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Ridiculous History

Picture this: It's late 1944, and you, like thousands of other people on the west coast of North America, have noticed bizarre, jellyfish-like objects floating through the sky. You call the local authorities, maybe even the Air Force, only to be ignored. You don't see anything about this in the papers or on the radio. You are in the midst of a real-world conspiracy of silence -- until, that is, the bombs begin to explode. Listen in to learn more about the attack of the Japanese balloon bombs in this week's Classic episode. (Also: Happy Birthday, America!)

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CLASSIC: The Attack of the Japanese Balloon Bombs

In the economic boom of a post-World War II United States the sudden affordability of television fundamentally rocked the nation. From the 1950s on, millions of kids in America grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons... yet, as it turns out, these shows were often light on the writing -- and heavy on selling toys. In the first part of this two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max discover how Saturday morning cartoons became full-on, half-hour commercials for toys. And, of course, how the adults in the room started to fight back.

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The Ridiculous History of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Part One: A Golden Age

Today, everyone knows the potential dangers of both illegal and legal drugs. Some are more popular and more widely-accepted than others (shoutout to coffee!), but across time and cultures, it's an open secret that pretty much every civilization was doing one drug or another. Sometimes for ritualistic purposes, sometimes for purported medicinal properties -- and, sometimes, just to party. In the first part of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of the strangest things people of ages past used to get high, including nutmeg, belladonna, henbane and more.

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People Used to Do Very Weird Drugs, Part One: Broomsticks, Sailors and Vikings

Queen Marie Antoinette's reputation was already tarnished by gossip in 1784, but was completely ruined by the implication that she defrauded the crown jewelers, conning them out of a dazzling, expensive diamond necklace. That's the short summary -- but the story itself is a startling tale of intrigue and iniquity. Listen in to learn more about the strange tale of the diamond necklace hoax.

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CLASSIC: Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Hoax

Vikings! Even centuries after their heyday, these seafaring Scandinavian raiders are the subject of countless works of fiction and film -- and some of the stories about them are true. And, legend has it, there was one sort of Viking even other Viking feared: the Berserker. If you believe the stories, these blood-crazed guys rushed into battle howling like beasts, wearing nothing but a bear skin, attacking friend and foe alike. So how much of this is fact, and how much just tall tales? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max try to find out.

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Berserkers: Violent Viking Villains, Unverified

We all know the image of European knights: clad all over in plate armor, they conquer enemy forces and mythological creatures alike. But... how much of this historical stereotype is true? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max ask explore the nuts and bolts of historical armor: how it worked, how many people actually wore it, how much it cost -- and, perhaps most importantly, why it disappeared from warfare.

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Did Knights Really Wear Suits of Armor?

Nowadays most people know the pirates depicted in fiction bear little resemblance to real-life, historical pirates. Few actually buried any treasure, and fewer still lived in secretive island hideouts -- however, in at least one case, the truth appears stranger than fiction. Join the guys as they explore the story of Nosy Boraha, the Pirate's Paradise.

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CLASSIC: Nosy Boraha: The Pirate's Paradise (And Cemetery)

NASCAR! This thoroughly American racing organization is huge in the United States -- and has a lot of international gearhead fans, as well. However, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, this multibillion-dollar industry has a fascinating, ridiculous, and criminal past. That's right, fellow historians: NASCAR only exists because of Prohibition. As some of Appalachia's greatest booze smugglers realized people would pay just to watch their motoring skills at work, a network of criminal syndicates evolved into a full-on, massively popular sport.

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The Outlaw Origins of NASCAR: From Moonshine to Racing

For a lot grade-school kids in the States, the story of Johnny Appleseed is a modern American myth. The story centers on a quixotic, wandering nomad that (for some reason) is cartoonishly centered on planting apple trees all throughout the newly-minted US. So... how much of this Americana is true? In today's episode, Ben, Max and Noel uncover the true story of an *extremely eccentric* guy named John Chapman, who did indeed make a living planting a ton of apple trees across the Midwest -- but not the kind of apples you're thinking of, and not for the reasons you might imagine. Spoiler, much later, the FBI gets involved.

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The Real Johnny Appleseed was SUPER WEIRD (and Pretty Cool)

In the 1300s, the Black Death sprang up in central Asia and swept across continents, killing millions. Quarantines became common as various nations sought safety in isolation, and some met with more success than others. Norway may have staved off the plague for years, were it not for a mysterious ghost ship -- listen in to learn more.

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CLASSIC: How the Black Death Came To Norway On A Ghost Ship

From baseball games to picnics, from street vendors to haute cuisine, the humble hot dog is an American icon. But where did it come from, and how did it get so popular? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the origins of the infamous dog, how it got its name -- and why so many people have so strong opinions about what should or should not go it.

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Germans, Sausages and Dachshunds: Oh, My!

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