The history of African slaves being sent across the Atlantic is well-known, but hundreds of years before Columbus arrived in America the Chinese were importing their own African slaves to do their hard labor, attempt dangerous underwater repairs to ships, and work as “ornamental” palace attendants.

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Riots and angry mobs causing death and destruction are nothing new. In fact, the world has a long and rich history of people causing a commotion over the smallest inconveniences, impolite gestures, wrongdoings, and personal beefs. From a Roman soldier mooning a large group of Jewish pilgrims to a stadium of drunk baseball fans getting overzealous on ten-cent beer night, we cover some of the most absurd uproars in the last 2000 years.

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Washington D.C.’s upper crust decided it would be fun to tailgate Bull Run, the first major battle of the American Civil War. And, once there, they tried their hardest to armchair quarterback the Union Army. But things got a lot less fun once their side started charging at them in a panicked retreat.

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St. Patrick’s Day might seem like a bigger deal in the Northeast and Midwest but New Orleans was actually the second most frequent port of entry for Irish immigrants to the United States. They didn’t necessarily have a great time living in the Big Easy, however. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Fifth-century Romano-British slave turned bishop, Maewyn Succat, was on a mission to convert the entire island of Ireland to Catholicism by any means necessary. From dueling pagan magicians with fire to raising dozens of dead back to life, St. Patrick took no prisoners in his conquest for God.

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This week we learn about Sergeant Stubby, a Boston Terrier who fought for the United States during World War 1. He was no mere mascot, though. He saw plenty of combat and ended up outranking his owner, all while accomplishing quite a bit more than most humans ever do in their military careers

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Like any culture or region, Islam and pre-Islamic Arabia had stories about a number of mythical creatures. One in particular, though, was codified into official existence by the Quran. They’re made of fire. You can hook up with them. They can eavesdrop on Heaven unless God shoots meteors at them. And they’ll write your poems for you. Meet the Jinn (aka genies).

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Rough-and-tumble was a free-for-all fighting style in the colonial South wherein contestants would bite, dig, and tear into each other's eye sockets and testicles all in the name of defending their honor. It makes current-day mixed martial arts look like ballet.

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Charles II of England was quite possibly the horniest king alive. From staging orgies to anointing royal mistresses, learn about his exploits and the absurdity of his reign in this week’s episode.

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Jeffrey Hudson, “Court Dwarf” for Queen Henrietta Maria of England, was the most famous jester in Europe during the early 17th Century. But like all great comedians, he started to take himself WAY too seriously. It went badly.

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