Listen "The Great Grain Robbery (1972)"
Episode Synopsis
It's July 14th. This day in 1972, Russian agricultural officials are in New York City cutting deals with American farmers for surplus U.S. wheat. Before the U.S. government could realize what was happening, the U.S.S.R. had snapped up almost a quarter of the American crop.Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the Russians were so desperate for grain, why the U.S. was caught off guard -- and how the ripple effects of this purchase changed everything from price controls to satellite technology.Help out with America 250 Watch! Subscribe to our newsletter for our ongoing coverage and commentary on how America 250 is playing out.https://thisdaypod.substack.com/Find out more at thisdaypod.comThis Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories.If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.comGet in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypodOur team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Audrey Mardavich is our Executive Producer at Radiotopia
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
More episodes of the podcast This Day
The Drinking Continues (1920) [Part 2]
15/01/2026
Prohibition Arrives (1920) [Part 1]
13/01/2026
The Bicentennial Boondoggles (1976) [Part 2]
08/01/2026
Bicentennial Fever! (1976) [Part 1]
06/01/2026
2026 Predictions and Provocations
04/01/2026
"Give Me Liberty Or..." [2025 Favorite]
30/12/2025
Wikipedia Saves The Internet [2025 Favorite]
28/12/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.