Shows / Ridiculous History
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
Episodes
- Ridiculous History
Disco Demolition Night: How Disco Died at a White Sox Game
Cast your memory back to 1979. Tensions across the US are high, on multiple levels. Disco dominates the music scene, and, oh boy, rock fans are mad about it…
- Ridiculous History
Bolivia Fought -- And Lost -- A War For Bird Poop
Most people associate think of bird poop as an annoyance -- it can gunk up sidewalks and windshields, and, occasionally, even splat on an unlucky person…
- Ridiculous History
Why You Can't Say "MacBeth" in a Theater
As one of history's most well-known, highly-regarded writers, it's no secret that Shakespeare's life and work is full of strange stories -- but did you know…
- Ridiculous History
Operation Mincemeat: Britain's Ghoulish Plan to Fool the Nazis
As World War II raged on in 1943, both Allied and Axis forces knew they were riddled with spies. In a dizzying cavalcade of undercover, double, and even triple…
- Ridiculous History
Who the heck was Joseph Warren?
When it's time to study the American Revolution in grade school, US kids tend to learn the same few names -- Betsy Ross, George Washington, Benjamin Banneker…
- Ridiculous History
Chocolate Syrup: From Medicine to Dessert
Most people nowadays associate chocolate syrup with ice cream -- but back in the day, it was considered a legitimate medicine. In today's episode, Ben, Noel…
- Ridiculous History
Historical Hypocrisy: The Confederacy's Weird Stance on "Individual Rights"
While the Confederacy often portrayed itself as a champion of certain individual rights-- not applied to enslaved people, of course-- it didn't always practice…
- Ridiculous History
Juana Maria: The Real-life Story Behind "Island of the Blue Dolphins"
No one knew the real name of the woman living alone on San Nicolas Island, but when she returned to civilization after decades in solitude, she was a hit with…
- Ridiculous History
Curling: The Most Ridiculous Sport?
The time has come! In this special episode, the one and only Super Producer Max Williams takes point on the research into one of his long-standing…
- Ridiculous History
Nobuo Fujita Bombed Brookings, Oregon -- and Then Became a Town Hero
War is a brutal business, and it often leaves scars that last for generations. Two decades after he bombed Brookings, Oregon during World War II, former…
- Ridiculous History
A Teetotaling Preacher Basically Invented Modern Tourism
When's the last time you had a vacation, just for fun? Regardless of where you went, you probably want to tip your hat to Thomas Cook. As a traveling Baptist…
- Ridiculous History
Ira Aldridge: Actor, Activist and Record-breaker
As an African-American actor in the 1800s, Ira Aldridge had the odds stacked against him. Yet despite systemic racism, as well as negative attitudes about…
- Ridiculous History
Lithuanian Book Smugglers Vs. The Russian Empire
When people think of rebellion, they often think of guerilla warfare, rousing speeches and protests. But what about books? When the Russian Empire sought to…
- Ridiculous History
The Yule Lads Terrified Children Across Iceland
Many countries have their own, distinct Christmas traditions, but Iceland's Yule Lads are especially disturbing. Born of a monsterous giantess, these thirteen…
- Ridiculous History
The Infamous Aurora UFO Incident of 1897
In April of 1897, something crashed from the sky, destroying a local windmill. As rumors and speculation grew, strange reports emerged -- could there have been…
- Ridiculous History
How The Evil May Day of 1517 Became the Perfect Propaganda Opportunity
London of the 1500s was a bustling center of commerce, finance and industry -- and it attracted a fair number of foreign-born professionals, who sought their…
- Ridiculous History
Day Drinkers (Sort of) Helped Stop Cholera in London
Dr. Jon Snow -- no relation to the guy from A Song of Ice and Fire -- was in a pickle. Cholera was ravaging London, particularly in the Soho area, and no one…
- Ridiculous History
The Much-Maligned Reign of Swedish Queen Maria Eleonora
We often assume wealth can solve everything, but unfortunately that's not the case -- and there are few better examples of this than the life of Maria Eleonora…
- Ridiculous History
Weird Ways People Used to Communicate, Part II: Smoke Signals and Bottled Messages
People these days are, for better or worse, increasingly accustomed to living in an area of constant communication. But how did people communicate over long…
- Ridiculous History
Weird Ways People Used to Communicate, Part I: Only a Pigeon Away
People these days are, for better or worse, increasingly accustomed to living in an area of constant communication. But how did people communicate over long…
- Ridiculous History
That Time A Dead Guy Won an Olympic Medal
In his heyday, the story goes, Arrhichion of Phigalia was a renowned pankration champion, a brutal sport of the ancient Olympics. But he was getting on in…
- Ridiculous History
Julia Barnett Rice Waged an Elitist War on Noise
If you, like the majority of humans alive today, live in a city, you're more than familiar with noise -- sirens, construction, traffic and more. In today's…
- Ridiculous History
Ridiculous History Presents: A History of "Adult" Toys, Part 2
While it's a taboo subject in the modern day, it turns out people have been improvising ways to pleasure themselves since, well, the dawn of history. In the…
- Ridiculous History
Ridiculous History Presents: A History of "Adult" Toys, Part 1
While it's a taboo subject in the modern day, it turns out people have been improvising ways to pleasure themselves since, well, the dawn of history. In this…
- Ridiculous History
The Cobra Effect, Part 2: Four Pests and a Disastrous Success
The Cobra Effect - a particularly extreme form of unintended consequences - isn't limited to India and Vietnam. In China, the technically successful Four Pests…
- Ridiculous History
The Cobra Effect, Part 1: Snakes, Rats, and Unintended Consequences
Back in the days of the British Raj, colonial leaders had a problem: Delhi was overrun with snakes. And not just any snakes -- cobras. These dangerous death…
- Ridiculous History
British Suffragettes Knew Jūjitsu
As activists in the UK fought for the right to vote (and divorce, and inherit land), they ran into increasingly brutal actions on the part of police -- they…
- Ridiculous History
A Tale of Two Hansons: Busting Myths About the 'First' US President
It's no secret that people in the US often tend to mythologize the Founding Fathers -- so it shouldn't come as a surprise that people also, often, claim George…
- Ridiculous History
Did Soldiers in World War I Really Team Up to Fight Wolves?
World War I was a bloody, terrifying conflict for everyone involved -- and not just humans. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max accidentally run into deep…
- Ridiculous History
Slum Tourists: When Wealthy People Toured Chinatown ‘For Fun’
It’s true — back in the day, wealthy residents of cities from London to Chicago would pay for tours of disadvantaged communities, the same way that you might…
- Ridiculous History
That Time Victorians Treated Seaweed like Pokemon
Europe's Victorian Era was, in many ways, a study in contradiction. While society in general championed independent scientific research, institutions of the…
- Ridiculous History
Valentine's Day Is So Much Weirder Than We Thought
Valentine's Day is a pretty normal holiday in the US and several other countries, and other parts of the world have similar holidays, focused on appreciating…
- Ridiculous History
Weirdest Celebrity Busts, Part II: Mr. David Lee Roth and a Drunken John Wayne
What can Mr. David Lee Roth's run-ins with the law teach us about wholesomeness? Why did John Wayne have public, drunken beef with Harvard? In part two of this…
- Ridiculous History
Weirdest Celebrity Busts, Part I: Nixon Smuggled Weed, Arbuckle Was Innocent
Did Richard Nixon smuggle weed? What can the Fatty Arbuckle scandal tell us about American society? In this week's special two-part series, guests Zaron…
- Ridiculous History
CLASSIC: X-Rays, Songs and Soviets: The Stilyagi Story
Caught between the conflicting ideologies of the Cold War, Soviet teens were banned from collecting Western music -- smuggled records could be both rare and…
- Ridiculous History
Tossed Popcorn, Part 2: Chaplin was a Jerk, Brando was Insane
Don’t let the charming slapstick fool you — Charlie Chaplin was a monster to his lovers, coworkers and family. His former collaborator, Marlon Brando was even…
- Ridiculous History
Tossed Popcorn, Part 1: The Wizard of Oz and the Titanic
It's no secret that Hollywood has been home to numerous lurid, disturbing -- and, sometimes, ridiculous -- tales over the decades. In the first part of this…
- Ridiculous History
Peter Freuchen: Explorer, Raconteur, Movie Star and War Hero
You may not have heard of Peter Freuchen, but in his day he was one of the world's most well-known polar explorers. He also wrote prolifically about his…
- Ridiculous History
Did Honduras and El Salvador Really Go to War over Soccer?
If you read the international headlines in 1969, you'd think the Central American countries of Honduras and El Salvador loved football (soccer, for the US…
- Ridiculous History
The US Literally Had Nazi Summer Camps
For many adults, the idea of 'summer camp' conjures up fond, nostalgic memories of childhood. And most folks see these outfits as great opportunities for…
- Ridiculous History
The Emperor of the United States
When San Franciscan businessman Joshua Norton lost his fortune in a Peruvian rice deal gone sour, he temporarily disappeared from the public eye. Not long…
- Ridiculous History
The Trans-Saharan Ostrich Expedition of 1911
Most people haven't met an ostrich in person, but everyone knows what they are: the large, flightless birds have been around since before the rise of humanity…
- Ridiculous History
That Time Everyone Tried To Outlaw War
War is ugly, horrific and, according to some, a necessary part of human civilization. Yet in the 1920s, world powers recovering from World War I sought to make…
- Ridiculous History
CLASSIC: Who Solves Murders in Antarctica?
Antarctica is home to one of the most brutal climates on the planet, and the few humans living on this continent face profound isolation and cramped quarters…
- Ridiculous History
The Lil Ice Age Was Way Less Cute Than It Sounds
You've probably heard of the Ice Ages -- long periods of reduction in Earth's temperature, triggering massive expansion of glaciers and so on -- but you may…
- Ridiculous History
Nub City: Florida's Infamous Amputation Scam
As towns go, Vernon, Florida is pretty tiny -- it has a small population, has struggled with economic depression, and doesn't get a ton of tourists. But that…
- Ridiculous History
London's Tiger King, Part Two: Charles Jamrach Becomes a Problematic Hero
By 1857, London's exotic animal trade was in full swing. Animals arrived at the city from across the world (often not surviving the journey), and Charles…
- Ridiculous History
London's Tiger King, Part One: When Exotic Animal's Were The Hottest Flex
Walking through London today, you'll doubtlessly hear cacophonous traffic, sirens, construction, countless languages -- all the noises familiar to big…
- Ridiculous History
The Atlantropa Project, Part Two: What Happened to the Supercontinent?
While the idea of draining (most of) the Mediterranean sounds... ambitious, to say the least, Herman Sörgel's vision met with a surprising amount of popular…
- Ridiculous History
The Atlantropa Project, Part One: Saving Europe via Supercontinent
Like everyone in post-World War I Europe, Herman Sörgel was horrified by the devastation of a continent-wide conflict. He saw raging poverty, crippling…
- Ridiculous History
People Used Bed Bugs as Medicine for Thousands of Years
When you think of bed bugs, you probably think of dirty mattresses, irritating rashes and bites, and the dubious joy of calling an exterminator. However, in…
- Ridiculous History
The US Literally Threw Pianos From Planes During World War II
As musical instruments go, pianos are pretty amazing -- they're also not particularly easy to move. Clunkiness aside, pianos provide endless hours of…
- Ridiculous History
The Sinister Side of Little Orphan Annie, Part Two: Drink Your Ovaltine
Once the Little Orphan Annie comic strip was adapted to a radio program, it wasn't just a hit show -- it was a marketing coup for the good folks at Ovaltine…
- Ridiculous History
The Sinister Side of Little Orphan Annie, Part One: Parents Were Terrified
These days, most folks think of Little Orphan Annie as a folksy, wholesome slice of nostalgia -- but during its heyday as a radio program, parents across the…
- Ridiculous History
CLASSIC: How White America Tried To Destroy Chinese Restaurants
Today Chinese restaurants serve some of the most popular cuisine in the United States, with more than 41,000 restaurants scattered around the country. Yet in…
- Ridiculous History
Russia’s Real-life Ice Queen, Part 2: Weird, Brutal Flexes
As rulers go, Anna of Russia was considered pretty bad news. In the second part of this two-part series, the guys explore how Anna (aka Anna the Terrible)'s…
- Ridiculous History
Russia’s Real-life Ice Queen, Part 1: The Tsar is a Jerk
“Despite being born into royalty, Anna Ioannovna didn’t have the easiest life. Her uncle publicly ridiculed her marriage, and the cruelty she experienced…
- Ridiculous History
That Time a Baboon Worked for the Railroad
When a horrific accident left railroad signalman James Wide without the use of his legs, he was desperate to maintain his livelihood -- an effort that may well…
- Ridiculous History
Austin and the Texas Archives War
After its formation in 1836, the new Republic of Texas had some problems -- multiple people wanted the capital in different places. The Republic's archives…
- Ridiculous History
King for a Week: The Strange Story of Otto I
For most people, the old saying "it's good to be king" is just a cool phrase -- but for magician and noted spinner of tall tales Otto Witte, this sounded like…