Episodes

  • The Chocolate Poisoner: Cordelia Botkin, Victorian Obsession, and the Era of the Female Poison Panic

    The Chocolate Poisoner: Cordelia Botkin, Victorian Obsession, and the Era of the Female Poison Panic
    Feb 14 2026
    In this darkly fascinating episode of The Strange History Podcast, we unravel the true story of Cordelia Botkin, the infamous Victorian-era poisoner whose mailed box of chocolates triggered national panic and forever changed how society viewed women, poison, and domestic danger. From Cordelia’s quiet upbringing and scandal-shadowed marriages to her secret affair, calculated revenge, and sensational 1899 trial, this episode explores how arsenic became the weapon of fear—and how newspapers fueled a moral hysteria known as the Era of the Female Poisoner Panic. Featuring verbatim Victorian newspaper language, courtroom drama, cultural context, and the strange psychology behind poison crimes, this episode dives deep into one of history’s most unsettling true crime cases, where murder arrived politely, gift-wrapped, and undetected until it was far too late.

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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    10 mins
  • Saint Valentine, Gangland Murder, and the Dark Truth Behind Valentine’s Day

    Saint Valentine, Gangland Murder, and the Dark Truth Behind Valentine’s Day
    Feb 14 2026
    February 14th is sold as the most romantic day of the year — but history tells a very different story. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy uncovers the dark, violent, and unsettling truth behind Valentine’s Day. From the execution of Saint Valentine, whose acts of forbidden love led to martyrdom, to the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre that shocked Chicago and exposed the brutality of organized crime, this date has always carried blood beneath the roses. You’ll also hear how medieval courtly love came with strict rules, public punishment, and real consequences — proving that romance has rarely been safe, simple, or sweet. Blending dark humor, true crime history, religious legend, and eerie calendar coincidences, this episode reveals why Valentine’s Day wasn’t born out of love — it survived in spite of it. If you love strange history, dark holiday origins, true crime, hidden historical stories, and unsettling cultural myths, this episode belongs in your queue. New episodes drop regularly. Follow The Strange History Podcast and never trust a holiday at face value again.

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    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    7 mins
  • The Ilkley Moor Encounter (1987): Britain’s Creepiest Alien Photograph, Missing Time, and the Fog That Watches Back

    The Ilkley Moor Encounter (1987): Britain’s Creepiest Alien Photograph, Missing Time, and the Fog That Watches Back
    Feb 13 2026
    In 1987, a routine walk across Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire turned into one of the most unsettling and debated alien encounters in British history. A former police officer emerged from thick fog with missing time, malfunctioning equipment, disturbing visions of the future — and a photograph of a small humanoid being that experts still cannot fully explain. In this mega-episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy dives deep into the true story of The Ilkley Moor Encounter, exploring the eerie details surrounding the alien photograph, the unexplained time loss, the strange environmental effects, and why this case feels less like an abduction and more like an evaluation. Blending historical investigation, atmospheric storytelling, and dark humor, this episode examines whether Ilkley Moor is a natural time-slip location, a thin place between worlds, or the site of a quiet extraterrestrial encounter that never intended to be discovered. Fog, silence, and unanswered questions linger long after this story ends.

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    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    8 mins
  • Edison Hits Record, Power Gets Tested, and Everything Goes Sideways

    Edison Hits Record, Power Gets Tested, and Everything Goes Sideways
    Feb 13 2026
    February 13th is the day history decided to experiment — and immediately broke something. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy explores the strange, reckless, and world-altering events tied to February 13th. From Thomas Edison recording the human voice for the first time and accidentally unleashing permanent audio evidence, to the political power experiments surrounding Watergate that revealed just how far authority could stretch before snapping, this date proves that curiosity and confidence are a dangerous combination. You’ll also hear about Cold War February 13ths, when experiments weren’t theoretical — they were simulations of the end of the world, run by people hoping their math was correct. Blending dark humor, technological firsts, political collapse, Cold War paranoia, and eerie calendar coincidences, this episode reveals why history’s most important breakthroughs often come from people saying, “Let’s just see what happens.” If you love strange history, inventions gone wrong, political scandals, Cold War tension, forgotten moments, and darkly funny storytelling, this episode belongs in your queue. New episodes drop regularly. Follow The Strange History Podcast and keep moving through the calendar — one risky idea at a time.

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    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    6 mins
  • From Log Cabins to Evolution and the Birth of Endless Debate

    From Log Cabins to Evolution and the Birth of Endless Debate
    Feb 12 2026
    February 12th is the day history introduced ideas that refused to stay quiet. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy dives into the strange, world-changing events tied to February 12th — a date defined by beginnings that came with lifelong consequences. From the birth of Abraham Lincoln in a Kentucky log cabin, to the introduction of evolutionary theory by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, this day marks the moment big ideas entered the world and never stopped causing arguments. You’ll also hear how February 12th evolved into a Cold War science date, when innovation stopped being neutral and discoveries were measured by their potential to reshape — or end — civilization. Blending dark humor, historical storytelling, scientific controversy, political legacy, and eerie calendar coincidences, this episode explores why the most important ideas in history often begin quietly and then haunt us forever. If you love strange history, political legends, scientific revolutions, cultural debates, Cold War tension, and darkly funny storytelling, this episode belongs in your queue. New episodes drop regularly. Follow The Strange History Podcast and keep moving through the calendar — one dangerous idea at a time.

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    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    7 mins
  • The Vatican Gets a Border, The Little Rascals Get Rowdy, and History Pretends This Makes Sense

    The Vatican Gets a Border, The Little Rascals Get Rowdy, and History Pretends This Makes Sense
    Feb 11 2026
    February 11th is the day history tried to simplify things — and accidentally made them permanent. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy explores the strange, quietly world-shaping events tied to February 11th. From the signing of the Lateran Treaty and the creation of Vatican City as its own sovereign nation, to the debut of Our Gang (later known as The Little Rascals), which redefined childhood and representation on screen, this date is all about definitions that refused to stay simple. You’ll also hear about Cold War February 11ths, when borders mattered deeply, surveillance replaced trust, and nothing happening was the most dangerous outcome of all. Blending dark humor, political history, cultural shifts, Cold War tension, and eerie calendar coincidences, this episode reveals why drawing lines on maps — or in society — rarely settles anything. If you love strange history, hidden political moments, Cold War stories, cultural turning points, forgotten history, and darkly funny storytelling, this episode belongs in your queue. New episodes drop regularly. Follow The Strange History Podcast and keep moving through the calendar — one suspicious date at a time.

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    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    6 mins
  • Peace Treaties, Smart Machines, and Endings That Weren’t

    Peace Treaties, Smart Machines, and Endings That Weren’t
    Feb 10 2026
    February 10th is the day history officially declares things “finished” — and immediately proves that nothing is actually finished at all. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy dives into the strange, misleading, and quietly world-altering events tied to February 10th. From the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 — which ended a global war while secretly setting the stage for the American Revolution — to the moment a computer defeated a human chess champion, reshaping how we think about intelligence and technology. You’ll also hear about Cold War February 10ths, when emergency systems were tested, alerts rehearsed, and civilization survived another day by pretending it was only practice. Blending dark humor, forgotten history, political irony, technological turning points, and eerie calendar coincidences, this episode reveals why history’s “official endings” are usually just the beginning of something worse. If you love strange history, political intrigue, hidden moments, Cold War paranoia, early AI stories, and darkly funny storytelling, this episode belongs in your queue. New episodes drop regularly. Follow The Strange History Podcast and keep moving through the calendar — one suspicious date at a time.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-strange-history-podcast--5773362/support.

    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
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    6 mins
  • The Falcon Lake Incident (1967): Canada’s Most Disturbing Physical Alien Encounter

    The Falcon Lake Incident (1967): Canada’s Most Disturbing Physical Alien Encounter
    Feb 9 2026
    In 1967, deep in the wilderness near Falcon Lake, Manitoba, a Canadian prospector experienced one of the most physically documented alien encounters in history. Unlike most UFO sightings, this case left behind burns, radiation-like injuries, medical records, and government investigations that remain unexplained to this day. In this episode of The Strange History Podcast, host Amy tells the chilling true story of the Falcon Lake Incident, where a mysterious craft landed, opened, and severely injured a man who got too close. Doctors documented a grid-shaped burn pattern, military agencies investigated the site, and even the U.S. Air Force quietly examined the case — yet no explanation ever emerged. Was this a secret Cold War aircraft? An alien machine malfunction? Or a terrifying example of humanity stumbling into something it was never meant to encounter? This episode explores one of the most credible and unsettling UFO cases on record, blending historical documentation, firsthand testimony, and dark humor to examine what happens when the unknown stops being distant — and becomes painfully real.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-strange-history-podcast--5773362/support.

    🎧 The Strange History Podcast Love bizarre true stories, forgotten scandals, and history’s most unhinged moments?
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    Follow The Strange History Podcast wherever you listen and never miss an episode. 🔗 Listen & Subscribe:
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    New episodes regularly. History gets weird here.
    Show more Show less
    7 mins