Most people haven't met an ostrich in person, but everyone knows what they are: the large, flightless birds have been around since before the rise of humanity, and throughout history people have admired their long, luxurious feathers. Back in the day, any self-respecting socialite absolutely had to have ostrich feathers festooning their hats, creating an int ... Show More
Yesterday
A Ridiculous History of Potatoes, Part One: the Origin Story
Potatoes are amazing. While these sturdy little tubers may not seem immediately impressive, they're one of agricultural's biggest success stories. So, how did they grow from a domestic crop in South America to an absolute global phenomenon? In the first part of this special two-p ... Show More
49 m
Apr 28
When Did We All Start Saying "Bulls*t"?
Heads-up, fellow Ridiculous Historians: this is an explicit episode, and maynot be appropriate for all audiences. It's no secret that Ben, Noel and Max are huge fans of etymology -- and there's one word that's mystified them for years. When did the English world fall in love with ... Show More
39m 12s
Apr 25
CLASSIC: New Providence: That Time Pirates Had A Government
Fellow Ridiculous Historians, we just returned from the beautiful Baha Mar resort, and we're going through a pirate phase. So, naturally, we have to share an hilarious Classic episode: the so-called Golden Age of Piracy was a time of lawless, terrifying, at-times amazing and obje ... Show More
59m 13s
Jul 2020
For the Birds
In the spring of 1958, when the winter snow melted and the warm sun returned, the birds did not. Birdwatchers, ordinary people, everyone wondered where the birds had gone. Rachel Carson, a journalist and early environmentalist, figured it out — they’d been poisoned by DDT, a pest ... Show More
46m 52s
Dec 2021
The Legend of the Thunderbird
<p>For millennia, indigenous communities in North America and other parts of the world told stories of a gigantic, predatory bird with the ability to alter the weather, punish the wicked, and sometimes aid the righteous. In the modern day, most people consider these bits of folkl ... Show More
57m 50s
Aug 2020
The Red Paint on Leopold II
<p>Leopold II, King of the Belgians, was a man obsessed with the profits that came with colonization. Using smokescreens of charities and shell corporations, he claimed a private landholding 76x larger than his own nation, and unleashed decades of horror on the land's inhabitants ... Show More
43m 9s
Mar 2024
426. History's Greatest Monkeys
Man in his arrogance thinks himself a great work, worthy the interposition of a deity. More humble, and I believe truer, to consider him created from animals.
A military grave from the 5th century BC was found to contain something extraordinary; a macaque monkey dressed as a roma ... Show More
58m 21s
Aug 2015
Pigeons: Homing, Passenger, Carrier and Otherwise
<p>Pigeons can get a little confusing. Passengers, messengers, carriers, homing - the list goes on. But when it comes down to it, they're all variations of the same smart bird with a knack for getting home to roost. Learn about these clever creatures in today's episode.</p><p> </ ... Show More
48m 21s