Week 13: The Spaghetti Tree Hoax

Week 13: The Spaghetti Tree Hoax

Author: Riley Knight March 25, 2026 Duration: 36:44

This week in history we’ve got the origin of gerrymandering, the renaming of Constantinople, we’ve got the birthdays of composers and scientists and painters, and we’ve got the time the BBC convinced half of Britain that spaghetti grew on trees.



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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: https://patreon.com/halfarsedhistorySubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/halfarsedhistoryBuy Half-Arsed History merch: https://halfarsedhistory.theprintbar.comIf you've just discovered the show and aren't sure which of the 350+ episodes to start with, here are some...
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Half-Arsed History
Podcast Episodes
QAH Episode 134: The Venus de Milo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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 informati…
Episode 383: That Time the Mona Lisa Was Stolen from the Louvre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this week's episode, learn about the Louvre's most infamous heist: the time that the Mona Lisa itself was stolen by an Italian carpenter named Vincenzo Peruggia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa…
Inventions Episode 43: Plastic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:12
Plastic is everywhere - these days, it's impossible to live a completely plastic-free life; but that's not necessarily entirely a bad thing, as even with all its environmental ills, plastic has nonetheless ushered in an…
QAH Episode 133: The Lake Nyos Disaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:32
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Lake Nyos Disaster, when over 1,700 people living around Lake Nyos mysteriously perished one night in 1986. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 382: The Tichborne Claimant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
In this week's episode, get stuck into the mystery of the Tichborne Claimant, when a butcher from Wagga Wagga claimed to be the long-lost heir to a British noble family's fortune. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f…
Inventions Episode 42: The Aeroplane [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:26
The aeroplane completely transformed human civilisation across the 20th century, bringing immense change to travel, transport, logistics, and military affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
QAH Episode 132: Roy Sullivan, the Human Lightning Rod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:27
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Roy Sullivan, a US National Park Ranger who was hit by lightning on seven separate occasions, surviving each time to tell the tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…
Episode 381: Matthew Flinders, the Man Who Named Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:14
In this week's episode, get to know Matthew Flinders, the explorer and navigator who was the first person to circumnavigate Australia - and later popularised the name we all use to refer to it today. Hosted on Acast. See…
Inventions Episode 41: Radio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:29
Radio brought about a revolution in communications technology, allowing widespread wireless communication across great distances and bringing about an age of broadcast entertainment, while forever changing international…
QAH Episode 131: Australia's Silliest Laws - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:30
Quarter-Arsed History presents: more of the silliest laws still in effect in Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia including posing an an architect, challenging someone to a duel, and getting stuck in a fridge…