Historically High

Class, here's the deal...we usually don't condone cheating or shortcuts here at HHU. But we also understand trying to catch up on what the MCU has been up to the last 7 years (Yeah it's been 7 years, feeling old anyone) since Avengers: Endgame. Iron-man is Dr. Doom now? Wait I thought Jim from The Office was Mr. Fantastic in the movie with Patrick Stewart's Professor X. Yeah that did happen and a bunch of other stuff, tv series occurred, we had three Spider-men in one movie. There's a lot to unpack before you go see Doomsday. Let us unpack that for you. Welcome to Class. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why did ancient civilizations, on every inhabited continent at different points in history independently decide the world was run by a giant scaled lizard? This week we break down humanity’s ultimate shared mythological trip—from our primate brains mashing big cats, raptors, and venomous snakes into an evolutionary super-predator, to the massive cultural clash between European knights stabbing subterranean gold-hoarders and Chinese emperors deifying benevolent, rain-summoning weather lords. Along the way, we explore ancient apothecaries grinding up dinosaur "dragon bones," Chinese magistrates roasting wooden water gods in the sun to end droughts, and the war between fantasy authors and modern Hollywood over how many legs a dragon is actually allowed to have. So strap yourself onto Falcor and prepare to get Historically High on Dragons. Patreon: patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh (bonus content, trivia, and perks) Instagram: @historicallyhighpod X / Twitter: @Historicallyhi Listen & Watch: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Phoenicians conquered the ancient world, not with sword or spear, but with ink, rotting mollusks, and the finest of Lebanese Cedar. In this episode, we take a wild ride through history's ultimate glue guys, starting with a cluster of competitive city-states that never even called themselves Phoenicians. We break down the secrets behind their maritime supremacy, uncovering how their agriculturally inferior homeland led to unmatched shipwrighting and open-sea navigation. Skills allowing them to pioneer an aquatic Silk Road of sorts and sail all the way to Spain for massive hauls of silver. Along the way, we explore their rich pantheon of gods, their legendary 22-letter alphabet that revolutionized communication, and the explosive rise of their most famous daughter-city, Carthage. Finally, we track their journey through the meat grinder of history. Surviving Persian vassalage, Alexander the Great throwing a literal land-bridge at Tyre, before ultimately disappearing into the Greek and Roman machine—proving how these master traders left behind a blueprint that still shapes the modern world. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Strap in, because this week on Historically High, we’re heading back pre-Chernobyl, to 1979 to unpack the absolute disaster that was the Three Mile Island meltdown. When a routine cooling malfunction collided with a stuck valve, a blizzard of confusing control-room alarms, and operators making fatal guesswork, roughly half of Unit 2's uranium core melted down into radioactive sludge right in the middle of Pennsylvania. While the reactor was actively cooking itself from the inside out, Metropolitan Edison’s PR team kicked into full corporate gaslighting mode, frantically downplaying radiation leaks and insisting everything was fine while local residents ran for their lives. To top it all off, when the NRC finally touched down to survey the smoking atomic wreckage, the utility company immediately tried to push through shady safety shortcuts just to get the surviving reactor back online. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In August 1969, four twenty-somethings—two trust-fund heirs and two music hustlers—tried to fund a recording studio by throwing a music festival in Woodstock, only to trigger one of the most glorious logistical trainwrecks in American history. After getting evicted from two different towns, they convinced conservative dairy farmer Max Yasgur to lease his alfalfa pasture, but only had enough time to build the stage or the gates and fences. The Stage won. When 400K kids, instead of the estimated max of 200K, descended on Bethel, turning the New York State Thruway into a 20-mile parking lot, the gates became irrelevant, the tickets became meaningless, and the promoters decided to go with the flow and declare it a free concert. Mainstream America braced for an apocalyptic riot of sex, drugs, and violence, but what actually happened shocked the nation. When the food ran out quickly, an eccentric New Mexico commune called the Hog Farm stepped up, dishing hot oats and vegetables from galvanized trash cans, policing the crowd with seltzer bottles, and talking 1,000 terrified kids down from bad brown acid with citrus and gentle street psychology. Through biblical downpours, ankle-deep cow manure, overflowing latrines, and widespread practical nudity, the drenched masses shared socks instead of starting fights—culminating in Jimi Hendrix playing a napalm-scorched national anthem to the then remaining 30K fans at 9:00 AM on a Monday, and cementing an unmitigated disaster as the defining cultural moment of a generation. Welcome to Woodstock. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is a long strange trip into the mind of John Hinckley Jr. John attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Firing five shots, Hinckley would strike the President once. He was arrested immediately following the shooting. That's when the Hinckley case takes a turn. John Hinckley Jr had quite an obsession with Taxi Driver, and Jodie Foster. In John's mind, he was a Travis Bickle type character. In his mind, he needed to do something to make Jodie realize she loved him. That thing turned out to be trying to assassinate a president. That brings us to the most interesting subject of the episode. The insanity plea. John's lawyers tried it. In the end they succeeded. But was he really insane? Decide for yourself as you join us while we all get Historically High on John Hinckley Jr, and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the conclusion of our two-part September 11 deep dive, we step straight into the chaos of the morning itself—and the global fallout that followed. We walk through the timeline as it unfolded in real time: how the planes were taken, the shock of the strikes, the collapse of the towers, the hit on the Pentagon, and the fierce resistance aboard Flight 93, where ordinary passengers mounted a revolt in the skies over Shanksville. Alongside the devastation, we highlight the staggering, improbable survival stories and the acts of raw courage from first responders and everyday civilians navigating zero visibility. Then, we unpack the immediate aftermath: how breadcrumb trails of intelligence pointed straight to bin Laden’s Afghan hideouts, kickstarting the Global War on Terror. We break down the domestic shift that followed almost overnight—from the creation of Homeland Security to the passage of the PATRIOT Act and the era of mass surveillance. Finally, we track how the national trauma was swiftly recalibrated, laying the rhetorical and geopolitical groundwork that turned America’s sights toward Baghdad. Thanks for listening and don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and write a review! You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh for bonus content and exclusive perks. Follow us on social media: @Historicallyhi on X/Twitter and @historicallyhighpod on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Historically High, we begin our two-part deep dive into September 11 by pulling back the curtain on everything that led to that fateful Tuesday morning. To understand how four commercial airliners were turned into guided missiles, you have to rewind decades. We start in the brutal, scorched valleys of the Soviet-Afghan War, tracking how the mujahideen resistance gave birth to both the Taliban and al-Qaeda. From there, we trace the rise of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, the bloody trial runs that the world largely brushed off—from the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa to the suicide strike on the USS Cole—and the tactical evolution of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s deadly "planes operation." We break down how al-Qaeda slipped hijackers into American flight schools right under the nose of U.S. intelligence, the bureaucratic blind spots that let them train in plain sight, and the chilling final logistics locked in place on September 10, 2001. Light up, settle in, and join us as we connect the geopolitical fuse that was lit years before the towers fell. Thanks for listening and don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and write a review! You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh for bonus content and exclusive perks. Follow us on social media: @Historicallyhi on X/Twitter and @historicallyhighpod on Instagram. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Japanese incorrectly thought they sink her three times earning her the moniker, The Grey Ghost. This week on Historically High, we chart the legendary run of the USS Enterprise (CV-6)—the carrier that carried the Pacific War on her back when it was literally Enterprise vs. Japan, and served as the godmother of modern naval aviation by pioneering 24-hour night combat and revolutionizing damage control. From her near miss at Pearl, to her critical role at Midway, to holding off suicide swarms at Okinawa, to her controversial absence at the Tokyo Bay surrender, we break down how the ultimate ghost ship became the most decorated warship in U.S. history...Tune in, spark up, and let’s talk The Big E. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we’re diving into the absolute circus of the late '90s: the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. We trace Bill’s slippery journey from slick Arkansas Governor dodging the Paula Jones lawsuit straight into the Oval Office, where a federal government shutdown, a strategic flash of a whaletail, and an unpaid intern collided to change American politics forever. Add in Linda Tripp armed with illegal cassette tapes, Kenneth Starr treating Whitewater like a personal soap opera, and the wildest semantics battle in legal history over what "is" actually is, and you’ve got a presidential impeachment born entirely out of chaotic horniness. Light up, tune in, and watch the highest office in the land get taken to its knees. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Historically High, we journey into the heart of ancient—and present-day—Cambodia to chart the epic rise and fall of the Khmer Empire. While Europe was just beginning to stumble into the Renaissance, Angkor had already perfected the largest pre-industrial city on the planet. From the uncomfortably massive Tonlé Sap lake to the awe-inspiring stone skyline, wonder at the jaw-dropping architecture of complexes like Angkor Wat and the Bayon. Plus, we unravel the empire’s true engine of power: an unparalleled network of reservoirs (barays), canals, and hydrological engineering that tamed the monsoon and fed millions. So how did a mega-city built to control the elements suddenly vanish back into the jungle? Let’s get into it. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are finally here. Ted Kaczynski. The Unabomber. Insane IQ. Graduated high school at 15. Had a run-in at Harvard with a professor who worked for the OSS. Youngest associate professor at Cal Berkeley. Left academia for a shack in the Montana woods. Ted Kaczynski had a strong belief that technology was ruining humanity. In 2026, I'm not so sure we disagree. What we do disagree with was sending bombs in the mail to get the attention of the masses. If you don't know, you're about to find out. Join us as we get Historically High on The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the Savage Mountain—a 28,000-foot pyramid of vertical blue ice, 60-degree rock walls, and a building-sized ice block that hangs over your head like a loaded gun. This week, we climb through the brutal history of the world's second tallest peak. Now while Everest might be just a little taller, 780' to be precise, K2 much tougher to summit and far deadlier. K2's historical death rate is 1 dead for every 4-5 climber that summit while Everest sits somewhere around 1 out of 100 who summit. K2 has only been summited by 800 individuals while over 7,500 can say that about Everest. Everything about K2 is more dangerous, the journey to the mountain, the journey up the mountain, and as you'll find out today, the journey down. Join as we literally get high on K2. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the late 1940's and 50's America went through a type of mass hysteria fueled by both foreign governments and our own. The Cold War had just begun between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Russians soon built and tested an atomic bomb so Americans no longer felt untouchable in our own country. It was a time when accusations of being a communist or even attending a meeting unknowingly could land you in jail. It's during this Crimson Panic that Senator Joseph McCarthy began his one man, one weasel, crusade against communism in the states without silly things like proof or evidence. Strap in and don't be afraid, we're talking about Communism, McCarthyism and The Red Scare. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here we are. The History of Cheese. My love letter to cheese. Cultures. Milk. Rennet. Salt. That's all you need to start making cheese. The history starts prior to written history. The cheesemaking process was carried across the world by war and exploration. That process mixed with the nature and animals of the regions, helped shape unique new kinds of cheese. We have a lot to cover from cheese crime to cheese types to cheese games to cheese getting you high? Join us as we get Historically High on Cheese! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fallout of the 1929 crash proved that financial ruin is the ultimate catalyst for chaos. As global trade collapsed, countries turned inward ensuring their own survival. Germany's Weimar Republic fractured under catastrophic unemployment, creating the perfect environment for Adolf Hitler to market radical nationalism as the ultimate cure. Desperate populations traded democratic institutions for the promise of stability, transforming a banking disaster into an authoritarian takeover. Meanwhile, Great Britain and France were too crippled by their own domestic financial ruin to mount a meaningful response without severe public backlash they were unwilling to risk. By the time the dust settled, an isolated Europe had stood completely paralyzed while the guardrails preventing another World War dissolved without anyone watching them.   Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you think of the Great Depression, you probably picture frantic guys in three-piece suits yelling on Wall Street as the tickers went wild. But the fuse for the greatest economic crash in history wasn’t lit in New York. It was lit in the wheat fields of the American Midwest during World War I. This week, we are kicking off a massive two-part series on The Great Depression. We start at home in the good ol U.S.A. before heading Global in next week's episode to explore the worldwide impact. We'll discuss how American farmers went on a massive land-and-equipment buying spree to feed a war-torn Europe, only to get trapped in a brutal cycle of debt when the fighting stopped. Then we dive into the bizarre, high-stakes financial triangle that tied Uncle Sam’s wallet directly to Germany, France, and Great Britain—a house of cards built on lending and war repayments that absolutely shattered the lives of millions of everyday people who didn't even know what a stock portfolio was. And the scariest part? The dominoes didn't stop falling at America's borders. We trace the direct, devastating line between the economic chaos triggered right here at home and the financial vacuum in Europe that directly fueled the terrifying rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Butch Cassidy was born Robert Leroy Parker to a mormon family in Utah. The man who would become The Sundance Kid would first be known as Harry Longabaugh from Pennsylvania. Butch, Sundance, and the rest of the Wild Bunch would make a name for themselves during the death rattle of the outlaw American west. To the public they appeared to be a group of Robin Hood-esque bandits and although they really only stole from the rich, the money didn't always make it to the poor in the traditional sense. On the run constantly and sensing the arms of the government closing around them they had one more play, a daring escape to South America. Join us as we get Historically High on Butch and Sundance.   Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just a few months after the Battle of Stalingrad ended in a crushing German defeat, Hitler decided he needed to reverse course on the Eastern Front. Enter Operation Citadel, the Nazi plan to pincer a large bulge (salient) the Soviets had caused in the German defensive line taking a large amount of Soviet troops prisoner. To make this happen Hitler would repeatedly delay the operation for months in order to wait for his new Wunderwaffen (Wonder Weapons), namely their newest tanks, The Panther and The Tiger. We while waiting for these hopeful game-changers to roll fresh off the assembly line, the Soviet Union was hard at work turning the salient into what would become a living nightmare for the Nazis when they finally did have a change to put their new tanks into the field.   Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Disneyland officially opened in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955 one year and one day after they broke ground. Originally built on 160 acres of former orange groves, it featured 5 distinct lands all inspired by Walt's loves. Main Street U.S.A, opened up to other lands of Adventure, Fantasy, The American Frontier, and Tomorrowland. Disneyland was an audacious idea to say the very least but was it has grown into is nothing short of magic. Join us as we cover Walt's dream and see what it took to make it come true.    Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Catherine the Great, born a minor Prussian princess, transformed herself into one of Russia’s most famous rulers after orchestrating a coup to overthrow her unpopular husband, Tsar Peter III. Her 34-year reign saw the Russian Enlightenment begin to transform Russia, heavily expanding the empire’s borders and cementing them as a dominant European power. She did this by charming the pants off anyone who met her and ingratiating herself with people in the right positions. Her list of lovers and their contributions to Russia are pretty legendary but only slightly less so is the story of her rise.   Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Join us at Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and get enrolled for some fun extra content Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The story of Margarita Robaval sees a French noblewoman marooned on the notoriously brutal Isle of Demons off the coast of Quebec after she infuriates her uncle by having an illicit affair with a young officer on board. Scottish privateer Alexander Selkirk tell his captain he won't get back on the leaky, worm-eaten state of their ship. Demanding to be left ashore on an uninhabited South Pacific island, Selkirk thinks his crewmates will back him up. They don't and he's left alone. What follows are the events that will inspire the story of Robinson Crusoe. When a Dutch East India Company flagship Batavia wrecks off the coast of Western Australia, the captain leaves in a skiff to get help. In his absence, a psychopathic mutineer named Jeronimus Cornelisz takes control of the survivors stranded on a tiny coral island. A New England whaling ship is intentionally rammed and sunk by an enraged, massive sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific. Thousands of miles from land the crew must resort to desperate measures to survive. The events inspired the story of Moby Dick.  Six Tongan schoolboys, bored and looking for adventure, steal a fishing boat only to get caught in a storm that shreds their sails. They drift for days before wrecking on 'Ata, a desolate, rocky volcanic island. How did they all survive months alone. Hope you all enjoy this weeks episode of Historically High. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Escaping captivity, Spartacus and his army eventually reached over 100,000 former slaves, tearing across mainland Italy for two years and beating everything the Roman Republic could throw at them. Eventually they would be defeated by a man named Crassus, who would eventually go on to share power with Julius Caesar. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we come to the chilling story of Harold Fredrick Shipman. Over Dr.Shipman's 28ish year medical career, he treated thousands of patients. He also may have killed 250 of his patients. The uncertainty isn't because he may not have killed them. The uncertainty is because he may have killed many more. The case of Harold Shipman is a bit of a head scratcher. His early life and motivations seem to differ from other serial killers. It would be great if we could interview him, but he took those secrets to the grave with him. It's time to dive in and see if we can come up with something that makes sense! Join us as we get Historically High on Dr.Death:Harold Shipman. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We start out with the Monroe Doctrine - the legal and political "rules" the U.S. used to claim dominance over Central America and the Caribbean. This set the stage for the rise of corporate giants like the United Fruit Company and Standard Fruit, who grabbed so much control over land and labor that they literally controlled the operational infrastructure (ports, railways, communication) of some countries. It wasn’t all business, if a government in any number of Central American countries attempted to negotiate terms for their people were deemed unfavorable by these companies, corporate backed private military coups would take place to topple administrations. The U.S. government backed these interests with "Big Stick" diplomacy, using the Marine Corps as a private security force under the guise of "stability."  It’s a wild look at what happens when fruit, politics, and military power all collide. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Benjamin Franklin was born in the Massachusetts Bay Colony as one of 17 children. The future Founding Father became his brother's printing assistance at 12, in a form of familial slavery before escaping to Philadelphia. He got his first taste of the motherland during a trip to England in his teens. He loved the Empire, as was as loyal a subject as they came. Returning to the colonies he become wealthy running his own printing company before becoming a diplomat. Being sent back and forth to England to represent the concerns of the colonists. It was around this time he started to see the growing divide between those in the UK and those in the Americas. He fought for unity until there was no other option, and when it came time he chose the revolution. During the American War of Independence Ben Franklin was instrumental in gaining the support of France both in funding and manpower without either of which we wouldn't have won. He's the only with his name on the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris in which Britain recognized America as its own nation, and the United States Constitution. The Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Borgia were a noble family of Spanish origin who came to control the Catholic Church for a period of roughly 45 years. It began when Pope Callixtus III made his nephew Rodrigo the Vice Chancellor of the church at 27 years old, making him the most influential and powerful administrator in Christendom at the time. Throughout his tenure in the Papacy Rodrigo would lie, scheme, cheat, and murder to keep his position and the positions of his children...yes you heard that right he had many many children, safe. Rodrigo would eventually go on to become Pope Alexander VI in his later years after he had already used his position to make himself extremely wealthy, but he still wasn't satisfied. How did this corruption occur in the most holy institution on the planet...tune in a find out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Weaver family moved to Boundary County in Idaho after a number of visions. The end times that were supposed to follow, never came. The Weaver's found their way into the White Nationalist movement that had infiltrated Northern Idaho. Randy would find himself involved with an ATF informant which got him jammed up. When he refused to work with them, they charged him. After he missed his court date, the U.S. Marshals came down on the Weaver family in a way that is hard to understand. The standoff at Ruby Ridge is the ultimate example of government overreach. There are no good guys in this story, but it needs to be told. Join us as we get Historically High on. Ruby Ridge. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The man who would become Genghis Khan (a title he took after uniting the peoples of the Steppe) started out as Temujin. Born into one of the smaller nomadic tribes of The Steppe (the vast stretch of plains that cover the middle of the asian continent), he was able to conquer the Steppe people's over a 20 year period until there were all under the Mongol banner. Once that was complete he turned his attention toward the Dynasties of China, before traveling across his empire to wipe the Khwarazmian Empire in the Middle East off the map. What? You've never heard of the Khwarazmians? Yeah Genghis is the reason why. After that he decided to allow two of his generals to take 20,000 men on Mongolian Rumpsringa across some of Europe. It was supposed to be a scouting mission that ended up resulting in a lot of Eastern European and Russian's dead, including a couple of princes. They ended up traveling over 5,500 mi in all before regrouping with Genghis and then taking another crack at China. When all was said and done millions upon millions of people were dead, estimated at between 8-11% of the world's population at the time and Genghis sat upon the largest empire the world will ever see. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The men who would first comprise E Company (Easy) would begin their journey at Camp Taccoa, Georgia. Parachute Infantry or Paratroopers were a new concept in WW2. They would be the pioneers. Jumping from planes behind enemy lines, they were supposed to fight surrounded. Engaging the enemy with limited weaponry and fighting with without vehicles or tanks required them to be in exceptionally well trained. They took part in some of the most pivotal events of the war and through it all leaned on each other for survival. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Challenger Disaster marked one of the lowest points in the history of NASA, and what's worse is it was completely preventable. The Space Shuttle program had been kicked off in April 1981 and had executed 24 successful launches prior to January 28th, 1986. For a while it had been known by Morton Thiokol, the builders of the solid fuel rocket boosters that carried the shuttle into orbit, and NASA, an issue with the boosters O-Ring seals was present during launches. While nothing disastrous has happened it was the opinion of the engineers at Thiokol that it was only a matter of time. It was such a concern the night before the challenger launch, a group of engineers flat out told NASA staff they did not recommend launching until the issue could be resolved. The few individuals at NASA aware of this chose to ignore the experts warning and launch anyway. 73 seconds into the launch the nightmare became a reality. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Books close, pull out your Pens and Papers. Time to find out if you know your sweets, or if you're just a salty little bitch. Snacks....we're talking about the origins of some of history's greatest snacks.  Subscribe to Patreon.com/historicallyhigh to support the show and get weekly bonus content like this and other things.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're big fans of Princess Di here at Historically High. She had it all, the looks, the brains, the cheeky sense of humor. But what she really wanted was a family. Diana Spencer grew up in the aristocracy. Her parents divorced early in her life due to her dad being an a*****e creating her desire for a stable family. Her father was Earl Spencer (Earl being a Title) which made Di and her siblings Lords and Ladies. She never really did fit that mold though. She met the man she would eventually marry (Prince Charles) when she was 16. He was 29 at the time, and oh yeah he was dating Diana's sister, Sarah. Well Sarah and Charles didn't work out and in the summer of 1977, a now 18 year old Diana caught the eye of Charles yet again. Dude was 31 at the time. A whirlwind courting followed that saw Diana making front page headlines as the possible future Princess and Queen of England. She accepted Charles proposal in February 1981, a total of about 8 months after they began seeing each other. A royal wedding followed, watched by over 750 million people worldwide. Diana was an instant star, she bridged the gap between the common folk and the stuffy royals. She gave the country not one but two boys, The Heir and the Spare they said, Princes William and Harry. She could do no wrong. But despite being adored by nearly everyone, Charles just couldn't pull his head out and be the man she was hoping he was when she agreed to marry him. Charles had dated Camilla Parker prior to Diana but the relationship never really stopped, it just went on extended breaks. Diana herself would have a few steps outside the marriage as well, trying to find happiness where it didn't exist with Charles. A royal divorce followed, but it wasn't Diana that suffered, she was still the People's Princess, and she continued using her fame for philanthropic endeavors. She de-stigmatized the perception that simply contact with HIV/AIDS patients would spread the disease. She brought awareness to war torn areas where landmines were still killing innocent people, and much more. Sadly, for the world, her life would be tragically cut short when she was fatally injured in a car crash at the age of 36. Her boys lost their mother and the world lost its princess. If you're not in love with this woman by the end of this episode, you weren't paying attention.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The fabled lost city of Atlantis was introduced to the world by the Father of Western Philosophy, Plato himself. He described in detail an advanced island civilization who's unmatched navy came from west of the Mediterranean attempting to destroy Athens, only to be driven back by the scrappy smaller city-state. Due to their slight against a favored city of the gods and their continued hubris a great disaster befell Atlantis destroying it and sinking it below the waves. Now we feel need to mention, as Plato tells it, this place which he very much claims is real, existed 9000 years before Plato was alive. But here's the thing...Plato was a story teller, and the funny thing about stories is a lot of them have a basis in truth. What if there was a place that inspired Plato to create the story of Atlantis? Could that place have existed? Well lets have a little chat and find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the success of the D-Day landings in France and the break out from the Normandy area, momentum was on the side of the Allies. The German Army was being pushed back across a wide front and had yet to put up a resistance capable of halting the advance. Confidence was sky-high and the Allies thought ending the war by Christmas of 1945 was a real possibility. All that was needed was a corridor into Germany itself. The Siegfried Line limited the routes available to move armor so any and all options were being considered. Bernard Montgomery had an idea to Uno reverse card Hitler and march back along the route through Belgium the Nazi's had used to invade France. The problem with this plan's success was completely contingent on the capture of 8 or 9 bridges along the route...all currently in enemy hands. The two most crucial bridges across the largest waterways just happened to be the furthest behind enemy lines. You'd think with so many things that could go wrong this plan would be scrapped right....right? Well instead more than 41,000 airborne troops were dropped via plane or glider behind enemy lines to capture key bridges while a ground forces would race to through the area those men captured. Everything relied on timing. Towns had to be captured and secured before the armored convoy could pass through so any delays meant that Allied troops dropped further away would be on their own against what turned out to be a much stronger German force than anticipated. Market Garden was not destined to succeed but that didn't stop the men of the Airborne from giving everything they had trying to make it.   Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Al Capone came to the head of the Chicago Outfit at 26 years of age. Now leading the largest organized crime family outside of New York, Al made a fortune by bootlegging in liquor during prohibition. He definitely did all the other mob stuff, Gambling, Sex Work, Racketeering, but booze is where he hit it big. Fighting for control of the lucrative alcohol game spilled onto the streets of Chicago in a way that hadn't and still hasn't been seen. This was a time when you'd be walking down Michigan Avenue and see 4 guys jump out of a car in broad days light and open up with Tommy Guns trying to bump off a rival leader. Bombings were commonplace, and almost the entire law enforcement establishment was on the take, bought and paid for by Capone. Finally the Federal Government has to step in to take him down. How'd they do it?....well you're gonna have to listen to find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Yes we know that's a lengthy title. By the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, it had been 20 years since the U.S. won the gold. Those two decades saw a dominance unlike any other at the time by the Soviet Union and their seemingly unbeatable team. The Cold War was front and center. Expectations were pretty low for the U.S. Men's team going into the games but through a series of lucky events a man named Herb Brooks was put in the driver seat. Herb was coming off a NCAA Hockey National Championship in 1979 at the University of Minnesota and looked to create a team that could stand toe to toe with the Soviets using creativity and team chemistry. Now we should note this comes at a time when professional athletes didn't compete on olympic national teams. This team would be comprised of college athletes, many from Minnesota and many from Boston, and oh man some of these guys did not like each other, carrying over rivalries from school. They only had about 7 months to become a team capable of doing what many believed impossible. Well if you know the story, you know they did, and what follows would come to be known as The Miracle on Ice.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The man who would come to be known as The Bard, was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. One of, if not the greatest playwright in human history, William Shakespeare is responsible for 38 plays, 154 Sonnets, and credited with the invention of over 600 words in the English language. We still use phrases he invented on a daily basis. The man lived the theater and had a gift for capturing the complicated nature of people, creating complex but relatable characters and doing so with a masterful use of language. The man was also an entrepreneur, owning a share of his theater company and theater itself. Performing for royalty became common place for Shakespeare as he established himself as the premier playwright in London while never forgoting his roots in Stratford-upon-Avon where his family resided. Join us today as we explore the life and works of William Shakespeare.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Red Ball Express was the life line of supplies that kept the allies going after the D-Day landings. The Allies had no port in mainland Europe capable of bringing in the supplies needed right after the invasion. Enter the Red Ball Express, a literal army of trucks and drivers moving an almost unimaginable amount of ammo, fuel, etc to the allied armies as they moved to push the Germans out of France.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

World War 1 features a couple battles that stand out above the rest. The Battle of the Somme is one, The Battle of Verdun would be the other vying for the top spot. Now where the Somme was a nasty meat-grinder, of trench warfare, Verdun was all about laying siege to forts. Lasting over 300 days it was by far the longest battle of The Great War. Verdun was a fortress town that served as the symbolic home to France's military power. The Verdun region was home to around 20 other forts making it the most heavily defended part of France. German General Erich von Falkenhayn determined the French would do anything to defend this region and if it was lost, do anything to get it back. The plan was to overwhelm the defenders in the area, destroy their fortifications and take advantageous positions. When the French had to counter attack to re-take Verdun, the German Army would be in position to inflict massive casualties or as Falkenhayn put it "bleed the French white." How did that all turn our for him, find out this week as we get Historically High on the Battle of Verdun Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Professor Adam is in the driver's seat this week for a Serial Killer history episode. Gary Ridgway, better known as The Green River Killer, is the 2nd most infamous serial killer in U.S. history. Ridgway murdered at least 49 women in the state of Washington. He worked areas known for prostitution, and preyed on a part of society that law enforcement had turned a blind eye on. Gary wasn't a mastermind. He wasn't a super criminal. He's certainly not well spoken. In fact, he would even point out his own stature to victims as a way of proving he wasn't the Green River Killer. Even he knew he was a loser. That loser is, was, and always will be purely evil. Join us today as we get Historically High on The Green River Killer Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Cook is one of those explorers where upon hearing his name, you gotta take a beat and try to decide if he's a real person or if you're thinking of Captain Hook from Peter Pan or Captain Cook from Breaking Bad. But don't sleep on Jimmy cause the man knew how to quest. Starting out from humble origins cutting his teeth in the coal shipping game, he learned his way around a ship and around the water. Eventually the Royal Navy came calling and he was sent to the new world during the Seven Years War and found he had a talent for cartography. A few years of honing his skills later and James found himself charged with locating the great southern continent that balanced the hemispheres. His voyages would take him around the world several times, seeing places like Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, both circles (Antarctic and Arctic), and many others. Compared with other explorers of his era he was on the lighter side when it came to the mistreatment of indigenous people so he's got that going for him, which is nice. Join us this week as we set sail on the high seas with Captain James Cook.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During WW2 a lot of airmen and a lot of sailors found themselves treading water in the ocean instead of flying in their plane or standing on the deck of their ship. Rescuing these men eventually became a well practiced task, but how exactly was it done? Go to Patreon.com/HistoricallyHigh and subscribe to find out and more.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What is an archeologist's wet dream? Our guess would be two pre-christian Roman Empire cities preserved almost perfectly under pumice and ash. Something that could be excavated and studied for a lifetime. Each little detail laying out the historical record of what everyday life in a Roman port city/vacation town would look like. Thanks to Mount Vesuvius erupting in 79 CE, that wet dream is a reality. Lava was not involved in the eruption of Vesuvius. It spewed ash and pumice that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum. For those unfortunate souls who could not leave, the pyroclastic flows took them in an instant. Today we are going to talk about what happened on that day. The panic, the terror, the normality of the day Vesuvius erupted. Then we get to talk about what the excavation at the two sites has uncovered. Spoiler alert: this episode is a lot of fun. Join us today as we get Historically High on Pompeii! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1975 a man named George Lucas began preparing to make an audacious film that would come to be known as Star Wars. The movie, released in 1977 would go on to blow the minds and capture the hearts of countless people all over the world. The movie showed them things they'd never imagined they'd see, space battles, laser swords, a battle-station the size of a moon destroying a planet, and a guy in a suit with asthma.  The problem was, back in 75 no company existed to create the effects George needed to see his dream become reality...so he created one. Industrial Light & Magic was born. The crew that initially created the visual effects were a rag tag team of nerds, outcasts, and people with hobbies other's saw as ridiculous. Together they literally made magic happen, and it didn't end there. For the last 50 years ILM has been making the impossible possible by creating some of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. ILM has put you on the edge of your seat, they've put your jaw on the floor, and they've taken your breath away more times than you know. It's time to tell their story, the Historically High way. Punch it Chewie.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We here at Historically High will admit, we have been a little critical of the French. I mean historically, like the British they've started a lotta shit. WW2 was a different scenario. Germany steam rolled what was supposed to be the most powerful army in Europe at the time. France sought a way to try and preserve some semblance of itself by signing an armistice which legitimized Nazi occupation in the north while allow the "Free Zone" in the south the be controlled by the Weekend at Bernies of governments, The Vichy French. Now while the government may have been okay with occupation there were a lot of people who weren't. Some resisted in small ways like taking down propaganda posters or listening to illegal BBC broadcasts. Others resisted by derailing trains, feeding enemy information to the allies and ambushing nazi convoys. All of them wanted a free France, some were just willing to go further than others. This is their story. Viva La Resistance!! Oh and we started a Patreon, if you like what you hear and want to support the show you can at www.patreon.com/historicallyhigh. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1830 Belgium became its own country after winning independence from the Netherlands. Founded as a Constitutional Monarchy the national congress elected Leopold I (who of course was tied to the British Monarchy) to serve as king. Following Leopold as monarch was, surprise surprise, Leopold II. Being a new country, Belgium was late to the party establishing any colonial holdings. Leopold II heard about the Congo in Africa and crafted one of the biggest cons in human history. Under the guise of ruling the country to help advance and civilize the people and region, Leopold was made sole ruler of the Congo with no one to answer to. He used his total and utter control of the Congo to brutalize the people and strip the country of its resources to enrich himself personally. This happened over a period 20 years until the atrocities he committed were brought to light. Murder, Mutilation, Slavery, nothing was off the table for Leopold II. Join us as we discuss one of histories worst humans and his reign of terror.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are certain people in history that never really got to collect their roses. They come along at a pivotal time in human advancement and just kinda operated behind the scenes, sometimes contributing massively to humanity. Nikola Tesla is one of those people. Were it not for the car brand (not gonna get into that here) Tesla's name would still be relegated to the historical hamper under men like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham-Bell, and Henry Ford. While not inventing electricity, Nikola did discover the best way to use it. Partnering with literal power-powerhouse Westinghouse (thats not a type) they were ready to bring Tesla's AC (Alternating Current) power to the masses. This didn't rub old Tom Edison right as he the big name in the electric game with DC (Direct Current). He was also Tesla's employer for about 6 months until he didn't make good on a deal when Tesla improved a bunch of his stuff. Now he would see his mistake come back to haunt him. But Tesla wasn't just volts and watts, the guys mind was an idea factory, some were good, some not so much, but most of the time they alway had the touch of genius. Let's meet the man that powered the world, Nikola Tesla. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we are looking at an everlasting gobstopper of true crime history. Patricia Hearst is the grand daughter of Newspaper magnate, and notable d******d enemy of the show, William Randolph Hearst. In 1974, Patty was kidnapped from her townhouse by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was held captive as the SLA negotiated with her father to feed the hungry of California, in exchange for her release. Then a strange thing happened. Patty the hostage became Patty the Guerilla. Instead of being the victim, it appeared she had become a gun wielding member of the SLA. Once Patty was "rescued" there were questions that needed answers. We have a question that she cannot answer. Why did Donald DeFreeze, the founder of the SLA, have so much contact in prison with a CIA agent? Find out the answer to these questions as we get Historically High on the Kidnapping of Patty Hearst! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The story of the USS Indianapolis and the men who served aboard her is one that spans the entire pacific theater of WW2. She was in the fight from the jump, she was off the coast of Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. She took part in some of the most well known battles during the island hopping campaign to drive the Japanese back toward their home islands. And in 1945 she undertook the top secret mission to transport critical components for construction of the atomic bomb Little Boy on the island of Tinian. After sailing unescorted from Pearl to Tinian she headed for Guam before being sent alone, yet again, to the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. She never made it. At midnight on July 30th, 1945 she was struck by two torpedoes from a Japanese submarine and sunk in around 12 minutes. 300 men went down with the ship and 800 went into the water. The men that made it off the ship were met with a new set of horrors, total darkness, lack of fresh water or food, no rescue in sight and hundreds of sharks. They fought for 5 days as the Navy somehow missed one of their most decorated ships not showing up in harbor. This is the story of the men that lived through the nightmare.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The first Thanksgiving came a year after Plymouth Rock became Plymouth Rock. The Plymouth Colonists were basically taught to survive by the Wompanoag people. The 2 groups would sit down to celebrate the first Plymouth harvest by giving thanks. That was 1621. In 1675 the peace finally broke. Metcomet was the leader of the Wompanoag people. The colonists gave him the Christian name of King Philip. Since history is written by the victors, the rebellion is known as King Philip's War. That's an easier name than "The colony was growing and we needed more land, so we really ratched up harassing the native to draw them into conflict". Too wordy.  What followed was a war largely dominated by the Algonquian peoples that banded together to fight the colonists. It would end with the natives in the area being mostly erased from their ancestral lands in New England. Join us as we get Historically High on King Philip's War.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The world created by George R.R. Martin for A Song of Ice and Fire has a pretty rich history. The world familiar to most through Game of Thrones covers only a few years worth of events from Westeros and Esso. House of the Dragon does the same only giving us a snap shot of a years known as the Dance of Dragons. We're here to open up the history books and discuss the history of the world of ice and fire that hasn't gotten the premium cable treatment. From the Children of the Forest, to Aegon the Conquer's landing and conquest, to Robert's Rebellion. We'll talk the history of the Great Houses, some still standing, some long since gone, and much more. Welcome to Westeros.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Fountain of Youth, The Philosopher's Stone, The Apples of Hesperides, The Peaches of Immortality, The Elixir of Life, The Holy Grail. The quest for everlasting life has been told in one way or another throughout recorded history. Every religion has its version, every culture has its myths, but the search of immortality is literally a tale as old as time. From religious doctrine, to the science of alchemy, and finally genetic engineering humanity has been trying to find the ultimate loophole to that thing called death. There have been some pretty insane attempts to live forever and we try to cover some of the best or most interesting on this weeks episode of Historically High.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dubbed the Heist of the Century, the Antwerp Diamond Heist is straight out of a movie, seriously, I'm pretty sure the plot to the Ocean's 11 remake pulled a lotta inspiration from the events that actually took place. Antwerp is known as the diamond capital of the world. 85% of the rough diamonds in the world make their way to Antwerp. The Diamond District is where the cutting, polishing, wheeling, dealing takes place. When you have that many diamonds circulating around you're gonna need a very secure place to store them, like an underground vault with ten or more different levels of security preventing a break-in. Most thieves would look at this place and give it a hard pass. That is unless you're a member of The School of Turin, a mysterious organization known to count master thieves from all disciplines amongst its members. But to pull off a caper that escapes with more than $100 million in jewels, you need more than luck, you need preparation, skill....and a salami sandwich. Join us as we get Historically High on the heist of all heists.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine if you will, it's the 1940's and Europe is being overrun by the Nazi war machine. Scientists that would take part in the success of the Manhattan Project have fled their now occupied nations bringing their knowledge of harnessing atomic power to the Allies. That didn't deter the Nazi's from forming a program of their own, starting the "Uranium Club" in 1939. No one knew where the other stood in their goal of building the bomb, for all the allies knew Hitler was on the cusp of developing it first. Nuclear fission was discovered in Berlin after all. When a Norwegian scientist escaping Nazi occupation informed the British a hydroelectric plant, which just so happen to be the largest producer of Heavy Water in the world, was captured by Hitler and its production ramped up, the Allies knew the implications. Heavy Water is a key ingredient in the process of creating nuclear fission. It allowed the process to occur with natural uranium, instead of the much more difficult to produce enriched uranium. To slow the Nazi's nuclear program several missions were attempted to destroy the heavy water production, the only problem was the plant was build like a fortress in one of the most inhospitable places in the world. This is the story of those men that took on a suicide mission to stop Hitler from getting The Bomb. Join us this week as week as get Historically High on Operation Gunnerside.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Battle of the Alamo is taught in a way that makes you believe it is U.S. History. In truth, the Texas Revolution took place on Mexican land with mostly Mexican citizens. The Texas Revolution was won off of the loss at The Alamo. This battle had it all. Famous names, sneak attacks, answering questions via cannon. There wasn't ever really a question who was going to win the clash at the Alamo. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and his Mexican troops were headed to squash a rebellion. He had recently taken the Texian tax free status away, and was planning on enforcing the abolishment of slavery, all while flexing his dictatorial wings. The men of the Texian Army that were lost at the Alamo did not die in vain. Their sacrifice could be heard on every battlefield after. Shouts of "Remember the Alamo!", fueled the revolution. Ultimately, Santa Anna was caught between a rock and a legless place, but that's a story for another day. Today you should join us as we get Historically High on The Battle of the Alamo. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WW1's end saw the signing of the Treaty of Versailles which went hard at the country of Germany. So much so it allowed Adolf Hitler to ascend to power using the treaties punishment as a tool to turn a large portion of the country to him for the fix. The Allies were determined to make sure that mistake was not repeated after WW2. The proposed solutions included mass killings and show trials, summary executions of leadership, to an international criminal trial. The IMT or International Military Tribunal was formed to try the 25 highest remaining nazi military officers, political figures, and economic collaborators for their crimes against peace and humanity. A Judge and Prosecutor from The U.S., U.K., France, and Soviet Union would determine their fates and in the process give the world its first look at what the third reich was doing besides just making war. This is where the world would hear evidence about the early nazi parties plan to invade other countries, the atrocities they committed on the eastern front, and about the individual roles they played in the Holocaust. Disclaimer: This episode deals with some heavy shit, so we apologize for all the anger swearing you're gonna hear as we get Historically High on The Nuremberg Trials.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In May of 1588 150 ships of the Spanish Armada would begin sailing for England on a mission of conquest. What occurred during that attempt would come to be known as....The Spanish Armada. Yes I know it's confusing, it refers to both the armada of the Spanish and the naval campaign against the English Navy. Ok we good now? Basically Spain was pissed because the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth I of England told the recently widowed Philip II of Spain (who was formerly the King of England through marriage to Elizabeth's dead half-sister Queen Mary who changed England from Protestant to Catholic) that she wouldn't marry him and was taking England back to the Protestant way of doing things. Philips took the news poorly and ran to the pope who gave Philip a voucher good for one free crusade. Spain and the recently Spanish acquired Portugal had the largest most powerful navy's in the world, so they totally wiped the floor with the English Navy right? Right? We guess you're just gonna have to listen to find out as we get Historically High on The Spanish Armada. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you have ever been bested by the safety features of over the counter medicine, you are dealing with a direct result of the Tylenol Murders. In the fall of 1982, Chicago had 7 confirmed deaths from Tylenol consumption. The initial concern was a manufacturing issue. Once they found out the tainted pills came from different facilities, the theory got darker. A potential mass poisoning caused by a single person or group of people was feeling more likely. Then Johnson & Johnson got a letter demanding a million dollars for the chaos to stop. The writer of the letter felt like he was the perfect suspect for the crime. The only problem was they couldn't tie him to anything. Then the suspect list widen. To this day, the Tylenol Murders are unsolved. Join us as we try to solve this true crime mystery while we get Historically High on The Tylenol Murders. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine if you will that you're a 15 yr old boy, you've never met your father, and your mom died soon enough after your birth you don't remember her. You're raised by an aunt and uncle until one day your dad Niccolo and your Uncle Maffeo roll back into town and he's like "Hey I'm your Dad. Let me tell you about a guy named Kublai and a place called China." Two years later at 17, your dad decides it's time to return to China and the court of the Great Khan and you're coming along. After a dicey first leg of the trip where you may or may not have killed your first man, then almost due of Tuberculosis, you find out your Dad and Uncle have an all access pass for pretty much anything once you're within the Khan's lands, ANYTHING. You meet the Great Khan and he takes a shine to you and for the next 17 years you work for the Khan traveling throughout his empire as a representative under his protection. Marco would travel all over China the return to regale the Khan with stories of his own land in only the way that Marco could. He had a level of access to Kublai's Mongol Empire thats almost impossible to wrap your head around, but we're gonna try. Join us this week as we get Historically High and kinda erotic on Marco Polo. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Without a doubt the closest the planet has come to nuclear war occurred between October 16th-28th 1962. The Cold War was at its peak. Brought there by the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion about 18 months earlier by "Cuban Exiles", with pretty obvious support from the United States. With nuclear missiles stationed in Turkey and Italy the U.S. had a huge advantage over the Soviet Union if it ever came to the first strike in an atomic conflict. Cuba and the Soviet Union decided nuclear strike parody was fair and thus began the process of moving nuclear capable missiles into Cuba and within 100 miles of Florida. Constant surveillance of Cuba by the United States discovered nuclear launch sites being constructed putting John F. Kennedy into a situation with razor thin margins for error. For 13 days the world stood on the brink, with JFK and Nikita Khrushchev playing a game of chess with nuclear annihilation as the stakes. So many things should have gone wrong, so what ended up going right? Join us this week as we get Historically High on The Cuban Missile Crisis.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're gonna go ahead and apologize in advance for any stumbles through this one. Sir Isaac Newton possessed a kind of brilliance that is very hard for the majority of people to really wrapped their heads around, and that includes us. Known as the Father of Modern Physics he didn't just help shape our understanding of the science of the natural world (not nature but the laws that govern nature, gravity, optics, movement, etc) but he deciphered a lot of the mysteries within it. He developed calculus because the math of his time wouldn't help him solve the questions he had. He discovered that light is made of a spectrum of colors that exist at all times even if we can't see them, and he revolutionized the understanding of gravity and planetary rotation. He was also human, who suffered from human flaws, vindictiveness being a pretty evident one.  But as with most genius there can be a mania that lies beneath. Join us as we get Historically High on the smartest man we've covered to date. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The scariest part of the Dust Bowl is the very small amount we talk about it historically. The need for wheat during WW1 caused the wheat market to double. There was a lot of new agricultural land in the Southern Great Plains. Once the war was over, the government tried to prop up grain prices as best they could. In order to continue making the money they once did, farmers in the Southern Great Plains doubled down purchasing more land, and tearing more of the natural grasses from the earth. Then the Depression happened and prices for wheat bottomed out. Then drought hit the U.S. THEN the winds came. Without the native grasses holding down the top soil, the Great Plains became a literal dust bowl. Some left for California. Some road it out. Some never learned their lesson. Join us as we get Historically High on The Dust Bowl! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Stanford Prison Experiment produced groundbreaking results. The main result was proving the need to create Institutional Review Boards for human experiments. Dr. Philip Zimbardo wanted to test the effect of power and powerlessness in a prison setting. He used a bunch of college age boys to play the part of guards and prisoners. Usually a Doctor oversees their experiment. Not only did Zimbardo oversee his experiment, he made himself the Superintendent of his prison. The Stanford Prison Experiment was supposed to last 2 weeks. It last 6 days. Zimbardo claimed he proved what he set out to prove. But did he? Was his thumb on the scale? Listen in to find out as we get Historically High on the Stanford Prison Experiment.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're heading back to WW2 for the most pivotal battle of the European Theater. Some of you are already scoffing at that statement but let me lay it out like this. After Germany steamrolled mainland Europe, Great Britain was all that was left. Russia and Germany weren't at war yet. The United States was still over two years away from being at war. It was the British holding the line against total Nazi domination of Europe. If Britain fell that means no where to launch an invasion, no D-Day, no liberation of France. Between July 10 and October 30 of 1939, roughly 3000 pilots, most British and Scottish, but many others from all over including countries already occupied by the Nazis, held the skies above Britain and the English Channel preventing an invasion. For almost 4 months, fighter pilots, crews keeping them airborne, radar technicians, and the WAAF dispatchers, fought a fight for the rest of the world. In the words of Winston Churchill "Never was owed by so many, to so few" This is their story, This is the Battle of Britain.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Part 2....so if you haven't already go back and listen to part 1 first. Think you can just raw dog it without having any of Ireland's backstory, think again. We pick back up at a major event in Irish history, The Blight, or as most of us know it The Great Irish Potato Famine. Ireland is hurting and the people in charge, currently the English, aren't doing a whole lot to help. This combined with a whole list of issues with English rule (discussed in part 1) most of the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle have had enough. What follows is the story of Ireland's fight for independence, the individuals who rose as leaders of the movement, and the 'Troubles' experienced while battling for freedom.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ireland. A country with a history almost as rich as the country is beautiful. A country that despite its proximity to mainland Europe seemed to avoid little things like invasion by the Roman Empire. Tracing its first people's back 10,000 years ago,  they began building stone monuments and elaborate burial tombs around 6500, and around 2500 years ago the Celts began to arrive. The Celtic tribes divided the island into different kingdoms spreading their culture and language. Fast forward to the 5th century and you get St. Patrick and the Catholics came in doing what they do and later came the Vikings. They liked what Ireland had going for it and established quite a few settlements deciding to make the Emerald Isle home, lending their culture to its history as well. There's so much more to The Land of Saints and Scholars, you'll just have to listen to find out, Welcome to Ireland....Part 1.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apollo 13 was slated to be NASA's third manned spaceflight to land on the moon. Apollo 11 won us the space race and Apollo 12 proved it wasn't just a fluke that we put a man on the lunar surface. Apollo 13 was going to up the ante by putting men on a different part of the moon to explore. Now all of these missions took place within a period of 12 months so by Apollo 13 the public had lost interest. NASA had made it too easy to reach the moon according to the public. Well two days later the nation and world were glued to their TV's after an explosion in space crippled Apollo 13's command ship Odyssey leaving the astronauts short on oxygen and with power systems failing 200,000+ miles from Earth. Normally an explosion in space is a death sentence and it would've been for James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise, but the geniuses of NASA mission and flight control had other plans. Through some of the craziest feats of sciences, mathematics, physics, and engineering the rescued these three men from the jaws of cold death. Find out how they did it on this week's episode.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Prof Chris here. I'm gonna shoot everyone straight, I got carried away with this one, I couldn't see it while it was happening, and I had the blinders on, sooo what you get now is 3 hours and 45 plus minutes of comprehensive and probably mostly entertaining discussion on the history of the Wizarding World introduced in the Harry Potter books/movie. I've got my nerd on full display here but Prof Adam enabled it so he's just as culpable as me. But serious this one was a shit ton of fun for me. If you've listened previously to any of my Fictional History lessons you know I'm nothing if I'm not thorough, or I try to be, so to all my nerds out there and to those just dipping their toes in for a few hours, I hope you enjoy. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Henry Hudson. We don't know too much about his life prior to becoming a captain for the Muscovy Company of England. In his life he would tale 4 voyages looking to reach the east coast of Asia. 3 of those 4 voyages would start out going east only to run into ice. 2 of those voyages would discover some very cool things in the western world that would take his name (Hudson River, Hudson River Valley, Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay). Interestingly enough, all of his even numbered voyages had some degree of mutiny. The first mutiny-lite forced him to find a new country to sail for. His 4th and final voyage would return to England without him aboard. We don't know exactly what happened. What we know for sure is there is no way of knowing how or where Henry Hudson took his final breath. That mystery still lives on today. Join us as we get Historically High on Henry Hudson.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No there are no typos in the title, that's how "Labours" is spelled in this instance and the Greek pronunciation is HERA-CLES, cause the dude was named after Hera, who was actually not his mother, far from it. Daddy Zeus did was Zeus gon' do and sexed up a mortal woman disguised as her husband, she got pregnant, Hera got pissed and Heracles was born into the Greek World with a target already on his back. Now we should preface this with a disclaimer, this ain't Walt's Hercules, I mean that movie is a banger but the real story of Heracles would be a hard NC-17 rating. The 12 Labours are pretty much the story of Heracles' life, all his myths and stories come from what happened while he was crossing things off his task list. But why was he doing these mythological honey-do's instead of chillin' on Olympus? Well that all comes back to Hera and the instant she destroyed his life and set a path before him to possible redemption. Alright enough talk let's get into it....  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The history of the Yakuza is one clouded in a little mystery. You have the story the Yakuza promotes, that they were the collection of peoples who banded together to defend the helpless from the terrors of the Shogun and his Samurai. Then there's the more likely version, they were a group of merchants, hustlers, thieves, and racketeers who adopted a code of honor and started to branch out into more lucrative ventures, both legal and illegal.  They adopted a family structure with all power held by the Oyabun, the boss, and everyone else at varying levels depending on how long they've been in the life. The Yakuza have had their hands much deeper into business and politics than the Italian Mob and even stole their style to boot. The rituals, the tattoos, the missing fingers, we'll cover it all and then some.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I mean come on, it's Julius Caesar, you've waited long enough so I'm keeping this short. The man has a salad dressing, a hotel/casino, and an orange smoothie franchise named in his honor..... BUT in addition to that he was captured by pirates, was co-president of Rome for a year, added all of Gallic France and Spain to the Roman Empire, led the first Roman Army across the Rhine River in Germany, led the first Roman Army across the English Channel to Britain, started a Roman civil war, went to Africa and got it in with Cleopatra, and I'm rabbling, go now, start the episode. FOR THE GLORY OF ROME. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After the console death of SEGA, there would be a new contender stepping into the console game. Microsoft decided Sony was getting a little too comfy in the whole home entertainment market. They already had the personal computer cornered for the most part and due to integrated computer components in video game consoles, a transition into that market seems like a sure thing. Also when you have a seemingly endless supply of money you can pretty much do whatever you want and with the XBOX debuted. The future of video games was bright and not lacking for options. All three companies, Sony, Microsoft, and the old head Nintendo would run into mistakes, some stemming from unproven technology, but most from a lack of understanding of what gamers actually want out of their system, to play video games. On the plus side we were introduced to online gaming, the most impactful advancement in gaming to date. Connecting millions of people worldwide through the joys of talking shit to each other. And creating some of the most memorable characters and moments in people's lives. Strap in for more nostalgia overload. Ding Ding Ding Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Each theater of war during World War 2 offered something unique and dangerous, Europe it was the winters, the Pacific had tropical diseases, but North Africa, it was a whole different ballgame. A desert stretching more than 2,000 miles from Morocco to Egypt with a lotta wide open spaces between. When Hitler invaded France on May 10, 1940, Mussolini waited with bated breath for the right moment to announce he was taking his talents to the Axis IYKYK. 4 weeks into the Battle of France it was obvious France wasn't going to keep Germany out of her, so Mussolini makes his declaration of war on the Allies June 10.. Now Benny had told Adolf he wasn't gonna be ready until 1942 to make with the warring but the prospect of expanding across N. Africa (they already controlled Libya, which happens to border British controlled Egypt) was too good to pass up. Mussolini believed Hitler's planned invasion of the British home islands would pull a large amount of forces away from Egypt and it would be easy pickings. He'd capture the Suez Canal and control the Mediterranean, preventing the Allies from launching any invasions from the south. Well Hitler's invasion never happened but Benito was so excited he decided to go forward with the battle for North Africa anyway. It started out pretty much how you'd expect for the Italians, they weren't ready, the British were. The Royal Navy reigned supreme in the Med which meant for the duration of the North Africa Campaign, all supplies coming from Italy were under attack. It didn't take long for Mussolini to go hat in hand to Hitler and ask for help. Hitler decided to send one of his most decorated general's at the time, Erwin Rommel to clean up the Italian mess. What followed was the first real instance of Axis vs Allies on a large scale and it served to influence how the war was going to be fought going forward. Quit reading this nerd and get into the episode.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For 48 years, from 1924 to 1972, J. Edgar Hoover served, as first the head of the Bureau of Investigation and then the head of its successor, the FBI. For almost 50 years one man was in control of the nations domestic intelligence gathering and surveillance apparatus. 50 years is a long time to get up to some real shady shit and get up to it J. Edgar did. The nation's "top cop" used his department to gather dirt on everyone, politicians (yes including sitting presidents), entertainers, civil rights leaders, and basically anyone who did anything that didn't fit J. Edgar's idea of America. From the Kennedy assassination, MLK Jr. threats, and chasing anything he thought smelled of communism, we try to cover it all.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week Professor Adam is bringing out a true crime hall of fame story. The death of Brian Wells/the Pizza Bomber/the Collar Bomber, is one of the most puzzling crimes ever committed. It has everything a true crime story could ever want. A serial killer, a bank robbery, a scavenger hunt, a creepy love story, a conspiracy, and a healthy dose of mental illness. Brian Wells delivered a pizza to a TV tower building on Peach Street in Erie, PA. The next time Brian was seen he was wearing a bulky collar entering the local PNC Bank. He would rob that bank and try to evade police as he followed a scavenger hunt given to him. The hunt was suppose to give him all of the pieces to safely take the explosive collar off of his neck. What he didn't know was the freaks who placed the collar on him never intended on him completing his task. Wells was intercepted by police and ultimately expired under their watch. The hunt for the conspirators would take longer than anyone expected. The cast of creatures who concocted this evil plan would end up turning on each other, but not without a few surprises for the police. Join us as we get Historically High on the Pizza Bomber Brian Wells.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The year was 1985, Freddy Mercury was bringing down the house at Wembley, Rocky Balboa won the Cold War by defeating Ivan Drago, and the Nintendo Entertainment System was release in the United States. It took the country by storm on the overall clad back of an Italian plumber named Mario. Nintendo ruled the home video game market until 1989 when a new player joined the game. The Sega Genesis' step onto the scene wasn't a home run right away. Sega decided to bring in a legend of the toy industry, a man named Tom Kalinske. This guy had his hands all over your childhood (not in the bad way) . Flintstone Vitamins? He created them. Barbie? He's the reason she's around today. Matchbox Cars? Who amongst us hasn't smashed one with a hammer when they no longer rolled properly. Tom and his team decided the only way to fight Nintendo's death grip on the market was to appeal to an older more mature and rebellious audience, teenagers. Sega became MTV to Nintendo's Disney Channel. Their battle took place in the stores, at the conventions, and on your TV. It had everything, corporate sabotage, defection to the competition, Joey Lawrence, Japanese rent-by-the-hour hotels, and a Hedgehog with attitude who's still doing his thing today. Get ready for the nostalgia fueled ride that is The Console Wars: Round 1. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During the 4 1/2 months it was fought, the Battle of the Somme took the crown as the deadliest battle of World War 1. This battle had it all, trench warfare, so many artillery pieces it created mountains of spent casings, fighter aircraft, and the introduction of the tank to the world as a weapon. The battle was the meeting of old world tactics and new world technology, never a good thing. The first day of the battle was the stuff of nightmares for the British. Once the 7 day artillery bombardment was finished, the Brits went over the top of their trench into No-Man's Land to charge what they believed to be an already decimated German front line. Unfortunately the metal storm unleashed over the German position for the last week was ineffective due to using the wrong type of artillery and also a pesky little leak of the British plans which gave the Germans a heads up to hunker down. As the shells stopped falling the Germans reoccupied the front line and waited for the British. What followed was the biggest loss of life in a single for the British in their history. And thats just the appetizer folks, tune in to get the full story.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The history of Basketball begins in the unassuming town of Springfield, Massachusetts. Canadian born James Naismith is trying to keep his group of students at the YMCA busy during a cold New England winter. It took 2 peach baskets, a soccer ball, and a few simple rules to create the game of basketball... sort of. The first thing Naismith created was chaos. Eventually, out of the chaos came basketball. The popularity of the game spread much like other sports. Barnstorming teams like the New York Rens and the world famous Harlem Globetrotters popularized the game in small towns all over the country. On a professional level some leagues came and went, but eventually found their way to the NBA and ABA merger. These two leagues would form the modern NBA today. There is so much more to the story though. Don't miss a second as we get Historically High on Basketball and the NBA Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The United States was brought into WW2 with the Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7 1941. The U.S. was shook, fear of an invasion of the west coast was at an all time high with nothing standing between us and Japan. The moral of the nation wasn't good and in the weeks after Pearl Harbor more Japanese victories did nothing to reassure the country we could win this war. The U.S. needed a win, it needed to be something bold and unexpected. Something to break the aura of the invulnerability of Japanese held about their home islands. FDR wanted bombs on Tokyo and it fell to Jimmy Doolittle to make it happen. Now if you're gonna plan and execute a top secret raid on Japan's capital where success relies on doing things never before done, Jimmy's your guy. Doolittle Raid aside James Doolittle was one of the most famous aviators in American History, a doctorate in Aviation Engineering from M.I.T., the first of it's kind lends credit to his understanding off all thing aircraft. What Jimmy and his boys were able to do helped show the United States they were still in the fight and showed Japan they weren't safe at home. Find out how they pulled it off here.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leonardo Da Vinci started his artistic journey at the age of 14, beginning as a studio boy to Andrea del Verrocchio. Verrocchio taught Leo the ropes in sculpting, painting, casting, leather work, amongst other things, until Da Vinci stepped in to paint a couple angels in a mostly complete "The Last Baptism". Verrocchio looked at his work, looked at Da Vinci's and legend has it he set down his brush for good at that point, seeing himself surpassed already by Da Vinci's talent. Achieving the status of Master at age 20, Da Vinci would embark upon a lifetime of creating Art, developing machines and mechanical theories, studying and documenting human anatomy, building weapons and more. The very definition of a Renaissance Man in every way, join us as we go deep into Da Vinci.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Black Plague or Black Death as its also known really put it to Europe, Asia and Africa from 1346 through 1353. In just 7 years it killed off up to 60% of Europe's population. 20-50 million dead due to a little bacteria called Yersinia Pestis, the cause of the Plague. It wasn't just effective in the way it hitched a ride on fleas, which then hitched on rats, which hitched a ride on everything else. But in the way that it could attacked the body on multiple fronts. It wasn't like there hadn't been other outbreaks of Plague in the world, so why is this one so significant. Well it showed up with perfect conditions in a world completely unprepared on what to. Find out what makes the Black Death such a pivotal moment in human history this week on dun dun dun......Historically High.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What good would a history podcast be without some sports history? Babe Ruth feels like he should be on the Mount Rushmore of sports history. Born in the Pigtown part of Baltimore, he defied the odds to become the most well-known baseball player of all time. He dazzled fans on the field, on the silver screen, and on every sports page in the country. His trade from the Red Sox also cursed the organization for the next 86 years. As a Yankee he was a pivotal part of many World Series contenders. He was the anchor of the famed Murderers Row batting line up. For all his success on the field, his life in the clubhouse and outside the stadium was more flawed than most people know. Join us as we get Historically High on Babe Ruth. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who doesn't love a good Heist? Now throw in the most valuable diamond in the world at the time, the Millennium Star. Still not convinced? Well let's put this thing right in the middle of London at the Millennium Dome's De Beers exhibit. In November of the year 2000, a crew of career criminals attempted one of the ballsiest, most brazen robberies in history. And they would've probably gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those nosey specialist at Scotland Yard called The Flying Squad. Months prior the future heist-ers had attempted not one but two separate armored truck robberies that were both met with failure in different but wildly entertaining fashion.  Not to be deterred these guys might have figured their methods were sounds, just maybe they weren't aiming high enough. Find out how it all goes down here. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As far as American Icons go it probably doesn't get much bigger and recognizable than Henry Ford and Ford Motors. Not the inventor of the automobile, that credit goes to Carl Benz (go back and listen to that episode) but Henry developed what would become the modern automotive industry as we know it. Assembly lines were a thing, just not with cars until Henry decided to use them to mass produce the Model T. His first mass produced car took the nation by storm and at one point 1/2 of all individuals who learned how to drive did so on a Model T. Where Henry excelled at making affordable reliable vehicles he fell short on personal skills, treatment of his workers, and being a father. He even almost caused the downfall of his company by not being able to tear himself away from his precious Model T and modernize with companies like General Motors who came along and challenged Ford for the top spot and for a while took the crown. Through the "Pony Wars" where each manufacturer took turns one upping each other on Horsepower, to the battle to make the most economical car when the gas shortages hit. The story of Ford is fascinating to say the very least. Side note: Prof Chris was battling through a sinus infection which is why he sounds so sexy.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The line between cult and religion is sometimes blurred by the leader of the movement. Bonnie Nettles and Marshall Applewhite blurred the lines of new age religion and a cult by introducing aliens and UFOs. Nettles and Applewhite set out to bring their message of leaving the worldly distractions behind to ascend to the next level. The next level became more complicated when Nettles passed away. It's hard to pitch the idea of being an alien when you die of earthly sickness. Applewhite becoming the sole leader of flock, decided to take them in a direction that would put them in front of the world for all to see as the "spaceship" guided by Nettles passed the earth. Join us as we get Historically High on Heaven's Gate. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Russian history is pretty wild. Tsarist Russia was in a league by itself. There were two main dynasties, The Rurikids and The Romanovs. Today we'll be discussing the "patriarch" of the Romanov Dynasty and the guy who brought Russia into the modern age. Peter Alekseyevich Romanov had decided he was going to drag Russia into the future whether they wanted to or not. Now Peter wasn't the kinda of dude to send out envoys or ambassadors to do his business, he wanted to stretch his legs around Europe personally. Learning the crafts of ship building from the Dutch to build Russia's first navy. Seeing how artillery worked Prussia to development a modern army. Studying the systems of governance used by other European powers all while his "Grand Embassy" drank and partied their way across the continent. His accomplishments can still be felt today however, there's always another side to the story, and Peter's gets pretty dark. Join us as we discuss the life and times of Peter the Great.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 761st Tank Battalion, known as the Black Panthers, was a segregated unit created during World War 2. Regardless of the fact that African Americans had participated in every major conflict dating back to before the United States even existed, a report from the War College labeled African Americans as "not fit for service" in World War 2. The 761st was created and kept stateside until the need for more tanks was too great. The Black Panthers would accompany Gen. Patton's 3rd Army as they fought the retreating Germans. They helped during Bastogne, broke through the Seigfried Line, and even liberated a concentration camp. The hope of returning to a more accepting United States wouldn't match the reality as the 761st would return to no acclaim. Their fight for equal recognition is still going on to this day. Join us as we get Historically High on the 761st Tank Battalion.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At a certain point in human history, mundane spices like pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, the stuff you have shoved in the back of your cabinet right now, made one company so much money it is still considered one of the valuable to ever exist. Not only were they extremely successful at running spice, they almost served as a country unto themselves. The Dutch government had granted the VOC (the acronym for the company in its native Dutch and so much easier to type) a monopoly on the spice trade from the Indies for 21 years. Combine that with permission to establish new colonies or outposts, dispense its own justice, make treaties with other rulers or governments, and operate its own Navy and soldiers. The VOC was a nation in more ways than some actual nations were. Other advantages the VOC had in ship building, it includes windmills, and the ability to raise capital with the advent of the stock exchange. The creation of shares in voyages would make its way to New Amsterdam in North America, soon to become New York City, you know, where the New York Stock Exchange is....seeing the connection here. Any way you slice it the VOC was huge, but as always, success does not come without a cost and boy did a lotta people pay for it. If you're still reading you can stop now and start the episode.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The 1848 discovery of gold in California didn't just change the lives of those that rushed across the country to strike it rich. It also shaped the development of the early United States in a big way. California being the 31st state in the union may seen kinda odd being that's its about as far west as you can get and there's a lotta area in between. Well that's all thanks to the thousands and thousands of people who braved the California Trail or the sea voyage around South America for months heading west to seek their fortunes. A majority never struck pay dirt in the Golden State but those 49er's and also a pretty sizable group of international gold seekers set down roots to establish the unique culture of the San Francisco area. It's not all sunshine and nuggets though, when you get a ton of people all rushing to one area to fight for wealth it's gonna get messy. All that and more on this week's exciting episode of Historically High.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you think of World War 2, France is usually not one of the first countries you think about. That's partly because they spent a good majority of the war under occupation. Moreso the newly formed Vichy Government agreed to an armistice with the Germans putting them under occupation. There was one man who didn't surrender. That man became Free France, Charles De Gaulle. The veteran of World Wars 1 and 2 called upon himself to lead a country under occupation. De Gaulle was known for having a very high opinion of himself and his country. When no one else stepped up for France, De Gaulle stood up for France. During World War 1, World War 2, reconstruction of Europe, a potential French Civil War, and a student revolt, Charles stepped up. No matter how big of a pain De Gaulle was to the rest of the Allied leadership, he was crucial to the fight against the Germans. His love for France knew no bounds. Whether on the field of battle or the battle within the government. Join us as we get Historically High on Charles De Gaulle Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the course of human history wars have been waged primarily over two things, land and religion. Sometimes for both of those reasons at the same time. Sometimes you do it 8 times. The Crusades are the best example of using the "will of god" as an excuse to do what the Europeans did best, conquer and kill. The Church (you know the one) decreed the man up stairs wanted Jerusalem and the Holy Land back and lo and behold, if you went and fought you would be absolved of all your sins. Now for the ruling classes of Europe who were pretty much sin factories, this was music to their ears. Now coincidentally this whole reclamation of one of JC's hangouts also happened to bring the crusader armies through the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines were kinda like the Holy Roman Empire's hot ex who they f****d it up with and wanted them back. The Pope thought if they could help them out with the issues they were having on their borders with the Islamic peoples in the Middle East, maybe they would see how the H.R.E. had grown and matured and come back to them, and by come back, I mean start sending their money. And thus the Crusades, an almost 200 year mission for christianity to take back their shit when they really didn't have the shit to begin with. This one has it all folks. More Popes that you can shake his pope stick thing at, kings, knights, castles, battles, severe dysentary, friendship, betrayal. Why are you still reading this? Stop, just hit play.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A major if not the most important key to victory in World War 2 Europe was the Allied Bombing Campaign against Nazi Germany. World War 2 wasn't just a collections of campaigns fought in different theaters but also campaigns specific to the land, sea, and air. After WW1 introduced the concept of air power, the end of the conflict saw every country invest into this new frontier of war to varying degrees. Pre-WW2 saw most major powers developing bomber aircraft to extend their projection of power and hit the enemy far behind their lines, and fighter aircraft to shoot down the bombers. WW2 in Europe saw the first occurrences of terror and strategic bombing. Hundreds of planes dropping thousands of tons of explosive on cities in a single day attempting to destroy enemy resources and moral. To be a bomber pilot or crew you had to have smarts, skills, and frankly balls because you had a 50% chance of being killed when this was said and done. These men (some in their teens) in their Boeing Flying Fortresses and Avro Lancasters kept the allies in the war until it could be won on the ground. Almost a full 5 years before the allies set foot in France, the bomber aircrews of the British Bomber Command and soon after the U.S. Air Force flew missions over France and Germany to keep the pressure on the Nazis and prevent them from solidifying their hold. Flying miles above occupied Europe without fighters to protect them, the bomber crews of the allies were constantly under attack by enemy explosive shells (Flak) from the ground or the deadly Germany fighters strafing them at double their speed. Okay I'm rambling, sorry I love this shit and I hope you will too, hit play already. Prof Chris. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the fight against communism was in full swing. The CIA was deep into the politics of Central America, having already assisted some dictator-ish guys staying in power. The U.S. felt like it couldn't lose when it decided to "intervene". America was friendly with the current regime of Cuba, and it probably had nothing to do with all of the American corporations controlling most of Cuban industry. When Fidel Castro came into power as a result of one of the many Cuban revolutions, the U.S. was panicking because we didn't know which way he was leaning, Capitalist or Communist. With Cuba only being 90 miles from Florida, this was a cause for concern (not at all escalated by the Nukes we put in Turkey aimed at Russia). When the U.S. botched the first interactions with Fidel and issued economic sanctions, to be fair he seized a bunch of American corporation property in Cuba, he decided to just get what he needed from Russia, and boy were they excited, a communist friendly country 90 miles from the United States, oh the possibilities. Well because of this Uncle Sam decided Fidel had to go, so you do what any rational government would do. You find a bunch of exiled Cubans, train them as guerrilla fighters, teach them to pilot WW2 era bombers, secure them ships, and supply them with everything they need to invade Cuba and start a revolution to topple Castro. Can't miss plan...right?. Yeah not so much, find out how the JFK and the braintrust at the CIA oversaw one of the most embarrassing failures in recent history.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you're considered the world's oldest fraternal order and one of the oldest continuous organizations in history, you're probably gonna develop some secrets or at the very least the suspicion that you're hiding something. Enter the Freemasons. The Freemason origin is kind of like a choose your own adventure book where there's an option for all, depending on what you're into. You can go the biblical route, the conspiratorial route, or the one that just makes common sense. Regardless, Masonic Lodges exist in nearly every country on the planet. Their use of symbols alone is enough to drive any conspiracy theorist mad, not to mention the use of code words, secret handshakes, and the rituals. Some of the most influential men (it's a fraternal order so it's all dudes...mostly) have been known Freemasons. 8 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 of the 39 to sign the Constitution, 14 U.S. Presidents, Churchill, Mozart, Mark Twain, Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford just to name a few. I mean with a roster like that there's gotta be something going on with these guys right? Why does the Catholic Church have a papal ban against them? Tune in as we attempt to unravel the mystery that is the Freemasons.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mussolini has a general reputation as the bumbling idiot of the axis powers. While he does appear to be at a glance, history should not sleep on Mussolini. The man actually founded Facism. That word that seems to still be prevalent in our world today, yeah he created the Facist Party. The Father of Facism started from humble beginnings and through a combination of radical ideas, his trademark oration, and basically flip flopping political beliefs whenever he felt the wind blowing in a new direction, he found himself as the de facto dictator of Italy. Now this whole Facism thing actually started before the Nazi party got into power, and provided a solid blueprint for Hitler to follow during his rise. Without Benito, I don't think we get Hitler running wild all over Europe. Now from a military standpoint, yeah maybe the bumbling idiot moniker is more fitting, but we get to that and everything else on this weeks Historically High.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. At only 109 acres, it packs a ton of history in a small space. The Catholic Church is headquartered within their own nation. Vatican City proper was created through a Treaty signed by Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI establishing the sovereign nation in 1929. Some of the world's most beautiful buildings reside inside the walls of the tiny nation. Some of those buildings are packed with works of art from everywhere the church touches. Others may be packed with secrets that will never see the light of day. Join us today as we explore the history, architecture,  and more than a few secrets while getting Historically High on Vatican City.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In December 1944 World War 2 in Europe was at a tipping point. It just so happened the way it was leaning was for the Allies. The Eastern front saw the Russians forcing the Nazis out of Poland and advancing toward the Fatherland itself. In the west the combined Anglo-American forces of the USA, Great Britain, Canada and others had broken out from Normandy, liberated Paris and a good chunk of northern France. The advance from the west was slowed by supply issues when the troops in front started to outrun their supply lines. Hitler decided in his meth'd up mind that all it would take was one big swing and hit to stagger the Allies and bring them to the table for a negotiated armistice at which point he could turn all his attention back to Stalin. That big swing was called Operation Watch on the Rhine, or the Ardennes Offensive or to most The Battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately for the allies, the area ol Adolf was gonna send his mass of soldiers and tanks through just happened to be the spot the allies thought unlikely. So much so in fact this was the place they pulled battle weary units and green replacement troops to rest and acclimate to their new units. What occurred over the next few weeks would come to be the shining moment for the United States forces in Europe during the war.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is anybody really safe? You see the storyline in every form of entertainment, "Arrested for a crime they didn't commit", but what if it wasn't just a storyline? For Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley it's the story of their lives. The West Memphis Three, as they have come to be known, were convicted of the murders of three 8-year-old boys who were killed on May 5th, 1993. Christopher Byers, Michael Moore, and Stevie Branch were found in a creek the next day, and one thing was on everyone's minds. Satanic Panic. Beliefs of the boys being sacrificed to Satan led investigators to accused Satanist, Damien Echols. The only problem was Damien wasn't a Satanist. That didn't stop the Arkansas justice system from sentencing him to death, Jason to Life imprisonment, and Jessie to Life+ for a crime they didn't commit. Join us as we get Historically High on The West Memphis Three. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Trouble in the Suez...." Billy Joel sang about it in We Didn't Start the Fire and until researching this episode I had no idea what trouble he was talking about. The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Red Sea (that little stretch of sea nestled between Africa and the Middle East) and the Mediterranean Sea. Basically it connects the Indian Ocean to the Med eliminating that lengthy and dangerous trip around the south of Africa. Well I'm sure you can imagine the kind of money you could make charging ships for taking your shortcut. Located in Egypt, designed by a Frenchman, funded by the Ottomans, and coveted by the British. The construction of the canal was on another level. and if that wasn't enough it played a big role in both World Wars, and even an armed conflict most don't know about...we're looking at you Britiain and France and Israel. The Suez isn't a one trick pony either, it's grown with the times and is still an important aspect of world trade today.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Try putting together a guy's/girl's night when no on has a phone. Where do you meet, when, where? Imagine trying to move thousands of troops and resources around without constant communication. Well that whole thing had been figured out way before WW2. But what do you do when that life line of communication starts to work against you because your enemy is listening in and knows everything you're doing. The Pacific Theater was basically a series of islands being fought over at different times. Coded communication from ships to shore, and on the battlefield were being intercepted by the Japanese and decoded almost as fast as the codes could be created. One code went the entire war never being broken. The Navajo Code. The Navajo soldiers at the center to our episode were men that during childhood in white-run Indian schools were punished for using their native language. We pretty much did everything we could to kill their culture. Well once WW2 rolled around a man with knowledge of the Navajo Language recommended it to the U.S. Marine Corp due to its insane complexity, small number of people fluent, and the fact it didn't have written counterpart that made it indecipherable to the Japanese. Find out about the Navajo men who created the code and fought on the front lines providing the communications that helped win the war in the Pacific.   Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you had to compare the ancient Silk Road to something we're all familiar with today, it would be the internet. The Silk Road was a network of travel routes that spanned across Asia through India, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean and all the way to Europe. This route was the main mode of transportation not just for the all the goods (silk being just one of many) being traded 4,000 miles away, but for technology being sourced from different countries, not to mention the ideas and intellectual advancement that spread from those traveling the road. Kings, Khans, and Emperors came and went, countries fell and rose, but the road remained. It's not an exaggeration when we say the world would look much different if not for the Silk Road.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We finish off the Big 3 of Ancient Meso/South American civilizations with The Aztecs. Originally hailing from what is now the southern United States, the Mexica would enter the Valley the Mexico to find the place pretty crowded already. The only real spot left was a swampy marshy island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Through innovation and engineering they created floating gardens to grow crops and sustain their growing population.  The island that was once their disadvantage had now help them to grow and become valley's dominant peoples, ruling from their city of Tenochtitlan . Grand palaces, magnificent temples of sacrifice and enormous outdoor markets had the newly arrived Spanish Conquistadors in shock and awe. Well it wasn't long before Hernan Cortez and his Spanish troops started trying to take over the place. Find out what happened to the civilization that Mexico was literally built on.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Berlin Wall is, for most, one of those historical topics you're aware of, but probably don't know a ton about. Well don't freak out because that's what we're here for. Post WW2 Germany was divided into zones with the U.S., U.K. and "France" taking stewardship of West Germany and the Soviet Union taking East Germany. Now this was right at the start of the Cold War,  East Berlin and West Berlin, which were also divided basically become a 24/7, 365 side by side comparison of Western Capitalism vs. Soviet Communism. Things got pretty bad in East Germany and East Berlin as their neighbors to the West thrived with the influx of western culture and that sweet sweet money. Well eventually J. Stalin got fed up with the embarrassment suffered due to the mass exodus of young talented people from East to West and decided to put a stop to that. How did he do it you ask, well he started building a wall. But it was what was happening on the East side of the wall that's really the story.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jim Jones....Jim Jones....what can we say about Jim Jones? Early on young James found he had two things going for him, his newfound love of religion and his ability to memorize sermons and scripture. What started out as lil Jimmy preaching to the other kids in town, took a slight detour in dealing monkeys (not a euphemism) before he finally performed enough b******t faith healing to start a church of his own. It didn't take long for Jim to find his own brand of religion which if we're being honest here, sounded pretty damn good in the beginning. But then the doomsday dreams started happening, combined with the power that came with being worshipped, and add in some drugs cause why not. Jim did what any sane person would do, he made himself the Messiah, kidnapped a kid, and took a bunch of his followers to the jungles of Guyana, normal shit. Well I wish I could say that was the end of it, but it gets tragic when Jones' god complex results in the death of over 900 people in a mass cult suicide.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everyone take your seats because it is time for the sweet story of Milton Hershey and Hershey Chocolate. Milton grew up needing direction in life which he found in candy making. He started with caramel and failed more than once before eventually becoming the Caramel King of Pennsylvania. That wasn't enough for Milt because he had bigger dreams. From building a town to creating his own sugar distribution in Cuba, Milton Hershey was a fascinating man. Was he kind of a dick? Oh yeah. Did he change the world for quite a few people? You better listen to find out! Sponsor Flintts Mints https://www.flintts.com/ Use code HistoricallyHigh for 15% off Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

April 19th 1995 was a pretty dark day for the United States and to the people of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in particular. Here in The States if you mention terrorism most people tend to think of the International variety, but domestic terrorism seems to be just as prevalent albeit with usually less of a bang, but not in this instance. Timothy McVeigh was a Gulf War Veteran who became disillusioned with the U.S. Government and decided he needed to send a message. Now he didn't just wake up one morning and decided to blow up a building, this was a slow burn that started in adolescence, slowly becoming radicalized over time. He didn't commit this heinous act on his own either, he had a few friends he would bounce ideas off of and also assist in building his bomb. What transpired left the country shocked and saddened. We've got you covered on the whole story.  Sponsors Flintts Mints https://www.flintts.com/  Promo code: HistoricallyHigh for 15% off Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1492 this freakin guy Christopher Columbus took his ass across the ocean blue looking for a western sea route to the lands of Asia and India (which he actually thought were the same place and same people). What transpired saw the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria (Boats and Hoes) sail across the Atlantic, which granted hadn't really been attempted too often, and hit landfall in the Caribbean. Now this clown never set foot on the land that would become the United States, yet we have a city in Ohio, and had a recently renamed National Holiday in his honor. The guy had no idea he wasn't in India which is why Indigenous Peoples got saddled with the Indian moniker for so damn long. So he basically stumbles onto landfall and like a good colonizer it didn't take him long to make the locals life hell... Welcome to the Columbus episode. Sponsors: Flintts Mints https://www.flintts.com/  Promo code HISTORICALLYHIGH for 15% off Also if you want to support the show there's a link below, or don't, whatever is cool with us, but it'd be a lot cooler if you did. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We left off with the shot heard round the world and we ate coming back into Lexington and Concord. While it is sorta known as the opening salvo of the Revolutionary War, it really wasn't. We had to have 2 continental congresses before we decides to declare independence. That is what started the Revolutionary War. A strongly worded letter to a pre-crazy King George III known as the Declaration of Independence. From then on the revolution was on. It didn't start out so hot, but eventually the Continental Army would find their footing under Washington&Co. Along with an assist by the French and Spanish the Colonies won their independence. Join us for part 2 as we get Historically High on The American Revolution. Support our Sponsors at https://www.flintts.com/ Promo code: HISTORICALLYHIGH for 15% off Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

By the mid 1700's the British in North America had established 13 colonies and a large population some of which were 2nd or 3rd generation British Americans, having never set foot on the home islands. Being separated from Great Britain by 3,000 miles, taking 6-8 weeks to cross the Atlantic, the colonies began to feel isolated or maybe a little independent (see what I did there) from the King and Parliament. What didn't help make the colonists feel seen was the total lack of any representation in Parliament, meaning the colonies had no say in how they were being governed and how they were being taxed. British appointed Governors oversaw each colony independently, and ensured the will of His Majesty was enforced. Well fast forward to another war with France, this one inadvertently started in North America by a very familiar future American Founding Father. The 7 years war left Britain victorious but financially devastated, Parliament's solution was to tax the colonist, figuring they should start paying their way for Britain's war expenses. Now as you can imagine the Colonists were pissed, understandably so being they didn't have any voice in the matter but at the same time, I mean come on, we kinda started this particular war with France. This Taxation without Representation was just one of many greivances brewing in the colonies, there were a couple situations in Boston, one involving some redcoats firing into a hostile crowd and another involving making a nice spot of tea using the harbor as the kettle. These events and many more culminated in a standoff between British soldiers and Colonial Militia at a little town called Lexington where a "shot heard round the world" changed the course of world history forever. Join us for Part 1 of the American Revolutionary War.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Surprise Surprise Prof Chris is taking us back to the Pacific Theater of World War 2. This week were discussing the IJN, the Imperial Japanese Navy from its formation to it's warm up wars against China, Russia, and then China yet again to it's role in pulling the United States into WW2 at Pearl Harbor. We cover how WW1 shaped what Naval Warfare would become in WW2 and why Japan was so dominant in the early years of the conflict. How they were able to construct the world's largest Battleships and Aircraft carriers in secret. How they revolutionized Naval Warfare and ushered in the era dominated by naval air power. And how their reach ended up exceeding their grasp as the war ground on leading to their defeat. Tune as we get High on the High Seas.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Sparta! Spartan Race, Sparty the Spartan, god knows how many CrossFit gyms. The culture of ancient Sparta has inspired a certain amount of worship or at least been idolized by numerous modern civilizations. But how much of their legend is fact and how much fiction. How did they gain the reputation as THE elite warriors of Ancient Greece? Did 300 of them really hold back 1,000,000 Persian soldiers? Why aren't they a world power if their culture was so strong. Well it turns out there's some pretty bananas answers to these questions. From the founding of Sparta to it's zenith as the savior of Greece to its eventually decent into legend. This is Historically High. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Automobile is one of those inventions that we tend to take for granted. Most people can't explain how an internal combustion engine works let alone design and build one. Well that's where the subjects of our episode come in, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler. Now I know what you're thinking, it's MERCEDES Benz. You're right and there's a pretty cool story behind the name, but what's even more incredible is how Carl and Gottlieb were independently and at the same time developing a "Horse-less Carriage" within 60 miles of one another in Germany in the late 1800's. Both went about their design of the first Automobile from different directions and it was Carl who made it to the finish line first, creating what is recognized as the first modern automobile. But how did these pioneers do it? How did they design and build combustions engines when steam engines were all humans had known? What happened to the German automaker when the Nazi's came to power and how did the company get to where it is today? We got ya covered.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A more apt title for this should be The Battle for Stalingrad, because that exactly what this was in every sense of the word. After the Nazi invasion of Russia during Operation Barbarossa failed to capture Moscow, Hitler needed a win and decided to pivot and capture Russia's oil fields in the south, fueling his war machine and starving the Russian Army. Stalingrad, named after ol' J Stalin himself just happened to be in the area. Now if you've listened to our episodes on Hitler you know that Dolph was not a fan of Stalin, and taking over the city with his name attached was too sweet of a treat to pass up. What the Nazi did not anticipate was the next 6 1/2 months. Stalingrad was the origination of Urban Warfare. The Nazi bombings had reduced the city to rubble, rubble where snipers, guerrilla fighters, and the Red Army were lying in wait to make them pay for every inch of ground. Join us as we discuss the deadliest battle this planet has ever seen. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Even if you don't know what the man's about you've probably heard the name Charles Darwin. At the very least you've seen one of those Jesus Fish car decals with legs and the name Darwin in the middle. Well Mr. Darwin was kind of a jack of all trades when it came to the fields of science. What started as a childhood passion for insects grew into a love for the natural sciences of the world, geology and biology primarily. What cemented Charles Darwin as a revolutionary of science would be his introduction of the theory of evolution in a world where religion and divine creation were fact. He challenged the very belief in where we come from and how we came to be here. What inspired Darwin to pursue this theory came about during a five year voyage around the world to study, collect, catalogue and sometimes eat literally anything and everything he came across in these strange lands he traveled. Join us as we discuss the Father of Evolution.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Reaching the moon is arguably humanity's greatest accomplishment. When Kennedy promised we would reach the moon by the end of the decade, it sounded like a big commitment considering we had only just got a man into orbit some 3 days earlier. NASA used programs Mercury and Gemini to build towards the Apollo Program. The promise would be fulfilled in 1969 by the trio of Michael Collins (we got ya here Mike), Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin. Neil's footsteps were propelled to the moon off of the effort of each and every ground crew member that made the dream a reality. Join us we get Historically High on Apollo 11.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Back in good ol 1803 a little transaction occurred that saw the newly christened United States of America doubled in size, adding a chunk of land stretching from the west bank of the Mississippi River and covering 15 current states in the USA. Effectively this meant the U.S. territory stretched about 2/3 across the continent. Now land transfers have happened throughout ancient and modern history, however this one is special. This one is universally known as the greatest deal in human history, with the U.S paying France only $15 million dollars for a 1/3 of our nation. Now I know what you're thinking, weren't we under British control until that whole Declaration of Independence/American Revolution thing? Well yeah we were, but the area right in our backyard was under the "ownership" of the French. This extremely pivotal point in our history only happened due to the alignment of so many events it's nearly a miracle this thing was pulled off. Tune in now to find out how.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In what still stands as the worst nuclear disaster to take place on this planet, the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on April 26 1986 was the catalyst that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. Poor materials, rushed construction, and a staggering amount of ineptitude regarding the design and operation of the nuclear reactors were the main factors in this shit show we're about to dig into. What exactly happened that night? What kind of impacts are still being dealt with today? How the hell does a nuclear reactor even work? Oh you bet your sweet ass we'll cover it, all you gotta do is press that play button.  Sponsor: Mini Museum https://shop.minimuseum.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=historicallyhigh Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a land far to the East and at a time not all that long ago Britain decided it needed a whole bunch of stuff that only China could provide, silks, fine porcelain, and oh yeah TEA. You know how they are about Tea. Well trouble was Britain really didn't have China wanted. What they did want was silver. The Brits didn't have silver, but they did have a ton of opium they grew in the newly colonized India. Funny thing about Opium, it was illegal in Britain. So what do you do, well you smuggle it into China where it's also very much illegal and use the silver earned to buy all the stuff you want from China. Effectively Britain pumped China full of drugs, then paid them for other stuff with the illegal funds earned from said drug sales. Well eventually China had enough and this is where we come to the Opium Wars. I'm not going to give you anymore information, you're gonna have to just listen to the episode. It's good I swear.  Visit our favorite sponsor Mini Museum: https://shop.minimuseum.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=historicallyhigh Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Disney...a name that can stir emotions, excite the senses, and bring memories flooding back from anyones childhood. Walter Elias Disney was a man from humble beginnings who, through his love for animation, storytelling, and sheer determination, created an entertainment empire that spans the globe. Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognizable symbols in the modern world. "I'm going to Disneyland" is what every Super Bowl MVP shouts after winning the game. And today the Mouse House has become more than Walt could have ever dreamed. But how did this whole thing start? How did Mickey come about? How did Walt and his team of animators revolutionize animation and the movie making industry forever. Tune in and find out. Sponsor Mini Museum https://shop.minimuseum.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=historicallyhigh Walt Disney Carpet Specimen https://shop.minimuseum.com/products/disneyland-cranberry-room-carpet?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=historicallyhigh Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After ol Robert Bruce takes a dirt nap, Scottish Independence is threatened before his body's even cold. The English wolves are at the door yet again. We'll fine out what happens when all of that Scottish/English martial mingling results in the King of Scotland being the next closest relative when the Monarch of England dies? Who was Mary, Queen of Scots? A dude named Bonnie Prince Charlie throws his hat in the rulership ring. And we finally get to talk about that most beautiful of all Scottish exports, the game of Golf. Join us as we put a bow on our two part class on the History of Scotland.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's something about Scotland that holds a special place in our hearts here at the Institute of Higher Learning. The Highlands, the moors, the lochs, the rolling hills, the accent, scotch whiskey, the people who date back more than 8,000 yrs before Britain's recorded history. A land constantly trying to fight for its independence against pretty much one enemy to the south (England). Scotland's history is so vast and rich we need two episodes to attempt to do it justice.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Charles Manson was a monster. Spending over half of his first 32 years on the planet in an institution did not reform him. If anything it made him what he was. A smooth talking con man who used his influence over impressionable young people leading to horrifying results. Oh and he sucked at the guitar. Activated by a drastic misinterpretation of The Beatles message, Charles tried to start what he called "Helter Skelter", the race war. We don't know how many victims the Mason Family had, but we do know the Tate-LaBianca murders weren't the only ones. Join us as we get Historically High on Charles Manson. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some things are bigger than sports. Every once in awhile that phrase is used to describe an event that means more than the score on the board. The relationship Larry Bird and Magic Johnson share with history is one of those things. Sure we will talk about their stellar achievements on the court, but there is so much more to Magic vs Bird. Michigan State vs Indiana State, Los Angeles vs Boston, Lakers vs Celtics, black vs white, introvert vs extrovert, Hollywood vs. French Lick. What ended up stronger than any rivalry was friendship. Join us as we get Historically High on Magic vs. Larry.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Italian American Mafia was born out of the Castellamarese War. The Mafia was very much a thing in the United States prior to the war. The difference was the leadership. Old Sicilian Mafia men were called Mustache Petes. These were the guys in charge before the war. They were actually the guys that went to war. The generation of mobsters that grew up in America saw the world of organized crime differently. The new guard ended up whacking the old guard after the war, and the Italian American Mafia was born. Join us as we get Historically High on the Beginning of the Italian American Mafia Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

World War 2 earned its World War moniker more so that its predecessor. It was truly a globe spanning series of events. The European Theater was condensed due to the geography of where it mostly occurred, The Pacific Theater was a whole different beast. Fought in a manner no war had ever been fought, over vast distances of ocean, countless islands, and through deadly jungles. The war in the Pacific showed the mighty battleship was no longer king of the seas, aircraft carriers were the future. It showed what the true industrial might of the USA was. It introduced an enemy so fanatical toward its Emperor they would make suicidal charges or crash their planes in the hopes of killing the enemy. And it proved true the famous quote by Admiral Yamamoto, just prior to Pearl Harbor, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If Howard Hughes is the Father of Modern Aviation. The Wright Brothers are the Granddaddies of Human Flight. Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright developed an obsession with the defiance of gravity from a young age, when their father brought home a toy helicopter. As they grew up they decided to take a run at the newly exploded bicycle boom, giving them a source of funding for their real passion. Flight, and not just run down the side of a hill with a glider and coast for a couple hundred feet flight, that had been done before, but powered, controlled, sustainable flight. Basically what we think of when someone mentions flight now. What followed over the next few years involved the Wrights searching the United States for the perfect location, consistent wind, more forgiving land area (for the inevitable falls back to earth that would occur). The boys from Ohio would make bicycles during spring and summer, and then it was off to Kitty Hawk, SC for the fall and winter to test their theories and that years newest version of their Wright Flyer. This went on and on for years until they cleared each hurdle, controlled gliding, how to power this new creation, steering, and eventually bringing it all together to show humanity that man was meant to sore above the earth. Tune in to hear the whole story.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There was a time when religion was cool. Like when jacked dudes threw lightning and women wielded armor and spears in the heavens and under the waves. When the sun traveled across the sky being pulled by a golden chariot. When people believed in the Gods of Olympus. Greek Mythology has it all, Deities, Drama, Scandal, Affairs, like a lot of affairs, mostly by one guy, and he just so happens to be the main guy Zeus. But before he was trying to nail all of Greece he was the child of the Titan Cronos, who ate all his kids.  Then there's the story of Cronus himself. The legends and stories of Greek Mythology may sounds familiar because they've been borrowed from and adapted throughout history innumerable times, but like all things there is an origin story. Tune in here to see how it all got started.  Disclaimer: Zeus sexually assaults a lot of people, we discuss it, kind of a big part of his narrative, just letting you all know.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To put it plainly Pablo Escobar lived a crazy life. Not many people can say they survived a civil war to go on to create one of the most vicious yet successful drug cartels in history. He beat the odds of a bad upbringing and became one of the richest people in the world. From putting down a guerilla group who made their money by abducting the family members of narcos, to becoming a member of the Colombian government, to literally going to war with the Colombian government, El Patron craved control. Get ready for another crazy narcos episode as we get Historically High on Pablo Escobar Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It probably strange to think of a time when the security of the President of the United States wasn't a top priority. That time would be right around five days after the Civil War ended with the surrender of Robert E Lee and his confederate forces. It should have been a time of rebuilding and healing as a nation, but a man named John Wilkes Booth (you may have heard of him) took it upon himself (maybe?) to avenge the defeat of the south by killing the man who lead the Union to victory. The plot to kill Abraham Lincoln is much more complex than anything they taught us in grade school.  Lincoln was just the centerpiece of a plan to destabilize the government by killing multiple political figures all at the same time. Join us as we dive deep into the murder of The Man that Saved the Union. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As World War 1 rages on in Europe, new players have entered the game on both sides. Trench Warfare is still at a stalemate in Northern France but elsewhere the fighting is fierce and deadly as new weapons are unveiled on the battlefield. A new comer to the world stage in the form of the United States begins flexing its might and ends the war on the winning side. Empires begin to topple as countries are taken out of the war until only Germany stands alone against the Allied Powers.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Great War. The War to End All Wars. The scope of the First World War was so large it was almost unbelievable to think any conflict could surpass the destruction it wrought not just upon Europe, but many other countries as well. The Great War was the first time classic war strategy met advancements in technology designed to inflict maximum casualties. Basically fighting like you would when the enemy had muskets when they now had machine guns. It was where trench warfare become infamous with the horrors that occurred in No Man's Land. Entire landscapes destroyed by the thousands of artillery shells fired. Empires that stood for centuries were ended by the war. Air Combat saw its birth here, tank warfare had its introduction. It was truly a conflict that shaped our future but unfortunately did not teach us any lessons except how to kill each other more effectively.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if I told you Rome wasn't always "Rome". After a guy named Constantine won a little civil war within the Roman Empire, he decided Rome was past its prime what with the insane corruption and all. So he set up shop in what would become one of the greatest cities in history, Constantinople. Located on the coast of the Bosphorus Straits with control of one of the richest trade routes in the known world, the only thing that rivaled the landmarks of the city were its defenses, designed to defend the crown jewel of the Roman Empire for what would end up being around 1000 years, and this place was attacked a lot.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When you hear the term Royals, or Queen, our minds tend to take us to the British Monarchy or British national treasure musical group Queen . One of if not the longest standing monarchies still technically in power. The current Royal Family, The House of Windsor can trace its lineage back to 1066, the time of William the Conqueror, the first widely recognized Monarch of England. That almost 1000 years ago. So how the hell does one family stay in power that long. Well long story short there's been a lot of them, so many in fact we're only covering the first dozen or so, but there's some real shitbags in there for your listening pleasure.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Rock. No, not the 10x heavyweight champion Scorpion King star. Alcatraz Island is located 1.5 miles from San Francisco in the bay. It started it's life as a military installation on the west coast. After that it became a military jail. Then a federal prison. This 29 year stretch is where the legend of Alcatraz was born. From daring escapes to famous inmates, the island captured our minds through literature and film. After the prison was closed it became a place for protest. Nowadays it is a very popular tourist spot. Shake your cuffs and get ready to get Historically High on Alcatraz Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hannibal Barca or much like Cher and Bono, is known by just Hannibal, was a Carthaginian General who decided to dedicate his life to destroying Rome. Also much like Cher changed the music game, Hannibal did the same for warfare. The man was a tactical genius and came the closest to bringing down the Roman Empire since it began 520+ years earlier. He had the balls to march his army, a ragtag group of killers from multiple countries, including War Elephants, yes it's a thing and we discuss it in depth, across the Alps in order to attack the soft unprotected rear of Italy. Mi Scusi. He was so successful Rome had to change the entire way it fought just to try and stop him. Why are you still reading this, click the button and let's get started.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bay Area in the late 1960's was a wild place to be. Free love that flooded the streets was replaced with fear. Murder has never been uncommon in a big city. Unsolved murders weren't rare either. The terror started when a man called into the local police department to report a murder and then take the credit. The Zodiac Killer as he would come to be known, took the lives of 5 people. Writing letters, sending ciphers, and leaving notes at crime scenes spread fear around the area. As the murders he took credit for stopped, his letters continued. Then one day the Zodiac seems to have disappeared. Listen in as we get Historically High while solving the Zodiac Killer mystery.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I feel like I should only need to post the purpose of the Special Operations Executive to sell you on this episode so here you go "Espionage, Sabotage, and Reconnaissance in German occupied Europe during WW2. But I'll also leave you  with what Churchill told the guy in charge of this "Ministry" when it was formed "Now go and set Europe ablaze."  Plus there's a great looking new movie coming out about these men and women (yeah, some of the greatest spies were women what of it) by Guy Ritchie. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you've ever seen The Wild Bunch, 3:10 to Yuma, or played Red Dead Redemption series of games you're probably familiar with The Pinkertons. Created by a Scottish immigrant in the 1850's, In the beginning The Pinkerton Detective Agency did everything from spy on the confederacy during the civil war to protecting Abe Lincoln on the train ride to his inauguration. Later they made their name stopping outlaw gangs from robbing trains (i.e. Jesse James, The Wild Bunch). And even later they gave into greed and began infiltrating trade unions and were used as strike breakers against those trying to fight for their fair share and acceptable working conditions. Yeah these guys went from Heroes to Zeroes and we're covering the whole fall.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A childhood dream is realized as Professor Adam goes through the history of the WWE. From humble beginnings and multiple McMahons, the WWE grew to a multi-billion dollar empire. The brightest moments were matched by some very dark times. The WWE is celebrating it's 40th Wrestlemania this year. A Steriods trial, tons of scandals, and the Monday Night Wars couldn't kill the company. With the acquisition of the WWE by Endeavor, the story continues with a new author. Join us as we get Historically High on the WWE Visit www.mindmendmushrooms.com and get 15% off your order with the promo code: HIGH Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The title says it all folks. It's been a long time coming, we're talking Old Kingdom Egypt, specifically the 4th Dynasty, which was known as the Age of Pyramids. We cover it from the humble beginnings of the wondrous structures to a time when the stone giants we think of today were constructed. How were these things built? We discuss it all and come to a few of our own conclusions.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're like us, you've probably found yourself watching a history documentary on World War 2 and thought for a moment....who built all Hitler's shit. I mean someone had to build the Autobahn, The Siegfried Line, The Atlantic Wall, Hitler's Wolfs Lair, Concentration Camps. Well one name can tie all of those together, Fritz Todd. Fritz was a high ranking Nazi and Hitler's go to guy when it came to building almost anything, trusting his life personally, and the life of his Third Reich to Mr. Todt. Join us as Professor Chris takes you and Professor Adam on a journey back in time. Episode sponsored by http://www.mindmendmushrooms.com promo code "HIGH" for 15% off everything in the store. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When we last left Teddy he found himself with the keys to the kingdom. William McKinley's untimely assassination thrust Teddy into the Presidency and he didn't waste time using those powers to start fighting for the common man, taking on corporations to ensure a fair shake for employees, designating areas of the country as protected land for future generations to enjoy. His time in office ended due to a weird series of events caused by T-man himself. Once he left office he travelled the world, before the itch to lead the country and deal with unfinished business became to much for him handle and he through his hat back into the political arena. Beyond politics he went on another adventure that sounds like the plot of an Indiana Jones movie, a journey that would change the remaining years of his life. Mind Mend: Go to mindmendmushrooms.com and use our promo code "HIGH" for 15% off everything in their store.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Teddy Roosevelt is a figure whose exploits sometimes blur the line between fiction and reality. The man who we've affectionately dubbed "Rich Forrest Gump" for the shear amount of larger than life experiences he was able to fit into his 60 years, actually began as almost the antithesis of the man he would be seen as later in life. As a child he was described as sickly, with asthma so severe he overheard a doctor claim he wasn't likely to survive passed childhood. He was able to overcome this hurdle gaining a love for fitness and all things nature along the way, but just as everything seems to be coming up Teddy, an unthinkable tragedy strikes that sends his life in a different direction. Learn how he founded the Roughriders during the Spanish American War, and how he rode that wave to the highest office in the land.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the Super Bowl fast approaching we decided it was probably time we figured out how American Football and the NFL came about. As two life-long football fans we were pretty surprised to find out how this nationwide and global reaching phenomenon got its very humble start. The first recognized college football game took place just 4 years after the end of the Civil War. The game then would be almost unrecognizable to fans today. Well how do we go from the Ivy League to creating a professional league that is now the most popular and riches sport in America, you just hit that play button and let us take it from there.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Europe in 1914 was basically a powder keg waiting for a match to set the whole thing on fire. Tensions were high in Austria Hungary as the new liberated Serbia was giving the area to be known as Bosnia ideas of independence. The problem with that is Austria wasn't really in the business of letting its occupied lands have things like freedom. Well this didn't sit well with some of the locals as you can imagine and one man ended up doing something that changed the course of human history, starting World War 1 by assassinating Archduke Fran Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria Hungary. How did one death lead to what would be the death of millions and the reshaping of Europe. Tune in and find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Land Down Under as it exists today is very new in the grand scheme of things. During the early days of exploration it really existed only as a myth, the great southern land of legend. Once it was finally "discovered" and I say that because the first Aboriginal peoples had been there oh say roughly 60,000 years at that point, it didn't take long for the British to turn it into another colony, as Britain tended to do with literally anything. It's an extremely fascinating circumstance in which a people were left to live and develop untouched by other cultures for thousands of years, and then only within the last 250 years does a modern civilization step in to kinda ruin it, but then at the same type create a people as cool as the Aussies. How did this happen? Tune in and find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

January 17th, 1920 was the day the United States was suppose to get sober. Prohibition and the Volstead Act were officially official, and things were going to change. Prior to Prohibition things weren't great. Drunken crimes were hitting too close to home, and some thought drying out the country was the answer. What they didn't count on was the crime that came with the pursuit of supplying bootleg liqour to the masses who still wanted to wet their beak. Join us as we get Historically High on Prohibition! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We start the final episode on Joseph Stalin as he gains full control of the Soviet Union. Prior to WW2 in Europe, Stalin consolidated power by wiping out a hefty portion of his military command structure along with anyone he perceived as a threat to his new rule. Well once Hitler decides to go back on the Nazi-Soviet non aggression pact, this decision comes back to bite Stalin almost immediately. Without experienced battlefield commanders the Russians are barely able to mount a resistance as the Nazi's charge to Moscow. Well we know in the end the Nazi's are beaten by the Russian winter and Stalin remained in power and was seen as one of the "heroes" of the Allies. But without an external enemy Stalin turns his attention to the enemy within, his own people and the new Cold War.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The man who would become one of histories bloodiest and most ruthless Dictators, was born from humble beginnings on the outer fringes of the Russian Empire. At a time when Russia was still ruled by the Czars, young Loseb Jughashvili was captivated by the Communist movement started by Karl Marx and carried forward by Vladimir Lenin. So how does the son of a cobbler who initially started on the path to become a priest find himself ruling the Soviet Union and killing millions of his own people. From the Seminary to Siberia (several times) Joseph Stalin's rise to power is almost impressive were it not for the fact the man appeared to be a murder robot with zero human emotion. Join us for part one in exploring the Soviet Sociopath that is Jospeh Stalin.  What's up Highstorians, just letting you know Prof AG's mic wasn't working right for the first 20 min of the episode, you can still hear him but it's a little quiet. Now sure we coulda started over but we were cookin' and wanted to keep the convo genuine, bear with us for the beginning, it's worth it.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Whitechaple, East London, England, 1888. A man only known by the moniker Jack the Ripper terrorizes the city from August to November with a string of 5 murders, each more gruesome than the last. Preying on ladies of the night, Jack's spree dumbfounded Law Enforcement and to this day no one knows who he really was. From his method of murder, to the "keepsakes" taken, to the letters possibly sent by Jack to the media or those trying to catch him, what took place over those few month caught the world by storm and turn Jack into the first publicized Serial Killer. Why are you still reading this...let's get to it.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Let's not be coy, you know why you're here, we know why you're here. You've come to listen to "the most comprehensive" podcast about the Great Wall of China. The largest man-made structure on the planet. Built to guard the Dynasties from mongols and raiders. The sheer scope of the Great Wall is almost too large to fathom for something constructed by human hands. Enough with the foreplay, just start it already... Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you grew up in Texas during the 1980's, we don't have to tell you who the Von Erichs are. If you are a wrestling fan, we don't have to tell you who the Von Erich  are. For everyone else, buckle up. Jack/Fritz was the patriarch. The second Adkisson/Von Erich generation brought Fritz and his wife 6 boys. Only 1 of those 6 boys (Kevin) is still alive. Known as "the Von Erich Curse" Jack Jr, David, Kerry, Mike, and Chris all passed away under terrible circumstances. Join us as we tell the story of wrestling family royalty, and get Historically High on the Von Erichs! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Born into the Apache Nation in the early 19th Century, the man who would become known as Geronimo would spend the next 79 years establishing himself as one of the most infamous and well know Native American to this day. Living in a time of when the Apache of southwestern North America were being invaded by both Mexico and the United States, Geronimo chose to fight for his people's rights to be free on the land his ancestors had lived for countless generation before. A life of tragedy, brutality, betrayal,  and defiance defined most of Geronimo's life. Constantly hunted and captured multiple times only to escape and start over again, come join us as we explore the incredible story of Geronimo.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Almost as quickly have humans created automobiles they were racing them against each other. Eventually this racing, centralized initially in Europe, evolved from is pre WW2 roots to become the creme del la creme, the pinnacle of motorsport....Formula One. Almost as much fighter plane as car, costing millions of dollars each and reaching speeds on the track of more the 215 mph, Formula One cars are the peak of modern engineering. Driven by peak athletes who have been training for it since childhood. So what did it take to bring this sport from its humble beginning on small European tracks to rocketing through Monte Carlo, or down the Las Vegas Strip for the first time this week. Who are the teams? How come there are only 10?  How do you Why are some teams more dominant than other? Tune in and find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ah Ancient Athens, the crown jewel of Greece. A beacon of philosophical enlightenment, birthplace of Democracy, and ass kicking factory of the ancient Persian Empire. The modern world owes more than a few thanks to the city named after the Goddess of War and Wisdom. BUT the road was always paved in gold, Greece was in an almost constant state of war between its Grecian neighbors vying for power, it was conquer or be conquer, so you might be wondering, in all this chaos, how did Athens find the time to revolutionize the world. Tune in and find out.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera was once Mexico's most wanted kingpin. The U.S. was also itching to get their hands on him too. Every time the Mexican authorities caught him, he seemed to slip out of their grasp. That was until he was finally extradited to the United States to pay for his crimes. Joaquin Guzman was born into poverty. When he leaves this earth it will be as one of the most brutal Drug lords the world has ever known. Join us as we get Historically High on the life of El Chapo.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Look I know what your thinking after reading the title, and you're partially right, we're gonna discuss Aliens, UFO's, UAP, Extraterrestrials, whatever you wanna call them at some point during this episode. However the incident that occurred near Roswell, New Mexico, is important to history as it set off what can only be described as Alien Fever. Area 51 came along shortly after and due to the secrecy of this military testing ground it was instantly tied to the UFO occurrences and conspiracies. It probably didn't help that the Top Secret aircraft making test flights from Area 51 were unlike anything anyone had ever seen on this planet. Join us as we break down and sift through the b******t to explore these fascinating places.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've all day-dreamed about hitting the Powerball or Mega Millions or whatever your neck of the woods calls the Lottery, but where did this all originate? It's something so engrained in our culture it's something we could assume has always been around. Well you'd be partially correct in that assumption but the lottery as it exists today looked very different in ancient times and served a very different purpose. Where did it come from, how did it change from its ancient inception and how have people tried to cheat the system in order to hit it big? Tune in and find out.   Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The human species is unique from other's on this planet in many ways. One specific way is we are the only species that choses to do challenging or dumb shit strictly to see if it can be done. Everest is no exception.  The mentality, the training, the cost, the risk, all of the things required to even attempt to summit Everest make most not even consider it an option in their lives. How many days does it take to summit once you leave basecamp? How many people have died? How many people have actually made it? We're getting high as f**k both literally and educationally and tackling the tallest mountain on Earth.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After  Hitler defied the League of Nations and marched through Austria, Czechoslovakia, and then into Poland seizing those lands to build the Third Reich, France and Britain finally decided to do something about it by declaring War. The world was plunged into another global conflict hardly 20 years after the last Great War. Nazi Germany initially steamrolled everyone in their path, until some very bad decisions by Hitler lead to a turning of the tide. Join us as we blaze through the European conflict from the declaration of war to the unconditional surrender.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's here folks, the epic finale to our episodes discussing Hitler's rise to the Chancellor of Germany and the beginnings of World War 2.  Recently released from prison, with his political party outlawed, and his ability to speak in public banned, how does Hitler find himself on a path directly to ultimate power in Germany. Deciding the whole "over throwing the government with a violet coup" thing isn't working. He attempts to navigate the waters of politics to attain his definitive goal, to become the Fuher of Germany through "Legal Means". Why are you still reading this, hit play.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well...the title says it all. It's the first of 2 Adolf Hitler episodes. In this weeks episode we cover his childhood, military career, undescended testicle, entry into the German Worker's Part, etc. But here's the thing, the biggest question for us is How? How did this guy maneuver himself to be the Chancellor (Dictator) of Germany? How was he allowed to take office after being arrested for staging a violent coup years earlier? How did the League of Nations sit back and let this happen? You know you want to know.   Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Maya civilization existed between 2500 BC to 1697 CE centered on the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America. Today the Maya are recognized for their astonishing advancements in the fields of Written Language, Architecture, Astronomy, Art, and Mathematics. They constructed huge stone temples for prayer and yes human sacrifice, appeasing their gods with the blood of captured enemies. They did this all without the use of metal tools or animals. But like all ancient South and Central American cultures, their time was cut tragically short by the arrive of the Spanish. Tune in and find out what happened.   Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To say Ernest Hemingway was a complex individual would be like proclaiming that water is wet, dogs are great, and going to concerts stoned is fantastic. It's a bit of an understatement. Hemingway's life was somehow more interesting than any of the fiction he wrote. And the guy won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction along with a Noble in Literature. He seemed to believe he was in a story in which he was the man character, and no matter where he went, everyone else were just side characters. A Journalist, Soldier, Award Winning Writer, Fisherman, Possible Spy, Journalist/Soldier Again, Multiple Times Divorced, Best Selling Author. He literally was, for all the good and the bad, The Most Interesting Man in the World. Let's get to it.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A conflict started out of compromise. Fueled by the ego of a World War 2 hero. Douglas MacArthur was made the Supreme Commander of the UN forces sent to help repel the North Korean push to take the entire peninsula. 5 years removed from a victory in Japan, MacArthur was able to push the North back above the 38th parallel. It was against the advice of President Truman to continue the fight up into North Korean territory. What happened after that caused a lot of troops to return home in body bags. Listen in as we talk you through the forgotten war. We are getting Historically High on the Korean War Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey People its Professor CK, I'm not even gonna try and be clever or subtle here folks, this one is for me, I love this shit. It's Star Wars, it needs no explanation or introduction. But this isn't your mammy's Star Wars, we're going back to the beginning, back the birth of the galaxy far far away. Where did the force come from, how did the Jedi and Sith come to be, how did intergalactic trade and government establish itself....okay we touch briefly on that but mostly it's talking about the battles, the heroes, the villains and everything in-between. And for those of you still reading this instead of listening already, yeah I realize this pretty nerdy, but I pay my taxes and I'm an adult with disposable income so just sit back and enjoy.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bullfighting is, was, and always will be, a part of Spanish culture. Whether the practice continues or it is relegated to the history books, it's legacy will never be forgotten. Join us on our journey to understanding why Spain is so Bull crazy, and the history of an activity that can't really be put in a category. Is it sport? Is it art? Is it animal cruelty? Listen in as we get Historically High on Bullfighting! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the Shinto religion a battle between Deities for control of Japan was settled with a wrestling match. That wrestling match was the first mention of Sumo in Japanese culture. Sumo is the national sport of Japan, but it is so much more than that. It's a culture. It's a lifestyle. Listen in as we get Historically High on Sumo! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Blueprint, The Godfather, The O.G. of Sports Stadiums, The Flavian Amphitheater or as its more widely known The Roman Colosseum was built as the pinnacle of Roman Entertainment and Engineering. It was also a complete and total Death Factory, I mean seriously, some of the ways they devised killing people in this place are Chris Nolan level writing.  It wasn't just Gladiator on Gladiator action and feeding Christians to the lions at halftime either, there was so much more you do not know. Come Join Us.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's time to board Historically High's Dank Dingy because we are going Pirate chasing! The Golden Age of Piracy only lasted about 70ish years. The imprint that time left on pop culture feels much bigger. Back before Johnny Depp was marauding in court, he was Jack Sparrow! Jack Sparrow was cool, but he wasn't Jack Rackham cool. The image we get now is so much different than what Pirates actually were. So get ready, we are getting Historically High on Pirates! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andre Rene Roussimoff was born in a small farming villiage in France. The first 18 years of his life were pretty normal for a farmer's son. The next 28 were spent traveling the world captivating every person who laid eyes on him. Give a listen to the life, loves, legacy, and legend as we get historically high on Andre The Giant Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Probably a lesser known fact today than in the past but the United States did not start out stretching from sea to shining sea. In 1800 the U.S. only extended from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. That all changed with the Louisiana Purchase, when the barely legal U.S. bought a chunk of land from good ol Napoleon doubling the size of out country over night. Well here's the rub, we didn't really know what we bought. We didn't know how to reach the Pacific Ocean. So in 1804 a ragtag group of men called the Corp of Discovery lead by two men with steel in their sacks named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, were ordered by Thomas Jefferson to find him a  Northwest Passage to open up this new land. What transpired can only be described as incredible and at times almost unbelievable over the course of the next 8,000 miles. A true venture into the unknown.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some would consider Howard Hughes a Godfather of sorts for American aviation.  Howard was a complex human being to say the very least. The man was a Movie Producer/Director, an Aircraft Designer, Test Pilot, Airline Owner, Record Setting Pilot, The Wealthiest Man in the World, Casino Owner, Congressional Asskicker, and more. Plus he survived 4 airplane crashes. But those things may pale in comparison to the madness that accompanied Howard's genius. We cover it all here. Class is in session.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"To err is human" That should have been President Reagan's opening line while addressing the country after Iran-Contra came to light. Instead it was a lot of half apologies and half truths.  After repeated congressional amendments to stop the White House from funding the rebel Contra group trying to take power in Nicaragua, and negotiating the release of U.S. prisoners with back alley arms deals, the operation needed to be pulled together in secret. Reagan pulled out his moral compass which pointed to the North, Oliver North to be exact. Ollie facilitated the extra cash from the arms deal to fund the Contras. It all worked until a magazine article, and a plane crash tanked the whole operation. Listen in to hear how it all came crashing down. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

During World War One, a British soldier name Thomas Edward Lawrence or T.E. Lawrence found himself in his dream position, smack dab in the middle of Arabia helping to lead the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks. Lawrence of Arabia as he came to be known fought not only the Ottomans but also for the independence of the Arab people, even to the chagrin of his British superiors. He seemed at times fearless with his tactics for war, surprise attacking railways, crossing nearly impassable deserts to attack enemies where they least expected it. Join us for a lesson on this controversial historical figure.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is it!!! You're here, it's the definitive podcast of Napoleon Bonaparte. We here at Historically High take a soup to nuts approach to our dictators. There is so much to Napoleon that isn't widely known. He didn't come from a royal family nor was he even technically born in France, but by the time he was 30 yrs old he was the de facto ruler of France. He envisioned himself the heir to Alexander the Great and Julius Cesar, destined to bring order to the world. And he built this all off his tactical brilliance in battle, seemingly always showing up to fight will the smaller force only to brilliantly defeat his opponents, which there we a shit ton. Alright enough talk, stop reading this and hit play.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On June 6th, 1944, all the planning of Operation Overlord would be put to the test when over 120,000+ Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. Their goal was to establish a foothold in occupied France that would allow them to begin pushing the Nazi's back. Standing in their way was Hitler's Atlantic Wall. What took place that day can only be described as the most pivotal point in WW2 as thousands of paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines and infantry stormed the beaches beginning what would be the end for the Third Reich. Tune in to hear about that nightmare of that day and the heroism that followed.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1944 the Axis powers of WW2 occupied nearly all of mainland Europe. With no army to fight on the ground in Europe, the Allies need a plan to take the fight to the Nazis. An operation the scale of which had never been seen and has yet to be seen since. To invade Europe would take more than soldiers putting their boots on French soil, you need tanks, vehicles, ammunition, food, medical supplies, clothes and everything else it takes to wage a war. Not to mention doing all of this and keeping it a secret. Overlord is arguably the single. most important military operation in history. Years of planning went into ensuring every detail was covered and every option explored. It turned the tide of WW2 in Europe and began the countdown to the end of the Third Reich.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 "Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"- Bill Shakespeare  AG doesn't remember a lot of his childhood (probably for the better), but he will never forget his first pair of Air Jordans. Jordan III black and cements size 5, which he still has in the Shoedio to this day. Join us as AG takes us through the evolution of Nike Inc. From Phil Knight and his old college track coach starting Blue Ribbon Sports, to signing the biggest athlete endorsement ever, to being the current day king of athletic wear.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You know we love mysterious ancient civilizations and this one is no exception. The Nabateans started as nomads roaming the Arabian desert. One day they decided to put down some roots and built what would come to be known as "The Rose City". A hidden city built into the red sandstone of the landscape. Their advancement in water management and architecture alone is incredible enough. But what happened to them? What happened to the people who created this jewel in the desert?  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21,719. That's a big number. What if we told you that was how many days it has been since John F. Kennedy was assainated? It's been 21,411 days since we found out Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone actor in the assaination of JFK. Did the Warren commission get it right, or have the last 59 years been full of half truths and dead end investigations. Listen in to hear what they said and what we think actually happened. Off to Dealey Plaza! Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There have been a few times in history when a person finds themselves in the exact position they need to be at exactly the right time to alter, or in this case stay the course of human history. That time was World War 2 and that person was Winston Churchill. Coming to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain at a time when their island stood alone against the onslaught of the Nazi Third Reich, Winston Churchill stood firm by rallying not only the people of Great Britain to resist, but inspiring the rest of the world to fight back against tyranny. That may be the most memorable part of Churchill's life but there is so much more that needs to be discussed, including his legendary daily drinking regiment.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sasquatch, Yeti, Yowie, The Skunk Ape, Wild Man...it goes by many names. Today he's almost more well known for his luxury cooler company, premium jerky sponsorship, and tv and film career, than for the legend he is. Where do our stories of Bigfoot or Sasquatch come from? Are they rooted in ancient cultures? Is it even possible for a civilization to stay hidden in our day and age? I'm not gonna lie folks, we go real deep on this one.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You know them, you love them, but what do you know about them? For a very special 4/20 episode we're taking a look into history's favorite dope duo. You won't find a better way to start your special day, so wake, bake and take a listen.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And with that Ladies and Gentlemen we have reached 1 year of bringing you the finest in marijuana fueled historical conversations. Make no mistake we're not even close to done yet, but we decided to celebrate this accomplishment by paying homage to our first episode. We're talking the progression of Marijuana Culture in recent history. From early musicians being inspired by lady Mary Jane to 90's tv shows reminding you "there's no hope with dope" to an entire section of cinema serving as a love letter to sweet sticky icky to professional sports starting to rethink their stance on the healing herb.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OO7, licensed to kill, with a thirst for shaken Martinis and an apparent allergy to condoms. Created by Sir Ian Fleming, International Super Spy James Bond originally existed only in print, until his big screen debut in 1962's Dr. No. Since that time its been a constant stream of beautiful woman, exotic locations, Megalomaniac Villains, Deadly Henchmen, crazy gadgets, and some of the coolest cars ever made.  Join us as we talk about what Bond has meant to us, the good, the bad, and the insanely ridiculous. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

160 years...thats not a long time. That's still relatively recent history. A four year long Civil War fought in the United States when the county was still trying to find its footing. A war that could have very easily and very nearly ripped the county apart. We're covering it from soup to nuts, What caused the secession? Why did the Union struggle so early despite the industrial and numerical advantage? What do we remember and misremember about Lincolns position in the conflict. We cover it all or we try to.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Highstorians. This week we are traveling to the Imperial Valley in California. Where there used to be something called The Salton Sea, there is now something called the Salton Sea.  Once dubbed and developed as The California Riviera, a place with resorts and celebrities galore has now changed into an environmental disaster. Then we're taking you to China to explore the most deadly damn failure in history, leading to 200,000 + dead, caused again by man not respecting the power of nature.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

March 8th, 2014 a standard red eye flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China went missing from radar less than an hour after takeoff while flying over the South China Sea. What followed in the coming days was a series of questionable information and even more questionable explanations as authorities tried to piece together where the plane went with its 227 passengers and 12 crew member. To this date no bodies and been found and the official story invites nothing but speculation and conspiracy theories. We're here to shed some light on what we believed likely happened all the way to the bat shit crazy. Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well first and foremost it's f*****g nuts...I mean religion in general is pretty f*****g crazy but this is crazy double stuffed with b******t and sprinkled with nuts. From the man who founded it L. Ron Hubbard to the man who currently runs the circus David Miscavige there is no shortage of madness. If you enjoy any of the following- Cults, Blackmail, Intergalactic Warlords, Space Travel, Possession, Slave Labor, Brain Washing, Tom Cruise, Possible Kidnapping, Espionage, Fancy Award Shows you're gonna enjoy this one.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen lets be honest, there have been an uncountable number of women in this world who have let positive, long standing impacts on our society. Impressive feats that seem the works of fiction. Unfortunately there isn't enough time to cover them all. But we have selected four perhaps lesser known, or not fully understood women to discuss today. Take some time and listen in to truly appreciate the amazing stories of these women and the mark they've left on history.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We end this month with a celebration of  heroes and barrier breakers in Black History. From Hercules Posey who was the personal cook of George Washington to James Hemings the first American to master cuisine in France and is considered America's First Chef to the courageous men of The Tuskegee Airmen Program, who battled for equality in the U.S. to fight for their country in World War 2 and went on to become one the most highly regarded fighter squadrons of the War. Tune in as we try to do these pioneers justice for their contributions to our world.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 27th 1996, Atlanta, Georgia. The Summer Olympics are in full swing when a bomb goes off in Centennial Park amidst spectators, musical acts, and vendors. 111 people are injured and 2 killed. Those numbers would have been a lot worse had it not been for the actions of Richard Jewell, a security guard who noticed an unattended backpack. Richard went from savior to public enemy number in what felt like a matter of days when it was discovered he was under investigation for the attack. Listen to his story here.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Eiffel Tower, The Space Needle, Monorails, Video Calling, The Ferris Wheel, Broadcast TV, X-Rays. Now that may seem like a random assortment of things but I shit you not, each of those Monuments, Inventions, Technology, were first revealed at a World's Fair. It doesn't end there....Do you like Hamburgers? Cherry Coke? The Ice Cream cone. All of these were either invented for or made their debut at a World's Fair as well. Okay enough reading just hit the play button and be amazed at how much shit you didn't know about The World's Fair...and yes it's still going on today.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're packing a bowl of Fantastical History to sooth your weary mind for the next 3 and 1/2 hours...yeah that's not a typo, sorry about 27 minutes into this thing I blackout into a nerd trance and I don't come to for another 3 hours. This isn't just the lore you're somewhat familiar with, we go deep, so so very deep, maybe too deep? But I digress, that's what JRRT would have done and dammit this is about him. We've got all the hits from the Years of the Lamps, the Years of the Trees. the 1st Age, the 2nd Age, and yes you guessed it, the 3rd Age. This is one to get stoned and do some housework too, if you know you know.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recognized History tells us that Adolf Hitler killed himself in his bunker with Eva Braun. But it was the Russians who reached Berlin first and discovered his body, totally burned, which doesn't make identification problematic. Oh and because Hitler's dentist also said it was Hitler. Do you see what I'm getting at here.? While it's likely the story we know is the factual story, there's a lot of things that point to a plan of escape.  A Plan you say, what plan could this be? Well buckle up folks because we have several factual stories of Nazi Officers and War Criminals escaping to South America, and some who were hunted down.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donuts!! What can't they do? They are there for you with coffee in the morning. They don't judge you when you reach for one at 10:00 PM when you're stoned. They also helped 100's of Cambodian Refugees escape the Khmer Rouge and find footing in the USA. Join us as Adam teaches Chris about Ted Ngoy, The Donut King of California. The American Dream comes full circle, you know, like a donut.  Support the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.