Podcast Summary: Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode Title: Fruit Punch
Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Episode Overview

In this episode, Aaron Mahnke shares two short, true tales exploring how seemingly small events can lead to chaos and tragedy, as well as the unpredictable ways fate can intervene in people’s lives. The first story recounts the infamous Watermelon Riot of Panama City in 1856, sparked by a stolen slice of fruit. The second story spotlights “Ms. Unsinkable,” Violet Jessop, a ship stewardess who survived the sinking of not one, but three notorious ships.

Story 1: The Watermelon Riot

[01:10–06:05]

Key Discussion Points

• Setting the Scene:

  • Panama City, April 15, 1856, was hot, overcrowded, and filled with American travelers eager to reach California during the Gold Rush.
  • With the Panama Canal yet to exist, travelers faced a bottleneck in Panama City while waiting for ships like the John L. Stevens.
  • Americans packed into cheap lodgings or waited by the beach, growing frustrated with delays.

• The Inciting Incident:

  • Jack Oliver, a drunk American, leaves a saloon and steals a slice of watermelon from street vendor Jose Luna.
  • Luna demands payment; Oliver refuses, escalates the situation by drawing a pistol, Luna responds defensively with a knife.

• Outbreak of Chaos:

  • A bystander, Miguel Habrahan, grabs Oliver’s pistol. It fires (hitting no one), and he flees, pursued by Oliver and other Americans brandishing weapons.
  • Tensions boil over: locals, already “primed and angry toward the arrogant Americans,” arm themselves.
  • Violence erupts, with American-run hotels trashed, a full-scale riot breaking out, and Americans barricading in the train station.

• Aftermath:

  • Police intervention fails when a stray bullet from the Americans kills an officer; all order collapses.
  • At least 17 people die (15 Americans, 2 Panamanians), 60+ are injured, and infrastructure (station, telegraph, tracks) is destroyed.
  • The instigator, Jack Oliver, reportedly evades consequences—possibly by sleeping through the violence and simply boarding his ship when the tide changes.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “Our world is full of the unexplainable... all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [00:47]

• “It was an explosion of tension that had already existed in the area. Locals, primed and angry toward the arrogant Americans, took to American-run businesses with clubs and other improvised weapons.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [03:37]

• “Traveling from one end of a continent to another is always going to provoke some sort of stress. Even as technology improves, we accept a certain amount of discomfort—if it gets us where we’re going. Only when your plane has a layover, it rarely ends with the airport burning to the ground.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [05:43]

Story 2: Ms. Unsinkable – Violet Jessup

[06:05–09:20]

Key Discussion Points

• In the Midst of Disaster:

  • November 21, 1916: Violet Jessup, a stewardess aboard the hospital ship HMHS Britannic, calmly tends to her duties as the ship is struck by an explosion.
  • Jessup had previously survived two infamous maritime disasters: the collisions of the RMS Olympic and the sinking of the Titanic.

• Courage Under Pressure:

  • During the Britannic’s sinking, Violet focuses on caring for a sick nurse, gathers her personal items, and only evacuates when told by an officer.
  • She witnesses another lifeboat being pulled into the ship’s propellers; realizing her own danger, she’s forced to jump overboard—even though she cannot swim.

• A Narrow Escape:

  • Jessup is tossed around by the waves, hits her head, and nearly drowns, but is saved by a helping hand moments before she succumbs.

• Legacy:

  • 28 lives are lost in the disaster, but Jessup survives and becomes known as “Ms. Unsinkable.”
  • Undeterred, she returns to sea work and completes a 30-year career before retiring.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “She was no stranger to chaos at sea. She’d been a stewardess on the supposedly unsinkable Titanic when it hit an iceberg four years earlier… Whatever was happening on the Britannic that morning, it wouldn’t rattle Violet Jessup.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [06:46]

• “All told, 28 lives were lost in the sinking of the Britannic, but Violet Jessup survived and made a full recovery. And when news got out that the stewardess had lived through a third major disaster on the ocean, she earned the new nickname Ms. Unsinkable.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [08:45]

• “Fates can be a curiously powerful force, but for Violet Jessup, it couldn’t match the pull of the ocean.”
  — Aaron Mahnke [09:12]

Takeaway Thoughts

• Small, impulsive acts (like the theft of a watermelon) can spark far-reaching and violent consequences when layered on societal tensions.
• Fate and resilience are recurring themes—sometimes the most unlikely people survive incredible disasters not once, but multiple times.
• Both stories underline how history is often stranger and more unbelievable than fiction.

Key Segment Timestamps

• [01:10] — Introduction to the Panama City scene and Gold Rush context
• [02:15] — The watermelon theft and initial altercation
• [03:00] — Riot breaks out
• [04:45] — Aftermath, injuries, and deaths
• [06:05] — Violet Jessup’s story begins
• [07:40] — The Britannic’s sinking and Jessup’s escape
• [08:45] — Ms. Unsinkable and her legacy

This episode captures both the unpredictability of historical events and the resilience of those who endure them, always urging listeners to “stay curious.”