Unhinged History

Edit: In this episode, Theresa uses a term for indigenous Australians that is both outdated and harmful. At the time, she was unaware of this. Since this episode went live, we've been made aware of this. Moving forward, we will not be using that language and have donated to SharingStoriesFoundations.org. This group works with First Nations communities to keep the languages alive. 

Life is weird and seemingly anachronistic from time to time, and so are the stories that make up our history.

Theresa starts with one such story, sharing the story of John Batman, the founding father of Melbourne, Australia. She relishes getting to expose the dirt on this man, his syphilis, the fact that he originally named Melbourne “Batmania,” and was carried around in a wicker batmobile. Just know if she ever tells a story about a founding father, it will always go like this.

Meanwhile, Angie tells a wildly different tale, and she shares the 1950s heist of the Stone of Destiny, or that time a group of Scottish college students broke into Westminster Abby and stole the rock upon which all Scottish kings were crowned since 1249.
 
This story pairs well with:

Ona Judge
Irish Crown Jewel Heist

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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

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Email us: Unhinged.HistoryPod@gmail.com

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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

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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.