We have a special guest for our listeners this week. Nikki from the History Unlocked with Nikki podcast joins us and kicks things off by telling us one unhinged story. She tells us about the Cadaver Synod, which is the posthumous trial of Pope Formosus. This dude was dug up and tried by the current pope, who was deposed. The next pope condemned the affair, but he didn’t last long, and his replacement dug up Pope Formosus and tried him again. It was a whole thing. Then, Theresa tells us the story of Petrus Gonsalvus, the historical basis of Beauty and the Beast. This poor guy was born as a slave, with werewolf syndrome (hypertrichosis). This genetic rarity resulted in him being given as a gift to France’s King Henry II at his coronation. Henry decides to see if this beast can be educated. Henry’s wife, Cathrine de Medici, ups the ante and wants to see if he can procreate. So she arranges his marriage to an unwitting woman. When four of their children also experience hypertrichosis, they are taken from the family and given away to nobles as pets. In a bid to improve the tone of the podcast, Angie shares the life of Theresa’s favorite name, Dick Gorgeous. Gorgeous is the man who stole the Irish Crown Jewels, and when you listen to his background, you can really understand how his whole life led to this event. This story pairs well with: The pope who wrote the dirty book Mulan The Irish Crown Jewel Heist Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory. Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully. This week, both of the unhinged storytellers seemed to share a theme neither of them knew about. Angie starts off by telling us about Aaron Burr. Specifically about the time when Burr attempted to wage war against the US and create his own country in what is now Louisiana. He beats this charge, making it the FOURTH time he was charged with treason and got acquitted. What can you say he has a talent for it?   Seemingly on the same wavelength, Theresa presents a rather apologetic retelling of Benedict Arnold. Hear the whole retelling of his life and how he supported the patriots for win after win, only to deal with the worst co-worker/boss of his, Horatio Gates. Between the animosity toward Gates and his desire to earn more money, he switches sides. But, according to Theresa, if Benedict Arnold had died in a previous battle, he would be revered as a founding father. This story pairs well with: Aaron Burr’s Ex-wife: Eliza Jumel The Boston Tea Party Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

You want tough women?! This week, Angie and Theresa share some absolute baddies. Theresa kicks things off with Diane Nash, who led the Freedom Rides. You know, those integrated bus rides in the deep south, where a bus was firebombed, the victims were arrested (after getting beaten by angry mobs). Angie pivots the episode into a wildly different direction when she shares the story of Amelie Elie, the woman who launched a gang war in France. She was kinda the modern equivalent to Helen of Troy, but with French gangs of the Victorian era. This story pairs well with: The Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast Program Alice "Diamond Annie" and the Forty Elephants - London girl gang Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Angie steals the entire episode to share a story of friendship in a time of war that you are not prepared for. In 1967, John "Chickie" Donohue, a merchant marine and Marine veteran, took up the mission to leave the safety of New York City by himself, with a dufflebag of Pabst beer, and deliver it to friends fighting in the Vietnam War. This impossible tale is apparently now a movie starring Zac Efron.   This story pairs well with: Tootsie Rolls at the Chosin Reservoir Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

This week, Angie and Theresa share some incredible stories. Angie kicks things off with the story of Stormé DeLarverie. She is credited with throwing the first punch at the Stonewall Uprising, but did she? Theresa pivots and takes us to South Africa to tell the story of Simon Nkoli, the gay activist who campaigned for gay rights and against Apartheid. This episode pairs well with: Stonewall The Pink Triangles Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Sometimes Theresa and Angie venture into the deep past. Today, Theresa tells us about Thomas(ine) Hall, the intersex individual from Colonial America who spent the majority of their life swapping between sexes to live life. Then, to remind us about Father’s Day, Angie shares the story of “Big Daddy Cnut,” the Viking ruler whose empire spanned England, Norway, and Denmark. And yes, Angie does indeed refer to this man as “Big Daddy Cnut.” This episode pairs well with: Ona Judge Battle Of Hastings Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

We are in the middle of Pride Month and celebrating with some brilliant heroes. Angie kicks things off with the story of Dora Richter, a German woman who was the first known person to undergo a complete transformation from male to female via surgery. Theresa moves into more well-known territory by sharing the life and background of the historic Sylvia Rivera. You might have heard of her, as she was credited with throwing the second Molotov cocktail at Stonewall. Come hear the before and after. This story pairs well with: Stonewall Uprising Christine Jorgensen Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Some members of the LGBTQIA+ community are more well-known than others. One proponent of equal rights in the movement was Marsha P. Johnson. This week, Theresa shares how Marsha was assigned male at birth and later moved to New York, where she could live into her full identity. There she was, present at the Stonewall Uprising, established a program to help homeless street youth, and tirelessly worked to make life better. Angie shifts gears by sharing the unhinged life of a man who’d sleep with nearly anyone, Lord Byron. This retelling of his life includes the four things he did right, along with the myriad of things he did not get right. This story pairs well with: Stonewall Uprising Mary Shelley Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

You are not prepared for this week’s mashup. Theresa tells us the story of the Compton Cafeteria Riot, that nearly forgotten time in San Francisco when a group of queens stood up against police discrimination. While this occurred three years before Stonewall, it isn’t well-known or credited with kicking off Pride Month. However, it was this event, and events like it, that paved the way for the tipping point for the Stonewall Uprising. Not wanting to be outdone, Angie shares the unhinged life of the eye-patch wearing princess, Ana De Mendoza. Come for the drama she faces in the Spanish court. Stay for the moment, she moves into a convent and parties so hard she chases out the nuns who live there. This story pairs well with: WWII GI Who Becomes a Woman: Christine Jorgeson Stonewall Uprising Alice Roosevelt Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

It’s a wild week. Angie kicks things off by telling the story of D’Artagnan and really fleshes out the whole story. Come for this guy’s quick rise to power and his ability to stay one step ahead of all the palace intrigue. Listen for the point where Angie shatters Theresa’s thoughts when she tells her that D’Artagnan actually outranked Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Theresa veers off in a different direction for her story as she tells us about the life of Yukio Mishima. This man was an author, director, actor, producer… he did all of the things. He also attempted a coup to reinstate the Japanese emperor to greater power. This episode pairs well with: Lucy Hay the Countess of Carlisle Yoshiko Kawashima   Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Theresa celebrates a full-circle moment as she shares how a Frenchman, Jules Brunet, attempted to stop the fall of the Shogunate in Japan. Podcast favorite character, arms-dealing Matthew Perry, makes a cameo as Theresa connects many dots to previous episodes. Angie reminds us all to call our moms this Sunday as she regales us with the story of Atossa, Queen Mother of Persia. This woman made more kings than Catherine de' Medici, and that’s saying something. As the daughter of Cyrus the Great, she marries Darius the Great and gives birth to Xerxes. This episode pairs well with: The Battle of Aizu The First Japanese Man in The USA – John Mung Artemisia I of Halicarnassus Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Unhinged History strives to bring you the stories you’ve never heard of in your history class, and this week is no exception. Angie kicks off this week by exploring the Silk Road and the heist that liberated silkworms and opened the door for countries other than China to produce this incredibly luxurious textile. Theresa veers off in a wildly different direction as she shares the story of Nakahama Manjiro, also known as John Mung. Manjiro starts off as a stranded Japanese 14-year-old fisherman, gets rescued by an American whaling ship, becomes the first Japanese man in the United States, and returns home just in time to be an interpreter for Commodore Matthew Perry coming to Japan to sell weapons. This episode pairs well with: Battle of Hastings and Bayeux Tapestry The Fall of the Shogun and the Women's Army Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Look at Unhinged History, we are known for a couple of things. A love of the National Parks Service content, stories you’ve never heard, and banter. This episode is basically more of the same. Theresa takes the entire episode to share the story of Paul Nobuo Tatsuguchi and the Battle of Attu. For most of us, we never realized that the Battle of Attu was the only time since the War of 1812 that the United States lost ground to a foreign invader. Dick Laird, the man who killed Paul Tatsuguchi, would spend 50 years living with the trauma of this battle, only to share his burden with Laura Tasuguchi Davis, Paul’s daughter. The two develop an unlikely friendship. This story pairs well with: The time the Japanese bombed Brookings, Oregon, during WWII   Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/UnhingedHistory Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com   Head to Social Media and be Social With Us: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unhinged.history Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unhinged.historypod YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unhingedhistory   Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. As a small, independent podcast, we rely heavily on those small actions to help. They’re free, and so are you. Hopefully.

Angie and Theresa have quite a set of stories to share with you. Kicking things off, Angie shares the wild story of Saladin. This man held it down as the Sultan of Egypt and Syria during the Crusades. Getting his position after a ...ahem series of deaths, he proves to be an incredible ruler, who would give away his vast fortune throughout his life. Theresa veers wildly from this story, as she shares the time a convent in medieval France started meowing, non-stop. The plague of the meowing nuns gets recorded in two books of the 1800’s. Theresa desperately tried to hunt down all of the details. This episode pairs well with: Eleanor of Aquitaine The Dancing Plagues

What a week where Angie and Theresa do exactly what they do best. Convinced she might run out of spies to cover, Theresa shares the story of Krystyna Skarbek, also known as Christine Granville. Born a literal Polish countess, Krystyna cycles through husbands and lovers before seeing her country invaded by Nazi Germany. Convinced she can fight for her homeland, she becomes the first female spy for MI6 during the war and serves Britain for six years, fighting on three different fronts. Angie pivots sharply from WWII, as she shares the quaint and whimsical story of the Cottingley Fairies. Journey with us to a simpler time as two girls, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, stage photos of themselves with fairies, just to get out of trouble and accidentally kick off belief in the little folk, fooling even Sir Author Conan Doyle. This story pairs well with: The Night Witches The Fox Sisters

Today we have a very special guest. The Unhinged History podcast welcomes Jenny Chan, author and podcaster, exploring the atrocities of the Pacific theater during World War II. In this episode, we explore her in-depth study of Chinese comfort women, Unit 731, and so much more. Website: https://www.pacificatrocities.org/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PacificFrontUntold

Ever get stuck in front of the TV watching the bizarre shows labeled as history? This episode is just like that, but only for your ears. We offer nothing for your eyes. Angie kicks things off with the Beale Papers. This story takes us on a journey through history, where we attempt to crack codes and locate a large amount of buried gold, silver, and jewels in Bedford County, Virginia. Theresa is skeptical from the start, but mostly because she doesn’t trust innkeepers entrusted with secrets. Theresa takes things in a wildly different direction when she covers the Emancipation Duel, or that time Princess Pauline Metternich and Countess Anastasia Kielmansegg got into an argument over flower arrangements and decided the best way to settle things was with a topless sword fight. Then she delves into whether we can believe the intense press coverage of the incident. This episode pairs well with: The Cardiff Giant The Craziness that is the Country of Liechtenstein

This week’s unhinged stories feature two women largely forgotten by history. Starting off strong, Theresa tells the story of Madame Montour, the interpreter who spoke English, German, and several Native American languages. Her work as an interpreter brokered several treaties. We have one small problem with Madame Montour – she is history’s most unreliable narrator. Follow along as Theresa lays out a myriad of conflicting sources. Angie’s story is wildly different, as she regales us with the story of Jane Boleyn, Queen Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law. Surprisingly, Jane’s story relates to several royal deaths. This woman served three queens in Tudor England before being sentenced for assisting Queen Catherine Howard in her affair. This episode pairs well with: Sacagawea Nell Gwynn

This week’s Unhinged History features two women with outrageous stories. Angie kicks things off with the story of Elizabeth Bathory, you know, the Blood Countess. She’s rumored to have murdered over 600 virgins to bathe in their blood in hopes of maintaining her youth and beauty. But what if all of that was created by the men in her life who owed her money? Angie pulls back the rumors and shares what we know and can prove about this infamous killer. In a delightfully unhinged pivot, Theresa shares the tale of Elvira de la Fuente Chaudoir. This Peruvian/French socialite turned double-agent spied for MI5 and convinced the Nazis move their troops away from Normandy, setting up success for the D-Day invasion. Her antics are legendary. You can hear Theresa on the edge of laughter the entire episode. This episode pairs well with: Sack of Rome Mehmed II Pope Pius II / Vlad Tepes Another WWII Spy Toto Koopman

Some stories just warm you up inside like a Hot Toddy. Today, Theresa starts us off with a story from her comfort era: World War II, as she shares the tale of Soviet sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko. This badass earns a sniper diploma before graduating from college, which proves beneficial as she ends up fighting as one of only 2,000 female snipers. While only 500 of these women would survive the war, Lyudmila thrives, racking up 309 confirmed kills. She would then go on to become a friend of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Angie struggles with pivoting as she transitions from this sniper to the French court, as she regales us with the life of the Duchess de Polignac. This woman would serve Marie Antoinette and become her best friend. Learn how this down-to-earth woman deals with the most indulgent time period of France, and dodges the Reign of Terror. This story pairs well with: Maria Bochkareva and the Russian women’s battalion of death Nell Gwynn General Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

Listen to this week’s episode as Angie tells a story about a man Theresa’s already learned about. She shares the story of Anders Lassen, the incredible Danish man who joined Colin Gubbins’ Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and made the SOE what it was known for. This episode pairs well with: Paddy Mayne Colin Gubbins Odette Samson The SAS Train Raid You Never Heard of...

What a strange and wonderful mashup of unhinged history stories we have for you today. When we think of Tudor England, we often overlook the individuals of African descent who lived and worked there. Today, Angie corrects that. Come learn about the various people historians uncovered. Theresa takes a different route as she shares the story of Darius McCollum. Darius loves one thing more than anything else in the world: trains. His love of the Metro Transit Authority has led him to get arrested for stealing trains and buses more than 35 times. Come listen to his tale. This episode pairs well with: General Harriet Tubman Grunya Efimovna Sukhareva, the Russian researcher who discovered Autism

What an episode of two indomitable people! Today, Theresa kicks things off by telling the story of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. Dr. Dan is credited with completing the first open-heart surgery. This was in the mid-1800s, before the creation of rib spreaders, bypass machines, or any other devices that would make his life easier. Even better, his patient survives. To further boost his creds, this incredible human created the first racially integrated hospital and nursing school. After that, Angie struggles with a transition to tell the story of Ona Judge. The tale begins with Ona being enslaved to Martha Washington, the wife of the first president. Well, after President Washington engages in some shady antics to keep Ona enslaved, she absconds. This gets old, George-y boy, to crash out. The rest, as they say, is history. This story pairs well with Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler Bass Reeves Robert Smalls

Today’s mash-up of stories leads to some very unexpected places as Angie shares the story of Belle da Costa Greene. Belle ends up being the first Black female librarian of Mr. J. P. Morgan. This woman ends up being the Pepper Potts to Morgan, as she controls art and literature that gets bought and added to his personal collection. Then, surprising no one, Theresa takes us in a very different direction as she recounts the tale of York, the Black man who accompanied Lewis and Clark on the expedition across the newly purchased land of the Louisiana Purchase. Like anyone who experiences travel, his trek changes him and gives him a sense of accomplishment, forever altering the power dynamic between him and his owner, William Clark. This episode pairs well with: Alice Roosevelt Sacagawea

Few white dudes of history have ever earn so much respect from the Black community does, and for good reason. This week, Theresa takes over the entire episode and shares the unhinged life of John Brown. Starting with his early years, raised in a home that was both steeped in religion and abolitionism, John Brown’s path led him to campaign to end slavery. During his life, he would earn the respect of Fredrick Douglass, as he polarized the nation in their stances on ending the practice of slavery. Theresa continues to share how it was Brown’s post-conviction writing that furthered his cause, and not so much the raid at Harper’s Ferry. This is a solid episode, if we say so. This episode pairs well with: The attack on Senator Charles Sumner

The stories we tell here at Unhinged History are predictable, and today offers no variation from the trend. Theresa begins by telling the story of Elijah Parish Lovejoy. This abolitionist would believe two things in this life: that slavery is wrong, and as a journalist, he had the freedom of speech. These convictions would result in four printing presses getting destroyed by mobs and him getting shot five times. Angie, while struggling to segue, transitions to Adrian Carton de Wiart, the unkillable soldier. This man joined countless conflicts, lost an eye and a hand, was shot countless times, survived five plane crashes, and still died of old age. This episode pairs well with: Senator Charles Sumner Mad Jack Churchill Paddy Mayne part 1 Paddy Mayne part 2 Paddy Mayne part 3

Sometimes the events covered in Unhinged History are as zany as they are unexpected. Other times, things get dark. This week, Theresa shares the life of Charles Sumner, the senator who was beaten for giving an abolitionist speech. This attack would polarize the country and start it on the path toward the Civil War. Angie apparently didn’t get the memo that Theresa was telling such a tale, because she takes us further into the darkness when she covers the Theresienstadt Ghetto. This WWII camp was established by the Nazis and, at one point, camouflaged as a “spa town” for older Jewish citizens. This episode pairs with: The Wide Awakes: How fashion led to Civil War Josef Mencik – The Knight of Strakonice

Have you ever heard about the enduring mystery surrounding the fate of the Amber Room? You know that massive room crafted with walls of solid amber, gold leaf, and mirrors? Angie starts by sharing the room’s inception and how King Frederick I commissioned it. She talks about how it was gifted to Russia, where it sat in boxes for years before getting reassembled and improved upon. Then Angie goes into how Hitler wanted the Amber Room and was salty it ever left Germany, where upon it disappears. Don’t worry, she shares the leading theories of what happened.   This episode pairs well with: The Potato King – Frederick II

Whatever you were expecting, this ain’t it. Theresa brings us an unsettling tale about a group of scientists in the 1970s who placed Felicia, a ferret, in a particle accelerator for scientific purposes. Apparently, they needed to clean out the four miles of tubes, and what better way than a diaper-wearing ferret? Angie struggles to find a transition to her story when she pivots to recap the 1527 Sack of Rome. She ends up naming all of the famous people alive during this time as they all enter the chat. This episode pairs well with: Siwash, the duck that fought in the Marines Mehmed II

Buckle up, kids. Today, for no explainable reason, Angie and Theresa swap stories. Angie jumpstarts the episode by telling everyone about the role in the Dutch resistance that Audrey Hepburn played. Theresa takes to the skies when she shares the story about Thomas Fitzpatrick, the man who was drunk and on a bet stole and landed a plane on the streets of the Washington Heights neighborhood in NYC – twice. Apparently, the second time, the fellow bar patron didn’t believe him, so he had to show him.   This episode pairs well with: Resistance Fighter: Toto Koopman The Doomed Second Pacific Squadron

In another week of unexpected history, Theresa kicks things off with a story from Brazil. Meet Antonio Conselheiro, a man crushed by life who turns to following God. He wanders the back country of Brazil, preaching the Good News and fixing churches. He ends up building a community with recently freed Black people who have nowhere else to turn.  Because no good deed goes unpunished, farmers who lost their laborers raise an army, and history does its thing.  Angie, shocked by this tale, pivots sharply and takes us into the Gilded Age by telling us the story of Mamie Fish. This socialite surprised and delighted the upper crust with her antics. Come for her elaborate dinner parties. Stay for the monkey dressed as a prince.  This episode pairs well with:  Seneca Village: Andrew Williams Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth

First off, did you know there is a black market for luxury cheeses? Angie shatters Theresa’s understanding of things when she shares the “Grate Cheese Heist of 2024.” Listen to how a massive amount of artisanal cheese is stolen and unaccounted for. Then Theresa shifts gears and shares the WWII story of Agent Zigzag. This British citizen, Eddie Chapman, moves from criminal to German spy to British double-agent. There are love affairs, blowing up factories, and lies. This story has it all. This episode pairs well with: The great butter and cheese fire of 1991 Great Maple Syrup Heist The SAS raid no one knew about Odette Samson

Old-timey history has tons of greats. Previously, Theresa and Angie lamented not having modern greats, until today. Theresa shares the Great Madison Butter Fire of 1991. Join us as she regales Angie with the tale of 12,500 tons of dairy products going up in flames, releasing a river of cream and melted butter. This blaze took eight days to put out and was quite the event. Angie shifts the episode's tone dramatically as she tells us the story of how JFK was saved by a coconut. During this episode, Angie makes Theresa crack up when she admits to not realizing he served in WWII. This episode pairs with: The NW Butter Crimes Bad Butter Rebellion The bonkers story of the Second Pacific Squadron Josef Mencik – the WWII Knight

This week, Angie shares many of the factors that excite her about history. She shares an overview of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed II’s rise to power, and how his path crosses with a young Wallachian prince, Vlad Tepes. Once you add in the socio-political stances of the European kingdoms and the fear of Muslim takeovers, you now see how Pope Pius II funded the military campaigns of Vlad Tepes, who would go on to earn the spot in history as Dracula. This episode pairs well with: Pope Pius II Funds Dracula’s War

Whatever you were expecting for today’s episode, this ain’t it. Theresa jumps right into the podcast, telling the story of Cherokee Beloved Woman, Nanyihe (aka Nancy Ward). This woman, from the age of 17, commands respect from her people as she attempts to help them navigate a world of English settlers moving in. Some say she’s the hero, while others view her as a traitor. Angie takes a sharp left turn in the storytelling to share the tale of The War of Jenkins’ Ear. If you love missing body parts and pointless wars, this story is for you. It takes place between Great Britain and Spain from 1739 to 1748 and kicks off over an ear. This episode pairs well with: Sacagawea The Theft of the Irish Crown Jewels - Santa Anna’s Missing Leg The Barataria Pirates

Each week, we come up with some absolutely bonkers stories, and this week is no different.  Angie shares how Holland dealt with an unpopular Grand Pensionary (think prime minister). Johan de Witt sparked such anger among the crowd that on August 20, 1672, they tore him apart and ate his remains.  Theresa gingerly side-steps the cannibalism and shares how Cherokee Chief Sequoyah fell in love with the concept of written language and created the first written version of a Native American language. The Cherokee Syllabary remains in use to this day.  This episode pairs well with:  "Lord" Timothy Dexter Tarrare Sacagawea

This week, Unhinged History honors the achievements of native Americans and their history. We hear a lot about the Navajo codetalkers of WWII, but how much do you know about the Choctaw codetalkers of WWI that inspired the Second World War version? If you’re like most of the world, you don’t know much. This week, Theresa takes Angie on a romp through history as she shares the origins of the United States using the languages of indigenous peoples to communicate effectively without their messages getting intercepted. Angie scares Theresa when she also tells a story about the Choctaw. Instead of talking about WWI, Angie zips back to the mid-1800s to share about the first Choctaw lawyer and the first Native American to be admitted to the bar in the United States. James Lawrence McDonald was educated by the government, then used his education to serve his people and help them when the nation didn’t honor its side of the treaties. These stories pair well with: Francis Pegahmagabow Anandi Joshi

Apparently, Angie can’t stop thinking about the fall of the Berlin Wall, and today tackles the specific incidents that directly led to its collapse. So if you want to hear how Russian middle managers muff the punt and how that triggers some real drama... Theresa shifts the focus of history in a dramatic way when she shares the story of Apache warrior, healer, and holy woman, Lozen. She shares her mystical powers of tracking her enemy, her missions with her brother Victorio, and how she joined Geronimo’s forces.

This week, these two unhinged ladies wrap up the final week of Spooky Season with two perfect stories for the time of year. Theresa kicks off with the story of Wild Bill Hickock and how he was haunted by the death of one of the men he killed in a gun fight, and how his final hand of poker became known as the “Deadman’s Hand.” Angie digs up a great tale when she regales us with the story of Edgar Allen Poe's death. While his life was far from illustrious, it appears he might have been “cooped.” Cooping was when a group of people attempting to cause voter fraud, kidnapped and beat the victims, then got them drunk and had them vote in accordance with the kidnappers. This story pairs well with: Stagecoach Mary Fields Button Gwinnett

Way back when King James II was attempting to bring his bride to England, her voyage hit some bad weather. So he blamed witches. Angie shares the North Berwick Witch Trials and how the king later regrets them. Theresa takes things down a dark path as she wades into some true crime, telling the story of the Lady of Crescent Lake. Come for the terrible relationship where the wife goes missing. Stay for the part where the lake relinquishes her body years later, after it had turned to soap. This episode pairs well with: The last witch burned in Ireland The Haunted Queen Mary

We’re deep in Spooky Season, as Angie and Theresa share some tales to get us in the spirit. Theresa starts things off when she covers the sinking of the Andelana. This four-mast ship was safely anchored in Tacoma, Washington, when a storm hit, sinking the vessel in minutes without witnesses. All 17 men aboard were drowned. Then we have to unpack the tragedies that happen after it sinks... Angie outdoes herself when she covers Inês de Castro and Pedro (Peter 1 of Portugal). You might have already heard of Inês. She’s the skeleton queen of Portugal. It’s a rather sordid tale involving multiple civil wars fought for love. It’s just unfortunate for Peter 1, that his love lasts longer than his partner’s life span. These stories pair well with: The Haunted Queen Mary Lady Mary Howard

This week, Angie explores the adventures of Pyotr Kozlov, a traveler from Russia/Soviet Union who explored large portions of Asia and was falsely reported to have found the tomb of Genghis Khan. Kozlov led several expeditions uncovering several royal burials and was surprisingly appreciated by the countries in which he worked. This episode pairs well with: Rear Admiral Robert Byrd Mary Kingsley

Join us as Theresa kicks off the spooky season by sharing the origins of her favorite book, Frankenstein. She takes us through all the scientific advancements leading to the creation of the favorite creature. From resuscitating drowning victims to using electricity to generate muscle spasms in corpses, science hinted that reanimating the dead was just around the corner.  Theresa also shares some of the darker parts of Mary Shelley’s life that added additional color to the horror and grief in the book.  This episode pairs well with:  The Casquette Girls of New Orleans 14

Join us this week as we tackle some sketchy history. Angie starts us with the story of (not quite a founding mother) Eliza Bowen Jumel. She’s born in a brothel, and eventually becomes the wealthiest woman in America. This fascinating woman ends up marrying Aaron Burr later in life and divorces him, using Alexander Hamilton Jr. as her lawyer.   Theresa takes us to Japan in the 1100s and regales us with the story of Saitō Musashibō Benkei. This legendary samurai grows up in a series of monasteries, goes rogue, and in his quest to win 1000 swords in battle, becomes the loyal retainer of Yoshitsune. While defending Yoshitsune, Benkei would defeat 300 swordsmen and die standing (and riddled with arrows). This story pairs well with: Nell Gwyn - actress and court mistress Miyamoto Musashi

Theresa is back at it. This story has a little bit of everything you expect from one of her stories. WWII. Female spies. A missing leg. Join us as she shares the tale of Virginia Hall. This renowned spy has an incredible story, and there is so much to unpack.   This story pairs well with: Odette Samson and Peter Churchill

Angie continues with her love affair with SAS member Paddy Mayne. Join us as she takes us through his work during WWII. Paddy is quite the hero. While demurely accepting medals for his valor, our favorite Irishman is leading his troops miles behind enemy lines and making the lives of the Axis powers rough. This story pairs well with: Paddy Mane’s Intro to the SAS

Angie is riding her Paddy Mane trip for the second week. This week, she covered Paddy Mane's tumultuous start to military service and how he met the founders of the SAS.  Theresa takes us in a wildly different direction as she circles back on a previous story. Before she'd covered William Riker, the cult-founder of Holy City in episode 132. Today she covers William Riker's lawyer, Melvin Belli. This man fired a cannon from the roof of his office and flew the Jolly Roger flag when he won cases.  This episode pairs well with:  Paddy Mane's Early Years Melvin Belli's Cult-Founding Client

History is strange and weird. Today's mash-up of stories proves it. Theresa picks up where she left off last week. (Last week, she shared about that time North Korea sent 31 commandos into South Korea to take out their president.) This week, South Korea responds by forming its own squad, only spoiler alert: things go fantastically awry. Angie collects her bearings before sharing the early years of her favorite SAS member, "Paddy" Blair Mane. Join us as she tells about him hunting South African springbok in formal wear and more.   These stories pair well with: The Blue House Raid The SAS Raid You Never Heard Of

History is jam-packed with stories you've never heard, and today's episode brings together two such tales. Angie starts with sharing Josef Mencik – the last knight, or the Knight of Strakonice. This Czech man of noble standing starts to enter the historical narrative by buying a castle, a suit of armour, and then stands up to a Nazi tank division. Theresa takes the rest of the episode in a wildly different direction when she shares, The Blue House Incident, or that time North Korea snuck 31 commandos into Seoul and got them within 300 meters of the president's palace before the mission went sideways.   These stories pair nicely with: The Wide Awakes The SAS raid no one knew about

Do you remember how, in the past, Theresa and Angie explained the start of WWI as that time a Serbian shot an Austrian, so Britain declared war on Germany? Well today, Theresa does a deep dive and explains how a secretive organization within the Serbian government referred to as The Black Hand is the group that trained the assassins who killed Archduke Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. This episode pairs well with: The SAS raid no on knew about

It isn't every week Angie brings the pain, yet here we are. This week Angie shares the Lebensborn program. During this 9-year program, the Third Reich attempted to breed more soldiers. It starts with unwed Aryan mothers going to country estates to give birth and ends with the SS kidnapping children who looked the part. Theresa offers a palate cleanser by sharing Harvard's Bad Butter Rebellion. Listen to the pre-Revolutionary War era hysterics over Harvard's dining hall serving rancid butter and the chaos that ensues.   This episode pairs well with: The Children's Crusade of 1212 The Eggnog Riots

Angie and Theresa bring you another set of bizarrely wonderful stories to prove that yet again, people are unpredictable. Angie shares the wildly unhinged tale of the Emu War, or that time Australian farmers waged war against birds, and lost so so badly. It's hard to imagine pitting a machine gun against a flock of birds and losing, but here we are. Refusing to leave well enough alone, Theresa shares the story of William Riker, not the one from Star Trek, but the one who founded the Holy City cult in the mountains near Santa Cruz, California.   This episode pairs well with: The Pig War The Ghost Buster Ruling

It's been a while since Theresa tortured Angie and the listeners. This episode is another opportunity to remind yourself that she gets off of curdling stomachs.  Join us and give Angie moral support, and Theresa forces her to learn about Dr. Harvey Wiley and his volunteers who formed the Poison Squad and built the foundations of the FDA.  This episode pairs well with:  Tarrare's Terrible No Good Appetite

Angie serves up a story so piping hot it consumes the entire episode. Come join us as she regales us with the story of Mata Hari. Whatever you think you know of this WWI spy, this wasn't it. Angie serves up all the tea and she turns us all into fan girls as she shares her execution.   This episode pairs well with: WWII's Most Decorated Spy: Odette Samson The Outrageous Sarah Bernhardt

We're back to exploring the gritty unhinged history of WWII spies this week as Theresa shares the story of the war's most decorated spy, Odette Samson. This French-born woman left her three young girls in Britain and joined the war effort, as a courier (the fatality rate of couriers was over 40%). During this mission, she fell in love, got tortured, sent to Ravensbruck, and survived without giving the Axis powers any intel. This all-around badass is a name we should all know. This episode pairs with: WWII Spy: Nancy Wake WWII Spy: Toto Koopman

This episode has it all. Today, Angie takes center stage when she shares the correlation between sliced bread, the Normandy, and WWII.  Come for Theresa losing her mind at how sliced bread relates to anything. Stay for a thorough retelling of Operation Underworld, or how the Italian mafia helped protect Americans, as the first line of defense from Axis U-boats.     This episode pairs well with:  Collin Gubbins – creator of the SOE

You haven't heard it all until you've encountered the chaos of Tallulah Bankhead. This stage actress struggled to break into Hollywood while racking up over 500 lovers of both genders. Come for the unhinged antics of a starlet. Stay for her surprising activism.   This episode pairs well with: Tallulah's Ex-Girlfriend and WWII Spy: Toto Koopman

There is nothing Angie loves more than the drama, pomp, and circumstance of Charlie Two's court (Charles II). Today's story is another instance of royal gossip as she shares a possible love triangle between Queen Anne, Sarah Churchill, and Abigail Marshem. This episode pairs well with: Another juicy moment from Charlie Two's Court: Nell Gwyn

There are certain things you can expect from this podcast and today's episode is no deviation. Theresa shares the story of Toto Koopman, the first famous biracial model and WWII spy. Her list of lovers runs from Tallulah Bankhead to Winston Churchill's son. Because she was a hell of a lot more than her black book, she served the Italian resistance faithfully and survived the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Angie refuses to be outdone and shares the story of the gender non-conforming Queen Nzinga. This boss stood her ground against the Portuguese and made them regret tangling with her. This episode pairs well with: WWII Spy: Nancy Wake WWII Spy: Josephine Baker Sudan's Warrior Queens Yaa Asantewaa

Happy Pride Month! We're kicking off June with stories that are meant to be told. Angie starts with Lucicus Beebe. This dandy of a gentleman did everything with the utmost panache. He toured the US and Europe in his own decked-out train car and remained fashionable, even when reporting on fires that broke out. Theresa brings in the tragic story of the pink triangle, which started in concentration camps and is a potent symbol of the queer community. Many wearers of the pink triangle in these camps were not freed when the camps were liberated – instead, they remained imprisoned until the early 70s. After gaining freedom, they reclaimed this symbol, and it is now a positive symbol for the LGBTQIA+ community.   This episode pairs well with: William Dorsey Swann Stonewall

This episode is yet another shiny example of something you never expected. Theresa starts off sharing the story of Wong Kim Ark, the US citizen you likely never heard of. He is the man who challenged the government, had his case heard by the Supreme Court, and established himself as the first person named as a recipient of birthright citizenship. Oh, this was back in 1898. Angie, as flabbergasted as she is, somehow figures out a way to share the tragic tale of Torii Mototada. This samurai warrior made a fantastic stand in the late 1500s. Knowing he would likely die in his final stand, his sacrifice was honored by the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who dismantled the blood-stained castle and used the boards as ceilings in temples to ensure his deeds were never forgotten.   This episode pairs well with: Lone Fir Cemetery The Blood-Soaked Battle Angel and the Battle at Aizuwakumatsu

Grab your weighted blanket and settle in with a mug of calming tea. You'll need it. Angie kicks things into high gear when she shares the story of the legendary female samurai, Tomoe Gozen. Listen along to Theresa thinking she knows more of the story than she actually does. Theresa takes a sharp left turn by sharing the story of the Lone Fir Cemetery and the Chinese Immigrants who built Portland, Oregon. In true Theresa fashion, she gets us all aggregated before surprisingly ending on a ray of hope.   This episode pairs well with: Blood Soaked Battle Angel Yasuke The Shanghai Tunnels

Since Angie took the entire episode last week, Theresa brought a hell of a story this week. Grab your popcorn and hunker down because she's sharing the story of the 442nd. This heroic group of Japanese-American soldiers in WWII bravely fought for five days and nights through freezing rain and dense fog to rescue 211 Texans pinned down by German troops.   This episode pairs well with: The Joshigun (women's army) fighting during the Battle of Wakimatsu

Dude. Brace yourself. Angie found a whopper of a story. Buckle up for her telling of Yoshiko Kawashima, a member of the Qing dynasty who was a gender-fluid spy for the Japanese in the early 1900s. Whatever you're expecting, this ain't it.     This episode pairs well with: Aline Griffith

Woowwee. This week is a crazy mashup of stories. First off, Angie shares a Japanese festival called Nakizumo, where sumo wrestlers attempt to make babies cry, on purpose. Theresa overcomes her feelings about this to share the story of Richard Sakakida, a Nisei (a first-generation Japanese American) sent to spy on the Japanese in Manilla before the US's entrance to WWII. She shares his capture, torture, and survival. It's a lot.   These stories pair well with: The Spaghetti Hoax The Time the Japanese bombed Oregon during WWII

Join your favorite unhinged historians as they bring you some crazy stories. Today Theresa shares the tale of Molly Williams, the first female firefighter, who was also the first Black woman firefighter. Oh, and she did it at the age of 71. Not to be outdone, Angie regales us with Lilian Wyles, the first female inspector of Scotland Yard. This barrier-breaking woman paved the way for women in the police force in the UK, and you need to hear her story. These stories pair well with: Stagecoach Mary "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" / Grace Quakenbos

At Unhinged History, we are nothing if not consistent. To prove that, Angie shares a solid resistance story from WWII. In this unbelievable tale, Major Cary Elwes, not that Cary Elwes, along with fellow SAS sneak behind enemy lines, steal a train, and rescue POWs. Theresa presses all the buttons triggering outrage as she shares the Mexican Repatriation Act, that time the United States deported up to 1.8 million people, with up to 60% of them being citizens.   This episode pairs well with: The man who created the SOE The Great Locomotive Chase of the Civil War "Mad" Jack Churchill The Black Village That Thrived in Central Park

No matter what you expected, you never guessed this week's stories. Theresa kicks things off with the tale of Hazel Scott, the Black musician who seamlessly blended classical and jazz. She was the first Black woman to have her show on national TV in the 1950s. Angie refuses to be chill with her choice of stories when she shares the story of Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalhami, the Persian pirate prince. This man starts his life on land selling horses before a 20-year career in piracy. This episode pairs well with: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Artemisia I of Halicarnassus

In celebration of April Fool's Day, Angie and Theresa are at it again. Angie starts off with the tale of the Cardiff Giant. George Hull and his cousin William Newell created this elaborate hoax to convince people that they found a giant petrified man – then the showman Barnum gets involved. Theresa then shares the story of the Fox sisters. These renowned mediums ushered in the Spiritualist Movement. But were the frauds? This episode pairs well with other hoaxes of history: Spaghetti Hoax The Time Traveler

Aww, the sweet feeling of predictability. Theresa starts us off with the particularly unhinged story of Jeanne de Clisson, the Lion of Brittany. This female French pirate was an absolute menace for 13 years as she pillaged her countrymen in a revenge plot. Angie is well, the sweet, amazing soul she is, week after week, as she shares the story of Mary Kingsley. This Victorian adventurer makes a name for herself trekking through Africa and hanging out with cannibals. This story pairs well with: Catalina de Erauso, the lieutenant nun Nellie Bly Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth

Angie kicks us off with Tarenorerer. This Aboriginal woman comes from Tasmania. After being a slave for a brief period, our girl escapes from slavery and shows the colonizers how much of a pain this rebel leader can be. Theresa picks up from here and regales us with the story of French sculptress Camille Claudel. This woman comes of age during the late 1800s and makes a name for herself while having a tumultuous relationship with renowned artist Rodin, who is also married. This trainwreck is bigger and worse than you think it will go. This episode pairs well with: General Harriet Tubman The Queen of the Paris Lesbians – Natalie Clifford Barney

Join us this week as Angie and Theresa serve up some fabulous stories of strong-willed women.  Theresa starts with Rosemary Bryant Mariner. This naval aviator holds many firsts. She was the first woman to fly a tactical jet, the first woman to command an aviation squadron, and she was one of the first women to serve aboard a navy warship.  Angie goes on to tell the story of Nellie Bly. This hard-hitting journalist elevated investigative journalism. She's most known for infiltrating a New York City asylum and taking a record-breaking trip around the world.  This episode pairs well with:  The WASPs of WWII  "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" – Grace Quackenbos

This episode is in response to a move to pull key stories from the Air Force History Class. We believe in telling stories that have representation. These stories are filled with struggles and hardships.  Theresa starts by sharing the WASPs of WWII. The Women's Air Service Pilots bridged the gap created by men serving on the front lines. These 1074 women shuttled planes from factories, were test pilots, towed targets, and more. At least 30 of these women died during their duty during their two years of service.  Angie regales us with the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. These men flew bombers and fighters during WWII. Although they were relegated to older planes, they outperformed many other units.  This episode pairs well with:  Aviatrix – Bessie Coleman Aviatrix – Kathrine Sui Fun Cheung The Harlem Hellfighters of WWI

This week's stories are incredible. Angie starts off with the story of Ronald Erwin McNair, the second Black NASA astronaut. Not only was he an astronaut, he was a fifth-degree black belt and accomplished saxophone player. His tenacity helped him rise through the ranks at all of his goals. His life is cut short, tragically, when the Challenge spacecraft explodes.  Theresa lightens the mood by reverting to a love of hers – female spies of WWII. She regales us with the story of Josephine Baker, the nude dancer, turned actress, turned spy. Just when you think you know what is happening Theresa says something else out of right field.  This episode pairs well with:  Astronaut Sally Ride Angie's Favorite Space Mistakes Astronaut Kalpana Chawla WWII Spy Nancy Wake  WWII Creation of the SOE / Collin Gubbins WWII Spy Phyllis Latour Doyle WWII Spy Aline Griffith

Whatever you were expecting, this wasn't it. Theresa shares the over-the-top story of Eartha Kitt. Come for her rough childhood and stay for her playing Cat Woman. Between that and the CIA compiling a dossier about her with some racy gossip, this story has it all.  Angie zips much further back into history to share Toussaint Louverture with us. This Haitian general led during the revolution against France. Sometimes called the "Black Spartacus" he ends slavery on his island. It's a riveting tale.  This episode pairs well with:  Actress – Libby Holman Actress – Hedy Lamarr Slave Uprising – Gabriel's Conspiracy and Guion Buford Jr.

This week the dynamic duo do what they do best. Angie kicks us off by sharing her greatest love, Egypt, with us and telling us facts about King Tutankhamun. Maybe you've heard them all before, but you've never heard Angie gush about him.  Theresa dips into her bag of stories that make you both happy and livid. Come for her telling the tale of how the Black Panther Party created the Free Breakfast Program, which is the reason public schools offer it nationwide in the US. Stay for FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who is depicted as the villain.  This episode pairs well with:  Pyramids of Sudan More reasons to hate Hoover – the Osage Indian's Reign of Terror

Journey with us on a fantastic romp through history. Theresa shares the story of Enheduanna, the first named author. She lived in approximately 2300 BC, in ancient Sumaria, and wrote hymns for 42 temples and three epic poems.  Angie regales us with the tale of Jeffrey Hudson. As a member of the court of Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I of England, he lived quite the life. This man was raised as a gentleman, fought a duel, and was kidnapped by pirates.  Angie failed to tell Theresa that Jeffrey Hudson was only 18 or 19 inches high and more often known as the "queen's dwarf." This episode pairs well with:  Angie's favorite court mistress – Nell Gwyn

Strange things happened this week. Both Angie and Theresa cover a very specific time in Russian History. Angie starts with the story of Maria Bochkareva, who created and led the Russian Women’s Battalion of Death during WWI. Then Theresa harkens back to the Otsu Incident. In May 1891, Russian Crown Prince Nicholas Alexandrovich visited Otsu, Japan, when he was attacked by the Samurai Sanzo Tsuda. This would sour his affinity for Japan and lead to the Russo-Japanese War and the infamous Russian Second Pacific Squadron from Episode 69.  This episode pairs well with:  The Nightwitches of WWII Infamous Russian Second Pacific Squadron

Ever wonder about extremely niche aviation stories? No worries, we got you. This week Theresa shares the tale of Franz Reichelt, the "Flying Tailor." This man dreams of creating a parachute and believes his invention would work if he could only jump from a higher surface, so he tests his prototype from the Eiffel Tower. He leaves a six-inch crater as his legacy.  Angie surprises Theresa by telling her about The Flying Nightingales, the nurses during WWII who flew injured troops across the channel. Their bravery saved many troops.   This episode pairs well with:  WWII –George “Skeeter” Vaughan and the Moccasin Rangers Founder of the American Red Cross – Clara Barton

Join us this week as Angie shares the unhinged story of Doug Hegdahl. This POW during the Vietnam War single-handedly saved the lives of over 250 men by memorizing their names and info to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm."  This episode pairs well with:  Jesse Owens and Carl Luz Long – WWII  Tootsie Rolls at the Chosin Reservoir

This week, Theresa takes us on a jaunt through history to share about the Wide Awakes, the Republican political movement that elected Lincoln president during the fateful 1860 election.  Started by Eddie Yergason, who made a cloak to wear to prevent his clothes from getting messed up by the torch he'd carry during a rally that Cassius Clay was speaking at, he galvanizes the party.  We might have just uncovered Theresa's new Roman Empire, as she touches on so many previous episodes.  This episode pairs well with:  General Harriet Tubman Cassius Marcellus Clay Robert Smalls

Cuddle up with a warm beverage and get ready. Theresa kicks things off by sharing the Hatpin Panic, where women at the beginning of the 1900s were using hatpins in self-defense against assault on public transit. It sparks global outrage – against the hatpins, not the assault.  Once you have ordered your new hairpins made of forged steel, Angie tells the story of Lucy Hay, the countess of Carlisle. You likely remember her as Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers.  This episode pairs well with:  "Madame Mustache" Eleanor Dumont Nell Gwyn Julie d'Aubigny

This week, Angie and Theresa did deep cuts of history and brought you little-known stories of some mighty women. Angie kicks things off with Yaa Asantewaa. She was the Queen Mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti empire. If you're looking for a strong African queen, we got you.  Not wanting to be outdone, Theresa shares the story of Hajjah Ghazala bint Ammar, an Amazigh Chaoui woman who stood up to the French in the Algerian War, as told through the photographs of Marc Garanger.  This episode pairs well with: Candaces – Sundanese Warrior Queens Sundiata Keita, a.k.a. The Lion Prince Prince Dejatch Alemayehu

Welcome to the 100th episode. We promise to be just as unhinged as ever.  Today Theresa starts us off with the story of Harriet Tubman. Come for the part about the Underground Railroad. Stay for the part where she's awarded the rank of general post-humorously. Angie brings us back to WWII by sharing the crazy life of Jack Churchill – the legend of the man who: carried a sword into battle, played bagpipes, and had the last confirmed kill in battle with a bow and arrow.  This episode pairs well with:  Abolitionist – Cassius Marcellus Clay Black Union Fighter – Robert Smalls WWII Creator of the SOE – Colin Gubbins

Get ready to discover your new favorite Chinese Queen Consort and General, Fu Hoa. This absolute legend enjoyed battle axes and oracle bones. Listen to Angie share her life around 1200 BC.     Theresa carries the girl boss vibes by sharing the story of Alice "Diamond Annie" and the Forty Elephants. This girl gang was known for two things: Shoplifting Throwing great parties Listen to their methods, crimes, and lives. You won't be disappointed. This episode pairs well with:  The Real Story of Mulan The Start of the Han Dynasty Jewel Thief – Doris Payne  The Jewel Heist Featuring Arthur Vicars

Whatever you thought we'd cover this week, you're wrong. Theresa starts us off with the disappearance of Agatha Christi. Christi vanishes for 11 days. Was it amnesia? A fugue state?    Angie deals with this troubling story by lobbing her own into the mix. She tells us about George “Skeeter” Vaughan and the Moccasin Rangers. Skeeter is credited with the longest knife throw in wartime, taking out a Nazi soldier at 87 feet. He goes on to live quite the life.  This episode pairs well with:  WWII Creator of the SOE – Colin Gubbins  WWI Indigenous Fighter – Francis Pegahmagabow

Come with us this week for some fairly unhinged tales. Angie shares the story of the 1901 San Francisco Mint Heist. It's giving Ocean's 11, true crime, and a treasure tax? Theresa picks up the baton and shares the story of Sacagawea. Learn about her tragic background and stay for the mystery around her death.  This episode pairs well with:  Irish Crown Jewel Heist The Maple Syrup Heist Matoaka – the Real Pocahontas

We know you listen with the expectation of hearing wild stories and this week, we delivered. Theresa starts by sharing the death of Sioux Chief Sitting Bull and the Massacre(s) at Wounded Knee.   Angie thankfully saves the emotional tone by sharing the meat shortage from the turn of the 1900s in the US and the proposal to import hippos to fill the void with the American Hippo Bill. This episode pairs well with:  The Osage Indian's Reign of Terror Lawnchair Larry Crazy Facts About the Country: Liechtenstein

Another classic roundup of stories. Theresa kicks things off with the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz and how it influenced reforms positively impacting Indigenous people.  Angie shares the story of Saint Lawrence's martyrdom and whatever you think she's about to say, she isn't. Trust us.  This episode pairs well with:  WWII Hero – George “Skeeter” Vaughan and the Moccasin Rangers  St. Vitus and the Dancing Plague

Angie takes the entire episode to share the history of the Berlin Wall. Whatever you thought this episode would contain, we highly doubt you have two rival zoos caught on opposing sides of the wall locked in an "animal arms race," the myriad of SNAFUs around spycraft, and David Bowie performing at the Reichstag in June 1987.  Bowie's performance shifted public sentiment around the Soviet government's control over Eastern Berlin and is credited with bringing down the wall.  This episode pairs well with:  Josef Linowski Stealing a Sidewinder Missle

Whew. This week Theresa takes the entire episode to share the story of Ishi, commonly referred to as "the last Indian." She sets the stage with the start of the Gold Rush and how settlers wiped 2/3 of native peoples off the census of California within two years. Then shares how one feared tribe, the Yahi fought to survive. On Aug. 29, 1911, a starving middle-aged man, walks onto the pages of written history as the last member of his tribe.  After he dies, his wishes for his body are ignored and spark a lengthy court battle as several indigenous tribes fight to unite his brain and body and give him the last rites he deserves.  This episode pairs well with:  Sacagawea and her mysterious death(s)

Celebrate Halloween with this week's roundup of tales. Angie starts us off with her favorite ghosts said to hang out at the Tower of London. She shares the stories of just her favorites (Guy Fawkes, Anne Boleyn, the princes in the Tower, Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guilford Dudley, and Sir Walter Raleigh). Then if you're looking for reasons to give up sleeping ever again Theresa regales us with SUNDS (Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome) and the Origins of the Freddy Kruger franchise. This frightening story, based on several true stories explores the unexplained deaths of 117 Hmong refugees in the early 80s and how they inspired the invention of the serial killer haunting the dreams of teenagers in suburbia.  This episode pairs well with:  Angie's Favorite Curses The Hmong Still Fighting the Vietnam War

Spooky Season is in full swing this week. Theresa shares the story of the first legally haunted house in the US that spawned the Ghostbuster Ruling.  Refusing to be outdone, Angie regales us with the investigation into the vampire Arnold Paole. This according to sources, is the most famous vampire. Have you ever heard of him?  This episode pairs well with:  Sarah Winchester and the Winchester Mystery House The New England Vampire Panic The Casquette Girls of New Orleans

Firmly leaning into the spooky season, Angie shares Samhain and the Origins of Halloween. Come for the costumes and fire festivals, stay for the carved turnips that look like shrunken heads.  Theresa steals a story from Angie's backyard when she tells the story of Sarah Winchester and the Winchester Mystery House. In typical Theresa fashion, she debunks the myths and breaks hearts regarding the ghost stories.  This episode pairs well with:  Angie's Favorite Curses The Haunting of Lady Mary Howard The Ghostbuster Ruling

Spooky Season stories hit differently. This week Theresa shares the story of the Haunted Queen Mary, one of the most paranormal places to visit in the US. Come for the WWII milestones, stay for the tragic death of a crew member.  Angie dips way back into history and tells the tales of the werewolf trials we've had through our past.  This episode pairs well with:  The Haunted Shanghai Tunnels in Portland, Oregon Vampire Arnold Paole The Last Witch of Ireland – Bridget Cleary

Not every story starts out with Angie using Snoop Dogg as a source, but this week's does. Join us as Angie shares the story of Jesse Owens and Carl Luz Long. This unlikely friendship starts at the Berlin Olympics between Black athlete Jesse Owens, and German Carl Luz Long and displays the best parts of humanity and good sportsmanship.  Theresa's story on the other hand is a sharp left turn. She regales us with information on Lorenc Peter Elfred Freuchen. This forgotten arctic explorer was 6' 7", and once got caught in a snowstorm and had to chisel his way out using a pick made out of his own fecal matter.  This episode pairs well with:  Similar Vibes: Peter Wessel Tordenskjold The Lafitte Pirates  Rear Admiral Richard E. Bryd and His Hollow Earth Theory

This week's roundup of stories is a happy accident. Today Angie and Theresa bring you two very different stories from WWII. Theresa kicks it off with the Night Witches, the only female combat pilots from WWII. These badasses are from Russia and you're going to love them.  Angie starts by sharing the history of the US paying its soldiers with booze, then explains how the attitude toward alcohol shifted. Somehow she ends up telling the story of the United States retrofiting a cement barge into an ice cream flotilla.  This episode pairs well with:  Aviatrix – Beryl Markham Tootsie Rolls at the Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War

Today's roundup of history stories you didn't know starts when Angie tells the story of General Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, or as you know him, General Marquis de Lafayette. This man was part of so many plot points of history your head will spin.  To keep up with the craziness, Theresa shares the many Defenestrations of Prague, kicking off the Hussite Wars, the Thirty Years War, and beyond. For some reason, the people of Prague keep yeeting people out of windows and it's bananas.  This episode pairs well with:  The Smugglers of the Boston Tea Party  Revolutionary War's Culper Spy Ring and Agent 355 The Crazy Facts of Liechtenstein

We hope you have handfuls of sweet snacks this week as Theresa and Angie share their stories. Theresa starts with The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 – an incident that would forever coat Boston in a sweet smell.  Angie must have intuited Theresa's story because she tells the story of Tootsie Rolls at the Chosin Reservoir. Her story occurred during the Korean War when a group of Marines known as the "Chosin Few" needed to figure out how to survive subzero temperatures. It was so cold that the radiators cracked. Thankfully the Marines had $13,547.80 in Tootsie Rolls (or $176,613.28 in today's money). They used the candy to plug holes and retreat.  This episode pairs well with:  The Maple Syrup Heist When the Navy had a Concrete Ice Cream Barge

Whew. What a week! Angie starts us out by sharing Gabriel's Conspiracy. This is the story of a slave living in the late 1700s and his attempt to gain his freedom. To elevate the mood, Angie also touches on Guion Buford Jr, the first Black astronaut.  Theresa takes a sharp left turn and shares the story of the Harlem Hellfighters, the 369th regimen made of primarily Black soldiers who saw more combat than any other unit of American soldiers during WWI.  This story pairs well with:  Seneca Village – the Black Village in Central Park Tootsie Rolls at the Chosin Reservoir During the Korean War

Look we've all said some things in the past. Sometimes it's Theresa saying stuff like there was a Children's Crusade in 1212. And other times it's Angie regaling us with Count Victor Lustig's cons like a money box or selling the Eiffel Tower.  Either way, this week's tales are unhinged.  This episode pairs well with:  The siege of Caffa That time a man stole a sidewinder missile... How "Lord" Timothy Dexter kept falling up

Sometimes we learn about someone so delightfully unhinged it makes Angie think that Theresa is the modern incarnation of that human. Today, Angie shares the story of Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth. And listeners, you'll have to tell us if she and Theresa are the person.  Theresa turns around and shares the story of Elisabetta Sirani, an Italian Baroque painter during the 1600s who created some fantastically violent paintings. This episode pairs well with:  Julie d'Aubigny – the sword-fighting badass  The craziness that is the Voynich Manuscript

The Parthenon has lived her life, honey. Little did you know what a varied life she's led. But don't worry, Theresa jumps on and shares how the iconic temple of Athena only recently fell into ruin.  Angie moves in and shares the story of Tycho Brahe. This old-timey astronomer seemed to live a rock star-esque life even dueling over "who's the better mathematician."  This episode pairs well with:  Artemisia I of Halicarnassus  The death of Alexander the Great  The history of the guillotine  Count Robert and the castle of pranks

Join us in an unhinged selection of stories. Angie kicks things off with the antics of Specialist Skippy Schwarz and shares the myriad of things he's banned from doing. Some of these exploits include wearing a kilt made of fruit roll-ups, allowing sock puppets to take over his watch, and having the right to a strip search when detained by MPs.  Theresa brings up the intellectual tenor when she shares the historical background of Pocahontas. Because apparently Disney lied to us, Theresa uses her real name, Matoaka.  This episode pairs well with:  Sacagawea Lawnchair Larry

This week's stories are about as opposite as you can get. Theresa starts by sharing that time during WWII when the Japanese bombed Brookings, Oregon. It doesn't stop there. The pilot who flew the mission returns 20 years later and you won't guess what happens then.  Angie shares one of the darkest stories she ever has on the podcast. She dives into the theories on who Jack the Ripper really was.  This episode pairs well with:  The bat bombs of WWII  The horror that is Tarrare (you've been warned)

You want to know the history of war elephants? What are we kidding, of course you do and Angie is here to give you what you want. She brings us back to 1100 BCE to their first recorded use. She shares how they fought against Alexander the Great. They helped in both World Wars. They were used even in 2017 by Burmese rebels in Myanmar. Theresa closes us out by sharing the Godmother of Rock 'N' Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe. This woman combined so many musical influences to give us the genre we all love. ...and Angie keeps bringing up Elvis. Because, Elvis.  This episode pairs well with:  The tragic story of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu

This week's stories are verifiably unhinged. Theresa starts off sharing about how some Hmong, a small ethnic minority from Laos are *still* fighting the Vietnam War all these decades later. Angie attempts to lift the emotional tone by sharing the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Duchess of Aquitaine who became queen of France, then after a divorce, queen of England, and then some.  This episode pairs well with:  Hmongs suffering from Sudden Nocturnal Death Syndrome  Battle of Hastings and Bayeux Tapestry

Get ready for your favorite three letters, W, T, and F. Theresa starts us off with the story of Captain Eric Moody, the British Airways pilot who flew through a volcano in 1982 and delivered the greatest understatement to his passengers when he informed them all four engines had failed.  Angie picks up the mantle and continues this bizarre episode by sharing the tale of Button Gwinnett, the signer of the Constitution of the United States, with the most valuable signature. Come for his spectacular failures in business, and stay for the constant promotions.  This episode pairs well with:  Another crazy story – the Kamchatka  "Lord" Timothy Dexter

Captain Stephen Barton and his daughter Clara Barton Natalie Clifford Barney. Did you ever wonder who started the American Red Cross? No? Well, Angie did. She starts us off this week with the story of Captain Stephen Barton and his daughter, Clara Barton. Theresa picks up the baton and shares the story of Natalie Clifford Barney, writer & queen of the Paris lesbians.  This episode pairs well with:  Penelope Barker  Catalina de Erauso, the lieutenant nun Julie d'Aubigny

Look, the first Pride was a riot and Theresa came with the receipts. Join Angie and Theresa as they explore what led up to the Stonewall Uprising. Starting with the mafia moving in and opening gay bars, to kicklines, broken glass, and a mention of Afeni Shakur (Tupac Shakur's mom) and her connection to the riots and the Black Panthers.  This episode pairs well with:  Black Nite Brawl and Josie Carter

Sometimes life is a weird mashup of stories. This podcast episode fairly encapsulates that. First Angie shares the History of Coffee and the times it's been banned – most notably by King Gustav III.  Theresa resorts to comforting violence as she shares the story of when four sailors pick a fight at a bar for the LGBTQ+ community. The Black Nite Uprising was the first time in Wisconsin's history that members of the LGBTQ+ community stood up to oppression and this was eight years before events at Stonewall would spawn the Pride movement.  This episode pairs well with:  William Dorsey Swann  The history of bourbon

This week Angie and Theresa brought some completely unhinged stories. Theresa starts off with the tale of Christine Jorgeson, the WWII GI who underwent a sex change in the 1950s and went into entertainment.  Angie didn't want to be outdone and shared Sally Stanford, the brothel-owning woman who would go on to be mayor of Sausalito.  This episode pairs well with:  Shelly Bauman  WWII Danish Nazi Resistance fighter, Willem Arondeous

First off, let us start by saying that Disney lied to us. Theresa attempts to address this issue by sharing the story of Mulan in the various ways it's gone through history, including the opera.  Angie closes us out by sharing the story of Abigail Kawānanakoa, Hawaii's last princess. She covers HRH's philanthropic efforts and her marriage to her wife, Veronica Gail Worth.  This episode pairs well with:  The last Hawaiian Queen Lili'uokalani  The real story of Pocohantas

Do you know the story of the Chinese Amelia Earhart, Kathrine Sui Fun Cheung? Let's fix that. Angie starts this episode off by sharing how this aviatrix entered the history books and became one of the fabled Ninety-Nines. Theresa continues this heart-warming trend by sharing the story of Seneca Village, the thriving Black community in what is now Central Park. She shares how one Black man, Andrew Williams, bought land in this community and homeownership provided generational wealth and changed the trajectory of six generations of the Williams family.  This episode pairs well with:  Aviatrix Bessie Coleman  The Harlem Hellfighters

We all have bad days at work, but never, and I mean never have we struggled as hard as Rear Admiral Zinovy “Mad Dog” Rozhestvensky as he led the Russian Second Pacific Squadron from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean to do his part in the Russo-Japanese War.  Theresa has way too much fun sharing what could only be the real-life basis for Mchale's Navy.  This episode pairs well with:  Why Czar Nicky 2 hated Japan so much (he was attacked by a samurai) 106

You ever learn about a guy so bold and self-assured *and* keeps winning?! Angie tells us the story of the Norwegian Hans Solo, Peter Wessel Tordenskjold. At one point he goes in for a court martial and comes out with a raise instead.  Theresa then shares the Dancing Plague of 1518. You know, that time everyone just compulsively danced until they dropped dead? That one.  This episode pairs well with:  The crazy death of Saint Lawrence  The badass adventures of Lorenc Peter Elfred Freuchen

Grab a juice box and settle in. Theresa is telling the story of Nakano Takeko, her joshigun (women's army), and the battle at Aizu-Wakamatsu. Takeko leads this group of 20-30 trained female warriors, think samurai, into battle and shows everyone just what an alpha female looks like.  This episode pairs well with:  Yasuke, the Black Samurai  The saber saint Miyamoto Musashi

Okay, some sets of stories are so delightfully unhinged they will be shared in public, without warning. These are two of those tales. Angie sets things off with the retelling of the Ghost Army, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops from WWII. These men used inflatable tanks, set design, and everything theater instructors had ever taught to fool the Axis Powers.  Then Theresa tells the bizarre tale of Pope Pius II. She shares his spy mission, the dirty book he wrote (The Tale of Two Lovers), and how he funded Vlad the Impaler's campaign against Mehmed II.  This episode pairs well with:  Nancy Wake  Natalie Clifford Barney - American writer

This episode has it all. The plague. Trebuchets. WWII. Ducks. Theresa starts us off with a rollicking tale of how the Golden Horde allegedly flung their plague-ridden corpses into the city of Caffa around 1345–1347 because Khan Jani Beg had some big feelings about losing. Thank goodness Angie takes it upon herself to lighten the load, so to speak. She shares the story of Marine Sergeant Jack “Siwash” Cornelius, the duck that fought in several amphibious assaults in the Pacific Theater during WWII.  This episode pairs well with:  The Children Crusade of 1212 Sargent Stubby, the stray dog who served in WWI

Journey through the pages of medieval writing with Angie and Theresa as we learn about the Voynich Manuscript. Angie unpacks what we know about this unreadable text. She shares theories and touches on aliens. Yup. Aliens.  This episode pairs well with:  Battle of Hastings and Bayeux Tapestry

Come for the myth of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. Stay for Theresa sharing the facts around what we really know about the Voudou Queen of New Orleans. If you're like us, the truth is far more compelling.  This episode pairs well with:  Julia Brown – the Voodoo Queen  The Tignon Law of 1876

This last week of Women's History Month hits hard. Theresa shares the story of Grunya Efimovna Sukhareva, the Russian researcher who discovered Autism decades before Hans Asperger. Angie makes Theresa cry when she shares the story of Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to make it to space.  This episode pairs well with:  NASA Astronaut – Sally Ride  The Immortal Henrietta Lacks

You know these two love a good WWII spy story. Theresa serves up the tale of Aline Griffith, the Princess Spy. She served the Allies during the war while based in Spain before marrying into a noble family. Angie brings us all the way back to the California Gold Rush with the story of Eleanor Dumont, the French card player who earned the nickname "Madame Mustache" later in life.  This episode pairs well:  WWII Spy Nancy Wake  WWII Creator of the SOE Collin Gubbins  Stagecoach Mary

Angie starts off strong telling the story of Margaret Skinnider. This strong woman had zero chill. She starts out as a school teacher and turns into a revolutionary in Ireland. She participates in the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin as a sniper.  Before we introduce Theresa's story, let's point out that she misspeaks and says, "Mexican-owned Canada" multiple times. She meant California. She's as sorry as she should be. Despite this glaring error, Theresa tells the story of Esther Short, the woman who found Vancouver, Washington.  This episode pairs well with:  "Mrs. Sherlock Holmes" Grace Quackenbos  Portland's Shanghai Tunnels  The Pig War

Get a fresh cup of coffee, drink it black, and strap in. Theresa starts us off by sharing the tale of Queen Lili'uokalani, the first and last queen of Hawaii. Angie comes in hot with the tale of a lesser-known aviatrix, Beryl Markham. This woman does it all, including two princes.  This episode pairs well with:  Abigail Kawānanakoa – the last Hawaiian princess  Aviatrix – Bessie Coleman   Aviatrix – Kathrine Sui Fun Cheung

Join us as Angie kicks off Women's History Month with an absolute doozy.  Kick your feet up and listen to the story of Georgia's Queen Tamar. This absolute badass lived from c. 1160 – 18 January 1213 and was their first queen to rule in her own right.   This episode pairs well with:  That pope who wrote a dirty book and funded Vlad the Impaler

Some stories just stick with you. In Episode 55, Theresa mentioned Nubian warrior queens in passing. This caused Angie to rabbit hole and dig that story out. So sit back and enjoy the history of the Kandake, or Candaces, Sudan's warrior queens. These women face down Rome, at its height.  Theresa brings us back to the US as she shares the story of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the nation's first Black woman physician. She got her medical degree as the Civil War raged and became the only published Black woman in the 19th century.  This story pairs well with:  The Pyramids in Sudan  The first female Indian doctor Anadi Joshi

This romp through history starts with Theresa returning to the 1980's in Brooklyn. She tells the tale of the Lo Life Crew. This group of men united through passion and started boosting Ralph Lauren's Polo merch. From there they unknowingly changed the course of fashion. Angie balances out the episode by taking us back to the Wild West and telling us the story of Stagecoach Mary. Mary Fields  (c. 1832 – December 5, 1914), was the first Black woman star route postwoman in the United States.   This episode pairs well with:  Our favorite jewel thief – Doris Payne  "Madame Mustache" Eleanor Dumont  Catalina de Erauso – the lieutenant nun

This was an incredible round-up of stories, as we celebrate Black History Month. Angie starts us off with a bang telling the story of Bass Reeves (July 1838 – January 12, 1910) the Black marshall who started his life as a slave. Theresa ponders the severity of travel warnings from the US State Department, as she shares the pyramids of Sudan.  This episode pairs well with:  Stagecoach Mary Fields  The Candaces – the warrior queens of Sudan

Look, you're going to have some big feelings about this episode. This week, Theresa covers Henrietta Lacks and the medical racism that exists. While we have greatly benefited from Lacks' medical contributions, there are a lot of issues with the medical ethics around the HeLa cell line.  This episode pairs well with:  Black Doctor – Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Some mashups are so bizarrely incredible that you don't know you need until you get them. We hope you're sitting down. This week Angie shares the story of the dark purple menace, Libby Holman. This singer, activist, and actor is on a whole other level. Theresa follows her up sharing the story of Phyllis Latour Doyle. Latour Doyle was a female spy in Nazi-occupied France and used knitting in her spy efforts.  ...You're welcome.  This episode pairs well with:  Actress – Sarah Bernhardt  Founder of the SOE – Colin Gubbins

What a year of podcasts it's been. Angie shares the history of the guillotine because, of course, she does. Then Theresa shares the most unhinged Christmas party that ever happened. She tells the tale of the Egg Nog Riots, that time when the Westpoint Academy went off the rails when they overindulged in the holiday drink.  This episode pairs well with:  General Lafayette  The Boston Tea Party

Whew. What a couple of stories we've gathered for you. Angie shares the delightfully unhinged tale of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. This dude (1742-1819) has zero chill and is why Wellington won the Battle of Waterloo. Theresa must have known what Angie was bringing and matched the unhingedness with her telling of Erasmus of Lueg. This 15th-century knight survived a year-long siege in Predjama Castle and died when he was shot with a cannon while on the toilet.  This episode pairs well with:  The Lafitte Pirates  The Battle of New Orleans

Come hang out with us. Theresa starts off by telling us the folklore of Julia Brown, the Voodoo Queen ...sorta. She does a deeper dive giving you her origin story. Angie torments Theresa by telling the tale of Alexander the Great's death and how he was buried alive.  This episode pairs well with:  Voodoo Queen – Marie Laveaux  Pirate Queen – Artemisia I of Halicarnassus

Come with us to 1066 as Angie starts off by sharing the Battle of Hastings. Don't get too comfortable learning about this battle, because Angie uses it just to share about the Bayeux Tapestry. It is 230 feet long and is believed to have been embroidered by Queen Matilda and six of her women in waiting. The Bayeux Tapestry visually tells the story of the battle.  This episode pairs well with:  Voynich Manuscript

Venture back with us to WWII and learn more about the enigmatic Colin Gubbins, the Director of the SOE. Under the guise of Professor Sandwich, Gubbins got the Enigma Machine into British hands. He also headed up Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. This is the WWII story you need to hear.  This episode pairs well with:  Phyllis Latour Doyle – WWII Spy Aline Griffith – WWII Spy  Nancy Wake – WWII Spy

This time-sensitive episode reflects fondly on two notable smuggling events. Theresa covers the Boston Tea Party that took place on December 16, 1773. Angie shares the Great Maple Syrup Heist, which while it took place over months, the investigation occurred from December 18-20, 2012.   This episode pairs well with:  The Great Molasses Flood  The Culper Spy Wing  Penelope Barker's Tea Party

Join us for a delightful smattering of stories. Angie starts us off by telling us about the Great Balloon Escape. During this story, two families, Strelzyk and Wetzel, smuggle themselves from East Germany over the Berlin Wall on September 16, 1978. Theresa shares the lighthearted tale of Clara, the 18th-century rhinoceros who became a European sensation. This episode pairs well with:  That time David Bowie caused the Berlin Wall to fall  Sargent Stubby, the stray dog who served in WWI

Brace yourselves. Theresa is coming with spoilers for the movie Killers of the Flower Moon as she covers the horrific murders of the Osage Indians during the Reign of Terror, which took place from 1921-1926. Angie fills her role as the palette cleanser and brightens the mood by regaling us with both the history of mustaches and the waiter's strike of 1907 –– where waiters wanted the right to a day off and to a mustache. This episode pairs well with:  Ishi the last Yahi Indian  "Madame Mustache" Eleanor Dumont

Whatever you're expecting from this episode, you aren't ready. Theresa shares the story of Francis Pegahmagabow, an indigenous Canadian veteran from WWI. He was the deadliest sniper, the most decorated First Nations veteran, and a staunch defender of his people's rights.  This episode pairs well with:  The Harlem Hellfighters

We know you're like us. You woke up looking for a story about barmaids, banjo players, the 1814 Beer Flood, and zebras. So Angie shares the story of Lady Meux, the Victoria socialite who really lives a crazy life.  This episode pairs well with:  Nell Gwyn – actress and court mistress

If you're looking for a story that has everything, click that play button. A pointless battle, pirates, dysentery, and an absinthe bar. Theresa covers the Battle of New Orleans from 1814. You know, it was part of the War of 1812... yeah... it's a doozy.  This episode pairs well with:  The Casquette Girls of New Orleans

Theresa just can't contain her excitement as she regales us with the pirates from Baratarian Bay. Jean and Pierre Lafitte led colorful lives in the early 1800's in the New Orleans area. Angie shares the story of the only emperor of the United States, Joshua Abraham Norton, ( c. 1818 – January 8, 1880) who lived ruled from San Francisco. This man created his own currency, wrote edicts, and was beloved by The City.  This episode pairs well with:  The Battle of New Orleans  "Lord" Timothy Dexter   Santa Anna lost his legs during the Pastry War

Whew. We hope you're fully hydrated for this episode. Theresa starts off with the tale of Arthur the Ghost who haunts the B-29 at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA. Angie follows her up with a true crime / supernatural mashup when she recounts the story of Bridget Cleary who is known as "the last witch burned in Ireland" in 1895. This episode pairs well with: The Haunted Queen Mary  Helen Duncan – the last woman convicted of the 1732 Witchcraft Act

Join us this week as Theresa shares a bit of history and myth around Portland, Oregon's Shanghai Tunnels. She covers everything from Nina the ghost to the Chinese building and uses them to escape drug raids.  This episode pairs well with:  The NW Butter Crimes

It's time for some comfy leggings and spooky stories. Join us this week as Angie shares the history behind Lady Mary Howard (1596-1671) and her carriage of bones. This episode pairs well with:  Bridget Cleary who is known as "the last witch burned in Ireland"

Come for the history story of Theresa sharing what she learned about Japanese saber saint Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645). He's yet another fighter of history with a remarkable number of duels under his belt -- over 60 duels that he's undefeated in.  This episode pairs well with:  Yasuke – the first Black samurai

Whew. Grab yourself a tasty beverage of choice and nestle in for Angie sharing how Pepsi once had the sixth-largest navy in the world. Then get your refill before Theresa recounts the War of the Stray Dog. In 1925, Greece and Bulgaria had a conflict with a surprising start. This episode pairs well with:  The Crazy Little Country Called Liechtenstein  The Pig War  The Honey War

No, you aren't suffering a mental breakdown listening to this. Theresa shares how Helen Duncan was the last woman sentenced under the British Witchcraft Act of 1735 ...in 1944. Angie "brightens" the mood by sharing her top 3 favorite mistakes in space.  This episode pairs well with:  The last witch in Ireland  Angie's Favorite Curses  NASA Astronaut Sally Ride

Strap your helmets on as Angie starts us off with a tale from the Van Buren sisters. In 1916, these women crossed the country on motorcycles within 60 days making themselves the first women to accomplish such a feat. Theresa refuses to be outdone and talks about the Great New England Vampire Panic. She touches on Mercy Brown, the Jewett City Vampires, and more.  This episode pairs well with:  Alice Roosevelt  The Casquette Girls of New Orleans

Whew. I hope you poured yourself a drink... Theresa starts off by sharing the creator of wifi, and the reason we have nice things like GPS and Bluetooth technology, Hollywood starlet, and Hedy Lamarr. Angie then shares the history of bourbon.  This episode pairs well with:  Tycho Brahe   Cassius Clay

Why does the 1800s get all the greats?! Pop in your earbuds and check out Angie's retelling of The Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. It starts with stealing a train and ends with the United States giving the first Medal of Honor to the participants.  This episode pairs well with:  Bass Reeves

Few individuals live a life as unhinged as "Lord" Timothy Dexter. Living during the founding of the United States of America, Dexter goes from a poor uneducated son of farm laborers to a rich obnoxious uneducated neighbor. Join us as Theresa recounts the life of this man who keeps making money despite himself.  This episode pairs well with:  Count Robert and his castle of pranks

Prepare to be delighted with this week's stories. Angie starts us off by sharing the tale of Jerome of Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia. This mysterious man appeared on September 8, 1863. Theresa turns around and tells the story of Sergei Ponomarenko, the time traveler from Kyiv who shows up in 2006 with evidence he's been to 2050.  This episode pairs well with:  The man who ate everything, Tarrare Dunkelgrafen

Join us this week for more incredible tales. First, Theresa shares the story of the 2002 mayoral election in Hartlepool, where residents voted for H'Angus the monkey mascot of the local football team to be their mayor: Stuart Drummond, the man behind the mask made for a surprising leader. Angie recounts her favorite mistress for the English king, Charles II, Nell Gwyn, and her exploits. This episode pairs well with:  Clara – the Rhino  Lacy Hay, the Countess of Carlisle

Join us as Angie shares the story of the Revolutionary War's Culper spy ring and Agent 355. Before you leave, stick around as Theresa recounts the problematic retelling of possibly trans man Catalina de Erauso, the lieutenant nun, who lived from 1592–1650. This episode pairs well with:  The smugglers of the Boston Tea Party  Penelope Barker's Tea Party  Natalie Clifford Barney - American writer

Get your popcorn ready; we'll wait. Theresa shares the story of 6th-century Frankish queens, Fredegund and Brunhild. These two women married into the Merovingian dynasty and reigned against each other during the 40-year civil war. There are assassins. There are battlefield tactics. This story has it all.  This episode pairs well with:  Eleanor of Aquitaine  Queen Tamar of Georgia

Angie starts us out by telling the story of Cassius Marcellus Clay, Former United States Ambassador to Russia, abolitionist, and a man who was just born to fight. Theresa introduces Anandi Joshi, the very first female doctor in India.  This episode pairs well with:  The Wide Awakes who got Lincoln elected  General Harriet Tubman  Dr. Rebecca Crumpler

What a roundup. This week Angie starts us off by sharing the history of tignons and the Tignon Law of 1876, requiring Black women to cover their hair. Theresa continues the thoughts of strong women with her retelling of Artemisia I of Halicarnassus, the female general, who fought against the Greeks under Xerxes in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE. This episode pairs well with:  The Battle of New Orleans  The Lafitte Pirates

Come for the story featuring war elephants and stay for the tale about America's first female activist. Theresa starts by sharing the story of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu, the son of Tewodros II of Abyssinia who was stolen to England. Angie raises the mood by sharing Revolutionary activist, Penelope Barker and her Edenton Tea Party. This episode pairs well with:  The history of war elephants  The smugglers of the Boston Tea Party  The Culper Spy Ring of the Revolution

What a raucous roundup of stories this week! Start your podcast with a rousing tale of the WWII Danish Nazi Resistance fighter, Willem Arondeous. Then jet back 400 years earlier with Angie sharing the story of Julie d'Aubigny, the French opera singer and duel-winning extraordinaire.  This unhinged set of stories pairs well with:  Colin Gubbins, the creator of the SOE  Cassius Clay

What a week. Theresa starts by sharing the story of Sally Ride, you know, the first American woman in space, and her tie-in to Pride Month. Angie refuses to be outdone and shares the story of William Dorsey Swann, the first drag queen of history.  Stay proud with these stories:  NASA Astronaut – Kalpana Chawla  Christine Jorgeson – American GI Trans Woman

Refresh your Victory red lipstick and settle in as Angie shares the story of fem fatale and WWII spy Nancy Wake. This delightful Australian bombshell joins the SOE and becomes "The White Mouse."  This pairs well with:  WWII Spy – Phyllis Latour Doyle

Sit back and relax as Theresa shares the story of Shelly Bauman and how losing her leg in Seattle's Bastille parade triggered the series of events culminating in the opening of the first disco. This club, named Shelly's Leg, was a gay dance club and resulted in Seattle embracing its LQBTQIA+ community.  This episode pairs well with:  Sally Stanford

Whatever you do, don't eat during this episode. Theresa shares the 18th-century story of the Frenchman known only as Tarrare and his insatiable appetite. Don't eat during this story. We warned you.  Angie offers a palette-cleanser by telling the story of Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and his Hollow Earth theory.  This episode pairs well with:  The Werewolf Trials

Brace yourself for two seriously unhinged moments of history. This week Theresa starts with one of the first cults of personality Sarah Bernhardt, actress, artist, and shit-disturber. Angie refuses to be outdone and shares that time the US experimented with using bats to carry bombs to use during WWII. This episode pairs well with:  Libby Holman - Actress  Japan bombing Brookings, Oregon during WWII

What do you know about the least visited country in Europe, Liechtenstein? If you're like us, not much. This week Angie shares a brief history of this insanely small country, and none of it sounds real (like they have a yearly party where residents are invited to have a beer with the crown prince).  If you thought this was unhinged – check out:  The Great Spaghetti Hoax of 1957

Ever hear of Grace Quackenbos Humiston, the attorney turned private investigator from the early 1900s? Dubbed Mrs. Sherlock Holmes she solves a host of cases using common sense. After listening to this episode, you'll see why Theresa is obsessed with her.  If you liked this check out:  Helen Duncan – the last person convicted under the 1734 Witchcraft Act

What a week. Theresa starts by sharing the story of the invisible billionaire, Daniel Ludwig (the man who paid PR firms money to ensure he stayed out of the press). Angie tops her tale by retelling the time that Josef Linowski (the Polish driver and engineer), Wolf-Diethard Knoppe (the Luffwaffa Starfighter pilot), and Manfred Ramminger (described as a German architect, playboy, race car enthusiast turned KGB agent) steal an AIM 9 sidewinder missile from the Neuburg Air Base in Bavaria. This episode pairs well with:  "Lord" Timothy Dexter  Arthur Vicars

Ever wonder about the origins of vampire tales in New Orleans? This week Angie shares the tale of the Casquette Girls of New Orleans from 1728. Their sickly appearance spawned rumors of vampires. Theresa steers the conversation in a completely different direction as she recounts the exploits of Sargent Stubby, the stray dog who served in WWI and goes further back in history to share the tale of Jack Brutus, the mastiff serving in the Spanish-American War.  This episode pairs well with:  The New England Vampire Panic  The literal duck who became a Marine

What a crazy mashup. Come for Theresa telling the story of the 1875 Dublin Whiskey Fire. Stay for Angie sharing the tale of Lawn Chair Larry and his epic flight using weather balloons and his trusty lawn chair.  This episode pairs well with:  The History of Bourbon The Great Molasses Flood The Balloon Escape

Join us this week as Angie shares another military blunder. During Sept 21-22 1788, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor fought Serdar-ı Ekrem Koca Yusuf Pasha the Vizier and Sultan Selim 3 ...sorta.  This episode pairs well with:  The pope who wrote a dirty book and funded Vlad the Impaler

What's better than a pointless bloodless war? Theresa leads this week in retelling the story of the Honey War of 1839. During this conflict, Iowa and Missouri nearly started a war over three trees and a tax man.  More Pointless Wars:  The Pig War The Pastry War The War of the Stray Dog

Angie and Theresa celebrate April Fool's Day by recounting historical pranks. Angie starts us off with The Great Spaghetti Hoax of 1957 (that time Richard Dimbley and Charles De Jaeger presented a fictitious spaghetti harvest on the BBC). Theresa follows up with Count Robert II of France and the Hesdin Castle that pranked its guests. This episode pairs well with:  That time a guy died on a toilet at Predjama Castle That time Theresa told Angie about the time traveler from Kiev

Theresa goes back to 1989 when the oldest active cold case investigation was solved. Join her and Angie as they tackle the NW Butter Crimes of the Great Depression.  What? You heard us—butter crimes.  This episode pairs well with:  The Maple Syrup Heist

This week Angie and Theresa explore Arthur Vicers and the not good, really bad day AKA the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels. Come for the historical tale. Stay for Theresa getting hung up on the names of the people in this story.  This episode pairs well with: Franz Reichelt

Take a raucous ride through history as Theresa retells the tale of the redoubtable General Antonio López de Santa Anna and how he lost his legs during the Pastry War of 1838. After that doozy, Angie regales us with how Fredrick the Great tricked his people into loving potatoes.  This episode pairs well with:  Shelly Bauman Queen Tamar of Georgia

Join us as Angie walks us through a series of Civil War snafus that enable the enslaved Robert Smalls to pilot a gun-laden ship to freedom.  This episode pairs well with:  Bass Reeves

What do you know about the unhinged story of a notorious real-life jewel thief, Doris Payne? Spend this podcast listening to the highlight reel of the craziest movie never made.  This episode pairs well with:  The Lo Life Crew

Buckle up. It's a crazy week. Come for Angie telling the tale of  Sundiata Keita, a.k.a. The Lion Prince, a.k.a. Mansa Musa's grandfather. Stay for Theresa gushing over the first Black-Native American aviatrix and barnstormer, Bessie Coleman.  This episode pairs well with:  The Tragic Tale of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu

This week Angie dives into an old missing person case as she explores Dunkelgrafen. Theresa goes off on a tangent as she shares the Pig War of 1856 between Great Britain and America. This episode pairs well with:  The Strange Tale of Jerome of Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia The Pastry War

This week, Angie serves her favorite curses. It's a wild mix up. Theresa shares how the Han Dynasty started from a bad day at work.  This episode pairs well with:  Ghosts Haunting the Tower of London The Real Story of Mulan Chinese general and queen, Fu Hoa

This week Theresa kicks it off with the first Black samurai, Yasuke, in feudal Japan. This story has it all. It features Oda Nobunaga, the warlord who unified the country, Jesuit priests, and an African who becomes a samurai. Angie covers Henry VIII's thorn in his side, Mother Shipton. She is a soothsayer and prophetess. And at every turn, she's annoying the king. What a pairing... This episode pairs well with: Miyamoto Musashi Lady Mary Howard