Softcore History

Saving Private Ryan star Max Martini joins the show to talk about his experience filming one of the greatest historical movies of all time and we tell the stories of the unluckiest paratroopers who dropped into France the night before D-Day.WATCH The Channel now! It's in theaters in select cities (LA, New York, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta) or BUY IT on iTunes!Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Experience the full majesty of the cannabis plant with Chill Country's organic rosin gummies, and take 20% OFF your first order at chillcountry.com/softcore --AND-- go to thcprovisions.com/softcore to get the same 20% off deal on their hats and apparel.Head to FACTORMEALS.com/softcore50 and use code softcore50 to get 50% off. That’s code softcore50 at FACTORMEALS.com/softcore50 to get 50% off!1stphorm.com/softcorehistory for free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the linkGo to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!

John Wesley Hardin was a 19th-century serial killer who cosplayed as an Old West outlaw. He was a degenerate gambler with an impulsive trigger finger for anyone who disrespected him, the Republic of Texas, or the sanctity of sleep. He had plenty of run-ins with the law -- including multiple encounters with "Wild Bill" Hickok -- and had a body count the size of the Lone Star State.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Experience the full majesty of the cannabis plant with Chill Country's organic rosin gummies, and take 20% OFF your first order at chillcountry.com/softcore --AND-- go to thcprovisions.com/softcore to get the same 20% off deal on their hats and apparel.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory for free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the linkGo to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!

A number of noble ideas and beliefs inspired the American Revolution. But history is layered. And full of morons. In this episode, we focus on two such morons: a banker/gambling addict whose financial ethics (and judiciousness) almost single-handedly precipitated a global banking crisis that led directly to the Boston Tea Party, and a very famous, well-meaning whistleblower who put WAY too much faith in the ability of political radicals to act reasonably.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Look for Liquid Death’s healthy beverages on Amazon or at a store near you. AND Softcore History listeners get 20% off their first Liquid Death apparel purchase available exclusively at LiquidDeath.com/SOFTCORE

J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, smoked four packs a day, enjoyed drinking cocktails made with pure ethanol, was hazed mercilessly at summer camp, and grew up loving rocks. In short, he was kind of a huge weirdo. Learn all this and more about Oppenheimer, the man who ushered in our nuclear age.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Look for Liquid Death’s healthy beverages on Amazon or at a store near you. AND Softcore History listeners get 20% off their first Liquid Death apparel purchase available exclusively at LiquidDeath.com/SOFTCORE1stphorm.com/softcorehistory for free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the linkGet 20% off your subscription at Fitbod.me/SOFTCORE.Go to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!

Roy Chapman Andrews, the real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones, led a series of expeditions to the Gobi Desert in China and famously first discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs. Andrews also died almost a dozen times while fighting off bandits, a horde of poisonous snakes, and a boat-hating whale.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.RSVP knowing you’ve got the perfect look all wedding season long from Indochino. Go to Indochino.com and use code SOFTCORE to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link.

Can love really conquer all? The stunningly beautiful, 19th Century French socialite and heiress Blanche Monnier, whose mother locked her in an attic for 25 years so that she wouldn’t marry a poor man, would probably say no.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link.Customize the perfect system for your home in just a few minutes at SIMPLISAFE.com/Softcore. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off your order with Interactive Monitoring.

What happened when Andrew Carnegie and his robber baron friends made a few cosmetic adjustments to an important dam to upgrade the aesthetics of their fishing club? Just the Johnstown Flood, the most violent flood in American history.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCOREHead to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link.

Is Brigham Young REALLY the heir to Joseph Smith? After Smith was killed in 1844 there was not one but TWO claimants to lead the Mormon Church. The other would-be Polygamy Pope was James Strang, a lawyer and self-described "cool philosopher" who claimed to have been named Smith's heir by the Latter Day Saints founder himself. And Strang (conveniently) had the legal documents to prove it! The split eventually led Strang and his followers to Beaver Island, Michigan, where things kept getting weirder.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content including listener history questions, history movie watch-alongs, and weekly bonus episodes.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link. Ghostbed.com/drinkinbros

The Catholic Church has a long and bizarre history with holy relics, but the story of The Holy Prepuce — aka baby Jesus’s circumcised foreskin — is easily the weirdest of them all. So odd that Pope Leo XIII issued a decree in 1900 that if a Catholic talked about it (or made fun of it) they could be immediately excommunicated from the Church.Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link. Ghostbed.com/drinkinbros

Juan Pujol Garcia was a Spanish chicken farmer turned self-made spy. A fervent hater of fascism, he decided to volunteer as a spy for the Nazis and then feed them bogus info from himself and a network of totally fictional agents he said were working for him in London. He was so trusted, and the Nazis were so stupid, that he became their most important spy during the war. His influence was so great that may have given the Allies the intelligence advantage they needed to win World War 2. Subscribe to the Softcore History Patreon for hundreds of hours of extra history content.Customize the perfect system for your home in just a few minutes at SIMPLISAFE.com/Softcore. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off your order with Interactive Monitoring.1stphorm.com/softcorehistory Free shipping on all orders over $75 when you use the link. Ghostbed.com/drinkinbros

Think you'd know Latin if you heard it? Can you understand Middle English? Can you even possibly guess what ancient Aztec or Sumerian sounds like? Tune in and guess along with our hosts as they attempt (and fail miserably) to identify what dead languages are being spoken to them.For this show and 2 additional episodes every week ad free follow the link below.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini was a 15th-century smut writer who climbed all the way up the Papal ladder and became Pope Pius II, head of the Catholic Church. But his reign was during a time of major crisis for the religion. After the fall of Constantinople, with limited options to fight off the Turks, he turned to Vlad the Impaler to save Europe from Muslim rule.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

What happens when you eliminate religion during a cultural revolution? Sometimes people, looking to fulfill their spiritual needs, start worshipping mangos. From mango shrines to mango cigarettes, China under Mao went all in on worshiping mangos in the 1960s.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.RSVP knowing you’ve got the perfect look all wedding season long from Indochino. Go to Indochino.com and use code SOFTCORE to get 10% off any purchase of $399 or more.Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCOREGo to ghostbed.com/drinkinbros and use code DRINKINBROS for 30% off EVERYTHING (Mattresses, Adjustable Base, and more) -- plus a 101 Night Sleep Trial and Mattresses Made in the USA!

Ramesses III took power in Egypt during the Late Bronze Age Collapse, a literal regional apocalypse caused by a horrifying invading horde known as the Sea Peoples and the fact that sun didn’t shine for about 20 years, making farming… difficult. Despite the invading horde and severe lack of food — and facing the first worker strike in human history — the guy did pretty well. But not everyone was a fan.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

The Great Molasses Flood was a disaster that occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston after a large storage tank of the viscous substance burst and rushed through the streets killing 21 residents and injuring 150 more.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

The guys discuss a meme floating around the internet that claims medieval peasants had more time off than modern workers. Spoiler alert! That’s not really true. Learn about peasant life this week and be thankful for your soulless corporate job. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

The history of African slaves being sent across the Atlantic is well-known, but hundreds of years before Columbus arrived in America the Chinese were importing their own African slaves to do their hard labor, attempt dangerous underwater repairs to ships, and work as “ornamental” palace attendants.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Riots and angry mobs causing death and destruction are nothing new. In fact, the world has a long and rich history of people causing a commotion over the smallest inconveniences, impolite gestures, wrongdoings, and personal beefs. From a Roman soldier mooning a large group of Jewish pilgrims to a stadium of drunk baseball fans getting overzealous on ten-cent beer night, we cover some of the most absurd uproars in the last 2000 years.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Washington D.C.’s upper crust decided it would be fun to tailgate Bull Run, the first major battle of the American Civil War. And, once there, they tried their hardest to armchair quarterback the Union Army. But things got a lot less fun once their side started charging at them in a panicked retreat. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

St. Patrick’s Day might seem like a bigger deal in the Northeast and Midwest but New Orleans was actually the second most frequent port of entry for Irish immigrants to the United States. They didn’t necessarily have a great time living in the Big Easy, however. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Fifth-century Romano-British slave turned bishop, Maewyn Succat, was on a mission to convert the entire island of Ireland to Catholicism by any means necessary. From dueling pagan magicians with fire to raising dozens of dead back to life, St. Patrick took no prisoners in his conquest for God.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

This week we learn about Sergeant Stubby, a Boston Terrier who fought for the United States during World War 1. He was no mere mascot, though. He saw plenty of combat and ended up outranking his owner, all while accomplishing quite a bit more than most humans ever do in their military careers SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Like any culture or region, Islam and pre-Islamic Arabia had stories about a number of mythical creatures. One in particular, though, was codified into official existence by the Quran. They’re made of fire. You can hook up with them. They can eavesdrop on Heaven unless God shoots meteors at them. And they’ll write your poems for you. Meet the Jinn (aka genies). SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Rough-and-tumble was a free-for-all fighting style in the colonial South wherein contestants would bite, dig, and tear into each other's eye sockets and testicles all in the name of defending their honor. It makes current-day mixed martial arts look like ballet.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Charles II of England was quite possibly the horniest king alive. From staging orgies to anointing royal mistresses, learn about his exploits and the absurdity of his reign in this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Jeffrey Hudson, “Court Dwarf” for Queen Henrietta Maria of England, was the most famous jester in Europe during the early 17th Century. But like all great comedians, he started to take himself WAY too seriously. It went badly.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

The guys discuss the events that led up to Prohibition and the 18th Amendment, specifically the outrageous amounts of alcohol Americans consumed throughout the country's history prior to its brief outlawing.SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

The 1976 murders of U.S. Army officers Captain Arthur Bonifas and First Lieutenant Mark Barrett by North Korean soldiers, which stemmed from a tree-trimming disagreement at the DMZ, provoked a forceful response from the United States in the form of Operation Paul Bunyan. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Charles Guiteau was a failed clergyman, lawyer, bill collector, and cult member who falsely believed he played a massive role in the election of James Garfield. Feeling snubbed of a reward from the Republican Party after the inauguration of the president, this lunatic decided the only logical thing to do was to assassinate the leader of the free world. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Another Russian mountain mass-death mystery is brought to the table and the guys have to figure out what went down. Perhaps a camping trip to Siberia might be ill-advised. Join Fitbod today and build a routine that lasts all year. Get 25% off your subscription or try the app FREE at Fitbod.me/SOFTCORE

The 1967 Koro Panic in Singapore saw hundreds of healthy men and boys rush to the hospital convinced their penises were disappearing. This and other shrinkage panics across history — such as medieval witches stealing dongs and keeping them as living, slithering, worm-like pets — highlight a male, cross-cultural fear that supernatural forces are out to steal their pieces. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore.

The secret location of the tomb of St. Nicholas — aka Santa Claus — has been potentially discovered in southern Turkey. But are Santa’s bones inside? Learn about the long history of Catholics pillaging Santa’s corpse and the miracles St. Nicholas performed that you definitely have NOT heard about. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

Zhang Zongchang was a Chinese general whom Time Magazine dubbed "The Basest Warlord". He was addicted to gambling and sex and relished trolling his enemies, friends, and the gods themselves. He pulled himself out of poverty and eventually became the military governor of his hometown Shandong, where he was a major player in the opium trade and one of the funnier leaders in the Fengtian Clique. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE

Boris Yeltsin was the first democratically elected leader of the Russian Federation, and also quite possibly the drunkest. Learn of his escapades across the world and how a Houston grocery store led to the fall of the Soviet Union. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Get Honey for FREE at Join Honey.com/SOFTCORE

Messalina, the Empress of Rome from 41 AD to 48 AD, had rumors about her so messed up that even the meanest girl from your high school would think her enemies went too far. The weirdest part about the rumors, though? They weren’t even necessary. The actual stuff Messalina did was bad enough. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE

This week we cover four unique but equally bizarre tales from World War I including pilots being shot down in no man's land, a tough and durable bird that saved a battalion, and one of the most Australian stories imaginable. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content.

This week we explore the NASA-funded experiments that involved giving LSD to dolphins, discuss animal consent, and the ethics of living "intimately" with a dolphin for six months. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

If you were in search of a prostitute in 1700s London you needed to look no further than Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies, a pocketbook with reviews (and addresses) of over 150 of London’s ladies of the night. We read real hooker reviews from the 1788 edition of the pocketbook. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Right now, you can get Harry’s Starter Set for just $3. Plus, you’ll get a free travel-size body wash. The set includes a 5-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel, and a travel cover. A $16 value for just $3. Just visit harrys.com/SOFTCORE Get Honey for FREE at Join Honey.com/SOFTCORE

In Bath Township, Michigan on May 18th, 1927 Andrew Kehoe killed 38 elementary schoolchildren, and six adults, and injured nearly 60 others. It was the first recorded school bombing in U.S. History and the world’s earliest known suicide car bombing. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio, video, and written content. Go today and claim a free indoor security camera plus 20% off with Interactive Monitoring. Go to SIMPLISAFE.com/softcore. Right now GhostBed is offering 40% off GhostBed Bundles where you get a Mattress & Adjustable Base -- Or 30% off everything if you use the code – DRINKINBROS AT GhostBed.com/drinkinbros

Jake takes us through three spooky tales: one real, one a hoax, and one that is disputed. Find out which real-life horror is fact in this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content.

The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612 are arguably the most famous witch trials in English history, and they all began because one girl, who definitely did not have magical powers, turned herself in to authorities for the crime of having magical powers. SUBSCRIBE to our Patreon for exclusive audio and video content. Head to Policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

From causing city trolleys to crash to almost burning down Detroit, Halloween was once a holiday of mayhem so destructive that it was almost banned in our country during the Great Depression.

The guys continue spooky month and dive into famous curses surrounding classic horror movies including Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, and Poltergeist.

One of the most famous witch trials in history involved a Jesuit priest, sex with the dark realm, drinking a baby’s blood, and a witness who didn’t expect to be cross-examined.

From Alexander Hamilton's wife having to go around with a collection basket to pay for his funeral to George Washington's vice for the sweet stuff, our Founding Fathers were reckless with their wealth.

Ray and Faye Copeland, a farming couple who stole cattle, forged checks, and murdered drifters on their Missouri farm were the oldest people ever put on death row.

How did Pulitzer, Hearst, et al. sell papers? It wasn’t with the high-brow stuff. They sent reporters to hospitals to write about the gruesome murders and horrible (or embarrassing, alcohol-fueled) injuries a city’s residents had suffered that day. We break down a paper full of those stories -- the August 23rd, 1897 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Sometimes you have to crack a few of your fellow Christians' eggs to make a Holy Land omelet. The 4th Crusade was one Pope's call to action gone horribly wrong, featuring a few idiotic side missions that ultimately submarined the main quest, and one of the Catholic Church's biggest blunders in its storied history of mistakes.Brought to you by Withernot Rugby Shirts. Get 20% off your order at withernot.com with the code POD20

We dive into the history of The Republic of West Florida. Learn how Florida is basically responsible for everything America is today, for better and for worse.

The Kingdom of Himyar in modern-day Yemen may have converted to Judaism for political reasons in 380 A.D. but eventually they went harder than anybody to rep their beliefs. And by that we mean they slaughtered a bunch of Christians.