History Loves Company

Ethnic enclaves are interesting, as they often are communities of specific groups of people living in a particular, if unlikely, place. Such is the case of the Magyarabs, a people who have called the stretch of the Nile River along the Egyptian-Sudanese border home for the last five centuries. How did these people get there and where did they come from initially? The answer might surprise you. Tune in to the 'History Loves Company' podcast this week to find out!

Most cultures throughout the world have legendary founding figures, great men and women who birthed mighty empires and societies. Of them all, however, perhaps none is as fascinating as the subject of today's episode. Join me as we take a look at the patriarch of Armenia, a man who led his people to freedom and founded a great nation, right here on the History Loves Company podcast!

Humanity's struggle to reverse aging is one that has plagued us since the beginning. But some have gone even further than others, risking it all in an attempt to come up with a solution. That being said, upon first glance, a 16th Century Spanish explorer and a 3rd Century BC Chinese monarch may have little in common, but their quests for immortality are two of the most legendary in all of history. Tune in to the 'History Loves Company' podcast this week to learn all about it!

Otherworldly incidents and encounters are nothing new. Christopher Columbus reported strange flashing lights in the sky off the coast of the Bahamas in 1492. Since then, however, the reporting of such incidents have become far more frequent the world over, though perhaps none was as strange or unusual as that which took place in the small town of Aurora, Texas in 1897. A cigar-shaped ship, an alien pilot and a proper Christian burial are just some of the bizarre details of this story, told in full in today's episode. Stick around to check it out!

Today, the French capital of Paris extends to both sides of the River Seine. It truly is a dazzling, mesmerizing place, so much so that it can be hard to imagine that it was once vulnerable and prone to attacks. But that's exactly what happened in the 9th Century, when the city and its inhabitants came face to face with some of the most fearsome warriors in European history. Don't miss this week's thrilling episode all about the Viking Siege of Paris, right here on the History Loves Company podcast!

Süleyman's reputation as a skilled military strategist and fearsome warrior tends (in the West, anyway) to overshadow his other achievements. Yet he was an outspoken and enthusiastic patron of the arts as well as a fair and just ruler in regards to the law and his people. In this, the conclusion of Süleyman the Magnificent's story, we'll explore these lesser known characteristics to reveal how truly "magnificent" he was.

Süleyman the Magnificent's reputation has been cemented by many characteristics and achievements. One of the more famous of these was his knack for conquest and domination. Throughout much of his reign, he successfully managed to subjugate one of Central Europe's great powers while simultaneously challenging the authority of the largest empire in Central Asia at the time. Join me today as we embark with the sultan's forces to various far-flung regions to see how he became the greatest military strategist in Ottoman history.

Few leaders in history were as impressive or beloved as Süleyman the Magnificent, who was perhaps the greatest sultan the Ottoman Empire ever knew. Join me as we trace both its and his origins in this, the first part in a limited series about this most "magnificent" of monarchs.

The Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans were each mighty and key power players in the Mediterranean world of Antiquity. But there was another civilization that was born on Italy's shores who rivalled them in greatness and were astonishingly more forward-thinking than any of those three combined. For some nine centuries, the Etruscans thrived and astonished their neighbors by granting women equal status to their male counterparts, but what roles did they play in Etruscan society? Find out in today's episode!

What makes a song become part of a tradition? Is it because it's tried and true? Or maybe it has resonant themes that inspire joy in those who listen to or sing it. Whatever the case, today, we'll be looking at three songs that have become a part of traditional music in the English-speaking world and beyond. I do so hope you'll "tune" in for this one!