Happy Friday! Happy Mostly Unsung Day!! Welcome back to another hilarious episode of historical biography madness. Join your podcast friends for more stories you've never heard before.

This week Annie is in beautiful Yorkshire with a true English Eccentric. Causing a bit of a stir with his eccentric attire, outlandish mode of transport and his unusual pets. People may have laughed but he absolutely managed the last laugh with possibly the finest sounding funeral ever planned.

Then Andrea is off to explore Kentucky in the United States where an equally eccentric man is looking for a new calling after leaving the armed forces. His inspiration coming from an unlikely combination of Saturn's rings and the migration patterns of animals.

For this episode Andrea used these sources:

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

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1873/04/the-symmes-theory-of-the-earth/631214/

https://eu.cincinnati.com/story/news/2023/01/08/hollow-earth-theory-connection-hamilton-ohio-captain-john-cleves-symmes/69778206007/

For this episode Annie used these sources:

https://gizmodo.com/the-weirdest-animal-expert-who-ever-lived-5767995

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

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

It's time for more bite size historical biographies with the usual dash of nonsense and laughter!

This week Andrea is heading out to the forests and rolling hills of one of America's most beautiful hiking trails, the Appalachian Trail. Don't we all look forward to retirement and the opportunity to spend eight hour days clearing brush and bramble thickets? An inspiring story for those looking forward to their third age.

Then Annie is delving into the untold stories of World War II, where a hard working woman is trying to both escape the bloodshed and help the Allied soldiers and their families, with sabotage, reconnaissance and answers about missing loved ones.

For this episode, Andrea used these sources:

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

https://www.outdoors.org/resources/amc-outdoors/history/grandma-gatewood-the-first-woman-to-solo-hike-the-entire-appalachian-trail/

https://www.shakaguide.com/article/shenandoah/grandma-gatewood

For this episode, Annie used these sources: 

https://kulturapress.com/2025/01/13/how-celebrated-spymistress-vera-atkins-helped-protect-chelsea-during-the-blitz/

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

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Happy Friday, friends in podcast land! It's time for a brand new episode of the comedy history podcast that answers such burning questions as what is the best alternative to saying ''yes? How can you get out of cross country running? And the classic: how do you take your tea?

Join Annie for an American sports history story over in Tennessee. One little African American girl is overcoming the hurdles of a terrible medical record to smash some records at the Olympics.

Then Andrea is over in India, where the British are fighting wars and smashing rebellions. We Brits have one local man to thank for our knowledge and love of Assam tea, unfortunately, the British East India Company aren't too keen on his entrepreneurial spirit.

Andrea used these sources:

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

https://www.assam.org/node/2368

https://www.sandpaper.guru/blog/post/maniram-dewan-assams-first-tea-planter

Annie used these sources:

https://www.biography.com/athletes/wilma-rudolph

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilma-Rudolph

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Welcome back for more stories from history you weren't taught in school! It's another mad one! Have you ever seen the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders? Andrea has, and she has opinions; while Annie wishes they'd change their main theme song. 

This week, in your favourite comedy history podcast, Andrea takes us all the way to 18th Century China to tell the story of one woman is rewriting everything from maths to medicine to poetry. But first, she takes a moment to laugh over her own inability to do any kind of impression of theatre treasure and cinema icon, Tim Curry.

Then, join Annie as she tells the brave story of a prisoner of the Second World War and all round Naval hero. He travelled the world; only to return to Scotland and join the hunt for this podcast's favourite cryptid, the Loch Ness Monster! 

Andrea used these sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Zhenyi_(astronomer)

https://kids.kiddle.co/Wang_Zhenyi_(astronomer)

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/wang-zhenyi

Annie used these sources:

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/David_James_(British_MP)

https://www.bigredbook.info/david_james.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_James_(British_MP)

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Strap in for another fun filled and hilarious episode of your favourite history Podcast! History stories you never learnt in school alongside the usual nonsense about transport in the eighties, how not to accidentally work in mental health and what EXACTLY is a burglar?

On this fitness fuelled episode, you can jog onto the soccer pitch and join our sports phobic friends as Annie tells us about a woman who played for a team so great, did the Football Association change the rules to stop their wave of success? Andrea gets very upset and shouts about the patriarchy, but what's new?!

Then Andrea is off on a nice walk... A very long walk that lasts about fifteen years, but don't worry there are always roadside inns if you need a break, and the monotony of hiking can be broken with an added dash of true crime! If you think running a con artist game is new  think again, 18th Century Europe has met it's match!

Andrea used these sources:

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

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-was-barbara-erni-grifter

https://www.executedtoday.com/2015/02/26/1785-barbara-erni-the-golden-boos/

Annie used these sources:

https://nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/lily-parr/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55884099

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Hey there listeners, ready for some new historical biographies? This week was an accidental LGBT celebration with two feel good stories from history to start your weekend with a smile!

Join Andrea as she tells us all about the creepers she used to Salsa with, then heads to gay Paris! Heavy emphasis on the gay, as we join The Countess, an author recording her heat warming coming out story in the trans community of 19th Century France. Expect Champagne, frilled robes, and a sing-a-long or two.

Then Annie takes us home to England. Ever heard of the Coutts Banking Dynasty? A young woman becomes exceedingly wealthy and teaches the billionaires of today a thing or two about charity. She doesn't have to do it alone though, she has a room mate to offer her support! Generosity, a kind world view and a stack of cheques help leave the world a better place.

Andrea used these sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Countess_(courtesan)

https://trans-express.lgbt/post/615635917396459520/great-thread-by-cn-lester-over-at-twitter-note

https://outhistory.org/items/show/1323

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/17/monograph/chapter/560217

Annie used these sources:

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Angela-Burdett-Coutts/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Angela-Georgina-Burdett-Coutts-Baroness-Burdett-Coutts

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Welcome back to Mostly Unsung! Be warned this episode is a very weird one and you enter at your own risk! It's time for two more historical biographies with your podcast besties.

Join Annie as we get to talk all about our favourite dinosaurs (Triceratops and Diplodocus if you were wondering) and show a complete and total lack of scientific knowledge of electricity. We're meeting a lady searching the Dorset cliffs for fossils and changing the understanding of prehistory.

Then come along with Andrea who is travelling the country with a very talented woman getting overlooked because of her physical differences. Everything changes when she turns 30 and a wealthy patron helps her out of the sideshow and into the drawing rooms of royalty where she proves that disability doesn't mean you can't live your dreams.

Andrea used these sources:

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

https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2022/04/the-early-life-of-painter-sarah-biffen-.html

https://philipmould.com/exhibitions/31-without-hands-the-art-of-sarah-biffin/

https://artuk.org/discover/stories/sarah-biffin-the-celebrated-nineteenth-century-artist-born-without-arms-or-legs

Annie used these sources:

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/mary-anning-unsung-hero.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Anning

https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/the-library/online-exhibitions/women-and-geology/mary-anning/

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

Welcome back, lovely listeners! It's Friday, it's nearly the weekend, and it's time for another couple of historical japes!

Content Warning: Andrea's story does talk about a man with an addiction to alcohol, if that's something you'd rather not listen to, please do skip to the second story which is much sweeter.

Both stories this week tell the tale of what can happen if very young people suddenly inherit an awful lot of money. 

Join Andrea this week on a Grand Tour, followed by a little glass of port, or maybe 200 bottles of the stuff? Cue a big debate on just how many hats counts as TOO MANY HATS and a quick digression to the correct etiquette when a fellow podcaster dies. 

Then Annie tells the tale of a man who made the most of his enormous fortune, from pink poodles to theatrical extravaganza. Both of our hosts really wish they could have been in Wales to hang out and go for trips in the perfume car.

Andrea used these sources:

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

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Mad-Jack-Mytton/

https://bob-lynn.medium.com/the-wild-ride-of-mad-jack-mytton-shropshire-s-legendary-eccentric-squire-54ff049ddfaf

Annie used these sources:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/plas-newydd-house-and-garden/people-and-history-at-plas-newydd

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51651894

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Paget,_5th_Marquess_of_Anglesey

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

It's Fourth of July! As a British Podcast hosted by two English best friends it has absolutely nothing to do with us. So we dedicated an entire episode to American History you might not of heard of! Cue the marching band, organise a pot luck (whatever the heck one of those is) and crack open some overly sugared beverages!

Join Annie as she tells the story of a scientist who, with the help of his children's playground bugs, upsets some people with his swearing, and eradicates some horrible diseases.

Then Andrea is in California, where the mid Century skies are positively teaming with UFOs, and an 8 foot tall, psychic alien has travelled a very long way to tell one young man it's time for a change of career and thoughts of elections and then the presidency.

Andrea used these sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Green_(ufologist)

https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/gabriel-green-presidential-candidate-ufo-ticket

https://hatch.kookscience.com/wiki/Gabriel_Green

Annie used these sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC557162/

https://hillemanfilm.com/dr-hilleman

https://historyofvaccines.org/history/maurice-hilleman-phd/overview

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!

It's Friday! You know what that means, your friends Andrea and Annie are back with another two stories from history you might not have heard, and this time the stories come with SINGING. Don't say we don't treat our listeners like royalty.

Andrea is taking us off to South Africa where one young man is writing some new songs; will he get what's due to him? It's mid Century South Africa, and he's a young black man. I think we can probably guess. But we do get to wander off topic to talk about ghost stories and find out teen Andrea had the musical taste of a white, middle class, fifty year old Dad.

Annie takes flight all over the dang world with a record breaking woman who wasn't concerned with keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She also manages to squeeze in a song and it turns out if you've been on a school trip to the Science Museum in London, you've seen one of the stars of the story!

Andrea used these sources:

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

https://sahistory.org.za/dated-event/solomon-popoli-linda-singer-and-composer-dies

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55333535

https://www.okayafrica.com/solomon-linda-original-creator-of-the-lion-sleeps-tonight-credited-in-black-is-king-/

Annie used these sources:

http://amyjohnsonartstrust.co.uk/her-life/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/amy-johnson/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/07/amy-johnson-missing-feared-drowned-thames-estuary-1941

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-68088984

Where you can find us:

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

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

https://bsky.app/profile/mostlyunsung.bsky.social

[email protected]

See you next Friday!