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51
Ridiculous History

iHeartPodcasts

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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.
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Decoder Ring

Slate Podcasts

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Decoder Ring is the show about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.
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Go back to school with the country's top professors lecturing on a variety of topics in American history. New episodes posted every Saturday evening. From C-SPAN, the network that brings you "After Words" and "C-SPAN's The Weekly" podcasts.
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A biweekly history podcast covering the last great war. Join Ray Harris Jr as he explores World War Two in intimate detail. The History of WWII Podcast is produced and narrated by Ray Harris Jr. Ray has a degree in history from James Madison University. I’ve been obsessed with the events and people from WWII since I first learned of them. I’ve been waiting years for someone to do a podcast on WWII and couldn’t wait any longer.
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We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. New episodes every Friday.
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A weekly podcast about the history, science, lore and surprises that make everyday things secretly incredibly fascinating. Hosted by comedy writer, emoji creator, and ‘Jeopardy!‘ champion Alex Schmidt. Join Alex & his co-host Katie Goldin for a joyful deep dive into seeing the world a whole new way! (For research sources, bonus episodes, and how you can support the podcast, visit sifpod.fun.)
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The BHP is a chronological retelling of the history of Britain with a particular focus upon the lives of the people. You won’t find a dry recounting of dates and battles here, but instead you’ll learn about who these people were and how their desires, fears, and flaws shaped the scope of this island at the edge of the world. And some of those desires are downright scandalous.
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Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei. Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective- ...
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Noble Blood

iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

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Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history’s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the murdered, and everyone in between. Because when you’re wearing a crown, mistakes often mean blood.
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Ancient Egypt, from Creation to Cleopatra. This podcast tells the story of pharaonic Egypt "in their own words." Using archaeology, ancient texts, and up-to-date scholarship, we uncover the world of the Nile Valley and its people. Hosted on the Airwave Media Network.
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This podcast, assembled by a former PhD student in History at the University of Washington, covers the entire span of Japanese history. Each week we'll tackle a new topic, ranging from prehistoric Japan to the modern day.
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The History of China

Chris Stewart

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A journey through the 5000 years of history documented by one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations. For all the episodes for free, as well as additional content, please subscribe and/or visit http://thehistoryofchina.wordpress.com.
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SpyCast

SpyCast

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SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played throughout history and today. Brought to you from Airwave, Goat Rodeo, and the International Spy Museum.
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Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage. Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls. And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business ...
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Take a deep dive into History’s biggest moments with Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook. Explore the stories of History’s most brutal rulers, deadly battles, and world-changing events. From the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the Nazi conquest of Europe, and Hitler’s evil master plan for world domination, to the French Revolution, the sinking of the Titanic, or the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Tom and Dominic bring the past to life with gripping storytelling and expert analysis, as th ...
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History Daily

Airship | Noiser | Wondery

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On History Daily, we do history, daily. Every weekday, host Lindsay Graham (American Scandal, American History Tellers) takes you back in time to explore a momentous event that happened ‘on this day’ in history. Whether it’s to remember the tragedy of December 7th, 1941, the day “that will live in infamy,” or to celebrate that 20th day in July, 1969, when mankind reached the moon, History Daily is there to tell you the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world—one day at a ...
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The World War II podcast with comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland. We Have Ways of Making You Talk dives deep into WWII history, exploring key battles, forgotten front lines, and incredible untold stories. Whether you're fascinated by the Battle of Britain, the D-Day landings, or the Eastern Front, this show offers a rich, detailed look at the war that shaped the modern world. Al and James bring a unique blend of expert knowledge and humour, discussing everything from the Third Re ...
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Witness History

BBC World Service

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Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Publi ...
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Everything Everywhere Daily

Gary Arndt | Glassbox Media

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Learn something new every day! Everything Everywhere Daily is a daily podcast for Intellectually Curious People. Host Gary Arndt tells the stories of interesting people, places, and things from around the world and throughout history. Gary is an accomplished world traveler, travel photographer, and polymath. Topics covered include history, science, mathematics, anthropology, archeology, geography, and culture. Past history episodes have dealt with ancient Rome, Phoenicia, Persia, Greece, Chi ...
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Ancient History Fangirl

Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy

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An ancient history podcast run by two Millennial women. Misbehaving emperors, poison assassins, mythological mayhem; it’s like if Hardcore History met up with My Favorite Murder in the ancient world, with a heavy helping of booze and laughter.
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Lions Led By Donkeys Podcast

Lions Led By Donkeys

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The Lions Led By Donkeys podcast is a military history podcast for laughing at the worst military failures, inept commanders, and crazy stories from throughout the history of human conflict. Our podcast will always be free, but if you think what we do is worth a buck you can throw us one here: https://www.patreon.com/lionsledbydonkeys
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HISTORY This Week

The HISTORY® Channel | Back Pocket Studios

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This week, something big happened. You might have never heard of it, but this moment changed the course of history. A HISTORY Channel original podcast, HISTORY This Week gives you insight into the people—both famous and unknown—whose decisions reshaped the world we live in today. Through interviews with experts and eyewitnesses, each episode will give you a new perspective on how history is written. Stay up-to-date at historythisweekpodcast.com and to get in touch, email us at historythiswee ...
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The American History Podcast presents the history of the United States in an engaging, scholarly and entertaining way. Each season we take a topic in American history and dive deep to discover the roots of the issue, and provide our listeners with a lot of history they don't know. Follow the American History Podcast on Twitter: @americanhiscast. Feel free to email me with questions and comments: [email protected]
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Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institution

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More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults. But where the public’s view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers and astrophysicists, host Lizzie Peabody sneaks listeners through the Smithsonian’s side door, telling stories that can’t be heard anywhere else. Check out si.edu/sidedoor and follow @SidedoorPod for more info.
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Where the course of history has been decided on the battlefield. These are the battles that made us -- a detailed, entertaining, and tangent-free program about history's greatest battles. In this podcast we journey through the constancy of human conflict, where the fates of nations and the course of global history have been decided on the battlefield. This podcast delves into our world-history's most significant and seminal battles, exploring not just the events themselves but their profound ...
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Swindled

A Concerned Citizen

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Utilizes narrative storytelling, archival audio, and immersive soundscapes to explore true stories of white-collar criminals, con artists, and corporate evil. From corruption and fraud to Ponzi schemes and environmental disasters, these financially motivated crimes have shaped our world in unimaginable ways. All in the name of greed. Become a ValuedListener™ at ValuedListener.com
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The tides of American history lead through the streets of New York City — from the huddled masses on Ellis Island to the sleazy theaters of 1970s Times Square. The elevated railroad to the Underground Railroad. Hamilton to Hammerstein! Greg and Tom explore more than 400 years of action-packed stories, featuring both classic and forgotten figures who have shaped the world.
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The podcast that transports you to the ancient world and back, with some good conversation along the way. It's not just about ancient Greece. It's about a huge chunk of human history that the Greek texts give us access to: from Egypt and Babylon, to Persia, to Carthage and Rome, we'll sail the wine-dark sea of history with some expert guides at the helm. Topics will include archaeology, literature, and philosophy. New episode every month.
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Curious, funny, surprising daily history - with Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina and Arion McNicoll. From the invention of the Game Boy to the Mancunian beer-poisoning of 1900, from Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain to America's Nazi summer schools... each day we uncover an unexpected story for the ages. In just ten minutes! Best Daily Podcast (British Podcast Awards 2023 nominee). Get early access and ad-free listening at Patreon.com/Retrospectors or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
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You're Dead to Me

BBC Radio 4

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The comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In each episode of You’re Dead to Me from BBC Radio 4, Greg Jenner is joined by a comedian and an expert historian to learn and laugh about the past. History isn’t just about dates and textbooks – it’s about extraordinary characters, amazing stories, and some very questionable fashion choices. How long did it take to build an Egyptian pyramid? What does the Bayeux Tapestry reveal about medieval life? Why did it take nearly half a millennium fo ...
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The History of England

David Crowther

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This my re-telling of the story of England. I aim to be honest, and rigorous - but always loving of my country's history. It is a regular, chronological podcast, starting from the end of Roman Britain. There are as many of the great events I can squeeze in, of course, but I also try to keep an eye on how people lived, their language, what was important to them, the forces that shaped their lives and destinies, that sort of thing. To listen free of adverts, support the podcast, access a libra ...
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Empire

Goalhanger

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The rise and fall of empires, rulers, and the events that shaped world history. William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the rulers who built and lost empires. From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today? Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, ea ...
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NEW on The History Podcast: Invisible Hands. David Dimbleby traces the history of a hidden force that changed Britain - the free market revolution - and the invisible hands that shaped it. Episodes available weekly.
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In Burying the Enemy: The Story of Those who Cared for the Dead in Two World Wars (Yale University Press, 2025), Tim Grady recounts here a detailed history of the fate of combatants who died on enemy soil in England and Germany in World Wars I and II. The books draws on a rich archive of personal family experiences, and describes the often touching…
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April 24, 1895. Joshua Slocum sets off from Boston, Massachusetts in his attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the world single-handedly. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at htt…
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Like most rulers of old, Mausolus wasn't exactly known for his modesty. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max continue their exploration of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with the story of a tomb so opulent that humans ended up making a brand-new word to describe it: the Mausolem (at Halicarnassus). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i…
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Riding a Penny Farthing bicycle from the Sierra Nevada mountains to Yokohama, Japan, Thomas Stevens began his epic two-and-a-half year journey around the world on 22nd April, 1884. Along the way, he encountered mountain lions, Persian aristocracy, and thousands of supporters from bicycle clubs, who turned up to hear him speak. His journey was endle…
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Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. It’s 50 years since soldiers of the communist Khmer Rouge party stormed into the capital, Phnom Penh. It was the start of a four year reign of terror which resulted in up to two million people being killed. We hear two stories from people affected…
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In November 1995, a proposal of having an annual day focused on celebrating books was put forward at the UNESCO conference in Paris. The idea came from a long-established Spanish celebration ‘The Day of Books and Roses’. The first World Book Day was on 23 April 1996. Although some countries now celebrate World Book Day on different dates, it’s mark…
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Is the liberal international rules-based order – that has underpinned international relations for the past 80 years - about to collapse. The United States once its greatest champion is withdrawing funding from hundreds of international organisations, and at the same time unending the global economy by imposing of tariffs across the board. What migh…
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Emigration creates issues with demographic and population changes across Wales, no more so than the county of Ceredigion which saw serious depopulation during the mid to late 1800s. Follow us on social media: Instagram, Bluesky and Twitter: Welshhistorypod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/welshhistorypodcast Please consider becoming a supporter a…
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Synopsis: The launch of “The Ancient World – Ages”, a new series covering the Early Bronze Age Collapse (c. 2200 BC) and the remaking of Southwest Eurasia. We start things off with a discussion of the Ubaid and Uruk Periods of early Mesopotamia. “After Anu, Enlil, Enki, and Ninhursag Had fashioned the black-headed people, Vegetation luxuriated from…
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Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is World War Two military historian and archivist Elisabeth Shipton. We start by concentrating on two events from the last year of the Second World War. Exercise Tiger took place in April 1944 in preparation for the D-Day landings of All…
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Velvalee Dickinson ran a doll shop on Madison Avenue that catered to wealthy collectors. But in one of the strangest espionage cases of World War II, Dickinson's clients had no idea she was using correspondence about doll orders to transmit coded U.S. military intelligence to the Japanese. * On the Very Special Episodes podcast, Dana Schwartz tells…
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During the battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, the First Marine Division seemed doomed. Surrounded, outnumbered, outgunned and running dangerously low on ammunition, the Marines called for an airdrop of ammo only to receive... pallets of tootsie rolls. Over the next two bloody, violent weeks these tiny candies turned out be much m…
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One of the biggest and most important industries in the world is banking. Banks are large, control an enormous amount of money, and are often the most influential economic institutions in most countries. Yet, banks are not a modern invention. Banks, in one form or another, have been around for thousands of years and have evolved into the modern ins…
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Music was an integral part of statecraft and identity formation in the Third Reich. Structured thematically and semiotically around the Wagnerian tetralogy of the Ring cycle, Hitler’s Twilight of the Gods: Music and the Orchestration of War and Genocide in Europe (U Toronto Press, 2025) provides a sonic read of the Second World War and the Holocaus…
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On today’s Saturday Matinee, we go back to Richard Branson's beginnings to see just how he became a billionaire with his iconic Virgin brand. Link to Business Movers: https://wondery.com/shows/business-movers/ Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDai…
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Ramesses had a lot to plan for, in his first year of rule (c.1292 BCE). Staying in Waset / Luxor, the new pharaoh began building work on his tomb (KV7) and his memorial temple (The Ramesseum). Archaeological records testify to both of these projects. Then, the King immortalised his late father, the Osiris Sety I, in scenes of worship at Karnak. Fin…
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Picking another weak point of the Axis defensive line to the NW of Stalingrad, the Italian 8th, the Hungarian 2nd and what remained of the Romanian 3rd Armies would be attacked. Then the airfield feeding Gen. Paulus’ 6th Army would be raided. The German forces would be tied down and unable to assist. Punch by punch Army Group South is losing its st…
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This week: Taiho begins his grand sumo career, and quickly proves to be one of the best ever to do it. We'll use his career to discuss: what does greatness look like in a sport like sumo? What were the highlights of one of the greatest careers in sumo history? And what were the small number of cases where Taiho didn't prove able to come out on top?…
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Our calendar and system of keeping time are rather unique. It isn’t nice and tidy like the metric system. It is a collection of odd time units, leap years, and rotating calendars. As such, many people throughout history have thought that they could do better. So they have made proposals for changing our calendar, some of which would be very differe…
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In 2014, a well-trained, mysterious band of mercenaries arrived in Ukraine, part of Russia's first attempt to claim the country as its own. Upon ceasefire, the “Wagner Group” faded back into shadow, only to reemerge in the Middle East, where they'd go toe-to-toe with the U.S., and in Africa, where they'd earn praise for “tough measures” against ins…
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On 30 April 1945 Adolf Hitler killed himself in a bunker in the German capital Berlin as Soviet Red Army soldiers closed in. But first he married his lover Eva Braun, and dictated his will. In 1989, Traudl Junge, one of Hitler’s secretaries who was in the bunker when he died, shared her testimony with Zina Rohan. This episode was first broadcast in…
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April 25, 1983. The leader of the Soviet Union replies to a letter written to him by an American school girl in the thick of the Cold War between the two countries.This episode originally aired in 2023. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com …
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On October 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford walked into a press conference at the National Press Club and, using more precise, more eloquent words than legend remembers, but in no uncertain terms, told New York City that the federal government was not going to bail it out. The following day the New York Daily News -- the city's first tabloid newspap…
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Cautionary Tales returns with a new episode on May 2nd. Both of the world’s greatest economists, Irving Fisher and John Maynard Keynes, thought they could see into the future and make a killing on the stock market - and then both were wiped out by the Wall Street Crash. One died a pauper, the other millionaire. What does it take to bounce back from…
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Greg Jenner is joined by guests Dr Danika Parikh and comedian Ahir Shah in the Bronze Age to explore the ancient Indus civilisation. They take a close look at the terracotta, toilets and even the unicorns of this vast civilisation which was in existence some 2,000 years before Pompeii. This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the f…
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he German poet and journalist Heinrich Heine coined the term “Lisztomania” on 25th April 1844 to describe the phenomenon of frenzied fandom in Europe where women would physically assault Franz Liszt by tearing his clothes, fighting over broken piano strings and locks of his shoulder-length hair. Heine said there was something about Liszt’s performa…
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Burrrrp! The sound is familiar to any fan of Tupperware -- it's that little whoosh of air when you push down the lid and remove excess air. But what exactly is Tupperware? How did it become such an ubiquitous part of U.S. kitchens? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive deep into the surprisingly dramatic rise of Tupperware... and how the unsun…
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The battle for Sevastopol, and the wider fight for Crimea, siphoned off critical German divisions from the southern push toward the Caucasus, delaying the drive for oil and momentum. At the same time, it gutted Soviet naval power in the Black Sea, silencing it for nearly two years and leaving the coastline exposed and vulnerable. Sevastopol. Octobe…
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Just one week after President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected in November 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman set out to execute one of the most audacious plans of the US Civil War. His plan involved violating several central tenets of warfare, which had been established for thousands of years, yet in the process, he helped bring the war to…
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HISTORY This Week returns with new episodes this Monday! We're kicking things off with a look at America's longtime fascination with Greenland, and how the U.S. military used the island to expand its Cold War nuclear ambitions. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more abo…
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Though Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh remains well known today for his role in shaping the post-Napoleonic peace settlement in Europe, his half-brother Sir Charles Stewart has received far less attention despite his own prominent part in the politics and diplomacy of those years. In War and Diplomacy in the Napoleonic Era: Sir Charles Stewart…
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In September 1987, Othello was staged at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg during the apartheid regime in South Africa. The Immorality Act, which banned sexual relationships between white people and non-white people, had been repealed in 1985. But the Shakespeare play was controversial, especially the scene where the black actor, John Kani, kissed…
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When James Garfield won the Presidency in 1880, Charles Guiteau got ready to accept his new government job. No one had actually offered him a job – but he'd campaigned for Garfield, so he assumed he'd be rewarded. That was the spoils system, and it was how the government worked. But President Garfield didn't hire him. Guiteau was furious. And on Ju…
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Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! In our last episode, we took a look at the outside forces driving the engine of the Migration Era: Hunnic migrations and invasions, constant displacement and conflict at the Roman borders. But Goths lived inside Rome too—in the heart of the Italian peninsula, and also in the outer province…
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In the tales of Hollywood Crassus will always be the antagonist to the slave hero Spartacus, but is that how would he see himself? A war against slaves is something that no self respecting Roman would like to be pushed into. And yet here we are. Episode CCXL (240) Part II of Crassus Guest: Assoc. Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classic and Ancient Histor…
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On 24th April 1644, the Chongzhen Emperor walked to Meishan, a small hill in present-day Jingshan Park and hanged himself on a tree, bringing a sudden end to the Ming dynasty. The writing had been on the wall for him for some time. By 1640, the unfortunate emperor faced multiple pandemics, an invasion, two internal rebellions, persistent drought, w…
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What did the Allies discover in the concentration camps in the heartlands of Nazi Germany? How did they struggle to help the survivors they found? Join James Holland & Al Murray as they uncover the pivotal but often overlooked final moments of WW2 in Europe - from the grand international politics of the new Cold War superpowers, down to often inten…
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Who led the first British envoy to China? What did Europeans think of China in the 1700s? Why did the diplomats bring a huge planetarium as a gift for the Chinese emperor? William and Anita continue the story of the build up to the Opium Wars with the story of the doomed British envoy to China. _____________ Empire Club: Become a member of the Empi…
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"We're not worried about petty morals." What happened to the Rolling Stones in 1967 to see them on the brink of imprisonment and mass censure, while at the height of their success, with fame, fortune, mansions, world tours, and best selling albums to their names? Was Brian Jones, the band's founder, murdered, after being found floating in his swimm…
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 The North Vietnamese defeat marked the terminal collapse of their ambitious 1968 campaign: an orchestrated “General Offensive” designed to fracture American resolve and ignite a nationwide uprising, brought to its knees by the very forces it sought to outmaneuver. Khe Sanh. January 21 - April 5, 1968.  American and South Vietnamese Forces: ~ 6,000…
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folks, we're back with more patron questions to answer. we are still catching up, so we dive in and discuss Medieval reclamation of pagan myths, land management practices, political pragmatism, funerary customs, regional political differences, weird English town names, and whether the Catholic Church could've successfully reformed itself enough to …
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After the death or resignation of a pope, but before the election of a new pope, there is a period of time at the Vatican known as Sede Vacante. The Sede Vacante doesn’t last very long, and it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does occur, it is a very busy time. This period has its own coat of arms and highly regimented series of events that h…
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James Goldsmith was a billionaire tycoon who thrived in the free-market revolution. He was a corporate raider who conquered both the City of London and Wall Street. He was a playboy – four wives, a host of mistresses and a reputation as outsized as a Bond villain. Then in 1987 he predicted a stock market crash and disappeared from the world stage. …
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Forty years ago, on 23 April 1985, Coca-Cola decided to change the secret formula of its fizzy drink, in a bid to be market leaders. They launched a new flavour called ‘New Coke’. But, after a public backlash and thousands of angry calls, bosses were forced to act and bring back the old recipe. In 2011, author Mark Pendergrast spoke to Alan Johnsto…
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