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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, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown turn historical oddities into clear accounts of the customs, commerce, and language surrounding them.
Ridiculous History treats the odd detail as an invitation to follow the machinery around it. Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown move from the wartime origin of "basket case" to Clara the rhinoceros as a touring celebrity, asking how familiar language and forgotten sensations acquired…
Clara the rhino had souvenirs; your history textbook owes you an explanation.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A playful, sharp look at brutal early football and Teddy Roosevelt's possible role in saving it.
American football comes into Ridiculous History as a sport with a brutal early rulebook, framed here as both cannonball and killing field. Teddy Roosevelt gives the episode its central question: did the president help save modern American football?
Eurovision's glitter becomes a test of whether pop spectacle can do diplomatic work.
This Eurovision follow-up frames the song contest as a bright, unruly test of whether cultural spectacle can carry diplomatic weight. It starts from the central tension: Eurovision is built to feel unifying, but it still ends by naming a winner.
Eurovision's first contest arrives with secret votes, a missing country, and suspicion baked into the result.
Eurovision begins as soft diplomacy by way of song, but the episode is most interested in how quickly the ideal frayed. It follows the 1956 contest through seven participating countries, their broadcasters, the secret votes, and the awkward voting problem that shadowed the first…
Prohibition's dry law turned medicinal whiskey into a prescription-shaped loophole.
Ridiculous History looks back at Prohibition by following one of its stranger workarounds: alcohol treated as medicine. The episode moves through the 1920-1933 dry period and into the National Prohibition Act's loopholes, where medicinal whiskey could travel by way of doctors'…
A sauerkraut-centered history episode takes a playful route through Krautrock, Can, motoric beats, and state-by-state curiosity.
A strange sauerkraut-centered episode opens in loose, playful fashion, using culinary absurdity as a side door into the show's state-by-state curiosity.
A breezy look at diet mania and scandal, tied to the yearly urge to start over.
Ridiculous History uses fad diets to open a familiar New Year urge: the wish to start over, and the strange faith that a different menu can somehow make that happen.
A playful conversation that treats language as an old technology humans are still refining.
The episode treats language as one of humanity's oldest technologies and keeps circling back to the wonder of how sound turns into shared understanding.
A silly dessert becomes a sturdy story about sugar, preservation, and a long-running joke.
The episode turns fruitcake into both a joke and a durable food story, with the 16th-century shift in sugar making preserved fruit more common and more affordable.
Careful history with narrative momentum.
Shakespeare’s world, made tangible.
Small objects, large histories.
Royal history with scores, jokes, and grudges.
History as a guided visit.
Hosts Ben and Noel are joined by guest Rowan Newby to explore the bizarre origins of common idioms, including 'butter someone up' from ancient Indian rituals, 'basket case' from World War I amputees, and nautical terms like 'three sheets to the wind.' The episode blends historical research with humorous banter and personal anecdotes.
The hosts and guest Christopher Haciotis delve into strange and lesser-known aspects of George Washington's life, including his whiskey distillery, Freemasonry, hemp farming, and historical misconceptions.
The hosts explore bizarre and lesser-known Christmas traditions from around the world, including the Yule goat effigy burning in Scandinavia, the violent origins of caroling as racketeering, and the spider legend behind tinsel.
This episode explores the life and death of Admiral Horatio Nelson, focusing on his naval exploits, dramatic demise at the Battle of Trafalgar, and the bizarre preservation of his body in a barrel of brandy.
This episode explores the ridiculous history of fruitcakes, tracing their origins from ancient Roman satura to modern Christmas traditions.
This episode explores the history of the highest paid athlete, revealing that an ancient Roman charioteer, Gaius Apuleius Diocles, earned the equivalent of $15 billion today.
This episode explores how Monopoly board games were secretly modified during World War II to help Allied POWs escape from German camps.
This episode explores the history of the Concorde jet, from its development as a supersonic passenger airliner by Britain and France to its luxury flights for the elite, and ultimately its decline due to economic challenges, safety issues, and external events like 9/11.
The hosts explore why 536 CE is considered the worst year in history, detailing how volcanic eruptions caused a mysterious cloud that blotted out the sun, leading to global cooling, crop failures, and the Plague of Justinian.
This episode explores the history of fad diets, focusing on specific examples like the Scarsdale, eggs and wine, and Beverly Hills diets, while discussing their cultural impact and health risks.
This episode explores the US government's Cold War propaganda campaign that encouraged Americans to build DIY bomb shelters and practice duck and cover drills.
Tom Freston, co-founder of MTV and former Viacom CEO, discusses his new book 'Unplugged' and shares stories from his adventurous life, including traveling in Afghanistan and India, the chaotic early days of MTV, and his thoughts on modern media consolidation and AI.
This episode explores the bizarre historical practice of wife selling in 17th to 19th century England, where men auctioned their spouses due to the high cost and difficulty of divorce.
This episode explores the lesser-known aspects of George Washington's life, including his numerous medical ailments, complicated relationship with slavery, and bizarre personal habits like his elaborate hair routine.
This episode explores the early 1900s proposal to import hippopotamuses to Louisiana as a solution to a national meat shortage, detailing the lobbying efforts by oddball figures including rival spies and a congressman.
The hosts interview Jake Brennan about the mysterious death of musician Johnny Ace, debunking the myth that he died playing Russian roulette and exploring conspiracy theories involving a manipulative promoter.
In this clip show episode, hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown revisit leftover topics from previous episodes, covering bizarre historical stories like Glass Beach's transformation from a dump, the pink microorganisms of Lake Hillier, and the deadly accidents of inventors like William Bullock and Sylvester Roper.
Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown explore the quirky history of language, discussing how words are created, evolve, and gain official recognition in dictionaries.
This episode explores the true story of Clara, an orphaned Indian rhinoceros who was adopted by a Dutch sea captain in the 18th century and toured Europe as a sensation, sparking 'rhino mania.' With guest Katie Golden, the hosts delve into the historical details of Clara's life and the psychological impacts of captivity on wild animals.
Teddy Roosevelt may have helped keep American football alive after Richard Von Gammon died in 1897 and the 1905 season brought 19 football deaths.
Ridiculous History revisits Eurovision's jury-and-public voting system, with Ben Bolin comparing it to the electoral college and the hosts joking about "Highlander rules." Noel Brown and Max Williams frame the contest as soft diplomacy and national branding, then contrast Eurovision with Intervision, the Soviet bloc's 1965-1980 alternative.
Ridiculous History traces Eurovision from the Sanremo Music Festival in Sanremo, Italy to Marcel Besançon’s 1954 pitch at the European Broadcasting Union.
Ridiculous History revisits the National Prohibition Act and the Volstead Act, which made alcohol illegal from 1920 to 1933 but left room for medical exceptions.
Ridiculous History turns North Dakota into a case study in panic, with Fargo estimated at a little over 136,000 people in 2024 and the whole state still under 800,000.
Ben and Noel discuss bizarre historical events, starting with a teaser about a catnip riot.
This episode explores the bizarre aftermath of the Civil War, focusing on Robert E.
Ben and Max discuss bizarre and little-known World War II schemes, including bat bombs and other strange military innovations.
The hosts discuss the 1990s as a historical era, exploring its cultural impact and nostalgia.
The hosts introduce themselves and tease a special guest appearance from the creators of a new podcast called Hoax.