Ridiculous History

Ridiculous History

Author: iHeartPodcasts Language: English Episodes: 100
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
CLASSIC: The Weird, Surprisingly Recent Origin of the Tooth Fairy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:29
Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Classic episodes. Here's one for all the kids scared of dentists: "For mil…
CLASSIC: When Vikings Loot The Wrong Town [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:01
Ben here: we're out on the high seas this week -- true story! While we're away, we're sharing some of our favorite Classic episode. Here's one we absolutely loved, and travel-related: "Like many Viking leaders, Halfdan a…
CLASSIC: Were Tulips Really The Bitcoin of the 1600s? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:21
In the 1600s, residents of the Dutch Republic were -- according to the story -- absolutely bonkers for tulips. A market sprang up around the tulip trade, and people began paying in advance for tulip bulbs, negotiating in…
CLASSIC: (Some of) History's Dumbest Military Prototypes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:49
As Ben and Noel hit the high seas, they're celebrating with a special week of their favorite Classics. It's true that the world's militaries often pioneer technological innovation -- but don't let all those great success…
The Dumbest Mobster Ever Tried To Steal Ruby Slippers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:23
There are few pieces of film history more iconic than Dorothy's magic ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Yet, at first, the studio had no idea how valuable these would become. The multiple pairs of slippers lang…
The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:25
As one of the most isolated countries on the planet, it's no surprise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains mysterious in the modern day. So, how did it become a thing? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max e…
CLASSIC: The Forty Elephants: London’s All-Female Jewel Thieves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:07
For at least 200 years, part of London’s criminal underground was ruled by a gang of brilliant, all-female jewel thieves. In this week's classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise and fall of the notorious Forty…
Disco Balls are Ridiculous, and We Love Them [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:47
Human history is absolutely riddled with ridiculous inventions. Some are cartoonishly specific. Others, like the disco ball, serve no purpose other than amusement -- and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In tod…
The Truth About "Zombies" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:17
As summer turns and fall begins, Ridiculous History officially enters the most wonderful time of the year. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the legend of a specific kind of 'living dead' -- the zombie. Acc…
CLASSIC: The Malleus Maleficarum: A Real-life Witch Hunter's Bible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
During Europe's period of witchcraft hysteria, one enterprising (and failed) witch hunter sought to bolster his reputation by creating an authoritative text on the existence, discovery and persecution of witches. While i…