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The History Cache PodcastSowing History: The Judean Date Palm’s 2,000 Year Old ComebackFor 1,000 years the Judean Date Palm has been extinct, likely wiped out due to human warfare which took a toll on the palm plantations that required copious amount of water and care in the harsh desert environment.
The fruit from this particular species was said to be unusually sweet and was valued for its medicinal properties. Appearing on ancient coins and in ancient texts and given as gifts to Roman emperors, these dates were a symbol of property, beauty, and abundance.
This treasured fruit was lost to history—until two scientists dared to try the ‘impo...
2023-09-1320 minThe History Cache PodcastFrom the Cache: Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the CoelacanthIt was believed the Coelacanth went extinct along with the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago when the Chicxulub impactor smashed into planet Earth…that was until Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the East London Museum, found one in a pile of fish on a dock in South Africa in 1938.
This primordial fish shocked the scientific world when the first-ever living specimen was pulled up by Captain Hendrik Goosen while he was trawling for fish near the mouth of the Chalumna River. The Coelacanth was dubbed a “living fossil” though it was eventually discovered that it had continued to evolve...
2023-08-2324 minThe History Cache PodcastFrom the Cache: History’s Happy Little AccidentsFrom the cache! Until an all-new episode premiers this October, please enjoy this recast. Bob Ross, American painter and iconic TV host of the 80s and 90s, famously told us that there are no mistakes, only “happy little accidents.” There are numerous examples of history happening by accident--archaeologists accidentally stumbling upon a find, scientists accidentally discovering a breakthrough--and today we explore four such stories.
First, we travel to 1856 when a teenager accidentally discovered mauve and synthetic dye while he was on vacation, which led to the pioneering of immunology and a Nobel prize. Then we head to 1940s Fr...
2023-08-0234 minThe History Cache PodcastUnsinkable SamDuring the chaos of World War 2, soldiers on both land and sea found companionship and comfort in the animals they had with them. From horses to goats, the animals serving alongside the soldiers of WW2 saw action on battlefields the world over.
Today we’re exploring the life of one particular animal who survived the sinking of three different battleships, including the infamous Bismarck. His name was Oscar, then Sam, then quite appropriately, Unsinkable Sam.
Unsinkable Sam was a black and white tabby cat who was allegedly rescued from a floating plank after the chase an...
2023-07-1222 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Great Stink of 1858During the summer of 1858, a drought coupled with a heatwave, the lack of a proper sewer system, industrial waste, a booming population, and an increase in the usage of new flush toilets all came together to form a perfect storm of putrid petulance in London that was so bad historians gave it its own name: The Great Stink.
The Great Stink was so foul it would send Londoners into fits of vomiting if they went anywhere near the Thames. The river’s unsanitary conditions made for a city ripe with illness. In an age where water transmitted dis...
2023-06-2127 min
The History Cache PodcastThe Second Life of Betty RobinsonIn 1928 Betty Robinson astounded the sports world by winning the first Olympic gold medal in history awarded to a woman for the 100-meter race after only running competitively for five months.
While training for the 1932 Olympics set to take place in her home county, Betty was involved in a tragic accident and her diagnosis was heartbreaking. Doctors told her she would never run again.
Betty disagreed.
After years of rehabilitation and training Betty arrived at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as part of the U.S. relay team. What happened next because one of the...
2023-05-3128 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Lady Franklin Bay Expedition Part 2: Their Legacy RemainsWe continue the story of the tragic Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, also known as the Greely Expedition, in the Canadian Arctic. We pick back up and Camp Clay on Cape Sabine after the crew had fled their previous station when their relief ship had failed to arrive a second year in a row.
At their new outpost, the crew finally realized they were on their own for another Arctic winter, one they were not prepared for. Their rations were dwindling and death from starvation came quickly. Most of the crew struggling to survive at Camp Clay would...
2023-05-1034 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Lady Franklin Bay Expedition Part 1: No Way HomeIn 1881 an expedition to the Arctic led by Lieutenant Adolphus Greely and organized by the US Army set off for Lady Franklin Bay, Canada, well above the Arctic circle. The plan was to establish a temporary meteorological-observation station as part of the First International Polar Year, a worldwide effort to better understand Earth’s climate by collecting astronomical and magnetic data.
Most of the data was collected by astronomer Edward Israel, a young University of Michigan graduate from Kalamazoo.
Though their mission of data collection was successful, and they would set a record for traveling fu...
2023-04-1945 minThe History Cache PodcastKen Allen: The Hairy HoudiniIn the 1980s a series of high profile escapes brought attention to an unlikely culprit. His name was Ken Allen and he just may be the greatest escape artist the animal kingdom has ever seen. Ken was a 250 pound Bornean orangutan born and raised at the San Diego Zoo.
Ken escaped his enclosure several times despite the zoo’s constant and expensive security upgrades. Although Ken continued to outsmart his keepers, when he did escape, he chose not to go anywhere. Instead, he simply sauntered around the zoo shaking hands with tourists and enjoying watching the other zo...
2023-03-2927 minThe History Cache PodcastÉdith Piaf: The Little Sparrow, Part 2Few artists ever rise to the level of talent, fame, and legendary status attained by the remarkable Édith Piaf. Though her life seemed a whirlwind of celebrity and success, in reality La Môme Piaf, or the Little Sparrow, was struggling with a troubled past, depression, and a myriad of health issues all intensified by her addictions.
Despite all her trials and tribulations, she conquered the music world, and remains one of the most celebrated musicians of all time. Her life is just as staggeringly fascinating as her music.
We pick up the finale on Édit...
2023-03-081h 28The History Cache PodcastÉdith Piaf: The Little Sparrow, Part 1If heroes get remembered and legends never die, then Édith Piaf will live forever.
Édith Piaf was a chanteuse unlike any other of her time. She rose to fame in the 1930s and led a life just as incredible as her music. From a street performer to an icon, Édith overcame incredible obstacles to reach the top. Her songs like “La Vien En Rose” and “Je Ne Regrette Rien” are still some of the most popular ballads played today.
Born into poverty to a street singer and an acrobat, Édith had an unconventional childhood, some of which was...
2023-02-1548 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Great 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race: The FinaleThe finale is here! After nearly 22,000 miles, or over 35,000 kilometers, we finish the Great 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race. This episode covers the entire trek through Siberia and Europe.
After nearly six months of a grueling auto race before gas stations, highways, asphalt, road maps, or power steering, our remaining competitors in the American Thomas Flyer, the Italian Zust, and the German Protos brave the huge expanse of Russia, something no one else had ever done in an automobile. They face floods, bandits, malaria, hail, freezing rain, bogs, and, as always, a string of mechanical mishaps...
2023-01-251h 17The History Cache PodcastThe Great 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race Part 3The four remaining cars vying for victory in the 1908 New York to Paris auto race had covered one continent, now there were two to go. In an era before highways and gas stations, nothing about this race had gone as planned.
Now, the German Protos was headed for Russia, the Italian Zust, American Thomas Flyer, and French De Dion were crossing the Pacific for Japan.
Behind them were 11,000 miles of countless unpredicted disasters and a pathway carved through grit and perseverance. Before them was another 11,000 miles of the unknown. Safety and success were not guaranteed...
2023-01-0435 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Great 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race Part 2Eleven days into the legendary 1908 New York to Paris auto race, the fastest of the five remaining cars had covered less than 1,000 miles. In this episode our drivers finish shoveling their way across the eastern US, meet the mud of Iowa, the mountain passes of the American Rockies, and the hottest place in the US--Death Valley--where death claims its first victim in the race.
After the frontier of Alaska proves too much for the seemingly uncatchable Thomas Flyer, the race route changes. Now, the last of our plucky protagonists are shipping out to Russia, but not before...
2022-12-1453 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Great 1908 New York to Paris Auto Race Part 1In 1908 six cars lined up for the longest, most demanding race the world had ever seen. Their goal was to race, by automobile, from New York City to Paris, France. The route crossed three continents, was just under 22,000 miles (over 35,000 kilometers) long and, of course, nothing went as panned.
Was this ridiculous attempt at a half-thought through idea an impossible task at a time when horses were more reliable than cars? Yes. Did they do it anyway? Kind of.
Join me as we travel back to 1908 for the greatest road trip of all time.
2022-11-2342 minThe History Cache PodcastWhen Harry Met Winnie: The True Story of Winnie the PoohIn 1914 Harry Colebourn, a Canadian soldier and veterinarian from Winnipeg, was on his way to fight in WW1 when he purchased a bear cub at a train station. That bear would go on to help inspire one of the world's most beloved characters. Her name: Winnie.
For nearly a century the stories of Winnie the Pooh have delighted children around the world. When A.A. Milne first published “Winnie the Pooh” in 1926 neither he, nor his son Christopher Robin Milne, could have ever guessed at how massively successful and life changing the books would be.
Come...
2022-11-0226 minThe History Cache PodcastStingy Jack and the Origin of Jack-o’-LanternsIt’s officially Halloween season and chances are you’ve already seen a considerable amount of Jack-o’-Lanterns. Perhaps you’ve even carved one yourself, taking part in a centuries old tradition. But where does this old Celtic custom come from? Today we explore the origins of Jack-o-Lanterns, discuss the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, and meet Stingy Jack, the cheeky character who just may be behind the origin of the term ‘Jack-o-Lantern’ itself. Wrap up and grab some cider, today’s history is served up with an extra side of spooky.
2022-10-1224 minThe History Cache PodcastFrom the Cache: A Strange Experiment on Mackinac IslandFrom the cache! Until an all-new episode this October, please enjoy this recast on Dr. Beaumont's strange experiment on Mackinac Island.
In 1822 French Canadian Fur Trader Alexis St Martin was shot in the side at a distance of less than one meter. The experiments following his miraculous survival just may be the weirdest piece of history ever seen in the Straits of Mackinac.
The bullet wound left a hole in St Martin’s side giving Dr. William Beaumont the first ever access to a living human stomach. The doctor would tie pieces of food to a...
2022-09-2129 minThe History Cache PodcastFrom the Cache: The Edmund FitzgeraldFrom the cache! Until an all-new episode premiers this October, please enjoy this recast on the legendary Edmund Fitzgerald that originally aired in 2020. In 1975 the gales of November billowed out a monster storm over the waters of Lake Superior, and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald met it head on. By the time the sky cleared, the crew and their ship had become an inseparable part of the history and lore of the Great Lakes. In this very special episode of the History Cache, we uncover the history behind the shipwreck, try and understand what happened the night it...
2022-08-3146 minThe History Cache PodcastOrnamental Garden Hermits: History’s Weirdest JobIf you strolled through an English garden in the 1700s, you might have stumbled across someone employed in what just may be history’s weirdest job. Because, in Georgian Britain, it was all the rage to hire your very own ornamental garden hermit.
These hired hermits would live in solitude for years, never speaking, never washing, never leaving the grounds. They never cut their hair, their fingernails, or toenails, and would be clad in the outfit of an ancient Druid (or what everyone thought an ancient Druid would have looked like), all for the amusement of the ri...
2022-08-1028 minThe History Cache PodcastJoe Carstairs Part 3: The Kingdom of Whale CayIn this finale episode on the incredible life of Joe Carstairs we examine Joe’s life after she earned her place in history as the fastest woman on water. In 1934 Joe purchased Whale Cay, an island in the Bahamas, then known as the British West Indies. Here she built a life in exile, and integrated herself into the economic and social history of the Bahamas.
We cover her experiences on the island, her attempts to aid both British and American forces during WW2, her meeting with the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, the complicated impact she ha...
2022-07-2033 minThe History Cache PodcastJoe Carstairs Part 2: The Fastest Woman on WaterIn Part 2 we continue to explore the relentlessly interesting life of Joe Carstairs, known as the fastest woman on water. We cover her impressive series of wins, the records she broke, and her years long pursuit of the famed Harmsworth Trophy against Gar Wood, the cup’s all time most successful competitor.
In this episode we meet both Ruth Baldwin, the love of Joe’s life, and Lord Tod Wadley, a doll that would become increasingly important to Joe, adding another layer to her reputation as an eccentric. We cover her life after she retires from racing and...
2022-07-1332 minThe History Cache PodcastJoe Carstairs: The Fastest Woman on Water Part 1Joe Carstairs is remembered for being the fastest woman on water in the 1920s. She raced power boats, won trophies, and loved adventure and speed. But her life was so much more than races and fast machines. Born in 1900, Joe was a British eccentric, an heiress, openly a lesbian, and shed many gender conformities of her day.
She served with the American Red Cross in France during WW1, established the X Garage, a chauffeuring business employing a staff of all female drivers and mechanics who had learned their skills while serving during the war, and after receiving...
2022-06-2239 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Death of James Dean and the ”Curse” of Little BastardOn September 30th, 1955 the life of film icon James Dean was tragically cut short while he was driving his brand new Porsche 550 Spyder, which he named “Little Bastard,” to its first race in Salinas when he was involved in a near head on collision.
After the wreck, Little Bastard was declared a total loss and sent to a salvage yard. Some of its parts were used in other race cars and the body was toured around the US until 1960 when it disappeared. Over the years rumors of a “curse” began to circulate due to the tragedies and stran...
2022-06-0135 minThe History Cache PodcastHistoric PranksLaughter is a universal language and today we celebrate humor through the ages by exploring three historic pranks. The first involves Anthemius of Tralles, one of the main architects involved in building the Hagia Sophia and a genius who really knew how to hold a grudge. Then we skip ahead several handfuls of centuries to uncover the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 when a newspaper editor for The Sun ignited a hoax that had everyone looking to the moon for bipedal beavers, bat-like humanoids, and even a unicorn. After that we head to the 1950s near Atlanta, Georgia where three...
2022-05-1125 minThe History Cache PodcastHistory’s Happy Little AccidentsBob Ross, American painter and iconic TV host of the 80s and 90s, famously told us that there are no mistakes, only “happy little accidents.” There are numerous examples of history happening by accident--archaeologists accidentally stumbling upon a find, scientists accidentally discovering a breakthrough--and today we explore four such stories.
First, we travel to 1856 when a teenager accidentally discovered mauve and synthetic dye while he was on vacation, which led to the pioneering of immunology and a Nobel prize. Then we head to 1940s France, when a group of teenagers chasing after a dog accidentally stumbled upon Lasc...
2022-04-2032 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Red Ghost: Lost Camels of the American WestIn the 1880s a beast was rampaging through the deserts of Arizona. Known as the Red Ghost, this creature quickly became thrust into legend and folklore, but it was an echo of a real piece of history. The Red Ghost, which may have existed—not as a monster but as a camel—was a remnant of a piece of history largely forgotten.
In 1855 the US allocated funds for the importation of camels. They were part of an experiment to determine whether camels would be useful for transportation and military operations as the US pushed it’s territory toward...
2022-03-3033 minThe History Cache PodcastShackleton Update: ENDURANCE FOUNDShackleton’s Endurance has been found! In this special bonus episode, we explore everything we know so far about the find. The Endurance was the ship that carried Shackleton and his crew towards what they thought would be an Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which began in 1914. However, ice floes would prevent the explorers from ever setting foot on the mainland of Antarctica. Instead, they would embark on a two-year journey of epic survival. Against all odds, all of them would survive, and now, 106 years later, we can once again set eyes on their ship. Come hear everything we know so fa...
2022-03-1414 minThe History Cache PodcastOn Cheating Death and Inventing the SaxophoneIn 1846 Antoine-Joseph "Adolphe" Sax received his patent for the saxophone, but not before he cheated death at least seven times. He was so accident prone that his own mother didn’t believe he would survive childhood. His close calls with death earned him the nickname “Little Sax the Ghost.”
Sax’s life was a roller coaster of ups and downs. Mired the backstabbing world of invention, he fought years of legal battles, narrowly escaped death multiple times, battled cancer in the 1850s, and still helped shape music history.
Both hated and loved in his own time, Sax...
2022-03-0930 minThe History Cache PodcastA Heist at Lincoln’s Tomb and the Snarky Farewell of Mr. AccordionIn 1876 a bumbling group of Chicago counterfeiters broke into Abraham Lincoln’s tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Illinois, after formulating a plot to steal the president’s body and use it as leverage to get counterfeiter Benjamin Boyd released from prison. Boyd worked for small-time crime boss Big Jim Kinealy, and Big Jim’s attempted heist would, with the help of a secret service informant, go down in history as an utterly bad idea.
Then we jump ahead a century to explore the snarkiest tomb in history. Roy Bertelli, known as Mr. Accordion, regularly stood atop his own gr...
2022-02-1626 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Real Treasure Island350 miles off the cost of Costa Rica lies the legendary Cocos Island. Over the centuries it’s been a refuge for pirates, mutinous mariners, and the obsession of hundreds of treasure hunters. Some believe it was the original inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island.
Though little evidence exists for the purported billion dollars worth of treasure said to be hidden within its shores, it has seen centuries worth of strange and interesting history. Pirates like Captain Morgan, Benito Bonito, Captain Edward Davis, Captain Bennett Grahame, and the mutinous Captain Thompson used the island as a hav...
2022-01-2634 minThe History Cache PodcastStagecoach MaryThere are many legendary figures who emerged from the American Wild West. In this all new episode we explore the life of the lesser known, though no less incredible, Mary Fields, who has come to be known as Stagecoach Mary.
Born enslaved, Mary was emancipated around the age of 33 after the American Civil War. Eventually she moved west to the Montana Territory. There she worked alongside the Ursuline nuns and Jesuits at St. Peter’s mission until she was dismissed for an incident involving drawn firearms.
Mary was a mold breaker and was unafraid to pu...
2022-01-0522 minThe History Cache PodcastHans Trapp the Christmas ScarecrowA mythical holiday legend grew from the life of Hans von Trotha, a medieval knight who served in both the German Palatinate and the French court of Louis XII. His life had some tumultuous twists and turns: excommunication, exile, and a row with a Benedictine abbot over Berwartstein Castle that nearly destroyed the town of Weissenburg.
After his death, history was transformed into lore, and this chevalier d’or, “knight of gold,” became a monster whose tale is still told in several regions of France and Germany.
Come learn how myth turned the medieval knight Hans v...
2021-12-1525 minThe History Cache PodcastThe 1904 Olympic Marathon: History‘s Most Ridiculous RaceThe 1904 Olympic marathon is remembered as history’s most bizarre race. Running in tandem with the St. Louis World’s Fair, or the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the 1904 Olympics were the first games hosted by the US. Given the disorganization, poor international turnout, and competition with the World Fair’s 20 million visitors, the 1904 games were perhaps doomed before they started. But no single event would ever compare with the absurd chaos of the marathon. From wild dogs to a professional clown on performance enhancing drugs, this race had it all.
We also delve into the history of the ancien...
2021-11-2436 minThe History Cache PodcastWhen History Falls From the Sky48.5 tons of meteoric material falls onto our planet every day, which has made for some stellar history. Today we explore history that has fallen from the sky. We begin in Egypt by examining the meteorite dagger of Tutankhamun, then we travel to Sylacauga, Alabama in the year 1954 when Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges became the first documented person in history to be struck by a meteorite. After that we travel 50,000 years back in time to hear the story of the basket meteorite, a special piece of space rock that made its way to Northern Arizona’s Meteor Crater twice thanks to...
2021-11-0328 minThe History Cache PodcastThe RavenIn 1845 Edgar Allen Poe first published his now iconic poem The Raven. Come hear the full reading of this legendary literary tale in this bonus Halloween mini episode.
2021-10-3110 minThe History Cache PodcastHulda of Bohemia: The ”Witch‘” of Sleepy HollowAbout 30 miles north of Manhattan lies the town of Sleepy Hollow. Made famous by Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, this nook in the Hudson Valley is home to legends and history alike. A real, lesser known figure in the history of this region is a woman the townsfolk called Hulda of Bohemia.
Ostracized by the larger community, the elderly Hulda crafted herbal medicines for the town, leaving them anonymously on people’s doorsteps and windowsills. Though her gifts were appreciated in secret, Hula was shunned and labeled as a witch.
When the Amer...
2021-10-1330 minThe History Cache Podcast600 Years of Animals Put on TrialWe’ve been putting animals on trial probably as long as we’ve been putting one another on trial. In this episode we examine several animal trials spanning nearly a 600-year period. We cover six trials extending over three continents: A monkey in Hartlepool accused of espionage, a murderous pig in Savigny, a group of slugs who just wouldn’t listen, a circus elephant in Tennessee we should never forget, a bear who served time with good behavior in Kazakhstan, and a rooster (or basilisk depending on whom you ask) in Basel, Switzerland, burned at the stake for laying an egg...
2021-09-2228 minThe History Cache PodcastMarjorie Courtenay-Latimer and the CoelacanthIt was believed the Coelacanth went extinct along with the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago when the Chicxulub impactor smashed into planet Earth…that was until Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the East London Museum, found one in a pile of fish on a dock in South Africa in 1938. This ancient fish surprised the scientific world when the first living specimen was pulled up by Captain Hendrik Goosen while he was trawling for fish near the mouth of the Chalumna River. The Coelacanth was dubbed a “living fossil” though it was eventually discovered that it has evolved over the last 400 millio...
2021-09-0125 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Monte Vista Hotel: Where History Meets LoreThe Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona is a place where history and lore are inseparably intertwined. Built in 1927, this 73-room hotel and cocktail bar has seen prohibition, a speakeasy, mysterious underground tunnels, historic radio broadcasts, Hollywood, and some swear a ghost or two. Come explore the fascinating story of this famous, and some say infamous, hotel nestled in the Arizona mountains.
2021-08-1128 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Real Scorpion KingOver 5,200 years ago a king rose to power in Upper Egypt. His name was Scorpion. Yes, there was a real Scorpion king, and we can piece together a fragmentary picture of his life through the archaeological evidence left behind. Though the details of his life are debated, it’s clear he was an important part of Egyptian history. Come join me as we time travel back to predynastic Egypt and meet the legendary Scorpion King.
2021-07-2126 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Disappearance of Glen and Bessie HydeIn 1928 Glen and Bessie Hyde struck out to make history. They wanted to raft down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon at a time when only 45 people in recorded history had dared to make that journey. If successful, they would set a new speed record, and Bessie would be the first woman in recorded history to make the voyage.
Their scow was found snagged in the river at mile 232, all their belongings still intact, but the young couple had vanished. Their disappearance sparked a mystery still told around canyon camp fires and has made them an...
2021-06-3033 minThe History Cache PodcastEscape from the AmazonIt’s incredibly unlikely you’ll ever be involved in a plane crash. Its also incredibly unlikely you’ll ever be struck by lightning. Both of those things happened to Juliane Koepcke at the same time. In 1971, she and her mother were making their way from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, when their plane broke apart at 10,000 feet. Julianna fell almost two miles out of the sky and into the Peruvian jungle. The the only survivor, she was injured, alone, and lost in the Amazon rainforest. What followed is an incredible account of survival, will, and the relentless tenacity of human...
2021-06-0928 minThe History Cache PodcastA Victorian Murder Most FoulIn 1879 the Victorian world was shocked by one of the most sensational murders it would ever see. When Kate Webster killed, dismembered, and boiled her employer Julia Martha Thomas, she went down in history as one of the most notorious killers of the 19th century. Find out all the gory details and just what David Attenborough had to do with it 131 years later. Yes, that David Attenborough.
2021-05-1928 minThe History Cache PodcastShackleton in 30 Minutes(ish)This is the story of Shackleton and the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914-1916 as presented at this year’s 2021 Intelligent Speech Conference. The theme this year was escape and in the last expedition of the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration, Shackleton and his crew pulled off the greatest escape of all time, against all odds, at the brink of human endurance as they spent nearly two years lost, adrift on the pack ice of the Weddell sea, setting foot onto some of the last uncharted places in the world. This is the cliff notes version of the expedition. For a...
2021-04-2838 minThe History Cache PodcastStealing the Mona LisaShe has one of the most recognizable smiles in the world, but why is the Mona Lisa so famous? She is undoubtedly a masterpiece, but didn’t become a worldwide sensation until 1911 when Vincenzo Peruggia stole her from the Louvre museum in Paris. It has been dubbed by some as the greatest art theft of the 20th century. Find out how he pulled it off and how the Mona Lisa, known as La Joconde in France and La Gioconda in Italy, made her way back to France to become the world’s most visited painting.
2021-04-0725 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Shark Attacks of 1916Decades before the movie phenomenon of Jaws, our fear of sharks was ignited by a series of real shark attacks that all occurred within a 12-day period in the summer of 1916. Before these attacks along the New Jersey shore, many believed sharks were not capable of killing or attacking humans. This week we sift through the lore to find the real history surrounding the five attacks-and four deaths-that kindled our fascination with these animals. We also discuss how the shark mania that spread out from the 1916 attacks and the sensational film Jaws, has given sharks a reputation as blood...
2021-03-1727 min
Grand Rapidians Play Video Games104) Paul's Shooting AdventureHappy 2 year anniversary to this podcast! Simon and Mystery Guest are back! We drink some whiskey from Gingers custom infinity bottle blend, Lo-Rez's Mango Chili Shortcut, and Pigeon Hill's Shifting Sands. We've played Drill Dozer (GBA), Celestse (XBox), Sudoku (Android), and Paul's Shooting Adventure (DsiWare). Willie is giving his game away! Show us you've left us a review somewhere at sometime [drawing will be held 3/31/2021] and we'll select one of you at random to win Drill Dozer! (Cartridge only) Our recommendations are the GRPVG Infinity Whiskey, the book Green Witchcraft by Paige Vanderbeck, and the podcasts Jorts Center and Hi...
2021-03-131h 06The History Cache PodcastBessie Coleman: A Legend in FlightThe turn of the 20th century was an incredible time for aviation and in 1892, eleven years before the Wright Brothers’ famous flight, a pilot was born. Bessie Coleman, known as Queen Bess, was the first African American and the first Indigenous American to receive an international pilot’s license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, two years before Amelia Earhart. Bared from American flight schools because of her sex and unable to find a pilot to give her lessons in the US due to her race, she left for flight school in France. Upon her return, she had an...
2021-02-2431 minThe History Cache PodcastHistorical Oddities Part 2: The Incredible Afterlife of Outlaw Elmer McCurdy and the London Bridge of ArizonaIn Part 2 of the Historical Oddities series, we uncover two strange pieces of history. In the 1970’s when the crew of the Six Million Dollar Man was shooting an episode inside a funhouse in Long Beach, California, they accidentally stumbled upon something unexpected…the dead, mummified body of the outlaw Elmer McCurdy. Elmer had been shot dead by a Sherriff’s posse the better part of a century before, so what was his corpse doing hanging from the rafters of a funhouse? Today we examine his incredible true story.
Next, we go across the pond and back again...
2021-02-0328 minThe History Cache PodcastHistorical Oddities Part 1: Frank Hayes, the Unsinkable Violet Jessop, and Jack the Incredible BaboonHistory is weird sometimes. In this first episode of a two-part series, we discuss historical oddities, and highlight some of the most curious events and people history has to offer. Today we begin with Frank Hayes, an unstoppable jockey, and Sweet Kiss, a bay mare no one was betting on. She and her jockey would make history with one race—but not because of their victory. Then we skip across the pond to find the unsinkable Violet Jessop, a woman who survived three of the 20th century’s most harrowing shipwrecks. South Africa is our last stop where we find...
2021-01-1328 minThe History Cache PodcastThe History of Ghosts at ChristmasBundle up, grab some nog, and get ready for a 117-year-old ghost story. We don’t tend to think of ghost stories when we think of the glitz and glamour of the holidays, but the tradition of gathering around the fire to tell dark tales and call upon the lore of ages long since passed goes back generations. Today, we discuss this tradition and hear M.R. James’s tale “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad,” first published in 1904.
2020-12-2341 minThe History Cache PodcastStealing and Stealing Back the Stone of DestinyIt’s a stone with many names--the Stone of Destiny, the Stone of Scone, the Coronation Stone, Lia Fáil-- and there are numerous legends and myths about its origins. For centuries it was used in the coronations of Scottish kings, that is, until it was taken to England by Edward 1st in 1296. From then on it was used in the coronations of English and subsequent British monarchs, symbolizing their rule over Scotland and its incorporation into the United Kingdom. For 700 years after it was taken by the English king, it remained in Westminster Abby under the Coronation Chair, unt...
2020-12-0240 minThe History Cache PodcastClever Hans: The Horse That Outsmarted EveryoneWe know that a lot of our communication happens not just through words, but through facial expressions, tone, and body language too. This can cause a researcher to unintentionally influence the person or animal they are examining. There are ways of getting around this-double blind studies are one way-where neither the researcher nor the subject knows if they are in a control or experimental group. But where did our understanding of subtle cues come from? Well, they came from a particularly clever horse. Clever Hans, a horse who took the media by storm in the early 1900s. Clever Hans...
2020-11-1118 minThe History Cache PodcastOnce Dead, Twice Buried Part 2: A Short History on Being Buried AliveThe finale of our miniseries comes to a close as we cover several real historical instances of people actually being buried along with a few who had some uncomfortable close calls. We hear about the incredible case of Mathew Wall and find out why on October 2nd for the last 450 years or so, the town of Braughing in Hertfordshire has celebrated “Old Man’s Day.” We learn about the curious cases of Nicephorous Glycas from Lesbos and Anne Green from Oxfordshire who nearly made it to their own funerals and/or dissections. We learn about Alice Blunden and why you sh...
2020-10-2135 minThe History Cache PodcastOnce Dead, Twice Buried Part 1: A History of Death Tests and Safety CoffinsIt’s Halloween season, and that means it’s time for some spooky history. And what is spookier than being buried alive? Nothing really, and that’s where this two-part miniseries is headed. Today in Part 1 we cover taphophobia-the fear of being buried alive-and examine some of the ways we’ve dealt with this fear throughout history. Safety coffins, devices built to save the prematurely buried, and the death tests we used to determine if a person was really, completely dead, are showcased. Edgar Allen Poe, Houdini, and some ill-fated escape artists even make an appearance. If you love the maca...
2020-09-3021 minThe History Cache PodcastA Strange Experiment: Dr. William Beaumont and the 'Guinea Pig' of Mackinac Island.In 1822 on Mackinac Island, French Canadian Fur Trader Alexis St Martin was shot in the side at a distance of less than one meter. The experiments following his miraculous survival just may be the weirdest piece of history ever seen in the Straits of Mackinac.
The bullet wound left a hole in St Martin’s side giving Dr. William Beaumont the first ever access to a living human stomach. The doctor would tie pieces of food to a silk string and dangle them down into St Martin’s stomach in order to better understand the process of dige...
2020-09-0928 minThe History Cache PodcastLeadbelly Part 5: Death of a LegendThe finale is here! We finish the Leadbelly series by uncovering the last few years of his life. We watch his meteoric rise, examine the ups and downs of his relationship with John and Alan Lomax, see him embark on his own, and hear about how he influenced not only the popular folk musicians of the 1940s, but all of popular music since.
We learn about his death, his legacy, and say goodbye to the series highlighting one of the most influential, and often overlooked, musicians of all time.
2020-08-191h 09The History Cache PodcastLeadbelly Part 4: Angola, John Lomax, and a Song for the GovernorWe continue our way through the life of Leadbelly in Part 4. In this episode we see Leadbelly make a plea for a pardon with his music, and watch as he tries adjusting to life outside of prison. As hard as he tries starting life anew, he finds himself once again behind bars, this time in Angola, known as the Alcatraz of the South, one of the bloodiest prisons in US history.
We finally meet John Lomax and his son Allen who would become key figures in Leadbelly’s life as they traveled the South searching for...
2020-07-2950 minThe History Cache PodcastLeadbelly Part 3: Music and MurderMusic and murder collide in the third installment of the series highlighting the life of one of America’s greatest musical legends: Leadbelly. Ledbetter was already a fugitive when he murdered Will Stafford on a dirt road in Texas. No longer able to run from the law, Huddie faced difficult times in the brutal early 20th century prison system where he wrote some of his most profound music. But Leadbelly wouldn’t go down without a fight (and at least two more prison breaks). In this episode, we explore the next chapter of his life, as well as learn the...
2020-07-0857 minThe History Cache PodcastLeadbelly Part 2: Fugitive King of the 12 Sting GuitarIn Leadbelly Part 2 we continue the story of Huddie Ledbetter, one of the most influential musicians of all time. We cover his early adult life in Dallas, his collaboration with the great Blues legend Blind Lemon Jefferson, and hear some of the music that earned him the moniker “King of the Twelve String Guitar.”
He was known for his tumultuous life as well as his musical genius. We explore his first arrest, his escape from prison that made him a wanted fugitive, his new life under the alias “Walter Boyd” and the murder that would change the course o...
2020-06-2458 minThe History Cache PodcastLeadbelly Part 1: ProdigyHuddie Ledbetter was easily one of the most influential American musicians of all time, yet today he has become one of the most historically overlooked. Musical artists like Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, the White Stripes, and countless others have been covering Huddie’s songs for almost a century, however, most listeners have never heard his name. The life of Ledbetter, more widely known as Leadbelly, was fraught with complications, repressed by a world policed with Jim Crow laws, and often filled with violence.
Leadbelly was viewed by audiences as a murderer and criminal, but also as a po...
2020-06-1049 minThe History Cache PodcastIrena Sendler, the Titanic Engineers, Invisible Hands, and Stubby the War DogThis week the Compassion Series comes to a close as we explore four new stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in times of crises. First, we travel back in time to the sinking of the Titanic, and learn the rarely told story of the Titanic’s heroic engineers. Then we meet Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who smuggled over 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during WW2. After that we meet Stubby the war dog, the most decorated dog in American history, and for good reason. Lastly, we travel to New York City and meet the three tw...
2020-05-2732 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Prehistory of Compassion and the Search for Human HappinessThis week we travel back in time 430,000 years to find some of the first examples of compassion in the fossil record. This time we fuse psychology and science with history as we discuss why compassion exists, its potential health benefits, the consequences of stress, fight or flight, and what that all has to do with human happiness. This one packs a scientific punch as we turn up the nerd level to 11.
2020-05-1328 minThe History Cache PodcastJohn Robert Fox, Buffalo SoldierThis week in continuation of our Compassion Series we highlight the incredible story of Lieutenant John Robert Fox, one of seven African American soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor for acts of valor in WW2. We also examine the history of America’s Buffalo Soldiers, and discuss how black soldiers have served courageously in America’s armed forces since the inception of the United States military. Fox’s heroic tale is one that has gone down in history, and the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers remain an integral and interwoven part of the US’s military history. In this epi...
2020-04-2920 min
Music MusingEpisode 54 - Story SongsTesting a new recording platform and we just turned it into a quick episode! Stories in songs. Just some fun banter and back and forth. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/musicmusingGooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2ZFtgTuTuneIn: http://bit.ly/2L93PlcStitcher: http://bit.ly/30HEO65Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LlW2PSYouTube: http://bit.ly/2zzdOJYThe Edmund Fitzgerald Ep: https://historycachepodcast.podbean.com/e/the-edmund-fitzgerald-1583324044/Reach out at: MusicMusingFeedback@gmail.com
2020-04-2726 minThe History Cache PodcastMiep Gies, the Dutch Resistance, and a Girl Who Changed the WorldDuring the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Dutch Resistance to Hitler was strong, with many Dutch citizens risking their lives to hide, transport, and secretly support those that his policies oppressed. In this episode, we continue or compassion series that showcases good people doing good things in times of crises. This week, we follow the life of Miep Gies, a woman who risked everything to hide and protect a group of her Jewish friends, including one young girl who would inspire millions throughout the world with the words she would write down while hidden away in a secret...
2020-04-1541 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Elephant Angel of BelfastThis episode is the first in a series highlighting extraordinary people doing extraordinary things in times of crises. This week we travel to Belfast during the Blitz of 1941 and meet Denise Weston Austin. She worked as one of the Belfast Zoo’s first female zookeepers, and the friendship she developed with Sheila, the zoo’s baby elephant, would become an inspirational part of Irish history. For decades, Denise’s identity remained a mystery until an old black and white photo of a woman and a baby elephant in a backyard surfaced from the zoo’s archives. Come hear the story of...
2020-04-0120 minThe History Cache PodcastA Heroic Goat, an Angry Cat, and a Graveyard Full of DaredevilsThis week the unexpected meets the obscure as we uncover several stories of wartime and daredevil history. First, we meet Sergeant Bill, the heroic Canadian goat of WW1 who saved the lives of three soldiers during battle. He suffered from trench foot, shrapnel, shell shock, and was gassed with the allied soldiers fighting at Ypres. He survived four and a half years at war, returning to Canada a hero. Next, we head to Niagara Falls and meet Lagara the cat, the first creature to survive a barrel ride over Horseshoe Falls. Along the way we visit several famous daredevils...
2020-03-1835 min
Nothing Ever Happens in CanadaWomen in WritingHello and Welcome to Nothing Ever Happens in Canada, but we know this is simply not true! I'm Canadian Girl, thanks for stopping by today so I can let you know where we are off to next.
We're going to meet 2 amazing female journalists, Kit Coleman and Alice Freeman better know as her pen name Faith Fenton. They were both masters of disguise and wrote the stories they wanted to. One went to war and the other to the Klondike. Joing me next week as we learn about these 2 amazing women try to write in a man's world.
Website...
2020-03-1010 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Edmund FitzgeraldIn 1975 the gales of November billowed out a monster storm over the waters of Lake Superior, and the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald met it head on. By the time the sky cleared, the crew and their ship had become an inseparable part of the history and lore of the Great Lakes. In this very special episode of the History Cache, we uncover the history behind the shipwreck, try and understand what happened the night it disappeared, and hear some of the haunting audio of the search captured through Coat Guard transmissions on that fateful night. This is the...
2020-03-0446 min
The History Cache PodcastOlympias Part 3: The Rise and Fall of a LegendThe finale is here! In the final episode we explore the final years of Olympias’s epic life. We cover how she cultivated her own power at court, watch her rise to even greater heights after the death of Alexander the Great, see a war waged between two incredible women of the ancient world, and find out just how this mother of an empire met her end.
2020-02-121h 18The History Cache PodcastOlympias Part 2: Mother of EmpireIn Part 2 we continue to uncover the hidden history of Olympias of Epirus. Assassination, murder, and the political intrigue of an ancient royal court all take center stage in this episode. Come discover the next chapters in the life of one of the most vilified women in history as we sift through the propaganda of two millennia to get a glimpse of the incredible life of the most powerful woman in ancient Greece. Find out what she did next, at the budding of one of history’s largest and most fascinating empires, as we see just how far she wo...
2020-01-291h 03The History Cache PodcastOlympias Part 1: Witch of Epirus, Mother of Alexander the GreatThe woman Olympias lived almost 2,400 years ago, around 373 BCE. Her legacy is one of controversy. For over two thousand years she has been represented as the vindictive, blood thirsty mother of Alexander the Great. But who was she really? What is the true story that unfolds when we peel away the layers of two millennia of propaganda? Was the most powerful woman in Greece, who believed she was descended from Achilles, really a monster? Or have we been missing the whole story? Come relive the epic life of Olympias and find out what happens when we breathe life back...
2020-01-151h 16The History Cache PodcastThe First RobotRobots have revolutionized our world and are continuing to do so at an exponential rate. But what was the first robot? Who invented it? What will the future of robotics look like? And what happens when robots kill? This episode examines the evolution of robots, the history behind them, our fear of them, and where it all might be headed.
2020-01-0230 minThe History Cache PodcastWhy Does Fruitcake Even Exist? Eggnog, Yule Logs, and a Cannibalistic Christmas TrollWhy does Fruitcake even exist? Can we blame the ancient Romans? How old is eggnog? What exactly is a Yule Log? Discover the ancient origins of our favorite--and not so favorite--holiday food traditions in this special holiday history byte. I even give you George Washington's actual recipe for eggnog! After that, we'll head to Iceland and meet Gryla the Christmas troll, her menacing Yule cat, and find out why you should thank your grandma for getting you those socks for Christmas.
2019-12-1823 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 5 of 5The finale is here! Come find out just how one of the most inspiring stories of human endurance ended. We head back to Antarctica and watch the crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition make history as Shackleton attempts one last desperate attempt at a rescue mission. This episode has all the answers you've been waiting for.
2019-12-051h 36The History Cache PodcastThe Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 4 of 5In 1914 the 28 member crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. It is now the beginning of 1916. Their ship has been crushed, they've been stranded on the ice with no way out, and they've taken to the boats in a last ditch effort to escape the ice melting beneath them. In Part 4 we hear what happens next as they head for the yet unexplored Elephant Island, and Shackleton with a sets out on an 820 mile open boat journey on the roughest sea passage in the world to either find rescue, or doom them al...
2019-11-211h 20The History Cache PodcastThe Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 3 of 5In Part 3 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, we join the stranded crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914, who have been stranded on the ice now for well over a year. Their ship has been crushed, starvation and madness have begun to set in, and they've been trapped by the ice and sea with no way out. In this episode, we watch as they make a desperate escape attempt while the ice splits beneath them, before heading out towards the unknown on the open sea.
2019-11-141h 30The History Cache PodcastPère Lachaise Cemetery: A History of Death in ParisJoin me on a tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery and explore the tombs of some of histories most incredible icons including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Isadora Duncan, Abelard and Heloise, and Chopin. We examine the cemetery's history, make a side tour to the catacombs beneath Paris, and explore the dark moments in history that have occurred in Père Lachaise since its establishment by Napoleon. Let's go to Paris!
2019-10-3033 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Screaming Mummies of Guanajuato and a Horde of Egyptian CatsIn this two story episode we travel to Guanajuato, Mexico, and discover a cache of mummies that were literally evicted from their graves. Then we head to Beni Hassan, Egypt, where a farmer digging a well in 1888 accidentally stumbled upon one of the largest hoards of cat mummies ever found, and, possibly, an ancient, illegal crime ring of cat killers (seriously). We also meet Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess that started it all.
2019-10-2325 minThe History Cache PodcastThe First MonstersIn this episode we explore history's first monsters. From the prehistoric beasts that stalked our ancestors to the first mythological oral traditions, then to the first ancient written accounts through the modern day; this is the history of what scares us. What were the first monsters, why do we fear them, and why do we need them? Let's find out and examine the first things that appeared from the darkness.
2019-10-1727 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 2 of 5In Part 2 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, the crew of the Endurance find themselves frozen fast in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind what happens to the human mind during the long Polar Night as we join the crew on the next leg of their journey. Disaster, heartbreak, and uncanny resilience unfold in this second chapter before the finale of Part 3.
2019-10-101h 22The History Cache PodcastHistory Byte Halloween Extra: A British Cowboy and the Cremation of Sam McGeePoet, adventurer, bard of the Yukon, and British cowboy (that's a thing) Robert W. Service (1874-1958) is showcased in this week's history byte, followed by a retelling of his spookiest of poems, The Cremation of Sam McGee.
This is the first of THREE EXTRA episodes premiering this month just for your Halloween season enjoyment, so pumpkin up that coffee, put in those ear buds, dust off that Necronomicon, and go nuts.
2019-10-0214 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 1 of 5In 1914 the crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, they believed their journey would bring them adventure, scientific discovery, and fame. What actually unfolded would become one of the greatest stories of human endurance the world has ever seen. Crushed by ice, lost, and wandering at the bottom of the world, they would harrow the most severe environment on Earth as they gave everything to make it home again. Come hear the story of the Trans Antarctic Expedition and the polar explorers that colored in the last...
2019-09-261h 11The History Cache PodcastHistory Byte: Animal AstronautsCome and meet Ham the astronaut chimp and discover how the animal astronauts of history just may have saved us all. Also featuring Space Dogs and one phenomenal Astro Cat for an episode that's literally out of this world.
2019-09-1116 minThe History Cache PodcastHistory Byte: A Swearing Parrot Ruined Andrew Jackson's FuneralCome and meet Poll, a presidential parrot so extra that his epic level of snark still lives on today.
2019-08-3010 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Shuar of the Amazon and How to Make a Shrunken Head: Part 2Join us for Part 2 where we finish our exploration of the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt against the Spanish empire--and win. Find out who they were, who they are now, and buckle up for some truly epic Amazonian history.
2019-08-3059 minThe History Cache PodcastThe Shuar of the Amazon and How to Make a Shrunken Head: Part 1Hidden in the deepest interior of the Amazon lived the fierce, mysterious, and fascinating Shuar. This unconquerable tribe resisted conquest from both the Incan and Spanish empires, and was the only tribe in history to successfully revolt against the Spanish empire--and win. Come meet them in Part 1; hear their story and find out just what made them so epically unstoppable.
2019-08-3048 min2019-08-3007 min