That's a Man, Baby! The first woman to ever receive a pension for her service in the US Armed Forces was a Revolutionary-era woman named Deborah Sampson...who actually spent her entire military career pretending to be a man named Bob.

A Killer Whale of a Time For over eight decades, a massive killer whale known as Old Tom, along with his skilled and loyal pod of orcas, forged an incredible partnership with a family of whalers in Australia to dominate the Aussie coast.

Saving Private Ryan's Inspiration They were five brothers who enlisted together to serve in World War II, only to all tragically perish aboard the same ship, leaving their Iowa family devastated and prompting a new military policy to prevent such a concentration of family sacrifice.

Can't Say I Blame 'Em They turned their guns on the American colonies in exchange for a chance at freedom and land of their own. Over 200 years later, the villages founded by these enslaved Black soldiers who fought for the British in the War of 1812 still exist today as a unique ethnic community in Trinidad. Merikins -- Wikipedia…

Georgia Tann...just the worst She was a woman who preyed on the desperate and poor, stealing their children to sell to wealthy families for massive profits. By the time her black market baby ring was exposed, Georgia Tann had torn apart over 5,000 families, subjecting the children to unimaginable cruelty and abuse. Prepare to have your heart broken…

Reusable Pills? Back in the day, it was not uncommon for people to swallow a pill made from the semi-metallic element, antimony, in an effort to absolutely fill their britches to detoxify their intestines. Once they did that...they'd reuse that same pill. It could even be passed down as an heirloom for the grandkids to use one day. Grossssssss. Ant…

Episode Notes A trash fire sparked an underground inferno that forced the evacuation of Centralia, Pennsylvania, turning it into a poisonous gas-filled ghost town. Oh, and it will probably keep burning for hundreds of years. Yikes! Centralia, Pennsylvania Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing t…

Episode Notes President James Garfield was shot twice by an absolute mad-lad, Charles Guiteau, but however terrible his assassin was, he was nothing compared to President's doctor. Everything he tried made things a million times worse, including shooting beef and opium up the President's fanny. This tragic story just keeps on giving in the worst wa…

Episode Notes The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War, involved 500,000 square miles of Mexican territory, including vast stretches of deserts. And what better animal to explore this new land than with imported camels. Many of whom were then set free to roam the Southwest for decades to come. United States Camel C…

Episode Notes Mascara might seem like your run-of-the-mill beauty staple, but the history of it goes back thousands of years, and the most well-known brand today came about through sheer happenstance. Mascara Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/…

Episode Notes Mountain explorers, shipwreck survivors, and polar explorers have all claimed to have either seen a person or heard a voice, often providing helpful information on how they should escape their situation. Third Man Factor Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: http…

Episode Notes In 1952, a young Pre-President submariner named Jimmy Carter was tasked with preventing a nuclear meltdown that threatened Canada and the Northern US...in person. Jimmy Carter Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/wikiwalks…

Episode Notes Patients with Anton Syndrome are often found describing people or surroundings that are not present, or walking into objects, though they will continue to deny that they cannot see even when presented with evidence otherwise. Anton Syndrome Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to…

Episode Notes That soft buzzing in your neck might sound alarming, but it's actually just the normal sound of blood flowing through your jugular vein. Listen to understand the harmless causes behind "the hum" and learn when it could indicate a more serious issue. Venous Hum Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walk…

Episode Notes The Oxford English Dictionary is the gold-standard of all English language dictionaries. However, its most prolific contributor, a surgeon/War Hero/psychotic murderer, did so from a place you'd least expect it. W.C. Minor Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: htt…

Episode Notes The battle over which electrical current would be used in our growing nation was between AC and DC, however, in this war for business, the initial causality was the first man to ever be executed by electric chair. It did not go well. William Kemmler Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contri…

Episode Notes Hymie Weiss was a Prohibition-era mob boss in Chicago with a serious death wish. Not many people earn the distinction of being the only man Al Capone feared. And for good reason, too. Hymie Weiss Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar…

Episode Notes The most expensive signature in the world, after only William Shakespeare, belongs to a little known politician from Georgia. Outside of one autograph, he didn't really do that much relative to his peers. And that's exactly what makes it so valuable today. Button Gwinnett Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Suppo…

Episode Notes In an era where the Great Depression drove people to all sorts of stunts and gimmicks to make ends meet, not only did Plennie Wingo travel further than anyone else, he did it backwards. Plennie Wingo Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com…

Episode Notes Everyone associates Henry Ford with the automobile and the invention of the assembly line, but you also have the American businessman to thank for most of your cherished backyard cookouts. Kingsford Charcoal Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pine…

Episode Notes Also called ‘hunter’s stew’ or ‘hunter’s pot’, the perpetual stew was both novel yet extremely simplistic: take what you’ve got in your kitchen and chuck it into a pot and simmer, replenishing the liquid when necessary. In some cases, these stews would cook for HUNDREDS of years. Perpetual Stew Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube //…

A razor is a principle or rule of thumb, that allows for the elimination (the “shaving off”, hence razor) of unlikely explanations for a phenomenon. Philosophical Razors Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/wikiwalks…

Episode Notes For hundreds of years, it has been a widespread tradition to share news of important events with your bee colony, lest terrible fortunes befall your family for keeping them in the dark about what's going on. Telling the Bees Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net…

Episode Notes The phrase "Keep the ball rolling" actually stems from a bizarre campaign stunt from the 1840 Presidential Election, wherein William Henry Harrison tried to get the word out in the most, uh, spherical way possible. Keep rollin', rollin', rollin'. Harrison's 1840 Presidential Campgain Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWal…

Episode Notes Two brilliant college students, fueled by delusion of grandeur thinking they were "super men" above man's laws, concoct the perfect plan to kill a local boy and get away it, as referenced by the season finale of Better Call Saul. Meet Leopold and Loeb. Leopold and Loeb Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Sup…

With the might of the Soviet military during WWII, you'd think the most highly decorated regiment within their air force would be a group of highly specialized pilots. Nope, it was 400 women in 1920's era crop-duster biplanes made of plywood who absolutely crushed the Nazis under the cover of darkness. Meet the Night Witches. Night Witches Wiki Ins…

During a steeplechase event at the famed Belmont Park in NY, jockey Frank Hayes set a record that has never been duplicated. And that's probably a really, really good thing. Frank Hayes Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net Support Wiki Walks by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/wikiwalks…

A fed up and down on his luck San Francisco businessman, Joshua Norton, declared that he was the new Emperor of the United States, and the people sort of...just went with it. He passed laws and issued his own currency, and literally for the lolz the citizenry just played along. But like, for real though. Emperor Norton Wiki Instagram // Facebook //…

What makes a thing a thing? What makes you...you? How much can you change something before it stops being that thing? Just one tweak? Or all tweaks but one? The Ship of Theseus is a classic Greek thought experiment that lays this complicated question that has been debated for millenia. Ship of Theseus Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitte…

World War II was a time of technological marvels and revolutionary new weaponry that changed the world as we know it. However, one military project stands alone as perhaps the nuttiest (and brutally effective) plan ever devised. Gluing bombs to thousands of bats and just letting 'er rip. Bat Bombs Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter Wi…

Episode Notes The ubiquitous piece of technology that connects everything from headphones to toothbrushes is named after a Scandinavian king who had some pesky dental issues. Bluetooth Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWalks.net

Episode Notes After her family was sold to the Creek Indians and moved to Oklahoma in the early 1900s, Sarah Rector was given land at the age of 4 that turned out to be sitting on liquid gold. Nearly overnight, this young woman became arguably the richest black girl in the world. Sarah Rector Wiki Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Twitter WikiWal…

Episode Notes The crazy story of Helen Jackson, the 101 year old Missouri woman who died just a few weeks ago in December of 2020. Oh, quick note on Helen, she was the WIDOW OF A CIVIL WAR SOLDIER. Ya know, the Civil War, like, the one from the mid 1800s. Her husband fought in it. How is that even possible?? Also, the utterly random but oddly relat…

Episode Notes America was short on allies after its founding, and its Navy was getting absolutely thrashed overseas by pirate states. However, one surprising nation come to our rescue and was the first country to recognize the legitimacy of the United States, and still serves today as our companion in America's longest unbroken treaty. America's Ol…

Episode Notes The Kingdom of Hawaii's Ni'ihau Island was purchased in the 1860s by Elizabeth Sinclair, a Scottish woman by way of New Zealand looking to find land to raise sheep and her family. Since then, "The Forbidden Island" has been off-limits to outsiders, even other Native Hawaiians, to protect the indigenous Ni'hauans' way of life. It has s…

Episode Notes In the closing days and hours of the end of the Vietnam War, as Saigon began to crumble, the American military attempted to evacuate as many orphans out of the country as they could. These children were flown out in makeshift airborne nurseries to be delivered to American parents waiting to take them in. But further investigations rev…

Episode Notes Well this is a bizarre thing. There exists a bonafide, honest to goodness medical disorder wherein your gut bacteria will ferment with the addition of carbs and turn the contents of your stomach into...alcohol. Which then gets absorbed into your body and you get drunk off it. Auto-Brewery Syndrome. If you thought you were a cheap date…

Episode Notes In 1979, America was suffering through a hostage crisis, a gas crisis, and a President deemed as weak and ineffectual by his rivals. That image was not helped when a photo was released that showed US President Jimmy Carter being attacked by a swamp rabbit while fishing alone in his native Georgia. The Jimmy Carter Rabbit Incident Wiki…

Episode Notes You may know that 101 Dalmatians was originally a 1950s children's book. You may not know, however, that it had a sequel (not named 102 Dalmatians, by the way) based on comatose humans and alien dogs with superpowers trying to avoid nuclear war. This is a book...for children. Disney lovers, listen up. The Starlight Barking Wiki Instag…

Episode Notes One of the most thrilling and fascinating stories of the Civil War and its aftermath. During the war, Robert Smalls escaped from slavery by stealing a Confederate ship, piloting it through Confederate-controlled waters to freedom, then personally helped convince Abraham Lincoln to accept African-Americans into the Army and Navy. But t…

Episode Notes The amazing story of young Samantha Smith, a 10 year old girl from Maine, who, in 1983, wanted to know why the head of the USSR wanted to hurt America. So, she wrote him a letter pleading for peace. He responded, and then invited her to visit Moscow and tour the Soviet Union as his guest. She did, and became an inspiration for both co…

Episode Notes Celebrity stalkers these days are old news. But back in Victorian England, a 14 year old named, "The Boy Jones" loved nothing more than stealing Her Majesty's royal undergarments, and wouldn't leave the poor woman alone. Until he was banished to a prison ship and then exiled to Australia. We've all been there, right? The boy Jones Wik…

Episode Notes We can debate all day who was the most impactful first lady, but it’s unlikely we’ll find a more captivating first daughter than Alice Roosevelt. She was a smokin', drinkin', gamblin' pant-wearing whirling dervish who took Washington by storm and drove her father Teddy absolutely insane. She's a hoot. Alice Roosevelt Wiki Instagram //…

Episode Notes The desk you see on TV whenever they show the Oval Office has a crazy history. From being encased in Arctic Ice, to helping avoid multiple wars, the Resolute Desk has a long and winding backstory that spans hundreds of years and multiple scandals. From Rutherford B. Hayes to Donald J. Trump, this desk has stood the test of time. Resol…

Episode Notes Everyone loves waffles, right? But how did such a distinctive looking food come to be? Why do the Belgians seem to have a stranglehold on naming rights? What about the frozen ones? The story of the waffle begins over 2000 years ago and was filled with drama and innovation every step of the way. Waffles Wiki Instagram // Facebook// You…

Episode Notes The TRUE, bizarre, and downright charming tale of Princess Caraboo. In 1800s England, a mysterious and beautiful woman randomly appeared in town, dressed strangely and speaking a language never before heard. This exotic enigma enchanted the whole of Britain and soon everyone wanted to know more about Princess Caraboo, but they never c…

Episode Notes Those who suffer from Capgras Delusion believe that their friends, family members, even lovers, have been replaced by uncanny imposters. Today we delve into the bizarre and frightening world of unusual delusional disorders. Capgras Delusion Wiki Instagram // Facebook// YouTube // Twitter http://wikiwalks.net…

Episode Notes In 1984, the Union Carbide pesticide chemical plant had a major gas leak that caused a huge poisonous cloud to descend over the town of Bhopal, India during the middle of the night. The sun rose on a town that had been gassed and thousands were left dead or dying in the wake of incredible negligence and corporate malfeasance. https://…

Episode Notes David Hahn was just your normal teen in the 90s. He loved sports, science experiments, the Boy Scouts...and he built an actual working nuclear reactor in a garden shed and got shut down by the FBI. The crazy true tale of one very radioactive Boy Scout. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn Instagram // Facebook// YouTube // Twitter…

Episode Notes In 1982, LA resident Larry Walters took a 45-minute flight in a homemade airship made of an aluminum lawn chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons, armed only with a CB Radio and a pistol. The aircraft rose to an altitude of over 15,000 feet where it was nearly hit by passing aircraft as he sailed closer to the Pacific. Ever see th…