The calendar is... ridiculous. Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has tried to measure the passage of time on Earth through any number of systems. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover how millennia of trial and error led to the modern Gregorian calendar, which we all still just pretend is a normal thing in the modern day.

The calendar is... ridiculous. Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has tried to measure the passage of time on Earth through any number of systems. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max discover how millennia of trial and error led to the modern Gregorian calendar, which we all still just pretend is a normal thing in the modern day.

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 Ridiculous Origin of the Modern Calendar

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fd071515-cda8-4627-8579-b33000ee1d08/transcript

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.

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

The Ridiculous Origin of the Modern Calendar

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