Ridiculous History

Author: iHeartPodcasts Language: English Episodes: 50

History Culture Society Society & Culture

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.

Episodes

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CLASSIC: Bug Wars: When We Tried to Turn Insects into Soldiers

September 12, 2026

Duration: 31:58

Let's be honest: Bugs aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they're fascinating, crucial parts of the ecosystem. They're also, according to a few eggheads, the perfect weapons of war. Join the guys as they explore the bizarr…

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CLASSIC: Yasuke, the African Samurai

September 10, 2026

Duration: 29:43

Japanese Daimyo Oda Nobunaga was fascinated by the mysterious, towering slave of a visiting Jesuit missionary, and soon this man, Yasuke, joined Nobunaga's court, eventually becoming a full-on samurai. Join the guys as t…

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CLASSIC: The Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I Tried To Make An Army of Super Tall Soldiers

September 8, 2026

Duration: 34:06

Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm was fascinated by all things military, but the crown jewel of his army was a group known as the Potsdam Giants -- men recruited on the basis of their height alone. If these tall boys, teen…

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CLASSIC: Playboy, Progressive Politics and Stand-up: The Dick Gregory Story, with Wayne Federman

September 5, 2026

Duration: 50:23

In this episode, Wayne Federman joins the guys to explore the rise of legendary comedian Dick Gregory, who began life as a boundary-breaking stand-up comic. Tune in as the gang explore's Gregory's evolution, his associat…

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The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part Two: The Great Debate and Anti-tipping Crusades

September 3, 2026

Duration: 42:52

While tipping is widely accepted (and expected) in the United States today, this wasn't always the case. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel, and Max learn how scheming corporations used tipping…

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The Ridiculous Racist Origin of Tipping, Part One: A Gratuitous History of Gratuity

September 1, 2026

Duration: 36:12

What's the best meal you've ever had at a restaurant? If it was in the United States, odds are you paid your tab -- and then added an extra fee on top of that. While tipping didn't originate in the USA, the States have t…

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CLASSIC: I Modi: The Scandalous Erotic Blockbuster Banned By The Vatican

August 29, 2026

Duration: 34:42

Nowadays it's no secret that some Papal administrations from centuries past were a bit more scandalous than others, but when master engraver Marcantonio Raimondi created prints of explicit art located within the papal pa…

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The Dark Side of Frank Lloyd Wright, Part Two: Mass Murder, Cults, and the FBI

August 27, 2026

Duration: 34:39

Even if you're not an architecture enthusiast, odds are you've heard of Frank Lloyd Wright. This massively famous architect fundamentally changed the discipline of architecture as we know it. Yet as Ben, Noel and Max lea…

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The Dark Side of Frank Lloyd Wright, Part One: Professional Success and Personal Turmoil

August 25, 2026

Duration: 44:49

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the world's most well-known, storied (ha) architects. Several of his works are official UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and he has undeniably influenced countless architects in the modern day. H…

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CLASSIC: Patriots, Prisoners and Plants: The World of Political Body Doubles

August 22, 2026

Duration: 50:09

Has anyone ever told you you resemble a celebrity? Have you ever thought of making this resemblance your job? In today’s Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Casey explore real-life stories of body doubles, from World War II t…