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History Daily

The Arrest of Ethel Rosenberg

History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

History

4.42.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

August 11, 1950. The alleged traitor Ethel Rosenberg is arrested on allegations of spying for the Soviet Union. This episode originally aired in 2022.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:04.1

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0:06.0

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0:10.5

or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com.

0:27.7

It's O 11, 1950 in New York City.

0:29.9

It's a stifling day in Manhattan.

0:36.5

The asphalt cooks, trees droop in the heat, and sun gleams harshly off the windows of skyscrapers.

0:41.4

At Foley Square, the doors to the United States Federal Courthouse swing open,

0:45.1

and a woman in a sleetless white summer dress hurries outside.

0:48.9

32-year-old Ethel Rosenberg is soon sweating into heat,

0:51.8

but she's just glad to be out of the building behind her.

0:55.1

The marble halls of the federal courthouse were cool enough,

0:59.9

but giving evidence before a grand jury is not Ethel's idea of a relaxing afternoon.

1:03.1

All she wants now is to get home to her children.

1:07.6

Ethel crosses the courthouse portico with its grand stone columns and clips down the steps toward the street.

1:10.3

There she hurries across the square,

1:12.1

dodging traffic as she heads for a nearby subway station. But Ethel hasn't gone far when she

1:17.2

sees a man in a dark suit emerge from among the trees in the square. He's moving to cut her off,

1:23.3

so Ethel quickens her pace. But her pursuer catches up and steps into her path.

1:29.2

At the same time, another suited man appears from behind and grabs Ethel by the arm.

1:34.6

Before she can resist, one of the men in suits tells her they're from the FBI,

1:38.9

and she's under arrest.

...

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