Hundred Proof History

In last week's episode we introduced you to Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, a wealthy weirdo Estonian who was obsessed with violence, establishing a monarchy, and murdering Jewish people. When we left you, he had joined up with the White Army to fight against the Soviets in the Russian Civil War. In this episode we're taking you through his fighting in Siberia, his "liberation" of Mongolia, his establishment of a Mongolian army, his invasion of Russia, and his eventual death. And if you think any of that went well, then you need to go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and realize why this episode of Hundred Proof History is titled The Bloody Baron Part II: Kinda Bad at Everything!

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the country of Russia was in a state of absolute turmoil. The Tsar had been overthrown and the country was divided between the commie Soviet Red Army and the aristocratic White Army. In the middle of this was a little known history figure named Roman von Ungern Sternberg, who would not only fight the Bolsheviks but would then invade Mongolia and attempt to lead a Mongol force back into Russia to liberate it from the Soviets. Oh, and he was a total piece of shit that believed in ultraviolence, particularly towards the Jewish people. It's a wild story and in this episode of HPH we're taking you through his youth, early military career, and his establishment as a feudal tyrant in Siberia. So, why don't you just go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Bloody Baron Part I: The Dickhead of Dauria!

Real life is kicking us square in the nuts of late, so it's been a little difficult to research, edit, and record full series. But we love you all so much that we're giving you this bonus episode in which we discuss the Confederate POS that was William Quantrill.

In the last episode of HPH we told you all about Teddy Roosevelt joining forces with Brazilian Colonel Candido Rondon in the hopes of exploring an uncharted river in the Amazon. The first part of their journey was the 2 month trek through rainforest, mountains, and a desert-like plateau that resulted in the men losing a great deal of their supplies and having to cast out expedition members like the forgettable cast members of Survivor that get the boot after just one week. In this episode we're taking you down the river with ole Teddy and man is it gonna suck for everyone involved. Get ready for starvation, disease, murder, and a former president contemplating suicide. It's a wild, wild ride, and we can't wait to take you on it, so go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Teddy Roosevelt and the River of Doubt Part II: Up Shit Creek!

We're back from our summer break with a wild ass story that you might know absolutely nothing about. What if we told you that there once was a former, beloved, US President who decided to risk his life traveling through the rainforest of Brazil to explore an uncharted river? And by "risk his life" we don't mean like "Oh I ate that Taco Bell after it had been sitting out for two days." No! We mean real, life threatening danger that takes him to the point of contemplating suicide. It's crazy to think it could happen but it absolutely did and we're going to tell you all about it. In this episode we focus on the piss poor planning of the expedition and the hellmarch that it had to go through just to get to the river itself. We're so excited to be back and we just want you to go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Theodore Roosevelt and the River of Doubt Part I: A Bunch of Bad Ideas!

In the first two episodes of this series we've run through the first 70 or so of Ben Franklin's Life and brought you to the brink of the American Revolution. Surely this old F is about done with his adventures and contributions to the people of America, right? WRONG. In this episode Ben will once more travel to Europe and become an American ambassador, will treat his children like human garbage, and will help form the most important documents in United States history before dying of death. It's a fun ride, but it has to end sometime, so why don't you go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this series finale titled Benjamin Franklin Part III: Wait, he wasn't a president?

Last week we began the story of one Benjamin Franklin who had dropped out of school at the age of 10, ran away from an apprenticeship, and became a wealthy and successful printer. He retired at the ripe old age of 42, but that wasn't even close to the end of his story. This week we're taking a look at Ben's life in retirement in which he would develop several scientific theories, ditch his family for a life in London, and ultimately fail to maintain harmony between England and the American Colonies. It's a super fun episode of HPH filled with all sorts of chicanery and we just know you're going to love it. So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Benjamin Franklin Part II: Super Scientist, Piss Poor Politician!

Last time on HPH we told you about the fateful day of April 4, 1968 when the civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr was shot and fatally wounded in Memphis, Tennessee by a man calling himself Eric Galt. This week we're picking up where we left off: MLK lying on the ground bleeding and Eric Galt fleeing his sniper's nest. In this episode we'll detail the manhunt for Galt that would take months and would span throughout multiple countries. Would anyone find out who he really was? Would he be brought to justice? Would we really do an episode where those things don't happen and you're left with nothing but questions and an existential crisis? Find out right now by grabbing a drink, settling in, and enjoying this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr Part II: Who is Eric Galt?

In April of 1968 a Civil Rights hero was struck down in his prime by an assassin and the world was changed in a moment. But it seems that unlike other major assassinations, the events of this one aren't burned into the collective consciousness of popular history. Well we're here to change all of that. In this episode we're going to tell you about the events that put MLK Jr and his assassin on that tragic collision course and give you a little bit of insight into their lives before the shot was fired. It's a wild story and this is only the beginning! So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Part I: Meth, Mexico, Memphis, and Murder!

Last time on HPH we began the story of Harald Sigurdsson, who had been born into a royal Norwegian family and who had fled to Kievan Rus and then became a mercenary warrior in Constantinople. This week we're picking up where we left off and taking you through his rise to the Norwegian throne, his constant battles with the Danes, and the douchebaggery that would earn him the nickname Hardrada, or hard ruler. It's a crazy story and you're gonna want to hear how it ends, so grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Last Viking King Part II...Kind of a Dick!

In the year 1066 a battle was fought in northern England between the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings from Norway. It wouldn't go well for the Norwegians and that battle marks what most historians consider to be the end of the Viking Age. At the head of the Viking army was King Harald Sigurdsson, later known as Harald Hardrada, or "hard ruler." He is an incredibly interesting historical figure that you've probably never heard of. In this episode of HPH we're taking a look at his early life which involved extensive travel and even more extensive-er violence. So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Last Viking King Part I: Fightin' Round the World!

It's finally here! The exciting conclusion to the HPH series on the famous criminal duo, Bonnie and Clyde! In the first two episodes we talked all about their rough early lives in the slums of West Dallas and the string of constant screw ups that kept them on the run from the law. But this week has to be the episode where they finally get their act together and become the wild, sexy, badass couple that we all associate with the names Bonnie and Clyde, right? Well...no. Things are only going to get worse for these idiots, but it sure is fun to hear about how bad they were at this whole crime thing so why don't you go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Bonnie and Clyde Part III...More Like Gonnie and Died, right guys?

In the last episode of HPH we began the story of Bonnie and Clyde, the sexy outlaw duo that, admittedly, got off to a slow start when it came to being competent criminals. In this week's episode we're picking up where we left off and...well...things aren't going to get much better for them. Along the way they're going to botch some crimes pretty badly, kill a few unsuspecting lawmen, and by the end of it Bonnie will basically be disabled. It's a wild ride, and we are the only podcast brave enough to ride it with you, so maybe you should just go ahead and settle in, grab a drink, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Bonnie and Clyde Part II....Comedy of Errors!

The year was 54CE and a 16 year old boy was made the emperor of Rome.  Now young emperors weren't all that uncommon in the Roman Empire, but this particular teenage boy was thrust into power through twist and turns of fate as well as the evil genius of his powerhungry mother.  In this episode of HPH we're telling you about his childhood and how his mommy worked her way to the top of the Roman food chain, so that her little boy could some day be ruler.  It's a wild story, and we know you're going to love it, so just go ahead and grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Nero Part I: Mother Knows Best!

In 1863 the Union and Confederacy were embroiled in the Civil War and things weren't going super great for the Northerners. On January 1st of that year, a Presidential executive order changed everything for the war and for America itself. In this episode of HPH we're taking a look at the first black soldiers to fight for the Union and their brave struggle to end slavery in the United States.  It's a long episode so expect plenty of drunken nonsense to accompany this beautiful tale of bravery, loyalty, and (real) patriotism.  Grab several drinks, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Black Regiments of Massachusetts: Moral Victories!

All throughout 2022 we've been telling stories from World War 2.  In those episodes we focused on battles or world leaders or battles that were effected by the ineptitude of world leaders.  For this episode, we're mixing it up by telling you the story of one US Army division that went from North Africa, to Italy, to France, to Germany and along the way they became the most decorated division in US military history with multiple winners of the country's highest honor: The Congressional Medal of Honor. Get ready for some good red blooded American badassery and join us for this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The US 3rd Infantry Division...Medal Moments!

In the late 1700's the American people were in a fight for their freedom from the British empire.  Things weren't going super great and the whole thing was hanging by a thread. A lot of stuff was going to have to go right for the Americans and that meant they would need great leaders.  The man we're talking about in this episode was not one of those leaders and would actively work to bring the American war effort to an end.  He was just the worst, and we're here to tell you all about him. So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Benedict Arnold...More Like BitchyDick Arnold Am I rite?

In the spring of 1940, the western European theater of World War II had stalled. All of that changed in May when the Germans stormed into Belgium and France.  The allies were caught with their pants down and ran the serious risk of being completely destroyed.  As a last resort measure to save the war effort, the British decided to flee the European mainland and regroup their 300,000 troops in England. What followed was a desperate, chaotic dash for survival and some really mind boggling decisions on both sides of the war.  It's a crazy story and we went all out adding our own brand of craziness, so why don't you grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Dunkirk: The Great British Take-Off!

It's spooky season again so we're back with the fourth consecutive Halloween serial killer episode.  In the past our subjects have been eccentric weirdos who got caught by being complete idiots, and this year is no different. Dennis Rader seemed like an ordinary husband and father but it turns out he was a psychopathic murdering piece of shit who thought waaaaay too highly of his own intelligence. He would kill 10 innocent victims over the span of 17 years, but his undoing would be his undeserved and false sense of superiority.  It's a pretty gross and horrible story, which we make even worse with our dumb jokes, but we know you just can't wait to hear it. So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The BTK Killer: The Deadly Dork!

In April of 1970 the US sent three men to the moon in the hopes of landing in a new, and unexplored, part of the lunar surface. After the successful landing of Apollo 11, the people of America had mostly lost interest in moon landings and didn't really care about what was happening on this latest flight. That is, until disaster struck and the lives of the astronauts were thrown into peril. What followed was an epic tale of overcoming adversity and ingenuity and it really spoke to us because we here at HPH are very bad at those things.  It's a great story and we know you're going to love it, so why don't you just grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Apollo 13: This is Ground Control to Major Tom....Hanks.

In the early 19th Century the people of Nantucket, Massachusetts were just mad about going on two year voyages around South America and into the Pacific Ocean where they'd murder the absolute crap out of some majestic and beautiful sperm whales.  In 1819, the whaleship Essex set out on one of these journeys but would soon be struck by disaster when a whale turned the tables and attacked the boat. What followed was a struggle for survival that included a great deal of incompetence and an equally great deal of cannibalism. The story was a huge deal, basically the Titanic of its time, and would eventually be ripped off by a failing Herman Melville and made into a literary masterpiece. It's such a great story that we took an extra bit of time recording it and releasing it and boy did we have a good time. So, grab a few extra drinks, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Sinking of the Essex....Moby Penis!

In the 1920's a man rose to power who would turn his nation into a global powerhouse while simultaneously killing millions of his own citizens. He was an asshole of epic proportions and in this episode we're telling you about his early life, his struggles within his own nation, and his rise to power which culminated in a whole lot of just god awful things. But hey, we have a lot of fun doing it, and it's like we always say: It's not about the millions upon millions of people who died agonizing death under a cruel, brutal dictator...it's about the friends we make along the way.  We hope you'll be our friend and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Joseph Stalin Part I: Ballin on a Budget!

We're back from our summer break with a story that was 100% tailor made for our dumb little podcast and it's a mystery why we didn't cover it sooner. In 1919 the United States made the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol illegal on the federal level and everyone responded to that by finding new and excited ways to murder their brain cells with booze. In this episode we're taking a look at the movement that led to the outlawing of liquor and the totally predictable way American's reacted to being told what to do.  It's a fun one so sneak a drink or two of hooch, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Prohibition: Potent Potables and Politics!

In 1942 the Americans desperately needed to gain a foothold in the South Pacific that would allow them to take the fight to the Japanese. Enter the US Marines who would storm a beach, take a vital airfield, and then spend the next five months holding on to it by the skin of their teeth. And teeth don't have skin, so you know it was like really, really hard. Did they win the battle? Well, I guess if you want to know you're going to have to grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Battle of Guadalcanal: BLOOD FOR THE ISLAND!

Things were looking pretty bleak for ole Hitler in 1944 after his failed invasion of the Soviet Union, his loss in North Africa, and the struggles of Benito Mussolini's Italian armies in the south. And in June of that year, things were going to get a lot worse because the allies were coming to France. In this episode of HPH we're talking about one of the most pivotal moments in human history when an ambitious amphibious assault was the only thing that could free western Europe from tyrannical Nazi rule. Would it work? WHO KNOWS! We know. And you can find out too by grabbing a drink, settling in, and enjoying this episode of Hundred Proof History titled D-Day: A Day at the Beach!

At the turn of the 20th Century, the nation of Mexico was in a constant state of revolution and civil war. Their nosy neighbors, the Americans, were busy deciding who to support based primarily on which government would be best for business. In doing so, they pissed off a revolutionary named Pancho Villa who would lash out by attacking an American town. As a result, the United States sent the army into Mexico, pissed EVERYONE off, and came dangerously close to a full blown war that would have kept them out of World War I.  It's a small, hidden moment in American history, and you're doing yourself a disservice by not knowing everything about it. So why don't you just go ahead and grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Punitive Expedition: Dress Rehearsal for War!

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In December 1941, the United States was reeling from the Japanese attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor. In the following days and months, US President Franklin D Roosevelt would see his military suffer additional defeats in the Pacific and he became more and more desperate for a victory that would boost morale along the home front.  Enter Jimmy Doolittle, a graduate of Cal Berkeley and MIT, daredevil pilot, and all around badass human. In April of 1942, Doolittle would lead American pilots on a seemingly impossible attack on Japan that would greatly change the course of the war. It's an awesome story so grab your drinks, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Doolittle Raid: A Taste of Your Own Medicine!

In the early 16th Century a Portuguese explorer defected to Spain and then convinced the king to let him try and sail west to find a sea route to the spice islands instead of going to Kroger and buying chili powder in giant containers like a normal person. What ensued was a ridiculous journey that resulted in an orgy, multiple mutinies, executions, war, imperialism, just all sorts of fun stuff. And the hell of it is, you've probably heard this guys name and his accomplishment but you haven't heard his story or the fact that he didn't actually accomplish what he set out to do. So now it's time to change that by having you just grab your favorite beverage, smashing in your earbuds, and enjoying this episode of Hundred Proof History titled The Magellan Expedition: No Pleasure Cruise!

In the first half of the 20th Century, Italy, like many European countries, was trying to figure out what type of government they should have.  Would they stick with a monarchy? Switch to freedom loving democracy? Try that wacky new communism that the Soviets were so horny for? Eventually they'd go their own way and follow a strong willed politician into the exciting world of Fascism. That leader would go on to do some good things, some bad things, and then a whole lot of super shitty things in his quest to lead Italy to glory, but deep down we know his darkest secret: He just wanted to be loved. In this episode of HPH we're telling you his life story from his stabby childhood to his summary execution. It's a fun ride that takes you through two world wars and you know how  much we love those. So, grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy this episode of Hundred Proof History titled Benito Mussolini: Flip Flop Fascist!