History of Everything

Saddam Hussein with nothing. Born to a poor peasant family in a mud-brick village. Abandoned by his father before he was born. Raised by an abusive uncle who beat him daily. By thirty, he was an assassin. By forty, he controlled one of the world's most oil-rich nations. By fifty, he was called the "Butcher of Baghdad." How does someone climb from absolute obscurity to absolute power? How do you bu...

Step right up and journey through the wild, weird, and often shocking history of the circus—from its ancient Roman origins to the multimillion-dollar entertainment empire that defined the 19th and 20th centuries, and its eventual collapse in the modern era. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Estonia with me here Travel to China with me here Check out ot...

For thousands of years, spices were among the most valuable commodities on Earth—often worth more than gold. Their rarity and extreme profitability drove ancient global trade routes, fueled the Age of Discovery, built the first multinational corporations, and ultimately redrew the geopolitical map of the world Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Estonia...

To have your own little piece of history, get your Praesidus watch here at this link! https://tinyurl.com/yfj9avr6 On June 6, 1944, over 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in the largest amphibious invasion in human history. This is the complete story of Operation Overlord—how it was planned, how it nearly failed, and how it became the turning point that led to Nazi Germany's de...

Today we explore the fascinating and often disturbing phenomenon of individuals who have genuinely believed themselves to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. From modern-day cult leaders to historical figures who amassed thousands of followers, these messianic claimants share striking similarities in their psychological profiles and methods of persuasion. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠...

Today we trace the fascinating and often tragic relationship between Russia and vodka - from its medieval origins to its role as a tool of social control. Discover how vodka became both Russia's liquid currency and its social poison, with consumption patterns that have historically mirrored the nation's political stability. Whether you're interested in Russian history, alcohol culture, or the comp...

Today we examine the brutal reign of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who earned the infamous nickname "The Butcher of Africa" through his systematic torture and murder of an estimated 300,000 people. From his rise to power in 1971 to his eventual overthrow in 1979, Amin's regime was marked by extreme violence, ethnic persecution, and economic collapse that devastated Uganda. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ F...

In the 1960s, bowling wasn't just a sport—it was America's favorite pastime. With over 9.8 million league bowlers, bowling alleys dotted every American town, and professional bowlers were household names. Today, that empire has crumbled to less than 1.2 million league bowlers nationwide. Today, we explore the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of bowling as America's most popular sport. We'll tra...

The Yakuza, Japan's organized crime syndicates, originated in the mid-Edo period. Known for rigid patriarchal structures, tattoos, and feudal codes of honor, they evolved from street-level racketeers into powerful, often politically connected, organizations that thrived in post-WWII black markets. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Croatia with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Most of the time when people are talking about war and military history things have a tendency to focus on just the men. However there have been numerous cases in history of women being involved in conflicts too. Most behind the scenes but there have been cases of some on the frontlines. Let us explore some of these today Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel...

Today we uncover the story of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, better known as "El Mencho," the head of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). From his humble beginnings as a humble avocado farmer and police officer in the Mexican state of Jalisco to his current status as Mexico's most wanted and arguably most powerful narco, El Mencho's rise is a masterclass in violence, strategy, and ambition...

The man credited with the first big bank robbery in America was, frankly, bad at crime. Isaac Davis made off with $162,821 - or $3 million, in today's money - from the vault of the Bank of Pennsylvania sometime in the middle of the night on August 31st, 1798. This is the story of how everything fell apart. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Croatia with...

If You want your own Praesidus Iwo Jima Watch then check out my sponsor here Welcome to Iwo Jima, the Marines' Hell on Earth. In February 1945, 70,000 U.S. Marines stormed the black volcanic sands of a tiny, seemingly insignificant island in the Pacific. What they faced was a fortress, an 8-square-mile island honeycombed with 11 miles of underground bunkers, tunnels, and firing positions defended...

Olympic history is filled with bizarre, discontinued, and surreal moments, particularly in the early 20th century. Standout oddities include live pigeon shooting, painting/literature competitions, underwater swimming, and a 200-meter obstacle swim in the Seine. There is a lot of weird history. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Croatia with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠...

Drugs. They ruin lives but when you have a medicine that is supposed to help you that is a good drug. But sometimes the companies that make good drugs can make a very bad one an that is how you end up with millions of addicts and deaths. This is the story of Perdue Pharma and OxyContin Watch the ⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Croatia with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel...

During World War II, Thailand found itself in a precarious position as global conflict engulfed Southeast Asia. Between 1941 and 1944, Thailand navigated a delicate path between cooperation with Imperial Japan and maintaining ties with the Allies. As Japan launched its invasion of British Malaya and Singapore, Thailand’s strategic geography made it a crucial player in the region. Rather than fully...

In the 19th Century, a Pennsylvania dentist called WH Atkinson came across a condition that sounds like the stuff of nightmares. Writing in The Dental Cosmos, the first major journal for American dentists, Atkinson documented an outbreak of exploding teeth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Venezuela is experiencing severe hardship due to a complex collapse of its economy, institutions, and political system, driven by a combination of economic mismanagement, corruption, over-reliance on oil, and authoritarian governance. This situation has resulted in a major humanitarian crisis and a mass exodus of its population. Watch the ⁠podcast⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to C...

And welcome back to the history of everything podcast. Specifically welcome back to what is our end of the 2025 year listener special where we take your suggestions and questions from patreon and put all of them into one episode. We are looking at Aztec warriors fighting in Asia, a woman who gave birth to rabbits, and hot chocolate Watch the podcast Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Cr...

The First Barons' War erupted in the early 13th century, primarily due to King John's unpopular reign, characterized by heavy taxation, military failures, and disputes with the nobility. The conflict was sparked by John's refusal to adhere to the terms of the Magna Carta, which he had sealed in June 1215 in response to baronial pressure. This document aimed to limit the king's powers and protect t...

In the year 401 BCE, 10,000 Greek mercenaries became stranded in the heart of the Persian Empire. Betrayed and without their employer Cyrus the Younger, who was killed in the Battle of Cunaxa, they retreated across the region and were forced to trek their way back home through barbaric landscapes and hostile forces. Fight me at ⁠war of the barons⁠ Travel to Croatia with me ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Gre...

Let's face it. Death is kind of scary and really sucks. But different people around the world throughout all of human history have come up with answers as to what you are supposed to do when someone dies. Sometimes that answer may seem strange to us but hey, there is always a story behind it. So lets explore the history of different funerary rites around the world Fight me at war of the barons Tra...

Hello my friends and welcome back to the history of everything podcast live from japan. Well truthfully it is not live. We did plan on doing a big group episode together over the course of the trips but then 3 separate times everyone was like hey what if we went to all you can drink karaoke? And so we did that instead. Soooooo sorry about that Anyway here we are in Japan, the land of the rising su...

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina was toppled in a military coup that capped weeks of youth protests over poverty, power outages and a lack of opportunity in the Indian Ocean island country. Right after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who fled the country fearing for his safety, the leader of Madagascar’s elite CAPSAT military unit said the armed forces would form a council made up of of...

Croatia is a land with a rich and vast history going back over 2000 years. However it was not really an independent country until the 1990s as for 1000 years it was subservient to other powers. Many croatians did not like this and it ultimately led to something truly horrible happening in ww2 Travel to Croatia with me here Travel to Greece with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Travel to Thailand with me ⁠⁠⁠⁠...