Ep 1. Sandwich in Space and More

Mysteries at the Museum is a historical documentary series that takes viewers on a journey through some of the world's most intriguing, bizarre and infamous artifacts, exploring the mystery, legend and history behind each object. In season 21 episode 1, titled "Sandwich in Space and More," host Don Wildman delves into some of the world's most fascinating stories, each with its unique bit of history and intrigue.

The first segment focuses on a seemingly ordinary sandwich that made history in 1965. Astronaut John Young smuggled the sandwich onboard the Gemini 3 spacecraft as an act of rebellion against NASA's strict no-food-in-space policy. The story not only sheds light on the early years of American space travel but also highlights the quirky rebellion and humor of the first astronauts, a group who risked their lives to push the boundaries of human knowledge.

The second segment centers around an innocuous looking mechanical object with a mysterious past. Discovered off the coast of the Netherlands, the device dubbed the "Antikythera Mechanism" represented proof that ancient Greeks had a far more detailed knowledge of astronomy than previously thought. The Antikythera Mechanism is a seven-gear mechanism that can predict astronomical positions, phases of the moon, and eclipses, all within a degree of accuracy. Scientists have speculated that it might have been a kind of mechanical calendar used to time the cycles of the Olympiad games. How such a device was made, and why it was lost for over 2000 years, is still a mystery to this day.

The third segment features the heartbreaking story of a young woman named Hattie McDaniels, who was the first Black performer to win an Oscar in 1939. Her role in the Oscar-winning movie 'Gone with the Wind' propelled her to fame and fortune but also exposed her to the fierce racism of the time. Despite the racism she faced, she became a champion for Black entertainment artists, opening doors for generations of American performers. Her story also highlights the role of Hollywood in molding our cultural memory, sometimes for the better, but also sometimes for the worse.

The fourth and final segment tackles the story of a small, seemingly unremarkable statue of a Chinese figure. However, the statue, called the "Pagoda Boy," holds a vivid and turbulent history dating back to the Opium Wars of the 19th century. The statue became a symbol of the resistance against the imperial powers of the West, and its image was replicated and used to raise funds for the resistance effort. The story of the Pagoda Boy is not only a reminder of the turbulent and sometimes brutal history of empire-building but also a tribute to the indomitable human spirit that rises up against oppression.

Overall, Mysteries at the Museum season 21 episode 1 offers a glimpse into the fascinating history of our world, a history that is often buried under layers of time and forgetfulness. The show reminds us that our lives are intertwined with the past and that every object, every story, holds within it a seed of mystery that is waiting to be discovered and explored.