Episodes
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Once Dead, Twice Buried Part 1: A History of Death Tests and Safety Coffins
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
It’s Halloween season, and that means it’s time for some spooky history. And what is spookier than being buried alive? Nothing really, and that’s where this two-part miniseries is headed. Today in Part 1 we cover taphophobia-the fear of being buried alive-and examine some of the ways we’ve dealt with this fear throughout history. Safety coffins, devices built to save the prematurely buried, and the death tests we used to determine if a person was really, completely dead, are showcased. Edgar Allen Poe, Houdini, and some ill-fated escape artists even make an appearance. If you love the macabre, you don’t want to miss this one. Come get your spook on.
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
A Strange Experiment: Dr. William Beaumont and the 'Guinea Pig' of Mackinac Island.
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
Wednesday Sep 09, 2020
In 1822 on Mackinac Island, French Canadian Fur Trader Alexis St Martin was shot in the side at a distance of less than one meter. The experiments following his miraculous survival just may be the weirdest piece of history ever seen in the Straits of Mackinac.
The bullet wound left a hole in St Martin’s side giving Dr. William Beaumont the first ever access to a living human stomach. The doctor would tie pieces of food to a silk string and dangle them down into St Martin’s stomach in order to better understand the process of digestion. But the experiments didn’t stop there. Nearly 250 experiments were performed over nearly a decade.
Dr. Beaumont’s book on the experiments first published in 1833 entitled “Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion” paved the way for our understanding of the human gastric system and earned Beaumont the title of Father of Gastric Physiology.
St Martin lived his entire life with a bullet hole his side, which became a gastric fistula, or “passageway” that never closed. He was buried in a secret location eight feet below ground with two feet of rocks on his coffin to deter grave robbers from stealing his corpse or his stomach, which was highly sought after when he died.
Come hear the true story of Dr. William Beaumont and Alexis St Martin in this extra strange episode of the History Cache Podcast.
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Leadbelly Part 3: Music and Murder
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Music and murder collide in the third installment of the series highlighting the life of one of America’s greatest musical legends: Leadbelly. Ledbetter was already a fugitive when he murdered Will Stafford on a dirt road in Texas. No longer able to run from the law, Huddie faced difficult times in the brutal early 20th century prison system where he wrote some of his most profound music. But Leadbelly wouldn’t go down without a fight (and at least two more prison breaks). In this episode, we explore the next chapter of his life, as well as learn the dark history of convict leasing and why the remains of 95 inmates, known as the “Sugarland 95,” lie buried just below the surface of a small, Texas town.
Wednesday May 13, 2020
The Prehistory of Compassion and the Search for Human Happiness
Wednesday May 13, 2020
Wednesday May 13, 2020
This week we travel back in time 430,000 years to find some of the first examples of compassion in the fossil record. This time we fuse psychology and science with history as we discuss why compassion exists, its potential health benefits, the consequences of stress, fight or flight, and what that all has to do with human happiness. This one packs a scientific punch as we turn up the nerd level to 11.
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Miep Gies, the Dutch Resistance, and a Girl Who Changed the World
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
Wednesday Apr 15, 2020
During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Dutch Resistance to Hitler was strong, with many Dutch citizens risking their lives to hide, transport, and secretly support those that his policies oppressed. In this episode, we continue or compassion series that showcases good people doing good things in times of crises. This week, we follow the life of Miep Gies, a woman who risked everything to hide and protect a group of her Jewish friends, including one young girl who would inspire millions throughout the world with the words she would write down while hidden away in a secret annex.
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Olympias Part 3: The Rise and Fall of a Legend
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
Wednesday Feb 12, 2020
The finale is here! In the final episode we explore the final years of Olympias’s epic life. We cover how she cultivated her own power at court, watch her rise to even greater heights after the death of Alexander the Great, see a war waged between two incredible women of the ancient world, and find out just how this mother of an empire met her end.
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Olympias Part 2: Mother of Empire
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
Wednesday Jan 29, 2020
In Part 2 we continue to uncover the hidden history of Olympias of Epirus. Assassination, murder, and the political intrigue of an ancient royal court all take center stage in this episode. Come discover the next chapters in the life of one of the most vilified women in history as we sift through the propaganda of two millennia to get a glimpse of the incredible life of the most powerful woman in ancient Greece. Find out what she did next, at the budding of one of history’s largest and most fascinating empires, as we see just how far she would go to ensure the success of her dynasty.
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
The First Robot
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Wednesday Jan 01, 2020
Robots have revolutionized our world and are continuing to do so at an exponential rate. But what was the first robot? Who invented it? What will the future of robotics look like? And what happens when robots kill? This episode examines the evolution of robots, the history behind them, our fear of them, and where it all might be headed.
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Why Does Fruitcake Even Exist? Eggnog, Yule Logs, and a Cannibalistic Christmas Troll
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Why does Fruitcake even exist? Can we blame the ancient Romans? How old is eggnog? What exactly is a Yule Log? Discover the ancient origins of our favorite--and not so favorite--holiday food traditions in this special holiday history byte. I even give you George Washington's actual recipe for eggnog! After that, we'll head to Iceland and meet Gryla the Christmas troll, her menacing Yule cat, and find out why you should thank your grandma for getting you those socks for Christmas.
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 5 of 5
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
The finale is here! Come find out just how one of the most inspiring stories of human endurance ended. We head back to Antarctica and watch the crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition make history as Shackleton attempts one last desperate attempt at a rescue mission. This episode has all the answers you've been waiting for.
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 4 of 5
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
In 1914 the 28 member crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. It is now the beginning of 1916. Their ship has been crushed, they've been stranded on the ice with no way out, and they've taken to the boats in a last ditch effort to escape the ice melting beneath them. In Part 4 we hear what happens next as they head for the yet unexplored Elephant Island, and Shackleton with a sets out on an 820 mile open boat journey on the roughest sea passage in the world to either find rescue, or doom them all to an icy grave.
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 3 of 5
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
In Part 3 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, we join the stranded crew of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914, who have been stranded on the ice now for well over a year. Their ship has been crushed, starvation and madness have begun to set in, and they've been trapped by the ice and sea with no way out. In this episode, we watch as they make a desperate escape attempt while the ice splits beneath them, before heading out towards the unknown on the open sea.
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Père Lachaise Cemetery: A History of Death in Paris
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Wednesday Oct 30, 2019
Join me on a tour of Père Lachaise Cemetery and explore the tombs of some of histories most incredible icons including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Isadora Duncan, Abelard and Heloise, and Chopin. We examine the cemetery's history, make a side tour to the catacombs beneath Paris, and explore the dark moments in history that have occurred in Père Lachaise since its establishment by Napoleon. Let's go to Paris!
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
The Screaming Mummies of Guanajuato and a Horde of Egyptian Cats
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
In this two story episode we travel to Guanajuato, Mexico, and discover a cache of mummies that were literally evicted from their graves. Then we head to Beni Hassan, Egypt, where a farmer digging a well in 1888 accidentally stumbled upon one of the largest hoards of cat mummies ever found, and, possibly, an ancient, illegal crime ring of cat killers (seriously). We also meet Bastet, the ancient Egyptian goddess that started it all.
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
The First Monsters
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
Wednesday Oct 16, 2019
In this episode we explore history's first monsters. From the prehistoric beasts that stalked our ancestors to the first mythological oral traditions, then to the first ancient written accounts through the modern day; this is the history of what scares us. What were the first monsters, why do we fear them, and why do we need them? Let's find out and examine the first things that appeared from the darkness.
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 2 of 5
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
In Part 2 of Shackleton's Lost Voyage, the crew of the Endurance find themselves frozen fast in the Antarctic pack ice in 1915. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind what happens to the human mind during the long Polar Night as we join the crew on the next leg of their journey. Disaster, heartbreak, and uncanny resilience unfold in this second chapter before the finale of Part 3.
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
History Byte Halloween Extra: A British Cowboy and the Cremation of Sam McGee
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Poet, adventurer, bard of the Yukon, and British cowboy (that's a thing) Robert W. Service (1874-1958) is showcased in this week's history byte, followed by a retelling of his spookiest of poems, The Cremation of Sam McGee.
This is the first of THREE EXTRA episodes premiering this month just for your Halloween season enjoyment, so pumpkin up that coffee, put in those ear buds, dust off that Necronomicon, and go nuts.
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
The Lost Voyage of Shackleton: The Edge of Human Endurance Part 1 of 5
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
In 1914 the crew of the Endurance left to trek across the continent of Antarctica on foot. Led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, they believed their journey would bring them adventure, scientific discovery, and fame. What actually unfolded would become one of the greatest stories of human endurance the world has ever seen. Crushed by ice, lost, and wandering at the bottom of the world, they would harrow the most severe environment on Earth as they gave everything to make it home again. Come hear the story of the Trans Antarctic Expedition and the polar explorers that colored in the last pieces of the world's map.
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
History Byte: Animal Astronauts
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Wednesday Sep 11, 2019
Come and meet Ham the astronaut chimp and discover how the animal astronauts of history just may have saved us all. Also featuring Space Dogs and one phenomenal Astro Cat for an episode that's literally out of this world.
Friday Aug 30, 2019