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PODCAST

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.

history

All Episodes

34:35

The History of Morning Routines, Part One: Thank...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/06/03

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 -- on the other hand, some morning routines are elaborate affairs requiring an hour or more of careful grooming, mousiturizing, meditation, and more. So where do these rituals come from? In the first part of this two-part episode, Ben, Noel and Max journey to the past to learn that, for a large part of human history, people smelled terrible.See

en-US

31:26

CLASSIC: Attack of the Aswang: How the CIA Used...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/31

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 most cases these are dismissed as spooky stories for children or ancient myths, but when the CIA needed to oust a group of Communist rebels in the Philippines, they decided to make the myth of the Aswang a reality. Join Ben and Noel for a bizarre adventure in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

45:18

The Ridiculous -- and Surprisingly Dangerous --...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/29

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 course, forms of hair dye have been used since antiquity to help people maintain a youthful appearance... even when the ingredients caused tremendous physical harm. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the fascinating (and surprisingly dangerous) history of hair dye.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

35:07

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: That Super Humble...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/27

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, one statue in particular became a wonder of the ancient world. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the story of Zeus. (Ben here: I need everyone to know we are not talking about the origins of Zeus as a G-d; just this crazy, huge IKEA-level statue.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

34:21

CLASSIC: Who are the Hartlepudlian Monkey Hangers?

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/27

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 why? Join the guys as they explore how the Napoleonic War, a terrified village and one incredibly unlucky monkey collided -- allegedly -- in one of the most ridiculous events of its time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

56:04

HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part Two: The...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/22

Newly inspired by his recent associations in amateur magazine circles, HP Lovecraft returns to fiction. In the second part of this series, Ben, Max and special guest Jonathan Strickland witness Lovecraft's work building a mythos with his friends and collaborators, his love life, his tragedies and triumphs. Also his strange hatred of so many things (including, oddly, seafood).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

52:59

HP Lovecraft Was A Super Weird Dude, Part One:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/20

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 he become one of the most influential authors in all of horror history? In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben and Max welcome returning guest Jonathan Strickland for an exploration of Lovecraft's tragic childhood and long record of bizarre childhood behavior -- and how a vicious argument over love stories paved the way for his later

en-US

42:22

CLASSIC: William Walker: Filibuster and...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/17

In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel, Casey In Spirit and Max explore a bizarrely American story. The adventurer and filibuster William Walker was, in his heyday, lauded as an American hero for his repeated failed invasions of areas of Mexico and Nicaragua. But what led this man on a fanatical mission to invade these regions? Perhaps more importantly, why did so many folks in the US support his various strange escapades?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

37:48

Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part Two:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/15

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 story. In the second part of this week's two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the stories of military coil research and a tenacious 3M employee nicknamed "Mr. Persistent."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:57

Accidental Inventions of the 20th Century, Part One:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/13

Humans have always been compelled by curiosity -- sometimes, this leads to misfortune, but other times... curiosity and accident can also lead to world-changing innovations. In part one of this week's special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore the origin stories of history's greatest accidental inventions, from penicillin to the microwave oven and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

51:46

CLASSIC: Lawsonomy: How the Father of the Modern...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/10

When middling baseball player Alfred Lawson first learned of the Wright Brothers, he experienced a revelation that would guide the greater part of his life: Aviation, he believed, was the future of more than just transit -- it would become one of the most important advances in the history of the human race. Lawson, brimming with confidence and charisma, led the charge to popularize aviation, publishing magazines and even designing the first modern airliner. After the Great Depression dashed many of

en-US

36:40

Did Pirates Really Ruin the US Dream of the Metric...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/08

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 a French polymath named Joseph Dombey sailed to Thomas Jefferson with two crucial artifacts: a rod measuring exactly one meter, and a copper cylinder weighing one kilogram, set to bring the new nation a system of rational measurement. As the story goes, British privateers waylaid Dombey. Stole his artifacts, unsuccessfully ransomed him, and the poor

en-US

42:10

Yet More Ridiculous Historical Honorifics: Ethelred...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/06

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 human history are in the same boat. Join Ben, Noel and Max as they return to their continuing series on Ridiculous Historical Honorifics, exploring the stories of Charles the Bald, Ethelred the Unready, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

27:26

CLASSIC: A Dead Pope Goes To Court

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/03

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 garden variety tales of adultery and financial corruption to shame. Listen in to learn what drove Pope Stephen VI (also sometimes called Pope Steven VII) to dig up one of his predecessors and put the corpse of another Pope on trial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

36:34

History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/05/01

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 week's special two-part episode, returning guest AJ "Bahamas" Jacobs, creator of "The Puzzler," regales the gang with a wide-ranging exploration of history's most ridiculous clothing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

29:12

History's Most Ridiculous Clothing, with AJ Jacobs:...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/04/29

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 being seen as cringeworthy in later years. But how ridiculous does clothing of yesteryear get? In part one of this week's special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome their returning guest, the legendary author and podcaster AJ "Bahamas" Jacobs as he breaks down some of history's most ridiculous fashion trends -- beginning, of course, with some

en-US

33:28

CLASSIC: War and Candy: The Infamous Tootsie Roll Air...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/04/26

During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, the First Marine Division seemed doomed. Surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and running dangerously low on ammunition, the Marines called for an airdrop of ammo only to receive... pallets of tootsie rolls. Over the next two bloody, violent weeks these tiny candies turned out be much more useful than anyone could have predicted -- tune in to learn why some Marines credit their survival to this oft-maligned, strange piece of candy in

en-US

45:06

A Ridiculous History of Tupperware

Ridiculous History ·

2025/04/24

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 exactly is Tupperware? How did it become such an ubiquitous part of U.S. kitchens? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive deep into the surprisingly dramatic rise of Tupperware... and how the unsung hero Brownie Wise took it from a novelty product to worldwide fame.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

38:32

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - Mausoleum at...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/04/22

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 Wonders of the Ancient World with the story of a tomb so opulent that humans ended up making a brand-new word to describe it: the Mausolem (at Halicarnassus).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

34:56

CLASSIC: The Man Who Assassinated Abe Lincoln's Assassin

Ridiculous History ·

2025/04/19

On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's theatre, escaping shortly thereafter and going on the run. The Federal troops in pursuit of the assassin had orders to bring Booth and any of his conspirators back alive. For most of the soldiers, this wasn't a problem. However, Boston Corbett felt he answered to a higher power -- and this higher power told him that Booth deserved to die. Tune in as we explore the (bizarre) life and times of Boston Corbett. In

en-US

1,004 results

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