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Across the modern world, the tuxedo is considered the last word in 'fancy dress'. It's associated with high-class galas, royal ceremonies, weddings, and other white-tie events. But this wasn't always the case! As Ben and Noel learn in today's episode, the tuxedo only became a thing because a certain King wanted to dress down. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades after the close of World War II, civilization found itself in the grips of a new kind of conflict: the Cold War. Pretty much everyone was terrified that Earth was on the edge of nuclear armageddon. In today's episode, Ben and Noel learn how this strange, terrifying era had a knock-on consequence... it fundamentally changed the nature of cinema, leading directly to some of the most stunning science fiction and horror movies in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the Prohibition Era, moonshiners and federal agents continually tried to outsmart one another — and one of the moonshiners’ most creative inventions? The bizarre footwear known as Cow Shoes. In this week's Classic episode, Ben and Noel break down a MacGyver-level method to bedevil Big Government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who doesn't love a good deal? Since the days of the Victorian era, people have flocked to estate sales -- the public or private sale of a person's belongings, usually held within their own home, with the aim of liquidating everything inside. And, while they've always been popular with a certain crowd, estate sales are experiencing a new resurgence in popularity throughout the US. So, how did we get here? What makes them so popular, how do they work, and how do they differ from your garden-variety yard sale? Join Ben, Noel, and Max to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While English may not be the world's most difficult language, it's certainly a weird one. Modern English is riddled with contradictory rules, bizarre exceptions and, of course, a odd little phenomenon known as silent letters. But where did they come from? Why do we spell "enough" that way? Why did we stick a silent "b" in "doubt"? In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max discover how the ridiculous evolution of English led us to the strange rise of 'silent letters'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With one notable exception, American and German forces were bitterly opposed to one another during World War II -- that exception? The Battle of Castle Itter. Tune in to learn more about the strange sequence of events that led both the US and the Germany army to team up for a rescue mission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Grigori Rasputin manipulated his way into the upper reaches of the aristocracy, he gained great influence over the Emperor's family, who were convinced that only Rasputin could save their hemophiliac son. Yet even Rasputin's powerful patrons could not shield him from a growing conspiracy of enemies in Saint Petersburg. In the second part of this special two-part anniversary episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore the many rumors surrounding Rasputin's death -- the fact, the fiction, and, most importantly, the mysteries that remain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin would later become one of the most infamous figures in modern Russian history, he came from incredibly humble origins -- which he would later embellish in his quest for more prominence and power. In the first part of this special two-part anniversay episode, Ben, Noel, and Max celebrate nine years of Ridiculous History by finally exploring the story of the utter villain on their show's logo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Classic episode: When George S. Patton decided to found a tank training school in the tiny French village of Bourg, the mayor approached him in tears. "An American soldier has died here," said the mayor, "and I would like to lead you to his grave." Patton followed the lachrymose politician to the grave site... but he wasn't prepared for what he would find. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While history often relegates Martha Gellhorn to a single role -- one of Ernest Hemingway's four wives -- this lauded journalist, fiction writer, and war correspondent was an absolute badass. She was on the ground during D-Day, reported during the Vietnam War, and traveled to Panama after the U.S. invasion. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore the oft-ignored bravery of Marth Gellhorn... and the ridiculous ways in which Hemingway tried to sabotage her career. Which, for the record, is only one of the reasons Ben finds ol' Ernest overrated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Located in the southeastern US just off the coast of Georgia, Cumberland Island is a hidden treasure with deep -- and, at times, disturbing -- lore. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore some of the more ridiculous stories from the island's past, from Thomas Carnegie's plans to take over the whole joint to the strange reason that wild non-native horses still roam there in the modern day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we think of the mob today, most Americans think of New York City -- and why not? After all, films, books and TV shows often depict New York as the heart of mob country. Yet, as the guys discover in today's episode, the story of the Italian-American mafia has a surprisingly different (and often forgotten) origin point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1969, the Zombies had a song hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts. There was just one problem: the band had broken up two years earlier, and most people in the US had no idea. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max explore how a deeply sketchy promo company created multiple fake versions of the Zombies... and sent them across the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nowadays, most people take pens for granted. They're always around if a business needs you to sign something, and people accidentally steal or lose them constantly. Yet the humble pen has a backstory thousands of years in the making. In today's episode, Ben, Noel, and Max trace explore the rise of the fountain pen, from the old school quill to the modern day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Born as Jennie Hodgers with a female sex assignment on December 25th, 1843, Albert Cashier emigrated to the United States lived as a man from his early teens on through the rest of his life. Despite the massive prejudices of the time, he managed to find support in his local communities, his friends and his fellow soldiers from the 95th Illinois Infantry both during and after the war, when the US government temporarily tried to revoke his pension. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.