There's a nifty bit of hidden history tucked away in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley Park -- a cave that, legend has it, was home to a doomsday cult. In today's episode, the guys follow the strange journey of Johannes Kelpius and his followers from Europe to North America as they prepared for the end of days (first in 1694, then in 1700). Tune in to learn what motivated the group, how they influenced American history, and what happened to them after the world kept spinning in today's Classic episode.

There's a nifty bit of hidden history tucked away in Philadelphia's Wissahickon Valley Park -- a cave that, legend has it, was home to a doomsday cult. In today's episode, the guys follow the strange journey of Johannes Kelpius and his followers from Europe to North America as they prepared for the end of days (first in 1694, then in 1700). Tune in to learn what motivated the group, how they influenced American history, and what happened to them after the world kept spinning in today's Classic episode.

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

Ridiculous History

CLASSIC: Philadelphia's Transylvanian Doomsday Cult: The Cave of Kelpius

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c291b773-ffd9-4212-803a-b28b011fab0d/transcript

Have you ever assaulted your hamburger guy? How do you handle your problematic pet chimpanzee? For a lot of us in the crowd, these questions sound ridiculous -- but for Elvis Presley, these conundrums were part of his everyday life. In the second episode of this special two-part series, returning guest Jordan Runtagh, co-creator of the hit podcast Too Much Information, takes the guys behind the scenes of Presley's pop stardom to explore his increasingly strange misadventures as his musical star rose... and his private life spun out into chaos.

Have you ever assaulted your hamburger guy? How do you handle your problematic pet chimpanzee? For a lot of us in the crowd, these questions sound ridiculous -- but for Elvis Presley, these conundrums were part of his everyday life. In the second episode of this special two-part series, returning guest Jordan Runtagh, co-creator of the hit podcast Too Much Information, takes the guys behind the scenes of Presley's pop stardom to explore his increasingly strange misadventures as his musical star rose... and his private life spun out into chaos.

The Bizarre Life of Elvis, Part Two: Public Fame, Private Chaos

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9a316a85-fa58-44dd-94f6-b44900f793f1/transcript

How far would you fly for a sandwich? Decades after his death at just 42, Elvis Presley remains a global pop phenomenon. His short life was full of strange, ridiculous adventures... but how many of these stories are true, and how many are just modern folklore? In today's episode, the guys welcome the journalist Jordan Runtagh, co-creator of Too Much Information, for a special two-part series on the man, the myth, the legend: Elvis.

How far would you fly for a sandwich? Decades after his death at just 42, Elvis Presley remains a global pop phenomenon. His short life was full of strange, ridiculous adventures... but how many of these stories are true, and how many are just modern folklore? In today's episode, the guys welcome the journalist Jordan Runtagh, co-creator of Too Much Information, for a special two-part series on the man, the myth, the legend: Elvis.

The Bizarre Life of Elvis, Part One: From Poverty to Pop Stardom

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4a51a317-1882-4bf7-b9fb-b447012bffeb/transcript

In this week's Classic episode: when the schoolteacher who would come to be called Hong Xiuquan first heard of the Christian religion, he wasn't particularly bowled over. However, when he had a nervous breakdown after failing his scholarly exams, he experienced a series of visions that he later believed revealed his true destiny: He was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and he was meant to lead his followers to earthly and spiritual freedom. Tune in to learn how Hong Xiuquan's visions sparked one of the bloodiest rebellions in Chinese history.

In this week's Classic episode: when the schoolteacher who would come to be called Hong Xiuquan first heard of the Christian religion, he wasn't particularly bowled over. However, when he had a nervous breakdown after failing his scholarly exams, he experienced a series of visions that he later believed revealed his true destiny: He was the younger brother of Jesus Christ, and he was meant to lead his followers to earthly and spiritual freedom. Tune in to learn how Hong Xiuquan's visions sparked one of the bloodiest rebellions in Chinese history.

CLASSIC:Hong Xiuquan: The Younger Brother of Jesus Christ Who Led a Bloody Rebellion in China

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/7c08557a-6ed2-486d-8318-b4440120e574/transcript

CLASSIC: Philadelphia's Transylvanian Doomsday Cult: The Cave of Kelpius

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