Imagine its 3:45 a.m. in late November: a freezing parking lot, a lukewarm to-go coffee, and a line that snakes around the building. Hundreds of people wait for one sliding door to open and a chance at a discounted TV. That familiar chaos—camped-out shoppers, terrifying crowds, and fevered deals—was once tied to financial panic, presidential calendars, and annoyed police officers. In this episode of Timetellers, we trace the odd, surprising life of Black Friday: from a 19th-century Wall Street crash to Franklin Roosevelts Thanksgiving shuffle, from Philadelphia cops dubbing the day "Black" to retailers spinning it into a profit-making holiday, and finally to the internet-fueled, global discount season it is today.

Along the way, we meet retail workers who give up family dinners, communities protesting consumerism, and the grim realities behind viral stampedes. We weave together personal stories, media spectacle, and economic forces into a vivid narrative that shows how a phrase born in crisis became one of the worlds biggest shopping rituals. Whether youre standing in line at dawn or clicking deals in your pajamas, this episode reveals the strange history—and human cost—behind the modern Black Friday.