Half-Arsed History
Riley Knight
Half-Arsed History's first book, History's Strangest Deaths, is now available: https://www.booktopia.com.au/history-s-strangest-deaths-riley-knight/book/9781761472589.htmlWelcome along to Half-Arsed History! It's a weekly podcast highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from history. Three times a week, it helps host Riley Knight feel as though his useless history degree has some kind of real-world relevance.Get in touch: halfarsedhistory@gmail.comSupport the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/halfarsedhistorySubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/halfarsedhistoryBuy Half-Arsed History merch: https://halfarsedhistory.theprintbar.comIf you've just discovered the show and aren't sure which of the 350+ episodes to start with, here are some suggestions:Episode 139: The History of the Toilet - https://sptfy.com/PK3J • https://apple.co/3Giftt3Episode 75: The Great Emu War - https://sptfy.com/PK3K • https://apple.co/4jKCvr7Episode 197: The History of Nuclear Weapons - https://sptfy.com/PK3L • https://apple.co/4jygYlcEpisode 233: The 1930 FIFA World Cup - https://sptfy.com/PK3M • https://apple.co/4iltL9PEpisode 106: The First Circumnavigation - https://sptfy.com/PK3N • https://apple.co/4jewsLjHalf-Arsed History acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the unceded Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) Land on which the podcast is written and recorded, and pays respect to First Nations Elders past, present, and emerging. Indigenous sovereignty was never ceded. This continent always was, and always will be, Aboriginal Land. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 31, 2025 • 21min
Inventions Episode 44: Penicillin
Penicillin was a miraculous, marvellous discovery that revolutionised modern medicine and saved millions upon millions of lives, ushering in the age of antibiotics, where a little scratch doesn't result in amputation or death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2025 • 23min
QAH Episode 134: The Venus de Milo
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Venus de Milo, the most famous ancient statue in the world, and perhaps second-most famous artwork in the Louvre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 29, 2025 • 56min
Episode 383: That Time the Mona Lisa Was Stolen from the Louvre
In this week's episode, learn about the Louvre's most infamous heist: the time that the Mona Lisa itself was stolen by an Italian carpenter named Vincenzo Peruggia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 24, 2025 • 22min
Inventions Episode 43: Plastic
Plastic is everywhere - these days, it's impossible to live a completely plastic-free life; but that's not necessarily entirely a bad thing, as even with all its environmental ills, plastic has nonetheless ushered in an age of material abundance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 22, 2025 • 23min
QAH Episode 133: The Lake Nyos Disaster
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Lake Nyos Disaster, when over 1,700 people living around Lake Nyos mysteriously perished one night in 1986. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 19, 2025 • 52min
Episode 382: The Tichborne Claimant
In this week's episode, get stuck into the mystery of the Tichborne Claimant, when a butcher from Wagga Wagga claimed to be the long-lost heir to a British noble family's fortune. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 17, 2025 • 17min
Inventions Episode 42: The Aeroplane
The aeroplane completely transformed human civilisation across the 20th century, bringing immense change to travel, transport, logistics, and military affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 15, 2025 • 19min
QAH Episode 132: Roy Sullivan, the Human Lightning Rod
Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Roy Sullivan, a US National Park Ranger who was hit by lightning on seven separate occasions, surviving each time to tell the tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 12, 2025 • 1h 3min
Episode 381: Matthew Flinders, the Man Who Named Australia
In this week's episode, get to know Matthew Flinders, the explorer and navigator who was the first person to circumnavigate Australia - and later popularised the name we all use to refer to it today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 10, 2025 • 23min
Inventions Episode 41: Radio
Radio brought about a revolution in communications technology, allowing widespread wireless communication across great distances and bringing about an age of broadcast entertainment, while forever changing international commercial, industrial, and military affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
