History of Everything

Mars, Inc. makes more than $50 billion a year, owns some of the most recognizable brands on Earth, and you cannot buy a single share of it. This is the story of how one family built a global empire and never gave it away. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out my trips with me ⁠here⁠ Check out my merch ⁠here⁠ Check out our sister podcast the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

He was a Japanese doctor who went to treat leprosy and ended up irrigating 16,000 hectares of Afghan desert. Afghanistan called him Kaka Murad — "Uncle Murad." Few foreigners have ever been mourned in Afghanistan the way Dr. Tetsu Nakamura was. When he was assassinated on December 4th, 2019, the president helped carry his coffin, an airline painted his face on a plane, and vigils were held across...

Want to enter the giveaway? Check out my merch here⁠⁠! On the morning of May 26, 2013, a tugboat sank 30 meters to the seabed off the coast of Nigeria…and one man lived through it all. When the Jascon-4 capsized in the Bight of Benin, eleven of its twelve crew members died. But ship's cook Harrison Okene was knocked out, stripped to his boxers, and trapped in total darkness. There he survived for...

In 1975, a French mercenary named Bob Denard landed on the beaches of the Comoros Islands with a handful of men and changed the course of African history. Then he did it again. And again. And one more time for good measure. This is the story of how one man overthrew the same government four separate times, ruled an island nation as a puppet master for over a decade, and somehow died peacefully in...

Normally when one describes a dictator they will talk about murder, violence, oppression, coups, but not usually willingly giving up power. The dictator of Seychelles is perhaps one of the most rare examples of exactly that in history. This is his story and how the Seychelles became a modern state. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Fight me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠war of the barons⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out my trips with me...

After World War II, Japan was devastated. Food was scarce, morale was low, and the country needed something—anything—to rebuild. That "something" turned out to be a simple bowl of wheat noodles in broth. Today we trace how ramen went from a cheap street food to an unlikely economic and cultural savior for post-war Japan. We'll explore the black market stalls of 1940s Tokyo, the American wheat surp...

Sheck Exley didn't just push the limits of human exploration—he redefined them. Today we dive into the life of the man widely regarded as the greatest cave diver who ever lived. From his first cave dive at age 16 to his record-breaking descent past 800 feet into Mexico's El Zacatón, Exley spent three decades exploring the most dangerous underwater caves on Earth. Along the way, he developed the te...

Meet Zhang Zongchang—the warlord so unhinged, so chaotic, that his own soldiers called him "72-Cannon Zhang" while everyone else just called him the Dog Meat General. Standing nearly 6'6" in an era when most Chinese men were a foot shorter, this mountain of a man ruled China's Shandong province like a fever dream wrapped in a nightmare. In this video, we're diving deep into the absolute insanity t...

By 1775, the thirteen American colonies were a tinderbox — and it only took one spark to set the empire ablaze. But how did loyal British subjects transform into armed revolutionaries in just over a decade? In this video, we trace the explosive chain of events that turned colonial grumbling into open rebellion. From the crushing debt of the French and Indian War to the shots fired at Lexington and...

In 1986, Cleveland made history by releasing 1.5 million balloons into the sky—a world record that still stands today. But what was supposed to be a harmless spectacle quickly turned into something far more complicated. For decades, we've been told this event was an unmitigated disaster. The balloons allegedly choked Lake Erie, spooked horses, caused car accidents, and even interfered with a Coast...

For 24 years, Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq with an iron fist—silencing dissent through torture, execution, and the infamous Republican Guard. But in 2003, the regime that seemed untouchable came crashing down in just three weeks. Today we trace the final days of one of history's most brutal dictators: from the shock and awe of Baghdad to Saddam's humiliating capture in a spider hole near Tikrit. Watc...

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...