If you're hungry this week, dear listeners, how about having something a bit "meteor"? Get it? Instead of "meatier"...Okay, so you're not here for my knockabout comedy, but this week's episode is, quite literally, out of this world. What do Siberia, Evenki natives, and space rocks all have in common? If you're in suspense, hit that play button to find out!
Imagine going on a hunting trip with your sibling or best friend, only to happen upon the body of an infant. It's a frightening prospect, but that's exactly what happened to brothers Hans and Jokum Grønvold of Ummannaq, Greenland in 1972. They immediately contacted local authorities, mistaking the child as the victim of a murder. But further analysis revealed something far different--and far older--than anyone could have imagined. Join me this week for a look at the mummies of Greenland.
If you've ever seen the musical '1776,' then you're likely familiar with the spirited debate between Founding Fathers John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin about which bird should be the symbol of America. Adams vies for the bald eagle, Jefferson the ring-necked pheasant, and Franklin the wild turkey. All three species are native to the United States, yet history shows us that it was the bald eagle that ultimately won out. But was John Adams truly the reason for this? Or is this legend the result of Broadway fantasy? Tune in this week to find out!
As with many cities throughout the world, Los Angeles has a long and troubled history of crime. The Black Dahlia, Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez (the infamous "Night Stalker")...these are just some of the most notorious criminal cases that have taken place in the so-called City of Angels. But long before these, even before its days as a lawless Wild West town, Los Angeles was home to one of the earliest, if not THE earliest, crimes ever committed within what are now LA City limits. Join me this week as we venture back to Prehistoric LA to discover the sordid tale of the La Brea Woman.
Celebrity and tabloid culture are nothing new. We forget that the stories and scandals of today are not a recent phenomenon. Indeed, what we now regard as salacious can, in fact, trace its roots back a century at the height of the Roaring Twenties, when a lively and decadent youth subculture took Britain by storm with their shocking behavior. Join me this week for a look at the Bright Young Things and see how little has truly changed!
Every city has an underbelly, a dark and shady section that's perhaps best to avoid altogether. But the literal underbelly of Paris is just so cool and unique that you might NOT want to miss it! Tune in this week on Halloween Eve (that's a thing, right?) for the grim and grisly history of the Paris Catacombs!
Babylon. The name conjures up images of Biblical grandeur, of a wicked city whose reputation for vice and vanity would be its ultimate undoing. But beneath this unjust, one-sided, depiction lies one of the greatest architectural marvels in all of human history...or so we've been told. Just what were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Who ordered their construction and why? And if they were as grand as several ancient sources claim they were, then how come no archaeological evidence among the ruins of Babylon can corrorborate their existence? Find out in this week's episode!
Historically speaking, it goes without saying that Europe is a Christian continent. But prior to the arrival of this monotheistic faith from the Middle East, its various cultures and peoples had their own gods and religious practices. Still, the conversion of the continent from paganism to Christianity didn't occur overnight and there were indeed a few holdouts, though perhaps none quite as late, if you will, than the subject of this week's episode. Join me on a trip to 14th Century Lithuania for a look at Europe's last pagans!
As of 2025, the city of Manila in the Philippines is the most densely populated place on Earth with 119,600 people per square mile. These statistics are staggering to say the least, but prior to this, one of the most densely populated places in history was the so-named Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. Roughly the size of four American football fields, this makeshift enclave boasted some 33,000 inhabitants and likely more. Tune in this week to find out how such a place came into being and what fate ultimately befell it, right here on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!
Celestial phenomena are nothing new. In fact, they've been recorded throughout human history. The appearance of Halley's Comet in the skies over the English Channel during the Norman Conquest was one such instance. A lunar eclipse prior to the abandonment of several Mayan cities was thought to be an omen from the gods of portents dire. And in an open field in Fátima, Portugal on October 13th, 1917, the sun performed a series of gymnastic-like feats that left witnesses stunned, intrigued, and bewildered. What did the citizens of Fátima see that fateful day? Was it celestial or superstitious in nature? And if it can't be explained scientifically, was it really the miracle they said it was? Tune in to find out!
Despite there being several examples of female pirates in popular culture, there were, in fact, only about a hundred of whose exploits were recorded throughout history. One of these was Grace O'Malley, the daughter of a prominent Irish clan leader who would go on to gain a fearsome reputation for herself in a largely male-dominated society and age. So avast, me hearties, as the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' song at Disneyland goes, and join me on deck for her incredible story!
Anyone who has seen 'Jurassic Park' will be familiar with amber, as it plays a major role in the plot. This fossilized tree resin was described by the ancients as "warm to the touch and, when burned, is even more agreeable than frankincense." Indeed, it was a highly prized commodity in Antiquity, being used in jewelry and religious practices throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and even Central Asia. But the amber in question came from somewhere decidedly far from any of these places: the Baltic Coast. How did this "red gold" travel so far? Tune in to this week's episode to find out!
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a golden age as "an idyllic, often imaginary, past time of peace, prosperity, and happiness." Yet, for the people who lived under the reign of the subject of this week's episode, it was anything BUT imaginary. To this day, the name Mansa Musa strikes awe in the hearts and minds of all those who hear his story, but what exactly IS that story? How was his reign seen as both a literal and figurative golden age? And why are we still talking about it seven centuries later? Tune in to find out!
Never had Italy been more fractured in its reunification efforts than it was following the Revolutions of 1858-49 as well as the Italian Independence War. Both sides kept butting heads with one another in a tug-of-war that showed no signs of stopping. How long would the revolutionaries' struggle last? Would the Italian Peninsula ever be united? And were it so, what sort of government would ultimately be chosen? Find out in the thrilling conclusion on the Risorgimento!
As Charles Dickens wrote at the beginning of 'A Tale of Two Cities': "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," though for the disparate states scattered throughout the Italian Peninsula for much of the start of the 19th Century, it was more the latter. With the people demanding a unified Italy, a series of revolts (some peaceful, some not) broke out, some of which bore partial fruit with others being quickly suppressed. By the middle of the century, it seemed as if all hope of unification had been dashed, but was it really? Join for a tour through this Age of Revolutions, this week in part two on the Risorgimento!
Once, all of the Italian Peninsula was united under the Roman banner. But with the fall of the western half of that mighty empire in the late 5th Century, it became a fractured collection of kingdoms, republics, and city-states. It would take another fourteen centuries before anything close to cohesion would emerge in Italy and it would come at a highly volatile time in European history. Tune in this week for the distant rumblings of what would ultimately come to be known as the "Risorgimento" (literally "resurgence," but more generally "reunification") on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!
The word "frontier" conjures up many ideas in the American consciousness. It's become synonymous with the concept of Manifest Destiny in 19th Century American politics, the eventual westward expansion, and, of course, the so-named "Wild West" period that ensued. But before all that, the American Frontier was confined to the land west of the Appalachian Mountains along the country's eastern seaboard, where a group of hearty "overmountain men" lived and would play a significant role in the fight for independence against the British. Join me as we explore the Overmountain Men, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!
The modern nation-state of Romania is a puzzle of sorts. Given its place in Eastern Europe, surrounded by mostly Slavic and Slavic-speaking countries, its people speak a tongue descended from Latin, the noble language of the Romans. Its name also gives a hint at ties to Rome, but before these lands fell under Roman influence and jurisdiction, they were united by a man who has since become a national hero the Romanians: Burebista. Join me today for a look at the reign and times of this great leader, who forged an empire all his own!
With several rescue and relief efforts underway, one would think the surviving Donner Party members' fates were secured. But alas, inclement weather and the limits of manpower meant that they still had several struggles to overcome, the like of which would cost some of them their lives. Tune in this week for the third and final installment of the Donner Party's epic journey.
When last we left our...heroes? Anti-heroes? Villains? Anyway, when last we left the Donner Party, they had rejoined the Oregon Trail after the disastrous "shortcut" that had been the Hastings Cutoff. But their troubles were only just beginning, as we'll discover in this week's episode, part two of the Donner Party.