What do a goat mayor, a corpse on trial, and a coconut SOS have in common? They all made our year of storytelling outrageous, insightful, and way more fun than history class ever was. We mark the end of the year by quizzing each other on the wildest tales we told, reliving the moments that made us gasp, laugh, and occasionally yell “nope rope” at a snake on a beer can.

We jump from the Mona Lisa heist and how absence made it iconic to the roots of May Day in the Haymarket era. We revisit the Thuggee cult’s devotion to Kali, the Cadaver Synod where a dead pope faced judgment, and Guy Fawkes’ 36 barrels beneath Parliament. The thread continues with the Children’s Blizzard’s deadly turn, the Canada–Denmark “whiskey war” on Hans Island, and Annie Oakley earning “Little Sure Shot” from Sitting Bull. There’s WWII espionage in Operation Mincemeat, genetics with the CCR5 delta-32 mutation and HIV resistance, and a healthy eye-roll at anti-comet pills that preyed on fear.

American legends and scandals get their time too: Sarah Rosetta Wakeman fighting the Civil War in disguise, the Black Sox scandal that reshaped baseball, and the Kentucky Derby’s shaky beginning on its way to Triple Crown glory. We round it out with JFK’s PT-109 survival and the coconut-coded rescue, the Forty Elephants’ criminal code of conduct, and the surprising way Charles Dickens helped cement “Merry Christmas” in everyday speech. It’s a fast, funny, and deeply curious ride through the corners of history that stick.

If you love smart storytelling with a wink, you’re in the right place. Tap follow, share this with a friend who loves weird history, and leave a review to help others find the show. What story should we tackle next?

Send us a text

Support the show

This website contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and purchase a product, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the running of this website and allows me to continue providing valuable content. Please note that I only recommend products and services that I believe in and have personally used or researched.