On Christmas Eve in 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke boarded a plane with her mother, expecting to spend the holidays with her family. But when lightning struck their aircraft over the Amazon rainforest, everything changed.

Against all odds, Juliane survived a fall of nearly 10,000 feet. Injured, alone, and surrounded by miles of dense jungle, she faced an even greater challenge: finding her way back to civilization.

Discover the extraordinary true story of a teenager whose courage, determination, and knowledge of nature helped her survive the impossible.

Listen, learn, and build your English with TRUE STORY by Explore English, a podcast for intermediate English learners (B1–B2).

In 1925, a charming con artist named Victor Lustig convinced a businessman that the French government was secretly selling the Eiffel Tower.

The businessman believed him. He paid for it. And Lustig disappeared with the money.

But the story doesn't end there. Lustig returned to Paris and decided to try the same trick again.

Discover the unbelievable true story of one of history's boldest scams—and how a little confidence can make even the impossible seem believable.

Listen, learn, and build your English with TRUE STORY by Explore English.

In 1901, 63-year-old schoolteacher Annie Edson Taylor had a plan to change her life.

She would climb inside a wooden barrel, go over Niagara Falls—and hopefully become rich and famous.

It sounds impossible. But she did it.

Discover the remarkable true story of the first person known to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, why she took such an extraordinary risk, and what happened after she survived.

Sometimes taking a risk changes everything.

Just not always in the way you expect.

Listen, learn, and build your English with TRUE STORY by Explore English.

Al Capone was one of the most notorious gangsters in American history. His name was connected to organized crime, violence, corruption, and murder.

But proving it was another matter.

For years, authorities struggled to build a case against him. Then investigators found another way.

They followed the money.

Discover the true story of how one of America’s most powerful gangsters was finally brought down—not by murder charges or organized crime, but by tax evasion.

Listen, learn, and build your English with TRUE STORY by Explore English.

In 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia walked into the Louvre Museum in Paris and left with something rather important—the Mona Lisa.

No elaborate heist. No team of professional thieves. And somehow, nobody noticed until the next day.

Discover the strange and surprisingly funny true story of how the world's most famous painting disappeared for more than two years, why Pablo Picasso became involved in the investigation, and how the theft itself may have helped turn the Mona Lisa into the cultural icon we know today.

Listen, learn, and build your English with TRUE STORY by Explore English.

A young couple from Argentina set out for Alaska in a 70-year-old car. The plan? Six months on the road.

But six months came and went. Then they became parents. And somewhere along the way, a simple road trip turned into more than 20 years of adventure.

This TRUE STORY is about family, travel, unexpected turns—and what can happen when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Listen, enjoy the story, and practice your English along the way.

Before building Spanx, Sara Blakely spent years selling fax machines door to door. Discover how rejection, persistence, and the ability to talk to strangers helped shape her success.

Before Rocky Balboa became one of cinema's most famous underdogs, the actor who created him was fighting his own battle for a chance.