In which guest host Trey tells the story of Dmitry I of Russia and the various people who impersonated him in an effort to claim the Russian throne, Phil takes the rare opportunity to make a movie reference, and we reinforce the idea that polit

65 | A Very Hungry Frenchman

May 16th, 2022 1h 9m

In which Phil tells the story of Tarrare, a showman and the worst spy of the French Revolution with a disgusting talent, guest host Trey describes his dream European vacation, and we express some sympathy for the humble house cat (and how they

64 | The War Writer

May 9th, 2022 51m 1s

In which guest host Tony tells the story of Martha Gellhorn, the only woman at D-Day and her nearly 70 years covering global conflicts, Phil talks about the importance of seizing opportunity, and we have our first every bird interruption on the

63 | Lady Edison

May 2nd, 2022 58m 6s

In which Phil tells the story of Beulah Henry, one of History's most prolific female inventors, guest host Tony blames his mom for taking away his chance at becoming a famous inventor, and we discover we don't know U.S. Presidents as well as we

62 | The Forgotten Figure of Alzheimer's Disease

Apr 25th, 2022 1h 29m

In which guest host James tells the story of Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, the neurologist, psychiatrist, and pathologist whose behind-the-scenes work affirmed the memory condition known today as Alzheimer's Disease, Phil explains why he doesn't g

61 | The Immortal Woman

Apr 18th, 2022 1h 20m

In which Phil tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, the woman who unknowingly contributed the most important cell line (HeLa cells) in the history of medical research, guest host James, of the "Science Night" podcast, critiques male doctors for b

60 | The Beast of Chicago

Apr 11th, 2022 1h 2m

In which guest host Matt tells the story of Herman Webster Mudgett, better known as H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer and owner of Chicago's "Murder Castle," Phil ponders the female fascination with the 'true crime' genre, and we learn

59 | Chicago's Redemptive Father

Apr 4th, 2022 41m 21s

In which Phil tells the story of Easy Eddie O'Hare, a lawyer who changed his ways to protect the name of his future WWII hero son, Butch O'Hare, guest host Matt wishes a more painful death on Al Capone, and we recall a shady (but delicious) Ita

58 | The Man Who Re-Integrated the NFL

Mar 28th, 2022 1h 12m

In which guest host Vince tells the story of Kenny Washington, the first African American signed to play in the modern National Football League, Phil rehashes an old argument with his sister, and our bias as lifelong Cleveland Browns fans shine

57 | The Father of Public Relations

Mar 21st, 2022 1h 37m

In which Phil tells the story of Edward Bernays, a public relations consultant who used propaganda to shift public opinion and ethics, guest host Vince explains why he's unfit to serve in the military, and we learn the origin of a common "banan

Bonus

Farewell Matt, Podcast Recap & History's B-Side Battles Finale (Special Episode)

Mar 14th, 2022 1h 11m

In which Matt says farewell as a regular host of the show, Phil learns a bit about various aquatic animals, and we revisit and discuss our favorite episodes. We also share the finale of our Bonus Episode series, History's B-Side Battles, annou

56 | The Witch of Wall Street

Mar 7th, 2022 1h 15m

In which Phil tells the story of Hetty Green, America's wealthiest woman and the world's greatest miser, Matt tries to explain cryptocurrency using LEGOS, and we vouch for the quality of dollar store silverware.You can support or become a mem

55 | The Father of the California Wine Industry

Feb 28th, 2022 1h 36m

In which Matt tells the story of Agoston Haraszthy, the Hungarian businessman who orchestrated and self-funded California viticulture, Phil espouses his distaste for avocado toast, and we revisit a host of former B-Siders and their unique paral

54 | The Witch Hero of Rwanda

Feb 21st, 2022 1h 6m

In which Phil tells the story of Zura Karuhimbi, the Rwandan healer whose fake "witchcraft" helped saved lives during the Rwandan Genocide, Matt explains his strategy if he ever got into a fist fight, and we discuss race as a social construct.

53 | The Father of American Music

Feb 14th, 2022 1h 3m

In which Matt tells the story of Stephen Foster, one of the most popular American composers in history, Phil divulges a scandalous secret from his trombone playing days, and the we wrestle with our B-Sider’s imperfect past to decide if he deser

52 | The Undercover Klansman

Feb 7th, 2022 1h 3m

In which Phil tells the story of William Stetson Kennedy, the folklore writer who went undercover to learn and expose the secrets of the Ku Klux Klan, Matt explains how he spent his time at the beginning of the pandemic, and we discuss our favo

51 | The Enchantress of Number

Jan 31st, 2022 1h 16m

In which Matt tells the story of mathematician and computing pioneer Ada Lovelace, Phil gives his take on our modern day relationship with technology, and we both struggle to understand the math behind any of this stuff.You can support or be

50 | The Auschwitz Volunteer

Jan 24th, 2022 1h 21m

In which Phil tells the story of Witold Pilecki, the Polish resistance soldier who volunteered to be arrested and sent to Auschwitz in order to investigate and report on the conditions at the concentration camp, Matt ponders living through mode

49 | The REAL First Americans ...but not really

Jan 17th, 2022 1h 28m

In which Matt tells the story of the Clovis People, who are one of the earliest known groups of human beings to inhabit the Americas, Phil imagines how future generations will study our present-day civilizations, and we both struggle to underst

48 | Hello Girls

Jan 10th, 2022 55m 44s

In which Phil tells the story of Grace D. Banker and the Hello Girls, the Female Telephone Operators who were the first women to formally serve with the US Army, Matt manages to drive from LA to Portland without the aid of a cell phone, and we

47 | La Corriveau and Her Gibbet

Jan 3rd, 2022 58m 40s

In which Matt tells the story of Marie-Josephte Corriveau, the legendary Québécois folk tale murderer and her morbid fate, Phil pities the sights and smells of local townspeople, and we learn about and discover our own ancestry and genealogy.

46 | The Man Who Created the Calendar

Dec 27th, 2021 1h 10m

In which Phil tells the story of Aloysius Lilius, the 16th century medical professor who proposed a solution to reform the modern calendar, Matt questions his own standing in comparison to the great minds of history, and we reflect on a year of

45 | Anti-Santas

Dec 20th, 2021 1h 20m

Gather 'round the fireplace for a magical Ho Ho History's B-Side episode, in which Matt uncovers a host of nightmarish Christmas sidekicks, including Krampus, Hans Trapp, Belsnickel, Frau Perchta, and more; Phil explains how the real St. Nichol

44 | The Man Who Made History's Deadliest Weapon

Dec 13th, 2021 1h 10m

In which Phil tells the story of Sir Hiram Stephens Maxim, a successful inventor who developed the first fully-automatic machine gun, Matt proposes replacing wars with an executive chess match, and we sleuth a totally different mysterious, disa

43 | An Escaped Slave Turned Congressman

Dec 6th, 2021 1h 17m

In which Matt tells the story of Robert Smalls, whose incredible escape from slavery led to a successful military and political career, Phil attempts to re-appropriate the Confederate Flag for good, and we try to interpret old Scottish poetry.