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
Knocker-Uppers: The Human Alarm Clocks of the Industrial Age
When adapting to life as factory employees, members of the British and Irish public confronted a new, unexpected obstacle -- how do you make sure you wake up…
- Ridiculous History
That Time New York City Rioted Over Shakespeare
Don't let reality television and wrestling fool you -- celebrity rivalries are a tale as old as entertainment itself. In 1849, the rivalry between two…
- Ridiculous History
Babies in Incubators were Once a Sideshow Attraction
Nowadays, incubators are a common sight in hospitals across the US -- but, once upon a time, this life-saving technology was treated like a sideshow…
- Ridiculous History
The Rise of the US Camel Corps
In the years leading to the US Civil War, Uncle Sam searched for some way to safely traverse the desert. Horses, mules and humans alike often died of thirst in…
- Ridiculous History
The United Kingdom Has A Weird Thing With Swans
In the days before London found itself riddled with Rolodexes and Lamborghinis, the Crown controlled a now-obscure status symbol: the swan. Every single…
- Ridiculous History
The Nazi Super Horse Program, Part 2: A Horse-filled Heist
As the tide of war turns toward the inevitable defeat of the Nazis, the staff of the secret horse farm fear the oncoming, starving Russian forces will consume…
- Ridiculous History
The Nazi Super Horse Program, Part 1: Equine Eugenics
Adolf Hitler was inarguably a terrible person. He was also weirdly focused on resurrecting Germany's horse industry. Tune in as Ben and Noel explore the…
- Ridiculous History
Railroad Tycoons Decided What Time It Is Now
Nowadays the world is divided into a series of 'time zones.' Yet before the 1880s, towns across the United States ran on a sort of local time -- when you left…
- Ridiculous History
Why do people 'christen' ships with champagne?
We've all heard about the practice of smashing a champagne bottle against the hull of a ship before launching it -- but where does this practice come from?…
- Ridiculous History
The Hidden History of Jewish Pirates, Part 2: Famous Privateers
During the age of European expansion, members of the Jewish diaspora traveled to Caribbean and the continents of North and South America, often escaping the…
- Ridiculous History
The Hidden History of Jewish Pirates, Part 1: Escaping Europe
During the age of European expansion, members of the Jewish diaspora traveled to Caribbean and the continents of North and South America, often escaping the…
- Ridiculous History
Ridiculous "Remedies" of the Spanish Flu: The Rise of the Lemon
Have you ever used a home remedy when under the weather? Some, like honey and lemon (and whiskey) for a sore throat, remain common today. In 2020, other…
- Ridiculous History
That Time Rebellious Freemasons Starting Kissing Porcelain Pug Butts
We've all heard about Freemasons -- but what about the Order of the Pug? Join the guys as they explore the strange series of events that led German Masons to…
- Ridiculous History
Clever Hans, Part 2: The Rise and Fall of Hans
Unconvinced by claims of this horse's mathematical acumen, psychologist Oskar Pfungst conducted a series of experiments to determine whether Clever Hans was…
- Ridiculous History
Clever Hans, Part 1: The Equine Mathematician
Back in the early 20th century, retired teacher Wilhelm von Osten had a dream -- to exhibit the gifts of his brilliant horse, Clever Hans, to the world…
- Ridiculous History
Henry VIII and That English Sweat, Part 2: A Disease and a King
While history often only remembers Henry VIII as a real pill, he was also a profound hypochondriac -- and, rightly terrified of contracting the English Sweats…
- Ridiculous History
Henry VIII and That English Sweat, Part 1: A Pandemic
Beginning in 1485, a mysterious disease swept in waves across England. No one was sure how it spread, no treatment existed, and the disease took the name of…
- Ridiculous History
The Hobo King: Leon Ray Livingston, Chapter Two
As the Great Depression devastates the nation, roughly 2 million people find themselves out of home and hope, migrating toward distant promises of jobs…
- Ridiculous History
The Hobo King: Leon Ray Livingston, Chapter One
Born in San Francisco, an 11-year-old ran away from home, living and writing about his travels. Hailed as a self-coronated 'Hobo King,' Livingston made his own…
- Ridiculous History
The Vikings Made a Fortune in the 'Unicorn' Trade
Nowadays, experts and equestrians alike largely agree: unicorns are creatures of myth. But, not too long ago, the wealthiest people in Europe would pay top…
- Ridiculous History
Did People Really Throw Tar And Feathers On Each Other?
It's true -- people used to throw tar on other people, then shake feathers on them as a specific form of legally-sanctioned punishment. Where did the concept…
- Ridiculous History
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 2: To Rescue A President
While Kate Warne had numerous adventures (and brilliantly solved multiple high-profile cases), her most well-known work with pinkerton involved none other than…
- Ridiculous History
Kate Warne, the Pinkerton Detective Who Saved Abe Lincoln, Part 1: The Origin Story
Kate Warne wasn't just the first female private investigator in the US -- she was also one of the best Pinkerton detectives in the history of the agency. In…
- Ridiculous History
What is Fudge, Part 2: The Rebellion
The students of Vassar thrived despite a system of Victorian -- near Orwellian -- control. In a time when these college students were not allowed to have…
- Ridiculous History
What is Fudge, Part 1: The Science, The Curious Name
Nowadays, most people in the global West associate fudge with the idea of a homemade, homely confection. Yet once upon a time, this dangerously delightful…
- Ridiculous History
The North Pole, Part 2: The Chase To The North
The Mercator Projection continues to inform explorers, many of whom send their own appropriative versions of the Mythical North. Join Ben, Casey and Noel as…
- Ridiculous History
The North Pole, Part 1: Maps and Legends
In 1569, Gerardus Mercator creates the first world map. It's the predecessor of the cartoonishly inaccurate Mercator projection, and this math guides people…
- Ridiculous History
The Mysterious Origin of (and Disturbing Problems with) the "Wolf Whistle"
It's one of those iconic 'you know it when you hear it' sounds - the two-note whistle made famous in old Tex Avery cartoons and multiple films of yesteryear…
- Ridiculous History
World War I and the Rise of the Peat Moss Bandage
War often drives innovation — often out of desperation. In World War I, doctors were overwhelmed and dangerously short on supplies, especially bandages. With…
- Ridiculous History
Flashback: Unforeseen Consequences Throughout History: Part 2
How did air conditioning fundamentally change the course of U.S. politics? What does the Y.M.C.A. have to do with cigarettes? Join Ben and Casey as they…
- Ridiculous History
Flashback: Unforeseen Consequences Throughout History: Part 1
How did air conditioning fundamentally change the course of U.S. politics? What does the Y.M.C.A. have to do with cigarettes? Join Ben and Casey as they…
- Ridiculous History
Louis Wain, the Godfather of Cat Memes: Part 2
Before the days of WiFi, Reddit, nyan cat and grumpy cat alike, one man set the art world on fire with his increasingly bizarre paintings and sketches of cats…
- Ridiculous History
Louis Wain, the Godfather of Cat Memes: Part 1
If you're listening to this podcast, you definitely know about cat memes. At this point, they're almost like an internet currency all their own. But far before…
- Ridiculous History
Feedsack Fashion: How Thrifty Inventiveness Transformed America
In the early 20th century, rural US residents were all-too-accustomed to scraping by, often by any means necessary. Families without the means to buy what they…
- Ridiculous History
Emperor Tiberius Was Debauched, Deranged and Probably Not Fun At Parties
When Emperor Tiberius first ascended to the throne in AD 14, he seemed to be a principled reformer set on cleaning up the empire -- checking excesses and…
- Ridiculous History
The Return of Historical Flexes, Part 2: Flexcessiveness
History is riddled with bizarre stories of flexes — things people of the past thought were somehow impressive at time. The Ridiculous Historians are fascinated…
- Ridiculous History
The Return of Historical Flexes, Part 1: 2 Flex 2 Furious
History is riddled with bizarre stories of flexes — things people of the past thought were somehow impressive at time. The Ridiculous Historians are fascinated…
- Ridiculous History
The Authors Of Curious George Were On The Run From Nazis
Today, Curious George is a world-famous star of children's books -- but back in the day, his name was Fifi, and his creators, the Rey couple, were desperate to…
- Ridiculous History
People Used To Straight Up Drink Gold
For millennia various luminaries have claimed precious metals have special curative powers -- and, back in the day, people used to actually drink it. They were…
- Ridiculous History
New Zealand's Tragic (And Pretty Hilarious) Exploding Pants Epidemic
For a brief span of time, farmers in New Zealand were baffled by a bizarre phenomenon -- their pants were smoldering, catching fire, and sometimes exploding…
- Ridiculous History
That Time Trainwrecks Became a Spectator Sport
Nowadays, most people use the term 'trainwreck' to describe a situation gone catastrophically wrong, but back in the glory days of the railroad, trainwrecks --…
- Ridiculous History
Miguel de Cervantes and the Case of the Fake Don Quixote
Nowadays, "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha" has no shortage of accolades. You'll hear it called the first modern novel, one of the greatest…
- Ridiculous History
The CIA Paid War Spies with Stuff From the Sears Catalog
When CIA agent Jon Wiant began growing a spy operation in Vietnam, he ran into a pickle: the locals he wanted to hire lived in rural areas along the boarder…
- Ridiculous History
The Bottle Jumping Hoax (And Riot)
In 1749 London, a mob of people gathered outside The Theatre Royal -- the city was abuzz with excitement over a recent advertisement promising an amazing…
- Ridiculous History
The Bizarrely Disturbing History of People Jumping Out of Cake
It's an old trope, and a familiar one: Four and twenty blackbirds flying from a pie, a scantily-clad woman emerging from a giant cake. Nowadays it's often…
- Ridiculous History
HL Hunley: The Mysterious Demise of a Civil War Submarine, with Rachel Lance
On the evening of February 17th, 1864, the HL Hunley became the first submarine in history to successfully sink an enemy ship. Immediately after this attack…
- Ridiculous History
Dromomania: The Wanderlust Disease
In the 1890s, France found itself in the groups of a bizarre, troubling epidemic -- scores of men were, apparently, wandering off in a trance-like state, only…
- Ridiculous History
Key West, Florida Declared a One-Minute War on the United States
It's true -- once upon a time the isolated town of Key West, Florida not only seceded from the Union, but declared war on the United States (for about sixty…
- Ridiculous History
That Time the US Literally Banned Sliced Bread
You've probably heard the old saying "the best thing since sliced bread" -- and back in the day, people in the US were genuinely over the moon about presliced…
- Ridiculous History
Two Green Children Mystified Woolpit, England
Imagine you're working in a field in the tiny community of 12th-century Woolpit, England, and encounter two green-skinned children with no knowledge of your…
- Ridiculous History
Pepsi Briefly Became the Sixth Largest Navy in the World
At multiple, pivotal moments in the Cold War, Pepsi and Coke waged Cola wars all their own. The guys team up for the first episode of Ridiculous History…
- Ridiculous History
The Ponzi Scheme with Chelsea Ursin
Nowadays most people are familiar with the term 'Ponzi scheme' -- but where does it come from? How did the scheme work, and why is it called a Ponzi scheme…
- Ridiculous History
The History of MREs with Jacqueline Raposo
It's often said that an army marches on its stomach, and for thousands of years the world's militaries tried to feed their forces on the march (often with…
- Ridiculous History
Donald Crowhurst Faked a Race Around the World
Sailing around the world is a dangerous proposition, even in the modern day — now imagine doing it by yourself in the 1960s! That's what underdog Donald…
- Ridiculous History
Calvin Coolidge Skipped Town and Went Fishing for Three Months (While He was President)
Widely known as a taciturn man who liked public gatherings even less than he liked people, Calvin Coolidge was often ridiculed by the press -- reporters…
- Ridiculous History
The Presidential Dinner That Scandalized America
Breaking bread with your fellow humans has long been acknowledged as fantastic, wholesome way to bond with people outside of social conventions, economic…
- Ridiculous History
Was the Lone Ranger Inspired by a Black U.S. Marshall?
Bass Reeves was a larger than life figure -- a man who escaped slavery, taught himself multiple Native American languages, and eventually became one of the…
- Ridiculous History
Night Soil Men Were the Unsung Heroes of Urban Sanitation
While city life has its charms, it's not without its problems -- and some of those problems are real stinkers. In the days before widespread sewage systems…
- Ridiculous History
The Tiny Spanish Town That Went To War With France For 100 Years
Located two hours' drive inland along a winding potholed road from Almeria on Spain's southeastern Mediterranean coast, the small town of Lijar, Spain is…
- Ridiculous History
The Great Diamond Hoax - Part 2
The California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s did more than just move hundreds of thousands of people across the continent -- it also convinced these people that…