Hundred Proof History

In this last episode of HPH for 2019, Greg and Chris are taking a short look at four interesting figures from history.  Samuel Whittemore proved that age is just a number by fighting in war at the age of 78.  Douglas the Camel taught us all that animals can be racist traitors to their countries. Wojtek the Bear was just all around awesome. And our final tale is about John Harvey Kellogg, the ultra weirdo doctor whose name you know today, but probably won't love so much after listening to this episode.  What better way to spend your holidays than by getting blitzened and listening to four stories from history that have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas?  Sit back and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof HIstory titled History Stocking Stuffers...Half Man, Half Animal edition.

In this episode, Greg and Chris discuss a man whose name everyone should have been taught a long time ago. Robert Smalls was a slave who stole a Confederate ship, escaped a heavily guarded harbor, and delivered the ship to the Union to gain his family's freedom.  That would be an incredible story in its own right, but Robert went on to do so much more cool and important stuff that it's incredible that pretty much no one knows who he is today.  So, prepared to be amazed by this tale of a true American hero. Grab a drink and enjoy this episode of HPH entitled Robert Smalls: Ain't Nothing Smalls About These Balls.

Part one of our Ned Kelly series ended up with the gang's shootout at Stringybark Creek which was a depressing, murderous affair. You might think that their story just goes even further into the darkness from there, but what followed that shootout were some really good times.  In this episode, Greg and Chris tell you all about the gang robbing banks, throwing parties, and becoming endeared to the hearts and the minds of the common man. Don't worry though because it gets plenty dark towards the end and sets you up perfectly for the exciting conclusion in part 3.  Grab a drink, gather the family around the fire, and enjoy this episode of HPH titled Ned Kelly part 2: I Shot the Sherritt. (Note: please do not gather the family around the fire for this episode. It's just chock full of penis jokes.)

In this episode, Greg and Chris are going down under to begin their deep dive into the story of the Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly.  Part 1 focuses on the early life of Ned Kelly and the shootout that would set him on the path toward being a folk hero.  Fair warning, this episode features a lot of swearing, bad accents, and stories about testicles.  So, you should probably listen to it in the car on your way to Thanksgiving dinner because you're the cool parent and your kids need to know how the world really works. Or maybe just grab a whiskey, throw on some headphones, and make your family worry about your sanity as you cry laughing at this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Ned Kelly: Testicular Fortitude.

It's the exciting conclusion to the Vlad Dracula series! When we last left you, everything was going great for our boy Vlad. He had his country back, no one was trying to depose him, and he had learned that you can really make a difference in the world as long as you're willing to shove six foot greased wooden poles into the body cavity of anyone who looks at you sideways. But, the good times never last as long as we think they will. In this episode, Greg and Chris tell you about the downfall and death of Vlad and how it was all caused by sunlight and garlic. Wait, no...that's all a part of the myth, but the guys will also get into the myths and legends that came from Vlad's story and why pretty much everyone knows the name Dracula today. Grab a drink and enjoy Vlad Dracula part 2: Raising the Stakes!

In this episode, Greg and Chris dive into the true story of Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler. Vlad ruled over Wallachia, a small country which is a part of modern day Romania and his brutal methods made him both a Romanian hero and a monstrous dictator. In the first part of this two part series, the guys take a look at Vlad's early days and his rise to power. And sorry to all of you vampire fans out there, but at no point in our story does Vlad turn into a bat or hypnotize busty virgins and turn them into his bloodsucking slaves.  He does sparkle when he goes out in sunlight, making Twilight the most accurate of all vampire movies.  Just kidding, that series was garbage...unlike this series of Hundred Proof History! Grab a drink and enjoy Vlad Dracula part 1 titled: Impaler? I hardly knew her!

In this episode, Greg and Chris dive into the riveting conclusion to the H. H. Holmes saga. What happened to Benjamin Pitezel, aka Best Friend Perry? How was Holmes found out? Are jokes about WKRP in Cincinnati relevant in 2019? All of these questions and more will be answered in this special "We needed more time to share our Halloween topic so we're still talking about it in early November" episode.   Grab a drink, actually grab a drink and drop a few happy pills in the bottom because this one gets dark and you might need more than a few hilarious jokes to pull you through.

In 1896, Henry Howard Holmes was found guilty of murder in Philadelphia.  When the media and the public found out that he had build a demented "Murder Castle" in a Chicago suburb, he became a national sensation. He confessed to killing twenty-seven people, but the newspapers would attribute hundreds of murders to the man who would later be known as "America's First Serial Killer." In this episode, Greg and Chris try and separate fact from fiction and dive into the murder castle and Holmes's first victims. It's a super spooky edition of HPH so grab a drink, maybe put some dry ice in it for a scary fog effect, and join the guys for H. H. Holmes part 1: Halloween Hoedown!