Half True History

In episode 60 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo about how Albert Spalding used Abner Doubleday to kickstart baseball in 1800's America, how James Naismith started baseketball, and how Yale invented football. Come for the Cuban Giants, stay for the 1919 Black Sox cheating scandal, time to talk about the truths and legends of early sports in the US.

In episode 59 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo about the War of the Three Kingdoms, and how it is one of the most fictionalized wars of all time. Dynasty Warriors, the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the restoration of the Han Dynasty all factor in to listen to find out how!

In episode 58 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo about the world's first successful slave revolution, and how it started as a colonial class war and ended up a full on fight for independence. The French Revolution starts it and Napoleon Bonaparte ends it, and it all involves lots of sugar money, and somehow Bane from The Dark Knight Rises gets thrown in the mix, so listen this episode to find out how this all ties together.

In episode 57 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo all about King Louis XIV, who went from child king to long time ruler by divine right! We talk about his expertise in branding and marketing, sowing division to secure power, and belittling others, and how he actually built his empire and then maintained it by use of a 500-room palace that seemingly had something missing.

In episode 56 of Half True History, Dan Parranormal tells Petrified Pedro Lima and Creepy Chris Crespolteregeist about the history of Halloween, which includes the correct pronunciation of the word "Samhain," the origins of dressing up in costumes, bobbing for apples, and trick or treating, plus there's talk of faeries, turnips, and Catholicism. Also there's a quick appearance from Jared Vorhees, CPA.

In episode 55 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo about how Cristoforo Colombo de Genoa became Christopher Columbus and how, despite being bad at his various jobs and also a rapist and murderer, he got his own holiday in America thanks to the tireless work starting with the Italian immigrants of the 1880s leading all the way up to FDR declaring Columbus Day as a full on holiday, and what that meant socially for Italians in America. Plus Dan has a few ideas for famous Italians who could replace Columbus.

In episode 54 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima (and Chris Crespo) about one of the funniest empires in history, the Safavid Empire! Find out about the Curly Joe of Middle Eastern empires and how they started with a lie and ended like a fart in the wind. Enjoy!

In episode 53 of Half True History, Dan Parrella explains to Pedro Lima and Chris Crespo the history (relative to recorded humanity) of climate change, and how the various warming and cooling periods have affected world history. Enjoy!

In episode 52 of Half True History, Dan Parrella talks to Pedro and Breanna Lima (and Chris Crespo) about Alexander the Great, Richard the Lionheart, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Frederick the Great, Anne Lister, and many more historical figures who are also LGBTQ+!

In episode 51 of Half True History, Dan Parrella tells Pedro Lima (and Chris Crespo) about the Pax Mongolia, finally delivering on the part 2 of the Genghis Khan episode.