Episode Details

On May 30, 1626, a screaming came across the sky over Beijing, the imperial capital of Ming Dynasty China. Within moments, thousands of people lay dead, and many more were injured, including within the Forbidden City. Modern estimates puts the force of the event on par with the Hiroshima bomb.

The event shook Ming China to the core. Was it an omen that the "mandate of heaven" might be about to shift to another power?

And what was "it," exactly? An accidental detonation of gunpowder? An earthquake? A tornado? A meteor? 

Support the show