Fantastic History

The story of Timothy Dexter shows that one does not have to be intelligent to become successful. Sometimes, a fool and his money are not soon parted. Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Timothy-Dexter https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/05/timothy-dexters-curious-business.html https://historycollection.com/how-timothy-dexter-turned-ridiculous-ventures-into-riches https://newenglandhistori...

How did a bandit get shot dead in 1911 and then show up in an amusement park funhouse 60 years later? Sources: https://www.npr.org/2015/01/09/376097471/the-long-strange-60-year-trip-of-elmer-mccurdy https://www.history.com/articles/elmer-mccurdy-mummy-dead-outlaw Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/ ) , TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast ) and You...

Deception was super important in World War 2, so many tactics were employed to keep the Axis powers confused. Enter the Ghost Army, the first tactical deception unit in US history. Sources: https://ghostarmy.org/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-ghost-army-of-wwii-used-art-to-deceive-the-nazis-180980336/?utm https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/exhibits/traveling-exhibits/ghost-ar...

This week, Sarah covers some of her favorite faces and places in New Orleans - and, yeah, there are a lot of ghosts involved. https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-orleans-louisiana/history https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/four-real-new-orleans-legends-put-ghost-stories-shame https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/s/7lecGcbKJi https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/invention-won-wor...

An epic adventure turns into a fight for survival in the most deadly place on Earth. Sources: https://www.history.com/articles/shackleton-endurance-survival https://fmht.co.uk/education/history-of-shackletons-endurance https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/picturelibrary/catalogue/itae1914-16/ “Endurance; an epic of polar adventure” By Worsley, Frank Arthur, 1872 Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagra...

Sarah returns with another trial of the century! Sources: https://case.edu/ech/articles/s/sheppard-murder-case https://famous-trials.com/sam-sheppard Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/ ) , TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast ) and YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw ) for extra content and updates! Email us with que...

Today I'm sharing two mysteries with few clues but lots of theories. Sources: http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1966-august-17-lead-masks https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/08/curious-case-lead-mask-deaths/ https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4398 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-somerton-man-one-of-australias-most-puzzling-cold-cases-50795611/ Follow us on Instagram (...

It's our 100th episode! We celebrate by sharing seven of our favorite shorter tales from history. From 1750 BCE to the 20th century... this episode has everything you could ask for. Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20190903042810/http://www.thefortweekly.com/issues/issue-1/curio-1-the-erfurter-latrinensturz/ https://therake.com/stories/party-animals-the-rothschild-surrealist-ball https://allth...

When George Washington died in December 1799, the nation mourned - but one man had a different idea. William Thornton, a Quaker doctor-turned-architect who designed the U.S. Capitol Building, arrived at Mount Vernon with a shocking proposal: to resurrect the first president using a combination of warmth, lamb's blood, and bellows. Join us as we explore the fascinating life of Thornton and his biza...

The mutiny on the HSM Bounty is the most famous mutiny in history. We're talking about it! Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/ ) , TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast ) and YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw ) for extra content and updates! Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com ( mailt...

Since the dawn of time, humans have dreamed of flight. This feat was finally achieved in France in 1783 by Jean-François de Rozier when he piloted the first untethered hot air balloon flight. The first woman pilot, Sophie Blanchard, began her solo flights in 1805. What else do these two intrepid explorers have in common? Tune in this week to find out! Sources: https://www.amusingplanet.com/2021/05...

In 1995, a doomsday cult carried out a deadly biological weapons attack during rush hour in Tokyo. Their leader was convinced the apocalypse was coming and this attack would help bring about the end of the world. Sources: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-27-mn-47649-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/26/world/guru-s-journey-special-report-seer-among-blind-japanese-sect-leade...

The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of the most popular unsolved mysteries in American culture - but is it really unsolved? This week, Sarah discusses the litany of mishaps that befell England's first attempt to set up a permanent settlement in North America, and lays out the two most probable reasons why every single British colonizer to lay claim to Roanoke Island disappeared without a trace. Sour...

Let's go back to simpler times. When nations went to war over lobsters and waged war on flightless birds. Sources: https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/the-lobster-war/ https://tokdehistoria.com.br/2021/08/31/a-guerra-da-lagosta-o-que-foi-como-aconteceu-a-atuacao-e-os-problemas-da-marinha-do-brasil/ https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/student-research-portal/learning-resource-themes/war/w...

Matilda Joslyn Gage was the single most important and influential champion of women’s rights and the Suffragette Movement, so why have you never heard of her? Well, if you’ve ever seen Wicked or The Wizard of Oz, it turns out you have! Join us this week as Sarah shares the incredible life story of L. Frank Baum’s mother-in-law. Sources: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-feminist-inspired-...

The US has a lot of weird places. Let's talk about some of them! Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/ ) , TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast ) and YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw ) for extra content and updates! Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com ( mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmai...

In PART TWO of the State of California versus Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in the death of Virginia Rappe, Sarah goes over the stories presented by the defense and the prosecution, the literally incredible testimony of Maude Delmonte, and the lasting effects of the first celebrity scandal. TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of violent sexual assault. Sources: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/tri...

Sarah continues her mini-series on the Trials of the Twentieth Century this week with PART ONE of the State of California versus Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, accused of the rape and murder of actress Virginia Rappe. In this episode, we discuss the life and careers of Roscoe and Virginia, and the fateful Labor Day party that changed Hollywood forever. Sources: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2...

In 1770, a Hungarian inventor revealed a chess playing automaton that puzzled the world. No one could figure out how it worked as it toured the world and defeated numerous historical figures and chess masters. It's secrets were almost lost to history, but thankfully we know how it worked. Let me share this incredible story with you! Follow us on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/...

Death threats against babies, serial killer queens, Viking raids, and taxation without intoxication - this week, Sarah talks about the often-gruesome true stories behind some of the most popular nursery rhymes. Sources: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55035/dark-origins-11-classic-nursery-rhymes https://bookriot.com/nursery-rhyme-origin-stories/ https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02...

Let's explore the bizarre CIA project that tried to confirm and weaponize psychic phenomena. Sources: https://irp.fas.org/program/collect/stargate.htm https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R002100180002-8.pdf https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00788R001500020010-4.pdf https://slate.com/technology/2017/03/did-the-cia-really-astrally-project-to-mars-in-1984.html https://www...

They're baaaaaack! In the kickoff to season two, Sarah presents the not-quite-love story of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, with a particular focus on their time in Asheville, North Carolina. This warm and fuzzy, feel-good story discusses substance abuse, abandonment, neglect, mental health struggles, and suicidal ideation, so listen with caution. Sources: https://www.npr.org/2013/09/03/216164420/f...

Today we're talking about the Seven Wonders! Why there were built, why all but one do not exist anymore, and why it's so Greek. Follow us on Instagram , TikTok and YouTube for extra content and updates! Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Fantastic History merch is available Here ! Please subscribe and leave a review! Music: Order by ComaStudio (royalty free) This...

We've got a story we know you haven't heard; it's not even on Wikipedia! This week, Sarah shares the tragic story of the only accused witch to ever be burned to death in the United States. Follow us on Instagram , TikTok and YouTube for extra content and updates! Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com Please subscribe and leave a review! Sources: https://battletownwit...

Ignaz Semmelweis is remembered by history as a pioneer of prophylaxis, a champion of sanitation and a David standing against the Goliath of antiquated and incorrect theories on how disease formed and spread. But in his time, he was simply a doctor who wanted to save mothers' lives who were dying in his maternity clinic. Through his hard work and the adoption of his techniques, he saved millions of...