Citation Needed

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The podcast where we choose a subject, read a single Wikipedia article about it, and pretend we’re experts. Because this is the internet, and that’s how it works now.

Citation Needed Media


    • May 28, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 39m AVG DURATION
    • 427 EPISODES

    4.8 from 2,465 ratings Listeners of Citation Needed that love the show mention: skepticrat, god awful movies, tom and cecil, cognitive dissonance, cog dis, citation needed, pugs, puzzle in a thunderstorm, eli and tom, scathing atheists, wikipedia articles, piat, love the commercials, coming together, oxford comma, five guys, random wikipedia, supergroup, guys get together, gloryhole.


    Ivy Insights

    The Citation Needed podcast is a comedic and entertaining show that offers a unique perspective on historical disasters and events. It has been a source of laughter and enjoyment for me, especially during times when I struggle with depression. The hosts, Noah, Cecil, Heath, Eli, and Tom, bring their witty commentary and charm to each episode, making it highly amusing.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the humor and cleverness displayed by the hosts. They have a great dynamic that keeps every episode interesting and hilarious. Their snarky comments and funny anecdotes add an extra layer of enjoyment to the stories they discuss. Additionally, the production quality of the show is fantastic, thanks to the professionalism of Noah and Cecil. The episodes are well-structured and engaging.

    However, one potential downside of the podcast is Eli's tendency to exaggerate or make false statements ("probably lies"). While it adds some humor to the show, it can be off-putting for some listeners who prefer more accuracy in their information. Nevertheless, Eli's humor is still enjoyable overall.

    In conclusion, The Citation Needed podcast is a must-listen for anyone who enjoys entertaining stories with snarky commentary. It has helped many listeners find joy in difficult times and provides a fresh perspective on historical events. Despite minor flaws like exaggerated statements, the hosts' wit and comedic timing shine through in every episode. I highly recommend giving this podcast a listen as it will surely make you laugh out loud while also imparting interesting historical knowledge.



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    Latest episodes from Citation Needed

    Donkey Kong

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 34:52


    Donkey Kong[a] is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the Kong family of apes. Donkey Kong games include the original arcade game trilogy by Nintendo R&D1; the Donkey Kong Country series by Rare and Retro Studios; and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Software Technology. Various studios have developed spin-offs in genres such as edutainment, puzzle, racing, and rhythm. The franchise also incorporates animation, printed media, theme parks, and merchandise.

    Fax Machines - RERELEASE

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 35:44


    We had errors with our podcast service provider and they released another show on our feed. We are still fielding questions regarding people not having access to last weeks show so we are rereleasing it. If you missed last week's show becuase the podcast on that feed was wrong, here it is again. If you heard our podcast last week - this is nothing new. Sorry for the snafu. Fax (short for facsimile), sometimes called telecopying or telefax (short for telefacsimile), is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device. The original document is scanned with a fax machine (or a telecopier), which processes the contents (text or images) as a single fixed graphic image, converting it into a bitmap, and then transmitting it through the telephone system in the form of audio-frequency tones. The receiving fax machine interprets the tones and reconstructs the image, printing a paper copy.[1] Early systems used direct conversions of image darkness to audio tone in a continuous or analog manner. Since the 1980s, most machines transmit an audio-encoded digital representation of the page, using data compression to transmit areas that are all-white or all-black, more quickly.

    Fax Machines

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 34:01


    Fax (short for facsimile), sometimes called telecopying or telefax (short for telefacsimile), is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device. The original document is scanned with a fax machine (or a telecopier), which processes the contents (text or images) as a single fixed graphic image, converting it into a bitmap, and then transmitting it through the telephone system in the form of audio-frequency tones. The receiving fax machine interprets the tones and reconstructs the image, printing a paper copy.[1] Early systems used direct conversions of image darkness to audio tone in a continuous or analog manner. Since the 1980s, most machines transmit an audio-encoded digital representation of the page, using data compression to transmit areas that are all-white or all-black, more quickly.

    Ruby Ridge

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 40:50


    The Ruby Ridge standoff was the siege of a cabin occupied by the Weaver family in Boundary County, Idaho, in August 1992. On August 21, deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) came to arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant for his failure to appear on federal firearms charges after he was given the wrong court date.[1] The charges stemmed from Weaver's sale of a sawed-off shotgun to an undercover federal informant, who had induced him to modify the firearm below the legal barrel length.[2]

    The Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 38:19


    The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It orbits Earth at an average distance of 384399 km (238,854 mi; about 30 times Earth's diameter). The Moon's orbital period (lunar month) and rotation period (lunar day) are synchronized by Earth's gravitational pull at 29.5 Earth days, making the same side of the Moon always face Earth. The Moon's pull on Earth is the main driver of Earth's tides.

    Security incidents involving Barack Obama

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 30:22


    Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, was involved in multiple security incidents, including several assassination threats and plots, starting from when he became a presidential candidate in 2007. Secret Service protection for Obama began after he received a death threat in 2007, while serving as the junior United States senator from Illinois and running for president. This marked the earliest time a candidate received such protection before being nominated.[1] Security was increased early for Obama due to fears of possible assassination attempts by white supremacist or other racist groups or individuals against the first African American major party presidential nominee.[2][3][4]

    The Chameleon - Frédéric Pierre Bourdin

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 40:04


    Frédéric Pierre Bourdin[1] (born 13 June 1974)[2] is a French serial impostor the press has nicknamed "The Chameleon".[3] He began his impersonations as a child and claims to have assumed at least 500 false identities; [4] three being teenage missing people.[3][5]

    Elmer McCurdy - The Worlds Worst Outlaw

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 34:57


    Elmer J. McCurdy (January 1, 1880 – October 7, 1911) was an American outlaw who was killed in a shoot-out with police after robbing a train in Oklahoma in October 1911. Dubbed "The Bandit Who Wouldn't Give Up", his mummified body was first put on display at an Oklahoma funeral home and then became a fixture on the traveling carnival and sideshow circuit during the 1920s through the 1960s. After changing ownership several times, McCurdy's remains eventually wound up at The Pike amusement zone in Long Beach, California, where they were discovered by crew members for the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and positively identified in December 1976.

    Bonnie and Clyde

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 37:40


    Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut "Champion" Barrow (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934) were American outlaws who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression, committing a series of criminal acts such as bank robberies, kidnappings, and murders between 1932 and 1934. The couple were known for their bank robberies and multiple murders, although they preferred to rob small stores or rural gas stations. Their exploits captured the attention of the American press and its readership during what is occasionally referred to as the "public enemy era" between 1931 and 1934. They were ambushed by police and shot dead in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. They are believed to have murdered at least nine police officers and four civilians.[1][2]

    Cuban Missile Crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 37:52


    The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (Spanish: Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, or the Caribbean Crisis (Russian: Карибский кризис, romanized: Karibskiy krizis), was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey were matched by Soviet deployments of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The crisis lasted from 16 to 28 October 1962. The confrontation is widely considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into full-scale nuclear war.[1]

    The OSS (Office of Strategic Services)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 38:30


    The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was an intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS)[3] to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branches of the United States Armed Forces. Other OSS functions included the use of propaganda, subversion, and post-war planning.

    Ross Douthat Opinion Pieces

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 50:31


    2 op-eds by Ross Douthat https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/opinion/abortion-dobbs-supreme-court.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/opinion/religion-god.html

    Audie Murphy - The Most Decorated Combat Soldier of WW2

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 37:02


    Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971)[1] was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II,[4] and has been described as the most highly decorated enlisted soldier in U.S. history.[5][6] He received every military combat award for valor available from the United States Army, as well as French and Belgian awards for heroism. Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated at age 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, before leading a successful counterattack while wounded.

    The Little Mermaid

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 46:53


    "The Little Mermaid" (Danish: Den lille havfrue), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid",[1] is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid princess who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.

    The Battle of Cartagena de Indias

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 30:24


    The Battle of Cartagena de Indias (Spanish: Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit. 'Siege of Cartagena de Indias') took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Great Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war was primarily fought in the Caribbean; the British tried to capture key Spanish ports in the region, including Porto Bello and Chagres in Panama, Havana, and Cartagena de Indias in present-day Colombia.

    Pornhub 2024 Year in Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 47:08


    https://www.pornhub.com/insights/2024-year-in-review   Use code CITATION at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/citation    

    Op-Eds by Billionaires

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 56:37


    Three op-eds by billionaires. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/28/jeff-bezos-washington-post-trust/ https://about.fb.com/news/2020/02/big-tech-needs-more-regulation/ https://www.ft.com/content/a46cb128-1f74-4621-ab0b-242a76583105

    Ghost Ships

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 32:56


    A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a vessel with no living crew aboard; it may be a fictional ghostly vessel, such as the Flying Dutchman, or a physical derelict found adrift with its crew missing or dead, like the Mary Celeste.[1][2] The term is sometimes used for ships that have been decommissioned but not yet scrapped, as well as drifting boats that have been found after breaking loose of their ropes and being carried away by the wind or the waves.

    Bonus Army

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 31:20


    The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstrators – 17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups – who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their service bonus certificates. Organizers called the demonstrators the Bonus Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.), to echo the name of World War I's American Expeditionary Forces, while the media referred to them as the "Bonus Army" or "Bonus Marchers". The demonstrators were led by Walter W. Waters, a former sergeant.

    Chrome Tab Cleanout

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 31:23


    Tom cleans out his unrelated chrome tabs on interesting wikipedia articles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_ironing https://woodcarvingillustrated.com/deep-sea-jack-o-lanterns/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_tunneling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_drop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Thomas_Knight

    Pizzagate

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 35:03


    So we actually recorded this last week on Monday so one of the last paragraphs of the episode has outdated info in it. The Pizzagate guy was killed by police during a traffic stop after allegedly pulling out a gun and pointing it at police. This incident happened 4 days after we recorded this episode. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/10/g-s1-42040/pizzagate-gunman-killed-police-north-carolina "Pizzagate" is a conspiracy theory that went viral during the 2016 United States presidential election cycle, falsely claiming that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) had discovered a pedophilia ring linked to members of the Democratic Party while searching through Anthony Weiner's emails.[1][2][3] It has been extensively discredited by a wide range of organizations, including the Washington, D.C. police.[2][3][4]

    Pythagoras

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 38:33


    Pythagoras of Samos[a] (Ancient Greek: Πυθαγόρας; c. 570 – c. 495 BC)[b], often known mononymously as Pythagoras, was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher, polymath, and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known in Magna Graecia and influenced the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and, through them, the West in general. Knowledge of his life is clouded by legend; modern scholars disagree regarding Pythagoras's education and influences, but they do agree that, around 530 BC, he travelled to Croton in southern Italy, where he founded a school in which initiates were sworn to secrecy and lived a communal, ascetic lifestyle.

    The Host's Fictional Bios

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2025 59:53


    This episode was inspired by our tall tales episode. We each take a crack a writing another host's fictional bio. This was supposed to be a Christmas Episode but was delayed.

    The Holy Prepuce (Foreskin) and Other Relics

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 32:26


    The Holy Prepuce, or Holy Foreskin (Latin præputium or prepucium), is one of several relics attributed to Jesus, consisting of the foreskin removed during the circumcision of Jesus. At various points in history, a number of churches in Europe have claimed to possess the Prepuce, sometimes at the same time. Various miraculous powers have been ascribed to it.

    Snarky Restaurant Reviews

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 37:30


    Two mean reviews. One from the Sydney Morning Herald on Coco Roco...and the other from the New York Times on Guy's American Kitchen & Bar.

    Pong

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 35:18


    Pong is a table tennis–themed twitch arcade sports video game, featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, manufactured by Atari and originally released on 29 November 1972. It is one of the earliest arcade video games; it was created by Allan Alcorn as a training exercise assigned to him by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, but Bushnell and Atari co-founder Ted Dabney were surprised by the quality of Alcorn's work and decided to manufacture the game. Bushnell based the game's concept on an electronic ping-pong game included in the Magnavox Odyssey, the first home video game console. In response, Magnavox later sued Atari for patent infringement.

    Competitive Eating, Takeru Kobayashi, and Joey Chestnut

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2024 60:39


    Competitive eating, or speed eating, is a sport in which participants compete against each other to eat large quantities of food, usually in a short time period. Contests are typically eight to ten minutes long, although some competitions can last up to thirty minutes, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner. Competitive eating is most popular in the United States, Canada, and Japan, where organized professional eating contests often offer prizes, including cash.

    Sleeping Beauty

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 38:04


    The earliest known version of the tale is found in the French narrative Perceforest, written between 1330 and 1344.[7] Another was the Catalan poem Frayre de Joy e Sor de Paser.[8] Giambattista Basile wrote another, "Sun, Moon, and Talia" for his collection Pentamerone, published posthumously in 1634–36[9] and adapted by Charles Perrault in Histoires ou contes du temps passé in 1697. The version collected and printed by the Brothers Grimm was one orally transmitted from the Perrault version,[10] while including own attributes like the thorny rose hedge and the curse.[11] Sun, Moon, and Talia (Italian: Sole, Luna, e Talia) is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile and published posthumously in the last volume of his 1634-36 work, the Pentamerone. Charles Perrault retold this fairy tale in 1697 as Sleeping Beauty, as did the Brothers Grimm in 1812 as Little Briar Rose.

    The Sinking of the Whaleship Essex

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 36:24


    Essex was an American whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, which was launched in 1799. On November 20, 1820, while at sea in the southern Pacific Ocean under the command of Captain George Pollard Jr., the ship was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale. About 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) from the coast of South America, the 20-man crew was forced to make for land in three whaleboats with what food and water they could salvage from the wreck. After a month at sea the crew landed on the uninhabited Henderson Island. Three men elected to stay on the island, from which they were rescued in April 1821, while the remaining seventeen set off again for the coast of South America. The men suffered severe dehydration, starvation and exposure on the open ocean, and the survivors eventually resorted to cannibalism. By the time they were rescued in February 1821, three months after the sinking of Essex, only five of the seventeen were alive. First mate Owen Chase and cabin boy Thomas Nickerson later wrote accounts of the ordeal. The tragedy attracted international attention, and inspired Herman Melville to write his 1851 novel, Moby-Dick.

    Carlos Kaiser

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2024 37:30


    Carlos Henrique Raposo (born 2 April 1963), commonly known as Carlos Kaiser, is a Brazilian con artist and former footballer who played as a striker.[citation needed] Although his abilities were far short of professional standard, he managed to sign for numerous teams during his decade-long career. He never actually played a regular game, the closest occurrence ending in a red card whilst warming up, and hid his limited ability with injuries, frequent team changes, and other ruses.[1]

    Crazy Patents

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 41:02


    A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention.[1] In most countries, patent rights fall under private law and the patent holder must sue someone infringing the patent in order to enforce their rights.[2]

    Mickey Barreto - An NYC Real Estate Loophole Story

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 34:10


    For five years, a New York City man managed to live rent-free in a landmark Manhattan hotel by exploiting an obscure local housing law.

    Richard Dawkins

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 41:49


    Richard Dawkins FRS FRSL (born 26 March 1941)[3] is a British evolutionary biologist, zoologist, science communicator and author.[4] He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford, and was Professor for Public Understanding of Science in the University of Oxford from 1995 to 2008. His 1976 book The Selfish Gene popularised the gene-centred view of evolution, as well as coining the term meme. Dawkins has won several academic and writing awards.[5]

    Siege Weapons and Fortifications

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2024 34:37


    A siege engine is a weapon used to destroy fortifications such as defensive walls, castles, bunkers and fortified gateways.   A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make").[1]

    Pied Piper and the Children's Crusade

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 35:43


    The legend dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest references describe a piper, dressed in multicoloured ("pied") clothing, who was a rat catcher hired by the town to lure rats away[1] with his magic pipe. When the citizens refused to pay for this service as promised, he retaliated by using his instrument's magical power on their children, leading them away as he had the rats. This version of the story spread as folklore and has appeared in the writings of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the Brothers Grimm, and Robert Browning, among others. The phrase "pied piper" has become a metaphor for a person who attracts a following through charisma or false promises.[2]

    Project 57

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 32:40


    Project 57 was an open-air nuclear test conducted by the United States at the Nellis Air Force Range in 1957,[1][2] following Operation Redwing, and preceding Operation Plumbbob. The test area, also known as Area 13, was a 10 miles (16 km) by 16 miles (26 km) block of land abutting the northeast boundary of the Nevada National Security Site.[3]

    Sun Wukong the Monkey King

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 51:46


    Sun Wukong (Chinese: 孫悟空, Mandarin pronunciation: [swə́n ûkʰʊ́ŋ]), also known as the Monkey King, is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.[1] In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. Five hundred years later, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang riding on the White Dragon Horse and two other disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, on a journey to obtain Buddhist sutras from India, known as the West or Western Paradise, where Buddha and his followers dwell.[2]

    Hulk Hogan, the Love Sponge, and Peter Thiel

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 32:05


    Bollea v. Gawker was a lawsuit filed in 2013 in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, delivering a verdict on March 18, 2016. In the suit, Terry Gene Bollea, known professionally as Hulk Hogan, sued Gawker Media, publisher of the Gawker website, and several Gawker employees and Gawker-affiliated entities[2] for posting portions of a sex tape of Bollea with Heather Clem, at that time the wife of radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Bollea's claims included invasion of privacy, infringement of personality rights, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Prior to trial, Bollea's lawyers said the privacy of many Americans was at stake while Gawker's lawyers said that the case could hurt freedom of the press in the United States.[4][5]   Link to donation page along with the embedded youtube live link:   https://secure.actblue.com/donate/humanists    

    Human Greetings and Congratulation Rituals

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 43:33


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handshake   A handshake is a globally widespread, brief greeting or parting tradition in which two people grasp one of each other's hands, and in most cases, it is accompanied by a brief up-and-down movement of the grasped hands. Customs surrounding handshakes are specific to cultures. Different cultures may be more or less likely to shake hands, or there may be different customs about how or when to shake hands.[1][2][3]   https://www.youtube.com/live/R3skyySEOuE?si=ryqPaI2LJ0Mgv4HR    

    The Ice Bowl

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 42:36


    The 1967 NFL Championship Game was the 35th NFL championship, played on December 31 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.[1] Because of the adverse conditions in which the game was played, the rivalry between the two teams, and the game's dramatic climax, it has been immortalized as the Ice Bowl and is considered one of the greatest games in NFL history. NFL 100 Greatest Games ranked this game as the 3rd greatest game of all time. It is still the coldest game ever played in NFL history.

    The Barefoot Bandit- Colton Harris Moore

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 41:49


    Colton Harris Moore (born March 22, 1991)[10] is an American former fugitive. He was charged with the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in property, including several small aircraft, boats, and multiple cars, all committed while still a teenager.

    Jeanne Calment

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 40:52


    Jeanne Louise Calment (French: [ʒan lwiz kalmɑ̃] ⓘ; 21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997) was a French supercentenarian and, with a documented lifespan of 122 years and 164 days, the oldest person ever whose age has been verified.[1] Her longevity attracted media attention and medical studies of her health and lifestyle. She is the only person verified to have reached the age of 120 and beyond. According to census records, Calment outlived both her daughter and grandson.[2] In January 1988, she was widely reported to be the oldest living person, and in 1995, at age 120, was declared the oldest verified person to have ever lived.[3]

    JBS Haldane and the X-Craft

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 38:26


    John Burdon Sanderson Haldane FRS (/ˈhɔːldeɪn/; 5 November 1892 – 1 December 1964[1][2]), nicknamed "Jack" or "JBS",[3] was a British-Indian scientist who worked in physiology, genetics, evolutionary biology, and mathematics. With innovative use of statistics in biology, he was one of the founders of neo-Darwinism. Despite his lack of an academic degree in the field,[1] he taught biology at the University of Cambridge, the Royal Institution, and University College London.[4] Renouncing his British citizenship, he became an Indian citizen in 1961 and worked at the Indian Statistical Institute for the rest of his life.

    Sir Francis Drake

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2024 36:04


    Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer and privateer best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580. This was the first English circumnavigation, and second circumnavigation overall. He is also known for participating in the early English slaving voyages of his cousin, Sir John Hawkins, and John Lovell. Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 he was part of the fight against the Spanish Armada as a vice-admiral.

    The Conch Rebellion

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 34:22


    The Conch Republic (/ˈkɒŋk/) is a micronation declared as a sarcastic secession of the city of Key West, Florida, from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city. Since then, the term "Conch Republic" has been expanded to refer to "all of the Florida Keys, or, that geographic apportionment of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County, Florida, northward to 'Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon' in Florida City, Dade County, Florida, with Key West as the micronation's capital and all territories north of Key West being referred to as 'The Northern Territories'".[1]

    Anthony Comstock

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2024 34:27


    Anthony Comstock (March 7, 1844 – September 21, 1915) was an American anti-vice activist, United States Postal Inspector, and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice (NYSSV), who was dedicated to upholding Christian morality. He opposed obscene literature, abortion, contraception, masturbation, gambling, prostitution, and patent medicine. The terms comstockery and comstockism refer to his extensive censorship campaign of materials that he considered obscene, including birth control advertised or sent by mail. He used his positions in the U.S. Postal Service and the NYSSV (in association with the New York police) to make numerous arrests for obscenity and gambling. Besides these pursuits, he was also involved in efforts to suppress fraudulent banking schemes, mail swindles, and medical quackery.[2]

    Assassination attempts on Fidel Castro

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2024 46:27


    The United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) made numerous unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro. There were also attempts by Cuban exiles, sometimes in cooperation with the CIA. The 1975 Church Committee claimed eight proven CIA assassination attempts between 1960 and 1965. In 1976, President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order banning political assassinations. In 2006, Fabián Escalante, former chief of Cuba's intelligence, stated that there had been 634 assassination schemes or attempts. The last known plot to assassinate Castro was by Cuban exiles in 2000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_assassination_attempts_on_Fidel_Castro

    Steve Jobs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2024 55:54


    Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc. Jobs was also the founder of NeXT and chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar. He was a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with his early business partner and fellow Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

    Bronze Age Collapse

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 35:14


    The Late Bronze Age collapse was a time of widespread societal collapse during the 12th century BC associated with environmental change, mass migration, and the destruction of cities. The collapse affected a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean (North Africa and Southeast Europe) and the Near East, in particular Egypt, eastern Libya, the Balkans, the Aegean, Anatolia, and, to a lesser degree, the Caucasus. It was sudden, violent, and culturally disruptive for many Bronze Age civilizations, and it brought a sharp economic decline to regional powers, notably ushering in the Greek Dark Ages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Bronze_Age_collapse  

    Spaceships That Weren't

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2024 41:23


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_canceled_launch_vehicle_designs Even before the launch of Sputnik 1, there were various types of launch vehicle designs. The launch vehicle designs described below are either canceled or never left the drawing board.

    Frank Bourassa - The Greatest Counterfeiter in the World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 44:35


    Counterfeiting of the currency of the United States is widely attempted. According to the United States Department of Treasury, an estimated $70 million in counterfeit bills are in circulation, or approximately 1 note in counterfeits for every 10,000 in genuine currency, with an upper bound of $200 million counterfeit, or 1 counterfeit per 4,000 genuine notes.[1][2] However, these numbers are based on annual seizure rates on counterfeiting, and the actual stock of counterfeit money is uncertain because some counterfeit notes successfully circulate for a few transactions.

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