Among his many high-profile roles, Franklin still managed to keep some affairs out of the public eye. The figurative and literal skeletons hiding in his closet posed many questions: Was Franklin a serial killer? Did he serve as a double agent during the Revolutionary War? And how far would he go to cover up his sexual escapades?
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Today
Was 'The Battle of the Sexes' Fixed?
On September 20, 1973, tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes,” notching a victory for feminism, women’s athletes, and societal equality. In America’s collective memory, the iconic sporting event was on the up and up. But what if Riggs, a ma ... Show More
47m 25s
Jul 22
Rewind: The Denver Airport
This July, we’re revisiting five classic topics in our Conspiracy Theories: Rewind series! Denver International Airport is said to be holding more than planes and luggage. It’s home to apocalyptic artwork, Freemason imagery, and even a literal murderous 32-foot-tall horse. And be ... Show More
48m 36s
Aug 2025
Was Ben Franklin a Zaddy?
Before he was flying kites in storms or posing on the $100 bill, young Benjamin Franklin was stirring trouble—and hearts. In this episode, we sift through the flirtatious, scandalous, and occasionally eyebrow-raising side of America’s favorite Founding Father: from the cheeky Sil ... Show More
51m 41s
Jul 2020
“The Racist Killer” Joseph Paul Franklin Pt. 2
Still desperate to ignite a race war in the United States, Joseph Paul Franklin sought more prominent targets, hoping to draw attention to his cause. But he also found satisfaction in impulsive, isolated murders. When it seemed no one would ever catch him, he got careless. Learn ... Show More
39m 48s
Sep 2024
ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 4: The Statesman
After retiring at the age of 42, Ben Franklin immersed himself in politics, taking on enormous diplomatic challenges on behalf of Pennsylvania and the colonies. In this episode, we dive into Franklin the talented statesman-- a man who emerged from his mission in England with a ta ... Show More
37m 46s
Oct 2024
ON BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Episode 5: Legacy
In this final episode of our series, host Evan Ratliff and biographer Walter Isaacson discuss Benjamin Franklin's remarkable late-in-life achievements-- from his last anonymous essay, to the way he empowered George Washington, to his evolution on slavery, to the beautiful way Phi ... Show More
35m 46s
Jan 2022
Who is Benjamin Franklin?
Join Gen-Z Media producer, Claire McClanahan, for the first of four conversations with Ben Franklin expert, Dr George Boudreau. In this episode we learn a little bit more about who Ben Franklin was, in his younger years, before he was an elder statesman on the hundred dollar bill ... Show More
7m 36s
Nov 2023
CLASSIC: Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet
"For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncrasies... but Benjamin Franklin was not most people. In today's classic, listen as Ben and Noel explore Franklin's strange quest to revis ... Show More
29m 3s
May 2024
The Real Hamilton: Lover, Adulterer, Family Man?
<p>Founding Father, first Secretary of the Treasury and focus of one of the world's first political sex scandals - we couldn't do a series about Alexander Hamilton without touching on his personal life.</p><br><p>Don is joined by Elizabeth Cobbs in this episode to explore the pri ... Show More
37m 35s