Omnibus

Omnibus

History EN ↓ 700 episodes

Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.

Author

Omnibus

Category

History

Podcast website

www.omnibusproject.com

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

The Stone of Scone (Entry 1229.PS11822) 03.11.2022

In which a medieval legend about a chunk of sandstone means that Scottish cooperation is necessary for Charles III to be crowned king, and Ken passes a Bible quiz. Certificate #42504.

The Popemobile (Entry 965.JE4615) 01.11.2022

In which the history of papal transportation is traced from sedan chairs to Hyundai sedans, and John has been researching the care and upkeep of Catholic moms. Certificate #15163.

The Dempster Dumpster (Entry 332.LA0345) 27.10.2022

In which cities, over the centuries, gradually discover the most efficient way to collect garbage for disposal, and Ken hasn't looked in his pocket since Christmas. Certificate #28712.

Modernist Cuisine (Entry 798.PR2303) 25.10.2022

In which a computer millionaire takes early retirement to self-publish a 50-pound reference work about the chemistry of food, and John discovers a surprise cherry tomato. Certificate #24537.

The Batavia (Entry 103.AC2741) 20.10.2022

In which one eventful Dutch voyage to Indonesia leads to a mutiny, a shipwreck, and a massacre off the coast of Australia, and Ken claims he has a bed in a port somewhere. Certificate #20229.

The Last Train Robbery (Entry 702.EZ0722) 18.10.2022

In which two Depression-era "drugstore cowboys" let their Wild West outlaw fantasies lead them into a life of crime, and John breaks the news to Ken about pirates. Certificate #26056.

The Thanh Hoa Bridge (Entry 1293.2C0409) 13.10.2022

In which the "Dragon's Jaw" across the Song Ma River in North Vietnam proves a challenge for the most advanced air weaponry on earth, and Ken thinks teens should be in parking lots. Certificate #22691.

Dissociative Fugues (Entry 363.HE1017) 11.10.2022

In which human memory and identity are so fragile that a series of people simply walk away from them, and John wishes more things were the movie Tron. Certificate #28975.

Lem Billings (Entry 121.PR2705) 06.10.2022

In which a high school Kennedy confidante becomes an influential White House voice while hiding a delicate secret, and Ken wants to blur some of John Lithgow's wrinkles. Certificate #36906.

The Murder of Herbert Lee (Entry 817.EX2307) 04.10.2022

In which a racist Mississippi state legislator kills his childhood friend, a civil rights organizer, in broad daylight with no consequences whatsoever, and John thinks Ken pronounces "Montgomery" like a Southern belle. Certificate #34239.

Adbusters (Entry 014.HG0105) 29.09.2022

In which a pair of outraged Canadians, kept off the TV airwaves, change the world with their anti-consumerist art magazine instead, and Ken thinks Mr. Ed should have had pop-up ads. Certificate #29414.

Luke and Laura (Entry 739.MT2210) 27.09.2022

In which the first daytime "supercouple" briefly makes soap operas a part of 1980s mass culture, and John wonders if a bride is "zaftig." Certificate #32511.

Bitcoin Pizza Day (Entry 126.JB1304) 22.09.2022

In which $300 million in 2022 money is unwisely spent on the world's first real-world cryptocurrency transaction, and Ken explains why a bro should not have an army. Certificate #11904.

Exclaves (Entry 436.NU2021) 20.09.2022

In which we explore life in parts of the map that are bizarrely separated from the rest of their nations, and John thinks Alaska looks like a very fertile octopus. Certificate #51829.

The Boots Theory (Entry 143.LK2104) 15.09.2022

In which a British fantasy writer reframes cost-of-living calculations for future economists, and Ken doesn't notice cobblers. Certificate #28114.

Farmer Burns (Entry 166.GN3224) 13.09.2022

In which a gifted grappler with Iowa's biggest neck becomes America's first national wrestling celebrity, and pro wrestling reminds John of many of his past relationships. Certificate #29766.

Tom Thumb (Entry 1315.PR2131) 08.09.2022

In which America's first locomotive faces its greatest challenge, a group of angry teamsters, and Ken decides horses are his Sammy Hagar. Certificate #17918.

The Winchester Geese (Entry 1434.JG1601) 06.09.2022

In which a church bishop's sanction makes the London borough of Southwark a haven for sex workers and other outcasts for centuries, and John would like to pay someone to chide him. Certificate #49605.

Hobby Tunneling (Entry 591.JB2416) 01.09.2022

In which a series of largely male and largely odd people over the centuries start digging something and just don't stop, and Ken explains how Canadian lakes are named. Certificate #39623.

Gillian Hills (Entry 588.PS12101) 30.08.2022

In which the daughter of a famous adventurer and hostage does landmark work in 20th-century music, film, and art, and John wonders whom he has talked to for the most hours. Certificate #39582.

O'Shaughnessy Dam (Entry 877.EX1508) 25.08.2022

In which a great American city got its water rights by illegally flooding John Muir's favorite valley, and Ken has opinions on where egrets should poop. Certificate #53464.

The Placebo Effect (Entry 946.IS3821) 23.08.2022

In which people find they can feel better about almost any ailment while taking nothing at all, and many of John's friends are Batman villains. Certificate #42734.

The Dingo Fence (Entry 351.EZ1415) 18.08.2022

In which 3,500 miles of wire mesh are intended to keep the southeast corner of Australia dingo-free, and Ken thinks his dogs are choosing not to do jazz hands. Certificate #51283.

The Battle of Bamber Bridge (Entry 104.HE1302) 16.08.2022

In which wartime Britain reacts skeptically to American racial segregation, leading to a firefight in the village streets of Lancashire, and John ponders the post-apocalyptic looting of opticians. Certificate #53093.

Be Here Now (Entry 111.JM0414) 11.08.2022

In which an LSD-loving psychologist is fired from Harvard and reborn in India, and Ken would like to be in a control group. Certificate #30296.

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