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We're branching out in our mythology series, this time with Egypt! Learn about various Egyptian mythological deities, and how the mythology states the world and Egypt itself was created.  Listener Fact of the Week:  Thank you to Sophie Newing for sending in this episode's listener fact of the week (which has never been a thing before, but we're starting it now)! Email us at learnaboutpod@gmail.com...

We're joined by Charlotte's friend Luke, who currently volunteers for his local food bank in Redcar. He gives us a brief explanation of the ways people throughout history have helped the hungry, and the austerity policies that have come into place in more modern times. We then chat about food banks: how they work, how we can all do our bit to help, and why you shouldn't be ashamed to use one. Find...

Charlotte talks about some of the most famous pets belonging to past US presidents, including Warren G. Harding's dog Laddie Boy, Roosevelt's dog Fala, the rivalry between Socks the cat and Buddy the dog belonging to the Clintons, and the hilarious letter George H. W. Bush sent to all White House staff regarding his fat dog Ranger. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can lear...

We're now on Patreon and we're very excited about it! For just £2/month you'll get early episodes, bonus content, the chance to vote on which episodes we record next, shout outs in podcast episodes, and more. Support us by going to patreon.com/learnaboutpod !

Ellie talks about the medicinal purposes that alcohol has had throughout history all over the world, from the Ancient Egyptians to more recent times. Whether you're partial to a cocktail, a G&T, or a pint of beer is more your thing, find out how they were once used to treat ailments from animal bites to "women's dispositions". Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn mor...

Did you know Agatha Christie went missing for almost two weeks in 1926? Considering she was such a prolific mystery writer, her 11-day disappearance in 1926 was one of the biggest mysteries of the time, with some details still unexplained today. Charlotte tells the full story of her disappearance in this episode. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about these...

Happy New Year! Ellie tells us about a new year tradition, but not our own western one: she focuses on Lunar New Year (you might also know it as Chinese New Year) and the legend behind the annual celebration. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about these topics, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on  Instagram  and  Twitter at @learnaboutpod. Suppo...

It's the 50th episode of the podcast and we're celebrating by doing what a couple of nerds love best: testing our knowledge! How many episodes have you listened to? Join in and test your own knowledge of our episodes so far with this special quiz episode. When you've finished the quiz, share your answers with us on social media so we can see how you did! Find the full notes for this episode, inclu...

Charlotte discusses a brief history of festive music, from traditional verses, carols that originated in the 1800s, and the pop hits of the 1980s and beyond that we know and love today. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about these topics, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on  Instagram  and  Twitter at @learnaboutpod. Support us on Patreon: patre...

Ellie tells us about the Yule Lads, which are a part of Icelandic folklore. With names like Pot Licker, Stubby, Window Peeper and Sausage Swiper, how could we not be intrigued to learn about their mischievous antics?! Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about these topics, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on  Instagram  and  Twitter at @learnaboutp...

Kicking off the festive season, Charlotte talks about some unusual events and unexplained mysteries that have happened around Christmas, from UFO sightings to the WW1 Christmas truce. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about these topics, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on  Instagram  and  Twitter at @learnaboutpod. Support us on Patreon: patreon...

We're joined by another guest in this episode! Charly gives us a brief rundown of Japanese history, and then tells us about Yaeko Yamamoto, a Japanese daughter of a samurai who was skilled in gunnery and was an all-round incredible woman for reasons you'll discover in this episode. Not only was she a warrior woman, a nurse for the Japanese Red Cross, and a master at tea ceremonies and flower arran...

We learn about Julie d'Aubigny: a French, cross-dressing, bisexual duelist and opera singer from the 17th century. She once kissed a lady at a grand ball, beat three noblemen (in one go) in a duel for her affection, and quietly returned to the ball -- and that's just one of the many incredible things that happened in her life. She is quite possibly one of our favourite people we'll ever learn abou...

If you're a writer, whether that's as a job or for fun, you might know November as National Novel Writing Month! Ellie shares some facts about NaNoWriMo, and then we discuss some of our best writing tips to help get you through the month. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about this topic, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter...

If you've seen Hamilton, you know about the duel that ended Hamilton's life at the expense of Aaron Burr's reputation. But what happened to Burr after he shot Hamilton? How did he spend the rest of his life? In this episode, Charlotte covers Aaron Burr's entire life, from birth to death, including ambitions to invade a country, start a new empire, and his several illegitimate children. Find the fu...

Do you actually know what happened on the 5th November to spark a national UK celebration for the rest of time? Find out about Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot, and what really went down in the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about this topic, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @learnabou...

Llinos joins us again for our final episode of Spooky Month! She tells us about four well-known figures throughout history whose corpses continued to have a "life" after death, from being embalmed for decades to being transported from country to country. People discussed: Eva Perón Vladimir Lenin Albert Einstein Oliver Cromwell Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn mo...

It's our podcast's first birthday! In honour of this, Ellie discusses horror movie anniversaries - some of the films that are also celebrating big birthdays this year - and some of the creepy true crime and paranormal things that happened on their sets. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about this topic, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on Instag...

In the third episode of Spooky Month, Charlotte talks about the most famous witch hunt in history: the Salem Witch Trials. Learn about what happened that fateful year in Salem, Massachusetts, as well as some of the ways witches would be put on trial. Find the full notes for this episode, including where you can learn more about this topic, at learnaboutpod.com . You can also follow us on Instagram...

For our second Spooky Month episode, we're joined by Charlotte's good friend Bethan, who tells us all about a selection of cursed films: films that are known as being cursed because of multiple mysteries and strange deaths that are linked to them. Bethan discusses: The Omen The Exorcist The Poltergeist franchise Rebel Without a Cause Atuk Find the full notes for this episode, including where you c...

In this episode, we're kicking off Spooky Month! And we can't kick off the season of pumpkin spice and Hocus Pocus without talking about the festival that surrounds it all – Halloween. Ellie teaches us about the origins of Halloween and why we celebrate it the way we do. Find the full show notes for this episode at learnaboutpod.com . ------- Music attribution: Nightmare Machine by Kevin MacLeod L...

Charlotte dives into the story of Hansel and Gretel — but more so, the true story that inspired the tale (and many other dark fairy tales that were written all over the world).  In this episode, you have a treat in store: I do a reading of the full story of Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, and to make it more atmospheric, we've got sound effects! Grab a drink, maybe some popcorn, sit back,...

Would you smear lead or arsenic on your face, ingest radiation, or sit under an X-ray machine for 20 hours all in the name of beauty? That's what people throughout history did! Ellie talks about some of history's most deadly makeup trends, from the horrifying origin of false eyelashes to the cages women wore on their heads to stop vermin being attracted to their lard-filled hair. Find the full not...

We're joined by our first ever guest, and we're diving into a subject we haven't covered on the podcast before: true crime! Llinos joins us to talk about Lizzie Borden, an American woman who was accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother. However, she was declared not guilty, and the case was never officially solved. Thanks so much to Llinos for joining us - if you want to be a guest...

While we might think of Loki as a major villain of Norse mythology, it is actually Loki's children that are some of the most terrifying and interesting creatures in the Viking stories. In this episode, we learn about them! Let us know if you want us to cover more Norse mythology by getting in touch with us on our website , or we're @learnaboutpod on Twitter and Instagram . Find the full show notes...