Discover
Fantastic History

Fantastic History
Author: Clay & Sarah
Subscribed: 3Played: 66Subscribe
Share
© Copyright 2025
Description
Fantastic History is hosted by Clay and Sarah, a husband and wife duo who enjoy telling each other about amazing events, people and mysteries throughout history. Each week, we'll share a fascinating story with one another and you!
107 Episodes
Reverse
The story of Timothy Dexter shows that one does not have to be intelligent to become successful. Sometimes, a fool and his money are not soon parted.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Timothy-Dexter
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2025/05/timothy-dexters-curious-business.html
https://historycollection.com/how-timothy-dexter-turned-ridiculous-ventures-into-riches
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/timothy-dexter-ridiculous-millionaire-sold-coals-newcastle/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
How did a bandit get shot dead in 1911 and then show up in an amusement park funhouse 60 years later?
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2015/01/09/376097471/the-long-strange-60-year-trip-of-elmer-mccurdy
https://www.history.com/articles/elmer-mccurdy-mummy-dead-outlaw
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Deception was super important in World War 2, so many tactics were employed to keep the Axis powers confused. Enter the Ghost Army, the first tactical deception unit in US history.
Sources:
https://ghostarmy.org/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-ghost-army-of-wwii-used-art-to-deceive-the-nazis-180980336/?utm
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/exhibits/traveling-exhibits/ghost-army-combat-con-artists-world-war-ii
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
This week, Sarah covers some of her favorite faces and places in New Orleans - and, yeah, there are a lot of ghosts involved.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-orleans-louisiana/history
https://hnoc.org/publishing/first-draft/four-real-new-orleans-legends-put-ghost-stories-shame
https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/s/7lecGcbKJi
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/invention-won-world-war-ii-180972327/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
An epic adventure turns into a fight for survival in the most deadly place on Earth.
Sources:
https://www.history.com/articles/shackleton-endurance-survival
https://fmht.co.uk/education/history-of-shackletons-endurance
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/picturelibrary/catalogue/itae1914-16/
“Endurance; an epic of polar adventure” By Worsley, Frank Arthur, 1872
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Sarah returns with another trial of the century!
Sources:
https://case.edu/ech/articles/s/sheppard-murder-case
https://famous-trials.com/sam-sheppard
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Today I'm sharing two mysteries with few clues but lots of theories.
Sources:
http://anomalyinfo.com/Stories/1966-august-17-lead-masks
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/08/curious-case-lead-mask-deaths/
https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4398
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-enduring-mystery-somerton-man-one-of-australias-most-puzzling-cold-cases-50795611/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
It's our 100th episode! We celebrate by sharing seven of our favorite shorter tales from history. From 1750 BCE to the 20th century... this episode has everything you could ask for.
Sources:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190903042810/http://www.thefortweekly.com/issues/issue-1/curio-1-the-erfurter-latrinensturz/
https://therake.com/stories/party-animals-the-rothschild-surrealist-ball
https://allthatsinteresting.com/rothschild-party
https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2015/03/24/4200708.htm
https://historyofyesterday.com/for-24-years-a-dolphin-guided-ships-through-the-straits-of-new-zealand/
https://www.justgothere.nz/post/pelorus-jack-the-new-zealand-dolphin
https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=25357
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/11/18/amelia-and-eleanor/
https://historymedieval.com/the-tale-of-benedict-ix-a-papacy-for-sale/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
The Erfurt Latrine Disaster
The Rothschild Surrealist Ball
Complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir
Pelorus Jack the Dolphin
Máel Brigte of Moray
Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt's Impromptu Flight
Pope Benedict IX
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
When George Washington died in December 1799, the nation mourned - but one man had a different idea. William Thornton, a Quaker doctor-turned-architect who designed the U.S. Capitol Building, arrived at Mount Vernon with a shocking proposal: to resurrect the first president using a combination of warmth, lamb's blood, and bellows. Join us as we explore the fascinating life of Thornton and his bizarre plan that thankfully never came to fruition.
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/12/a-prescription-for-the-resurrection-of-george-washington/#:~:text=By%20the%20time%20Thornton%20arrived,his%20recommendation%20was%20not%20seconded
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
The mutiny on the HSM Bounty is the most famous mutiny in history. We're talking about it!
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Since the dawn of time, humans have dreamed of flight. This feat was finally achieved in France in 1783 by Jean-François de Rozier when he piloted the first untethered hot air balloon flight. The first woman pilot, Sophie Blanchard, began her solo flights in 1805. What else do these two intrepid explorers have in common? Tune in this week to find out!
Sources:
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2021/05/pilatre-de-rozier-and-worlds-first.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sophie-blanchard-the-high-flying-frenchwoman-who-revealed-the-thrill-and-danger-of-ballooning-89106237/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In 1995, a doomsday cult carried out a deadly biological weapons attack during rush hour in Tokyo. Their leader was convinced the apocalypse was coming and this attack would help bring about the end of the world.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-27-mn-47649-story.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/26/world/guru-s-journey-special-report-seer-among-blind-japanese-sect-leader-s-rise.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j5uIh4FpCk&t=212s
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
The Lost Colony of Roanoke is one of the most popular unsolved mysteries in American culture - but is it really unsolved? This week, Sarah discusses the litany of mishaps that befell England's first attempt to set up a permanent settlement in North America, and lays out the two most probable reasons why every single British colonizer to lay claim to Roanoke Island disappeared without a trace.
Sources:
https://www.grunge.com/655978/the-biggest-lost-colony-of-roanoke-theories-what-really-happened/
https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/dare-stones-forgery-or-key-to-lost-colony-roanoke-mystery.htm
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/american-horror-story-season-6-roanoke-theories
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Let's go back to simpler times. When nations went to war over lobsters and waged war on flightless birds.
Sources:
https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/the-lobster-war/
https://tokdehistoria.com.br/2021/08/31/a-guerra-da-lagosta-o-que-foi-como-aconteceu-a-atuacao-e-os-problemas-da-marinha-do-brasil/
https://www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/student-research-portal/learning-resource-themes/war/world-war-i/soldier-settlement-scheme-memorandum-status-beerburrum-queensland
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australian-emu-war-history
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Matilda Joslyn Gage was the single most important and influential champion of women’s rights and the Suffragette Movement, so why have you never heard of her? Well, if you’ve ever seen Wicked or The Wizard of Oz, it turns out you have! Join us this week as Sarah shares the incredible life story of L. Frank Baum’s mother-in-law.
Sources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-feminist-inspired-witches-of-oz-180985334/
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Free_Thought_Magazine/uuw5AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA337&printsec=frontcover
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_National_Cyclopaedia_of_American_Bio/U11DAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA244&printsec=frontcover
https://web.archive.org/web/20120219230415/http://www.matildajoslyngage.org/gage-home/bringing-gage-to-life/who-was-matilda-joslyn-gage/
https://pacny.net/freedom_trail/Gage.htm
https://sallyroeschwagner.com/latest-news-1/f/curious-minds-the-radical-suffragist-who-history-erased
https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/matilda-joslyn-gage/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
The US has a lot of weird places. Let's talk about some of them!
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In PART TWO of the State of California versus Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle in the death of Virginia Rappe, Sarah goes over the stories presented by the defense and the prosecution, the literally incredible testimony of Maude Delmonte, and the lasting effects of the first celebrity scandal. TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of violent sexual assault.
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/trials-of-the-century-1900-to-1950/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/fatty-arbuckle-and-the-birth-of-the-celebrity-scandal
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-skinny-on-the-fatty-arbuckle-trial-131228859/
https://peoplevsarbuckle.com/2021/09/13/100-years-ago-today-bambina-maude-delmont-takes-the-stand-for-the-first-and-last-time-september-13-1921/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Sarah continues her mini-series on the Trials of the Twentieth Century this week with PART ONE of the State of California versus Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, accused of the rape and murder of actress Virginia Rappe. In this episode, we discuss the life and careers of Roscoe and Virginia, and the fateful Labor Day party that changed Hollywood forever.
Sources:
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/trials-of-the-century-1900-to-1950/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/fatty-arbuckle-and-the-birth-of-the-celebrity-scandal
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-skinny-on-the-fatty-arbuckle-trial-131228859/
https://hollywoodforever.com/story/virginia-rappe/
https://peoplevsarbuckle.com/2021/09/13/100-years-ago-today-bambina-maude-delmont-takes-the-stand-for-the-first-and-last-time-september-13-1921/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In 1770, a Hungarian inventor revealed a chess playing automaton that puzzled the world. No one could figure out how it worked as it toured the world and defeated numerous historical figures and chess masters. It's secrets were almost lost to history, but thankfully we know how it worked. Let me share this incredible story with you!
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore)!
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Death threats against babies, serial killer queens, Viking raids, and taxation without intoxication - this week, Sarah talks about the often-gruesome true stories behind some of the most popular nursery rhymes.
Sources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55035/dark-origins-11-classic-nursery-rhymes
https://bookriot.com/nursery-rhyme-origin-stories/
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/02/origin-rock-bye-baby/
https://steemit.com/parenting/@redwellies/dark-disturbing-and-somewhat-horrible-the-history-and-origins-of-nursery-rhymes-3-mary-mary-quite-contrary
https://steemit.com/parenting/@redwellies/dark-disturbing-and-somewhat-horrible-the-history-and-origins-of-nursery-rhymes-1-three-blind-mice
https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/most-googled-why-did-london-bridge-fall-down-111116
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/muffin-man-song-serial-killer/
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fantastichpod/) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@fantastichistorypodcast) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeGGchirsGO1bMzKxosclpw) for extra content and updates!
Email us with questions/suggestions at FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com (mailto:FantasticHistoryPod@gmail.com)
Fantastic History merch is available Here (https://www.etsy.com/shop/RainyDayCornerstore) !
Music: Order by ComaStudio (http://pixabay.com/users/comastudio-26079283/) (royalty free)
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.