Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We hope you, your family, and your loved ones have a wonderful time together to close out this year. 

Welcome to the 20th episode of History Out of the Box! We're in the holiday spirit (we hope you are as well) and we decided it was time to discuss a man of legend, known for his generosity and love of children. His impact on the world is significant, even though his existence is shrouded in historical and theological mystery. 

Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop who lived in the 4th century in the town of Myra, in what would be considered modern-day Turkey. Saint Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, lived in a very turbulent time when Rome was the ruling empire. Very little is known about his life, as none of his writings were preserved. His earliest historical mentions occurred in the 6th century, long after his death. What solidifies for most scholars that Saint Nicholas was real and not a myth, is that there are historical mentions of Saint Nicholas's tomb being a place you could visit around that time. However, historians are torn over how much of his life is a fact, and how much of it is a myth or extremely embellished. We may never know the definitive truth of his life; we only know the legacy left behind almost two thousand years later. 

Join Jen and Cam in episode 20 of History Out of the Box as they discuss the incredible life of Saint Nicholas, how his legacy inspired the story of Santa Claus, and ultimately, the beloved holiday that many of us celebrate every year. Whether you believe in Santa, celebrate Christmas, or none of the above, the impact that Saint Nicholas had, and still has, on modern society is fascinating, and we think you'll enjoy learning about it as much as we did! Thanks for tuning in, and once again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

"Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all." - Ernest Shackleton

What do you know of pain, suffering, and struggle? Have any memorable adventures you've experienced left scars worth enduring? Have you pushed until you've had nothing left, only to fail, and begin the process of struggle again?

Born on February 15th, 1874, in Kilkea House, County Kildare, Ireland, Ernest Shackleton came screaming into the world. As he grew up, Ernest was known as a big reader, which may have sparked his need for and life of adventure. He attended school at Dulwich College beginning at age 13, eventually joining the merchant navy at 16 years old. Ever the achiever, Ernest qualified as a master mariner and became a sublieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1901 at age 27. At this point in his life, he had traveled the world but still yearned for something greater. 

Known for his trek(s) into the South Pole, one of which was a catastrophe of epic proportions, Ernest Shackleton achieved much in his life. Despite some of his many failures, his legacy is one of struggle, success, victory, and loss. His life was a shining example of perseverance, high achievement, and overcoming ridiculous odds. His expeditions to the South Pole are a perfect example of the attitude that we should have when striving to achieve a dream that we hold dear. 

Join Jen and Cam in episode 19 of History Out of the Box as they discuss the fascinating life of legendary south pole explorer, Ernest Shackleton. If you're in need of an inspiring tale of overcoming, this one is definitely it! 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

Happy Native American Heritage Month! Let's talk about the woman who famously helped assist in the Lewis and Clark Expedition of the Louisiana Purchase - the westward expedition that led from the west Mississippi River to the Pacific coast.

Commonly misinterpreted as merely a "guide" for the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sacagawea was mostly an interpreter for the expedition. There are a lot of facts, and a lot of legends, associated with Sacagawea. Born in either 1788 or 1789, in what we would now recognize as the Idaho-Montana border, Sacagawea was part of the Lemhi Shoshone, a Native American tribe. Her name either meant "bird woman" - as "sacaga" means "bird" and "wea" means "woman in Hidatsa. Alternatively, the Shoshone tribe maintains that her name meant "boat launcher". There are a handful of ways to pronounce her name. The Hidatsa pronounce it as "sack-a-guh-way-uh" while the Shoshone pronounce it as "sack-a-juh-way-uh." For the purpose of this episode, and because the Lewis and Clark journal generally supports the Hidatsa pronunciation, we'll stick with that for this episode, even though it's still a point of contention to this day.

Sacagawea was quite an incredible woman, and as we strive to do so in this episode, her life should be treated with respect and told without embellishment, which is an unfortunate, yet common, occurrence today. Filled with plenty of tragedy, and plenty of awe, Sacagawea, and the sacrifices that she made, not only for the Lewis and Clark expedition, but also for herself, her tribe, and her family were quite incredible. She was and is such an inspiring individual and we hope that you find that to be true after learning about her in this episode. 

Join Jen and Cam in episode 18 of History Out of the Box as they discuss the impactful, adventurous, and quite tragic life of Sacagawea. This episode is one of our favorite ones yet and we can't wait to share it with you! 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

Halloween is here, and what more can we do, but provide you with some tales of dark magic, the occult, and murder? That was the life-led, but notorious Aleister Crowley. Usually, on History Out of The Box, we try our best to paint the characters that we choose to discuss in a moderate light, providing you with details in an entertaining way, to determine your thoughts on these people for yourself. Listener beware, Aleister Crowley is quite the disturbing character!

Founder of the religion of Thelema, known as The Great Beast 666, Perabduro, and Ankh-f-nkhonsu, Edward Crowley was born in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England on October 12th, 1875. His home is still standing today - 30 Clarendon Square - and he was born the heir to a wealthy brewing fortune. His father, also named Edward, was a devout evangelist/traveling preacher for the Plymouth Brethren, and his mother, Emily Bertha Bishop, was also quite pious. When young Edward was 11, his father passed away from tongue cancer, something that we think had a profound and terrible effect on Edward, driving him down the path that eventually created Aleister Crowley. 

Tune in to episode 17 of History Out of The Box as Jen and Cam discuss the dark, disturbing, and uncomfortable life of Edward "Aleister" Crowley. 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

Thought to be Bram Stoker's inspiration for his 1897 novel, Dracula, Vlad the III or Vlad the Impaler, made quite the impact as Prince of Wallachia (wa-laa-she-uh). Wallachia is recognized today as Romania, and Vlad the Impalers' historical importance in Romanian history is unprecedented, in many ways, to this day.

Most likely born in 1431, in Sighisoara (sigh-ee-sor-ah) Citidel in Transylvania (Romania), Vlad grew up to be an imposing, quite threatening figure, at least to his enemies. Vlad the III was Voivode (voy-vowd), a.k.a Prince, of Wallachia three times between 1448 and his death in 1476/77. Vlad the Impaler led a very tragic, violent life, and from what historical records can provide to us, despite all of this, he was loved, and still is by the people of Romania. Despite the adoration he received, Vlad was as violent as they came, and his enemies learned to fear his particularly "pointed" form of punishment. Very similar to someone we all know from the DC Comics Universe... a half-bat... half-man hybrid. The Dark Knight: Batman.  

In preparation for Halloween, join Jen and Cam in episode 16 of History Out of The Box as they discuss the interestingly vehement life and legacy of Vlad the III, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler, and whether or not he was actually the "Batman" of the Ottoman Empire. It's a violently delicious episode!

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

First and foremost, this is not a podcast episode *specifically* about Scientology.

In episode 14, part one of L. Ron Hubbard, Jen and Cam discussed L. Ron Hubbard's early life, his struggle for social relevance, and the many failures that he endured before coming into his own. Please be advised, the best way to understand what's happening in part two is to listen to part one. 

L. Ron Hubbard was no stranger when it came to failure, and his new therapy, contrary to some of his other experiences, turned out to be a smashing succes (despite it's questionable "scientific" observations). Dianetics focuses on the brain "recording" every experience, awake or asleep. "Bad" experiences are stored in what are called engrams, and triggered later in life, which causes physical and emotional reactions. "Auditing" is when a person is regressed through those bad experiences, via an electromagnetic reading machine, eventually getting "clear", or becoming "perfect. Deemed a cult classic, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health launched a decade-worth of lectures in the 1950s, was translated into several different languages, and spawned hundred of "auditing" groups around the United States. 

This brought L. Ron Hubbard immense levels of success, and eventually resulted in the founding of Scientology, a belief system that some would consider a religion. Scientology has led to L. Ron Hubbard, according to his followers, being considered the church of Scientology's model as an "operating thetan". If you have no idea what that is, tune in to episode 15 as Jen and Cam discuss part two of L. Ron Hubbard, and his experiences later in life, including the founding of the religion of Scientology. 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

First and foremost, this is not a podcast episode about Scientology. 

Born on March 13, 1911, Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was brought into the world by his mother Ledora May, and his father Harry Ross Hubbard, in a city called Tilden, Nebraska. One of the most well-traveled characters featured on HOTB, L. Ron Hubbard called many places his home for short periods during his young life. From Tilden, Nebraska, to Kalispell, Montana, to even Guam, Hubbard experienced many cultures growing up. Despite the consistent amounts of change in his life, Hubbard strove to make something for himself, attending many schools, and making the prospect of "failure" well-known to him. Even though he struggled early on, Hubbard, eventually found success, which, as many know, grew into the writings and ideology, of Scientology. 

In part one, of episode 14, Cam and Jen explore the storied life of L. Ron Hubbard. Even though we have biases and personal views of Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, we strive to give an in-depth perspective on the somewhat chaotic existence that L. Ron Hubbard experienced. His life, despite what you may think of him, was quite fascinating and makes for an excellent episode. Tune in to hear more! 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

Otherwise known as Michael Joseph Jackson, the King of Pop was born on August 29th, 1958, in Gary, Indiana. Michael was the 8th child of 10, born into a musically inclined family. Michael's father, Joe Jackson, formed a band called the Jackson Brothers, and in 1964, at 6 years old, Michael joined the band. For those of us who are Michael Jackson fans, the rest is history.

For his extreme levels of talent and skill, Michael Jackson is among the most awarded and celebrated musical artists of all time. Many remember him for hits such as "Thriller", "Billie Jean", "Beat It", and many of the musical singles from his time in the Jackson Five. Unfortunately, some of us may not remember the terrible trauma, tragedy, and misfortune that befell the King of Pop in his life. Rumors, true or not, followed him and grew along with his fame. Inappropriate conduct allegations sprang up. Lawsuits arose. For all the fame and luxury that he experienced, the price Michael paid was unbelievably high. The same can be said for those tied to the allegations.

Tune in to episode 13 of History Out of The Box as Cam and Jen discuss one of the most celebrated, misunderstood, and (potentially) notorious musical artists of all time, Michael Jackson. Whether you adored the man, hated him, or were indifferent, one thing is true; Michael lived a life that many may never live, and he paid a heavy price for it.

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

E = mc2. The theory of relativity expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other. Created by the world's most famous physicist, a man of great physics, and largely responsible for the development of the theory of quantum mechanics, Albert Einstein lived a fascinating life. 

Born on March 14th, 1879, in Ulm Germany, Albert was raised in a secular Jewish middle-class family. At an early age, Albert exhibited proficiency in philosophy and mathematics, and at the age of 14, he mastered integral and differential calculus. At 16, Albert wrote his first scientific paper titled "The Investigation of the State of Aether in Magnetic Fields", questioning what a light beam would look like if you could run alongside it. From there, Albert experienced plenty of hardships, which led to incredible success and arguably, history-changing ideas and thoughts. 

Join Jen and Cam in episode 12 of History Out of the Box as we discuss the storied, immaculate, and in some ways, disturbing life of one of the greatest scientific minds to have ever lived: Albert Einstein. 

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.

Montezuma ll was the last of the Aztec emperors and was defeated by the conquistador, Hernán Cortés in the year 1520. Born in 1466 in Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City), Montezuma was born into Aztec royalty. As was the tradition at the time, Montezuma was educated in the Calmecac (a private school), by the Aztec nobility regarding all things military and religion. He was devoted to the Aztec religion and was thought by many to exceed any expectations regarding his education; it was said he was an excellent student. 

Tune in to the 11th episode of History Out Of The Box as Jen and Cam discuss the details of Emperor Montezuma's life, and how the wills of the Spanish empire inevitably led to the downfall and destruction of the last Aztec Emperor.

History Out of The Box strives to connect our listeners with the echoes of our collective past, discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with famous historical figures.