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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.
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- Yesterday38 min
From Slaves to Superpower: The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Janissaries
While often forgotten by the global West, the Ottoman Empire was an absolute superpower in its heyday. As the Empire expanded across three separate continents, they also practiced mass enslavement -- and used it to power their army. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the rise of the Empire's elite fighting force: the Jannisaries. Originally composed of kidnapped and enslaved children from conquered lands, over time the Janissaries gained a unique social position that frightened the Sultan. Eventually, this led to their downfall -- and, arguably, the downfall of the Ottoman Empire overall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 4 days ago40 min
CLASSIC: The Nature of Ephemera, with Alex Williams
Whether we’re talking yesterday’s newspaper, pamphlets from museums, or even old lottery tickets and straw wrappers, the world is chock full of things that were not meant to last. Today the guys join Alex Williams, the creator of the new podcast Ephemeral, to explore the strange, beautiful, disturbing and tragic stories of things that came and went, from the Collyer brothers to Pizzaria chips.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 6 days ago46 min
Badass of the Week Returns, Part Two: Chesapeake Capes
Its a Badass Badass of the Week Week here on Ridiculous History! In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat Larash, the co-hosts of the legendary Badass of the Week podcast, to learn more about Admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville and the Battle of the Capes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 1 weeks ago1h 2m
Badass of the Week Returns, Part One: George Rogers Clark
Its a Badass Badass of the Week Week here on Ridiculous History! In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max welcome Ben Thompson and Dr. Pat Larash, the co-hosts of the legendary Badass of the Week podcast, to explore the life of a larger-than-life Revolutionary War hero you've never heard of: George Rogers Clark.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 1 weeks ago34 min
CLASSIC: That Time Ohio and Michigan Almost Went To War
In this week's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how a misunderstanding of the geography of the Great Lakes started a feud, known as the Toledo War, between the state of Ohio and a territory called Michigan. Tune in to Ridiculous History to hear how the conflict between these lands was solved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 1 weeks ago33 min
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part Two: The Rise of CEPTIA
In this week's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how a misunderstanding of the geography of the Great Lakes started a feud, known as the Toledo War, between the state of Ohio and a territory called Michigan. Tune in to Ridiculous History to hear how the conflict between these lands was solved.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 2 weeks ago36 min
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part One: Everyone Has To Poop
Today a great many people in the United States take free toilets for granted. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in the first part of this two-part episode, there was a long -- and ridiculous -- road from the origin of public toilets to the free facilities we enjoy today. Tune in to learn how the United States decided to 'solve' a public health crisis by charging people to poop... and stay tuned to learn what happened next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
- 2 weeks ago39 min
CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of Local Scrip: Alternative Currencies of the Great Depression
Have you ever been so broke that you ended up creating your own currency? It may sound like a crazy idea today, but during the Great Depression multiple communities actually created and circulated their own forms of local currency. And this wasn't a lark -- it was a matter of survival. Listen in to learn more about some of the precedents for the (world-famous) BenBucks.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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About 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.
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