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Every episode
Ridiculous History
30 episodes
CLASSIC: Fort Blunder: The US Fort Mistakenly Built in Canada
Aug 15, 2026 · 35 min
After the War of 1812, the US decided to shore up security at Lake Champlain by constructing a fort on Island Point. However, due to a surveying error, the US ended up building this fort in Canada, rather than the states. Listen in to learn more about the ridiculous story of Fort Montgomery, and why some people prefer to call it Fort Blunder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mastodons and 'Murica, with Lauren Vogelbaum, Part Two: A Grudge Match with the French
Aug 13, 2026 · 34 min
Thomas Jefferson wasn't just obsessed with mastodons for no reason. Instead, he was in an intense dispute with a French naturalist named Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon. Leclerc argued that the American continent was 'degenerate', and all animals and life forms in the joint were weaker, smaller, and less-developed than those in Europe. In the second part of this special two-part series, returning guest Lauren Vogelbaum regales the gang with the final chapter of Jefferson's strange beef wi…
Mastodons and 'Murica, with Lauren Vogelbaum, Part One: American Degeneracy
Aug 11, 2026 · 37 min
If you grew up in the United States, you've doubtlessly learned all sorts of stuff about Thomas Jefferson -- but did you know about his bizarre fascination with mastodons? It's a winding tale of nationalism, naturalism, and good old American rivalry with the French. And the guys aren't diving into this one alone: they're joined by returning guest and veteran podcaster, the legendary Lauren Vogelbaum, to learn more about the story in part one of this special two-part series. See omnystudio.com/li…
CLASSIC: The Duke of Edinburgh is Literally a God in Vanuatu
Aug 8, 2026 · 26 min
Compared to most people, the UK's Prince Phillip has a pretty swell life -- he's literally royalty, has never gone hungry, and has traveled the world meeting some of Earth's most important people. And, to some residents of Vanuatu, he's also a god. Join the guys as they explore the evolution of the religious movements collectively known as 'cargo cults'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oof! A Lot of Baby Gear was Absolutely Ridiculous
Aug 6, 2026 · 32 min
In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max want to begin by shouting out all new parents in the crowd (we hope you get some sleep)! These days, every expecting or new parent is endlessly inundated with advertisments for products, services, and treatments. And as the crew discovers in today's episode -- the past wasn't that different. In fact, a ton of this baby gear of yesteryear was patently ridiculous. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A Ridiculous History of 'Soft Serve'
Aug 4, 2026 · 51 min
Nowadays, ice cream is a pretty popular treat across the planet. In this episode -- at the height of a blistering Atlanta summer -- Ben, Noel and Max learn more ice cream's kissing cousin: the 'soft serve'. Where did it come from? What makes it such a hit? Also... why doesn't it count as actual ice cream? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: The Honorary Citizens of the United States
Aug 1, 2026 · 42 min
Did you know you can become an honorary citizen of the United States? It's true -- but it isn't easy. Join the guys as they explore the life and times of the rare few who managed to become honorary citizens in the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who was the real John Henry?
Jul 30, 2026 · 35 min
For well over a century, schoolchildren across the United States learned the story of John Henry. According to the legend, John was a formerly enslaved man who found work with a railroad after the Civil War. Widely known as the best steel driver in the area, John wins a Phyrric victory against an automated steel driving machine -- he beats the machine, but dies as a result of exhaustion. The story has resurged in popularity as modern society squares off against AI... but how much of the original…
From Slaves to Superpower: The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Janissaries
Jul 28, 2026 · 39 min
While often forgotten by the global West, the Ottoman Empire was an absolute superpower in its heyday. As the Empire expanded across three separate continents, they also practiced mass enslavement -- and used it to power their army. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise of the Empire's elite fighting force: the Jannisaries. Originally composed of kidnapped and enslaved children from conquered lands, over time the Janissaries gained a unique social position that frightened the Su…
CLASSIC: The Nature of Ephemera, with Alex Williams
Jul 25, 2026 · 40 min
Whether we’re talking yesterday’s newspaper, pamphlets from museums, or even old lottery tickets and straw wrappers, the world is chock full of things that were not meant to last. Today the guys join Alex Williams, the creator of the new podcast Ephemeral, to explore the strange, beautiful, disturbing and tragic stories of things that came and went, from the Collyer brothers to Pizzaria chips. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Badass of the Week Returns, Part Two: Chesapeake Capes
Jul 23, 2026 · 46 min
Its a Badass Badass of the Week Week here on Ridiculous History! In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat Larash, the co-hosts of the legendary Badass of the Week podcast, to learn more about Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville and the Battle of the Capes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Badass of the Week Returns, Part One: George Rogers Clark
Jul 21, 2026 · 1 hr 2 min
Its a Badass Badass of the Week Week here on Ridiculous History! In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat Larash, the co-hosts of the legendary Badass of the Week podcast, to explore the life of a larger-than-life Revolutionary War hero you've never heard of: George Rogers Clark. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: That Time Ohio and Michigan Almost Went To War
Jul 18, 2026 · 35 min
In this week's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how a misunderstanding of the geography of the Great Lakes started a feud, known as the Toledo War, between the state of Ohio and a territory called Michigan. Tune in to Ridiculous History to hear how the conflict between these lands was solved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part Two: The Rise of CEPTIA
Jul 16, 2026 · 33 min
In this week's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how a misunderstanding of the geography of the Great Lakes started a feud, known as the Toledo War, between the state of Ohio and a territory called Michigan. Tune in to Ridiculous History to hear how the conflict between these lands was solved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part One: Everyone Has To Poop
Jul 15, 2026 · 37 min
Today a great many people in the United States take free toilets for granted. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in the first part of this two-part episode, there was a long -- and ridiculous -- road from the origin of public toilets to the free facilities we enjoy today. Tune in to learn how the United States decided to 'solve' a public health crisis by charging people to poop... and stay tuned to learn what happened next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of Local Scrip: Alternative Currencies of the Great Depression
Jul 11, 2026 · 39 min
Have you ever been so broke that you ended up creating your own currency? It may sound like a crazy idea today, but during the Great Depression multiple communities actually created and circulated their own forms of local currency. And this wasn't a lark -- it was a matter of survival. Listen in to learn more about some of the precedents for the (world-famous) BenBucks. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Kingdom of Callaway: That Time One Missouri County (Sort Of, Maybe) Became An Independent Nation
Jul 9, 2026 · 37 min
Despite the misleading name, the U.S. "Civil War" was anything but. As North fought South, this short-lived, bloody conflict fundamentally shifted the course of the country. Yet if you go just a bit further west to Missouri, you'll encounter a story history largely forgot: amid the chaos, a tiny county in Missouri succesfully negotiated something very much like a peace treaty with a sovereign nation. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover why some historians believe this one patch of Mis…
The Ridiculous History of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Part Two: The Fall of a Grift
Jul 7, 2026 · 45 min
For several decades, Saturday morning cartoons were a massive industry in the United States. Every weekend, millions of American children tuned in to watch their favorite shows... and, later, bug their parents for related toys. The studios made bank off this, yet it was only a matter of time before concerned citizens and government agencies started asking: Are these really shows, or just sneaky, 30-minute exercises in brainwashing? In the second part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max ex…
CLASSIC: The Attack of the Japanese Balloon Bombs
Jul 4, 2026 · 35 min
Picture this: It's late 1944, and you, like thousands of other people on the west coast of North America, have noticed bizarre, jellyfish-like objects floating through the sky. You call the local authorities, maybe even the Air Force, only to be ignored. You don't see anything about this in the papers or on the radio. You are in the midst of a real-world conspiracy of silence -- until, that is, the bombs begin to explode. Listen in to learn more about the attack of the Japanese balloon bombs in…
The Ridiculous History of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Part One: A Golden Age
Jul 2, 2026 · 43 min
In the economic boom of a post-World War II United States the sudden affordability of television fundamentally rocked the nation. From the 1950s on, millions of kids in America grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons... yet, as it turns out, these shows were often light on the writing -- and heavy on selling toys. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max discover how Saturday morning cartoons became full-on, half-hour commercials for toys. And, of course, how the adults in…
People Used to Do Very Weird Drugs, Part One: Broomsticks, Sailors and Vikings
Jun 30, 2026 · 42 min
Today, everyone knows the potential dangers of both illegal and legal drugs. Some are more popular and more widely-accepted than others (shoutout to coffee!), but across time and cultures, it's an open secret that pretty much every civilization was doing one drug or another. Sometimes for ritualistic purposes, sometimes for purported medicinal properties -- and, sometimes, just to party. In the first part of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of the strangest things people of…
CLASSIC: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Hoax
Jun 27, 2026 · 45 min
Queen Marie Antoinette's reputation was already tarnished by gossip in 1784, but was completely ruined by the implication that she defrauded the crown jewelers, conning them out of a dazzling, expensive diamond necklace. That's the short summary -- but the story itself is a startling tale of intrigue and iniquity. Listen in to learn more about the strange tale of the diamond necklace hoax. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Berserkers: Violent Viking Villains, Unverified
Jun 25, 2026 · 31 min
Vikings! Even centuries after their heyday, these seafaring Scandinavian raiders are the subject of countless works of fiction and film -- and some of the stories about them are true. And, legend has it, there was one sort of Viking even other Viking feared: the Berserker. If you believe the stories, these blood-crazed guys rushed into battle howling like beasts, wearing nothing but a bear skin, attacking friend and foe alike. So how much of this is fact, and how much just tall tales? In today's…
Did Knights Really Wear Suits of Armor?
Jun 23, 2026 · 38 min
We all know the image of European knights: clad all over in plate armor, they conquer enemy forces and mythological creatures alike. But... how much of this historical stereotype is true? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max ask explore the nuts and bolts of historical armor: how it worked, how many people actually wore it, how much it cost -- and, perhaps most importantly, why it disappeared from warfare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CLASSIC: Nosy Boraha: The Pirate's Paradise (And Cemetery)
Jun 20, 2026 · 25 min
Nowadays most people know the pirates depicted in fiction bear little resemblance to real-life, historical pirates. Few actually buried any treasure, and fewer still lived in secretive island hideouts -- however, in at least one case, the truth appears stranger than fiction. Join the guys as they explore the story of Nosy Boraha, the Pirate's Paradise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Outlaw Origins of NASCAR: From Moonshine to Racing
Jun 18, 2026 · 44 min
NASCAR! This thoroughly American racing organization is huge in the United States -- and has a lot of international gearhead fans, as well. However, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, this multibillion-dollar industry has a fascinating, ridiculous, and criminal past. That's right, fellow historians: NASCAR only exists because of Prohibition. As some of Appalachia's greatest booze smugglers realized people would pay just to watch their motoring skills at work, a network of criminal…
The Real Johnny Appleseed was SUPER WEIRD (and Pretty Cool)
Jun 16, 2026 · 53 min
For a lot grade-school kids in the States, the story of Johnny Appleseed is a modern American myth. The story centers on a quixotic, wandering nomad that (for some reason) is cartoonishly centered on planting apple trees all throughout the newly-minted US. So... how much of this Americana is true? In today's episode, Ben, Max and Noel uncover the true story of an *extremely eccentric* guy named John Chapman, who did indeed make a living planting a ton of apple trees across the Midwest -- but not…
CLASSIC: How the Black Death Came To Norway On A Ghost Ship
Jun 13, 2026 · 35 min
In the 1300s, the Black Death sprang up in central Asia and swept across continents, killing millions. Quarantines became common as various nations sought safety in isolation, and some met with more success than others. Norway may have staved off the plague for years, were it not for a mysterious ghost ship -- listen in to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Germans, Sausages and Dachshunds: Oh, My!
Jun 11, 2026 · 51 min
From baseball games to picnics, from street vendors to haute cuisine, the humble hot dog is an American icon. But where did it come from, and how did it get so popular? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the origins of the infamous dog, how it got its name -- and why so many people have so strong opinions about what should or should not go it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ridiculous History of Atlanta's Street Names
Jun 9, 2026 · 44 min
OK, folks: yes, Ben, Noel and Max are well aware of Atlanta's bizarre habit of naming every other street 'Peachtree' something-or-other. But did you know this city also has multiple streets with completely different names depending on the neighborhood? The boys discover the answer, which is both ridiculous... and chilling. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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