As the gang gets ever closer to finally completing their mission to do an episode on every state in the United States, they arrive at North Dakota. While North Dakota remains one of the nation's least populated states, it's still chock-full of Ridiculous History. And, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, the bizarre tale of Fort Sauerkraut may be one of the strangest ones out there.

As the gang gets ever closer to finally completing their mission to do an episode on every state in the United States, they arrive at North Dakota. While North Dakota remains one of the nation's least populated states, it's still chock-full of Ridiculous History. And, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in today's episode, the bizarre tale of Fort Sauerkraut may be one of the strangest ones out there.

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

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

Fort Sauerkraut: North Dakota’s Strange, Ill-Planned Origin Story

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/43bbff8a-713e-4e42-8eee-b42500e8c864/transcript

Here's one for the cat lovers: Does your feline friend absolutely love catnip? If you have a cat with the right sensitivities, this stuff completely rocks their world. They'll go nuts for it, rolling around in the stuff, chewing it, drooling in a stupor and so on. In today's episode -- inspired by a listener suggestion -- Ben, Noel and Max dive into the ridiculous story of a get-rich-quick catnip scheme, when a New York peddler down on his luck tried to sell catnip door to door... and caused a full-on cat riot in the process.

Here's one for the cat lovers: Does your feline friend absolutely love catnip? If you have a cat with the right sensitivities, this stuff completely rocks their world. They'll go nuts for it, rolling around in the stuff, chewing it, drooling in a stupor and so on. In today's episode -- inspired by a listener suggestion -- Ben, Noel and Max dive into the ridiculous story of a get-rich-quick catnip scheme, when a New York peddler down on his luck tried to sell catnip door to door... and caused a full-on cat riot in the process.

The Bizarre Tale of the 1909 Catnip Riot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b1a5e6aa-10b0-4faf-adfc-b42500e8b607/transcript

In this week's Classic episode, the guys return to a strange, oft-overlooked aspect of the Civil War. From 1861 to 1865, the United States of America was a country divided. More than a century later, it remains America's bloodiest war. After the cessation of conflicts and the surrender of the Confederate army, General Robert E. Lee found himself constantly approached to endorse numerous different memorials, statues and other structures. There was just one problem -- he apparently hated them.

In this week's Classic episode, the guys return to a strange, oft-overlooked aspect of the Civil War. From 1861 to 1865, the United States of America was a country divided. More than a century later, it remains America's bloodiest war. After the cessation of conflicts and the surrender of the Confederate army, General Robert E. Lee found himself constantly approached to endorse numerous different memorials, statues and other structures. There was just one problem -- he apparently hated them.

CLASSIC: Did Robert E. Lee hate Confederate Memorials?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/537659d0-aace-477e-aded-b42000e88fe7/transcript

Have you ever taken an IQ test? Originally envisioned as a way to determine which French children should be locked in asylums, Alfred Binet's attempt to quantify human intelligence took the modern world by storm. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max ask in this follow-up to lead exposure: How accurate are the IQ tests? Are they genuinely accurate, or, ironically enough... their own sort of dumb?

Have you ever taken an IQ test? Originally envisioned as a way to determine which French children should be locked in asylums, Alfred Binet's attempt to quantify human intelligence took the modern world by storm. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max ask in this follow-up to lead exposure: How accurate are the IQ tests? Are they genuinely accurate, or, ironically enough... their own sort of dumb?

IQ Tests are (Kind of) Dumb

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dd1a1207-db85-4721-b495-b42000de9897/transcript

Fort Sauerkraut: North Dakota’s Strange, Ill-Planned Origin Story

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