"United Kingdom"

The history of the United Kingdom is full of all sorts of weird and wonderful stories. Here are a few.

Dawson’s Creek

the curious story of Piltdown Man

In 1912 it was the greatest anthropological find of all time... until it was revealed to be an audacious hoax.

Categories: Hoaxes, Frauds & Forgeries, Science & Nature, Series 9

Tags: British Museum Jöns Jacob Berzelius Presented by #13 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Keith United Kingdom

Published: December 13, 2021

John Singer Sargent, "Sir Hugh Lane" (1906)

More Lovely and More Temperate

poor estate planning, a daring art theft, and a brief history of Anglo-Irish relations

In which two Irish art students commit a daring daylight museum heist with virtually no planning, and somehow get away consequence-free.

Categories: Arts & Culture, Series 7

Tags: art art history civil law crime London, England Presented by #13 United Kingdom World War I

Published: April 12, 2021

political cartoon showing John Alexander Dowie being run out of Chicago

Marching to Shibboleth

a sordid story of faith healing, financial fraud, flat Eartherism, and figs

Forty miles north of Chicago lies Zion, IL, a sleepy city with a sordid history of faith healing, financial fraud, flat Eartherism... and figs?

Categories: Eccentrics & Prophecies, People & Places, Series 6

Tags: "Doctor" John Alexander Dowie, "First Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ" 1893 Chicago World's Fair and Columbian Exposition Ahmadiyya Movement Australia Chicago, IL Christianity cult faith healing Illinois Melbourne Mirzā Ghulām Ahmad New York, NY Presented by #13 Protestantism quackery Sydney, NSW United Kingdom United States of America VIC

Published: February 8, 2021

Exceeding Great

that's Ezekiel 9:9 for those of you reading along at home

How many times will folks fall for the same old tricks? You might be surprised. The story of Prince Mike, King Ben, and the Houses of Israel and David.

Categories: Eccentrics & Prophecies, Least Popular, People & Places, Series 5

Tags: "King" Benjamin Franklin Purnell "Prince" Michael Keyfor Mills 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and Louisiana Purchase Centennial Exposition Ann O'Delia Diss Debar baseball Canada communism crime cult David Livingston Mackay Detroit, MI Messiah Michigan Presented by #13 Protestantism religion United Kingdom Windsor, ON

Published: November 23, 2020

He Whooped to See Them Burn

Simon Girty (1741-1818) -- renegade and traitor, or man of principle?

Was "white savage" Simon Girty (1741-1818) a renegade and traitor, or a man of principle? We reexamine his history and try to figure out what made him tick.

Categories: Biography, History, Most Popular, Series 4

Tags: American Revolutionary War Amherstburg ON Battle of Point Pleasant Canada Chief Logan Detroit, MI French and Indian War Kentucky Lord Dunmore's War Michigan Mohawk Nation Moravian Church Native Americans Northwest Indian War Ohio Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA Presented by #13 Seneca Nation The Devil and Daniel Webster United Kingdom United States of America Virginia War of 1812 West Virginia

Published: July 13, 2020

Spirit Princess

one woman, thirty aliases, forty years and too many crimes to count

The greatest and most notorious Spiritualist swindler of all time was a woman from Kentucky who looked a bit like Lola Montez (if you squinted).

Categories: Biography, Hoaxes, Frauds & Forgeries, Series 3

Tags: "General" Joseph Hubert Diss Debar "Prince" Michael Keyfor Mills Ann O'Delia Diss Debar Baltimore, MD Boston, MA Canada Catholicism Chicago, IL crime cult David Livingston Mackay Detroit, MI dime museum Dr. Cyrus Reed Teed "Koresh" Florida Fort Myers, FL Freeman Bernstein Harmony Society Illinois Joseph D. Townsend Koreshan Unity London, England Massachusetts Michigan New York, NY Presented by #13 religion Spiritualism Theosophical Society Theosophy United Kingdom Windsor, ON

Published: March 23, 2020

Cold Hard Cash

the rai stones of Yap, David Dean O'Keefe, and the nature of money

Would you trade your house for a rock? Before you say no, keep this in mind: it's a really really nice rock!

Categories: People & Places, Series 2, Strange Customs & Superstitions

Tags: Federated States of Micronesia Germany Presented by #13 Spain United Kingdom World War I World War II

Published: November 18, 2019

Microaggression

victory in :30 or less, or your war is free

What happens when a micronation picks a fight with the world's largest empire? The shortest war in recorded history...

Categories: History, Series 1

Tags: Presented by #13 Sultanate of Zanzibar United Kingdom

Published: September 23, 2019

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The Ancient and Esoteric Order of the Jackalope