Hundred Proof History

Happy "Day After St. Patrick's Day" everyone! You know that feeling you get on the day after Christmas where all of the buildup and excitement has come and gone and you're left with the crushing realization that you now have to resume your regular life? That's how we feel every March 18th as we stumble into work hungover, still wearing our green beads and leprechaun hats, and wondering if it really was worth it to get drunk at 9AM and fight people we could never ever hope to actually beat.  Once you hear this week's episode of HPH, you'll also know exactly how that feels. This week we're telling you all about a dude who spent his whole life fighting for the Irish cause. He was a revolutionary, a prisoner and exile, a US Civil War General, and a man who hoped to establish a miniature Ireland in the Montana territory. None of it really worked out for him personally, but eventually his determination and refusal to quit would get him murdered in a river.  Grab a water and nurse that hangover while you enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Thomas Meagher: Suck of the Irish!

World War II spawned many interesting stories and characters but you probably have never heard the story of one of the most successful spies involved in the conflict. He was an English born thief with a knowledge of explosives and a dude who apparently thought asking a girl to marry you was the best way to get into her pants. This week on HPH we're telling you his crazy story and making you question how the Germans ever accomplished anything during the war. Grab a drink and settle in for this week's episode of Hundred Proof History titled Agent Zigzag: The Spy Who Proposed to Me!

In the early 18th century a well known pirate captured the port city of Charles Town (modern day Charleston, South Carolina) and held it for ransom. His reign of terror would not last very long and he would die at a young age, but that's the price you pay when you live a life of sailing, drinking, and stealing.  In this week's episode we're talking about what piracy was really like and telling you the story of one of the most famous pirates of all time. Grab a pint of grog, raise your black flags high, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Blackbeard...Gimme Dat Booty!

It's time once again for HPH to dip our disgusting toes into the even more disgusting waters of World War I. In this week's episode we're traveling down Turkey for a tale of military idiocy.  The English were looking for an easy win and thought that the Ottoman Empire was ripe for the picking. They were completely and totally wrong and the battle they  assumed would take an entire day wound up taking a scant eight months instead. Grab a drink and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Gallipoli: D-Day for Dummies!

In 1859 an old white man and 17 of his followers led a raid on a US Armory at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. The stated goal of this attack was to create an uprising among the slaves of the southern states and abolish slavery once and for all. How these men expected to do that is still somewhat of a mystery and ultimately their plan would end in death and disaster. But, six years later, slavery would be eradicated throughout the entire United States and some believe that this raid was the spark that ignited the powder keg. So, grab a drink and settle in for the story of this man and his raid in this episode of Hundred Proof History titled John Brown...Task Failed Successfully!

In July of 1945 as World War II was winding down, a US Heavy Cruiser was sank by a Japanese submarine.  300 US Sailors were killed instantly but fortunately another 900 were able to escape the sinking ship. Unfortunately, however, no one knew where they were so what followed was 4 hellish days of human suffering and death. In this week's episode of HPH we're telling you about the sinking and the desperate struggle to survive that followed.  Because this is such a dark and upsetting story, we've invited a few special friends to make their return to help tell the tale.  Grab a drink and settle in for this episode of Hundred Proof History titled USS Indianapolis...HOLEY SHIP!

In 218 BCE a dude from the tiny rich nation of Carthage decided it was high time someone told Rome to stick it where the sun doesn't shine. You know where the sun doesn't shine? The top of the alps! Well maybe it does. We aren't meteorologists. But we could be because we know that the heat index at the top of the Alps is basically nothing and that is where this ancient dude crossed with an army of elephants to mess Rome's shit up! In this episode of HPH we're telling you that story as well as the story of his greatest military victory which is still studied in military academies to this day. Grab a drink and enjoy this Hundred Proof History titled Hannibal...The Mannibal with the Plannibal!

Last week we told you all about the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event which would directly lead to World War I and millions of deaths. This week the HPH 2021 march through the war continues on as we take a look at the first major conflict of the war on the Western Front. There's murder, mayhem, and so many pee filled condoms you'll truly understand that war is hell. Grab a drink and settle in for the fun-filled laugh riot that is this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Battle of the Marne: Come Marne Feel the Noise!

In 1914 a man and his wife would be murdered in the streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia. This is still a pretty common thing for Sarajevo but the man was an influential member of the Austrian royal family and his death would be the spark that ignited World War I. In this episode of HPH we're telling you about this man, his early life, and his death and setting the stage for our next episode which dives into the early days of World War I itself. Grab a drink and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand: TAKE ME OUT!

In this week's bonus winter break episode, we're telling you all about Chief Joseph Medicine Crow, the last Crow Indian to become a War Chief.  It required him to complete four different feats in battle and he managed to do so in the middle of WWII. It's an awesome story and we hope you truly enjoy a tale of American heroism in this time of deep, deep, deep American shame.  See you guys in a week!