History.icu

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These are the weird bits of history that you have never heard about, but that you really want to know about. These are short bits, about 5 to 10 minutes long that tell about quirky events that often had far reaching consequences. How much land get you get in a box of cereal? What happens when you th…

James Dykstra

  • Nov 24, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
  • monthly NEW EPISODES
  • 6m AVG DURATION
  • 24 EPISODES


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Latest episodes from History.icu

E24 San Francisco and the Mask

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2020 9:23


Episode Notes You hate wearing masks? You're not alone. A lot of people had the same problem over 100 years ago. Find out more. Music by JJStiano on Looperman.

E23 You can't always get what you want

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 5:56


How do you explain it when a place on the map should be there, but isn't and another shouldn't be there, but is? Today's story is about the island of Bermeja, and the hamlet of Aglo. The music is courtesy of JJStiano, and the image of the beach being washed away is kordi_vahle.

E22 Halley's Comet Panic of 1910

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 6:14


What do you do when a comet comes? Find out how many reacted when Halley's Comet made a visit in 1910. Image courtesy of Buddy_Nath at Pixabay. Theme music is, as always, courtesy of JJStiano at Looperman.

E21 The Art of Drawing Attention to Yourself, aka Goldfish Swallowing

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2020 5:33


People will eat strange things, but in order to draw attention to themselves, it might surprise you what people will do. Music from JJStiano at Looperman. Goldfish picture by Dina263 at Pixabay.

E20 The Death of Franz Ferdinand

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2020 6:26


This is the story of the unlikely death of one man. Music courtesy of jjstiano at Looperman. Image of the gun used in the assassination from Daniel R. Blume.

E19 Operation Paul Bunyan

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2020 6:34


If they won't let you cut down a tree in Korea, does it make a sound? This is is the weird tale of a tree pruning operation in the Korean demilitarized zone in 1976. Music is courtesy of jjstiano at Looperman.

E18 Operation Manna

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2020 5:53


When the odd are down and enemies actually collaborate for the greater good to make food fall from heaven, what can it be but a miracle?Music by JJStiano at Looperman. Image of the Lancaster bomber is in the pubic domain and can be found on Wikipedia.

E17 Mary Mallon, aka Typhoid Mary, and Cold Desserts

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2020 5:56


The tale of Typhoid Mary is a famous one, but how was it that Mary Mallon managed to spread typhoid in New York? The tale is stranger than you think.Music, as always, is by jjstiano, at Looperman.Image from Lupo 09:59, 24 March 2006 (UTC) - According to http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-history-702b,0,3017376.photo?coll=ny-lihistory-navigation[dead link] this is an illustration that appeared in 1909 in The New York American. (According to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/typhoid/mary.html, the precise date was June 20, 1909)., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=689799Notes go here

E16 The 38 Minute War

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 5:47


The Anglo-Zanzibar War, at 38 minutes is the shortest war in history. Yet enough brief events can be of lasting significance.The music is from jjstiano and the photo of the HMS Philomel comes from Wikipedia.

E15 USS Seadragon

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2020 5:00


The story of the USS Seadragon, its voyage under the ice, and the world's strangest baseball game.Image from Wikimedia Commons and the music is from jjstiano at Looperman.

E14 The Great Ostrich Heist of 1911

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2020 6:12


What happens when women want really big feathers on their hats? How far will people go to satisfy the craving? And how long will the craving last?Music courtesy of jjstiano at Looperman, and image is from ivabalk at Pixabay.

E13 Rhinoceros Party

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2020 5:01


If you think politics today is absurd, you need to meet Canada's Rhinoceros Party.Check out History.icu for show notes and a transcript of the podcast.Thanks to jjstiano for the theme music, and Free-Photos for the rhino image.

E12 The Slimiest Man in Baseball

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2020 6:37


Do you love him or do you hate him? What makes a hero? The great Arthur Irwin was said to be the slimiest man in baseball.Music from jjstanio at Looperman.com. Art work courtesty of Wikipedia.

E11 Slip Sliding Away

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2020 5:32


In this episode the Dutch teach the Spanish a few things about ice. The theme music is courtesty of jjstiano

E10 Silent Night

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2019 6:40


It was the night the guns went silent. Sometimes there's something more powerful in war than hate.Music has been provided by jjstiano and and Kevin MacLeod.

E9 Liechtenstein

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2019 5:38


Pity poor Liechtenstein. Tiny and ignored and even bullied, it's still a country that knows what's important.Thanks to jjstiano at Looperman for the music, and to pasja1000 at Pixaby for the image.

E8 Igor Gouzenko

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2019 7:00


This is the story of Igor Gouzenko, who is not your typical Cold War spy. On a Friday night, in September of 1945 he started the Cold War. But it didn't happen the way you think it might.Thanks to jjstiano at Looperman.com for the music, and to Paul Daley at Pixabay.com for the image.

E7 Great Moon Hoax of 1835

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2019 7:16


What if there was other intelligent life in the universe? In all of the vastness of creation, what if we weren't the pinnancle being out there?Music is courtesy of jjstiano over at Looperman.com. Cover art comes from chriscalderwoo1 at Pixabay.

E6 Great Emu War

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2019 6:26


What do you do when 20,000 emus overrun your farm? Go to war, obvously.Music courtesy of jjstiano at Looperman.com

E5 Straw Hat Riot of 1922

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2019 6:09


This is the story of when a hat is fashionable, when it is not, and what you can do about that.Music is courtesy of jjstiano over at Looperman.com.

E4 Klondike Big Inch Land Company

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2019 5:17


The story of how not to own a small piece of the Klondike.Music provided by jjstiano over at Looperman.com.

E3 Jenny Geddes

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2019 5:21


This is the story of an average woman named Jenny Geddes. By being who she was she triggered a reformation in her church, and set rolling unforeseen consequence in the entire kingdom. She chose a place to take her seat and to take her stand and that changed everything.Music provided by jjstiano over at Looperman.com.

E2 Dancing Plague of 1522

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2019 5:19


This episode is about the Dancing Plague of 1522. When times are tough, the tough go dancing.Music is courtesy of jjstiano over at Looperman.com

E1 The Defenestration of Prague

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2019 5:05


This is the first episode of History.icu. It's going to be a short podcast, published about every two weeks, about weird, quirky, offbeat events that are suprisingly relatable.Today's episode is about the Defenestration of Prague, or why you should check to see if someone has closed the window before you come very far into the room.Music is supplied by jjstiano of www.looperman.com

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