When the Military Tested a Biological Weapon in S.F.

12/11/2025 19 min
When the Military Tested a Biological Weapon in S.F.

Listen "When the Military Tested a Biological Weapon in S.F."

Episode Synopsis

Today, we bring you an episode from our friends at Bay Curious about a secret biological weapons test — in San Francisco. 75 years ago, the U.S. military sprayed bacteria over the city. The test team thought it was harmless, but several people got sick and one person died. KQED’s Katherine Monahan reports on the history and impacts of this operation on one man's family. 

Links:



The True Story of the Military's Secret 1950 San Francisco Biological Weapons Test | KQED 


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