Ridiculous History

Auction Houses: It's Not *All* Money Laundering

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard of auction houses. Nowadays, these are often best-known as specialized institutions catering to international institutions and a small...

CLASSIC: "Vitamin Donuts" Were A Real Thing

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donuts: they're sweet, delectable and dangerous. Nowadays they're best known as a sugary snack or a nice accompaniment to a cup of coffee, but this wa...

Thomas Nast, Part Two: A Cartoonist Conquers Corruption (and Moves to Ecuador)

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rising from humble beginnings, Thomas Nast soon became something very much like the conscience of America. His illustrated takedowns of corruption spo...

Thomas Nast, Part One: The Cartoonist Who Shaped America

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tons of people have a soft spot for their favorite cartoon or comic strip -- yet few have attained the social status of the legendary artist Thomas Na...

CLASSIC: The Rotten, Sausagey Secret Origin of Botox

04 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today botox is one of the world's most well-known wrinkle treatments, as well as a go-to joke in the realm of pop culture. But where did this treatmen...

Books You Can't Read -- By Design!

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Books are amazing. When you think about it, a good book can be a portal to another world. A book can a time machine, and the right story can genuinely...

La Maupin: The Swordfighting Opera Singer of France

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the era of Louis XIV, Julie D'Aubigny became one of the most popular criminals in all of high society. In today's episode, the guys welcome ret...

CLASSIC: The Weird World of Meat Jell-O (A Gelatin Origin Story)

27 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today Jell-O and other gelatin foodstuffs are generally relegated to world of desserts, but this wasn't always the case. In fact, gelatin took a long,...

A History of Roller Coasters, Part Two: Higher, Faster, More Expensive

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the history of roller coasters, one thing became clear: the public wanted extremes -- the fastest, the highest, the most dangerous of rides. In par...

A History of Roller Coasters, Part One: Early Ups and Downs

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you described the concept of a roller coaster to an alien, they'd probably be baffled: Why on Earth are humans purposely recreated the sensation of...

CLASSIC: London Made a Train for the Dead

20 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mid-19th century, London was literally filling with corpses. When the city was in the grips of a cholera epidemic, the already-overfilled cemet...

The Page-turning Evolution of the Encyclopædia Britannica

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a burst of meta-humor, the Encyclopædia Britannica defines encyclopædia as "reference work that contains information on all branches of knowledge...

A Ridiculous History of Worcestershire Sauce

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's tangy. It's salty. It's sweet. It's unctuous... but what exactly is Worcestershire sauce? Join Ben, Noel and Max on their continuing condiment jo...

CLASSIC: Roald Dahl: Children's Author and Secret Agent

13 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today author Roald Dahl is best-known for his prolific writing career -- but, as it turns out, he lived an entirely different life before he ever put ...

Micronations: How Liechtenstein Became A Country

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Principality of Liechtenstein is a small, landlocked country out in the alpines -- and while it's a tiny nation, it has an enormous depth of histo...

Why Are There So Many Captain Marvels?

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's... "definitely not Superman." At least, that's what Fawcett Comics told the courts, beginning a m...

CLASSIC: When did ALL-CAPS type become YELLING?

06 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen them before, whether in forwarded spam email, a strangely passionate TikTok comment: THE DREADED ALL-CAPS TYPER.Where does this practice c...

Look at Us, Late to the Ridiculous History of Easter

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Easter! It's a big deal, all across the world. And just like earlier celebrations of spirituality, it's been commodified in the United States. In toda...

Royal Deaths, Part Four: The Unfortunate Lives of Scottish Kings

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever shown off your favorite cannon, or deparately rode a horse through the night for a little birthday romance? If so, thank your lucky star...

The Delaware Wedge, Part Two: The Wedge and The Horn

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As early miscalculations and subsequent confusion continued to build, Delaware found itself in a three-state beef over a tiny section of land -- and t...

The Delaware Wedge, Part One: A Tiny State with Massive History

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Although it's the second-smallest state in the US, don't let Delaware's diminutive geography fool you. This state has a tremendous economy, and loads ...

Back to the Choo-ture: the Enduring Nostalgia of Model Trains

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is it about model trains that so captivates people, young and old alike? How did they start as an icon of innovation, and then become such a trea...

PEZ: Candy or Anti-smoking Aid?

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Austrian candy brand Pez is perhaps more well-known for its iconic dispensers than for the candy itself. While they may seem commonplace today, th...

Mobituaries with Mo Rocca, Part Two: What's Past is Prologue

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happened to the payphone? Were you also stunned the first time you saw Abe Lincoln without a beard? In the second part of this special two-part s...

Mobituaries with Mo Rocca, Part One: Mo Eulogizes The Pager

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the world of journalism and literature, there's nothing quite like the obituary. Sometimes called the first draft of history, an obituary can funct...

Awful Candy, Part Two: Peeps, Licorice, Wax Lips and More

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a fan of licorice? Have you ever encountered wax lips in the wild? Where do you stand in the great Peeps debate? Join Ben, Noel and Max as the...

Awful Candy, Part One: Tootsie Rolls Saved the War -- and Divided the World

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Whether or not you have a sweet tooth, odds are you probably have some strong opinions about candy. Following up (finally!) on their earlier Halloween...

It Is Literally Time For The Leap Year Episode

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let's be honest: leap year sounds pretty nuts when you explain it. We have the regular 365-day year three times in a row, but every fourth year we add...

The Ridiculous History of Hot Sauce

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, hot sauce is a global phenomenon, with millions of bottles sold every single year. But where does it come from? What makes it so popular -- and...

CLASSIC: Why does the Guinness Beer Company Track World Records?

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Odds are you've heard about the Guinness Book of World Records, the famous, often inaccurate compilation of various impressive, important, and ridicul...

20 Questions: A Ridiculous Crossover, Part One

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Long-time listeners will know Ben, Noel and Max are big fans of their peer podcast, Ridiculous Crime -- but what happens when the guys join forces wit...

Tecumseh's Curse, Part Two: Boy, It's Tough to be President

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As curses go, Tecumseh's is, according to the legend, ridiculously specific. Every US President elected in a year divisible by twenty is doomed to mee...

Tecumseh's Curse, Part One: Rise of The Prophet

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did the legendary Shawnee chief Tecumseh really lay a curse on US Presidents? In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max div...

History Is Absolutely Riddled With Famous Mistranslations

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

True story: back in the late 70s, US President Jimmy Carter accidentally claimed he'd left the states forever, and wanted to sleep with everyone in Po...

Stuff That Got Left Over, Part Two: Hot Tubs, The Last Shantyman, President Taft Had Pet Cows

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our continually ridiculous mission to explore the funniest events of yesteryear, Ben, Noel and Max often leave some stones unturned. In today's epi...

The Puzzler Returns, Part Two: A Field Trip to the CIA

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

True story: in the heart of the CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia, there's a puzzle no one has solved. In the second part of this special two-part...

The Puzzler Returns, Part One: Puzzles and Spies

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For most people, puzzles are a fun, fascinating diversion. Yet throughout history, they've also played a crucial role in the great game of espionage. ...

A Boeing Wonderland, Part Two: A Fake Rooftop City For All!

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As paranoia increases in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attacks, amateur magician (and storied military official) John Francis Ohmer, Jr. finds Uncle Sa...

A Boeing Wonderland, Part One: A Magician Tries to Camouflage Entire Airfields

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, paranoia reigned across the western US -- and the country entirely. From California to Washington,...

Calvin Coolidge Was Super Weird...and Surprisingly Cool

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When President Warren G Harding passed away abruptly while in office, his Vice President Calvin Coolidge assumed in the role of Commander in Chief. To...

The Ridiculous History of Baseball Caps: How One Hat Traveled the World

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays it feels like everyone has a baseball cap at home... even though most of the folks wearing them do not, in fact, play baseball. So how did th...

Breeching: A Weird Historical Obsession with Children's Pants

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever looked at a childhood photo of a noted historical dude and thought -- huh, why did his folks put him in a dress? If so, you're seeing ev...

The Salton Sea: How A Little Whoopsie Turned into Ecological Disaster

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Located in southern Riverside and northern Imperial counties, the Salton Sea is California's largest lake. Although large seas have cyclically formed ...

CLASSIC: Digging Up James K Polk (For the Third Time)

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The average American may not hear much about James K Polk in school today, but during his time in office the 11th U.S. President was responsible for a...

CLASSIC: The Atomic Whoops: When the US Air Force Bombed South Carolina

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the height of the Cold War, both the US and the USSR constantly ran drills in anticipation of a possible nuclear conflict. While the Gregg fami...

The History of Soda Pop is So Weird, Part Two: Nostalgia is a Heck of a Drug

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once humans nailed down the spicy art of carbonation, they went absolutely bonkers with flavors and gimmicks. While Coca-Cola and Pepsi may be the wor...

The History of Soda Pop is So Weird, Part One: The Saga of Spicy Water

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's nothing quite like the fizzy kick of soda -- since ancient times, cabonation beverages have always delighted and fascinated humanity... even t...

The Puzzler, Part Two: Waldo, Rubik, and More

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How did the Rubik's Cube become a global phenomenon? Where exactly is Waldo? In part one of this series, legendary author and podcaster AJ Jacobs rega...

The Puzzler, Part One: The Crossword Moral Panic

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Ben, Noel and Max welcome special guest, the legendary author AJ Jacobs, to explore the world's strangest historical puzzle crazes. In part...

Christmas Has A Dark Side: The Krampus Episode

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the western world gears up for its biggest holiday, the guys dive into the strange story of Krampus: a pre-Christian, pagan entity that somehow not...

A House Divided: Various Times Congress Tried to Beat the Snot Out of Each Other

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Media pundits love to say America is 'divided as never before' -- but how true is that? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into multiple Congr...

Scientists Who Were Horrifically Persecuted, Part Two: Alan Turing

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Human history is absolutely riddled with cases of one person making a magnificent discovery -- only to be punished by the society in which they reside...

Serious Diseases with Seriously Funny Names, Part Two: Rickets, Brain Fever, and Maple Syrup

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

History is riddled with oddly-named diseases -- rickets, scurvy, brain fever and more. But where do these names come from? In the second part of this ...

Serious Diseases with Seriously Funny Names, Part One: Dropsy

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

History is riddled with oddly-named diseases -- rickets, scurvy, brain fever and more. But where do these names come from? In the first part of this s...

Oh Man, James Joyce was a Dirty Dude!

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Joyce is, without question, one of the most famous authors in the English language. Millions of readers have enjoyed (and sometimes struggled wi...

What's the Deal with Turkey on Thanksgiving?

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's Thanksgiving in the United States -- and Thanksgiving is weird! In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of the big questions about Tha...

Tammany Hall: America's Early Puppet Masters

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's no secret that politics can often have a dark side -- smoky backrooms, corruption and graft have always had their place in American history. And,...

The Hoover Dam is Ridiculous, Part Two: The Audacity!

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the railroads tried and failed to control flooding in the Salton Sink, state and federal leaders realized America needed a bigger solution. With th...

The Hoover Dam is Ridiculous, Part One: Man Versus Nature

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The next time you're in Vegas, rent a car and spend a day at the Hoover Dam. This towering, larger-than-life marvel of human engineering has fundament...

CLASSIC: Waging War With Hallucinogenic Honey

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Honey is popular around the world, and for good reason. This addictively sweet substance is a common ingredient in hundreds of recipes, and people his...

CLASSIC: Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncrasies....

CLASSIC: When the Puritans Canceled Christmas

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays Christmas is a globally-recognized holiday celebrated by millions of people, but in the past this wasn't the case. In fact, some groups of Ch...

How Did Trick-Or-Treating Become a Thing?

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every year at the end of October, countless children (and adults) don costumes and head into the night, going door to door with the same ritual cry: T...

The Tangled History of Topiary, Part Two: That Shrub Is Looking at Me Funny

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ben, Noel and super producer Casey Pegram dive back into the weeds of the surprisingly ancient (and ridiculous) art of trimming flora into bizarre and...

The Tangled History of Topiary, Part One: The Ancient Art of Fancy Plants

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever looked at a bush and thought "this would be way cooler if it was shaped like a rabbit," then you're part of a long line of topiary enth...

Scientists Who Were Horrifically Persecuted, Part One

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, scientists are treated with respect (for the most part), but this wasn't always the case. In the first part of this recurring series, Ben, Noel...

The Crappy, Commodious History of Toilets

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since the dawn of civilization, humanity has been trying to figure out where to put all its poop. While it's easy to take your average flushing commod...

Aaron Burr, Part Two: The Fall of a Guy Nobody Liked

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of this series, Ben, Noel and Max explore how Burr's struggle to acquire political power seemed to lead him, again and again, into ...

Aaron Burr, Part One: The Rise of a Guy Nobody Liked

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks in large part to the musical Hamilton, Aaron Burr has re-entered the public zeitgeist. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and...

Introducing: McCartney A Life in Lyrics

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hi, Ridiculous History fans! Listen to McCartney: A Life in Lyrics hosted by Paul McCartney! A new masterclass podcast that dives into an improvised j...

Royals Who Died on the Toilet: Our Classiest Episode Yet

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the newest installment of this continuing series on weird royal deaths, Ben, Noel and Max explore intensely ...crappy... stories of royals who, des...

That Time Indiana Tried to Change Pi

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pi itself is pretty ridiculous. This number -- the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle -- appears to continue into...

Why Don't People Wear White After Labor Day?

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The boys hit the road, traveling to Las Vegas and recording live. In this special episode, Ben, Noel, Max and guest producer Paul Dechant explore the ...

Michigan Has Its Own Bermuda Triangle

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's true! At least, to some. For decades various people have claimed Michigan has its own area of intense paranormal activity -- UFOs, ghosts, disapp...

The Road to Modern Basketball, Part Two: How Dribbling Became A Thing

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As James Naismith's new sport became increasingly popular, more and more people looked for ways to evolve, adjust, or flat-out change Naismith's origi...

The Road to Modern Basketball, Part One: Naismith and "The Incorrigibles"

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

These days basketball is a billion dollar cultural phenomenon -- but where did it come from? In the first part of this week's series, Ben, Noel and Ma...

The 10th President's Grandson is Alive Today

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

John Tyler was the president of the United States from 1841 to 1845 -- and, while some historians may not remember him as the best of presidents, he h...

Stuff That Got Left Over: Nukes

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When the guys recorded their episode on broken arrows -- lost nuclear weapons throughout history -- they didn't get to one fascinating (and disturbing...

Ralph Nader Versus Big Auto

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While Ralph Nader may not be everyone's favorite politician, he's responsible for some of the biggest life-saving changes in American government. In t...

CLASSIC: Baguettes and Vacation: France versus Bakers

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries ...

Everyone Was Covered in Poop: A Grimy History of Soap

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, soap is ubiquitous. It comes in thousands of forms, brands, and varieties -- but this wasn't always the case. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and...

Behind the Logo: The Story of the Nike Swoosh

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone knows the Nike swoosh — but where did it come from? In today’s episode, the guys dive into the origin story of one of the world’s most ...

The Architecture of Spite, Part Three: The Pie House and a Scorned Argentine

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How far would you go in the name of love? In this installment of The Architecture, Ben, Noel and Max dive into more amazing -- and ridiculous -- tales...

The Architecture of Spite, Part Two: Macy's and The Skinny House

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At its best, architecture is a kind of poetry made tangible, frozen in time for generations to come. But, as it turns out, architecture can also be a ...

The Ridiculous History of Intellectual Property, Part 2: When Things Get Weird

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Who owns an idea? Who should -- or should not -- profit from a concept? In part two of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore the mod...

The Ridiculous History of Intellectual Property, Part 1: The Ancient Past

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today the concept of intellectual property, or IP, is pretty well-established. And this notion of ownership over some often intangible concept, brand ...

World War II's Alaskan Front: The Aleutian Island Campaign

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alaska is known for its stunning beauty, harsh climate, and remoteness -- but it was also the site of an intensely strange series of battles between t...

Micronations: The Amazing Story of Vatican City

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the name, Vatican City is an independent, sovereign nation -- and its history may surprise you. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore ...

The FBI versus Hip-Hop

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays, hip-hop is everywhere -- this genre informs countless aspects of modern music around the world. Shortly after its creation, power structures...

The Inventor of the Saxophone Had Some of the World's Worst Luck

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today the saxophone is a well-known musical instrument, popular across the planet. But, when you learn the story of its inventor Adolphe Sax, you quic...

Animals On Trial, Part 2: Legal Personhood "Goes Wild"

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Given that more and more evidence shows all kinds of non-human animals are capable of experiencing grief, loss, joy and pain, should they not have som...

Animals On Trial, Part 1: Tons of Animals Went to Kangaroo Courts

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While the the concept of a court system is an entirely human invention, it turns out non-human animals have been in some sort of court not once, but c...

Broken Arrows, Part 2: In Which Actions Have Consequence

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive further into the (objectively disturbing) truth about just how many nuclear weapon...

Broken Arrows, Part 1: Whoops, Where's Our Nuke?

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nuclear weapons are one of the most dangerous things humanity ever invented. So while we might reasonably assume people would keep a close eye on thes...

New Providence: That Time Pirates Had A Government

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The so-called Golden Age of Piracy was a time of lawless, terrifying, at-times amazing and objectively ridiculous history. In today's episode, Ben, No...

Tons of People Married Their First Cousins

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do Albert Einstein, Jesse James and Saddam Hussein have in common? Like many notable figures throughout history, these men ended up marrying thei...

Lost Media, Part 2: The Magnificent Ambersons

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

True story: Orson Welles has a film no one will ever see. In the second part of this continuing series, the guys explore "The Magnificent Ambersons," ...

The Ridiculous History of "Snake Oil"

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays, "snake oil" usually means a fake medicine or treatment that claims -- with no evidence -- to cure any number of medical conditions. But wher...

Badass of the Week, Part 2: Rise of the Kung Fu Werewolf

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone can agree the story of T'ai Djin is amazing -- he was born afflicted with a rare genetic condition that made him look like a werewolf, was ad...

Badass of the Week, Part 1: An Origin Story

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What makes an historical figure larger than life? Since 2004, author and historian Ben Thompson has been writing about the most badass people in histo...