Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History

Send us Fan Mail Caroline Kennedy is the last surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Often described as the most famous woman you know the least about, Caroline's life is a story of resilience, diplomacy, and the weight of a monumental heritage. ​Follow her journey from being the celebrated "First Child" of the White House to her career as the U...

Send us Fan Mail Henrietta Lacks was a young mother whose premature death by cancer changed the world forever. We explore the complex legacy of the woman who left behind immortal cells that fueled decades of scientific breakthroughs. ​From the development of the polio vaccine to gene mapping, Henrietta’s cells have saved millions of lives—yet her story is also one of deep racial injustice in 1951...

Send us Fan Mail What would you do if the bridge beneath your wheels suddenly started opening? ​In December 1952, London bus driver Albert Gunter faced that exact nightmare. Driving the iconic Number 78 double-decker across Tower Bridge, a watchman's error caused the bridge to split open. With seconds to decide between a fatal plunge or hitting the gas, Gunter made a legendary choice. ​In thi...

Send us Fan Mail Merry Christmas and welcome to a special episode of Honourable Mentions where, to celebrate the season, we are looking into the lives of Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr, whose 1818 collaboration in the parish church of Oberndorf, Austria, gave the us the world's favourite Christmas Carol - Silent Night or Stille Nacht if you want to show off.  But we're not stopping there -...

Send us Fan Mail Discover the incredible true story of Fred Kroll , the visionary behind some of the most iconic board games in history. In this episode of Honourable Mentions , we dive deep into the 1970s toy market to explore how Kroll and the Pressman Toy Corporation revolutionised the way we play. ​From the chaotic clicking of Hungry Hungry Hippos to the rhythmic popping of the Trouble game (a...

Send us Fan Mail As codename Ivan, Duško Popov was the top spy for the German Military Intelligence (Abwehr) in the Second World War, but, under the codename Tricycle, he was also leading dangerous espionage missions for MI6 and the British.  He played a key role in D-Day. Warned the USA about Pearl Harbor, and crossed paths with J. Edgar Hoover, a glamorous film star, and a future novelist. Join...

Send us Fan Mail What would you do if you had seconds to save 5,000 lives? This is the jaw-dropping history of Jesús García, "El Héroe de Nacozari," and the day a train loaded with mining explosives caught fire in the heart of a bustling Sonoran copper mining town.  Instead of running, 25-year-old engineer Jesús García Corona put Locomotive 501 into full-steam reverse, driving the tickin...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we dive into the wild, witty, and wonderfully bizarre world of Jack Karlson, the man behind the greatest viral video in internet history. But what is the true story behind the "Succulent Chinese Meal" guy? From the steps of a Brisbane Chinese restaurant to the global stage of meme royalty, Karlson’s life was far more than just a 1991 arrest video.  Was he a da...

Send us Fan Mail 1872. New York: A handsome, young Master Mariner named Benjamin Briggs, his wife Sarah, and small daughter Sophia Briggs are about to set sail to Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of alcohol. What could possibly go wrong? Join us and learn about the cursed background of the Briggs family, the tragic history of their ship, and how Benjamin and his crew sailed into legend and infamy aboard...

Send us Fan Mail Before there was Sherlock Holmes, there was Kate Warne. In 1856, a 23-year-old widow walked into the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and demanded a job—becoming America’s first female private detective. ​In this episode of Honourabl Mentions: Hilarious History, we dive into the incredible true story and hidden history of the woman who broke up the mid-19th-century boys' c...

Send us Fan Mail In 1591, an illiterate puritan named William Hacket convinced a following that he was the literal Messiah, sent by God to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. It did not go well. ​In this episode, we dive into the wild, blasphemous, and deeply strange story of the Hacket Conspiracy. How did a man known for brawling and swallowing a rival's nose, end up declaring himself King of Europ...

Send us Fan Mail Step into the shadows of Elizabethan England and meet Gamaliel Ratsey, the original gentleman highwayman who terrorized the roads with a hideously deformed mask, a sharp wit, and a flair for the theatrical. Long before Dick Turpin captured the public imagination, "Gamaliel Hobgoblin" was kick-starting the world's very first true crime phenomenon. Following his retur...