In 1569, Gerardus Mercator creates the first world map. It's the predecessor of the cartoonishly inaccurate Mercator projection, and this math guides people toward what they believe to be the North Pole.

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In 1569, Gerardus Mercator creates the first world map. It's the predecessor of the cartoonishly inaccurate Mercator projection, and this math guides people toward what they believe to be the North Pole. Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

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

The North Pole, Part 1: Maps and Legends

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e167a9f9-a16b-4250-9f96-ae310011b8a4/transcript

Naval legend Admiral Nelson died on October 21st, 1805 shortly after being shot by a French sniper while standing on the deck his ship, Victory. Following the British victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, the survivors of the conflict were left with a dilemma -- how could they preserve Nelson's body long enough for the corpse to receive an appropriate burial back home?

Naval legend Admiral Nelson died on October 21st, 1805 shortly after being shot by a French sniper while standing on the deck his ship, Victory. Following the British victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, the survivors of the conflict were left with a dilemma -- how could they preserve Nelson's body long enough for the corpse to receive an appropriate burial back home?

CLASSIC: How Admiral Horatio Nelson Ended Up Dead in a Barrel of Brandy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/717a36da-48ad-48b6-8445-b3d300f66cdb/transcript

Words are everywhere -- and we're grateful, because we can't do this show without them. But all words were, at some point, just made up. So how does society decide what counts as a "real" word? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the history of language, and the oddly specific systems dictionaries put in place to decide whether a given word or phase is legitimate.

Words are everywhere -- and we're grateful, because we can't do this show without them. But all words were, at some point, just made up. So how does society decide what counts as a "real" word? In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the history of language, and the oddly specific systems dictionaries put in place to decide whether a given word or phase is legitimate.

What makes a word a 'word'?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/117010c0-87fc-45b2-940c-b3d300f53b21/transcript

What if you could hop from France to New York in less than four hours? Traveling twice the speed of sound, with caviar, lobster, champagne and cigars? This was the pitch of the Concorde jet -- a revolutionary, utterly ridiculous and brilliant craft that promised to fundamentally change air travel. Spoiler: it's not around anymore. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max figure out why.

What if you could hop from France to New York in less than four hours? Traveling twice the speed of sound, with caviar, lobster, champagne and cigars? This was the pitch of the Concorde jet -- a revolutionary, utterly ridiculous and brilliant craft that promised to fundamentally change air travel. Spoiler: it's not around anymore. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max figure out why.

The Rise (and Crash) of the Concorde Jet

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8fc30823-e5e2-4f64-8665-b3d10146b2a7/transcript

The North Pole, Part 1: Maps and Legends

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