Historia Obscura
101 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago -“Historia Obscura is not only fascinating, it’s high-level sophisticated storytelling.”
-Mitchell Zuckoff, Author of “13 Hours”
There is more to history than what your teachers taught you. In Historia Obscura, you will learn about the lesser known chapters of humanity’s past.
https://linktr.ee/historiaobscurapodcast
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Episodes
All That Is Still Uncovered: The Final Episode
October 27, 2023 22:00 - 36 minutes - 34.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: the stuff I wasn't able to get to in the last 99 episodes. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Three Tramps: Loose Ends of the Warren Commission
October 13, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a mysterious photograph left a hole in the investigation of a presidential assassination for almost three decades. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Babbar Khalsa in Vancouver: The Bombing of Air India 182
September 29, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a Sikh militant network spread across British Columbia carried out the deadliest act of aviation terrorism prior to 9/11. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Ruth Mary Reynolds: La Princesa From South Dakota
September 15, 2023 22:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a teacher from rural South Dakota became one of the foremost figures in the Puerto Rican nationalist movement. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Kazuo Sakamaki: The First POW
September 01, 2023 22:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the experiences of the first prisoner of war taken by the United States during World War II changed his views on wartime honor. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Mani v. Niger: The Line Between Slavery and Marriage
August 18, 2023 23:34 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a young woman's legal battle served as a crucial fight in the battle against modern-day slavery in Africa. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Oliver Sipple: The Tragedy of Heroism
August 04, 2023 22:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a reluctant hero saved the life of a US president, before having his sexual orientation publicized and his life turned upside down. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
István Friedrich: The Right-Winger Who Played Right-Winger
July 21, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a Hungarian soccer player used postwar instability to consolidate his political power. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, Scott Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Dictator of Fortune: The Story of Bob Denard
July 07, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a French mercenary used his military prowess to become the absolute ruler of a small African nation. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Altalena Affair: Revisionist Revolution in Israel
June 23, 2023 23:32 - 19 minutes - 18 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how longstanding political division in the early State of Israel turned deadly over the fate of an arms shipment. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Cameron Sherman, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
New Jersey v. New York: The Disputed Colossus
June 09, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how two of the most famous tourist attractions associated with New York may actually be part of New Jersey, according to the Supreme Court. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, David Cahn, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Our Own Holocaust: The Paraguayan War
May 26, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a South American dictator's relentless ambition led to the demise of more than half of his country's citizens. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Schrödinger's Vigilante: The Story of Bernhard Goetz
May 12, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a shooting of four teenages on a New York City subway turned one man into a hero to some, and a monster to others. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
O'Duffy and the Greenshirts: Nazi Collaborationism in Ireland
April 28, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how Nazi fascism gained traction in Ireland during World War II. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Engblom v. Carey: The Forefront of Third Amendment Case Law
April 14, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a series of reforms after a prison riot led to a legal battle over the applicability of the least-known amendment of the Bill of Rights. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Hide and Seek: The Story of David Kato
March 31, 2023 22:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the life of arguably the most prominent LGBT rights activist in Africa was tragically cut short by hate and intolerance. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for DC: The Story of Marion Barry
March 17, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a once well-respected civil rights leader experienced one of the greatest falls from grace in American political history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Orange Revolution: Yushchenko's Rise and Fall in Ukraine
March 03, 2023 23:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how Ukrainians successfully protested a stagnant puppet leader, a fraudulent election, and an assassination attempt, but later chose to elect the same leader in a future election. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
No Flag or Ideology: Greco-Turkish Earthquake Diplomacy
February 17, 2023 23:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how two catastrophes within one month of each other helped to bridge the divide between two countries with a tumultuous past. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Bougainville Conflict: A War Over the World's Next Country
February 03, 2023 23:00 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a tiny island, a copper mine, and a private military company sparked Oceania's deadliest armed conflict since World War II. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Border War: Pancho Villa's War on the US
January 20, 2023 23:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the most important international border in the modern world nearly became a theatre of World War I. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Fetterman, Frost, Santos, and Vance: New Faces in the 118th Congress
January 06, 2023 23:00 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the membership of the United States Congress has changed in January of 2023. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Afrikaner Bantustan: Crisis in Bophuthatswana
December 23, 2022 23:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how an unlikely pact between White nationalists and a Black kleptocrat caused a deadly skirmish in the last days of South African apartheid. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Andrés Escobar: The Deadliest Own Goal
December 09, 2022 23:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a soccer player's own goal in the World Cup would lead to his demise. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Nuclear Sexpionage: The Story of Mordechai Vanunu
November 25, 2022 23:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how one man exposed the Israeli nuclear program and was lured back to Israel through one of the most fascinating methods of espionage. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Forty-Two Years of Solitude: The Story of the Lykov Family
November 11, 2022 23:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a family in the Soviet Union spent almost half a century in the wilderness without any contact with the outside world. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Ping-Pong Diplomacy: The Chinese-American Athletic Bond
October 28, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the influence of one sport took two nations at odds with each other and created one of the most crucial geopolitical relationships in the modern world. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Wallis, Duchess of Windsor: The Royal from Appalachia
October 14, 2022 22:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how an American woman found her way into the British royal family, spurring a constitutional crisis in the process. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Justice at Arusha: The Rwandan Genocide - Part 3
September 30, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBThis is the third and final episode of the Historia Obscura miniseries The Rwandan Genocide. This week on Historia Obscura: how those responsible for perpetrating the Rwandan genocide were brought to justice. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Unsung Heroes and a Debatable Savior: The Rwandan Genocide - Part 2
September 16, 2022 22:00 - 19 minutes - 18 MBThis is the second episode of the Historia Obscura miniseries The Rwandan Genocide. This week on Historia Obscura: how people from Rwanda and the rest of the world risked their lives to do the right thing during Rwanda's darkest hour. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Half a Million Machetes: The Rwandan Genocide - Part 1
September 02, 2022 22:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBThis is the first episode of the Historia Obscura miniseries The Rwandan Genocide. This week on Historia Obscura: how an African nation was ravaged by one of the most efficient and brutal genocides in human history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Frankenstein's Performance-Enhancing Monster: The Introduction of Methandienone
August 19, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how one well-intentioned man's scientific discovery would irreparably damage American sports forever. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Bleeding Kansas: The Civil War's Proxy War
August 05, 2022 22:00 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a series of skirmishes over the status of slavery in the Kansas Territory foreshadowed the bloodiest conflict in American history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara, Lisa Chase, and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Ryo Kurusu: The American Rikugun-Shosa
July 22, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.6 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the American-born son of an American mother and a Japanese father fought against the United States in World War II. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Stenberg v. Carhart: Clarence Thomas's Prophetic Dissent
July 08, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a dissent by Clarence Thomas on a Supreme Court case regarding a specific abortion procedure would pave the way for the nullification of Roe v. Wade. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Wilmington Insurrection: An American Coup d'État
June 24, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a white supremacist mob committed the only successful coup d'etat in American history against a racially integrated municipal government. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Holocaust in the British Isles: The Occupation of the Channel Islands
June 10, 2022 22:02 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a tiny British territory a few miles off the coast of France was invaded and occupied by the Nazis during World War II. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Janet Jagan: The American President of Guyana
May 27, 2022 22:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how an American woman overcame opposition from within and without to become the president of a South American nation. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Franco-Mexican War: Europe's Final Occupation of the Americas
May 13, 2022 22:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how Mexico fought against European superpowers in order to preserve its republican government. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Sixty-Eight Years Behind Bars: The Story of Paul Geidel
April 29, 2022 22:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a man spent sixty-eight years in prison and lived to see his release. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Démocratie et Tyrannie: The Five Republics of France
April 15, 2022 22:00 - 21 minutes - 19.3 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how one of the first republics in the modern world underwent several regime changes. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Yang Kyoungjong: The Korean at Utah Beach
April 01, 2022 22:20 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a single Korean conscript fought for the Japanese, Soviet, and German armies, all during the same war. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Attorney General v. X: The First Step Towards Legal Abortion in Ireland
March 18, 2022 22:18 - 19 minutes - 18 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a legal battle involving a pregnant Irish teenager set in motion one of the most drastic ideological transformations in world history. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Cotton, Colonization, and Confederados: The Story of Americana
March 04, 2022 23:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a group of ex-Confederates settled in Brazil and created a thriving Southern community there. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Willie Francis: The Boy Who Was Executed Twice
February 18, 2022 23:00 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a young man survived the electric chair and fought in court to ensure he wouldn't be sent back. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Seretse Khama: The Clay that Bound Botswana
February 04, 2022 23:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a newly independent African nation with all odds stacked against turned into a prosperous society, thanks to the governance of one brilliant leader. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Brother Daniel: The Jewish Friar Who Wasn't (or Was?)
January 21, 2022 23:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how a man who was born Jewish fought for his right to become an Israeli citizen, despite being a Catholic priest. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The Opium Wars: China's Failed War on Drugs
January 07, 2022 23:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how an opioid epidemic two centuries ago set the stage for one of the most contentious geopolitical issues of the modern day (suggested by: Eliza from Colorado). Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
The First Barbary War: America's Earliest Foreign Intervention
December 24, 2021 23:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how the American flag was hoisted over a foreign nation for the first time less than thirty years after the United States came into existence. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message
Bhagat Singh Thind: The Man Who Wanted to Be American
December 10, 2021 23:01 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBThis week on Historia Obscura: how an Indian-American war hero and scholar fought against race-based naturalization restrictions in an attempt to become a United States citizen. Special thanks to Patreon subscribers Barbara and Tom! Subscribe to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/historiaobscura! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/historiaobscura/message