History For Weirdos

In this episode of History For Weirdos, Stephanie take a deep dive into the life of Elizabeth Cochran Seaman, better known by her fearless pen name, Nellie Bly. Born in rural Pennsylvania in 1864, she punched her ticket out of small-town life with nothing but grit, charm, and a typewriter. We trace her journey from broke journalist pounding out articles in Pittsburgh to her bold decision to feign insanity and storm New York City’s notorious Blackwell’s Island asylum. Along the way we uncover the societal constraints she shattered just by daring to dream of a world where women could write, investigate, and shake the very foundations of big institutions. The heart of the story centers on Bly’s ten-day immersion in the asylum, where she endured starvation rations, filthy conditions, and the whims of guardians more interested in profit than people. Armed only with her wits and a small notebook, she chronicled abuses that would later spark one of the first major reforms in America’s mental health system. We break down her tactics for slipping past the front desk, her brush-ups with fellow patients and unhinged staff, and the explosive exposé that thrust her into the national spotlight. It’s a gripping reminder that good reporting can be as dramatic as any stage show. In our final act we follow Bly’s globe-circling adventure that saw her beat Phileas Fogg’s fictional record and become the first woman to travel around the world alone in 72 days, all while drawing headlines and challenging gender norms. We also explore her later life as a war correspondent covering the Spanish-American War and her surprising pivot into industrial innovation, including a steam boiler patent that saved lives. By the end you’ll see how Nellie Bly’s restless curiosity and unbreakable spirit turned every assignment into an adventure, and why her legacy still inspires journalists and weirdos alike to chase the next big story. - Get History For Weirdos merch here! - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: ⁠⁠historyforweirdos.com - Sources for this week: Kroeger, Brooke. Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist. Times Books, 1994. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Archives (Nellie Bly educational history and records) PBS American Experience: Nellie Bly Library of Congress Digital Collections: Nellie Bly Collection Ten Days in a Mad-House (1887) by Nellie Bly Around the World in Seventy-Two Days (1890) by Nellie Bly The Nellie Bly Collection (compiled editions available via Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever wondered what RoboCop has in common with Renaissance paintings and ancient Roman orators? In this epic episode of History For Weirdos, your hosts Andrew and Stephanie sit down with the legendary actor, historian, and fellow Weirdo Dr. Peter Weller. From his iconic role as RoboCop to his scholarly passion for Italian Renaissance art, Weller takes listeners on a whirlwind adventure through history, art, and pop culture, proving he’s a true Renaissance man himself. Join us as we explore why Giotto di Bondone isn't just another painter: he's a revolutionary artist whose innovations changed visual storytelling forever. Alongside tales from the set of RoboCop and insights into ancient Rome’s enduring impact on today's world, Weller seamlessly connects the dots between seemingly unrelated topics, revealing a universe where art, history, and science fiction collide. This episode isn't just a conversation, it's a journey through the delightfully strange intersections of human history & creativity. You can get Dr Peter Weller's book, "Leon Battista Alberti" here! - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Okay, buckle up, because History For Weirdos is back! Also check out our brand new merch here!! **If you want to skip ahead and get to the story itself, go to the 20:20 mark** This week's History for Weirdos dives into the bananas – literally – story of the 1954 Guatemalan coup. Picture this: Guatemala, 1950s, a newly elected president, Jacobo Árbenz, with a wild idea: giving unused land back to the people. Sounds kinda nice, right? Not to the United Fruit Company, the mega-corp basically running the country like their own personal banana republic (pun intended, always). UFCO had been low-balling their land's value for taxes for years, and Arbenz's reforms, while offering compensation, were based on THOSE lowballed tax values. The Company freaked and decided a little "regime change" was in order. So, how do you convince the most powerful nation on Earth to overthrow a democratically-elected government because your bottom line is threatened? Easy! You scream "COMMUNISM!" at the top of your lungs during the height of the Red Scare. UFCO, with its tentacles wrapped around powerful figures in the U.S. government (some serious "swamp" vibes, even for the '50s), launched a propaganda blitz, painting Árbenz as a Soviet puppet. The CIA, never ones to shy away from a little covert chaos, jumped in, cooked up some "rebel" forces, and poof – democracy extinguished, all to keep those sweet, sweet banana profits flowing. It's a tale of corporate greed, Cold War paranoia, and the sheer, unadulterated weirdness of international politics. We are going to have a good time with this one. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back, Weirdos to another spine-tingling episode of History for Weirdos! This week, we're unraveling the baffling case of Grace Marks, a young Irish-Canadian maid who found herself entangled in a gruesome double homicide that shocked 19th-century Canada. In 1843, Upper Canada was rocked by the brutal murders of Thomas Kinnear, a wealthy farmer, and his housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery. The prime suspects? None other than the seemingly innocent Grace Marks and her fellow servant, James McDermott. But did this unassuming maid truly play a part in this bloody crime, or was she merely a pawn in a deadly game? Join us as we sift through the conflicting accounts, the whispers of a possible conspiracy, and the psychological labyrinth of a young woman trapped in a web of deceit. Was Grace a cold-blooded killer, a manipulated accomplice, or simply an innocent bystander caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? - This is the last episode we will be airing before our hiatus. Thank you so much for supporting the show, it means the world to us both. We are not sure when we will be back but we need a bit of time to recharge. Until then, stay weird! - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey Weirdos! Buckle up for a trip back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, but not the way you remember it from your high school history class. This week, we're digging into the life of Dolores Del Rio, a Mexican actress who became a silent film sensation and one of the biggest stars of the 1920s and 30s. Now, you might be scratching your head wondering why you've never heard of this trailblazing Latina, and that's precisely why we're putting her in the HFW spotlight! Dolores's story is a wild ride of glamour, prejudice, and ultimately, triumph. We're talking scandalous love affairs, political intrigue, and a career that spanned continents and decades. Imagine a time when Hollywood was just finding its footing, and a young woman from Durango, Mexico, arrives on the scene, captivating audiences with her beauty and talent. Dolores defied stereotypes, becoming a symbol of elegance and sophistication during a time when Latinx representation was scarce. But her journey was far from easy. Join us as we uncover the challenges she faced, the triumphs she celebrated, and the lasting impact she had on both Hollywood and Mexican cinema. Get ready to uncover a hidden corner of Hollywood history, as we explore the fascinating and often forgotten life of Dolores Del Rio. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*This is the video version of this episode. Available on Spotify only* In this week's special episode of History For Weirdos, we discuss the intersection of LSD, the CIA and the Nazi Party with New York Times bestselling author Norman Ohler. His books, "Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany" & "Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age" uncover the shocking and pervasive use of drugs throughout Hitler's regime. From methamphetamine-fueled soldiers on the battlefield to the search for a miraculous truth serum, Ohler's meticulously researched book reveals the extent to which narcotics shaped the decisions and actions of Nazi Germany and subsequently the United States. We'll dive into the disturbing details of Hitler's own drug dependency, the mass distribution of performance-enhancing substances to the troops, and the pharmaceutical industry's complicity in fueling this chemical frenzy. Get ready for a mind-bending exploration of the intersection between drugs, power, and war. Ohler's insights will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the darkest chapter in human history. This is one episode you won't want to miss! - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Spanish Inquisition, a phrase that evokes images of torture chambers, religious persecution, and a dark chapter in human history. But what was the Inquisition truly about? Was it a brutal campaign of religious oppression, or a complex historical phenomenon with nuanced motivations? In this episode of History for Weirdos, Andrew looks into the murky depths of the Spanish Inquisition, separating myth from reality, and exploring the motivations behind this infamous institution. Join Stephanie and Andrew as they unravel the intricate tapestry of events that led to the establishment of the Inquisition by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, the methods employed by its inquisitors, and the lasting impact it had on Spain and the world. From the persecution of religious minorities to the suppression of intellectual dissent, we examine the Inquisition's far-reaching influence and the profound consequences it had on countless lives. Prepare to be both fascinated and disturbed as we explore the dark side of human history, and shed light on a period that continues to intrigue and horrify to this day. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*Originally released on April 19th, 2020* Happy Labor Day Weirdos! Ever heard of a labor strike happening over 3,000 years ago? We bet you haven't! In this episode of History For Weirdos, we're dusting off the ancient papyrus scrolls and taking you back to the reign of Ramses III in 1157 BC. It turns out that even in the grand shadow of the pyramids, workers had their breaking points. Join Stephanie and Andrew as they unravel the tale of disgruntled artisans and laborers who decided to down tools and demand their due. This wasn't just any protest; it's considered the first recorded labor strike in history! Get ready to explore the surprisingly relatable struggles of these ancient Egyptians who were fed up with delayed rations and unfair treatment. We'll delve into the fascinating details of their daring act of defiance and the unexpected consequences that rippled through the kingdom. It's a story that reminds us that the fight for fair working conditions isn't a modern invention; it's as old as civilization itself. So, buckle up for a time-traveling adventure that will leave you marveling at the resilience and resourcefulness of the world's first strikers! - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch 👇 Email: historyforweirdos@gmail.com IG/Threads: @historyforweirdos Website: historyforweirdos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices