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How A Massive Turkey Screw-up Created TV Dinners
Hey, it's us, your pals Ben, Noel and Max from Ridiculous History. We figured the holidays can be stressful for everyone, and we're pretty sure you've heard the history of Thanksgiving countless time…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
J. Paul Getty, Part Two: A Kidnapping Discount
For members of the mob, the plot to kidnap J. Paul Getty's grandson was a home run -- after all, what's a few million to a literal billionaire? Yet, as it turns out... the mob didn't know who they we…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
J. Paul Getty, Part One: Money Doesn't Make You Happy
It's often said that money doesn't buy happiness -- and, in the tragic case of the Getty family, it seems that saying holds true. In part one of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore Getty'…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Have you heard of Andorra?
While it may be unfamiliar to many folks outside the region, the 6th-smallest country in Europe has a fascinating history all its own. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the strange orig…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
How Smart Was Alex the Grey Parrot?
Picked at random from a pet store, a humble grey parrot named Alex went on to fundamentally alter the way humans think about animal cognition. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how animal…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Surprising Former Careers, Part 2: Truman Can't Sell Hats
Years before he became a world-famous actor, Christopher Lee did wetwork with elite special forces during World War II. Before entering public office, Harry Truman almost ruined his life by starting …
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
The Ancient -- and Surprisingly Divisive! -- Story of Ketchup
Ketchup is in almost 97% of US homes today -- and, while this statistic may sound surprising, it turns out there's a long story behind this humble condiment. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max tra…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
The Bizarrely Xenophobic Origins of Scotch Tape
There's no two ways about it: tape is a pretty handy, amazing thing -- and one we often take for granted. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive deep into the origin story of Scotch tape, uncover…
Published on 3 years, 1 month ago
Lost Media, Part Two: We Didn't Start The Fire
Silent films took the world by storm, but the material they were manufactured from was notoriously -- cartoonishly -- flammable. Soon multiple studio buildings were burning to the ground. There wasn'…
Published on 3 years, 2 months ago
Lost Media, Part One: What Happened to All Those Silent Films?
For a relatively brief period of time, silent films rocked the world of entertainment. However, these nitrate- and acetate-based films proved both fragile -- and downright dangerous. In the first par…
Published on 3 years, 2 months ago