Gems of History

During tough times, people will sometimes turn to unreasonable means for survival. And in the midst of American Prohibition and the subsequent Great Depression, a new roster of outlaws reared its head. Among that roster was John Dillinger, who lived a short and fast life, robbing banks and running from J. Edgar Hoover and the recently formed FBI. Despite only living for three decades, his legacy h...

Hollywood is just another neighborhood in America, or at least it was when it began. It started as a small agricultural community, and in just over 100 years, sat as one of the most influential cultural landmarks in the world. Today, it dominates all forms of media, with thousands moving there each year to figure out if their star is on the rise or destined to burn out. Today on the Gems of Histor...

Among the world’s many mysteries, there are few that have captivated scholars more than that of the Voynich Manuscript. It’s a text that has been studied for centuries, and we know a good amount about it, but at the same time we really know nothing about it. The book itself is full of strange art, familiar looking charts, and indecipherable writing. But in the larger picture, how and why did coded...

As the second half of the 20th century got underway, Iran found itself at a crossroads. Societal and political changes heightened tensions in the country, leading to discontent and turmoil amongst the people of Iran. By the end of the 1970s, the stage was set for a revolution, one that would reshape Iran’s, and the world's, history. On this episode, we unravel the story of that historic shift...

The middle ages had no lack of colorful characters to focus on, but what about the Renaissance? The world had an overhaul of arts and science, giving rise to some of the biggest names in all of history like Leonardo Da Vinci and William Shakespeare. But behind those names lie some of the most controversial ones as well, like the Borgia family - who for generations scandalized southern Europe and t...

This week is another relaxed episode since Evan is out of town, but we found some fun news stories to talk about from the past couple weeks! There's some updates on the war in Ukraine, a naked landlord, and an intruder on the White House lawn - what a wild time. If you'd like to support us, you can by signing up at Patreon.com/GemsofHistoryPodcast!

Heading back into the world of the paranormal this week, we examine the case of the Amityville Horror - debatably the most famous haunting case in the United States. But as it goes with any famous paranormal case, the story is hotly debated. People on both sides have come out in support or condemnation of the main character, George Lutz and his family. It has spawned movies and books, bringing in...

This week, we delve into the history of one of the most popular pets in the world - cats! From ancient Egypt to the modern day, cats have had an interesting run. They went from top of the ladder to bottom of the heap and back again, being blamed for everything from the Black Death to witchcraft outbreaks. But once that stigma subsided, they found their way back into the homes of loving families, w...

This week is an Irish story in Australia - the rescue of six Irish prisoners from a British prison in Australia! It is one of the most sensational prison breaks in the history of Australia, including fake aristocrats, American whaling captains, and...potential invasions of Canada? This story has it all, including a happy ending! If you would like to support the show, you can by going to Patreon.co...

We are jumping back into the world of true crime this week as we explore one of the most well known unsolved cases in history, the Zodiac Killer. There are so many different suspects that people have championed over the years, but none of them really stand out too much over the others. It's an infuriating case, but one that nobody can stop talking about. Let us know what you think! If you want...

We are going back to antiquity once again, this time focusing on one of the biggest names to come from the time period: Alexander the Great. However, instead of focusing directly on Alexander himself, we decided to take a look at those around him as well and truly figure out how he was able to create what would come to be the biggest empire in the world. His mother Olympias and his father Philip I...

This week, Jacob is joined by former co-host Mark Steinbrenner for a more relaxed episode (after the horrors of Unit 731). Jacob reads three different tales from the frontier, two folklore stories and the life a man who really embodied that wild west spirit! To support the show, go to Patreon.com/GemsofHistoryPodcast to sign up! You'll get ad-free episodes, early access to shows, and the abili...

This week we have our first Patreon chosen topic: Unit 731. In the lead up to the official outbreak of World War II, Japan was already hard at work creating biological and chemical weaponry using human test subjects as their medium. It was one of the most brutal campaigns of scientific study in human history, said to be worse than that of the Nazi concentration camps. And one of the worst parts? N...

We are jumping back to the BC world (before crunchwraps) to talk about the life of one of the greatest generals in human history - Hannibal! We discuss the founding of Carthage, Hannibal's rise to power and his exploits in Rome, where he does a lot of insane things and completely destroys the Romans in almost every battle. Support us on Patreon! Go to Patreon.com/GemsofHistoryPodcast to sign u...

This week we have an explosive episode for you, in which we discuss the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. From his beginnings as a genius young boy to his eventual life as a reclusive hermit in the woods who mails packages to random universities and airlines, Ted was a socially awkward kid who never grew up and decided to use his brains for bad. Subscribe to our Patreon for ad-free episodes and early acces...

Welcome back for our annual review of the year that has passed! 2022 had a lot of big things occur worldwide, from war in Ukraine to heads of state being assassinated and a lot in between. I think everyone could just use a nice relaxing year for once if I do say so myself. Help support the show by becoming a Patron! Subscribe at Patreon.com/GemsofHistoryPodcast! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Ti...

In our conclusion to our coverage of Waco and the Branch Davidians, we discuss the various negotiations of the 51 day siege at Mound Carmel as well as the tragic fire that ended up taking the lives of 76 men, women, and children within the building. We also discuss the characterization of the Branch Davidians and our opinions on whether they were a cult or not, in addition to the aftermath of what...

This week we continue our coverage of the Branch Davidians by discussing life at Mount Carmel under the leadership of Vernon Howell, now David Koresh. The big changes include his name, a new building, oh and like 15 women that he "marries", too many of which are underage (the correct number of underage wives is zero if anyone is confused). The ATF also gets involved, really needing some bad press...

It's finally here! To celebrate our centennial episode, we decided to cover a topic that has been discussed behind the scenes for a while - the Waco Siege of 1993! In this first part, we discuss the history of the Branch Davidians and the upbringing of their eventual leader, David Koresh as well as the wild trial that gives him control of the Mount Carmel property. We also launched a Patreon! If y...

This week we try our hands at being news anchors and bring you some of the wildest and wackiest stories we could find! Ancient condoms, face eating golfers, and 29 year old high school students...what a wild world we live in. 

This week's episode focuses on a truly badass chick. Khutulun was a distant relative of Genghis Khan and was a very fierce warrior in her own right. She was also an undefeated wrestler, amassing huge wealth for her family by defeating a bunch of potential suitors in matches. I know I wouldn't want to go up against her. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok by searching Gems of Histo...

Imagine being married at the age of 7 to a kid you don't know and then trying to rule a kingdom as a teenager. Then your husband gets assassinated and you are the prime suspect. But to make matters worse, you get kicked out of your kingdom and have to petition the pope for your life in a different country while your cousins are allying with your enemy. AND while all of this is going on, the Black...

We continue our month of historic female figures by focusing on Maya Angelou and Toshiko Akiyoshi. Maya Angelou is a well respected artist and activist who worked alongside some of the biggest names in the Civil Rights Movement and courageously wrote about her tumultuous upbringing in multiple autobiographies. Toshiko Akiyoshi moved from Japan to America in the 50s to pursue a career as a jazz mus...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the wife of not one, but two kings? Maybe go on a crusade? Defend your land from your grandson at the age of 80? Well wonder no more because Eleanor of Aquitaine did it all for you so you can live vicariously through her! Eleanor was an amazing woman of the middle ages and left a huge mark on the world around her through the way she carried hersel...

It's Christmastime! Happy holidays to everyone out there! This week we bring you back to the origins of some of the pagan precursors to Christmas, such as Saturnalia and Yule. The traditions from these festivals can still be seen in modern day Christmas, along with the iconography of Saint Nicholas - the man who eventually became Santa Claus. But with the good usually comes the bad, and in this ca...