Hysterical History
219 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★ - 400 ratingsHysterical History is a comedy podcast where Alexis and Hailey, friends and history lovers, tell each other wacky yet factual stories from the past. Join them every TUESDAY for laughs and weird history realness.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Episode 111: Benjamin Franklin Invented Fake News - Part Two
July 02, 2019 18:16 - 50 minutes - 92.9 MBHappy Independence Day (in two days)! For the birthday of America, here's an episode about Benjamin Franklin and his hoaxes, satire, and whether or not he was a huge slut. Special thanks to Swing Whale,Katherine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 111: Benjamin Franklin Invented Fake News - Part One
July 02, 2019 17:57 - 57 minutes - 105 MBHappy Independence Day (in two days)! For the birthday of America, here's an episode about Benjamin Franklin and his hoaxes, satire, and whether or not he was a huge slut. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hysterical Mini #5: Even More Emails
June 29, 2019 07:01 - 37 minutes - 69.1 MBEven more of your emails read in this episode! A continuation of the previous mini, here we finish off our emails from the giant cluster of love we had! Thank all of you so much for emailing us and sending us cute animal and kid picks, and reminding us why we do this <3 Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to send us something, our pick up address is 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hysterical Mini #4: So Many Emails, So Many Tangents
June 27, 2019 17:22 - 1 hour - 111 MBIn this Hysterical Mini, Hailey and Alexis take hysteria to the next level, with so many emails and so many tangents, it had to be split into two parts! No history here unless it's in an email so, if that's what you are looking for, move along to one of our titled episodes! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to send us anything, our pick up address is 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 110: Syphilis, The French Disease
June 25, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 125 MBWhen syphilis appears suddenly in Europe, how do we figure out who is at fault? By pointing a finger at whatever country we like the least, of course! Tune in this week, as Hailey teaches Alexis about syphilis, how nasty it can get, how easy it is to treat, and how it became a fashion statement. Warning: talk of STIs, brief talk about rape, and some disturbing experiments done on people with diseases. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to send something to us, our pi...
Episode 109: How To Kill The President by Charles Guiteau (Part 2)
June 19, 2019 04:48 - 58 minutes - 106 MBCharles Guiteau has everything handed to him and still can't seem to get what he wants. Would killing the president help? Tune in this week and find out! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 109: How To Kill The President by Charles Guiteau (Part One)
June 19, 2019 04:28 - 57 minutes - 105 MBCharles Guiteau has everything handed to him and still can't seem to get what he wants. Would killing the president help? Tune in this week and find out! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 108: Julie D'Aubigny - Opera Singer, Dueller, Bi Icon
June 11, 2019 07:07 - 52 minutes - 96.2 MBHappy pride month! In this episode, Hailey teaches Alexis about Julie D'Aubigny, a bisexual woman who rescued her lover from a convent, was pardoned twice by the Sun King, and dueled any man who gave her trouble. Special thanks to Swing Whale and 8 Bit Universe for our music! If you want to mail us something, our pick up address is 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 107: Napoleon's Penis and Other Famous Body Parts
June 04, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 131 MBNapoleon died on May 5, 1821, but his body continued a journey around the world...well, his penis did, at least. In this episode, Alexis teaches Hailey about Napoleon's penis, how it was snatched from his body, who bought it, and where it finally ended up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hysterical Mini #3: Funny Reviews and Outtakes from Our Promo
June 02, 2019 07:02 - 43 minutes - 78.8 MBWant to hear us read your emails or reviews? Or our outtakes for a promo we recorded for other podcasts? Listen to this extra bonus episode and get all that and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 106: A Golden Nose and A Pet Moose - The Tycho Brahe Story
May 28, 2019 22:41 - 1 hour - 125 MBWhat do you do when your nose gets sliced off in a sword duel over math? Get a new gold one to show off how rich you are, of course! Join us this week, as Hailey teaches Alexis about Tycho Brahe, who had a pet moose, a servant who was a little person, and died because he just wouldn't pee. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to send us something, our pick up address is 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA 98007, E 102. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...
Episode 105: The Mysterious Blue Skinned Fugates of Kentucky
May 21, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 144 MBPeople come in all shapes sizes and colors, including black, white, and...blue? Tune in this week as Alexis teaches Hailey about the Blue Fugates, a family with a strange genetic abnormality that is compounded upon with some good old inbreeding. Science abounds! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! And if you wanna send us something, our pick up address is 595 156th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007 E-102! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 104: Copernicus the Millennial
May 14, 2019 07:29 - 53 minutes - 97.5 MBYou've heard of Copernicus's discovery, but do you know how he got there? Tune in this week when Hailey tells Alexis about Copernicus and how you don't always end up where you intend to. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! And a shoutout to Greg over at the Suspicious Circumstances Podcast for teaming up with us, go check him out! If you want to send us something, our pickup address is 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Hysterical Mini #2: Hanson and Heathrow Escalators
May 11, 2019 08:56 - 15 minutes - 27.8 MBIn this Hysterical Mini, Alexis and Hailey read your emails, reviews, and comments, but mostly talk about whether or not Hanson is dead and escalators Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 103: Catherine's Flying Squadron
May 07, 2019 20:15 - 1 hour - 140 MBCatherine de Medici supposedly had a "stable of whores" to do her political bidding called the Flying Squadron. But was it real or just another lie about a foreigner queen? Join us for our second Catherine de Medici episode where we tried to solve the mystery of her persona. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! You can send us something to our pickup address at 595 156th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98007, E-102! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 102: Dino Mistakes
May 07, 2019 20:07 - 1 hour - 129 MBHave you ever wondered how paleontologists know what a bone was for or where the head goes on a skeleton? Turns out, they often don't! Or didn't in the past, at least. This week, Hailey teaches Alexis about mistakes about butt brains, bones that look like male anatomy, and an evil paleontologist who is definitely a witch. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Send us something to our pick up address at 595 156th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Bonus Episode: Watch-A-Long To Reign
April 24, 2019 07:21 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBEver wanted to hear our expert commentary on the accuracy of historical dramas and movies? Well, then buckle up for this bonus episode! In this, you can watch along with us, as Hailey and Alexis critique the CW show, Reign. Get ready for the bad, the inaccurate, and the surprisingly correct, as we watch Reign! If you are just here for history episodes, feel free to skip this one! It's just some fun we're doing to give you all even more content. And it's on Netflix, so feel free to watch it...
Episode 101: Catherine De Medici - Queen Poisoner and Witch
April 23, 2019 19:17 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBCatherine de Medici was a queen, a Medici, and Italian. But was she a poisoner and a witch, like some sources would lead you to believe? Join us this week as Alexis and Hailey discuss astrology, witchcraft, and Catholicism! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Wanna send us something? Send it to Alexis and Hailey at 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, WA, 98007, E-102. It's not where we live, but we can receive mail there! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hysterical Mini: Witches and an Accidental Download
April 19, 2019 09:53 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBWe've gotten so many reviews and emails recently, we created a little mini-episode to focus on those! Tune in to this snippet where people want to mail us knitted items, think we're witches or stalkers, and someone listened to our podcast by accident and reviewed it! If you're only here for history, feel free to skip this one! We won't blame you <3 Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to mail us something, address it with our names to 595 156th Avenue SE, Bellevue, ...
Episode 100: History of Hysterical!
April 16, 2019 07:03 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBHappy 100th episode! To celebrate, Hailey teaches Alexis about the history of hysteria and why she can't spell history correctly the first time anymore. Get ready for some female anatomy talk. And thanks to everyone who listens, we couldn't have gotten this far without you! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! If you want to send us something (you don't have to), put our names on it with the address 595 156th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98007, E-102, and it'll get to us! P.S. That isn...
Episode 99: Operation Plowshare - Nuclear Bombs For Engineering Projects
April 09, 2019 07:01 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBNow that World War II is over, what's America to do with all these extra nuclear bombs? Tune in this week, as Alexis teaches Hailey about Operation Plowshare, an attempt by the American government to use nukes during peacetimes for engineering projects! What could go wrong? Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music and Alexandra for our topic suggestion! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 98: The Murder Act with Burke and Hare
April 02, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 65.1 MBWhat do you get when the government makes a weird law and medical school's need bodies to dissect? Graverobbing and murder, that's what! Join us this week, as Hailey teaches Alexis about the intricate rules of how to snatch a body, how to keep one from being snatched from a grave, or how to turn murder into a lucrative business! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 97: The 8 Times Queen Victoria Almost Got Assassinated
March 27, 2019 02:48 - 1 hour - 88.2 MBQueen Victoria was almost assassinated not one, not two times, but eight times! Join us to learn who tried to kill her, why they tried, how they failed and the strange disparity in punishments between perpetrators. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 96: Madame Lavoisier and Her Husband, Antoine
March 19, 2019 07:02 - 1 hour - 59 MBHave you made any scientific discoveries? Were they funded by collecting taxes from the starving Third Estate? And did your wife make sure you'd be remembered? No, that was all for Antoine! Join us this week, as Hailey teaches Alexis about Madame Lavoisier...and her husband is there too, I guess. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 95: Prince Alfred's No Good, Very Bad Australian Vacation
March 12, 2019 07:44 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBOn the anniversary of the incident (totally planned and not random chance), Alexis teaches Hailey about the numerous pitfalls of Prince Alfred's trip to Australia. Join us for buildings burning down, fountains filled with wine, and multiple people being shot! You can't make this stuff up! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 94: Asia &Her Brother, Baby-Hands
March 05, 2019 09:54 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBWhat happens when the only primary source about a person is their own sibling? Bias, that's what! Tune in this week to hear Hailey teach Alexis about a surprise mystery figure described as having a beautiful singing organ and...tiny baby-hands? Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 93: An Orphan to An Empress: Queen Min
February 26, 2019 08:04 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBDo you like stories with multiple assassinations, a queen running the show, a war, and explosions? Then this episode is for you! Tune in this week as Alexis teaches Hailey about Queen Min and her journey from orphan to Empress. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 92: Presidents' Day For America And Portugal!
February 18, 2019 18:48 - 1 hour - 70.4 MBHappy Presidents' Day! In order to educate your understanding of presidents near and far, Hysterical History comes a day early! In this episode, Hailey teaches Alexis about William Henry Harrison, barely a president, and António de Oliveira Salazar, a "president" of Portugal. Special thank to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 91: Mysterious Predictions Of Nostradamus
February 12, 2019 08:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBEvery time a war or natural disaster occurs, people look to Nostradamus's prediction to try and find a source for the atrocities. But what of the man behind the thousands of years of prophecies? This week, Alexis teaches Hailey about the French man of mystery himself: Nostradamus. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Check out screamieshorrorawards.simplecast.fm for The Screamies podcast! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 90: Motion Dazzle - Camouflage from WWI and WWII
February 05, 2019 08:20 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBCamouflage is rather new in its use in war, and sometimes seems counter-intuitive, like a boat painted like a zebra? Tune in this week as Hailey teaches Alexis all about hiding in plain sight in war. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Check out The Screamies: Horror Film Award podcast at https://screamieshorrorawards.simplecast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 89: When Anabaptists Attack - The Siege of Munster
January 29, 2019 09:16 - 1 hour - 88 MBReligious freedom can be good..until it turns into a cult! This week, Alexis teaches Hailey about the Siege of Munster, at Peter's suggestion, and how they go from pacifists to cannibalism. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Check out Alexis's other podcast: https://screamieshorrorawards.simplecast.fm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 88: King Frederick William And His Super Tall Soldiers
January 22, 2019 06:20 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBWhat's better than average sized soldiers? Giant soldiers, of course! This week, Hailey teaches Alexis that no one likes their dad in Prussia, but some have better reasons for it than others. Join us for family squabbles that sounds right out of Game of Thrones! Also check out the Screamies here: https://screamieshorrorawards.simplecast.fm/ Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 87: Hello, Dolley Madison!
January 15, 2019 09:04 - 1 hour - 93.9 MBMadison was charismatic, warm, and...buxom? Not James, though, we're talking about Dolley! This week, Alexis teaches guest star and her roommate, Alyssa, about Dolley Madison, America's first First Lady, who saved Washington (in painting form) and made sure D.C. remained the capital, all while wearing her signature turban. What a dame! Also please check out The Screamies: Horror Film Awards podcast, coming out (hopefully) Friday this week! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! H...
Episode 86: Dig That Pope Up! (The Cadaver Synod)
January 08, 2019 08:56 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBWhat do you do when the last pope really hecked things up? If you're Pope Stephen VI, you dig him up and put him on trial! This week, Alexis teaches Hailey about the all the madness that was the Cadaver Synod! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 85: How To Not Be Hung Over - Historical Hangover Cures
January 01, 2019 17:16 - 1 hour - 65 MBHolidays got you sad and hungover? Well, this is just the pick-me-up episode for you! In this episode, Hailey teaches Alexis how ancient Egyptians, Romans, the Irish, and cowboys all cured their hangovers. And the cures only involved corpse medicine and feces occasionally! Happy New Year! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 84: Tomoe Gozen - Lady Samurai
December 18, 2018 08:39 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBHistory is a snausage fest, but sometimes an epic lady sneaks into the mix, and beheads a bunch of dudes. Join us this week as Alexis teaches Hailey about Tomoe Gozen, a lady samurai who became a Japanese icon. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Also Merry Christmas! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 83: Charles the Mad Is Made Of Glass
December 11, 2018 08:31 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBHave you ever felt like everything in the world around you could break you? Have you also felt like you were a saint from hundreds of years ago? If you answered yes to both, you might be Charles the Mad! Join us this week, as Alexis teaches Hailey about a king with episodes of mad delusions and how everything in history is connected. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 82: Boudica's Destruction Horizon
December 04, 2018 08:44 - 1 hour - 59 MBDid someone say Celtic queen? This week, Hailey teaches Alexis about the much requested Queen Boudica, how the Romans truly were the worst, and how she left her mark on history forever, quite literally. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 81: Vikings Take Over Rome!
November 27, 2018 09:16 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBHave you ever seen a city on a shining hill and thought, wouldn't it be so fun to burn it down and take prisoners? Vikings sure have! This week, Alexis teaches Hailey about Hastein, a Viking leader from the 9th century who set his sights on the greatest city in Europe (at the time), Rome! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 80: Get Drunk! On Absinthe
November 20, 2018 11:14 - 1 hour - 65.5 MBHave you ever wanted to get so drunk that you see fairies, hallucinate, and do better art? Absinthe might be your drink...or maybe not? This week, Hailey teaches Alexis about absinthe, the truth and the misconceptions fabricated by the wine industry. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 79: Jumping Off Stuff and Seeing What Happens - Franz Reichelt and Sarah Henley
November 14, 2018 00:11 - 1 hour - 70.6 MBPeople who jump from great heights usually have a plan. Some hope to land safely while others hope to perish. But those plans don't always pan out, for better or for worse. In this episode, Alexis teaches Hailey about a tailor and his parachute, Franz Reichelt, and a woman, Sarah Henley, who wanted to end it all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 78: But Do You Have A Flag? (The Flagstaff War)
November 07, 2018 04:54 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBWhat do you do when the British come to your island nation and put up their flag? CUT IT DOWN. Then rinse and repeat until war starts. In this episode, Hailey teaches Alexis about the Flagstaff War and the shenanigans that ensued. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music and to our mystery listener who recommended this topic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 77: Johan Conrad Dippel - The Real Frankenstein
October 31, 2018 01:02 - 1 hour - 76.7 MBWas Frankenstein based on a real guy? And did he discover blue? In this episode, Alexis teaches Hailey about a man with ambitions and funnels. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 76: Werewolves and Clickbait - The Beast of Gevaudan
October 23, 2018 19:52 - 1 hour - 91.9 MBA monster attacked two hundred people in the south of France in only a few years. Was it a werewolf? An escaped lion or hyena? Shia LaBeouf? In this episode, Hailey tells the spooky story of the Beast of Gevaudan. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 75: Pineapples Are Trying To Eat You
October 16, 2018 09:37 - 1 hour - 79.3 MBDid you know that when you eat a pineapple, it tries to eat you back? Or that at one point, people rented pineapples to seem rich? In this episode, Alexis teaches Hailey some of the history of pineapples in Europe and in the United States. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 74: Elizabeth Bathory - Blood Bather or Just a Murderer?
October 10, 2018 01:27 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBHappy month of scares, listeners! This week, Hailey teaches Alexis about the terrifying tale, but maybe slightly less terrifying than you think, of Elizabeth Bathory. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 73: Creative Slavery Escapes
October 02, 2018 07:23 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBSlavery is a terrible, not funny subject. However, some of the ways people escaped slavery were ingenious and downright wacky. Tune in this week, as Alexis teaches Hailey about 5 different slave escape stories, each crazier than the last. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 72: Seattle's Great Toilet Reversal
September 25, 2018 09:23 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBAll cities have personalities in their design, the way they run, and the people who built them and live in them today. In this episode, Hailey teaches Alexis how Seattle got its quirky start, with poop explosions and the madame who ran the place. Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 71: Game of Roses - Part Two
September 11, 2018 22:53 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBThe second part of the War of the Roses episode! Get ready for even more bad decisions, battles, crown swapping, and mayhem! Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode 70: Game of Roses - Part One
September 05, 2018 05:05 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBDo you like history? Do you like Game of Thrones? Then you're gonna love to hear the historical war Game of Thrones is based on! Tune in this week and next week, in a special two-part episode, as Alexis teaches Hailey about the War of the Roses (also we know other people say wars, but too bad). Sings the Game of Thrones theme to War of Roses Special thanks to Swing Whale for our music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.