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History Episodes

Truth is stranger than fiction.
March 23, 2023

Ep. 125: Lizzie Borden, Pt. 4: Lizbeth of Maplecroft

In this 4th and final part of the Lizzie Borden story, we round out the rest of the sensational Borden Murders trial, hear the final verdict, and learn what Lizzie Borden did with the rest of her life after her …

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March 16, 2023

Ep. 124: Lizzie Borden, Pt. 3 - A Bad Day for Lizzie Borden

Screw it, we're doing 4 parts! The tea is too scorching and the drama too intense to not give Lizzie's case room to breathe, so we're dedicating all of Axe Murder March to Miss Borden herself. This week: Lizzie is …

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March 9, 2023

Episode 123: Lizzie Borden, Pt. 2 - Gaslight Queen

Axe Murder March plunges on, Part 2 is coming in hot, and we're making it a 3-parter for the story of the Borden Murders and the accusations levied against Lizzie Borden, she of "40 whacks" fame. This week, we explore …

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March 2, 2023

Ep. 122: Lizzie Borden, Pt. 1 - 40 Whacks

Axe Murder March is back, and this time, the ladies are doing it for themselves! That's right, after our fan-favorite series last year covering the Axeman of New Orleans, the Villisca Axe Murders, and the Man from the Train, ...

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Feb. 23, 2023

Ep. 121: Alive - Tragedy and Triumph in the Andes

On October 13, 1972, a chartered Uruguayan Air Force plane carrying 40 passengers, including a local amateur rugby team on its way to an exhibition match in Chile, collided with a mountain and crashed into a glacier, losing b...

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Jan. 26, 2023

Ep. 117: Titanic, Pt. 3 - A Deep Ocean of Secrets

At the end of our series exploring the Titanic tragedy, we "dive" into the immediate aftermath of the sinking - including legal inquiries and lawsuits - the search for the wreck on the bottom of the ocean, and the remaining …

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Jan. 19, 2023

Ep. 116: Titanic, Pt. 2 - A Night to Remember

We've made it to April 14th, 1912, and the RMS Titanic is midway through its maiden voyage from England to New York. All is calm, all is normal. Until - "Iceberg, right ahead!" But the warning would come too late. …

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Jan. 12, 2023

Ep. 115: Titanic, Pt. 1 - Ship of Dreams

In 1907, English businessman J Bruce Ismay sat down with his partners at the shipping company White Star Line to dream up the newest three ships in the White Star Line's fleet, destined to be bigger, more luxurious, and possi...

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Dec. 1, 2022

Ep. 112: A History of Human Sacrifice

Listener beware: beheadings and heart-rippings abound in this week's tour through the history of human sacrifice! Ritual murder to please the gods or stave off disaster may stretch back as far as human civilization. Every civ...

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Nov. 17, 2022

Ep. 110: Eternal Hunger - The Life of Tarrare

Can you imagine a hunger so deep it can never be filled, no matter how you try or what you eat? Cravings wracking your whole existence, pushing you past the limits of biology, decency and morality? That was the constant …

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Nov. 10, 2022

Ep. 109: The Haunting of the Presidents

Could America's most famous house also be its most haunted? That's what many think of the White House, the United States' office, residence, and seat of the Presidency. Inhabited by the most powerful men in the world since 18...

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Nov. 3, 2022

Ep. 108: Famous Last Words

What would your last words be, if you knew you were about to die? Would you go out with a joke, a last "I love you"...or an expression of regret? This week, Sean takes us on a tour of his …

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Oct. 27, 2022

Ep. 107: The History of Halloween

We're all familiar with the trappings of Halloween that we know and love today: trick or treating, jack o' lantern carving, costume parades, witches and skeletons and ghosts and black cats...but why are those Halloween tradit...

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Oct. 13, 2022

Ep. 105: The Connecticut Witch Trials

We're checking out some witch trials this Halloween season, just like we did last year - only this time, we're investigating the story of the Connecticut Witch Trials, the first and longest span of witch trials in New England...

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Sept. 22, 2022

Ep. 103: Jack the Ripper, Pt. 4 - The Conspiracy Theories

It's the thrilling conclusion to our monthlong Jack The Ripper series! Last week, Carrie presented some of the likeliest and best-known suspects put forth for the Ripper crimes, from Mary Kelly's jilted ex-lover to a parade o...

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