Ridiculous History
Episodes
Moon Rock Heists, Part Two: The Romantic Misadventures of Thad Roberts
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's say you're a love-struck NASA intern -- your professional career holds a lot of promise, but your family life back home is in shambles... and yo...
Moon Rock Heists, Part One: Lunatic Heists and Space Law
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is it legal to own a moon rock? Well... that depends. If it's a piece of the moon that made it to Earth naturally, then all good. If, however, it's a ...
CLASSIC: The Strange and Spectacularly Disgusting Story of the Great Kentucky Meat Shower
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On March 3rd, 1876, residents of Bath County, Kentucky were startled to see what appeared to be chunks and flakes of meat falling from the clear, clou...
The Ridiculously Energetic History of Energy Drinks!
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by our favorite cohost: coffee. These days, if you stroll into any convenience store across the planet, you're going to...
Japan is Overrun By Raccoons Entirely Due to a Single Cartoon
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While the legendary Japanese raccoon dog -- or tanuki -- may look like a raccoon, it's a very different beast. However, these days Japan is home to ac...
CLASSIC: The Bizarre Origin of the Oxford English Dictionary
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With 600,000 words and 3 million quotations, the Oxford English Dictionary is a massive tome. Work began on the dictionary in 1857, but the first edit...
Hoax! With Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know England's first newspaper was fake? Or that King Arthur is more or less completely made up? The deeper we look into human history, the mo...
Fabergé Eggs Are Ridiculous (And Fascinating)
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine you are beyond wealthy. You no longer dream of the average "rich people" flexes -- you've got all the diamonds, all the mansions, all the ordi...
The World of Non-Gregorian Calendars: What Day Is It, Really?
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Human civilization is far from perfect. Still, it's pretty cool humanity overall agreed on how to measure time (for now). In today's follow-up to an e...
The Ridiculous Origin of the Modern Calendar
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The calendar is... ridiculous. Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has tried to measure the passage of time on Earth through any number ...
CLASSIC: George Carlin Gets Quoted in the Supreme Court: Ridiculous Stand-up Stories with Wayne Federman
02 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the second part of this two-part series, special guest Wayne Federman explores the strange, curse-word-riddled stand-up bit that resulted in George...
The Ridiculous History of Fantasy Sports, Part Two
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As local fantasy sports initiatives grew into larger, more organized pursuits, technology improved as well. Access to online statistics made it much e...
The Ridiculous History of Fantasy Sports, Part One
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To outsiders, fantasy sports and fantasy leagues may sound like a bizarre proposition: you get together with a bunch of friends and leverage statistic...
CLASSIC: The People vs. Lenny Bruce: Ridiculous Stand-up Stories with Wayne Federman
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lenny Bruce is a legend in the history of stand-up comedy, and while his use of explicit language thrilled audience members, it didn't win him any fri...
First Ladies Who Weren't Wives, Part Two, Part Two: Some Folks Didn't Want The Job
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine one of your family members attains the highest political position in American history -- your uncle or sibling becomes the President of the Un...
First Ladies Who Weren't Wives, Part Two, Part One: James "The Bachelor" Buchanan
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben here. I know, I know: it's confusing that we split our First Ladies sequel episode into two separate episodes. The title is literally ridiculous. ...
CLASSIC: The Life and Times of Ol' Knife Hand
19 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A necropolis in what is now Northern Italy holds a strange and, at first glance, terrifying corpse. A Lombard man, aged somewhere between 40 and 50 ye...
Batman, or Bat-Man? A Ridiculously Comical Feud For The Ages
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. The terror of all criminals and ne'er-do-wells in Gotham... that's right, folks: today's episode is all about Bat...
Three Ridiculous Histories of "Bloody Mary"
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A frightening children's game. An intensely divisive, boozy drink. A real-life Royal. As Ben and Noel discover in today's episode, "Bloody Mary" allud...
CLASSIC: The Ridiculous Story of the World’s First (Documented) Serial Killer
12 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Locusta of Gaul, also known as Locusta The Poisoner, was one of the most infamous criminals of ancient times. Alternately sponsored and betrayed by th...
A Ridiculous History of "Fad Diets"
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone in the developed world knows someone who's tried a 'fad diet' -- these are the so-called miracle practices that promise to help people lose w...
A Titanic Disaster: That Time An Entire Production Crew Tripped Off Bad Chowder
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Cameron's Titanic was, by all accounts, a blockbuster success. And, like so many other masterpieces, the story of its creation is a tale all its...
CLASSIC: Back When the Rich Ate Corpses
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays it's safe to say that cannibalism isn't a widely-accepted practice, but not so long ago it was considered the bleeding edge (get it?) in medi...
A Ridiculous History of Sex, with Ross Benes
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Heads-up, folks: this is a PG-13 episode. Ben and the legendary guest producer, also Ben, welcome author and journalist Ross Benes for a wide-ranging ...
CLASSIC: The Mummies of Guanajuato
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When the city of Guanajuato instituted a grave tax, they included some harsh penalties for those who couldn't pay -- if you went more than three years...
A Ridiculous History of Brain Science, with Jorge Cham
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we all generally understand that the brain is responsible for what we call personality and thought -- yet this wasn't always the case. Once hum...
Jorge Cham Teaches Us The Universe: Big Bangs and Quantum Hangs
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the universe? Where did it come from, and what happens to it in the future? Humanity has wrestled with these questions since the dawn of civil...
CLASSIC: The Curious Rise of SPAM
21 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays the iconic 'SPAM' logo is recognized around the world -- whether you're traveling in the US state of Minnesota or Busan, Korea, you'll more o...
The Ridiclulous Hsitory of Typos
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ah, the bane of authors, students and copywriters the world round: the infamous typo! Something as small as a single misplaced letter can call the ent...
Come For the Palooka, Stay For the Farts!
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What on Earth is a "palooka"? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max embark on a bizarre journey -- inspired by a single, fascinating word, they discov...
CLASSIC: The Origins Of, and Backlash Against, Father's Day
14 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With another Father's Day in the books, Ben, Noel and Max hit the new studio for the first time, exploring the history of this paternal partner to the...
Father's Day, Around the World
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover stunning commonalities between Father's Day celebrations across culture, community, and time. We wrote ...
The History of Morning Routines, Part Two: All Hail The Toothbrush! And Deodorant!
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For most of us -- hopefully! -- dental care is a fundamental piece of the morning routine. There are few things quite as refreshing as starting the da...
CLASSIC: The Smooth-talking Takeover of Tabor Bridge: "Yes And-ing" Your Way To Victory
07 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1805, two French Marshals found themselves in quite a pickle -- Jean Lannes and Joachim Murat needed to cross the Danube at the Tabor bridge (a ser...
CLASSIC: History's Coolest (Non-Human) Political Candidates, Part I
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that politics can be a minefield of quirky events, and strange things happen in the lead up to elections. But just how strange can it g...
The History of Morning Routines, Part One: Thank Goodness People Learned to Wash Themselves
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regardless of culture or country, most people have some sort of morning routine. This could be a simple as a shower, a shave and brushing one's teeth ...
CLASSIC: Attack of the Aswang: How the CIA Used Vampires as Weapons of War
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Horror fans can tell you there's more than one type of vampire -- in fact, there are hundreds of vampire-like fiends in cultures around the world. In ...
The Ridiculous -- and Surprisingly Dangerous -- History of Hair Dye
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether we're talking jet black, stunning platinum or fire engine red, there's just something fascinating about hair as a fashion statement. And, of c...
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: That Super Humble Statue of Zeus
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Statues are sort of a big deal. Even today, most folks you meet don't have a statue of themselves. So it comes as no surprise that back in the day, on...
CLASSIC: Who are the Hartlepudlian Monkey Hangers?
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Years ago, if you wanted to start a fight in Hartlepool in north eastern England, all you'd have to do is start calling people 'monkey hangers'. But w...
HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part Two: The Horror Stories That Changed The World
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Newly inspired by his recent associations in amateur magazine circles, HP Lovecraft returns to fiction. In the second part of this series, Ben, Max an...
HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part One: Childhood Tragedy
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Howard Phillips Lovecraft fundamentally altered the course of horror and speculative fiction. So how did...
CLASSIC: William Walker: Filibuster and (Fantastically Bad) President
17 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel, Casey In Spirit and Max explore a bizarrely American story. The adventurer and filibuster William Walker was, i...
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part Two: The Slinky and the Post-it Note
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While things like the Slinky and the Post-it Note may seem pretty ubiquitous, simple ideas today, they each have their own bizarre accidental origin s...
Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part One: Penicillin, X-Rays and the Microwave Oven
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have always been compelled by curiosity -- sometimes, this leads to misfortune, but other times... curiosity and accident can also lead to worl...
CLASSIC: Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern Airline Started His Own Religion
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of his...
Did Pirates Really Ruin the US Dream of the Metric System?
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is the United States so culturally opposed to the metric system? According to a popular legend, this conundrum dates back to the late 1700s, when ...
Yet More Ridiculous Historical Honorifics: Ethelred Just Ain't Ready
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you been blessed -- or, perhaps, cursed -- with a nickname that just won't go away? Some of most terrifying, inspiring and ridiculous figures in ...
CLASSIC: A Dead Pope Goes To Court
03 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Catholic Church is no stranger to scandal and controversy, but in January of 897 the institution was home to a new and unique scandal that put the...
History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs: Part Two
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the weirdest pair of shoes you've ever seen? If you were King, would you force everyone else to be shorter than you? In the second part of this...
History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs: Part One
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that history is filled with relatively arbitrary fashion rules, fads and faux pas -- and what may be hot stuff in one era often ends up...
CLASSIC: War and Candy: The Infamous Tootsie Roll Air Drop
26 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, the First Marine Division seemed doomed. Surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and runni...
A Ridiculous History of Tupperware
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Burrrrp! The sound is familiar to any fan of Tupperware -- it's that little whoosh of air when you push down the lid and remove excess air. But what e...
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Like most rulers of old, Mausolus wasn't exactly known for his modesty. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of the Seven ...
CLASSIC: The Man Who Assassinated Abe Lincoln's Assassin
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's theatre, escaping shortly thereafter and going on the run. The...
Paul Is Dead, Part Two: Welcome to the Walrus
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a US-based college student pens a satirical article exploring hippy folklore and the Beatles, mainstream media takes off -- "Is Paul McCartney a...
Paul Is Dead, Part One: The Beatles versus MI5
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's one of the greatest conspiracy theories in all of modern music -- what if, at the height of their success, the world famous Beatles suddenly lost...
CLASSIC: The Cock Lane Ghost: Haunting, Hoax, Hysteria… or Hilarious?
12 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1762, crowds from across London gathered in hopes of seeing something the papers called "The Cock Lane Ghost". This alleged spirit was known to com...
CLASSIC: Roland the Farter and the Weird World of Professional Flatulence
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regardless of what polite societies often want us to believe, everyone farts. And we fart often! And, believe it or not, a few rare individuals have b...
CLASSIC: Gregor MacGregor Invented a Country and Convinced People to Invest in It
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When His Serene Highness Gregor the First, Sovereign Prince of the State of Poyais and its Dependencies, and Cacique of the Poyer nation visited Londo...
CLASSIC: Angry Feds and Deadly Booze: The Story of the Chemists' War
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From 1920 to 1933, the U.S. government attempted to ban (recreational) alcohol throughout the nation. In a stunning -- we're being sarcastic here -- t...
We're Late for the April Fools' Episode
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever fallen for an April Fools' Day gag? Across the world, millions of people pull (hopefully wholesome) pranks on each other every April 1st...
The Ridiculous History of Vending Machines
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pretty much everyone in the developed world is familiar with vending machines these days -- you see them in all sorts of places, selling all sorts of ...
CLASSIC: Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England
29 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In April of 1870, a shocking court case captivated Victorian England: Fanny and Stella, also known as Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, were arrested...
Badass of the Week, with Ben Thompson - Part 2: the Battle of Karánsebes
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Europe increasingly freaks out about the expansion of the Ottoman Empire, a ragtag crew of guys who ordinarily hate each other band together for co...
Badass of the Week, with Ben Thompson - Part 1: History's Most Ridiculous Friendly-fire Incident
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
War has always been a chaotic, messy endeavor -- and, sometimes, it's downright ridiculous. In this week's special two-part series, the guys welcome r...
CLASSIC: That Time Kansas Imprisoned Women For Having STDs
22 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the close of World War I, American soldiers returned home from abroad with scars, wounds, stories and, in some cases, infections of which their rom...
A Ridiculous History of Processed Cheese
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's be honest: cheese is inherently weird. As humanity advanced, civilizations leveraged positively alchemical science to arrive at the perfect chee...
The Darién Gap, or: the Real Reason Scotland Lost Its Independence
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland is a fascinating place, with its own rich culture, cuisine and history. Today, it's part of the United Kingdom -- but this wasn't always the ...
CLASSIC: Oregon Was a White Supremacist Paradise
15 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Portland, Oregon is often portrayed as a left-leaning haven for hipsters across the country, but the original Oregon was a vastly different plac...
Apple Versus Apple: The Beatles' Decades-long IP War
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spoiler: The Beatles are kind of famous. Yet even worldwide acclaim didn't make them immune to lawsuits. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore...
Ancient Wonders of the Modern World: The (Alleged) Hanging Gardens of Babylon
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World -- but what are they, exactly? What made these specific seven creations wonders? Why are som...
CLASSIC: Project A119: The Cold War Plan to Nuke the Moon!
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It sounds like something straight out of your favorite sketch comedy show -- what if a crack team of scientists joined forces with the world's most po...
The US Camel Corps, Part Two: The Legend of the Red Ghost
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Major Wayne and company finally make the US Camel Corps a reality, tensions continue to rise across the US: the increasingly divided North and Sout...
The US Camel Corps, Part One: Several People With A Really Weird Dream
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let's face it: camels look goofy. And we say this with great affection! In fact, the camel's seemingly awkward appearance is the result of some stella...
CLASSIC: Adidas Versus Puma: A Tale of Two Brothers
01 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Adidas and Puma are two of the industry's most well-known tennis shoe makers, and people around the world prize the footwear for its unique desi...
CLASSIC: The WWII Naval Battle Won Using Potatoes
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S.S. O'Bannon was a Fletcher-class navy destroyer with an impressive array of weaponry and a solid track record in conflicts in WWII. However, e...
CLASSIC: The Korean Soldier Who Fought for 3 Armies During WWII
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Born in what is now North Korea, Yang Kyoungjong didn't set out to become a soldier -- but fate had other plans. In today's classic episode, Ben and N...
CLASSIC: Philadelphia's Transylvanian Doomsday Cult: The Cave of Kelpius
22 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a nifty bit of hidden history tucked away in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley Park -- a cave that, legend has it, was home to a doomsday cult...
CLASSIC: Weird Wars Fought For Dumb Reasons
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do a camel, a bucket and an ear all have in common? Each was, at some point, responsible for starting a war. In today's Classic episode, join Ben...
CLASSIC: The FBI's Quest to Understand "Louie, Louie"
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Kingsmen's cover of "Louie, Louie" is one of the world's most famously unintelligible songs -- and this haunted the FBI. In this episode, Ben and ...
CLASSIC: The Time a Soviet Premier Was Banned From Disneyland
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the height of the Cold War a series of debates in a model kitchen in Moscow (true story!) led Nikita Khrushchev to visit the US on a whirlwind publ...
That Time Japan Absolutely Rinsed Russia, Part Two: The Togo Turn
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Japan corners Russian forces in Port Arthur, the Tsar sends a new fleet of ships on a 7-month journey to break the barricade. In a stunning battle ...
That Time Japan Absolutely Rinsed Russia, Part One: The Race For Manchuria
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two Empires. One region, in tenuous balance. While often forgotten in the modern day, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 was a pivotal turning point ...
CLASSIC: Kidnapping, Binge Drinking and Costumes: Voter Fraud in the 1800s
08 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Allegations of U.S. voter fraud have made the rounds in recent years -- but, once upon a time, these were much more than allegations. Join the guys as...
Victorians Got Super Weird With Flirting, Part Two: Courtship and Calling Cards
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cast your mind back to the Victorian Era, when countless singles and would-be paramours struggled to circumvent strict social mores in the search for ...
Victorians Got Super Weird With Flirting, Part One: "Fan Fiction"
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Victorian Era was, on the surface, a time of almost cartoonish sexual repression. Courtship was governed by rigid sets of rules and heirarchy, and...
Why did people hate the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge?
01 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nowadays most people are fans of national parks, but this wasn't always the case. Join the guys as they delve into the strange "birds vs. babies" conf...
First Ladies Who Weren't Wives, Part One: The Niece Will Have To Do
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For more than two hundred years, the American public has elected not just a president, but a family. While the position of First Lady of the United St...
Some of History's Funniest Honorifics, Part One: The Babymaker, the Debauchee, and More
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Honorifics are perhaps best described as the fancier version of nicknames, with some of the same familiar rules: just like nicknames, you don't get to...
IP, Part Two: The Baffling World of Trademarks
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to own an idea, a brand, a catchphrase or a concept? In part two of their continuing exploration of the weird world of intellectual ...
A Ton of Inventors Died Due To Their Own Inventions, Chapter Two: Li Si and the Five Pains
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world is riddled with inventors whose discoveries led to their demise. Thomas Midgley, Jr. is the world's worst inventor. Marie Curie discovered r...
CLASSIC: The 1904 Racist Summer Olympic Games in St. Louis
18 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A few years after Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient sporting event known as the Olympics, he brought the games to the U.S. for the first t...
The Ridiculously Ambitious History of the World's Fair, Part Two: Things Don't Always Work Out
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On paper -- and, often, in practice -- the world's fair is an astonishing global showcase of groundbreaking innovations. However, as Ben, Noel and Max...
The Ridiculously Ambitious History of the World's Fair, Part One: A Crazy Plan, and Crazy Success
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever dreamed of going to a science fair as an adult? If so, the world's fair is for you -- these massive international exhibitions occur arou...
CLASSIC: Why British Soccer Players Saluted the Nazis
11 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As global tensions grew to a breaking point in the lead-up to World War II, European nations used every available avenue to pursue their goals, includ...
How Dogs Went Domestic, Part Two: Yes, Dogs Know What You're Thinking
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine: at multiple points in history, despite their ecological rivalry, a few humans and a few wolves teamed up for a greater good. Fast forward tho...
How Dogs Went Domestic, Part One: Classic Rom-Com
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most folks agree: dogs are awesome. So, how did ancient humans and wolves end up hanging out in the first place? In the first part of this two-part ep...
CLASSIC: Why don't Americans use bidets?
04 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're royalty or a roaming vagrant, a President or a pauper, one thing's for sure: At some point, you'll have to use the restroom. While sani...
CLASSIC: The Earliest Recorded Mooning Killed Thousands
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard of mooning -- the practice of bearing one's butt as an insult -- but where did it come from? Join Ben and Noel as they dive into the dead...