Week 21: Pepsi Number Fever

Week 21: Pepsi Number Fever

Author: Riley Knight May 20, 2026 Duration: 31:10

This week in history we’ve got assassinations and defenestrations and the release of a hugely popular global franchise, we’ve got the birthdays of palaeontologists and queens and jazz musicians, and we’ve got one of the most ridiculous promotional disasters you’ll ever come across.



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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
Episode 391: History's Weirdest Epithets - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:56
In this week's episode, meet five more historical figures with strange epithets: Æthelred the Unready, Constantine V Koprónymos, Louis Do-Nothing, Malcolm the Maiden, and Piero the Unfortunate. Hosted on Acast. See acast…
Inventions Episode 51: The Internet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:19
The internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
QAH Episode 141: The Stone of Scone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:52
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Stone of Scone, a block of sandstone upon which Scottish, English, and then British kings and queens have been coronated for well over a thousand years. Hosted on Acast. S…
Episode 390: The Miracle Landing of the Gimli Glider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
In this week's episode, hear the incredible tale of Air Canada Flight 143, when a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel mid-flight and so had to be flown and landed as a glider on a not-quite-abandoned airfield in the Canadian town…
Inventions Episode 50: The Global Positioning System [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:39
The Global Positioning System began as top-secret military technology, before a series of interesting (and some tragic) events opened up a world of convenience and logistical optimisation to the world at large. Hosted on…
QAH Episode 140: A Brief History of Morse Code [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:55
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…
Episode 389: The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:46
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.…
Inventions Episode 49: The Personal Computer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:16
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 informati…
QAH Episode 139: The SS Princess Alice Disaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:20
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 inf…
Episode 388: Beatrix Potter, the Enterprising Author [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:13
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…