Ridiculous History

Nowadays airships are seen as historical relics or novelties meant to fly overhead during sports games. However, not so long ago, the US military thought airships might be the future of warfare. Today the guys delve into the strange history of the USS Akron, an airship designed not just to carry human beings -- but to carry planes as well. Learn more about the construction of the Akron -- and why it's not aloft today -- in today's Classic episode.

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The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is one of the most storied institutions of its kind in the United States, and it's chockful of priceless objects from across the span of history and the globe. However... investigators recently discovered a grisly secret hidden within one of the dioramas. Join Ben and Noel as they explore the macabre secret of the Carnegie Museum in today's Classic episode.

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Simeon Ellerton spent years building a house out of stones he found and carried home, one by one. Rejected by his one true love, Edward Leeskalnin spent decades erecting a bizarre monument for her, built of giant coral stones in Florida. But what exactly motivated these guys? How did they stick with their strange obsessions, and what mysteries surround them in the modern day? Tune in to learn more.

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Today the United States Military Academy at West Point is known as one the country's top-notch training institutions, but back in 1826 it was home to a night of pure egg-nog-fueled pandemonium. Join Ben and Noel as they retrace the drunken, crazed steps of cooped-up cadets who decided to fight the power one Christmas in today's Classic episode.

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Are you a millionaire, billionaire or aristocrat too busy to manage the day-to-day affairs of palatial estate? If so, you may have already secured the last word in personal service: the butler. In today's episode, inspired by strange memories of the sitcom Mr. Belvedere, Ben, Noel and Max explore the real history of butlerdom, from supervising jugs of booze all the way to the bespoke managerial services of the modern day.

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Activist and Hollywood producer Holly Dillon was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was just 14 years old and, at 20, was told by a doctor that there was no help for her–that her body had “failed.” Devastated but not deterred, Holly launched Get Your Skin Out, a visual campaign and online community of people sharing about their skin disorders, and looking beautiful doing it. As we step back in skin history, we examine the lives of Benjamin Franklin and Elizabeth Siddal, suspected psoriasis patients, who wrote extensively about how their symptoms affected them. We see they faced many of the same challenges people do today.

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The 36th President of the United States is often recalled as a complex, flawed individual responsible for profoundly important legislation. However, he was also a notorious telephone fanatic, installing loads of phones in both the White House and his Texas ranch. Here's the kicker: He recorded almost everything. Tune in as the guys see a... pretty strange behind-the-scenes portrait of President Lyndon Johnson in today's Classic episode.

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There's no way around it: James Smithson had a tough life. Yet his unhappiness may, in an indirect way, be the prime reason the Smithsonian Institute exists today. In part two of this special two-part episode, special guest Lizzie Peabody, the host of Sidedoor, delves into the story of how James Smithson donated a massive windfall to the United States -- and, at the same time, gave them an enormous mission. Tune in to learn more.

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The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex -- but how did it get here? Join Ben, Noel and Max as they welcome Lizzie Peabody, host of Sidedoor, the Smithsonian Institution's own official podcast, to learn the stunning origin story of their favorite museums. In part one of this special two-part episode, we meet a young man named James Smithson.

(01:07) Smithsonian Institution / Renwick Gallery

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For centuries people from all walks of life sought to eliminate friends, strangers and enemies using the devious, subtle poison known as arsenic. Arsenic poisoning became such a well-known method of murder that people in Britain began calling it "inheritance powder". But what made it so popular? How did this particular substance become the stuff of history? Join Ben and Noel as they delve into the fascinating, morbid story of arsenic.

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