x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

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

42:33

CLASSIC: How Santa Anna Lost His Leg Twice, and Held...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/30

Often called "The Napoleon of the West", mainly by himself, Santa Anna was a legendary, larger-than-life politician, general and exile. While hundreds of stories have been told about this man, one in particular stood out to Ben and Noel: Santa Anna lost his leg not once, but twice to enemy forces. And, once upon a time, he held an elaborate funeral for his fallen leg. Learn more about this bizarre, true story in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

46:03

The History of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Part...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/28

What began with marching bands all those decades ago has evolved past all expectations - and even if you don't particularly follow football, you'll probably tune in for the Super Bowl Halftime show. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of the most iconic -- and controversial -- halftime performances in the history of football.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

48:49

The History of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Part...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/26

Whether or not you consider yourself a die-hard football fan, you've almost certainly watched a halftime show. Over the past few decades, these performances have almost become their own entertainment entity, featuring some of the world's most notable (and, at times, controversial) celebrities. In the first part of this special two-part episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the origin story of the world famous Super Bowl Halftime show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

41:03

CLASSIC: That Time Chewbacca Needed Bodyguards

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/23

Inarguably the most well-known Wookie in the Star Wars universe, Chewbacca also bears a strong resemblance to another popular creature in American culture -- the towering, hirsute cryptid known as Bigfoot. So much so, in fact, that during filming the studio (allegedly) became very concerned for the safety of Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca onscreen. While filming Return of the Jedi in the forests of the California redwoods, guards accompanied the costumed Peter Mayhew so that Bigfoot

en-US

52:27

How Emergency Call Lines Became A Thing

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/21

In most of the modern world, the average person has an astonishing resource for any disastrous situation: you find a phone, then dial 3 numbers to be immediately connected with someone who can call police, EMTs, fire fighters or other first responders. It's a fantastic concept, and though it remains a work in progress, these resources inarguably save lives. But how did we get here? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they delve into the suprising evolution of emergency call lines -- along with some hilarious

en-US

30:37

Are the Vikings to Blame for Cats?

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/19

House cats are astonishing, fascinating, and at-times frustrating little creatures -- yet they've made a comfortable home with humans, spreading in step with every civilization they join. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore an intriguing theory that busts more than a few stereotypes: What if Vikings were responsible for spreading cats even farther around the world?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

36:21

CLASSIC: Napoleon Bonaparte Was Attacked by Bunnies...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/16

Born in Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte rose from obscurity during the French Revolution, crowning himself Emperor of France in 1804. This brilliant, ruthless tactician changed the course of French history. Despite his meteoric rise and bloodied fall, Bonaparte still needed to grab lunch once in a while. That's when the rabbits got him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

41:08

The Most Ridiculous Weather of Baseball

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/14

We've been going through a bit of a sports phase here on Ridiculous History, and of course we can't talk sports without talking baseball. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into some of the strangest weather events to ever grace -- or curse -- an otherwise ordinary game of ball. Note - we don't talk about just how many people got struck by lightning on the field, but... there are a lot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

45:19

Bhutan Grades Itself On Happiness

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/12

Most people never get the chance to travel to Bhutan. Nestled high in the Himalayan mountains, this ancient kingdom is unique on multiple levels. It's the only Vajrayana Buddhist nation on the planet -- and it's also the only nation that measures its success in terms of happiness rather than money. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the history of Bhutan and the inspiring idea of GNH - Gross National Happiness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

32:09

CLASSIC: California Was Named for a Fictional Island...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/09

California was admitted to the United States as the 31st state in 1850, but it acquired its unique name much, much earlier. Join Ben and Noel as they trace the strange story behind California's name, from the fiction that inspired it to the loss and rediscovery of the story and, of course, adventures on a legendary Amazonian island. Tune in to learn more in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:35

The World's Weirdest Sports, Part Two: Literal...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/07

OK, imagine this: you've been captured by a neighboring civilization, hauled off to an unfamiliar city, and your captors tell you: "Hold up, we're not going to kill you yet. In fact, if you can win this game in front of our audience, we will let you live." In part two of our continuing series the world's weirdest sports, Ben, Noel and Max explore the brutal, bloody, and often lethal Mesoamerican sport loosely known as "the Ball Game," a religious event wherein losing the match often meant losing

en-US

52:04

The World's Weirdest Sports, Part One: Buzkashī is...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/05

Regardless of everyone's differences in this wide, wide world, it's safe to say every culture loves some kind of sport. Often these sports can seem strange to outsiders -- but before we cast proverbial stones, let's remember almost every sport looks bizarre to people who don't know the rules! In the first episode of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max explore Buzkashī, the national sport of Afghanistan.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

50:06

CLASSIC: Ancient Mayan Ritual Alcohol Enemas

Ridiculous History ·

2024/11/02

Like many ancient cultures, the civilizations of Mesoamerica had a vast and rich history of unique cultural practices, spiritual beliefs and ceremonies, some of which may seem bizarre to people in the modern day. In this episode, the guys examine a common practice from ancient Mayan culture: the ritual alcohol enema.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

53:54

One Guy Was So Good At Violin That People Thought He...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/31

There's no denying Niccolò Paganini was a virtuoso -- in his heyday, this violinist was an international rock star, wowing crowds across Europe with his rollicking, frenetic performances. He was, in fact, so good that people were at a loss to explain exactly how he got so talented. As the years went on, people started claiming his musical gifts were the result of an infernal pact, and that Paganini had made a deal with the Devil.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

48:36

Credit Scores are Absolutely Ridiculous

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/29

In theory, the concept of credit scores is simple, and makes a lot of sense: lenders need to know they can trust someone to pay back their debts, and debtors need a way to prove they're trustworthy. In practice, however, credit scores are intensely confusing, often ridiculous, and a heck of a pain in the keister for pretty much everyone involved. So how did this system come about in the first place? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they dive into the ridiculous history of credit scores.See

en-US

44:34

CLASSIC: That Time Vermont Was an Independent Republic

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/26

Today Vermont is known for its progressive politics, beautiful forestry, Bernie Sanders and Ben and Jerry's. It's not a state you'll hear much about outside of the US and, for many Vermont natives, that's just fine. But once upon a time, Vermont was a very different place -- in fact, for a number of years, it was an independent Republic. How did this come about? How did it become part of the modern United States? Tune in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

35:08

Spontaneous Generation, Part Two: "Broth Science"

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/24

Who could have guessed a series of broth experiments revolutionized humanity's understanding of life? Spoiler, not us. In part two of this week's two part episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of the once widely-accepted concept of spontaneous generation: the idea that certain nonliving objects could, for one reason or another, suddenly produce living things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

40:25

Spontaneous Generation, Part One: Mice and Grain

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/22

Today the idea sounds silly. Why would anyone think nonliving substances can suddenly generate living things? Yet for much of human history, the concept of spontaneous generation was widely accepted. In the first part of this week's two-part episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the ridiculous theory of spontaneous generation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

39:17

CLASSIC: The Capture of Guam Was Bloodless and Quick,...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/19

Located about 1500 miles to the east of the Phillipines in Micronesia, Guam is a small US territory with a tiny population, beautiful beaches and an incredibly complicated history. For almost four centuries it was a colonial possession of Spain -- but that all changed in 1898, when Guam, in a strange series of misunderstandings, became a possession of the American government. So what exactly happened? Join Ben and Noel as they explore the bloodless, somewhat ridiculous, capture of Guam.See

en-US

39:08

Ridiculous Royal Deaths, Part 5: A Blind and Bloody...

Ridiculous History ·

2024/10/17

Whether we're talking mysterious nosebleeds, drowning in full armor, or charging literally blind into battle, history is chock-full of ridiculous royal deaths. In the fifth -- and for now, final -- installment of this series, Ben, Max and Noel dive deep into more morbid tales of rulers who met with untimely ends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

1,004 results

Similar Podcasts

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

جنود خلدهم التاريخ

ALSUMOOD PODCAST

Film History - Daily

Inception Point Ai

Madonna - Biography Flash

Inception Point Ai