Ridiculous History
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Ridiculous History
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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The Most-hated Condiment? A Ridiculous History of Mayonnaise
Often called "the thick, creamy bastard child of oil and eggs" (well, called that at least once by Ben), mayonnaise remains one of the world's most di...
The Gang Goes To Waffle House
In a small suburb of Atlanta back in the 1950s, two men hatched an amazing concept: a restaurant that never closes. In today's episode, the guys explo...
CLASSIC: The War of the Stray Dog: How Far Would You Go For Your Pet?
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, it didn't take the newly-independent nations of Greece and Bulgaria long to begin bickering over their borders....
Ancient Wonders of the Modern World: the Lighthouse of Alexandria
Ptolemy II was known for a lot of things, none of which involved being humble. In the newest installment of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max...
People Knew the Earth Was Round Way Earlier Than You Think
So many people grew up hearing the myth that Columbus proved the Earth was round. It's a great story— but it's also utter bunk! In today's episode, Be...
CLASSIC: The Tragic Origin Story of Morse Code
The telegraph and the communication system known as Morse code revolutionized the way we transmit information, but how did it get here? Join the guys...
The Secret World Of Roald Dahl, with Aaron Tracy, Part Two: the Man Behind the Author
A beloved children's author. A spy. An ace fighter pilot, a notorious lady's man, and a strident antisemite: Roald Dahl was all these things and more....
The Secret World Of Roald Dahl, Part One: A "Noisy" Life
Nowadays, most everyone knows a classic Roald Dahl story — yet who knows the man himself? In the first part of this special two-part interview, the gu...
CLASSIC: Operation Gunnerside: How a Crew of Military Skiers Ruined the Nazi Bomb
What's the weirdest wartime heist you've ever heard of? In today's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max return to one of their favorites: On February 27...
The Thai Restaurant Conspiracy
Despite being a relatively small country, the South East Asian nation of Thailand is famous across the planet for its unique, delectable cuisine. Heck...
The Ridiculous History of Ping Pong
Whether you call it table tennis, whiff-whaff or ping pong, there's no denying this fun sport of "tennis for the home" has become a global phenomenon....
CLASSIC: How far did Isaac Newton go to hunt down forgers?
Today, Isaac Newton is best known for his scientific pursuits -- but he also served as Warden and, later, Master of the Royal Mint. And this wasn't so...
A Ridiculous Love Letter to Atari, Part Two: a Rise, a Fall, and a Legacy
Oof! Atari! As our producer Max likes to say, 'it was a thing.' In the second part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore the pioneering r...
A Ridiculous Love Letter to Atari, Part One: From Pings to Pongs
Nowadays most people either play video games, or know someone who does -- yet this wasn't always the case. As civilization skyrockets toward gaming ex...
CLASSIC: How Admiral Horatio Nelson Ended Up Dead in a Barrel of Brandy
Naval legend Admiral Nelson died on October 21st, 1805 shortly after being shot by a French sniper while standing on the deck his ship, Victory. Follo...
What makes a word a 'word'?
Words are everywhere -- and we're grateful, because we can't do this show without them. But all words were, at some point, just made up. So how does s...
The Rise (and Crash) of the Concorde Jet
What if you could hop from France to New York in less than four hours? Traveling twice the speed of sound, with caviar, lobster, champagne and cigars?...
CLASSIC: English Men Used to Sell Their Wives
In late 17th-century England, it was almost impossible for anyone outside of the upper class to successfully get a divorce -- the process was expensiv...
A Ridiculous History of "Fad Diets," Part Two: Beverly Hills, Scarsdale and More
As the Western world embarks on 2026, Ben, Max and Noel welcome everyone's New Year's resolutions. (Here's hoping that gym schedule continues through...
CLASSIC: How Louisiana Almost Became a Hippo Ranching Hub
Nowadays beef, chicken and pork are the most common meats in the US -- but, not so long ago, that could have all changed. Join the guys as they travel...
CLASSIC: Who was the highest paid athlete in history?
Today, most people probably don't remember the career of once-famous charioteer Gaius Appuleius Diocles -- however, in his day we was a cultural icon,...
Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, with Tom Freston
Happy New Year! It's no secret that MTV fundamentally changed the nature of media and entertainment. But how did it actually get started? What made th...
CLASSIC: The Weird Life of George Washington, Part 2
Join Ben, Noel, Casey and returning guest Christopher Hassiotis as they continue exploring the strange life and times of George Washington in the seco...
CLASSIC: The Weird Life of George Washington, Part 1
Returning special guest Christopher Hassiotis joins the guys today for a round-robin discussion of the very weird life of George Washington, first Pre...
Folks, We're Doing A Clip Show: Leftovers, 2025
Hey there, Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. Ben, Noel and Max here: as we travel to hang with our friends and family, we like to do a little thin...
Was 536 Really the Worst Year in History?
Welcome to the end of the year, fellow Ridiculous Historians! As Ben, Noel and Max look back on the events of 2025, they discovered historians do, in...
CLASSIC: Clara, The World's Most Famous Rhinoceros
For centuries most people in Europe thought of rhinos as another form of mythical creature, like unicorns or griffins. However, this all changed when...
Christmas Traditions Are So Incredibly Weird!
What's the strangest Christmas tradition you practice? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max ring in the end of the year with an exploration of Christ...
The Grim Christmas Folklore of Johnny Ace, with Jake Brennan
While the career of rhythm-and-blues vocalist Johnny Ace was short, he left a huge mark on the music world. Up until Christmas Day of 1954, Ace seemed...
CLASSIC: How the Monopoly Board Game Became a World War II Escape Kit
Ben, Noel and Max return with this week's Classic episode! Monopoly is a pretty divisive game, and people tend to either love it or hate it. However,...
The Deliciously Ridiculous History of Fruitcakes
Let's be honest. If you live in the United States, you probably think fruitcake is ridiculous. It's like the MRE of Christmas, passed around from one...
That Time the US Government Brainwashed America into DIY Bomb Shelters
Picture this: it's just after World War II -- the world knows nuclear weapons can end civilization. So, how can a government help the public feel safe...
CLASSIC: Idiomatic For The People, Part I
Language is beautiful and, in many cases, continually evolving. As a result, we end up with hundreds of strange idioms and figures of speech that we u...
Spontaneous Human Combustion: A Bizarre Controversy
Can people really just, for no discernable reason, catch on fire? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the centuries old folklore and investi...
IP, Part Three: A Copyright for Everyone!
As Ben, Noel and Max close out another year of Ridiculous History, they return to the patently baffling world of intellectual property. In part three...
CLASSIC: Was there a real-life Rapunzel?
Most people in the West are familiar with the old Rapunzel fairy tale -- a beautiful princess is confined to a tower until a prince, captivated by her...
Ridiculous Maps: That Time Everyone Thought California Was An Island
Nowadays, pretty much anyone can easily find an accurate map of a city, a country, or the entire world. But this wasn't always the case. In today's ep...
The Chicago Tylenol Murders
For most people, Tylenol is nothing more than an ol' stand-by, over-the-counter pain reliever. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max learn in today's episode -- t...
CLASSIC: Benjamin Franklin's Advice On "Finding A Mistress"
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a man of many interests, but his endeavors were by no means limited to technical innovation, philosophy and poli...
Wait! Can a tree really own itself?
Do you have a favorite tree? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max head over to the famous college town of Athens, Georgia where -- legend has it -- o...