Fantastic History

There’s a 200-square mile area of eastern Massachusetts that boasts more bizarre history, paranormal activity, and cryptid sightings than anywhere else in the United States - and possibly the world. In this second part, Sarah explores the mysterious and frightening Hockomock Swamp and Bigfoot! Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with qu...

There’s a 200-square mile area of eastern Massachusetts that boasts more bizarre history, paranormal activity, and cryptid sightings than anywhere else in the United States - and possibly the world. In the first episode of a two-part series, Sarah tells Clay about King Phillip’s War, history’s first recorded UFO sighting, and more strange occurrences of the Bridgewater Triangle! Follow us on Insta...

Hitler planned to sabotage American industry utilizing highly trained spies. But it failed almost immediately. Let me tell you why. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers available Here ! Please subscribe and leave a review! Sources Francis MacDonnell, 1...

As a wise man once said, "Whoever controls the media, controls the mind." There's no better example of that than a little piece of war-time propaganda that has stood the test of time for nearly a century; one that you probably believe yourself! Check out this week's episode to learn how the German Luftwaffe was brought to its knees with a single misinformation campaign. Follow us on Inst...

In 1988, Mehran Nasseri entered Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and he would not leave for 18 years. During his long residency outside of Terminal One, he would become a fixture and a minor celebrity. But he would also take on a new identity as living nearly two decades on a bench slowly altered his mind and reality. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @Fa...

In 1940, with war raging in Europe, America was in need of a hero - and publisher Martin Goodman was in need of a cash cow. There was only one superhero for the job: not a perfect soldier, but a good man. This week, Sarah covers the rise and fall of the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/su...

The incredible story of brothers reunited and an investigative journalist uncovering a monstrous study. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers available Here ! Please subscribe and leave a review! Source: “Three Identical Strangers” by Tim Wardle; 2018 C...

This week we’re celebrating our fiftieth episode with a double-header! Sarah kicks things off with the bizarre and ultimately tragic history of the Noid, Domino’s forgotten mascot. Clay wraps up with the amazing legend of the 17th Century bisexual dueling opera singer: Julie d’Aubigny. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/...

Join as Clay shares the history of lost media, from silent movies to modern entertainment, and why important parts of our history go missing. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers available Here ! Please subscribe and leave a review! Sources https://www...

You’ve probably never heard his name, but no one person has affected the day-to-day lives of society more than Ziryab. This pre-Renaissance renaissance man has so many credits on his resume that you won’t believe your ears. If you’ve ever shaved, had bangs, played chess, or eaten dessert, you have him to thank. Check out this week’s episode for the incredible, incomparable life story of the most i...

The election of the first US President was not as simple as it is often portrayed. Today we look into the complicated election process and the political scheming that took place during the Election of 1789. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers availabl...

Author, grad student, bog docent, bird enthusiast, and expert on the Germanic Iron Age, KRISTYN J. MILLER joins us this week to discuss the Hollywood history of Catalina Island. This episode really has it all: Jaws, Marilyn Monroe, and a famous unsolved murder. Is it any surprise she and Sarah are friends? Check out Kristyn's debut novel SEVEN RULES FOR BREAKING HEARTS, a fun and funny romp on Cat...

This week, Sarah brings us a Dickensian tale with a feminist twist: the story of Sarah Chapman and the Matchgirls Strike of 1888, when the very first all-female strike in England’s history changed the course of British politics forever Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantas...

The Mona Lisa is the most recognized piece of art in the world. Millions visit the Louvre and wait in an hours long line just to see it. But why is it so popular? It all goes back to what was called at the time the "Art Heist of the Century". Let me tell you all about! Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at Fa...

This episode has it all: violence, revolution, rivalries, burlesque dancers, and (what else) more Hamilton references! This week, Sarah takes Clay on the journey that led Victor Noir from unknown journalist to posthumous god of sex. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic...

In 1859, a strong geomagnetic storm struck Earth causing bright auroras to appear as far as south as Mexico and damage to the world's early telegraph lines. It was not well understood at the time, but marveled as a beautiful display of nature. But if this happened today, it could be apocalyptic. Tune in to learn why. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @Fantas...

Seven years after the start of the American Revolutionary War, a young soldier from Plympton, Massachusetts named Robert Shurtleff emerged from indentured servitude and picked up a gun to fight for his fledgling country. But there was more to this enlisted man than met the eye - much, much more. Join us this week for the story of the baddest badass who ever battled for America's freedom from Briti...

When the Tour de France began in 1903, it was a major success. But the following year, the tour organizers declared the race was finished. What happened during the 1904 race that almost ended it forever? Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers available H...

If you’ve ever wondered where some of the most popular English-language idioms come from, this is the episode for you! Sarah covers everything from ancient religious practices to the early days of aviation to eighteenth century theater rivalries. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail...

Kate Warne became America's first female detective, working with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, just before the country fell into civil war. Shortly after, she would be part of the one of the agency's most important assignments: protecting president-elect Lincoln from an assassination plot while en route to his inauguration. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and upda...

This week, Sarah brings a story about a Mediterranean queen who defeated Greece, captured several islands in the Adriatic sea, and stood unafraid before the might of Ancient Rome - not with her impressive navy, but with her pirates. Not much is known about Teuta of Ardiaei, but what we do know is unbelievable. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod...

Clay has another double-header episode! This time, I share two stories of people who found themselves in extreme environments, unprepared, and lived to tell their tale. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers available Here ! Please subscribe and leave a...

Sarah returns from her visit to Massachusetts with a fresh take on the infamous story of Lizzie Borden. This true crime tale is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach; you might just lose your head Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History Stickers availa...

It’s the 1923 and Chicago is shocked by the brutal murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks. The culprits ended up being 18-year olds Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who thought they had committed the perfect crime. Join Clay as he shares the crime of the century. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHis...

Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood icon, timeless sex symbol, and…film producer responsible for upending the entire movie industry? Yep, you read that right. Spend Valentine’s Day with us as Sarah explains how Marilyn Monroe changed Hollywood forever. Follow us on Instagram & Twitter for extra content and updates! We’re @FantasticHPod Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com...