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Ridiculous History

Latest episodes

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Jul 19, 2025 • 28min

CLASSIC: The Life and Times of Ol' Knife Hand

A necropolis in what is now Northern Italy holds a strange and, at first glance, terrifying corpse. A Lombard man, aged somewhere between 40 and 50 years old, lost his right arm in a brutal accident. Normally this sort of wound would be a death sentence, but in this case the guy didn't just survive -- he created a prosthetic limb from a sword and officially became Knife Hand (a title we gave him because we think it sounds cool). Listen in to learn more about the life and times of Knife Hand, including why his story, when you get down to the details, is more an inspiring testament to human compassion than a frightening tale of a killer with a blade for an arm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 17, 2025 • 46min

Batman, or Bat-Man? A Ridiculously Comical Feud For The Ages

The Dark Knight. The Caped Crusader. The terror of all criminals and ne'er-do-wells in Gotham... that's right, folks: today's episode is all about Batman. As Ben and Noel discover in today's episode, this superhero's origin story is a surprising tale of beef, ego, conflict and controversy: for decades, two men claimed to have created Batman... and one of them may have been (mostly) lying.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 16, 2025 • 1min

Introducing: American History Hotline

Hi, Ridiculous History listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts' latest release, American History Hotline. American History Hotline: Bob Crawford searches for the best historians and experts to answer listener questions about American history — from the Revolutionary War to rock & roll feuds. Got a question? Send it to AmericanHistoryHotline@gmail.com.   Listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 16, 2025 • 47min

Three Ridiculous Histories of "Bloody Mary"

A frightening children's game. An intensely divisive, boozy drink. A real-life Royal. As Ben and Noel discover in today's episode, "Bloody Mary" alludes to several ridiculous -- and, at times -- disturbing things.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 12, 2025 • 36min

CLASSIC: The Ridiculous Story of the World’s First (Documented) Serial Killer

Locusta of Gaul, also known as Locusta The Poisoner, was one of the most infamous criminals of ancient times. Alternately sponsored and betrayed by the noble class, she committed crimes with impunity for years — even, at one point, opening an academy to teach her poisoning skills to others. Tune in to learn more about the rise and fall of what may well be the world’s first documented serial killer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 10, 2025 • 44min

A Ridiculous History of "Fad Diets"

Everyone in the developed world knows someone who's tried a 'fad diet' -- these are the so-called miracle practices that promise to help people lose weight and keep it off, through any number of potentially dubious methods. But where did they come from? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and guest producer Dylan dive deep into the Victorian era of tapeworms, super-chewing, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 8, 2025 • 45min

A Titanic Disaster: That Time An Entire Production Crew Tripped Off Bad Chowder

James Cameron's Titanic was, by all accounts, a blockbuster success. And, like so many other masterpieces, the story of its creation is a tale all its own. In today's episode, Ben and Noel dive deep into a little-known disaster that struck the already-tense production: someone laced the chowder with PCP, sending a small army of crew and cast alike on a terrifying journey into temporary madness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 3, 2025 • 36min

CLASSIC: Back When the Rich Ate Corpses

Nowadays it's safe to say that cannibalism isn't a widely-accepted practice, but not so long ago it was considered the bleeding edge (get it?) in medicine throughout Western Europe. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the odd practice of consuming human body parts in hopes of curring all one's ills, through everything such as the King's drops to bandages soaked in human fat, along with related stories of the legendary Mellified Man and the current, tragic phenomenon of Tanzanian criminals hunting down those suffering from albinism to use their body parts in magic rituals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 1, 2025 • 49min

A Ridiculous History of Sex, with Ross Benes

Heads-up, folks: this is a PG-13 episode. Ben and the legendary guest producer, also Ben, welcome author and journalist Ross Benes for a wide-ranging discussion on the ridiculous ways in which sex has altered the course of human civilization. We're talking about the origin story of the vibrator, the way the US military accidentally made San Francisco a 'gay mecca,' the fanatical drives of the Puritans, sex scandals and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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10 snips
Jun 28, 2025 • 30min

CLASSIC: The Mummies of Guanajuato

Discover the eerie tale of Guanajuato's mummies, exhumed due to a grave tax that sparked fascination and horror. Uncover the bizarre methods of natural mummification and the ethical dilemmas of displaying these remains as a morbid attraction. Delve into the rich history of this silver mining town and how its past intertwines with today’s tourism. Explore the chilling characteristics of the mummies, their haunting expressions, and the cultural significance of death in Mexican society that beautifully blends tragedy with a captivating narrative.

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