Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, fascinating women, and wonderfully eccentric characters who prove that history is often stranger than fiction.

If you love history podcasts, women's history, royal history, true crime history, social history, and fascinating biographies, you're in exactly the right place. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies packed with surprising facts, forgotten stories and plenty of laughs.

On this weeks episode Andrea introduces our first two part story!!  Empress Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi.  Elisabeth lived a life of royal privilege that was anything but a fairy tale. Behind the portraits and imperial glamour was a woman who struggled with the suffocating expectations of the Habsburg court, travelled extensively, pursued her own interests and became one of Europe's most fascinating royal figures. It's a story of Empress Elisabeth, Austrian history, the Habsburg Empire, royal life and the woman behind the legend of Sisi.

Then Annie takes us into the murkier corners of 17th-century Italy to meet Giulia Tofana, the legendary woman associated with one of history's most notorious alleged poison businesses. Surrounded by stories of secret potions, unhappy marriages and women desperate to escape abusive husbands, Tofana became a figure of fascination and folklore. But where does the historical evidence end and the legend begin? It's a gripping tale of Italian history, women, crime, poison, folklore and one of history's most mysterious women.

Expect imperial palaces, scandal, secret plots, historical mysteries, remarkable women and plenty of laughs as Annie and Andrea uncover two very different stories from the past.

If you enjoy women in history, forgotten women, royal biographies, European history, true crime history, historical mysteries and unusual true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-many-myths-of-empress-elisabeth-of-austria-the-19th-century-royal-whose-beauty-and-tragic-death-transformed-her-into-a-legend-180986486/

https://www.visitingvienna.com/culture/sisi/

https://www.sisimuseum-hofburg.at/en/about-the-location/sisi-museum/rooms/the-sisi-myth

https://www.amazing-sisi.at/en/blog/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Elisabeth_of_Austria

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/giulia-tofana-aqua-tofana-history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giulia_Tofana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqua_Tofana

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gironima_Spana

https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/women-and-early-modern-poison/

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast.

If you love fascinating biographies, world history, inspiring people, and a good laugh along the way, you're in exactly the right place. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies celebrating the heroes, trailblazers, and larger-than-life personalities that history left out of the textbooks.

Annie is in Dallas, Texas to tell the remarkable story of Paul Alexander, the man who refused to let polio define him. After contracting the disease as a child, Paul spent much of his life inside an iron lung, yet went on to earn a law degree, write a memoir, travel, and inspire millions around the world.

Then Andrea is in the mood for revolution, three of them!! Francisco de Miranda, the globe-trotting soldier, explorer, and revolutionary whose adventures took him across Europe, North America, and South America. Long before Simón Bolívar became a household name, Miranda was dreaming of an independent Latin America, fighting in revolutions, meeting kings and queens, and rubbing shoulders with some of history's most influential figures. 

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten historical figures, world history, medical history, revolutionary history, inspiring biographies, and extraordinary true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

Whether you're here for the incredible man who lived for decades in an iron lung or the revolutionary who helped shape the fight for South American independence, this week's episode is packed with surprising stories, fascinating history, and the friendly chat and laughs you've come to expect from Annie and Andrea.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-de-Miranda

https://georgianera.wordpress.com/tag/francisco-de-miranda/

https://www.thoughtco.com/francisco-de-miranda-2136403

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_de_Miranda

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68627630

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/26/last-iron-lung-paul-alexander-polio-coronavirus

https://inews.co.uk/news/health/polio-paul-alexander-iron-lung-2955030?srsltid=AfmBOopBIN22q1AjfRMPDxhlzj66ay6yKedem7dSWntH8FQ5taTkG6vz

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully extraordinary characters that history deserves to remember.

If you love fascinating true stories, women's history, fashion history, social history, and incredible historical adventures, you're in exactly the right place. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies filled with humour, surprising facts, and the people your history teacher probably never mentioned.

This week Andrea tells the astonishing story of Ellen Craft and William Craft, the enslaved American couple who planned one of history's most ingenious escapes to freedom. Disguising themselves and travelling hundreds of miles through the American South while surrounded by danger. It's an unforgettable story of Black history, abolition, courage, and one of the greatest escape stories ever told.

Then Annie heads to Paris to meet the incomparable Elsa Schiaparelli, the bold Italian fashion designer who transformed haute couture with surrealist style, outrageous ideas, and unforgettable creations. Collaborating with artists including Salvador Dalí, Schiaparelli turned fashion into wearable art and inspired generations of designers. From shocking pink to lobster dresses, she proved that fashion could be playful, daring, and completely unlike anything the world had seen before.

Expect daring disguises, fashion revolutions, incredible true stories, inspiring pioneers, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two remarkable stories that changed history in completely different ways.

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, Black history, fashion history, inspiring biographies, extraordinary true stories, and fascinating historical characters, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

Andrea used these sources:

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/ellen-and-william-craft/

https://www.nps.gov/people/ellen-craft.htm

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-escape-from-slavery-of-ellen-and-william-craft-497960/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_and_William_Craft

Annie used these sources:

https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/elsa-schiaparelli?srsltid=AfmBOorscceDbHrZjSITIlnPZOlx-wcKDattVjXyl1ANJiJhUHJedQIk 

I attended this exhibition and read about Elsa throught the exhibits

https://schiaparelli.com/en/pages/l-histoire-de-la-maison

https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/elsa-schiaparelli-1890-1973

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully eccentric characters who prove that history is often stranger, funnier, and far more surprising than fiction.

If you love fascinating true stories, British history, Wild West legends, fashion history, and larger-than-life historical characters, you've found your new favourite podcast. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies packed with humour, fascinating facts, and the people your history teacher somehow forgot to mention.

This week Annie fights hay fever to introduce us to Sir Lumley St George Skeffington, the flamboyant British aristocrat who became one of the biggest names in beauty and high society. A celebrity figure of sartorial elegance, beauty expert, theatre lover, and writer, Skeffington rubbed shoulders with royalty and London's fashionable elite. But fashion always moves forward and what do you do if you're the last Dandy in London?

Then Andrea saddles up to meet Belle Starr, the legendary 'Bandit Queen' of the American Wild West. Depending on who was telling the story, Belle was either a fearless outlaw, a victim of sensational journalism, or simply a woman determined to live life on her own terms. Surrounded by horse thieves, outlaws, lawmen, and larger-than-life legends, her story blurs the line between history and myth in the most entertaining way possible.

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten historical figures, women's history, British social history, Wild West history, fascinating biographies, and extraordinary true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Belle-Starr

https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=ST018

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/belle-starr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Starr

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumley_Skeffington

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Skeffington,_Lumley_St._George

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG130503

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked oddballs, and extraordinary characters who prove that history is far stranger than fiction.

If you love fascinating true stories, British history, world history, royal scandals, and a healthy dose of humour, you're in exactly the right place. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of people whose unbelievable lives deserve far more attention.

On this week's episode Andrea heads to Korea to meet Yeonsangun of Joseon, one of the most infamous rulers in Korean history. His reign began with promise but soon descended into paranoia, revenge, and spectacular excess.  It's a gripping story of Korean history, royal scandal, and how absolute power can go spectacularly wrong.

Then Annie introduces the irrepressible Theodore Hook, the Regency wit, novelist, and practical joker whose appetite for chaos knew no bounds. Best remembered for orchestrating one of history's greatest practical jokes the legendary Berners Street Hoax.  With literary success, celebrity friendships, mounting debts, and an uncanny talent for talking himself into and out of trouble, his life was every bit as entertaining as his jokes.

Expect royal drama, outrageous pranks, political intrigue, eccentric nonsense and plenty of laughs as we uncover two lives that demonstrate history's enduring love affair with larger-than-life personalities.

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten historical figures, British history, Korean history, royal biographies, unusual true stories, and fascinating characters from the past, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%97%B0%EC%82%B0%EA%B5%B0/%EC%83%9D%EC%95%A0#fn-81

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeonsangun_of_Joseon

https://www.gqindia.com/content/bon-appetit-your-majesty-know-the-real-story-of-king-yeonsangun-netflix

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Theodore-Edward-Hook

https://www.open.ac.uk/library/digital-archive/person/per:SLP072

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berners_Street_hoax

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully eccentric characters who prove that history is anything but boring.

If you love fascinating true stories, science history, aviation, forgotten women, and a good laugh along the way, you're in exactly the right place. Every Wednesday, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of remarkable people whose stories deserve to be remembered.

This week, we're looking to the stars... and then taking to the skies.

First, Annie introduces the extraordinary Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer whose obsession with understanding the heavens changed the course of scientific history. From royal patronage and feuds to an infamous metal nose, it's a story packed with science, eccentricity, and one of history's greatest minds.

Then Andrea is off to America and the dawn of aviation! She tells the story of Katharine Wright, the sister who helped keep the famous Wright brothers flying. Katharine was the organiser, diplomat, fundraiser, nurse, and tireless supporter whose contribution to the birth of powered flight has too often been overlooked. 

Expect groundbreaking science, aviation history, eccentric geniuses, family drama, and plenty of laughs as we uncover two lives that helped humanity reach for the impossible.

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, science history, astronomy, aviation history, inspiring biographies, and extraordinary true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

This week Andrea used these sources:

https://www.wright-brothers.org/Information_Desk/Just_the_Facts/Wright_Family/Katharine_Wright/Katharine_Wright.htm

https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/katharine-wright-wright-sister

https://www.grupooneair.com/katharine-wright/

https://www.history.com/articles/wright-brothers-sister-katharine-first-flight

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Wright_Haskell

This week Annie used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tycho-Brahe-Danish-astronomer

https://www.space.com/19623-tycho-brahe-biography.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001hnlf

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung  the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked heroes, and wonderfully eccentric characters that history somehow forgot to put on the syllabus.

If you love fascinating true stories, social history, daring adventures, and a good laugh along the way, you're in exactly the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of remarkable people whose lives were far stranger than fiction.

First, Andrea introduces Charles Upham, the quiet New Zealander who became one of the most decorated soldiers of the Second World War. Renowned for his  repeated attempts to escape captivity, Upham earned a reputation as a war hero while remaining stubbornly uninterested in fame. 

Then Annie heads to Niagara Falls to meet the unforgettable Annie Edson Taylor. Facing financial uncertainty and looking for a way to secure her future, Annie came up with a crazy plan: climbing into a barrel and going over one of the world's most famous waterfalls. Becoming the first person to survive the feat, she achieved international fame overnight but as history often proves, becoming famous and becoming rich are not necessarily the same thing.

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten heroes, women's history, World War II history, adventure stories, unusual true stories, and fascinating historical biographies, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

This week Andrea used these sources:

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/charles-upham

https://www.victoriacross.org.uk/bbupham.htm

https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5u2/upham-charles-hazlitt

https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/community/about-the-district/history/charles-upham-vc-and-bar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Upham

This week Annie used these sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/obituaries/annie-edson-taylor-overlooked.html

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-24/first-barrel-ride-down-niagara-falls

https://www.discoverniagara.org/annie-edson-taylor

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/annie-edson-taylors-1901-retirement-plan-go-over-niagara-falls-in-a-barrel

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully unusual characters who deserve a place in the history books.

If you love fascinating true stories, women's history, medical history, science, and a healthy dose of humour, you're in exactly the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of remarkable people whose lives prove that history is far stranger than fiction.

This week Annie introduces Gertrude Herzfeld, one of Britain's pioneering female surgeons. At a time when medicine was still very much a man's world, Gertrude fought her way into the operating theatre and built an extraordinary career. 

Then Andrea brings us the delightfully eccentric Paul Erdős, the Hungarian mathematician whose life was almost as extraordinary as his intellect. Armed with a suitcase, an endless supply of mathematical problems, and very little interest in ordinary life, Erdős travelled the world collaborating with fellow mathematicians and producing an astonishing body of work. 

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, medical history, science history, mathematics, inspiring biographies, and fascinating true stories, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

Andrea used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Erdos

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/hoffman-man.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Erd%C5%91s

Annie used these sources:

https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsbull.2021.114?mobileUi=0.

https://www.mddus.com/resources/publications/publications-library/insight/q3-2017/gertrude-herzfeld?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google_seo

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36384938/

https://rcsed.shorthandstories.com/winter-24/keeping-up-with-the-times-women-and-rcsed-fellowship/index.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022346822007035

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung; the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea uncover the forgotten people, overlooked pioneers, and wonderfully eccentric characters that history left behind.

If you love fascinating true stories, women's history, social history, and a good laugh along the way, you're in the right place. Every week, we bring you two bite-sized biographies of people who deserve to be far better known.

First, Annie heads to Edinburgh to meet Bessie Watson, the child suffragette who became an unlikely symbol of Scottish identity. Armed with her beloved bagpipes Bessie found herself performing for crowds, politicians, and even royalty. 

Then Andrea introduces Katie Sandwina, the strongwoman who could outlift, outwrestle, and outshine most of the men around her. Touring Europe and America at the height of the circus and vaudeville era, Katie smashed records, challenged expectations, and became one of the most famous performers of her generation.

Expect Victorian celebrities, circus legends, strongwomen, Scottish history, remarkable women, and heaps of the usual nonsense about hair cuts, driving in Cornwall and whether we could be surgeons!

If you enjoy history podcasts, forgotten women in history, inspiring true stories, British history, social history, and extraordinary female pioneers, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

Andrea used these sources:

https://www.juggle.org/katie-sandwina-tightrope-walker-and-strong-woman/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-great-sandwina

https://physicalculturestudy.com/2017/09/07/katie-sandwina-the-strongest-woman-in-the-world/

https://strongmanproject.com/features/8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Sandwina

Annie used these sources:

https://equality-diversity.ed.ac.uk/inclusion/inspiring-women/women-in-history/elizabeth-bessie-watson

https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/the-incredible-story-of-bessie-watson-the-youngest-suffragette-606656

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Watson

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung; the weekly comedy history podcast where Annie and Andrea bring you two bite-sized biographies of the forgotten people, overlooked characters, and wonderfully weird true stories that prove history is far stranger than fiction.

If you love funny history podcasts, social history, unusual historical figures, and fascinating true stories, you're in exactly the right place.

This week Annie introduces the delightfully eccentric Jeremy Bentham, the philosopher, social reformer, and all-round champion of asking awkward questions. It's a story that starts with philosophy, architecture and political reform,  and ends with a very unusual idea for an everlasting tribute in his home city of London.

Then Andrea heads to the mountains of Central Europe to meet Juraj Jánošík, the legendary outlaw often described as the Slovak Robin Hood. Depending on who you ask, Jánošík was either a dangerous criminal, a freedom fighter, or a folk hero who robbed the rich and helped the poor. His true crime story was far shorter and more complicated than the legends suggest, but his story became one of the most enduring tales in Slovak history and European folklore.

If you enjoy history podcasts, British history, European history, folklore, political philosophy, and forgotten historical figures, Mostly Unsung is your new favourite weekly listen.

Whether you're here for an eccentric philosopher who turned himself into a museum exhibit or an outlaw who became a national legend, there's something for everyone in this week's journey through the stranger corners of history.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

https://folklorethursday.com/legends/juraj-janosik-an-outlaw-who-became-the-slovak-national-hero/

https://www.madamegilflurt.com/2014/03/notable-deaths-juraj-janosik.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juraj_J%C3%A1no%C5%A1%C3%ADk

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://www.britannica.com/money/Jeremy-Bentham

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/research/research-projects/bentham-project/about-jeremy-bentham

https://iep.utm.edu/jeremy-bentham/

Where you can find us:

https://www.instagram.com/mostlyunsung/

https://www.facebook.com/share/16J4vuMy1h/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mostlyunsung

[email protected]

See you next Wednesday!