Softcore History

Franz Reichelt was an Austrian born tailor who became obsessed with the idea of creating a wearable parachute for pilots and aviators. This passion was only fueled by the many peers who doubted his invention and it ultimately led to a day of destiny at the Eiffel Tower in 1912.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, lis...

Rob, a southpaw survivor of human society’s systemic left-handedness oppression, breaks down all the horrible ways basically every civilization throughout human history has demonized, ostracized, and genocided left-handers. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, listener voicemails, movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus...

Harald "Hardrada" Sigurdsson was a Viking mercenary in the Byzantine Varangian Guard and eventual King of Norway who threw his hat in the ring to conquer England in 1066. He lived an extraordinary life traveling far and wide participating in campaigns against Muslim Caliphates, Bulgarian rebels, and other Norsemen. Find out why he is often considered "The Last Viking."Subscribe to the Softcore His...

Moe Berg was a defense-first journeyman catcher for the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, and Red Sox who faced the likes of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. He also had multiple Ivy League degrees and was such a trusted spy for the OSS during World War II that FDR personally sent him on missions. But above all, he was kind of a weird guy. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of e...

Jefferson Davis was a malcontent long before the American Civil War. The Eggnog Riot or Grog Mutiny was an 1826 drunken Christmas rebellion by dozens of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point including the future President of the Confederate State of America firmly in the midst of the party gone horribly wrong. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra his...

Forget puking secretaries and handsy office creeps, BY FAR the worst company Christmas party in American history happened on Christmas Eve in Michigan in 1913 when a group of striking miners had their party tragically and violently ruined by strike breaking goons. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this and sports shows...

U.S. Army Air Corps pilots Kenneth Taylor and George Welch had a few days off in tropical paradise and decided to let loose at an officer Christmas party. They parlay that into an all night poker game before eventually getting to bed -- three sheets to the wind -- at around 7 am...December 7th, 1941. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including...

This is a free preview of the content we offer on the Softcore History Patreon. It is the best way to support Dan and Rob and keeps the podcast going. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this and sports shows on the higher tier. Rob Foxhttps://www.instagram.com/robfoxthree/ https://twitter.com/RobFoxThree https://www.tikt...

Samuel Whittemore fought in the American Revolution. He fought despite the fact that he was born in 1696. At 78 years old, Whittemore, who'd already served in two wars prior to the American Revolution, ambushed a British unit, completely by himself. Why? Because the man was A) a fierce patriot who'd been heavily involved in colonial politics for over a decade, and B) an absolute animal. Find out a...

The real story behind Thanksgiving. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, listener voicemails, movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes. Rob Foxhttps://www.instagram.com/robfoxthree/ https://twitter.com/RobFoxThree https://www.tiktok.com/@robfoxthree Dan Regesterhttps://www.instagram.com/danregester/ https://twit...

Mitsuyasu Maeno was Japan's last kamikaze pilot, but there were a couple of other interesting things about him. First off, he was BORN in 1946, a year after World War 2 ended. Second, he was one of Japan's most famous porn actors. Find out how and why he ended up kamikazing a plane for the glory of Japan. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content incl...

Peter Francisco was an absolute mountain of a man who served in the Continental Army during the American Revoltuion as a teenager. Often refered to as the Virginia Giant, this Portugese orphan turned freedom fighter was Washington's One Man Army who played a pivotal role in multiple battles with his sheer size and strength. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra h...

For about a hundred or so years between the 17th and 18th centuries, a favorite German party pastime was… throwing animals high into the air and then watching them fall, get crippled, and be clubbed and to death or ripped apart by dogs. The animals included rabbits, badgers, boars, wolves, wildcats, and, of course, foxes, as the game was called “Fox Tossing.” And the German nobility LOVED it. Subs...

After the death of a local farmer, Petar Blagojević, a small Serbian town went into full vampire paranoia as nine other villagers suddenly dropped dead after claiming to see Blagojević risen from the grave. Jack Mandaville joins the show to discuss how much of Europe fell into a blood sucking monster craze in the early 18th century. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours o...

Does anyone have more unfinished business than a king or queen? Not in England, where the ghosts of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Queen Victoria, King George III, Prince Albert, and more seemingly haunt every single building they ever walked into. We break down the most famous haunting stories from dead British royals. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history con...

The Koreshan Unity cult is NOT the infamous Waco commune the FBI barbecued in the 90s. Rather, it's a turn-of-the-century Florida cult founded by a man who so badly electrocuted himself that he woke up thinking he was Jesus. It turns out that Cyrus Teed was not the Messiah, but his incredibly whacky teachings sure did intrigue David Koresh, who would go on to take quite a bit of inspiration from t...

Ed Gein, also known as the Butcher of Plainfield or Plainfield Ghoul, was an American killer and body snatcher who committed unspeakable crimes in Wisconsin in the 1950s. His nightmare farm was filled to the brim with both metaphoric and literal skeletons thanks to severe mommy issues. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like...

This is a preview of the hundreds of hours of extra history content and bonus episodes we put out only on Softcore History Patreon. This episode is available ad free on Softcore History Patreon. It's the best way to support Dan and Rob and you get new episodes every Wednesday and Friday that you can find nowhere else but...Softcore History Patreon. Softcore History Patreon. Softcore History Patreo...

Pioneering female aviator Amelia Earhart disappeared forever on July 2nd, 1937. It has never been determined what happened to Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan. Now, the Trump Administration has promised to release all the files the U.S. Government has on Earhart. In light of this, we break down her (surprisingly incompetent) final flight and the many theories that abound about her fate. Subs...

After World War II, panty pandemonium struck American college campuses and organized raids of female dorms became a common prank. If your grandpa went to college in the 1950s, there's a good chance he stole some coed's undies. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, listener voicemails, movie watch-alongs, and weekly bo...

Anarcha Westcott (real name Annacay Jackson) was a 13-year-old slave instrumental in the creation of the medical field of gynecology. Instrumental… because she was the instrument. Dr. J. Marion Sims of Alabama performed 30 experimental surgeries on her — without anesthesia — in order to repair her horrific fistulas after a stillbirth at 13 years old. And the surgeries worked. Thanks to Annacay end...

Long before the Germans tried to fight half of Europe by themselves, Sweden did the same in 1700 during the Great Northern War. Under the leadership of their teenage, war obsessed king, the Swedes spent the better part of two decades overcoming the odds and defeating the Danish, Polish, and Russian armies on a regular basis. Eventually, though, the hot hand turns cold. Record-breaking, lowest temp...

King Edward III made it illegal to not be poor in 1300s England. At least, illegal if you were already poor. Negotiating for higher wages? Straight to jail. Wearing clothes that made you look wealthy? Straight to jail. Trying to get a better job? Jail. All because the upper classes were annoyed with having to negotiate wages with workers after the Black Death created a labor shortage and the worki...

The 369th Infantry regiment better known as the Harlem Hellfighters were a renowned all-black World War I unit who spent 191 days in action. They were loaned to the French forces and became the Germans worst nightmare on the front lines. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, listener voicemails, movie watch-alongs, an...

What is the most important person or place in the history of the colonization of the New World? Columbus? Cortez? Jamestown? Nah mon! It’s Jamaica bruh! If it weren’t for the English falling ass-backwards into an unwanted island, nothing would be as it is today. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including episodes like this, listener voicemail...