The History Guy
If you love history, this is the podcast for you! Stories of forgotten history, presented by Josh Geiger with Lance Geiger, The History Guy, from the hit YouTube channel The History Guy: History Deserves to be Remembered. Visit the channel here: www.youtube.com/TheHistoryGuyChannel We believe that history does not have to be boring. At its heart, history is storytelling, and we believe that it should be told with passion and genuine love for the material. History might be tragic, it might be comic, but it is the story of who we are, and we should not be afraid...
Counterfactuals: The Axumite Empire
On today’s episode, we tackle a forgotten empire that once ruled the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, and that once ranked with the likes of Persia, China, and Rome. The mighty Aksum declined before 1000 AD - but what might have happened if it all went a bit differently?
Counterfactuals: The Battle of Tsushima and the 20th Century
On today’s episode we talk about one of the most important naval events in modern history: the pivotal battle of Tsushima, fought during the Russo-Japanese war. The battle was crucial in the rise of Japan as a military and imperial power, setting the stage for huge parts of the 20th century. But what might have happened if it all went different?
Counterfactuals: What if We Used a Different Calendar?
On today’s episode, we talk about Calendars - specificall the Gregorian Calendar, and how and why it became the calendar we all use today. What does the calendar mean to us, and what might it mean if we used a different one?
Counterfactuals: The White Ship and the Anarchy
On today’s episode, we visit one of the most significant maritime accidents of the middle ages, when William Adelin, grandson of William the Conqueror and the only legitimate male heir to the throne of England, was killed with the sinking of the White Ship in 1120. His death would have dramatic consequences for the European continent and English history. But what if it had all gone differently?
Counterfactuals: The Forgotten WWII Battle of Thala
On today’s episode, we travel to 1943, and one of the earliest battles American soldiers fought with Nazi Germany, in the mountainous regions of Tunisia. There, the fortuitous arrival of artillery stemmed the tide after German forces broke through American defenses at Kasserine pass. But what might have happened if it all went differently?
Counterfactuals: A World Without Potatoes
On today’s episode of the History Guy Podcast, we talk about one of the most important parts of the Columbian exchange, and possibly the reason that Europe was able to colonize and dominate much of the world in the early modern period: The Potato.
Counterfactuals: Viking North America
On today’s episode we tackle the counterfactuals of some of the most popular peoples in history: The Vikings. In the tenth century norse colonists began settling in Greenland, where they found surprising success in some far-northern reaches, before making landfall in North America. The settlements had all faded away by the 1400s, but what might have happened if it had all gone differently?
Counterfactuals: Westward Expansion and Ashley's 100
On this special, 100th episode of The History Guy Podcast, we head back to the 1800s and the beginning of America’s expansion into the Rocky Mountains by taking a look at Ashley’s 100, a group of trappers, mountain men, and explorers who ventured into the West, helping to define an era and open up the land for settlement. How might things be different if they didn’t?
Counterfactuals: What if there were no Transistors?
On today’s episode, we talk about the development of one of some of teh most important communication technologies in history, from the telegraph to the transistor, and what the world might be like if we went without them.
Counterfactuals: The Dmitriads
Ivan the Terrible transformed Russia during his rule, but in a fit of insanity, he seems to have killed his eldest son and heir, leaving the future of the realm uncertain. His youngest, Dmitry, died years later under suspicious circumstances. When Ivan's second son, the Tsar Feodor, died without heir, the tsardom faced catstrophe. And into the choas came not one, not two, but at least three people claiming to be Dmitry, who had miraculousy escaped death. The Time of Troubles, as the Russians called it, was defined in part by a series of wars called the "Dmitriads". But w...
Counterfactuals: 732 - The End of Christian Europe?
On today’s episode, we talk about one of the most talked about battles in European History: The 732 battle of Tours. Variously called one of the most important battles in European history or a minor skirmish, the battle had a large impact on the minds of Medieval Europeans. But what might have happened if it had gone different?
Counterfactuals: A World Without Cats
On today’s episode, we talk about cats. While today they are usually just pets, they played a vital role in the history of civilization. So what might have happened if cats were never domesticated?
Counterfactuals: The Inca
On today’s episode, we travel to the lofty heights of the Andes, where in the early 1500s Spanish under Francisco Pizarro came across the Inca Empire. The Spanish found the Inca at an opportune time, immediately following the end of a civil war, while wounds were still fresh and tensions ran high, soon culminating in the destruction of the empire. But it was a near thing: and the world could have turned out a lot different if events had gone differently.
Counterfactuals: Alexandrian India
On today’s episode, we journey back to the fourth century BC on the shores of an Indian river, where an army that had set out from Macedon, more than 3000 miles away had a choice: cross and battle a new Empire and a new army, or turn back home. The ramifications of that decision would be massive. It is history that deserves to be remembered.
Counterfactuals: 1815 Tambora Eruption
On today’s episode, we discuss the impacts of the largest volcanic eruption in human history - the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, which would impact the entire world and bring on a volcanic winter: the so called “year without a summer”.
Counterfactuals: The Duels of Alexander Hamilton
On today’s episode, we talk about the series of events that connect several duels in the life of Alexander Hamilton, and about how the history of the early American republic could have hinged on the choices of a series of prominent men who couldn’t keep their guns in their pockets.
Counterfactuals: Death of a President Part 2
Welcome to the second episode of our new take on the podcast: Counterfactuals. This is part 2 of our season opener, talking about what might have happened if a significant president died at a moment where in real life he narrowly escaped death. After talking about Franklin Pierce and Teddy Roosevelt, we turn to the only president who was elected to four terms, who might have been killed before he was inaugurated to his first.
Counterfactuals: Death of A President Part 1
In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt was involved in a carriage accident which nearly killed him. In 1853, President-Elect Franklin Pierce watched hs son die in a train accident mere weeks before his inauguration. But what if those events went differently, and those presidents were killed?
What is a counterfactual? In the context of studying history, it is a kind of analysis where we examine what might have happened had historical events gone differently. As a thought experiment, the goal is too learn and understand history as it is by talking about what it could have been.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
On today’s episode the History Guy tells the story of Butch Cassidy and the Sudnance Kid, examining the long history to figure out what we know about the two legendary outlaws, and very often, what we don’t.
As the History Guy is out of the country for the month of June for Travel with the History Guy in England and Germany, we will be taking a short hiatus on the podcast! If you have any comments, advice, or ideas for the podcast please feel free to email me (Josh) at jgeiger@thehistoryguy.net . We'll be b...
A History of Making the Perfect Smile
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories of dental health, examining humanities long relationship with our teeth. First, he tells the story of toothpaste and basic dentistry, and the many ways that dental care has changed. Then he turns to orthodontics, and our centuries-long quest for the perfect smile.
The American Civil War on the Water
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories of the forgotten naval war of the American civil war. First, he talks about the CSS Albermarle, and its brief but successful career against the Union navy. Then he tells the story of the Black Terror, one of the most successful union navy ships of the war.
Modern Marvels: Celluloid and Transistors
On today’s episode, The History Guy tells two stories about important inventions that have become part of the foundation of modern life. First he tells the story of celluloid, the material that jumpstarted the plastic revolution. Then he tells the story behind nearly all of our modern electronics: Transistors.
Hurricanes that Made History
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories of how hurricanes affected history in dramatic ways. First he tells the story of the ill-fortuned 1715 treasure fleet, meant to rescue Spain from economic distress. Then he tells the story of the Samoan Crisis, how the US and European powers threatened to go to war over the tiny islands of Samoa, and the hurricane that determined Samoa’s fate.
Volcanoes: Vesuvius & Tambora
On today’s episode, The History Guy tells two stories of volcanic eruptions, and the dramatic ways these eruptions affected human history. First, he remembers the lesser known victims of Vesuvius in 79AD, and then he discusses one of the most powerful eruptions in human history, Mount Tambora.
Movie Stars in WWII
On today’s episode, The History Guy tells three stories of movie stars and their service during World War II. First he tells the story of Hedy Lamarr, the beautiful and brilliant film star who had personal connections to the war and patented an idea that has become the basis for lots of modern technology. Then he tells the stories of Douglas Fairbanks Jr, and Eddie Heimberger, famous men who chose to serve in combat roles and performed significant acts of wartime bravery. Without further ado, let me introduce the History Guy.
Explorers: Magellan and Bering
The History Guy tells two stories of the age of exploration, and explorers whose names you likely know, but whose stories you might not. First is the story of Ferdinand Magellan, and the ignominious end to his famous expedition. Then the History Guy tells the story of Vitus Bering, a Danish sailor who explored the Russian far east and Alaska.
New York Engineering: The Secret Subway and Brooklyn Bridge
On today’s episode The History Guy tells two stories of engineering feats in New York City. First he tells the story of Alfred Beech’s secret subway, and then he talks about some of the lesser known historical tales of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The "Proto-Mafia"
On today’s episode the History Guy tells two stories of the early mafia, decades before the mob as we know it formed. First he tells the story of two crime families battling it out in New Orleans, and the police officer who tried to take them down. Then he tells the story of Joseph Petrosino, and his efforts to stop the Black Hand. It is history that deserves to be remembered.
Stolen Art: The "Just Judges" and Goya's Wellington
On today's episode The History Guy tells two stories of daring and unlikely art heists. First he talks about the Renaissance "Ghent Altarpiece", one of the most stolen works of art in history, and the one theft that was never solved. Then he tells the story of the audacious theft of a portrait of Wellington in England, done in the name of charity.
Grape Blights and Grasshopper Plagues
On today’s episode the History Guy tells two stories of bugs and destruction. First he talks about the great Wine Blight, where pests nearly wiped out the French wine industry. Then he talks about the Rocky Mountain Locust and the plague of 1874.
Governors Assassinated
Today the History Guy tells two stories of American political assassinations at the turn of the 19th century. First he talks about the only assassination of a sitting US governor. Then he talks about the former governor killed by dynamite. While they happened in different parts of the country, together they illustrate some of the biggest political battles of the time, and the lengths some went to get their way.
Pearl Harbor: The first Shot and the Aftermath
On today’s podcast the History Guy tells two stories surrounding the day that lives in infamy: December 7th. First he tells the story of the first shots fired, and the first ship sunk in the Pacific war. Then he tells the story of what happened afterward, on December 8th.
Hygiene History: Soap and Semmelweiss
On today’s episode the History Guy tells two stories of hygiene history. First he talks about the long history of soap, and then he tells the story of Ignaz Semmelweiss, one of the first doctors to argue that doctors should wash their hands to prevent spreading disease.
Mad Monarchs: Charles VI and Ludwig II
On today’s episode, The History Guy talks about two Mad Monarchs. The first is Charles VI of France, whose mental illness changed the fortunes of France and who was nearly set aflame in the Ball of the Burning Men. The second is Bavarian “Mad” King Ludwig II, whose obsession with fairy tale and opera led him to build one of the most iconic castles in history.
Ancient Egypt: The Pyramids and the Silver Pharoah
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories of Ancient Egypt. First he talks about the far off period of the Old Kingdom, and how the ancient Egyptians transitioned to building the massive monumental pyramids we see today. Then he talks about one of the most astounding forgotten egyptian finds - a fully intact tomb buried beneath the sands in Tanis, that was overshadowed and forgotten by other world-altering events.
Terror in the Air: TACA 110 and China Airlines 006
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories of harrowing passenger plane incidents in the 80s. First he tells the story of TACA 110, where pilots did everything right only to find themselves in an unprecedented hail storm - and that was just the beginning. Then he tells the story of China Flight 006, when a small technical error quickly cascaded into a disaster.
The P-38 Lightning
On today’s episode the History Guy talks about one of the most iconic planes of WWII: The P-38 Lightning. First he tells the unlikely tale of how such a radical design even made it to production, and then he tells the story of possibly the best pilot to ever fly in one: Richard Ira Bong, Ace of Aces.
New York Riots
On today’s episode the History Guy tells the stories of two New York City riots, both of which began over seemingly trivial issues. First he tells the story of the Shakespeare riot, when a disagreement over who played the better Macbeth turned deadly. Then he tells the story of the straw hat riots, when fashion and a particularly warm day ended with thousands of hats smashed on the streets of New York City.
Forgotten Naval Battles of WWI
On this episode, the History Guy talks about two forgotten stories of the naval front of the Great War. First, he talks about the first naval battle of the war, which took place on a large lake in east Africa. Then he tells the story of U-156 and the only German attack on the American mainland in WWI - the battle of Orleans.
"My Name is Aaron Burr"
On today’s episode, the History Guy tells two stories about one of the most famous ‘villains’ of the early American republic, the much maligned third vice president of the United States, Aaron Burr, and the man whose life he took, Alexander Hamilton.
