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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

38:59

CLASSIC: Gustaf Broman Tried to Cross the Atlantic in...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/21

Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Classic episodes. Here's one I especially enjoyed from 2019, all about strange ocean travels: "In 1895, Gustaf Broman announced he would sail across the Atlantic in a 13-foot-long sailboat crafted from a cedar log. His route had an odd beginning -- he planned to start at Oregon, sail down to California, then put the boat on rails and ride it up to New York

en-US

27:29

CLASSIC: The Weird, Surprisingly Recent Origin of the...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/18

Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Classic episodes. Here's one for all the kids scared of dentists: "For millions of kids in the West, the story is as mysterious as it is profitable: Once your baby teeth begin falling out, hide them beneath your pillow. Sometime in the night, the Tooth Fairy will retrieve the tooth, leaving you some cash -- perhaps spare change, perhaps as much as twenty

en-US

39:01

CLASSIC: When Vikings Loot The Wrong Town

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/16

Ben here: we're out on the high seas this week -- true story! While we're away, we're sharing some of our favorite Classic episode. Here's one we absolutely loved, and travel-related: "Like many Viking leaders, Halfdan and Bjorn wanted to be known for their fearlessness in battle and their ability to locate the finest spoils -- they wanted the community to tell stories of their valor for generations to come. Their father Ragnar built a name for himself raiding Paris, so they wanted to kick things up

en-US

30:21

CLASSIC: Were Tulips Really The Bitcoin of the 1600s?

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/14

In the 1600s, residents of the Dutch Republic were -- according to the story -- absolutely bonkers for tulips. A market sprang up around the tulip trade, and people began paying in advance for tulip bulbs, negotiating increasingly extravagant financial agreements and, in some cases, even using tulips as currency. This Tulipmania is often presented as the first economic boom and bust... but how accurate is that claim? What really happened? Join Ben and Noel as they separate the fact from fiction.See

en-US

55:49

CLASSIC: (Some of) History's Dumbest Military Prototypes

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/11

As Ben and Noel hit the high seas, they're celebrating with a special week of their favorite Classics. It's true that the world's militaries often pioneer technological innovation -- but don't let all those great successes fool you! The world's militaries have at least as many failures as they do breakthroughs. Join Ben, Noel and special guest Christopher Hassiotis as they explore some of humanity's most hilarious military missteps, from round ships to rocket bullets and ball tanks.See

en-US

40:23

The Dumbest Mobster Ever Tried To Steal Ruby Slippers

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/09

There are few pieces of film history more iconic than Dorothy's magic ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Yet, at first, the studio had no idea how valuable these would become. The multiple pairs of slippers languished in obscurity until costume department worker named Kent Warner launched a mission to save them. Yet the story doesn't stop there: as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode, one of history's dumbest mobsters actually stole the shoes... because he mistakenly believed they

en-US

48:25

The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/07

As one of the most isolated countries on the planet, it's no surprise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains mysterious in the modern day. So, how did it become a thing? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the bizarre origin story of the "Hermit Kingdom," a totalitarian regime that is somehow both Communist and an absolute theocracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

42:07

CLASSIC: The Forty Elephants: London’s All-Female...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/04

For at least 200 years, part of London’s criminal underground was ruled by a gang of brilliant, all-female jewel thieves. In this week's classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise and fall of the notorious Forty Elephants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

38:47

Disco Balls are Ridiculous, and We Love Them

Ridiculous History ·

2025/10/02

Human history is absolutely riddled with ridiculous inventions. Some are cartoonishly specific. Others, like the disco ball, serve no purpose other than amusement -- and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the dazzling (get it?) history of the 'myriad reflector.'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

50:17

The Truth About "Zombies"

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/30

As summer turns and fall begins, Ridiculous History officially enters the most wonderful time of the year. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the legend of a specific kind of 'living dead' -- the zombie. According to the stories, a zombie is a cadaver reanimated through evil magic, and cursed to obey the commands of a powerful bokor (sorceror). Yet is this only a tall tale? Or, just maybe... is there a grain of truth to this grisly lore?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

33:46

CLASSIC: The Malleus Maleficarum: A Real-life Witch...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/27

During Europe's period of witchcraft hysteria, one enterprising (and failed) witch hunter sought to bolster his reputation by creating an authoritative text on the existence, discovery and persecution of witches. While it may seem silly now, the Malleus Maleficarum was a runaway success, with thousands of copies inundating European society even while various officials warned against treating it as a reliable source. Join Ben, Noel and Casey as they learn more about The Hammer of the Witches.See

en-US

37:49

How the Kentucky Derby Became a Thing

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/25

We’ve all been there, right? You wake up one day, and you say: “You know what? Forget work! It’s so nice outside. I want to put on a fancy hat, watch a bunch of horses run around in a circle, and gamble. Like they do in Europe.” In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max learn how the volatile, ambitious Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. created a little something called the Kentucky Derby.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

43:54

The Ridiculous History of the 90s and Low Culture,...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/23

The 1990s were a time of chaos, aspiration, and, above all, ridiculous things. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max welcome returning guest Ross Benes, the author of 1999, for an in-depth exploration of talk shows, crime, transformative media and pop culture forensics. (Ben here: of course we get to films, video games and Juggalos.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

25:58

CLASSIC: The Great London Beer Flood of 1814

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/20

In 1814, a poor neighborhood in London fell victim to a strange, tragic and boozy disaster -- this calamity would eventually leave eight people dead. So what exactly happened? How could an entire neighborhood flood with a deadly deluge of beer? Join Ben, Noel and Max for a bizarre bit of boozy history in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

37:56

The True Story of Pac Man -- and a Ton of Weird Theories

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/18

As one of the most iconic games in all of arcade history, Pac Man is recognized across the planet. But how did it get here -- and why are there so many in-depth fan theories about what it means? Is Pac Man a Sisyphean immortal cursed with endless toil? Is he underwater, stealing errant Pong balls? Is he himself a ghost, or on drugs? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max unravel the bizarre, inspiring origin story of one of history's greatest video games.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy

en-US

38:54

The Ridiculous Origin of the the Word "Ridiculous"

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/16

With nearly one thousand episodes out in the world over the years, Ben, Noel and Max realized they've never asked about the origin of the word "ridiculous." In this rollicking, cartoonishly meta episode, the gang learns the history of this specific word -- and why, since before the dawn of recorded history, humans have always been all about a good joke. (And, of course, terrible jokes as well.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

34:57

CLASSIC: Dr. Seuss Wrote His Most Famous Book On A Bet

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/13

What are your favorite children's books? In this Classic episode, Ben and the gang acknowledge Dr. Seuss is one of the most well-known writers on the planet. "Green Eggs and Ham", one of his most successful books, sold over 8 million copies by 2016 -- but would you believe he wrote it based entirely on a bet?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

46:53

The Terrifying Science of Tiny Subs and D-Day, Part...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/11

As Axis powers swarm across Europe in the lead-up to D-Day, a small group of scientists refuse to leave their lab, throwing a fair amount of modern ethics out the window (or the sub, if you like) as they race to complete vital experiments in hyperbaric chambers -- the results of which may just change the course of the war. Tune in for part two of this special two-part series, featuring returning guest Dr. Rachel "Big Spinach" Lance, the author of "Chamber Divers: The Untold Story of the D-Day

en-US

43:16

The Terrifying Science of Tiny Subs and D-Day, Part...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/09

Years after their initial conversation with the world's foremost expert on underwater explosions, Ben still sings the praises of Dr. Rachel "Big Spinach" Lance. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Dr. Lance back to learn more about the phenomenal -- and, frankly, inspiring -- story of a ragtag crew of rogue scientists who saved submarines ... and, in doing so, saved the Allies during D-Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

en-US

29:37

CLASSIC: Feral Children and the True Story Behind The...

Ridiculous History ·

2025/09/06

Now, let's be honest. Rudyard Kipling was a cartoonishly problematic guy. Yet his work made a permanent impression on global literature -- and, to a surprising degree, he based a lot of his writing on real-world events. In today's Classic episode, Ben and Noel ask: What inspired Rudyard Kipling to write The Jungle Book? Join the guys as they explore the real-life, tragic stories of feral children abandoned by their human parents, adopted by animals and raised in the wild.See omnystudio.com/listener

en-US

1,004 results

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