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PODCAST

Half-Arsed History

Half-Arsed History"s first book, History"s Strangest Deaths, is now available: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlWelcome along to Half-Arsed History! It"s a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. Twice a week, it helps host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.Get in touch: halfarsedhistory@gmail.comSupport the show on Patreon:

history

All Episodes

35:55

QAH Episode 140: A Brief History of Morse Code

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/23

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Morse code, an encoding and transmission system that helped to transform long-distance communication in the mid 19th-century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

1:08:46

Episode 389: The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/22

In this week's episode, hear about the series of ridiculous setbacks and disasters that took place as part of the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, a revolutionary step forward in global communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

33:16

Inventions Episode 49: The Personal Computer

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/17

The personal computer is an invention that defines the modern information age, a deeply entrenched part of daily life for billions of people all around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

24:20

QAH Episode 139: The SS Princess Alice Disaster

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/12

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the SS Princess Alice Disaster, when hundreds of people drowned in raw sewage after two ships collided on the River Thames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

12:19

Update: On Recent Episodes Being Late and a Few Other...

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/02

TL;DL: No episodes for the next week or so. I'm a little bit burnt out after a huge year, so I've been struggling to get episodes out on time. Solutions for 2026 forthcoming; apologies for the disruptions in the meantime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

51:13

Episode 388: Beatrix Potter, the Enterprising Author

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/12/02

In this week's episode, get to know the remarkable Beatrix Potter, whose historical legacy goes a lot further than just the authorship of an immensely successful series of children's books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

27:28

Inventions Episode 48: The Pill

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/29

The pill brought about a huge shift in the history of human civilisation, revolutionising the role of women in society, culture, politics, and economics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

26:11

QAH Episode 138: The Mad Trapper of Rat River

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/28

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of the Mad Trapper of Rat River, a mysterious figure who led the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a month-long manhunt through the frozen wilderness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

52:24

Episode 387 Nations Named After People

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/27

In this week's episode, hear about the history behind the names of five nations, all named after real historical figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

24:02

Inventions Episode 47: Velcro

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/26

Velcro - or, officially, the hook-and-loop fastener - is a useful little invention that we all still use today, and one that was popularised after helping us get to the Moon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

32:11

QAH Episode 137: W.G. Grace, the Great Cricketer

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/23

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of W.G. Grace, one of the most famous cricketers from the 19th century, famous for his immense skill which helped to revolutionise the game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

54:12

Episode 386: The History of the Ashes

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/22

In this episode, get across the origin and history of a fierce century-and-a-half sporting rivalry, brought to life whenever Australia face off against England in Test cricket: the Ashes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

20:32

Inventions Episode 46: The Microwave Oven

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/16

The microwave oven came about due to a very lucky accident involving an electrical engineer and chocolate bar, and today is found in billions of homes worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

24:19

QAH Episode 136: The Petrov Affair

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/12

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Petrov Affair, when two Soviet spies caused a major political upheaval by defecting to Australia in the 1950s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

57:23

Episode 385: The 1975 Australian Constitutional Crisis

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/09

In this week's episode, hear the story of the Dismissal: the 1975 Australian Constitutional Crisis, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was turfed out by the governor-general. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

20:41

Inventions Episode 45: The Ballpoint Pen

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/07

The ballpoint pen may not have ushered in a technological revolution as so many other inventions in this series did, but it nonetheless played a significant role in making everyday writing simple, cheap, and relatively smudge-free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

17:01

QAH Episode 135: Robert Curthose, the Mutinous Elder...

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/05

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Robert Curthose, who managed to cause all sorts of headaches for his two kingly brothers, despite being older than both of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

51:11

Episode 384: History’s Problematic Princes

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/11/03

In this week's episode, apropos of nothing, meet three historical younger-born princes who nothing but a royal pain in the arse for their older brothers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

21:19

Inventions Episode 44: Penicillin

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/10/31

Penicillin was a miraculous, marvellous discovery that revolutionised modern medicine and saved millions upon millions of lives, ushering in the age of antibiotics, where a little scratch doesn't result in amputation or death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

23:10

QAH Episode 134: The Venus de Milo

Half-Arsed History ·

2025/10/30

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Venus de Milo, the most famous ancient statue in the world, and perhaps second-most famous artwork in the Louvre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

en

330 results

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