He’s been called the devil, the monster. But H.H. Holmes was America’s first known serial killer. Even he said killing was his destiny. His victims were men, women, and even little children, many coming to Chicago and his hotel for the great 1893 World’s Fair. The tabloid press described his murders and then embellished the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The 1893 World’s Fair murder castle

Love a good, juicy story that goes beyond what we already know? We're talking scandalous presidential family members, a mass murder at a world-famous architect's home, stolen inventions, nude athletes at the first Olympics, compulsive liars, the arrival of the bikini, and so much more. History fanatic Patty Steele tells you the inside backstories you didn’t know you needed to know.

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We all love to laugh, no matter when, where, or how we’ve lived. Amazingly, there are a handful of topics that have given us the giggles for at least 5,000 years. And a lot of them involve 6th-grade humor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The history of jokes

James Brown, the godfather of soul, had some anger issues. In fact, he went to prison after threatening agents at an insurance seminar with a gun because he thought they used his private bathroom.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: James Brown: Drugs, toilets, and guns

Think politics today are the most angry and violent they’ve ever been? What about the days when senators and congressmen came to work armed with guns and knives? Or the murder of one congressman by another just because they had an ideological disagreement? That’s when politics were bloody. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Bloody politics

We think the world just keeps evolving. But what happens when a civilization like Rome collapses and all that technology disappears?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: Radiant heat & working toilets 2,000 years ago

Imagine meeting your children…and they're way older than you! But you've been obsessed since your earliest memory with the idea that you were the mother of eight kids. But you died, leaving them orphaned. And your guilt was palpable, even as a three-year-old! You may not believe in reincarnation, but it’s hard to ignore Jenny Cockell’s story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Backstory: The 1893 World’s Fair murder castle

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