"Mobituaries": Samantha Smith, "America's Littlest Diplomat"

Рет қаралды 70,099

Жыл бұрын

In 1982 an 10-year-old girl wrote to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov voicing her worries about the prospect of nuclear war. "Mobituaries" host Mo Rocca looks back at Samantha Smith, who was invited to the USSR, and was welcomed like a visiting head of state. [Listen to "Mobituaries" wherever you get your podcasts.]
#mobituaries #coldwar #samanthasmith
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Пікірлер: 174

@publicenemy9326 Жыл бұрын

We in Russia also remember this little angel, in the children's camp where she vacationed there is a monument and an alley in her honor is named in the same camp, they tell our children about her. She fell in love with the whole Soviet Union and we are just as saddened by the loss of this young, strong lady.

@victory3252 Жыл бұрын

In 1985, a 32.7-carat diamond found in Yakutia was named after Samantha. Crimean astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh named the asteroid she discovered "3147 Samantha" in 1986. In the same year, an alley named after an American schoolgirl was opened in Artek, in the Morskoy camp, and a memorial stella (c) was installed

@HeyMJ. Жыл бұрын

More stories like this are greatly needed in today’s world. A reminder of lessons learned from not so long ago..

@TheGoodMMADog Жыл бұрын

I can’t believe I had never heard of this before. This was great storytelling.

@mrwaterschoot5617 Жыл бұрын

yes it is storytelling and even more. it is an historic event when a youngster took an american right and concept of free speech and used it like an adult and asked the questions that voting age person might ask and a stupid politician is to afraid to ask. she is a pint sized hero. she used the kiss method keep it simple and stupid and that will make that is very special and no one else thought of it.

@gen81465 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely great, and not a "Greta" moment to be found.

@gcrichman53 3 ай бұрын

I really can't believe or understand why there has never been a TV or theater biography film about Samantha in all these years.

@raed8756 Жыл бұрын

Note for Golden Girls fans: Samantha’s actions were inspiration for the episode where Rose wrote a letter to Gorbachev and he thought she was a little girl.

@jessicaaudate Жыл бұрын

Wait didn't Marge do something similar on The Simpsons?

@jartober Жыл бұрын

Yup!

@yvonnemurray5537 Жыл бұрын

Really….that’s cool!

@TattedIrishxxx Жыл бұрын

I thought so! Love me some GG!! ❤🎉❤

@jeremiahboddy8262 Жыл бұрын

You’re never too young to be influential.

@Juliaflo Жыл бұрын

Think Anneliese Marie Frank, right?

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

@@Juliaflo RIP Anne.😥💐💐💐

@wolf1ibm Жыл бұрын

I was a freshman in college at the time and do not recall hearing about her. Watching CBS Sunday Morning yesterday was the first time. Watching the show I was very much looking forward to learning what she's up to now. When Mo said she had died in a plane crash 2 years later, I just sat there and cried. An hour later when my wife returned from work, I told her about it and cried again. I'm teary eyed now just typing this. So inspiring and so tragic.

@oliviarivera1249 Жыл бұрын

Same Dave, same 🥺😢

@hileyjohnson1901 Жыл бұрын

Same😢

@boomerang8909 Жыл бұрын

4:34 Her death was in August but bringing it up in January reminded me of another father-daughter air crash victims: Kobe and Gianna. RIP, Little Sam.

@JoseMorales-lw5nt Жыл бұрын

5:26/ June 29th, 2023 would have marked 51 years for this lovely soul. Hey, Samantha. Good to know your act of random kindness made humanity stop its bitterness, even for a moment. God speed, and keep writing those letters of love...

@davalvideo Жыл бұрын

Thank you, CBS, for telling the story of Samantha. I was a radio news reporter in Auburn, Maine at the time and covered her tragic passing. Thank you for introducing her to a generation that did not know about her and what a special person she was.

@nghtwtchmn129 Жыл бұрын

You might want to read the "Historical Context" under the Wikipedia entry for Samantha Smith. And the entry for Yuri Andropov. Do you know why he was called "The Butcher of Budapest?"

@peppigue Жыл бұрын

can't help thinking she could have been the first woman president. being an actress wouldn't have been enough for her...

@MarcillaSmith Жыл бұрын

It's easy to relate to the tragedy as experienced by her friends and family, but how few of us stop to think what it must be like for the federal agent sent to sabotage the plane?

@gcrichman53 3 ай бұрын

@@peppigueSamantha was certainly intelligent and special enough to be the first female president.

@jonsnow5943 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this about Sam.❤😢😊

@SteveBrant55 Жыл бұрын

OMG! I remember her! I was 27 ... terrified that we might have a nuclear war... but had no idea I could do anything. Yet, here was this 11 year old girl... who had no such self-imposed limitation. Strangely, I have no memory of her dying just two years later. I guess my way of handling the pain was to block the memory completely. Thank you, CBS Sunday Morning, for bringing her story back to life for me and so many others. I will share this video widely. My dream is to visit that museum someday!

@dennismorris7573 Жыл бұрын

The importance and power of direct communication - a story as heartwarming as it is tragic.

@kirkjamison4520 Жыл бұрын

An old friend wrote me a handwritten letter recently, it really made my day.

@lasandralucas7314 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this story about Samantha Smith. I was in high school and college when she went to Moscow and mourned when she and her father passed in the plane crash. Although short time on this earth, she lived an incredible life. God bless you and your father in the heavens.

@alextomtom5531 Жыл бұрын

Didn't know anything about her until after she passed, I was 14 years old and had such a crush on her after seeing her on the news. I was amazed of how much she accomplished at such a young age, I have never forgotten her and still have an old newspaper clipping about her death and every so often I watch reruns of Lime Street, sad she never got to spread her wings as an adult she would have been hugely successful she would today be 51.

@johnj3011 Жыл бұрын

So heartbreaking. She was an incredible human being. 💔 😢

@az_pit_viper4270 Жыл бұрын

😢

@MISNM0 Жыл бұрын

This was a spectacularly special episode on Mobituaries.

@justpaddingtonbear Жыл бұрын

Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to check it out.

@wesleyratko7830 Жыл бұрын

Heartbreaking. I was so invested in this story. The end was somewhat gutting. But I'm glad I know about her.

@LAWoman323213 Жыл бұрын

I remember Samantha Smith. Wow, haven’t thought about her in years

@SamanthaSmithINFO Жыл бұрын

Thank you for telling Samantha's story!

@josephroman8568 Жыл бұрын

I'm old enough to remember Samantha and am forever grateful to have known about her. May she rest in peace.

@tishw4576 Жыл бұрын

I remember this story. I was young myself during this time and our geography and history teachers spoke about how special she was and how important it is to keep our leaders in check. Her question was simple and I do believe she changed the world.

@jeffreykindron7162 Жыл бұрын

What a beautiful and tragic story

@maj6190 Жыл бұрын

How did I never hear about Samantha? I was 30 at the time and obviously too caught up in my own life to notice what else was going on in the world. What a great story. So glad she is remembered to this day.

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

Very good segment on Samantha, just wish it had been longer.They should have did the whole hour and a half show about her.😥😇👸💐💐💐💐💐

@KellieT73 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in southern Maine and was also in grade school (4th) at that time. I remember learning about what she was doing and was so sad about her untimely death.

@007Julie Жыл бұрын

I highly recommend you guys listen to Mobituaries, it’s such a smart, quirky and very informative podcast.

@pamelabretschneider3780 Жыл бұрын

Samantha’s voice has never been silenced, yet our world leaders of today have forgotten what it means to listen with pure hearts…..

@bekkylove742 Жыл бұрын

Weeping in gratitude. thank You for your research and sharing.

@timwright4263 Ай бұрын

I live in England. I discovered Samantha Smith just yesterday. It was a hard punch. It hurt me to learn of this beautiful young person who cared so much about people. Her impact on me, as an individual, has been great. She cared, and she has not been forgotten.

@mcmlxii4419 Жыл бұрын

Hard to believe that was 40 years ago! Doesn't seem that long ago.

@john-paulnagel2732 Жыл бұрын

I Remember this Beautiful Soul and a Beautiful Princess!!❤ Peace ☮️ and Love ❤️

@jojopuppyfish Жыл бұрын

She was close to my age. I'm sad that she missed so much til now since her passing.

@cocoaorange1 Жыл бұрын

True, she would be close to 50 now.

@gcrichman53 3 ай бұрын

@@cocoaorange1 Yeah it's really very hard to believe that Samantha would have turned 52 this year.

@2legit64 Жыл бұрын

Wow! I'd forgotten about this story. It makes me wonder what more she could have accomplished. Well done, as usual, Mo.

@d.virgallito3490 Жыл бұрын

Star Child ! She had 1 mission, and accomplished it.

@johnurban7333 Жыл бұрын

Wow, we've really fallen alot. This young lady had so much poise. No screaming and yelling to get her point across. Very calm and matter of fact and got the job done. Show this to Greta. This is how you do it.

@petesmart1983 Жыл бұрын

Not really completely different time

@jillv4006 Жыл бұрын

Moe, thank you so much for sharing this story!

@user-nl2ty2tp6k 3 ай бұрын

Her smile is similar to Gagarin's smile. Such a smile is reassuring and brings goodness to hearts. I believe that such people are holy and sacrificial.

@johnkeith2450 Жыл бұрын

Too often, such a sad world we live in.

@cocoaorange1 Жыл бұрын

I was 18 when she passed. I respected her for her efforts at such a young age. I saw a few episodes of the show she did with Robert Wagner shortly before she sadly passed.

@JCNDCIII Жыл бұрын

Loved seeing this story. I had forgotten about her but I remember all of the coverage of her life.

@Themanwhocameback2 Жыл бұрын

A friend of mine was in the cast of" Lime Street". We were all shocked and saddened by her death. I always though she would have ended up in the Senate.

@jltuttle1667 Жыл бұрын

Brilliantly done!

@az_pit_viper4270 Жыл бұрын

Rest in peace little angel 🥺😥

@adrianpena677 Жыл бұрын

What a smart & brave child ,may her innocent soul rip along with all who perished in that plane .rip 🙏

@philipciaffa6643 Жыл бұрын

I had two independent conversations with a visiting Russian executive and with an American executive, when the Soviet Union collapsed. We had a brief opportunity to extend a helping hand, a new Marshall Plan to build a more constructive relationship. For the American, he lamented the hardships of the travel, lodgings, communications, the inconvenience. And so, a window of opportunity closed.

@haumea420 3 ай бұрын

She sure did a lot in her 13 years of her short life. She was truly an American hero!

@ilttpvvm Жыл бұрын

I wonder what Samantha would think about the situation today…

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

I think she would have been disgusted with the way the Biden Administration has run this country into the ground.😥 Groceries crazy prices and high gas prices, open border with thousands of ILLEGAL immigrants pouring in,no questions asked and now acting entitled by tearing up the $500 a night high end Hotel in NYC by literally treating it like garbage 🗑️. Drinking and carrying on and garbage every where in the rooms and tons of food being wasted and thrown away because the migrants want what they want to eat,not what they are given generously, and we are paying for all this!

@jessicahahn6300 Жыл бұрын

Her trip made Russia intriguing to me. In 1985 I visited with a class. I flew back to America from Moscow on Aug 25, 1985, the day Samantha Smith died. How odd.

@alopezcepero Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@HELESPONTify Жыл бұрын

Samanta je bila dobra duša,htjela je bolji i pravedniji svijet

@yvonnemurray5537 Жыл бұрын

Wow…that was amazing! I wonder if she is mentioned in any school history books…other than those in Maine obviously. I don’t believe I ever heard about her…and that would have been my era. It’s true…1 person can change the world.

@ellew7716 Жыл бұрын

See America's Youngest Ambassador by Lena Nelson.

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

RIP Samantha.💐💐💐I own the book with her on the cover in the glass display at her school.

@mililaniman Жыл бұрын

Samantha perpetuated peace with a simple letter. I love this story.

@NJGuy1973 Жыл бұрын

When older people were actually willing to listen to younger people.

@erikpeterson25 3 ай бұрын

Yes ❤

@gcrichman53 3 ай бұрын

Samantha was not only very intelligent, mature and kind but she was beautiful too and she was pretty good in the TV show Lime Street. And I'm sure that she would have become a really good successful actress too and it's so sad that she and her father died in the plane crash when she was only 13.

@TheSaltydog07 Жыл бұрын

I've loved things Russian all my life, thanks to Tokstoi Gogol, and Dostoievski, Tchaikovsky. My son's godparents, Anta and Nicholas are Russian. Anya taught me how to make borscht. I wish for peace.

@shigshug8581 7 ай бұрын

RIP Samantha Smith

@paperprincess1050 Жыл бұрын

😥💖

@ranelgallardo7031 2 ай бұрын

I was born several years after her death so I only heard of her via binge reading Wikipedia articles years ago. I haven’t seen videos about her until now.

@valeriesmith5780 Жыл бұрын

Wow

@michaelvaladez6570 Жыл бұрын

So sad to hear how she passed..it makes you think that she was put on God's green earth for a simple mission 🙏....

@adriaanboogaard8571 Жыл бұрын

She helped start progress towards Peice .Today's world seems to be in reverse. A child doesn't start Wars Selfish Adults do. I think we would be better off letting Little Girls run the World. They should play this in Elementary schools around the World. Not to leave out any gender. Lots of kids have great knowledge and Ideas. I did when I was a little boy.

@cptgunn Жыл бұрын

A very tragic ending for Samantha, her father, and the six others on the plane, who are rarely ever mentioned. There is so much more behind Samantha's life, and the plane crash, than has ever been revealed.

@hannahmitchell87 10 ай бұрын

has anything been hinted at?

@cptgunn 10 ай бұрын

@@hannahmitchell87 With the plane crash? There were many accusations of "foul play" regarding the plane crash in the days and months afterward. This is something I have been researching for over six years.

@hannahmitchell87 10 ай бұрын

@cptgunn can you point me to any resources please?

@cptgunn 10 ай бұрын

@@hannahmitchell87 They deleted my comment even though there was nothing bad about it and I didn't share any web links or anything. Hopefully you received my comment before they got rid of it.

@hannahmitchell87 10 ай бұрын

@@cptgunn I didn't

@petesmart1983 Жыл бұрын

Always remember her from Robert Bardo documentary as his first person he stalked

@KeiraSamson Ай бұрын

dawg if i got that letter back i'd be questioning myself 💀

@nashshaffer6235 Жыл бұрын

I remember her, especially when she died

@eicrusade6161 Жыл бұрын

Oh I didn't know she died and so young.

@lucyrodriguez965 Жыл бұрын

😇

@akella278 9 ай бұрын

Samantha Smith was a pacifist and a goodwill ambassador. she wanted to find out the truth that the USSR was really a dangerous state, as the people of America were taught, thereby exposing the dirty propaganda of their government and provoking the anger of their superiors. Rest in peace Samantha Smith we remember you bright angel👼

@achatcueilleur5746 9 ай бұрын

She was wasting too much of her time watching TV. It didn't end well.

@alfredroberthogan Жыл бұрын

Young pacifist Samantha Smith no doubt would have become a vegan eventually. I have seen that most moving statue of her along with a little bear in Augusta, Maine, near the Maine State Capitol and Maine State Archives. Her tragic end in a 1985 plane crash was so devastating. Most unfortunately, all too few among the politicians, press, and public are committed to peace--and using the saved proceeds to deal with the No. 1 climate crisis and other urgent issues.

@keithss67 Жыл бұрын

She probably didn’t know Scott baio supposedly has a 3 inch pinky

@MrMatteNWk Жыл бұрын

Or that Scott Baio is now very pro-Soviet (by way of Our Dear Leader)

@amyreynolds3619 Жыл бұрын

Scott Baio is also a member of the teenie Weiner club.

@bonghunezhou5051 Жыл бұрын

Lime Street?! (...or was it a different tv series...) 📺 ⚰ RIP

@Nina-gk6kd Жыл бұрын

Yes. It was Lime Street with Robert Wagner.

@TIZNYC Жыл бұрын

Wasn’t this a Golden Girls plot?

@juju1896 Жыл бұрын

Reagan didn’t know what he was talking about.

@sandratessem9980 Жыл бұрын

Good morning from rainy Arizona

@rr7firefly Жыл бұрын

And yet there are many right-wingers who will not hesitate to mock Greta Thunberg and her message. Perhaps it is a matter of personal charm, plus Thunberg is not an American. She speaks with a distinct Swedish accent.

@I_WANT_MY_SLAW Жыл бұрын

Because Greta is insufferable, not charming in the slightest, and always has a scowl on her face.

@susansawyer2475 Жыл бұрын

Greta speaks English with a Swedish accent. Speaks to the lack of education for too many Americans that their schools do not offer a comprehensive language study.

@rr7firefly Жыл бұрын

@@susansawyer2475 Oh yes. I had the good fortune to study in Italy in college. I remember being in a train compartment where there were 6 languages being spoken by 5 strangers (including me). I will always think that Europeans are far better schooled than most Americans. Even now, when I speak to people in their 20s, no one seems to know who Joni Mitchell and Burt Bacharach are, nor what Bossa Nova is. Such limited exposure to good things. Those "youngsters" only know the most throw-away music.

@justpaddingtonbear Жыл бұрын

I said the same thing yesterday. It's a shame.

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

Greta Thunberg is a Woke Joke,used by the liberals for political purposes!

@svitlanahadden8087 11 ай бұрын

2:02 Ukrainian Cossack 🇺🇦🌻❤️

@MikeYoungeasytravel Жыл бұрын

If a young girl was partaking in similar activities today, crazy Republicans would be trolling her on Twitter!!!

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

Yeah right.🙄 Democrats are the crazy wacko ones!🤮

@foodforthoughtchef Жыл бұрын

Disney movie please

@sabrina9333 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic idea 💜

@MrMatteNWk Жыл бұрын

@@DB-qi3ty Well we know what the username initials stand for...

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

@@MrMatteNWk And We know what your username stands for.

@mrwaterschoot5617 Жыл бұрын

and like queen Elizabeth declared in her acceptance of her title of queen of the united kingdom and its allied common wealth. she would serve her kingdom for as short or as long as god her life on earth. she served 70 years and she lived until 97 years of age. samantha was the youngest american diplomat and she talked of voting and she was a minor and still to young to vote her self. and her life on earth was cut short by a plane crash and she went to heaven with her dad. am old enough to remember her diplomatic mission and i did not remember that she went to heaven at such an early age. i guess that she did enough good on earth that god called her to eternity in heaven. she did go to heaven with her dad. now that i know there is monument in augusta maine i will add it to my bucket list of places to visit in the state of maine.

@jesto3740 Жыл бұрын

How did the people of Russia take her death?

@SamanthaSmithINFO Жыл бұрын

"Samantha Won't Come Back to Us Again," read one of the Soviet paper headlines in August of 1985. She was a celebrity among children and adults. It was very tragic. If you want to read about it, check out America's Youngest Ambassador by Lena Nelson.

@VsevolodIgorevitch Жыл бұрын

Как потерю близкого человека. Саманта погибла в августе, и первого сентября во всех школах Советского Союза были траурные линейки в память о ней. Я это хорошо помню, потому что почти ровесник Саманты.

@VsevolodIgorevitch Жыл бұрын

Мы очень благодарны Америке за Саманту Смит.

@justpaddingtonbear Жыл бұрын

@@VsevolodIgorevitch Thank you for sharing. ❤️

@elainekinney6186 Жыл бұрын

Samantha was a diplomat from God. We still need to work for peace!

@davidmitchell6873 Жыл бұрын

Maybe god should start shouldering some of his own responsibilities.

@nghtwtchmn129 Жыл бұрын

As Marxists, the leaders of the Soviet Union didn't believe in God.

@JoseMorales-lw5nt Жыл бұрын

@@davidmitchell6873 Bitter human?

@davidmitchell6873 Жыл бұрын

Not bitter at all Jose. I just call it like I see it. Don't you have fruit to pick or something?

@jeshkam 10 ай бұрын

Greta should learn from her.

@ericellebracht3407 2 ай бұрын

Do the Russians love their children too?

@user-ki5ov8nw6k 6 ай бұрын

She visited Russian child center in Russian Crimea

@dt6esdff413 4 ай бұрын

do you think she was politically assassinate?

@charleswest6372 Жыл бұрын

Very Suspicious. I smell a plot.

@babaloo42 2 ай бұрын

Is her mom dead? Could you not talk to her?

@KootFloris Жыл бұрын

What if the big corporations listen to Greta Thunberg as politics may have been influenced like this?

@DB-qi3ty Жыл бұрын

lol.Not.Greta is a girl with problems used by the liberals for political gain.🙄🤮

@KootFloris Жыл бұрын

@@DB-qi3ty Oh man, that propaganda story again. Yes, she used, but by the corporations. See, we allowed her to speak at COP26, so we're good people. Now, Greta, go away and we let in the business lobbies who prevent all climate action, because we got enough people disbelieve reality, and believe our media manipulation. Now close your eyes and keep buying their merchandise while proudly wearing their brand names around.