Dirt Nap City - History's Most Interesting Dead People

In the early 20th century, Italian food in the USA was unusual and considered exotic. But when Ettore Boiardi came to the USA and opened his first restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, everything changed! Ettore Boiardi became known as Chef Boyardee and changed the way that Americans cooked meals forever! He catered the wedding of an American president and supported the US troops during World War 2. Chef...

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the longest-serving First Lady throughout her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office (1933-1945). She was an American politician, diplomat, and activist who later served as a United Nations spokeswoman. But she was not without her detractors. After a traumatic childhood, she married her 5th cousin and ended up changing the job of First Lady in a w...

The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were English settlers who came to North America on the Mayflower and established the Plymouth Colony in what is today Plymouth, Massachusetts. They were part of a religious congregations of Brownists, or Separatist Puritans, who had fled religious persecution in England. But did you know that these people were not actually called "Pilgrims&quot...

Fred Rogers (AKA Mister Rogers) was a staple of American children's television for many decades. But he was also a musician, minister and mentor. In this episode of Dirt Nap City we take a look at the life and accomplishments of Mr. Rogers from the perspective of two people who watched and loved him as children. We explore whether he was really the kind man we all saw or if there was somethin...

Robert Craig " Evel " Knievel was a legend who attempted more than 75 ramp to ramp motorcycle jumps over the course of his career as a stunt man and entertainer. But who was Evel Knievel really? If you grew up in the 1970's, 1980's or even 1990's he was probably someone you saw on television or heard about from friends. But even if you are younger, you most likely have hea...

Harry Houdini was a man that many said was ahead of his time. In addition to being the most famous magician of his time, he was also an entrepreneur, and actor, and one of the world's first private pilots. In this episode of Dirt Nap City, Kelly and Alex explore who Harry Houdini was, where he came from, how he died, and the ways that he changed the face of entertainment forever. If you like...

Colonel Sanders is an American icon. He was the "chicken man" way before Gus Fring brought us Pollos Hermanos. But there is so much about Colonel Sanders that we don't know. For example, did you know that he was not actually a real colonel? Or did you know that he was involved in a dual that resulted in an innocent man's death? And did you know that he often spoke candidly abou...

Andre the Giant was one of the most famous and accomplished professional wrestlers in the WWF  / WWE. He was also a beloved character in the movie "The Princess Bride" and appeared in many television shows during the 1980s. At 7 feet and 4 inches and 520 pounds, he was truly a giant man. But there is more to the story than just his size or fame.  In this episode of Dirt Nap City, we dicu...