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Ridiculous History

Ridiculous History

iHeartPodcasts

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
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Top 10 Ridiculous History Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Ridiculous History episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Ridiculous History for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Ridiculous History episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Ridiculous History - That Time Victorians Treated Seaweed like Pokemon
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02/18/22 • 51 min

Europe's Victorian Era was, in many ways, a study in contradiction. While society in general championed independent scientific research, institutions of the day rejected women as members. Seaweed collections became a way for these scientists to circumvent the dumb ideas of their day.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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5 Listeners

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Ridiculous History - The Wild Hippos of Pablo Escobar
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10/24/17 • 30 min

When notorious drug kingpin Pable Escobar died, he left behind a legacy of brutal crime, opulent living and, oddly enough, four hippos. Fast forward to the modern day, and experts estimate as many as 50 hippopotamuses may roam free in the lands around Escobar's old estate. So what happens when these 4.5 ton animals decide to make themselves at home in Colombia?

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Ridiculous History - The Ridiculous History of "Snake Oil"
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07/04/23 • 52 min

Nowadays, "snake oil" usually means a fake medicine or treatment that claims -- with no evidence -- to cure any number of medical conditions. But where did this term come from? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the story of Clark Stanley, the Rattlesnake King who (accidentally) helped create the modern FDA.

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Ridiculous History - Bolivia Fought -- And Lost -- A War For Bird Poop
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05/31/22 • 30 min

Most people associate think of bird poop as an annoyance -- it can gunk up sidewalks and windshields, and, occasionally, even splat on an unlucky person walking by. But in the late 1800s, guano was a hugely important resource. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max take a closer look at the 'white gold' of guano... and how it led to one of 19th-century South America's deadliest wars.

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2 Listeners

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Ridiculous History - A Ridiculous History of Hot Tubs
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10/20/22 • 45 min

While hot tubs may not always have the... best reputation in some circles, there's no denying people across the world love a good, hot soak after a long day. And we've loved this since antiquity, all the way back to the first time humans found natural hot springs. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the strange origin of hot tubs, from millennia past all the way to the modern day.

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Ridiculous History - William Mitchell Was Basically a Real-life Willy Wonka
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12/06/22 • 40 min

Do you like Tang? Are you known to gobble Pop Rocks, or find yourself lying awake at night, worried about the world's supply of tapioca substitutes? If so, you might be surprised to learn one brilliant, prodigious food scientist single-handedly changed the world with these inventions and more. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the story of William A. Mitchell, the real-life Willy Wonka behind everything from Cool Whip powdered egg whites.

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2 Listeners

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Ridiculous History - The Emperor of the United States
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01/13/22 • 51 min

When San Franciscan businessman Joshua Norton lost his fortune in a Peruvian rice deal gone sour, he temporarily disappeared from the public eye. Not long after, he reemerged as Norton I, the self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States (and, later, Protector of Mexico). In today's episode, Ben and Noel explore the life and times of Norton, and the surprising legacy he left behind.

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2 Listeners

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Don’t let the charming slapstick fool you — Charlie Chaplin was a monster to his lovers, coworkers and family. His former collaborator, Marlon Brando was even weirder and could be just as cruel. In the second part of this two-part episode, the hosts of Tossed Popcorn return to explore more bizarre stories behind the scenes of cinema.

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2 Listeners

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What can Mr. David Lee Roth's run-ins with the law teach us about wholesomeness? Why did John Wayne have public, drunken beef with Harvard? In part two of this week's special two-part series, guests Zaron Burnett and Elizabeth Dutton, the creators and hosts of Ridiculous Crime, join the guys to explore some of history's strangest celebrity busts.

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2 Listeners

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As the US government became increasingly concerned about the possibility of large-scale biological weapons, they decided something must be done: they needed to test— in secret. In today’s episode, the guys explore how the US Army conspired to spray an entire impoverished part of St. Louis with potentially dangerous chemicals... basically, to see what happened.

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2 Listeners

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FAQ

How many episodes does Ridiculous History have?

Ridiculous History currently has 807 episodes available.

What topics does Ridiculous History cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, History and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Ridiculous History?

The episode title 'That Time Victorians Treated Seaweed like Pokemon' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Ridiculous History?

The average episode length on Ridiculous History is 38 minutes.

How often are episodes of Ridiculous History released?

Episodes of Ridiculous History are typically released every 2 days, 6 hours.

When was the first episode of Ridiculous History?

The first episode of Ridiculous History was released on Oct 18, 2017.

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