Half-Arsed History

This week in history: rioting sports fans in sixth-century Constantinople, the first-ever meeting of the UN General Assembly, the birthdays of famous musicians, and a pivotal moment in world history as Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get across the story of Operation Just Cause, when the US staged an invasion of Panama in 1989, capturing and airlifting its leader back to the US to face drug-related charges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week in history: the establishment of calendars and international timekeeping systems, the federation of Australia, the birthdays of several prominent authors, and the introduction of the euro as a currency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Changes are coming to Half-Arsed History in 2026! Some positive, some negative - here is the TL;DL:• There will now only be two episodes released each week: the usual full-length episode and a new series called This Week in History, replacing QAH• I'm pulling back a little bit to try to bring my unsustainable workload back under control, reduce burnout, and find better balance• Half-Arsed History's second book is coming later in 2026, the manuscript is currently being written and edited• A brand-new Half-Arsed History card game is in the works, and you can be involved with playtesting and illustration • The show's merch will undergo a full and proper refresh later in the year - artists are encouraged to submit portfolios• A big goal for the show in 2026 is growth, so please tell your friends, enemies, and people about whom you feel largely ambivalent about Half-Arsed HistoryList of historical figures likely to appear in the card game: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KEsNw2oTfuXZOn-dU3-dtVhHJAvY0dt0DNbzhIVBbMY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of William McGonagall, widely considered to be the worst English-language poet that history has ever seen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hear the tale of Jean de Carrouges, who fought a duel to the death to seek justice for his wife Marguerite.WARNING: this episode contains content that may be distressing and is not appropriate for younger listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The smartphone is an invention that is currently bringing about a technological transformation of human civilisation - and an invitation to think about how other inventions from history have similarly impacted peoples' lives.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the very amusing history of Sealand, an unrecognised micronation located on an abandoned military fort off the coast of Britain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet five more historical figures with strange epithets: Æthelred the Unready, Constantine V Koprónymos, Louis Do-Nothing, Malcolm the Maiden, and Piero the Unfortunate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Stone of Scone, a block of sandstone upon which Scottish, English, and then British kings and queens have been coronated for well over a thousand years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear the incredible tale of Air Canada Flight 143, when a Boeing 767 ran out of fuel mid-flight and so had to be flown and landed as a glider on a not-quite-abandoned airfield in the Canadian town of Gimli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Global Positioning System began as top-secret military technology, before a series of interesting (and some tragic) events opened up a world of convenience and logistical optimisation to the world at large. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief history of Morse code, an encoding and transmission system that helped to transform long-distance communication in the mid 19th-century. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear about the series of ridiculous setbacks and disasters that took place as part of the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, a revolutionary step forward in global communications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The personal computer is an invention that defines the modern information age, a deeply entrenched part of daily life for billions of people all around the world.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the SS Princess Alice Disaster, when hundreds of people drowned in raw sewage after two ships collided on the River Thames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know the remarkable Beatrix Potter, whose historical legacy goes a lot further than just the authorship of an immensely successful series of children's books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pill brought about a huge shift in the history of human civilisation, revolutionising the role of women in society, culture, politics, and economics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the tale of the Mad Trapper of Rat River, a mysterious figure who led the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a month-long manhunt through the frozen wilderness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear about the history behind the names of five nations, all named after real historical figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Velcro - or, officially, the hook-and-loop fastener - is a useful little invention that we all still use today, and one that was popularised after helping us get to the Moon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of W.G. Grace, one of the most famous cricketers from the 19th century, famous for his immense skill which helped to revolutionise the game.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, get across the origin and history of a fierce century-and-a-half sporting rivalry, brought to life whenever Australia face off against England in Test cricket: the Ashes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The microwave oven came about due to a very lucky accident involving an electrical engineer and chocolate bar, and today is found in billions of homes worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Petrov Affair, when two Soviet spies caused a major political upheaval by defecting to Australia in the 1950s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, hear the story of the Dismissal: the 1975 Australian Constitutional Crisis, when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was turfed out by the governor-general. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ballpoint pen may not have ushered in a technological revolution as so many other inventions in this series did, but it nonetheless played a significant role in making everyday writing simple, cheap, and relatively smudge-free. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Robert Curthose, who managed to cause all sorts of headaches for his two kingly brothers, despite being older than both of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, apropos of nothing, meet three historical younger-born princes who nothing but a royal pain in the arse for their older brothers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Penicillin was a miraculous, marvellous discovery that revolutionised modern medicine and saved millions upon millions of lives, ushering in the age of antibiotics, where a little scratch doesn't result in amputation or death.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the Venus de Milo, the most famous ancient statue in the world, and perhaps second-most famous artwork in the Louvre.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, learn about the Louvre's most infamous heist: the time that the Mona Lisa itself was stolen by an Italian carpenter named Vincenzo Peruggia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plastic is everywhere - these days, it's impossible to live a completely plastic-free life; but that's not necessarily entirely a bad thing, as even with all its environmental ills, plastic has nonetheless ushered in an age of material abundance.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the Lake Nyos Disaster, when over 1,700 people living around Lake Nyos mysteriously perished one night in 1986.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get stuck into the mystery of the Tichborne Claimant, when a butcher from Wagga Wagga claimed to be the long-lost heir to a British noble family's fortune. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The aeroplane completely transformed human civilisation across the 20th century, bringing immense change to travel, transport, logistics, and military affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of Roy Sullivan, a US National Park Ranger who was hit by lightning on seven separate occasions, surviving each time to tell the tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, get to know Matthew Flinders, the explorer and navigator who was the first person to circumnavigate Australia - and later popularised the name we all use to refer to it today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Radio brought about a revolution in communications technology, allowing widespread wireless communication across great distances and bringing about an age of broadcast entertainment, while forever changing international commercial, industrial, and military affairs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: more of the silliest laws still in effect in Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia including posing an an architect, challenging someone to a duel, and getting stuck in a fridge.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, uncover the truth behind five more historical misconceptions: what Roman vomitoriums were used for, mediaeval life expectancies, Dom Perignon inventing champagne, Mussolini making the trains run on time, and chloroform knocking you out instantly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aspirin was one of the very first mass-produced pharmaceuticals, and its invention and development has a very interesting backstory filled with disagreement and uncertainty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the silliest laws still on the books in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland - including prohibitions against corresponding with pirates, riding bikes backwards, and keeping rabbits as pets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet Matilda of Tuscany, also known as the "Great Countess", a woman who played a very important role in the politics of the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire at the outset of the Investiture Controversy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The X-ray machine changed medicine forever, enabling an easy and (eventually) safe way to see inside the human body non-invasively for diagnosis and treatment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: a brief summary of some of the most absurd laws that are, technically speaking, still in force across the UK - including suspiciously handling a fish, carrying a ladder down the street, and including getting drunk in a pub. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, meet Dick Turpin, an 18th-century highwayman who passed into English folklore for his daring predations as a violent criminal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The automobile is one of the most transformative inventions in human history, completely changing the way transportation, society, culture, business, industry, and so much more work within modern human civilisation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarter-Arsed History presents: the story of the death of Allan Pinkerton, a story that is completely and totally distinct from the one cut from History's Strangest Deaths for legal reasons.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.