Horrible Humans in History

This episode explores the rise and reign of Gezo, the powerful and deeply controversial King of Dahomey, tracing his life from a violent royal childhood through a calculated coup and into decades of war, terror, and exploitation. It examines how Gezo modernized Dahomey’s military, broke free from foreign domination, and built a fear-based state funded largely by the Atlantic slave trade, while ordinary people paid the price through raids, enslavement, and ritualized execution. Through public sacrifice, political purges, and relentless warfare, Gezo ruled by spectacle and intimidation, leaving behind a legacy that blends military brilliance with profound human suffering and raises hard questions about power, violence, and the cost of empire.

In this episode of HHH, we explore the chilling rise of Irma Grese — one of the most infamous female perpetrators of the Holocaust. Born into poverty and emotional turmoil in rural Germany, Irma’s troubled childhood and early exposure to Nazi ideology helped shape her rapid transformation from farm girl to feared SS guard. We follow her teenage radicalization, her ambition-driven entry into the concentration camp system, her relationships with SS officers, and her ascent to power at Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, where survivors described her brutal beatings, selections for the gas chambers, and sadistic treatment of prisoners. At just 22 years old, Grese became the youngest woman executed for war crimes, leaving behind a legacy that forces us to confront how ordinary people can become instruments of extraordinary evil.

In this episode of HHH, we dive into the chilling true story of William Palmer, the Victorian doctor infamously known as “The Prince of Poisoners.” Born into respectability, Palmer built a double life fueled by gambling addiction, mounting debt, and calculated betrayal. We explore his troubled upbringing, reckless young adulthood, suspicious family deaths — including his wife Ann, his brother Walter, and multiple children — and the infamous poisoning of his close friend John Parsons Cook. From manipulated evidence and destroyed poison bottles to one of the most sensational murder trials in British history, this episode uncovers how Palmer used medicine as a weapon, how he nearly escaped justice, and why his case forever changed forensic toxicology and criminal investigations.

Mao Zedong rose from a rural childhood to become one of the most powerful — and destructive — figures of the 20th century. As the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao reshaped an entire nation through revolution, ideology, and absolute control. But his grand social experiments, including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, led to catastrophic famine, widespread violence, and the deaths of tens of millions. In this episode, we trace Mao’s rise to power, his manipulation of loyalty and fear, and the devastating human cost of a leader who believed history itself would bend to his will.

Mao Zedong rose from a rural childhood to become one of the most powerful — and destructive — figures of the 20th century. As the founder of the People’s Republic of China, Mao reshaped an entire nation through revolution, ideology, and absolute control. But his grand social experiments, including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, led to catastrophic famine, widespread violence, and the deaths of tens of millions. In this episode, we trace Mao’s rise to power, his manipulation of loyalty and fear, and the devastating human cost of a leader who believed history itself would bend to his will.

Queen Ranavalona I ruled Madagascar for more than three decades through fear, isolation, and uncompromising authority. Rising from relative obscurity after the sudden death of her husband, she seized the throne by eliminating the rightful heirs and consolidating power with ruthless efficiency. Her reign was marked by violent suppression of Christianity, devastating military campaigns against coastal rivals like the Sakalava, widespread forced labor, and the deadly use of poison trials that claimed tens of thousands of lives. While her policies preserved Madagascar’s independence during a peak era of European imperialism, they also led to severe population decline and immense human suffering. Ranavalona remains one of history’s most polarizing rulers — a protector of sovereignty to some, and a tyrant whose legacy is written in blood to others.

In this episode of HHH, we dive into the life and crimes of Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer—one of the most prolific serial murderers in American history. We explore his troubled childhood, his escalating violence throughout the 1980s, and the decades-long investigation that struggled to identify him as he blended seamlessly into suburban life. From his disturbing methods and chilling confessions to the breakthrough DNA evidence that finally exposed him, this episode traces Ridgway’s path from an unremarkable truck painter to a predator responsible for dozens of deaths. Ultimately, it’s a story about the victims he targeted, the system that failed to protect them, and the forensic advances that finally brought their killer to justice.

In this chilling episode of HHH - Horrible Humans in History, we dive into the blood-soaked legend of Sawney Bean, the infamous Scottish cannibal said to have led a 48-member family of murderers who terrorized the countryside for decades. From his supposed beginnings as a petty criminal to the gruesome tales of ambushes, butchery, and a secret coastal cave filled with human remains, Sawney’s story blurs the line between history and horror. Was he a real man — or a political myth born from English propaganda? Join us as we uncover the origins of this centuries-old legend, explore the historical tensions that kept it alive, and examine why tales like Sawney Bean’s still haunt our imaginations today.

This episode explored the life of Shiro Ishii, from his privileged childhood in Japan to his rise as the leader of Unit 731, the Japanese biological warfare program responsible for some of the worst atrocities of World War II. We examined the early influences that shaped his worldview, the crimes and murders he oversaw, and the shocking post-war deal that allowed him to escape justice. Ishii’s legacy remains one of the most disturbing examples of scientific ambition gone wrong, a chilling reminder of how easily human lives can be sacrificed in the name of power, secrecy, and war.

In this episode of History’s Horrible Humans, we dive into the chilling life of Darya Saltykova, the Russian noblewoman who terrorized her servants and murdered dozens of young women in the 18th century. From her privileged beginnings to her descent into sadistic cruelty, we explore how her crimes shocked Russia and led Catherine the Great to personally intervene. Through her arrest, public humiliation, and final years in darkness, Saltykova’s story stands as a grim lesson about power, corruption, and the horrifying things that can hide behind respectability.

In this episode of History’s Horrible Humans, we explore the life and crimes of Samuel Little, the man the FBI calls America’s most prolific serial killer. From his troubled childhood and decades of petty crime to his horrifying spree of strangulations across 19 states, Little’s story reveals the failures of a justice system that overlooked society’s most vulnerable. We trace his capture through DNA evidence, his shocking confessions, and the haunting sketches that gave voice to dozens of forgotten victims. It’s a chilling look into how one man evaded justice for decades - and how the truth finally caught up to him.

In this episode of HHH, we explored the chilling tale of the Bloody Benders, America’s first family of serial killers. From their mysterious origins to their murderous reign in Kansas, we uncovered how their roadside inn became a death trap for weary travelers. We followed the investigation that exposed their crimes, the shocking discovery of bodies buried in their orchard, and the unanswered mystery of their escape. Though the Benders vanished into legend, their legacy remains one of the darkest chapters in frontier history.

Gesche Gottfried was a seemingly devoted mother, daughter, and friend living in early 19th-century Germany, admired for her caregiving and piety. But under the surface lurked a serial killer who poisoned at least 15 people over more than a decade—making her one of Germany’s most notorious female murderers. This episode explores her troubled childhood, her series of arsenic-laced crimes, and the public spectacle of her execution—the last public execution in the city of Bremen. Was she a manipulative monster, or a desperate woman molded by trauma and repression?

In this episode of Horrible Humans in History, we explore the chilling crimes of Henri Désiré Landru—the real-life French Bluebeard. A calculating con artist turned serial killer, Landru lured women through lonely hearts ads, promised them love, and then made them disappear without a trace. As France reeled from the horrors of World War I, Landru quietly built a deadly pattern of seduction, fraud, and murder. We'll explore his early life, his transition from petty swindler to cold-blooded killer, and the sensational trial that captivated a nation. Was he a madman, a master manipulator, or simply a product of his time? Let’s find out.

In this episode of Horrible Humans in History, we dive into the life of Gavrilo Princip—the 19-year-old nationalist whose assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 set off a chain reaction that led to World War I. We explore his humble beginnings in rural Bosnia, his radicalization through nationalist student movements, and the chaotic series of events that culminated in one of history’s most consequential political assassinations. Was Princip a patriot fighting for freedom, or a fanatic whose actions plunged the world into chaos? Join us as we unravel the story of the young man behind the bullets that shattered empires.

In this episode of HHH, we delve into the life of Nannie Doss, the so-called Giggling Granny who left a trail of bodies across the American South from the 1920s to the 1950s. From a troubled childhood and toxic marriages to a series of poisonings that shocked the nation, Nannie’s story challenges assumptions about what a serial killer looks like. Charming, cheerful, and cold-blooded, she confessed to 11 murders but may have committed more. Join us as we explore the darkly deceptive life of one of America’s most notorious female killers.

In this episode of Horrible Humans in History, we dive into the life of Pablo Escobar – the infamous drug lord who ruled the Colombian cocaine trade with an iron fist. From his humble beginnings to his rise as the head of the Medellín Cartel, we explore his violent empire, ruthless tactics, and ultimate downfall. Discover how Escobar’s legacy continues to shape Colombia and the global drug trade, and why he remains one of the most controversial and deadly figures in modern history.

In this episode of HHH, we explore the wild lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow — two young lovers from Texas who became the most notorious outlaw couple in American history. From their humble beginnings and troubled youth to their bloody crime spree across the Midwest, and finally to their violent ambush and death, this is a story of desperation, daring, and deadly choices. We peel back the myths to reveal the truth about Bonnie and Clyde, examining their impact, legacy, and why their legend continues to fascinate us nearly a century later.

In this episode of HHH, we explore the legendary pirate Blackbeard. From his mysterious early life in England to his terrifying reign over the Atlantic, Blackbeard was a master of intimidation. We discuss his infamous blockade of Charleston, his use of psychological warfare, and his violent demise at the hands of the Royal Navy. Was he truly a ruthless killer, or was he simply playing a role? Tune in to uncover the truth behind one of history’s most notorious pirates!

In this episode, we traced Hitler’s journey from his troubled childhood and World War I experiences to his rise through propaganda, mass manipulation, and economic turmoil. We explored his reign of terror, including war crimes and genocide, before ultimately witnessing his self-inflicted downfall as the world united against him. His life and actions left an indelible mark on history, a stark warning of what can happen when hate, fear, and absolute power go unchecked.