The History Of cover art

The History Of

The History Of

By: Nik Hunter
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About this listen

 The History Of...
For people who were bad at history but not too proud to Google it now. This isn’t the history podcast for experts. It’s for the rest of us: the curious, the confused, the ones who zoned out during school but still wonder who invented the fork or why people used to put arsenic in their face cream. Each episode takes one thing an object, a place, a job, a trend and unpacks the weird, messy, often ridiculous story behind it. Just history for people who ask questions late at night and want answers that don’t feel like homework. You might actually enjoy it, and it's enough to make you feel clever at work...for a change.

New Episodes: Mon/Wed/Fri
(If people enjoy, and feedback via reviews and ratings is good, will release daily)

Topic Categories
  • Objects & Inventions
  • Jobs & Roles
  • Places
  • Health & Beauty
  • Books, Ideas & Beliefs
  • Music, Art & Culture
  • Myths, Monsters & Weird Beliefs
  • Trends & Fads


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of--6664775/support.Copyright Nik Hunter Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Ep.6 The Kazoo

    Ep.6 The Kazoo
    Aug 22 2025
    It’s the instrument anyone can play, and just about everyone has. The kazoo may look like a toy, but its buzzing voice has a history that winds from 19th-century parlors to marching bands, jug bands, and even the stage of Carnegie Hall. In this episode of The History Of, we explore where the kazoo came from, why it caught on, and how this simple tube became a surprisingly important part of music history.

    New Episodes: Mon/Wed/Fri
    (If people enjoy, and feedback via reviews and ratings is good, will release daily)

    The History Of is your daily dose of weird, wonderful, and occasionally ridiculous history. Each episode takes one topic an object, a place, a job, a trend and unpacks the surprising story behind it. No homework, no boring lectures, just history you’ll actually want to share.


    A podcast for all ages, if you enjoy please share it and leave a review because that tells me you want more.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of--6664775/support.
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Ep.5 The Necronomicon

    Ep.5 The Necronomicon
    Aug 20 2025
    Part forbidden tome, part literary invention, the Necronomicon has haunted the worlds of horror, conspiracy, and occult lore for nearly a century. Born from the imagination of writer H. P. Lovecraft, this so-called “book of the dead” has taken on a life of its own — inspiring hoaxes, movie props, and genuine occult practices. In this episode of The History Of, we explore the origins of the Necronomicon, how fiction blurred into “fact,” and why people still want to believe in a book that was never meant to exist.

    New Episodes: Mon/Wed/Fri
    (If people enjoy, and feedback via reviews and ratings is good, will release daily)

    The History Of is your daily dose of weird, wonderful, and occasionally ridiculous history. Each episode takes one topic an object, a place, a job, a trend and unpacks the surprising story behind it. No homework, no boring lectures, just history you’ll actually want to share.


    A podcast for all ages, if you enjoy please share it and leave a review because that tells me you want more.
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • Ep.4 Snake Oil

    Ep.4 Snake Oil
    Aug 18 2025
    Once the symbol of fraud and false promises, “snake oil” wasn’t always a scam. In fact, it started as a genuine medicinal remedy brought to America by Chinese laborers in the 1800s. So how did a legitimate treatment become shorthand for quackery? In this episode of The History Of, we uncover the real story behind snake oil, from railroad workers and traveling salesmen to patent medicine empires and modern-day miracle cures.

    New Episodes: Mon/Wed/Fri
    (If people enjoy, and feedback via reviews and ratings is good, will release daily)

    The History Of is your daily dose of weird, wonderful, and occasionally ridiculous history. Each episode takes one topic an object, a place, a job, a trend and unpacks the surprising story behind it. No homework, no boring lectures, just history you’ll actually want to share.


    A podcast for all ages, if you enjoy please share it and leave a review because that tells me you want more.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
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