Ridiculous History

Apr 19 2025 843 ep. 38 mins 53k
Ridiculous History Podcast artwork

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.

  History  Society & Culture
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CLASSIC: The Man Who Assassinated Abe Lincoln's Assassin

Apr 19 2025 34 mins  
On April 14th, 1865, John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Ford's theatre, escaping shortly thereafter and going on the run. The Federal troops in pursuit of the assassin had orders to bring Booth and any of his conspirators back alive. For most of the soldiers, this wasn't a problem. However, Boston Corbett felt he answered to a higher power -- and this highe

Paul Is Dead, Part Two: Welcome to the Walrus

Apr 17 2025 45 mins  
After a US-based college student pens a satirical article exploring hippy folklore and the Beatles, mainstream media takes off -- "Is Paul McCartney actually dead?" they ask, in a growing fever pitch. In part two of this series, Ben, Noel and Max explore the continuing saga of the greatest conspiracy theory in all of modern music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Is Dead, Part One: The Beatles versus MI5

Apr 15 2025 50 mins  
It's one of the greatest conspiracy theories in all of modern music -- what if, at the height of their success, the world famous Beatles suddenly lost Paul McCartney? As the theory goes, Paul Prime actually died in a car accident in November of 1966. With millions of fans -- and dollars! -- on the line, the remaining Beatles and MI5 conspired to cover the whole thing up, replacing

CLASSIC: The Cock Lane Ghost: Haunting, Hoax, Hysteria… or Hilarious?

Apr 12 2025 39 mins  
In 1762, crowds from across London gathered in hopes of seeing something the papers called "The Cock Lane Ghost". This alleged spirit was known to communicate in knocks and scratches, reacting to yes or no questions and, according to some observers, seeking justice from beyond the grave. But who was this spirit, exactly? What did this poltergeist have to do with William Kent and hi

CLASSIC: Roland the Farter and the Weird World of Professional Flatulence

Apr 10 2025 34 mins  
Regardless of what polite societies often want us to believe, everyone farts. And we fart often! And, believe it or not, a few rare individuals have been able to turn this embarrassing bodily function into a full-time job. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the weird, weird world of professional flatulence.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CLASSIC: Gregor MacGregor Invented a Country and Convinced People to Invest in It

Apr 08 2025 57 mins  
When His Serene Highness Gregor the First, Sovereign Prince of the State of Poyais and its Dependencies, and Cacique of the Poyer nation visited London, he made a huge impression. Hundreds of people jumped at the chance to buy land in his remote, Central American paradise. There was only one problem -- the Cacique, whose real name was Gregor Macgregor, made the entire nation up out

CLASSIC: Angry Feds and Deadly Booze: The Story of the Chemists' War

Apr 05 2025 29 mins  
From 1920 to 1933, the U.S. government attempted to ban (recreational) alcohol throughout the nation. In a stunning -- we're being sarcastic here -- turn of events, people circumvented the law and found ways to keep drinking and organized crime blossomed in cities across the country. Listen in to learn just how far Uncle Sam was willing to go to stem the flood of illegal booze in t

We're Late for the April Fools' Episode

Apr 03 2025 42 mins  
Have you ever fallen for an April Fools' Day gag? Across the world, millions of people pull (hopefully wholesome) pranks on each other every April 1st in a celebration of practical jokes and trickery. But where did this holiday actually come from? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into this surprisingly murky history of April Fools' Day.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv

The Ridiculous History of Vending Machines

Apr 01 2025 62 mins  
Pretty much everyone in the developed world is familiar with vending machines these days -- you see them in all sorts of places, selling all sorts of things. But where did they come from? What's the weirdest stuff sold via vending machine? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the surprisingly ancient concept of automated product dispensers.See omnystudio.com/listener for p

CLASSIC: Fanny and Stella: The Cross-Dressing Scandal of Victorian England

Mar 29 2025 36 mins  
In April of 1870, a shocking court case captivated Victorian England: Fanny and Stella, also known as Frederick Park and Ernest Boulton, were arrested after attending a play at The Strand (in what was then considered inappropriate dress) and held on suspicion of violating the moral codes of the time. Listen in to learn more about the absurd legal war England waged against these two