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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 idea how valuable these would become. The multiple p…
Published on 3 weeks, 3 days ago
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. So, how did it become a thing? In today's episode…
Published on 3 weeks, 5 days ago
CLASSIC: The Forty Elephants: London’s All-Female Jewel Thieves
For at least 200 years, part of London’s criminal underground was ruled by a gang of brilliant, all-female jewel thieves. In this week's classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise and fall o…
Published on 4 weeks, 1 day ago
Disco Balls are Ridiculous, and We Love Them
Human history is absolutely riddled with ridiculous inventions. Some are cartoonishly specific. Others, like the disco ball, serve no purpose other than amusement -- and there's absolutely nothing wr…
Published on 1 month ago
The Truth About "Zombies"
As summer turns and fall begins, Ridiculous History officially enters the most wonderful time of the year. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the legend of a specific kind of 'living dea…
Published on 1 month ago
CLASSIC: The Malleus Maleficarum: A Real-life Witch Hunter's Bible
During Europe's period of witchcraft hysteria, one enterprising (and failed) witch hunter sought to bolster his reputation by creating an authoritative text on the existence, discovery and persecutio…
Published on 1 month ago
How the Kentucky Derby Became a Thing
We’ve all been there, right? You wake up one day, and you say: “You know what? Forget work! It’s so nice outside. I want to put on a fancy hat, watch a bunch of horses run around in a circle, and gam…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The Ridiculous History of the 90s and Low Culture, with Ross Benes
The 1990s were a time of chaos, aspiration, and, above all, ridiculous things. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max welcome returning guest Ross Benes, the author of 1999, for an in-depth exploratio…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
CLASSIC: The Great London Beer Flood of 1814
In 1814, a poor neighborhood in London fell victim to a strange, tragic and boozy disaster -- this calamity would eventually leave eight people dead. So what exactly happened? How could an entire nei…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
The True Story of Pac Man -- and a Ton of Weird Theories
As one of the most iconic games in all of arcade history, Pac Man is recognized across the planet. But how did it get here -- and why are there so many in-depth fan theories about what it means? Is P…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago