Gems of History

We are back and talking about witches once again! (Not entirely about the Hex Girls). But this time we are focusing on one specific event, the Salem witch trials. This event has becoming synonymous with hysteria and misplaced justice, but why? The boys focus on taking apart the lead up and the follow up to the events to try and understand how the events came to be and what lasting impact they have...

It's the dynamic duo, Evan and Jacob, this week! They cover Canadian War Hero Léo Major and his extraordinary accomplishments in World War II as well as the Korean War. Taking squadrons of Germans hostage on his own and disregarding orders all along the way, he is truly one of the unsung heroes of his time.  Follow us on TikTok (@gemsofhistorypod), Instagram (@gems_of_history_podcast), and Tw...

Get those tinfoil hats out, folks! Because we are back with another conspiracy episode. This week, Marshall and Alex Matthies join Evan and Jacob to talk about a theory that has been popping up more and more in popular media lately: the hollow earth. From ancient civilizations to modern day, this idea has been around for a long time and has evolved as it went. Where did it begin and where is it no...

We changed up the format, so this week the guys all researched the mysterious characters that historians refer to as "The Sea Peoples"! Responsible in one way or another for the collapse of the Bronze Age and plunging the world into a Dark Age, the Sea People came in swiftly and left just as fast. But who were they? That's what we aim to shed light on this week. So grab your sailing gear and get y...

We know about the big names of the early 20th century, such as Carnegie and Rockefeller, who helped shape industry in America to what it is today. But while they were making it big, another young man named Howard Hughes was making his name in multiple different industries as well. At one point making himself the richest man in the world, he influenced Hollywood as well as air travel. But just as h...

Releasing an episode a day early? THESE BOYS ARE INSANE. Happy Halloween! We have some creepypastas, some real world horror, and everything in between! Evan brings us three tales of real world horror while Mark and Jacob bring some good (well, questionably good in Jacob's case) internet horror tales. And even some listener stories! Send us your costumes! Tag us on Twitter (@gems_history) or Instag...

This week we did a more relaxed episode and decided to talk about some of our favorite horror movies from old to new. At the end, Evan tells us a story about a friend of Abraham Lincoln who met an end similar to "The Shining". We split this one into two parts so you'll get the second half next week! Let us know what some of your favorite horror movies are on Instagram (@gems_of_history_podcast) an...

This week's episode was a haunted one! Not only is the story full of strange specters, but the audio was as well. But we made it through and Jacob brings the story of the Twitter horror saga from Adam Ellis. Adam was being harassed by a paranormal pipsqueak named David over the span of months. With tons of photos and video to accompany the story, could this be the best documented case of paranorma...

We are continuing with our theme of spooky this week with some historical context to the holiday of Halloween as well as some chilling tales of people who have experienced the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. A good friend of the podcast, Teddy Brown, joins this week to talk with us about his experience with spooky season and what he thinks about ghost stories. Send us your personal scary stories fo...

It's officially the spookiest month of the year, and what a better way to start it off than with 7 grisly murders that took place on Halloween! Evan gives us multiple tales of woe that involve candy, eggs, and nuns. We also coined our official spooky season celebration name: Spookyville Octoberfest!  We are looking for your spooky and scary tales, so please get in touch with us at either of o...

This week we put on our ski masks and get the gang back together for a good old-fashioned heist! Jacob runs through the largest theft of private property in history that took place in Boston in 1990, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art theft. Two men came in and left with over half a billion dollars of art in tow and were never caught. What's your theory on what happened? Let us know on Instag...

This week we change the formula a bit and we do a head to head competition with our two guest hosts, Marshall and Alex Matthies. They each researched a different monster from various folklore and Jacob was the judge and jury, handing out points based on their arguments. Romanian folklore against Navajo folklore, who will be victorious? Follow us on Instagram (gems_of_history_podcast) and Twitter (...

We return to the conflict of World War II in this episode as Evan runs us through the Battle of Stalingrad; one of the hardest fought and deadliest battles not only of this war but of all history. Between the Russian and German leaderships' decisions, many lives were lost and decisions were made that no human should ever have to deal with. This battle was as historic as they come. If Russia wouldn...

In 1857 one of the largest mass killings in America took place. It wasn't a crazed maniac with a gun or a band of roving murderers, but a small faction within the Mormon community. This week Jacob takes us on another journey through a topic you probably never heard about in a history class: the Mountain Meadows Massacre. 120 men, women, and children lost their lives in a senseless act of violence...

It's time for our listener submitted group episode! Marshall joins us for the topic that he chose after donating the most to our GoFundMe by the time of the bar crawl. We discuss the history of the Denver International Airport as well as a lot of the controversy that has popped up surrounding some of the more dubious things the airport features. It has garnered a lot of attention for conspiracy th...

What happens when three men are all alone on an island in charge of a lighthouse? Well apparently..they disappear without a trace. Mark is back this week to tell us about what occurred in 1900 on the Scottish Flannan Isles and how the keepers assigned to the lighthouse there vanished. What happened?  Follow us on Instagram (gems_of_history_podcast) and Twitter (gems_history) and feel free to...

World War 2 was a massive endeavor for everyone involved. But what about the smaller points of the war that turned the tempo of how the war was fought on both sides? Well today, Evan runs us through the turning point of the war in the Pacific between the US and Japan. The Battle of Midway was a large scale assault by the Japanese to try and take down the US base at Midway - a very strategic point...

We have all heard those stories of weird creatures that hangout in the woods near where we grew up or a scary monster that could grab you if you aren't careful. On this episode we discuss one of these cryptids, the Mothman, and find out where it originated and how it has stayed so relevant in the modern mythos. Alex Matthies joins us this week as well to talk about our high flying friend and wheth...

Drew joins us again for part two on Peter Sutcliffe! The bumbling Yorkshire police stumble into catching the Yorkshire Ripper on a lucky break and send him away. Luckily, nobody had any sympathy for Peter behind bars and he had a rough time, deservedly so. And don't worry, Drew got to mention the v-neck sweater. Follow us on Instagram (@gems_of_history_podcast) and on Twitter (@gems_history) and r...

The boys, joined by guest host Drew Schroeder, cover their first serial killer on the pod! This week we talk about Peter William Sutcliffe, otherwise known as the Yorkshire Ripper and the beginning of his life as well as the beginning of his crime spree. It's a good old hammer and knife spree on this one.  Follow us on Instagram (@gems_of_history_podcast) and Twitter (@gems_history) and get i...

Abraham Lincoln's assassination is one of the most well known events in American history. But what about the man who actually shot the gun? Evan runs us through some of the conspiracies surrounding John Wilkes Booth and whether he was actually killed shortly after the assassination or whether he escaped, leaving another man to cover for him while he absconded to a (probably not so) quiet end to hi...

It's just Jacob and Evan this week, but we aren't stopping! Jacob runs through the history of the Russian led Terror Famine, or Holodomor, that took the lives of millions of Ukrainians as well as millions from other countries. But Stalin was a good guy right? Ask the survivors of Cannibal Island what they think. Follow us on our socials @gems_history on Twitter and @gems_of_history_podcast on Inst...

We are back with some more spooky tales, this time from various internet sources! We pull from various creepypasta and reddit threads to chill your bones. I hope you are reading this all alone at night just to feel the full effects. As always, send us your personal stories so we can get even more personal interaction with you guys!  Get in touch on twitter (@gems_history) or instagram (@gems_...

Most people know about the tragic assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy, but what about the people who were investigating the truth behind the event? Mark gives us a rundown on some of the other questionable deaths behind the scenes of the larger event. People are getting karate chopped, but in a gay way? What a mess!  Thank you to everyone who came out to the bar crawl and...

Hop on your longships and get ready to pillage because this week Evan is taking us through the history of the vikings. We have a special guest, Brandon Shiley, filling in for Mark this week as well! This episode is full of a whole lot of chaotic energy, so enjoy. Don't forget to donate to our GoFundMe (link below) if you want a Gems of History t-shirt. $20 and up gets you a shirt and the biggest d...