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Let's Start a Coup! Ep 1 – A Basket Full of Fascists
Season 1 Episode 1
Nowadays, most people can agree that fascism is, well, a bad thing. But back in the 1930s, life absolutely sucked for most Americans, and fascism sti…
3 years, 4 months ago
Weird Epidemics, Part One: From Sweating to Pokemon
What makes people laugh uncontrollably, for hours at a time? Whatever happened to that 'Sweating Sickness,' and why did so many parents in Japan beco…
3 years, 4 months ago
CLASSIC: When Scientists Hid Under Beds To Spy On Kids
Let's say you're a scientist -- how far would you go to carry out a study? Back in the 1930s, two intrepid researchers went into full spy mode, stalk…
3 years, 4 months ago
Surprising Former Careers, Part III: Goldberg, Trudeau and Buscemi
While many celebrities and public figures are known for achievements in just a few specific fields, almost everyone has had more than a few odd jobs …
3 years, 4 months ago
Introducing: The Last Soviet
Hey, Ridiculous History listeners! The newest hit docuseries of another star-studded podcast, The Last Soviet is live. Go check out the beginning of …
3 years, 4 months ago
It Turns Out Blue Laws Aren't Entirely Terrible
If you've ever tried to buy beer at the wrong time in certain parts of the US, you may have run into the odd proscriptions known as blue laws. Origin…
3 years, 4 months ago
The Origin of Moby Dick, Part Two: Horrors At Sea
Captain George Pollard Jr. was just 29 years old when his whaling vessel, the Essex, met with disaster. As the hapless crew struggled (and largely fa…
3 years, 4 months ago
The Origin of Moby Dick, Part One: Mocha Dick
Today, Herman Melville's magnum opus Moby Dick is lauded as a classic of American literature -- but it turns out Melville didn't invent the whole thi…
3 years, 4 months ago
The (Weirdly Crooked) History of the Food Pyramid
Nutrition is a big deal -- across the United States, tons of kids learned the basics of nutrition through a handy infographic called the 'Food Pyrami…
3 years, 4 months ago
That Time Europeans Went Nuts For Dancing
If you've ever been to a great concert or a banging dance party, then you know sometimes the spirit can overwhelm you -- you might feel compelled to …
3 years, 4 months ago