In 1914 the crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, they believed their journey would bring them adventure, scientific discovery, and fame. What actually unfolded would become

The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 5 of 5

1 1 Dec 5th, 2019 1h 36m

The finale is here! Come find out just how one of the most inspiring stories of human endurance ended. We head back to Antarctica and watch the crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition make history as Shackleton attempts one last despera

The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 4 of 5

1 Nov 20th, 2019 1h 20m

In 1914 the 28 member crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. It is now the beginning of 1916. Their ship has been crushed, they've been stranded on the ice with no way out, and they've taken to the boats

Père Lachaise Cemetery: A History of Death in Paris

Oct 30th, 2019 33m 59s

Join me on a tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery and explore the tombs of some of histories most incredible icons including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Isadora Duncan, Abelard and Heloise, and Chopin. We examine the cemetery's history, make a side to

The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 2 of 5

1 Oct 9th, 2019 1h 22m

In Part 2 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, the crew of the Endurance find themselves frozen fast in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind what happens to the human mind during the long Polar Night as we j

The Shuar of the Amazon and How to Make a Shrunken Head: Part 1

Aug 30th, 2019 48m 26s

Hidden in the deepest interior of the Amazon lived the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt again

Why Does Fruitcake Even Exist? Eggnog, Yule Logs, and a Cannibalistic Christmas Troll

Dec 18th, 2019 23m 7s

Why does Fruitcake even exist? Can we blame the ancient Romans? How old is eggnog? What exactly is a Yule Log? Discover the ancient origins of our favorite--and not so favorite--holiday food traditions in this special holiday history byte. I ev

The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 3 of 5

1 Nov 14th, 2019 1h 30m

In Part 3 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, we join the stranded crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914, who have been stranded on the ice now for well over a year. Their ship has been crushed, starvation and madness have begun to s

History Byte: A Swearing Parrot Ruined Andrew Jackson's Funeral

Aug 30th, 2019 10m 38s

Come and meet Poll, a presidential parrot so extra that his epic level of snark still lives on today.

Escape from the Amazon

Jun 9th, 2021 28m 15s

It’s incredibly unlikely you’ll ever be involved in a plane crash. Its also incredibly unlikely you’ll ever be struck by lightning. Both of those things happened to Juliane Koepcke at the same time. In 1971, she and her mother were making their

Clever Hans: The Horse That Outsmarted Everyone

Nov 11th, 2020 18m 49s

We know that a lot of our communication happens not just through words, but through facial expressions, tone, and body language too. This can cause a researcher to unintentionally influence the person or animal they are examining. There are way

The Elephant Angel of Belfast

1 Apr 1st, 2020 20m

This episode is the first in a series highlighting extraordinary people doing extraordinary things in times of crises. This week we travel to Belfast during the Blitz of 1941 and meet Denise Weston Austin. She worked as one of the Belfast Zoo’s

The Edmund Fitzgerald

Mar 4th, 2020 46m 38s

In 1975 the gales of November billowed out a monster storm over the waters of Lake Superior, and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald met it head on. By the time the sky cleared, the crew and their ship had become an inseparable part of the histor

Olympias Part 2: Mother of Empire

Jan 29th, 2020 1h 3m

In Part 2 we continue to uncover the hidden history of Olympias of Epirus. Assassination, murder, and the political intrigue of an ancient royal court all take center stage in this episode. Come discover the next chapters in the life of one of

Olympias Part 1: Witch of Epirus, Mother of Alexander the Great

Jan 15th, 2020 1h 16m

The woman Olympias lived almost 2,400 years ago, around 373 BCE. Her legacy is one of controversy. For over two thousand years she has been represented as the vindictive, blood thirsty mother of Alexander the Great. But who was she really? What

The First Robot

Jan 2nd, 2020 30m 23s

Robots have revolutionized our world and are continuing to do so at an exponential rate. But what was the first robot? Who invented it? What will the future of robotics look like? And what happens when robots kill? This episode examines the evo

History Byte: Animal Astronauts

Sep 11th, 2019 16m 54s

Come and meet Ham the astronaut chimp and discover how the animal astronauts of history just may have saved us all. Also featuring Space Dogs and one phenomenal Astro Cat for an episode that's literally out of this world.

The Shuar of the Amazon and How to Make a Shrunken Head: Part 2

Aug 30th, 2019 59m 16s

Join us for Part 2 where we finish our exploration of the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt ag

Introduction

Aug 30th, 2019 7m 17s

And so it begins.

Historical Oddities Part 2: The Incredible Afterlife of Outlaw Elmer McCurdy and the London Bridge of Arizona

2 Feb 3rd, 2021 28m 9s

In Part 2 of the Historical Oddities series, we uncover two strange pieces of history. In the 1970’s when the crew of the Six Million Dollar Man was shooting an episode inside a funhouse in Long Beach, California, they accidentally stumbled upo

The Real Treasure Island

Jan 26th, 2022 34m 14s

350 miles off the cost of Costa Rica lies the legendary Cocos Island. Over the centuries it’s been a refuge for pirates, mutinous mariners, and the obsession of hundreds of treasure hunters. Some believe it was the original inspiration for Robe

Stagecoach Mary

Jan 5th, 2022 22m 16s

There are many legendary figures who emerged from the American Wild West. In this all new episode we explore the life of the lesser known, though no less incredible, Mary Fields, who has come to be known as Stagecoach Mary.Born enslaved, Mary

Hans Trapp the Christmas Scarecrow

Dec 15th, 2021 25m 41s

A mythical holiday legend grew from the life of Hans von Trotha, a medieval knight who served in both the German Palatinate and the French court of Louis XII. His life had some tumultuous twists and turns: excommunication, exile, and a row with

The 1904 Olympic Marathon: History‘s Most Ridiculous Race

1 Nov 24th, 2021 36m 59s

The 1904 Olympic marathon is remembered as history’s most bizarre race. Running in tandem with the St. Louis World’s Fair, or the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the 1904 Olympics were the first games hosted by the US. Given the disorganization,

When History Falls From the Sky

1 Nov 3rd, 2021 28m 20s

48.5 tons of meteoric material falls onto our planet every day, which has made for some stellar history. Today we explore history that has fallen from the sky. We begin in Egypt by examining the meteorite dagger of Tutankhamun, then we travel t