logo
episode-header-image
May 2018
31m 12s

California Was Named for a Fictional Isl...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

California was admitted to the United States as the 31st state in 1850, but it acquired its unique name much, much earlier. Join Ben and Noel as they trace the strange story behind California's name, from the fiction that inspired it to the loss and rediscovery of the story and, of course, adventures on a legendary Amazonian island.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 22
CLASSIC: Benjamin Franklin's Advice On "Finding A Mistress"
<p>Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a man of many interests, but his endeavors were by no means limited to technical innovation, philosophy and politics. In fact, throughout his life he had a reputation as an irredeemable lech -- literally, in later years, a dirty old man -- ... Show More
31m 43s
Nov 20
Wait! Can a tree really own itself?
<p>Do you have a favorite tree? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max head over to the famous college town of Athens, Georgia where -- legend has it -- one guy was so enamored with his childhood oak that he ultimately deeded it to itself. How much of the story is true? Can a tree ... Show More
42m 22s
Nov 18
Doc Holliday Was, In Fact, A Deadly Dentist
<p>Longtime listeners are well-aware that the history of the 'Wild West' is more than a bit... embellished. Yet a grain of truth exists at the heart of almost every legend, and the story of Doc Holliday is no different. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max learn more about Tombs ... Show More
40m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Short Stuff: How California Got Its Name
<p>California is a pretty cool name. And the story about where it came from is even cooler.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omny ... Show More
12m 47s
Oct 2023
History Daily: The Unearthing of the Cardiff Giant
<p>October 16, 1869. An American trickster masterminds the discovery of a mysterious petrified giant in upstate New York.</p><p><br></p><p>You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://intohistory.com/" rel="noope ... Show More
15m 18s
Aug 2023
California’s hidden history of slavery
Today California is renowned worldwide as a heartland of sun-drenched luxury. But, according to Jean Pfaelzer, the state’s prosperity is in large part built on the proceeds of human bondage. Jean speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about the various forms slavery has taken in the state dow ... Show More
33m 29s
Aug 2020
Official Trailer - American Shadows
American Shadows is a bi-weekly podcast from iHeartRadio and Aaron Mahnke’s Grim & Mild. The show focuses on the darker stories from American history: the people, places, and things that are hidden and forgotten in the shadows. From better-known tales like the conspiracy to steal ... Show More
1m 43s
Jan 2019
The Forgotten Forerunners
Mo tells the stories of three remarkable people who changed history - but whose names you've probably never heard. They are the pioneers before the pioneers. Before Rosa Parks, there was Elizabeth Jennings. Before Jackie Robinson, there was Moses Fleetwood Walker. And then there' ... Show More
43m 29s
Oct 2008
Did someone really escape from Alcatraz?
<p>Alcatraz was one of the United States' most notorious prisons -- isolated on an island and surrounded by sharks. Check out this HowStuffWorks podcast to learn more about the fact and fiction surrounding escape attempts at Alcatraz.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices ... Show More
12m 4s
Nov 2020
SYSK Selects: Who Gets to Name Continents?
<p>America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, right? Maybe not. And who named Australia? Find out the unusually uncertain origins of the continents and other interesting stuff in this classic episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcas ... Show More
41m 16s
Mar 2016
Who Gets to Name Continents?
<p>America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, right? Maybe not. And who named Australia? Find out the unusually uncertain origins of the continents and other interesting stuff in this episode.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork ... Show More
41m 43s
Dec 2019
Best of 2019: The Amazons Pt. 1
Here’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: For years, the tribe of warrior women known as “the Amazons” lived in isolation on an island far from men, until Hercules and Jason and the Argonauts beached upon their shores. From that moment on, a friendship was for ... Show More
52m 9s
May 2018
The Age of Jackson | Manifest Destiny | 6
<p>“Manifest Destiny” is a uniquely American idea. The phrase captured the sense of inevitability—and entitlement—many citizens still feel. But in the 19th century this idea consumed American’s thought and identity.</p><p>In the minds of white settlers moving westward, expansion ... Show More
39m 45s