Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History

By Steve and Neil Webb

Join two brothers for a hilarious dive into the untold stories of history's most obscure figures. Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History unearths the hidden tales your teachers forgot to mention—If

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FAQs about Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History:

How many episodes does Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History have?

The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.

Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History episodes:

April 01, 2026 Jure Grando: the first Vampire (an Honourable Mentions and Boo Foons Mystery Investigators special)
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In 1672, deep in the village of Kringa, Istria, a man died... and then things got weird. For 16 years, Jure Grando terrorized his widow and the townspeople, leading to the first official vampire record in European history.
In this special crossover event, the history buffs from Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History, team up with the supernatural sleuths from Boo Foons Mystery Investigators to exhume the legend of a real life vampire.
Grab your stakes and a clove of garlic—this is history at its most hilarious and hauntings at their most chaotic.
In this episode, we dive into:
The Legend: How Jure Grando rose from the grave to knock on doors and cause havoc.
The Exorcism: The botched attempts to stop a corpse and the final, gruesome showdown.
The History vs. The Hype: Was it a supernatural plague or just 17th-century hysteria?
The Boo Foons Breakdown: Our investigators weigh in on the "science" of the Istrian strigoi.
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53min
March 25, 2026 Eben Byers: The Millionaire Dissolved in Liquid Sunshine
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In 1932, a headline in the Wall Street Journal shocked the world: "The Radium Water Worked Fine Until His Jaw Came Off." This is the gruesome and tragic true story of Eben Byers, a wealthy industrialist, socialite, and golf champion who became the most famous victim of radium poisoning.

In this episode, we peel back the lead-lined curtain on the Radithor craze—the "certified" radioactive water marketed as a cure-all for everything from mental ill health to "lost vigor."
We explore the rise of William J.A. Bailey, the notorious medical quack behind the tonic, and the horrific medical mystery of Byers’ physical decline. From his addiction to radium water to his final days suffering from jawbone necrosis and osteonecrosis, we look at how one man’s death changed the face of the FDA forever.

If you’re a fan of dark history, medical quackery, and historical true crime, this deep dive into the 1920s radium craze is a must-listen.

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31min
March 18, 2026 Who was Mary Fields - Stagecoach Mary?
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Meet Mary Fields—better known as Stagecoach Mary—the first African American woman to work for the U.S. Postal Service, and arguably the toughest person in 1890s Montana.
Standing 6 feet tall, packing a revolver under her apron, and never turning down a saloon fight, Mary didn't just deliver the mail; she survived wolf attacks, bandits, and sub-zero blizzards to ensure the job got done. In this episode, we dive into the wild, inspiring, and completely true story of a former enslaved woman who became a legendary Wild West pioneer, a certified badass, and a hometown hero.
In this episode, we discuss:
How Mary won her legendary mail route at age 60.
Her famous shootout survival stories and bar fights.
The lasting legacy of a Black history icon who broke every rule of the Victorian era.
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36min
March 11, 2026 The creation of the Hawaiian Pizza
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In 1962, a Greek immigrant named Sam Panopoulos decided to crack open a can of pineapple at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario. He wasn't trying to start a global food war; he was just bored.

In this episode, we dive into the sticky, sweet, and salty history of how a simple experiment in the kitchen of a small restaurant in a small Canadian town, created the most polarizing pizza in history.
And
We also have exciting news thanks to Potters Confectioners of Great Yarmouth
https://pottersconfectioners.co.uk/
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43min
March 04, 2026How One Man Invented the Ball: The Richard Lindon Story
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Why is a rugby ball oval? Or an American Football? Or Aussie Rules for that matter? The answer begins with a Victorian tragedy, a massive pile of pig organs, and an inventor the sports world completely forgot.
In this episode, we unearth the bizarre and heartbreaking history of Richard Lindon—the 19th-century English cordwainer (shoemaker) who quite literally shaped modern sports. Long before billion-dollar stadiums and synthetic gear, rugby balls were made from real, raw pig bladders encased in hand-stitched leather.
But this wasn't just a quirky historical craft; it was deadly. We deep-dive into the tragic story of Richard’s wife, Rebecca Lindon, who tragically died from a lung infection contracted while inflating hundreds of diseased pig bladders by mouth. Driven by grief and a desperate need for a safer alternative, Richard invented the India rubber inflatable bladder and the iconic brass hand pump (inspired by a medical ear syringe!).
Despite inventing the iconic four-panel oval rugby ball used by millions today, Lindon never patented his designs—allowing rival William Gilbert to secure the legacy.
What we cover this week:
🐖 The Pig Bladder Era: Why early footballs and rugby balls were shaped like lumpy plums.
💔 A Fatal Invention: How a toxic workplace tragedy sparked a sports revolution.
🏉 The Oval Genesis: How rubber bladders allowed Lindon to create the first egg-shaped ball for Rugby School.
❌ The Patent Mistake: Why history remembers Gilbert, but forgot Lindon.
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35min
February 25, 2026 Adam Rainer: Born a Dwarf but Died a Giant.
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At 18 years old, Adam Rainer was legally classified as a dwarf, standing at just 4'6" and deemed too short to serve in World War I. By his 30s, he towered over humanity at more than 7 feet tall. In all of recorded history, Adam Rainer is the only person documented to have lived as both a dwarf and a giant.
How does a man's body completely reinvent itself halfway through life?
In this episode, we dive deep into the unbelievable, tragic, and scientifically astounding story of history's ultimate medical anomaly. We explore:
The Sudden Spurt: How a mysterious pituitary tumor triggered an uncontrollable growth explosion in his early 20s.
The Medical Breakthrough: The groundbreaking—and terrifyingly risky—1930s brain surgery performed to halt his growth.
The Human Behind the Record: The agonizing physical toll of acromegaly, severe spinal curvature, and losing the ability to stand, alongside Adam’s incredible resilience.
Prepare for a haunting journey through medical history, body horror, and human survival. Tune in to discover how one man lived two completely different lives in a single body.
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35min
February 18, 2026 How a Maharaja saved 1,000 Polish children
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Welcome to an extraordinary story of compassion and kindness amidst the horrors of the Second World War. Maharaja Jam Sahib Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji of Nawanagar—an Indian royal leader whose genorosity of spirit reshaped the lives of more than 1,000 Polish refugee children.
At the height of the war, when borders were closing and hope was scarce, the Jam Sahib opened up his kingdom, built a settlement known as Balachadi, and welcomed the children as his own.
In this episode, we explore,
The geopolitical turmoil that led to the children’s displacement

How a Maharaja thousands of miles away became their unexpected protector

Life in Balachadi

And the legacy of the “Good Maharaja” and why Poland still honours him today

This is a story of courage, empathy, and moral leadership—one that proves humanity can shine even in the darkest chapters of history.
Whether you're a history buff, a fan of untold WWII stories, or interested in Indian royalty, this is a tale of compassion that will restore your faith in the human race.
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44min
February 11, 2026 From Nazi Occupied Poland to the American Dream
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WWII survival, the immigrant experience, and the power of adoption. In this deeply moving episode of Honourable Mentions, we welcome our first-ever guest, Rafal, to share the extraordinary life story of his stepfather, Walter.

In 1939, fifteen-year-old Walter’s world in Poland shattered when Nazi soldiers dragged his father away. Decades later, after surviving the horrors of World War II, Walter arrived in the United States in 1951 to build a new life. But his story of resilience didn’t stop there.
In the late 1980s, Walter met Rafal’s mother and opened his heart to adopt a nine-year-old boy arriving at JFK airport without a single word of English.

In this episode, we discuss:
The trauma of 1939 Poland: The night Walter’s family home was shattered by Nazi forces.
Starting over in America: Walter’s journey to the US in 1951 and finding "undiluted joy" after tragedy.
An unexpected bond: Rafal’s own perspective arriving at JFK in the eighties and being adopted by a hero.
Life lessons in resilience: Why Rafal’s tale is sad, funny, life-affirming, and will leave you wanting to be "a bit more Walter."
This is a story of history, survival, family, and boundless optimism.

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43min
February 04, 2026 Right Place, Right Bullet: The Cedric Popkin Story
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Manfred von Richthofen’s red triplane skimmed the Somme, and a living legend closed in for another kill. But, down below, Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin on a Vickers machine gun is waiting for his moment. Once friendly aircraft had cleared his line of fire, Cedric squeezed his trigger and what happened next reshaped world history.

We chart Richthofen’s path from young cavalry cadet to becoming the Red Baron, Germany’s most feared flying ace and a potent symbol of wartime propaganda. You’ll hear the pivotal encounters, the April surge that cemented his reputation, and the head wound that shadowed his final year. From there we move groundward to the Australians braced along Morlancourt Ridge, where trajectories, medical findings, and rate-of-fire analysis converge on one name: Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin. His official statement, training, and position relative to the flight path make a tight forensic case for the fatal burst coming from his Vickers machine gun.

If you enjoy sharp storytelling, primary sources, and a myth-busting look at World War I, hit follow, share this with a history-loving friend, and leave a review. What detail changed your view of the Red Baron’s last flight? We want to hear it.
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43min
January 28, 2026 Who fired the first shot of the first World War?
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On August 22, 1914, just outside Mons, Belgium, a 20-year-old British cavalryman took a deep breath, steadied his aim and pulled his trigger, changing history forever. Meet Edward Thomas, the Drummer of the 4th Dragoon Guards who fired the very first shot of World War 1 on the Western Front.

In this episode, we dive into the chaotic opening days of the Great War. We trace how an unassuming young soldier found himself face-to-face with German cavalry, the split-second decision that initiated years of global conflict, and his forgotten later life working at a Brighton cinema. Who was the real man behind the rifle, and what happened after he pulled the trigger?

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39min

FAQs about Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History:

How many episodes does Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History have?

The podcast currently has 43 episodes available.