History Fix

Spooktober continues with a strange and mysterious tale this week. But how strange and mysterious is it really? I’m talking, of course, about the infamous Bermuda Triangle, a loosely defined area off the southeastern coast of the United States where countless ships and even airplanes have experienced strange anomalies, many even vanishing without a trace. In this episode, I’ll seek to answer the q...

Last week's episode on the zombies of Haitian Vodou naturally led me to New Orleans. This week I'll fill you in on the gruesome acts of infamous female enslaver Delphine LaLaurie, who notoriously tortured and abused the people she enslaved at her French Quarter mansion in the 1830s. But this story has been quite twisted and sensationalized through the years as New Orleans tour guides scr...

It’s finally Spooktober! All October long I’ll be telling spooky, mysterious true stories from history, starting with zombies. Zombies are a big deal. They are all over pop culture in movies and TV shows, even video games. People love a good zombie apocalypse story. But the pop culture zombies of today are quite different than how zombies started out. They’re almost a different beast entirely. So...

Despite the results of my recent poll, I'm making the executive decision to cover Francisco Pizarro and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532. But, trust me, you won't be disappointed. This story is insane. We have rags to riches characters, we have mighty kings, we have brothers fighting amongst themselves, partners backstabbing each other. We have lies and deceit and secret a...

Of course we’re going to El Dorado! Or, at least, we’re going to meet him? Because, when you take a look at the primary sources, where this myth of El Dorado, the city of gold, really came from, it becomes immediately apparent that El Dorado was never a city at all… he was a person. El Dorado, the gilded one, was first described as a wealthy leader who covered his body in gold dust and then washed...

I have wanted to talk about Sir Walter Raleigh for so very long. He had a lot of power and influence during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and impacted the world we know today more than people realize. He's even the one who came up with the name Virginia! And yet, most don't know the first thing about Raleigh. Who was he really? And how did he go from the queen’s favorite golden boy to b...

So many important lessons to be learned from the late and great Dolly Parton! I'm back with a bang this week Fixies to uncover the unexpected legacy left by super famous, super loved, greatly missed Dolly Parton. How does a girl from a poverty stricken tobacco farm in the mountains of Tennessee, one of twelve children, with an illiterate father, come to be one of the most famous performers, b...

Join the Patreon for more exclusive content like this! I'm back with my second ever episode of History Fix News and this time I'm sharing it with the masses! This news story comes out of Burgundy, France and deals with the recent theft of an ancient Celtic necklace known as the Vix Torque. We'll discuss serious flaws in French museum security following both the October 2025 jewel he...

Subscribe to the Patreon here! You'll have access to 37 mini fix episodes, 3 History Fix Trivia episodes, plus a fun new segment I have up my sleeve! Otherwise, I'll catch you all in September!  Shoot me a message! Support the show

Listen to this full mini fix episode on Patreon!  Benedict Arnold is remembered as a notorious turncoat, a traitor who secretly switched sides during the Revolutionary War. His legacy is one of betrayal, selfishness, and greed. But how did it happen? How did a man who once exclaimed “Good God, are the Americans all asleep and tamely giving up their glorious liberties?” upon hearing news of the Bos...

Everyone knows about General George Washington and the British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. But, very few people know the circumstances surrounding that surrender. Very few people know about the involvement of an enslaved Black man named James who worked as a double agent during the war, secretly passing information to the Americans while feeding the British false leads. Few people kno...

I've decided to release this mini fix episodes to the masses and I hope my Patreon subscribers won't mind sharing. This story has gone almost completely untold for far too long and the lessons it teaches are too important to ignore any longer. If you enjoy listening this week, I hope you'll consider subscribing to the Patreon where you'll find tons of other exclusive mini fix e...

Tea has a long and rich history dating back to ancient China. But, when you think about where in the world they drink the most tea now, one country in particular probably comes to mind. It does for me anyway: England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, whatever you want to call it. Those guys. They really do love a cuppa tea. Tea is notably absent, for the most part, however, in the United States...

Listen to this full mini fix episode on Patreon!  In this whirlwind mini we’re going to talk about 7 historical figures who were at least probably gay. A few of these were definitely gay or at least bisexual. For some we’ll never know for sure, we can only speculate. But, you know, why does it matter? Some might be wondering. Why does the sexual orientation of long dead people even matter? Because...

Since 2021 Juneteenth National Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States. But what exactly is the significance of that date, June 19th? Is that when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, freeing enslaved people in Confederate States? Is it when the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery in all of the states? Nope. Let's get to the bottom of what happened on...

Listen to this full mini fix episode on Patreon!  After researching the Galloway Hoard last week, which was discovered by a metal detectorist in 2014, I found myself wondering what other treasures have been found this way. So this week I present to you 6 priceless historical treasures that were unearthed by amateur metal detector enthusiasts almost exclusively in the UK. We'll also discuss wh...

Come explore the Galloway Hoard with me, a Viking era treasure hoard found buried beneath a field in Galloway, Scotland back in 2014. Silver Viking arm bands, a rock crystal jar dating back to ancient Rome, a silver vessel from 4,000 miles away in present day Iran - these treasures hidden around the year 900 are incredible. But, upon closer inspection, they raise more questions than answers. Is th...

Listen to this full mini fix episode on Patreon!  In the early morning hours of January 30, 1889 Crown Prince Rudolf, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, murdered his 17 year old mistress and then took his own life at his hunting lodge in Mayerling, Austria. The details of this apparent murder suicide were pretty straightforward. But, in the confusion that followed, much was done to cover up...

This week we're delving into the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, on June 28, 1914. This death was especially significant because it's often cited as the catalyst that started World War I. But that's never really made sense to me. Why would the death of this one man compel over 100 countries to involve themselves in the most horrifi...

Listen to this full mini fix episode on Patreon!  I have to talk about sweating sickness. For some reason it has always completely fascinated me. What was this mysterious and highly deadly illness that plagued mostly just the upper class in England during the Tudor dynasty? Why such a specific and unlikely target victim? Why did it go away just as suddenly as it appeared? Join me to examine the ev...

Absinthe, a pale green drink consisting of mostly alcohol and small amounts of wormwood oil, has only recently been legalized in much of the western world after a nearly century long ban. Everyone knows the myths about absinthe - that it causes hallucinations, that it'll make you go crazy. They banned it for a reason after all right? It's powerful, dangerous stuff which, in many ways, ma...

For this mini fix, I asked you guys on Instagram to choose between 3 Queen Elizabeth I related topics and the majority of you picked the mysterious death of Amy Dudley! The results were: What the heck was sweating sickness - 24% The mysterious death of Amy Dudley - 44% The execution of Sir Walter Raleigh 32% Make sure you follow me on Instagram ( @historyfixpodcast ) to cast your vote next time I...

This week is all about a lady I've danced around for far too long: Queen Elizabeth I. Born an utter disappointment to literally everyone and declared illegitimate after her mother’s execution, disinherited as a toddler, the future throne snatched out from under her, Elizabeth would go on to shatter all possible expectations and would end her 44 year reign as one of the most beloved and succes...

In my off week, I'm popping into the Patreon feed to talk about the 1986 Challenger disaster, when the Challenger space shuttle burst into flames and blew apart, killing all 7 passengers onboard, while millions of people, including many children, watched live. What actually happened that cold January morning 40 years ago? And more importantly... why were the rocket engineer's dire warnin...

Join me this week as I delve into the history of reincarnation, the idea that, when you die, you can be reborn into the body of another. Where did the idea come from? Who believes in it today? And what evidence is there to support it? Let’s fix that.  Support the show!  Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast) Buy some merch Buy Me a Coffee Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine Sources:  Medium "Re...