Ridiculous History
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Ridiculous History
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.
Kamakailang Episode
953 episode
CLASSIC: Who was the highest paid athlete in history?
Today, most people probably don't remember the career of once-famous charioteer Gaius Appuleius Diocles -- however, in his day we was a cultural icon,...
Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Happy New Year! It's no secret that MTV fundamentally changed the nature of media and entertainment. But how did it actually get started? What made th...
CLASSIC: The Weird Life of George Washington, Part 2
Join Ben, Noel, Casey and returning guest Christopher Hassiotis as they continue exploring the strange life and times of George Washington in the seco...
CLASSIC: The Weird Life of George Washington, Part 1
Returning special guest Christopher Hassiotis joins the guys today for a round-robin discussion of the very weird life of George Washington, first Pre...
Folks, We're Doing A Clip Show: Leftovers, 2025
Hey there, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Ben, Noel and Max here: as we travel to hang with our friends and family, we like to do a little thin...
Was 536 Really the Worst Year in History?
Welcome to the end of the year, fellow Ridiculous Historians! As Ben, Noel and Max look back on the events of 2025, they discovered historians do, in...
CLASSIC: Clara, The World's Most Famous Rhinoceros
For centuries most people in Europe thought of rhinos as another form of mythical creature, like unicorns or griffins. However, this all changed when...
Christmas Traditions Are So Incredibly Weird!
What's the strangest Christmas tradition you practice? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max ring in the end of the year with an exploration of Christ...
The Grim Christmas Folklore of Johnny Ace, with Jake Brennan
While the career of rhythm-and-blues vocalist Johnny Ace was short, he left a huge mark on the music world. Up until Christmas Day of 1954, Ace seemed...
CLASSIC: How the Monopoly Board Game Became a World War II Escape Kit
Ben, Noel and Max return with this week's Classic episode! Monopoly is a pretty divisive game, and people tend to either love it or hate it. However,...
The Deliciously Ridiculous History of Fruitcakes
Let's be honest. If you live in the United States, you probably think fruitcake is ridiculous. It's like the MRE of Christmas, passed around from one...
That Time the US Government Brainwashed America into DIY Bomb Shelters
Picture this: it's just after World War II -- the world knows nuclear weapons can end civilization. So, how can a government help the public feel safe...
CLASSIC: Idiomatic For The People, Part I
Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we u...
Spontaneous Human Combustion: A Bizarre Controversy
Can people really just, for no discernable reason, catch on fire? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the centuries old folklore and investi...
IP, Part Three: A Copyright for Everyone!
As Ben, Noel and Max close out another year of Ridiculous History, they return to the patently baffling world of intellectual property. In part three...
CLASSIC: Was there a real-life Rapunzel?
Most people in the West are familiar with the old Rapunzel fairy tale -- a beautiful princess is confined to a tower until a prince, captivated by her...
Ridiculous Maps: That Time Everyone Thought California Was An Island
Nowadays, pretty much anyone can easily find an accurate map of a city, a country, or the entire world. But this wasn't always the case. In today's ep...
The Chicago Tylenol Murders
For most people, Tylenol is nothing more than an ol' stand-by, over-the-counter pain reliever. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode -- t...
CLASSIC: Benjamin Franklin's Advice On "Finding A Mistress"
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a man of many interests, but his endeavors were by no means limited to technical innovation, philosophy and poli...
Wait! Can a tree really own itself?
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 -- o...
Doc Holliday Was, In Fact, A Deadly Dentist
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 a...
CLASSIC: What does "Idaho" actually mean?
Idaho was the 43rd state admitted to the Union, and today it's well-known for potatoes, mining, and stunning forests -- but, even in the modern day, I...
Doc Holliday Was, In Fact, A Deadly Dentist
Here on Ridiculous History, we are avowedly pro-dog. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into a strange evolution of slave, to companion, to fa...
Bir Tawil: The Ridiculous Tale of "Earth's Worst Real Estate"
Land! Historically speaking, it's a pretty popular thing. In fact, a great deal of human conflict is based upon fighting over real estate -- yet, as B...
CLASSIC: Uncle Sam Tried to End World War II With Bat Bombs
Folks, we are phenomenally excited about this week's Classic episode. It sounds like something straight out of the cave beneath Bruce Wayne's Manor, b...
The Ridiculous History of the "Ice Cream Sundae"
For fans of sweet, frozen sweets, there's nothing as perfect as ice cream. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max scoop into a bizarrely niche controve...
Introducing: Health Stuff
Hi, Ridiculous History listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, Health Stuff!
Health Stuff: On...
Zombies, Part Two: The Movies!
On the shambling heels of their recent episode exploring the bizarre legendary origins of zombies, Ben, Noel and Max dive headfirst into the cinematic...
CLASSIC: The American Soldiers Who Defected to North Korea and Became Movie Stars
In this weekend's Classic episode, Ben quizzes Max on his dreams of being a director, ultimately asking: What would the average person do to become fa...
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Temple of Artemis
It's no secret that the Wonders of the Ancient World were pretty... wonderful -- yet also pretty mischaracterized. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and...
That Time Everyone Loved Radium: What Could Go Wrong?
Fellow Ridiculous Historians, we all know the inspiring and tragic story of Marie Curie -- however, not everyone is familiar with the absolute boom in...
CLASSIC: How a Broken Toilet Foiled a German Sub
Toward the end of World War II, the German Type VIIC submarine was acknowledged to be one of the most advanced -- and deadliest -- predators on the se...
CLASSIC: Creature Feature: The Dark Tetrad
It's the weekend! Time to get outdoors, enjoy nature... and, honestly, watch out for crazy animals. Join the guys in this Classic episode as they make...
CLASSIC: Gustaf Broman Tried to Cross the Atlantic in a Canoe . . . Or Did He?
Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Clas...
CLASSIC: The Weird, Surprisingly Recent Origin of the Tooth Fairy
Ben here: Noel and I are sailing the seas this week -- wish us luck! Luckily, our Super Producer Max is holding it down with some of our favorite Clas...
CLASSIC: When Vikings Loot The Wrong Town
Ben here: we're out on the high seas this week -- true story! While we're away, we're sharing some of our favorite Classic episode. Here's one we abso...
CLASSIC: Were Tulips Really The Bitcoin of the 1600s?
In the 1600s, residents of the Dutch Republic were -- according to the story -- absolutely bonkers for tulips. A market sprang up around the tulip tra...
CLASSIC: (Some of) History's Dumbest Military Prototypes
As Ben and Noel hit the high seas, they're celebrating with a special week of their favorite Classics. It's true that the world's militaries often pio...
The Dumbest Mobster Ever Tried To Steal Ruby Slippers
There are few pieces of film history more iconic than Dorothy's magic ruby slippers from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Yet, at first, the studio had no ide...
The Ridiculously Disturbing History of North Korea
As one of the most isolated countries on the planet, it's no surprise the Democratic People's Republic of Korea remains mysterious in the modern day....