Ridiculous History
Episodes
What's the deal with smashing cake at weddings?
12 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Weddings are an ancient tradition, and over the millenia the various rituals associated with (theoretically) life-long partnership have evolved and ch...
Conquest via Bird Poop: One Island at a Time
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you land on a deserted island, you might be tempted to search for the basic stuff first -- food, water, shelter, and so on -- but don't forget to k...
When Scientists Hid Under Beds To Spy On Kids
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Let's say you're a scientist -- how far would you go to carry out a study? Back in the 1930s, two intrepid researchers went into full spy mode, stalki...
When People Thought They Were Made of Glass
30 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In 1422, King Charles VI died after ruling France for more than 40 years. He was also remembered as Charles the Mad, in part because he was convinced ...
Nazis, Churchill and Chocolate
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When Lord Victor Rothschild first heard the news, he was incredulous -- surely Nazi Germany wasn't seriously planning to assassinate Winston Churchill...
When (and why) did the US start calling its citizens consumers?
23 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the terms "citizen" and "consumer" are often used interchangeably by authors, journalists and politicians. To some experts, this shift has dist...
Does the US Confederacy still exist in Americana, Brazil?
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
At the close the US Civil War, tens of thousands of former Confederate families fled the US for a small city in Brazil, where they sought to continue ...
Did a real-life rainmaker almost drown San Diego?
16 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Mallory Hatfield considered himself a real-life rainmaker (or, as he preferred to describe himself, a 'moisture accelerator') and, when San Di...
X-Rays, Songs and Soviets: The Stilyagi Story
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Caught between the conflicting ideologies of the Cold War, Soviet teens were banned from collecting Western music -- smuggled records could be both ra...
Who solves murders in Antarctica?
09 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 q...
How White America Tried to Destroy Chinese Restaurants
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today Chinese restaurants serve some of the most popular cuisine in the United States, with more than 41,000 restaurants scattered around the country....
Butter: Protestantism's Secret Ingredient?
02 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Protestant Reformation remains one of the most significant cultural events in the Western world. Martin Luther's 95 Theses addressed numerous conc...
Wharram Percy Versus The Undead
31 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Humanity has always had a fascination with -- and fear of -- the dead. And when the small medieval village of Wharram Percy felt they might become vic...
Why do British lawyers wear wigs?
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries some lawyers and judges in the U.K. have worn distinctive wigs during court proceedings. But why? Join Ben and Noel as they explore the ...
The Wild Hippos of Pablo Escobar
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When notorious drug kingpin Pable Escobar died, he left behind a legacy of brutal crime, opulent living and, oddly enough, four hippos. Fast forward t...
Ridiculous History: Episode Zero
20 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 spa...
Ridiculous History: Trailer
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 spa...