History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human...
CLASSIC: The Story of Max, South Africa's Famous, Crime-fighting Gorilla
When confronted with a home invasion, Max the gorilla brought international fame to the Johannesburg Zoo and briefly became the city's most famous crime fighter. He received numerous endorsements, and a statue was erected in his honor. But what brought Max to this level of celebrity? In this week's Classic episode, Ben and Super Producer Max -- not the ape -- explore the story of a crime-fighting gorilla that became a symbol of justice in an intensely troubled South Africa.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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52:15
History's Famous Mistranslations, Part Two: Life on Mars, the Cold War, and FARTFULL
Did a mistranslation lead to theories of life on Mars? What exactly was Khrsuschev trying to say at that big U.N. meeting? Language is amazing -- and it's also pretty complicated. As a result, translation is often more an art than an exact science, and over the course of human history mistranslations have led to some astonishing, at-times dangerous, and often ridiculous results. In the second episode of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into more bizarre historical mistranslations, from unfortunate car names to that time IKEA accused children of constantly farting, and so much more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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36:27
Neckties are Utterly Ridiculous
It's easy to look at history and think one idea or another is ridiculous -- but we also have to remember modern civilization has its own vast collection of cartoonish concepts. You know, the sort of stuff we all agreed was "normal" until we really started to think about it. In today's episode, the guys explore a fashion staple that's baffled Ben for more than a decade: Why on Earth do we have neckties? Where did they come from, and why are they considered a stamp of professionalism in the modern day? Tune in to learn more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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41:21
CLASSIC: How Santa Anna Lost His Leg Twice, and Held a Funeral for It
Often called "The Napoleon of the West", mainly by himself, Santa Anna was a legendary, larger-than-life politician, general and exile. While hundreds of stories have been told about this man, one in particular stood out to Ben and Noel: Santa Anna lost his leg not once, but twice to enemy forces. And, once upon a time, he held an elaborate funeral for his fallen leg. Learn more about this bizarre, true story in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The History of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Part Two: A World-Class Show
What began with marching bands all those decades ago has evolved past all expectations - and even if you don't particularly follow football, you'll probably tune in for the Super Bowl Halftime show. In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max explore some of the most iconic -- and controversial -- halftime performances in the history of football.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
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