to be remembered. 😊👍

[@sincerelyyours7538]

I've read about this often over the years. I used to live in Queens and our house had an attic view of the ESB and the East River skyline. First thing I thought of during 9/11. Flew an airplane myself VFR at 1,100 ft down the Hudson River one day (at the time it was still legal). Spectacular sight!

[@flyswryan]

Sincerely Yours it’s still legal: there’s a VFR corridor right down the river, all the way to Staten Island. You do have to be in contact with ATC and have a transponder, though.

[@interstellarsurfer]

@@flyswryan That's good news - it would be unfortunate to lose such a wonderful priviledge. 👍

[@LuckyLouie]

I thought I knew this story already... but with your excellent presentation, I was not even close... Well done again sir!

[@63bplumb]

YES! I've thought I knew this story for years but Clearly did NOT!

[@sameyers2670]

I had never heard of this plane crash before. Thank you History Guy. Best wishes from East Yorkshire UK.

[@coltseavers6298]

This incident was my first thought when 9-11 started that morning. However when the second plane hit, I then became VERY worried.

[@carmium]

And imagine, if the internet had been around in 1945, there would have been conspiracies about how the government had crashed the B-25 intentionally on line within minutes.

[@loveskitties3877]

@@carmium And the undamaged building across the street didn't just fall down.

[@allensacharov5424]

ain't it funny that it did not collapse when the World Trade Center towers just crumpled.

[@carmium]

@@allensacharov5424 Not really. The 9/11 planes were several times bigger and heavier, going faster, and had more fuel on board that burned at a higher temperature.

[@ronniew3229]

@@carmium The World Trade Center towers were designed with an aircraft strike in mind. Bush junior could not imagine such a thing happening, dumbass. Now America has a bigger dumbass for a president, allowing it's citizens to die from the virus from " Chiina ". Already started an economic war. Facts

[@pallexa]

Wow! I grew up in NYC and I've never heard of this! I can't believe no one in my family ever mentioned it. Thanks again for a fabulous video!

[@mountainguyed67]

I knew, it’s what I thought of when a boss told me a plane crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001. Then I went into the office with him and watched the second one fly into the other building, that’s when I knew his wording was off. He had made it sound like an accident.

[@Yarba]

This is one of the best history channels I have ever seen. I love this guy's commentary and his delivery. I wonder who are the 1.4% of people that downvote this. What is it they find objectionable?

[@username43577]

My grandfather was one of the FDNY firefighters who responded and he talked about this accident often

[@johnlux6635]

Probably twenty thousand that responded and talked about it later. Like the 100 million that talk about attending Woodstock.

[@jamesslick4790]

@@johnlux6635 Hey man, I was AT Woodstock! (Ok, Woodstock Avenue in Swissvale, PA and it was 1979 not 1969..) But STILL I was very high and listening to the Jefferson Airplane!

[@steveclark4291]

Thank you for a history lesson that deserves to be remembered !

[@atlbrysco6198]

WOW - what a great synopsis of this tragedy! I have always been touched and fascinated by the story of the crash, but this is one of the best coverage pieces of it I have ever heard. It's amazing to think of the survivors, and how the first responders were able to control and assist so quickly and efficiently. Thanks for the great coverage!

[@clarkbilgrav]

I’d heard this story many times from my father as he said the pilot was his squadron leader in WWII. My Dad was a ball turret gunner during the war.

[@davidmichael1951]

I'm sure you know that you're lucky to have known your dad. Many turret gunners didn't make it home.

[@clarkbilgrav]

David Michael, Yes, I did some research and was shocked to see how many planes went down.

[@davidmichael1951]

@@clarkbilgrav, even out of the planes that made it home, ball turret gunners were particularly vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. I read that, at one point, it was statistically the deadliest job one could have (perhaps, throughout the entire war, to include civilian occupations, and maybe even still, unsurpassed, to this day).

[@clarkbilgrav]

David Michael, wow thanks for the info. I knew it was a dangerous job, but not how dangerous.

[@spvillano]

@@davidmichael1951 well, one upside was, the new perspex panes in turrets and cockpit windows was observed to be blown into pilot and crewmembers eyes. One observant ocular surgeon noticed and later, long after the war, developed the first intraoccular lens. Something that one eye is viewing this with, after injury caused by combat trauma. True story. As for being a gunner on an aircraft, well, I'm quite good on the rare occasions I did engage in full automatic, I'm happy with staying on the ground and surviving a few broken ribs from an RPG thrown fragment. Even happier to have gotten to retire. :)

[@StephenLuke]

RIP William F. Smith Jr. (1918-1945) Christopher S. Domitrovich (1914-1945) Albert G. Perna (1925-1945) and The eleven people who were killed in the Empire State Building‘s impact zone

[@DavidMullins1]

Thanks for this @The History Guy. I was told many times by my mother that her cousin, a Priest, was there to offer last rights to the seriously injured who were trapped.

[@shable1436]

The corpsman body not only held together through the initial impact, but was flung in the elevator shaft, and then dropped 37 stories. That is insane

[@timmoles9259]

Smells like 9/11

[@spvillano]

@@timmoles9259 because, 200 MPH bomber, much lighter than a jumbo jet flying 400 - 500 MPH carrying kerosene are precisely the same, exact thing. After all, throw a feather at you and an anvil, both will go clean through you, right? Oh, hint, the higher the octane rating, the cooler the flame is. Nope, it was thermite or thermate, to listen to the moron militia, antigravity iron or other heavy metal burning went sideways, rather than down, precisely as a brick dropped goes up every time on days ending in Z. Or some other fucktard notion.

[@spvillano]

@PoliceManHat nope, both were precisely the same, which is why both sites looked precisely the same. After all, every Empire State Building construction worker saw double images on holiday weekends or something! ;) Endoskeleton and exoskeleton are the same too, after all, PoliceManHat's old lady has bony tits or something. Yeah, that shit's gotten seriously old, way back in 2001. Especially with anyone who's worked with explosive demolitions. Listen to the bozo brigade, molten iron is antigravity and goes sideways or even up. No, only fucks go up, hence, fuck up. :P I'll not even go into high octane rating fuels burn colder than low octane fuels, like Jet-A kerosene, vs 130 octane antique bomber fuel. Low octane brains produce low octane flashes in the pan notions. I'll not even go into how leaky our government is, as to juicy classified events...Well, save the mythical event, which literally would require at least 10k participants, none of whom ever talked... Maybe give them a beanie with a propeller to go away?

[@spvillano]

@PoliceManHat the point is, the WTC was an exoskeleton type of building, the Empire State building is a endoskeleton, all strength in the core type of building, so direct parallels cannot be established. Additionally, with either type of construction, one has to remove much of the supports to the point of near progressive collapse before one can use explosive demolitions or structural cutting (can't recall thermite ever being used, as that'd cause a fire in the debris to be removed). Finally, progressive collapse is a fairly common failure mode for large structures that have significant fire damage. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_collapse

[@spvillano]

@PoliceManHat well, show me a crab or even a clam who collapse with a decent sized hole punched inside of them. Not die, collapses. For that matter, show me that with a spider, cockroach or ant.

[@PSeneca10]

If I had the History Guy as my high school history teacher, I would be a history scholar! I would like to suggest a story on Glenn Curtiss, especially his conflict with the Wright Brothers.

[@gus473]

👍 Great suggestion! Another good one might be David Sarnoff and some of RCA's tactics back then.... 🤔

[@bilalsidik9007]

AHH...wonder why the building didn't collapse,nor did the nearby buildings...lol. Nor was another country invaded and thousands of innocent humans killed by the American army after the crash....how strange

[@marvinflatt6947]

@@bilalsidik9007 plane WASN'T highjacked.. ...simple as that! Also smaller plane

[@nessunodorme3888]

@@bilalsidik9007 I had a similar thought on 9-11, after news reports kept going on and on about how "nobody could have possibly foreseen anyone flying a plane into a New York skyscraper" -- as if it were really such a bizarre idea. But it wasn't lost on me that a WWII bomber smacking into the Empire Building did *not* cause the whole building to suddenly collapse nearly into itself a couple hours later.

[@nessunodorme3888]

@@marvinflatt6947 Right, hijacking is known to exponentially increase crash impact! The effect is even greater on jet fuel -- which burns many times hotter -- _and_ many times longer -- than fuel aboard non-hijacked planes. The greatest increase occurs if the hijacker is thought to be Arab or Muslim!

[@brianbrewster6532]

I really enjoy these so-called history snippets very much. Your stories are as riveting as they are timeless.

[@michaelcerkez3895]

My father a young lad of 16 at the time this happened would later tell us his children about it on a biyearly bases. And yes most thought NYC was under attack. Thanks Mr HG , truly history that deserves to be remembered.

[@jpshaw55]

Many years ago my father told me about this. He was a B-17 crew chief at Hanscom Field in Massachusetts in 1945. He remembered that plane because he'd helped refuel it and brought the young sailor to his ride home. He told me that he always felt bad about that event. BTW, History Guy, do you know about the radar research that was carried on at Hanscom field? My father knew about it since he worked on their planes. Apparently there was competition between Harvard and MIT... I think those schools, can't remember it all.

[@marvinflatt6947]

Crew Chief doing refuler's job?

[@rickrice7818]

I knew Betty Lou Oliver. She run a small corner store near my childhood home in Fort Smith Arkansas. She was a very nice woman She showed no signs of what she experienced in the elevator fall.

[@Terrathrax]

Unbelievable, that long elevator plunge! Never knew that.

[@xephael3485]

Even back then you would think elevators would of had unassisted decent brakes.

[@brendlehogan9653]

All of the cables had snapped.

[@xephael3485]

@@brendlehogan9653 Emergency bakes don't work off the lift cables. There are a number of ways they can be activated. They extended into the elevator shaft and block the elevator from moving in an emergency. The brakes can be spring loaded like a mouse trap. Only the tension of the cables on the lift keep them from snapping open and locking the elevator in the shaft.

[@regould221]

@@xephael3485 They do have brakes but they only slow the elevator. It was demonstrated by Otis at the 1853 worlds fair. That is probably why she survived.

[@xephael3485]

@@regould221 You're incorrect according to what's written about his invention: “If the rope should break, or be loosened from the driving shaft, or disconnected from the motive power accidentally,” the story reports, “the platform will be sustained, and no injury or accident can possibly occur, as the [platform] is prevented from falling.” Notice how it says nothing about just slowing the elevator? Figure 1 shows the Otis passenger car with safety frame. The framework is constructed entirely of wrought iron; the lifting cables pass through it and are connected independently to the gravity wedge safety apparatus under the car, as shown. The value of the car shown is one thousand dollars. The Otis Elevator company installed the elevators in the Empire state building... Maybe @The History Guy knows why the elevator wasn't stopped.

[@perihelion7798]

27 year old Lt. Colonel...the youth of the aircrew is startling to me. God bless them.

[@surferdude44444]

Perihelion77.......they were called "90 day wonders."

[@rubenlopez3364]

27 years old was an old man among enlisted

[@perihelion7798]

@@surferdude44444 a '90 day wonder' was a 2nd LT, not a light colonel.

[@perihelion7798]

@@rubenlopez3364 He was a LT. Colonel -- a field grade officer. Not enlisted.

[@nycsongman9758]

You make rank fast in wartime, and out in the field.

[@cmcconn100]

One of my favorite videos you've made. Keep up the great work. My wife and I are going to take a cruise in Europe one of these years. It would be awesome to have you along as we meander through the Aegean...

[@shawnmiller9381]

This was an excellent spending of my time. I was quite interested hearing these facts of an accident from long ago. A very good telling as well with things in a good order.

[@piusg]

I adore that you have sponsors!! THAT deserves to be remembered!! ☺️

[@michaelsadams524]

Thank you for what you do. My Mom was born in New York City in The Bronx is 1930. That is what made me perk up when i saw this video. Thankfully, Mom and her family had moved to the nation's capital 4 years prior to this, in fact, just 7 months prior to The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor.

[@ImplodedAtom]

Chuck Norris is so tough that... Betty Lou Oliver: "Hold my beer..."

[@gunsandcommissions]

lol

[@miguelcastaneda7236]

hes old....dyed hair botoxed face nose job

[@ImplodedAtom]

@@miguelcastaneda7236 And still able to kick our asses 😉

[@Thor-rq4lk]

🤣🤣

[@ContentCalvin]

@@miguelcastaneda7236 like your mom

[@synergizerer21]

Request: the Teapot Dome scandal. Government officials allowing private drilling in a naval oil reserve a few miles north of Casper WY. All of us in Casper are aware of the scandal but nobody really knows what happened anymore.

[@flyswryan]

Synergizerer He’s already done that one, and many other Wyoming moments in history.

[@HabacucTheBellboy]

What does this have to do with the cost of eggs?

[@sinformant]

kzbin.info

[@JosephOlson-ld2td]

"The Teapot Dome Scandal" by Layton McCartney > too much for 10 min video

[@bernieponcik1351]

I know that people are giving you a hard time. The Teapot Dome scandal is history that people don't know enough about.

[@markpoidvin5382]

Not too happy with this channel. Discovered it a few days ago at 2 A.M. as I was off to bed, was going to watch one more video before going to bed, so much for that. Went to bed at 5.30 and had to get up at 9. As for the content and presentation, amongst the best I have seen. So many new stories and many , many stories I had heard only the main point, like this one, I knew a plane had hit it and that was it. Thank You and keep up the GREAT work.

[@johnnie2638]

This has to the be best "History Guy" yet! Mind...blown!

[@Bigg_G]

My mom was working there as a secretary for the Treasury Dep't when the plane crashed. She had not been writing to my father in the pacific because she was angry with him for enlisting in the Marines. She ended her boycott because of this crash.

[@2degucitas]

What floor was she on?

[@Bigg_G]

I'm not sure, I think she said 70-something. She described how the building shook, and then a long walk down the stairs. She's been gone since 1993, so I can't ask her any more.

[@SenorTucano]

What a bitch

[@MrJamesjustin]

Mate these videos are exceptional. Why couldn't my history teachers at school have been as interesting. Good on you History Guy. With you on the job history will indeed be remembered, and from what I've seen rightly so.

[@JerichoJosh1]

This story is wild. I'm amazed that I've never heard a word about it before!

[@bobgoodman1451]

It has always been part of my family history that captain Smith, the pilot, was a classmate of my mother and father at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham Alabama.

[@bobgoodman1451]

@Harry Corley I don't know, late 30's, early 40's. Mother is 95, born in 1924, dad was born in '22..was a bomber navigator then pilot in the war. One of their lifelong friends was a Corley. Perhaps Don? Mother's maiden name is Buck.

[@kcjones679]

@@bobgoodman1451 William Smith Jr was born in 1918.

[@bobgoodman1451]

@@kcjones679 so much for family history. Did he attend Woodlawn hi? Was he even from Birmingham ? Lol

[@lorensims4846]

Thank you for this. From time to time I've heard snippets of this story, mostly that it happened and maybe a photo but few details. And then nothing again for several years. Whenever I asked about it someone might say they heard it happened, most would have no idea what I was talking about and even say it wasn't possible. Yes indeed, this is history that deserves to be remembered. There are an awful lot of stories to come out of WWII, even quite a few spectacular and incredible ones. This is just one of those stories.

[@c.h.s9022]

I had never heard of this event before today, thank you for making this very detailed and informative video.

[@petej8556]

Have you heard about Mr Hanky, the X-Mas poo? Some people don't realise that a poo isn't just for Christmas though! A poo is for life! Hankies Dad is Stinkie Pinkie, or, el stinkieooo de Pinkieeo. He was leaving a fingerprint in a bum hole & 9 months later ol Hanky popped out! True story!

[@jonathanwilliams4348]

Knew about it, but didn't know the amazing details of this historical tragedy, thankyou for the fascinating story. So sad, but could've been so much worse!

[@deaks25]

Episodes like this are why I love your channel.: notable and fascinating (If tragic) events that have slipped out of public conciousness that are so meticulously researched and delivered with great consideration to the people the events affects , rather than just facts. Superb work as ever.

[@lovecate1]

I though you said "she had 3 cats and 7 grandcats." LOL I didn't even know this happened. Awesome channel!

[@chrisperry7963]

Great job as always. I remember hearing a dictaphone recording that was being made at the time of the crash, quite spooky!

[@Drgoldthumb]

I have never heard of this story before. Everyone should know about this. This is why I love this channel!!!

[@bradleyhouse3180]

The good old days when you could get a pharmacist to trust you with a dozen doses of morphine on the cuff, and your rings get returned to you on 34th street.

[@mxplk]

Hahaha, so true

[@emansnas]

Yep... second that big time

[@keithjackson4985]

😆 lol. Well said.

[@ContentCalvin]

@Scott Fabian except for the heroin on the east coast comes from Afghanistan/Middle East. Won't find tar 99% of the time... FAUCKT

[@tomsenft7434]

Yeah, imagine running into a Walgreens today. The teenage pharmacist would ask you to verify the last four digits of each of the victims phone numbers, and if you want to donate to cure something.

[@bradfordmuse6523]

Robert k Morgan was in a nearby building when the B-25 crash into the Empire State building for those who do not know who Robert k Morgan is he is the pilot of the famous B-17F Flying Fortress Memphis Belle he mentions that he was there during the crash in his book The man who flew the Memphis Belle

[@TheFlatlander440]

I met Robert Morgan at an air show in Fredrick, Md in 1993 and still have his autographed picture of the Memphis Belle to this day.

[@Joker-jt3vn]

That’s an interesting tidbit!

[@tree267]

I think someone stole your punctuation

[@TheLunarLumen]

Ever hear of periods, commas, and stuff like that?

[@bluerider7922]

@@TheLunarLumen I was thinking the same thing ! Maybe some quotation marks and some capitalization, also.

[@mshavisham8964]

I had no idea. I have this insistence that I learn something new every day. Thanks for ticking today's box. Always a pleasure.

[@skyking0475]

9:44 world record for surviving a 1000’ fall , down an elevator shaft no doubt. Then the guy casually walking on scaffolding 1000 feet up at 11:34 . Big time brave .

[@totallyfrozen]

There’s simply no way in Hell I’d be doing that. I’ll just have to concede that men back then were tougher than me.

[@jamessimms415]

Back during the Depression when jobs were scarce, you’d do anything for work.

[@spvillano]

Somehow, I'm damned sure that Betty would've wanted to avoid that "honor". Especially, given how many hours it took her to be extricated from the wreckage of the elevator, with severe burns and fractures.

[@mdgeist012002]

My mom said it was testing radar

[@lordgarion514]

@@totallyfrozen Nah, lots of people do that today, in poor parts of the world. Not quite that high of course, but plenty high enough to kill you. Lots die too, so modern countries don't allow that anymore.

[@bigblue6917]

I did know about this crash but, as always, it's good to hear it related by The History Guy. Somewhat ironic that having flown in combat the pilot was killed in an accident and, for all three of them, just under two weeks before the war ended.

[@techietypex]

It's speculated that the pilot had flown in worse conditions many times over Europe. That gave him a false sense of confidence. He had never flown over cities with 1000+ foot buildings. You know the rest

[@brandycarter9829]

History Guy, I am semi-obsessed with historical disasters, & after watching this video of a disastrous event I’d like to posit a topic suggestion in this same vein. Would you do a video on the Halifax Explosion? It’s an amazing & little known event that led to changes in maritime law, and it deserves to be remembered! I’m a big fan of your channel, your videos are entertaining, your research & knowledge is sound & your storytelling style is my absolute favorite. Thank you!

[@PAn-su3wy]

The history of those Japanese balloon bombs might be interesting to cover.

[@pauldolan1493]

P An Yeah! That little factoid started a whole separate google search

[@Derpy1969]

Get out of my mind!

[@coltseavers6298]

And then also the American 'bat bombs'.

[@saileyboy]

PBS histories mysteries.

[@spvillano]

Absolutely! Japan hijacked Dr Who's TARDIS and went back in time. But, we intercepted with more common TURDIS units and won the war.

[@RiverRev]

Stan Lomax! There's a name I hadn't heard in forty years. I remember hearing him on WOR radio.

[@joefarr3304]

If I'd had a history teacher like you at school, maybe I would have remembered more. Excellent video. Thanks.

[@daedica]

just make your password "Incorrect" whenever you forget your password it will say: " your password is Incorrect" ;)

[@virgiltibbs6971]

That’s genius

[@m0ther_bra1ned12]

Thats a good idea actually. XD

[@marymonson2187]

/M0ther_bra1ned/ v

[@polomare2027]

daedica I love it

[@philosopher1a]

lol

[@Dante-fk3ku]

Wow never heard this before. Thank you .

[@finecutpost]

Absolutely love your beautifully researched and presented stories . I'd just like to offer a suggestion that I think would improve the historical footage you use. Expanding 4x3 movie scenes to 16x9 really dosnt work the air to sir shots of the B25 look obviously stretched. Later on the Empire State Building is correctly preportioned as it has black bars left and rights. Most editing software allows this to be done quickly

[@xyzabc6082]

Fascinating and tragic at the same time. Never even heard of this accident before!

[@mickeyjanowski9457]

Regarding the call sign of the B-25, the proper military pronunciation of the number 0 is “zero” rather than “oh”. Your work is very interesting, keep it up!

[@fasfan]

Interesting. Because when I was in the Navy we would refer to ranges like "Range Four two double oh" for 4200 yards.

[@mickeyjanowski9457]

I was a forward observer in VN, mostly artillery, some air support, very occasional naval fire and all numbers were pronounced individually. I never heard anyone use “oh” for 0. That’s just my experience. Maybe I was a bit hasty assuming all branches of the service were uniform,,, pun intended.

[@mickeyjanowski9457]

And then again, things are always changing. Nam was a long time ago

[@fasfan]

@@mickeyjanowski9457 It was zero when clarification was important. So our hull number would be seven-one-zero for example. But usually it was just seven-ten. But you are correct when the difference between a zero and an oh was possible it was always zero.

[@kathyo9420]

My dad was in the building when it happened. My grandfather worked there and he had taken my 5 year old dad along for the day. He had nightmares for weeks afterwards. He was a few floors down from my grandfather with the secretary pool while my grandfather was in a meeting. My grandmother detailed it in my dad's baby book and put the news clippings in as well. To note for the younguns, back then not everyone had a five day work week. Some people only had Sunday's off.

[@dscrive]

wow. the other places I'd read this story years ago glossed over the deaths and mostly seemed to focus on "but the building survived!" Though this tale is tragic I thank you for sharing it with us.

[@joeyfreeman5052]

Please do a video on Lt. Henry G. Lee the poet of Bataan. A very tragic story of a soldier who survived the Bataan death march only to die in a pow transport ship in 1945. He is survived by his poetry that was hidden in the concentration camp that was found when it was liberated. I believe this man is history that deserves to be remembered.

[@lancethrustworthy]

I dig Dashlane and I'm glad they had the sense to advertise with The History Guy.

[@charliemason4355]

Suggestion: The December 16, 1960 collision of two passenger airliners over Park Slope, Brooklyn. One Hundred and thirty-four people died.

[@WurmisD]

This incident stood out in my mind that morning in September 2001. I naively assumed the first WTC crash was a similar accident.

[@saint9963]

....and then we all knew it was an inside job.

[@betsybarnicle8016]

Who says this crash was an accident? I don't believe it.

[@oncementored]

Search for the words: 9/11 Israel Did It

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

@cosmicVox13 There were no plane crashes on 911.

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

@cosmicVox13 And did a single one of them eye witnesses (as you claim) see a plane crash into building 7 ?

[@joeg5414]

One of the top five channels on youtube

[@daedralord1]

Top rate again history guy. A friend from Ireland

[@stevenhoman2253]

Hi, I would love a more comprehensive exposition of the allied tail gunner who fell 35,000 feet without a parachute and survived with only superficial injuries. WWII was certainly a time of many miracles.

[@michaelevans205]

Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade of RAF bomber command, who fell 18000 feet from the tail turret of his Lancaster. The gunner's parachute was stowed in the fuselage because there wasn't room for it in the turret. When the Lancaster was attacked by a German night fighter Alkemade turned his turret to try to reach the 'chute but found it impossible to get at; the flames were too fierce and the parachute was on fire anyway. Deciding that anything was better than burning to death he rotated the turret to the side and rolled out into space. When he woke up he found himself lyingin a deep snow drift having fallen through a bunch of tree branches - these had cushioned him from the full force of the impact. His injuries were relatively light but when the Germans found him they didn't believe his story. It was only whrn they discovered the wreckage of the aircraft with his crewmates and, crucially, his parachute still inside that they realized the truth of his incredible luck. Have a look at the story of Vesna Vulovic. She fell 33000 feet inside the wreckage of a Yugoslav airliner destroyed by a bomb in 1972. She passed away only quite recently.

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@michaelevans205 yes, truly amazing isn't it?

[@michaelevans205]

There was also a German airman who fell from a burning Zeppelin, through the roof of a convent and landed on a nun's bed. As with Betty Lou, I guess it just wasn't their time to go!

[@mickhale5720]

i learn more watching your videos than i did from school.you have a very good way of me and probably many others of learning - that i can remember ..thank you..m.hale

[@NunYaO]

What a great episode! I never knew that a plane had struck a building in New York BEFORE 9-11 occurred, & I'm sure many others haven't either. As you say, it is history that deserves to be remembered! Thanks, History Guy!

[@geoffdearth7360]

I knew of it but not all these details.

[@sarahwhitlock6100]

And yet he left off the part about the air frame being recovered from a lower roof terrace, some of it making it to the street level. Just goes to show, full penetration is NOT POSSIBLE!

[@techietypex]

Actually, a number of tall buildings in Manhattan and other cities were stuck by aircraft over the years, partularly during the first half of the Twentieth Century. But the aircraft were much smaller and slower than modern passenger liners. For example, in 1946 an Army Air Corps Beachcraft C45F crashed into 40 Wall Street at the 58th Floor. That building is now owned by Donald Trump

[@NunYaO]

@@techietypex I didn't know that! Thanks

[@romanhanajik3185]

8:37 It's plane in office where was crash in Empire State Building or it's somewhere else after crash?

[@simonpalling3215]

And the first thought of many was to head straight for litigation.... Mr History Guy, yet another marvellous telling of how it was. The efforts of you and yours are very much appreciated and awaken an interest in recent history I never had before. Thank you all, and long may it continue. Happy Sunday to you all.

[@robinj.9329]

I think I can remember seeing an issue of Life magazine with articles and photos of this very incident. Perhaps you've seen it?

[@richardputz3233]

Robin Jacobs. My dad had a copy,it was kept in a plastic bag and never,ever looked at. Unfortunately it has disappeared.

[@brettpenrod]

Can you imagine the fear Mary Lou Oliver experienced falling down the elevator shaft? Well done History Guy!

[@interstellarsurfer]

She was probably already in far too much pain to care about the elevator ride. Thankfully there was someone with morphine syretes nearby. 👍

[@2degucitas]

@@interstellarsurfer Syretes?

[@strawbrryfld1]

Excellent material ! I had heard of the crash, but the background information was most interesting ! 🤗

[@dangremaus1164]

7:05 "Damn! Only 3 more days till retirement, too!"

[@thatguyoverthere9634]

Wait, the mythbusters did a show about the girl in the elevator and yet they NEVER MENTIONED WHY THE ELEVATOR FELL.

[@BilderbergCEO]

Because they're a part of the controlled MSM, and they don't want people to know what really happens when planes hit buildings.

[@Pygar2]

Gravity, I'll bet.

[@charlayned]

When 9-11 happened, my husband (who is an amature historian) called me from the building he worked from in Houston that used to hold Vice President Chaney.. He told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Almost in unison, we both said "Just like the B-25 in 1945. I turned on the TV and we sat talking about what we were seeing and how much it reminded us of the old plane hitting the Empire State Building. Then it occurred to me, the sky was bright and not a cloud visible. The B-25 had been in fog. That got us to trying to figure out how a commercial pilot could miss the towers looming in front of their plane, just as the 2nd plane hit. That was our subject from that moment on, and his boss sent him and the rest of the country home, it was clear that there would be no work done that day.