#150 Short lived Presidents (Part 1)

#150 Short lived Presidents (Part 1)

Author: Pop! Pop! November 24, 2025 Duration: 33:08

This week we’re discussing US Presidents who, through various interventions of fate, weren’t actually President for any great length of time. We’ve got poor old Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), unlucky James Garfield (1831-1881) and let’s not forget Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).


Plus, what on earth did we do before the advent of eBay? Did you basically have to just be very fortunate if you wanted something obscure and niche? If you remember these grand old days, you know what to do: hello@ohwhatatime.com


And send us any entrepreneurial ideas you had when you were ten!


And in huge news, Oh What A Time is now on Patreon! From content you’ve never heard before to the incredible Oh What A Time chat group, there’s so much more OWAT to be enjoyed!


On our Patreon you’ll now find:

•The full archive of bonus episodes

•Brand new bonus episodes each month

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•PLUS ad-free episodes earlier than everyone else


Join us at 👉 patreon.com/ohwhatatime


And as a special thank you for joining, use the code CUSTARD for 25% off your first month.


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Thank you to Dan Evans for the artwork (idrawforfood.co.uk).


Chris, Elis and Tom x


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Ever wondered if people in the 18th century had worse holidays than you do, or if being a child in Victorian times was genuinely as grim as it sounds? That’s the kind of territory explored in Oh What A Time..., a podcast where history is less about dusty dates and more about the bizarre, often terrible, human experiences across the ages. Each episode, comedians Elis James and Tom Craine join award-winning podcaster Chris Scull to take a deep, funny dive into a new theme-whether it’s marriage, life at sea, or countless other facets of existence. They sift through the strangest and most surprising stories from our collective past, all while trying to settle a central, burning query: just how awful was it back then? The tone is conversational and packed with curiosity, blending genuine historical insight with the hosts’ comedic perspectives. You’ll find yourself learning about the peculiar realities of daily life in different eras, all delivered with a warmth and humor that makes the past feel immediately relevant. This isn’t a lecture; it’s a lively discussion between friends who are equally fascinated and horrified by what they uncover. For anyone who enjoys a good story, a laugh, and a fresh take on the people who came before us, this podcast offers a consistently entertaining and oddly comforting look at the shared struggles and absurdities of human history.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Oh What A Time...
Podcast Episodes
#121 Silent Films (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:43
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!Time to go back to the golden age of cinema; this week we’ll tell the story of how sport first burst onto the big screen, how the first silent films were soundtracked and how F…
#121 Silent Films (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:49
Time to go back to the golden age of cinema; this week we’ll tell the story of how sport first burst onto the big screen, how the first silent films were soundtracked and how F Scott Fitzgerald fell in and out of love wi…
#120 Scandals (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:58
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!This week we are trawling the archives for scandals! (And let’s attempt this episode description in true tabloid fashion). Hear all about Lord Byron’s saucy behaviour! The black…
#120 Scandals (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:44
This week we are trawling the archives for scandals! (And let’s attempt this episode description in true tabloid fashion). Hear all about Lord Byron’s saucy behaviour! The blackmail of Alexander Hamilton! And (one of the…
#119 Daft Deaths (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:33
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!This week we’re turning to history to find people unfortunate enough to have had a really daft death. We’ve got sixteenth-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Alexander Pushki…
#119 Daft Deaths (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:08
This week we’re turning to history to find people unfortunate enough to have had a really daft death. We’ve got sixteenth-century Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Alexander Pushkin’s totally avoidable end and we’ll hear al…
#118 Motoring (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:12
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!Let’s get behind the podcasting wheel and drive through a history of motoring. We’ll hear about the birth of the service station, the dawn of motorways and breakdown services an…
#118 Motoring (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:59
Let’s get behind the podcasting wheel and drive through a history of motoring. We’ll hear about the birth of the service station, the dawn of motorways and breakdown services and - and this really is a huge one - the ris…
#115 Weird Wars (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:31
This is Part 2! For Part 1, check the feed!This week on the show we’re looking at wars that were, frankly, weird. We’ve got the Bulgarians and Greeks booting off over a dog, the great emu war in Australia, and how about…
#115 Weird Wars (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:36
This week on the show we’re looking at wars that were, frankly, weird. We’ve got the Bulgarians and Greeks booting off over a dog, the great emu war in Australia, and how about Honduras and El Salvador kicking off on the…