What if I told you Rome wasn't always "Rome". After a guy named Constantine won a little civil war within the Roman Empire, he decided Rome was past its prime what with the insane corruption and all. So he set up shop in what would become one of the greatest cities in history, Constantinople. Located on the coast of the Bosphorus Straits with contr…

When you hear the term Royals, or Queen, our minds tend to take us to the British Monarchy or British national treasure musical group Queen . One of if not the longest standing monarchies still technically in power. The current Royal Family, The House of Windsor can trace its lineage back to 1066, the time of William the Conqueror, the first widely…

The Rock. No, not the 10x heavyweight champion Scorpion King star. Alcatraz Island is located 1.5 miles from San Francisco in the bay. It started it's life as a military installation on the west coast. After that it became a military jail. Then a federal prison. This 29 year stretch is where the legend of Alcatraz was born. From daring escapes to f…

Hannibal Barca or much like Cher and Bono, is known by just Hannibal, was a Carthaginian General who decided to dedicate his life to destroying Rome. Also much like Cher changed the music game, Hannibal did the same for warfare. The man was a tactical genius and came the closest to bringing down the Roman Empire since it began 520+ years earlier. H…

The Bay Area in the late 1960's was a wild place to be. Free love that flooded the streets was replaced with fear. Murder has never been uncommon in a big city. Unsolved murders weren't rare either. The terror started when a man called into the local police department to report a murder and then take the credit. The Zodiac Killer as he would come t…

I feel like I should only need to post the purpose of the Special Operations Executive to sell you on this episode so here you go "Espionage, Sabotage, and Reconnaissance in German occupied Europe during WW2. But I'll also leave you with what Churchill told the guy in charge of this "Ministry" when it was formed "Now go and set Europe ablaze." Plus…

If you've ever seen The Wild Bunch, 3:10 to Yuma, or played Red Dead Redemption series of games you're probably familiar with The Pinkertons. Created by a Scottish immigrant in the 1850's, In the beginning The Pinkerton Detective Agency did everything from spy on the confederacy during the civil war to protecting Abe Lincoln on the train ride to hi…

A childhood dream is realized as Professor Adam goes through the history of the WWE. From humble beginnings and multiple McMahons, the WWE grew to a multi-billion dollar empire. The brightest moments were matched by some very dark times. The WWE is celebrating it's 40th Wrestlemania this year. A Steriods trial, tons of scandals, and the Monday Nigh…

The title says it all folks. It's been a long time coming, we're talking Old Kingdom Egypt, specifically the 4th Dynasty, which was known as the Age of Pyramids. We cover it from the humble beginnings of the wondrous structures to a time when the stone giants we think of today were constructed. How were these things built? We discuss it all and com…

If you're like us, you've probably found yourself watching a history documentary on World War 2 and thought for a moment....who built all Hitler's shit. I mean someone had to build the Autobahn, The Siegfried Line, The Atlantic Wall, Hitler's Wolfs Lair, Concentration Camps. Well one name can tie all of those together, Fritz Todd. Fritz was a high …

When we last left Teddy he found himself with the keys to the kingdom. William McKinley's untimely assassination thrust Teddy into the Presidency and he didn't waste time using those powers to start fighting for the common man, taking on corporations to ensure a fair shake for employees, designating areas of the country as protected land for future…

Teddy Roosevelt is a figure whose exploits sometimes blur the line between fiction and reality. The man who we've affectionately dubbed "Rich Forrest Gump" for the shear amount of larger than life experiences he was able to fit into his 60 years, actually began as almost the antithesis of the man he would be seen as later in life. As a child he was…

With the Super Bowl fast approaching we decided it was probably time we figured out how American Football and the NFL came about. As two life-long football fans we were pretty surprised to find out how this nationwide and global reaching phenomenon got its very humble start. The first recognized college football game took place just 4 years after t…

Europe in 1914 was basically a powder keg waiting for a match to set the whole thing on fire. Tensions were high in Austria Hungary as the new liberated Serbia was giving the area to be known as Bosnia ideas of independence. The problem with that is Austria wasn't really in the business of letting its occupied lands have things like freedom. Well t…

The Land Down Under as it exists today is very new in the grand scheme of things. During the early days of exploration it really existed only as a myth, the great southern land of legend. Once it was finally "discovered" and I say that because the first Aboriginal peoples had been there oh say roughly 60,000 years at that point, it didn't take long…

January 17th, 1920 was the day the United States was suppose to get sober. Prohibition and the Volstead Act were officially official, and things were going to change. Prior to Prohibition things weren't great. Drunken crimes were hitting too close to home, and some thought drying out the country was the answer. What they didn't count on was the cri…

We start the final episode on Joseph Stalin as he gains full control of the Soviet Union. Prior to WW2 in Europe, Stalin consolidated power by wiping out a hefty portion of his military command structure along with anyone he perceived as a threat to his new rule. Well once Hitler decides to go back on the Nazi-Soviet non aggression pact, this decis…

The man who would become one of histories bloodiest and most ruthless Dictators, was born from humble beginnings on the outer fringes of the Russian Empire. At a time when Russia was still ruled by the Czars, young Loseb Jughashvili was captivated by the Communist movement started by Karl Marx and carried forward by Vladimir Lenin. So how does the …

Whitechaple, East London, England, 1888. A man only known by the moniker Jack the Ripper terrorizes the city from August to November with a string of 5 murders, each more gruesome than the last. Preying on ladies of the night, Jack's spree dumbfounded Law Enforcement and to this day no one knows who he really was. From his method of murder, to the …

Let's not be coy, you know why you're here, we know why you're here. You've come to listen to "the most comprehensive" podcast about the Great Wall of China. The largest man-made structure on the planet. Built to guard the Dynasties from mongols and raiders. The sheer scope of the Great Wall is almost too large to fathom for something constructed b…

If you grew up in Texas during the 1980's, we don't have to tell you who the Von Erichs are. If you are a wrestling fan, we don't have to tell you who the Von Erich are. For everyone else, buckle up. Jack/Fritz was the patriarch. The second Adkisson/Von Erich generation brought Fritz and his wife 6 boys. Only 1 of those 6 boys (Kevin) is still aliv…

Born into the Apache Nation in the early 19th Century, the man who would become known as Geronimo would spend the next 79 years establishing himself as one of the most infamous and well know Native American to this day. Living in a time of when the Apache of southwestern North America were being invaded by both Mexico and the United States, Geronim…

Almost as quickly have humans created automobiles they were racing them against each other. Eventually this racing, centralized initially in Europe, evolved from is pre WW2 roots to become the creme del la creme, the pinnacle of motorsport....Formula One. Almost as much fighter plane as car, costing millions of dollars each and reaching speeds on t…

Ah Ancient Athens, the crown jewel of Greece. A beacon of philosophical enlightenment, birthplace of Democracy, and ass kicking factory of the ancient Persian Empire. The modern world owes more than a few thanks to the city named after the Goddess of War and Wisdom. BUT the road was always paved in gold, Greece was in an almost constant state of wa…

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera was once Mexico's most wanted kingpin. The U.S. was also itching to get their hands on him too. Every time the Mexican authorities caught him, he seemed to slip out of their grasp. That was until he was finally extradited to the United States to pay for his crimes. Joaquin Guzman was born into poverty. When he leaves…

Look I know what your thinking after reading the title, and you're partially right, we're gonna discuss Aliens, UFO's, UAP, Extraterrestrials, whatever you wanna call them at some point during this episode. However the incident that occurred near Roswell, New Mexico, is important to history as it set off what can only be described as Alien Fever. A…

We've all day-dreamed about hitting the Powerball or Mega Millions or whatever your neck of the woods calls the Lottery, but where did this all originate? It's something so engrained in our culture it's something we could assume has always been around. Well you'd be partially correct in that assumption but the lottery as it exists today looked very…

The human species is unique from other's on this planet in many ways. One specific way is we are the only species that choses to do challenging or dumb shit strictly to see if it can be done. Everest is no exception. The mentality, the training, the cost, the risk, all of the things required to even attempt to summit Everest make most not even cons…

After Hitler defied the League of Nations and marched through Austria, Czechoslovakia, and then into Poland seizing those lands to build the Third Reich, France and Britain finally decided to do something about it by declaring War. The world was plunged into another global conflict hardly 20 years after the last Great War. Nazi Germany initially st…

It's here folks, the epic finale to our episodes discussing Hitler's rise to the Chancellor of Germany and the beginnings of World War 2. Recently released from prison, with his political party outlawed, and his ability to speak in public banned, how does Hitler find himself on a path directly to ultimate power in Germany. Deciding the whole "over …

Well...the title says it all. It's the first of 2 Adolf Hitler episodes. In this weeks episode we cover his childhood, military career, undescended testicle, entry into the German Worker's Part, etc. But here's the thing, the biggest question for us is How? How did this guy maneuver himself to be the Chancellor (Dictator) of Germany? How was he all…

The Maya civilization existed between 2500 BC to 1697 CE centered on the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America. Today the Maya are recognized for their astonishing advancements in the fields of Written Language, Architecture, Astronomy, Art, and Mathematics. They constructed huge stone temples for prayer and yes human sacrifice, appeasing their gods…

To say Ernest Hemingway was a complex individual would be like proclaiming that water is wet, dogs are great, and going to concerts stoned is fantastic. It's a bit of an understatement. Hemingway's life was somehow more interesting than any of the fiction he wrote. And the guy won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction along with a Noble in Literature. He …

A conflict started out of compromise. Fueled by the ego of a World War 2 hero. Douglas MacArthur was made the Supreme Commander of the UN forces sent to help repel the North Korean push to take the entire peninsula. 5 years removed from a victory in Japan, MacArthur was able to push the North back above the 38th parallel. It was against the advice …

Hey People its Professor CK, I'm not even gonna try and be clever or subtle here folks, this one is for me, I love this shit. It's Star Wars, it needs no explanation or introduction. But this isn't your mammy's Star Wars, we're going back to the beginning, back the birth of the galaxy far far away. Where did the force come from, how did the Jedi an…

Bullfighting is, was, and always will be, a part of Spanish culture. Whether the practice continues or it is relegated to the history books, it's legacy will never be forgotten. Join us on our journey to understanding why Spain is so Bull crazy, and the history of an activity that can't really be put in a category. Is it sport? Is it art? Is it ani…

In the Shinto religion a battle between Deities for control of Japan was settled with a wrestling match. That wrestling match was the first mention of Sumo in Japanese culture. Sumo is the national sport of Japan, but it is so much more than that. It's a culture. It's a lifestyle. Listen in as we get Historically High on Sumo!…

The Blueprint, The Godfather, The O.G. of Sports Stadiums, The Flavian Amphitheater or as its more widely known The Roman Colosseum was built as the pinnacle of Roman Entertainment and Engineering. It was also a complete and total Death Factory, I mean seriously, some of the ways they devised killing people in this place are Chris Nolan level writi…

It's time to board Historically High's Dank Dingy because we are going Pirate chasing! The Golden Age of Piracy only lasted about 70ish years. The imprint that time left on pop culture feels much bigger. Back before Johnny Depp was marauding in court, he was Jack Sparrow! Jack Sparrow was cool, but he wasn't Jack Rackham cool. The image we get now …

Andre Rene Roussimoff was born in a small farming villiage in France. The first 18 years of his life were pretty normal for a farmer's son. The next 28 were spent traveling the world captivating every person who laid eyes on him. Give a listen to the life, loves, legacy, and legend as we get historically high on Andre The Giant…

Probably a lesser known fact today than in the past but the United States did not start out stretching from sea to shining sea. In 1800 the U.S. only extended from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. That all changed with the Louisiana Purchase, when the barely legal U.S. bought a chunk of land from good ol Napoleon doubling the size of out co…

Some would consider Howard Hughes a Godfather of sorts for American aviation. Howard was a complex human being to say the very least. The man was a Movie Producer/Director, an Aircraft Designer, Test Pilot, Airline Owner, Record Setting Pilot, The Wealthiest Man in the World, Casino Owner, Congressional Asskicker, and more. Plus he survived 4 airpl…

"To err is human" That should have been President Reagan's opening line while addressing the country after Iran-Contra came to light. Instead it was a lot of half apologies and half truths. After repeated congressional amendments to stop the White House from funding the rebel Contra group trying to take power in Nicaragua, and negotiating the relea…

During World War One, a British soldier name Thomas Edward Lawrence or T.E. Lawrence found himself in his dream position, smack dab in the middle of Arabia helping to lead the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks. Lawrence of Arabia as he came to be known fought not only the Ottomans but also for the independence of the Arab people, even to the ch…

This is it!!! You're here, it's the definitive podcast of Napoleon Bonaparte. We here at Historically High take a soup to nuts approach to our dictators. There is so much to Napoleon that isn't widely known. He didn't come from a royal family nor was he even technically born in France, but by the time he was 30 yrs old he was the de facto ruler of …

On June 6th, 1944, all the planning of Operation Overlord would be put to the test when over 120,000+ Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. Their goal was to establish a foothold in occupied France that would allow them to begin pushing the Nazi's back. Standing in their way was Hitler's Atlantic Wall. What took place that day ca…

In 1944 the Axis powers of WW2 occupied nearly all of mainland Europe. With no army to fight on the ground in Europe, the Allies need a plan to take the fight to the Nazis. An operation the scale of which had never been seen and has yet to be seen since. To invade Europe would take more than soldiers putting their boots on French soil, you need tan…

"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?"- Bill Shakespeare AG doesn't remember a lot of his childhood (probably for the better), but he will never forget his first pair of Air Jordans. Jordan III black and cements size 5, which he still has in the Shoedio to this day. Join us as AG takes us through the evolution of Nike Inc. From Phil Knight…

You know we love mysterious ancient civilizations and this one is no exception. The Nabateans started as nomads roaming the Arabian desert. One day they decided to put down some roots and built what would come to be known as "The Rose City". A hidden city built into the red sandstone of the landscape. Their advancement in water management and archi…

21,719. That's a big number. What if we told you that was how many days it has been since John F. Kennedy was assainated? It's been 21,411 days since we found out Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone actor in the assaination of JFK. Did the Warren commission get it right, or have the last 59 years been full of half truths and dead end investigations. Lis…