Top History Podcasts

In 1920, a broke immigrant in Boston became one of America’s richest, most infamous men—practically overnight. In just nine months, he swindled the modern equivalent of a quarter billion dollars, upended the world of finance, and etched his name into history as the mastermind behind one of the most notorious scams ever: the Ponzi scheme.

Hosted by Maya Lau and featuring award-winning comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco, Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is a docudrama that captures the rise and fall—both outrageous and tragic—of the con artist who fooled the world and paid the price.

Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story is an Apple Original podcast, produced by AT WILL MEDIA. Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.

http://apple.co/EasyMoney

Enjoy calming sleep stories about history to help you relax at bedtime. Narratted by a real person (not A.I.) and without any loud obnoxious ads. Topics include The Titanic, Henry Ford, Gold Rush, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Pirates, True Crime, UFOs, Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Marco Polo, Rum, Salt, Coal, Oil, Pearls, and much more. These calm history sleep stories will distract and relax your bedtime brain squirrels. Access over 600 relaxing and AD-FREE episodes at www.calmhistory.com.

In a country obsessed with gossip, the great and the good fear one thing more than any other - scandal.

British scandals change the course of history. They bring down governments, overthrow the rich and cause the mighty to fall. Some are about sex, others about money. In the end, they’re all about power. 

But often at the heart of a scandal, there are ordinary human stories. Stories of those caught up in the swirl of outrage. 

Who was really to blame for what happened? Why did they do it? And when all is said and done, did anything really change?   

From the creators of Business Wars, American Scandal and Ghost Story, comes British Scandal. Each week, hosts Alice Levine and Matt Forde delve into the murkier side of the British elite, from Phone Hacking to Profumo to the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. Because sometimes the truth doesn’t set everyone free…

Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.

Beyond Mount Rushmore dives into the stories your history teacher definitely skipped. Each week, we explore forgotten presidents and their sketchy scandals, bizarre executive orders, and historic near-misses. Plus, facts so weird you'll think we made them up.

From FDR's final words, "I have a terrific headache," to Eleanor Roosevelt's lifelong "companion" in the White House, we're here to prove that history is anything but boring. Whether you're a hardcore history nerd or just love laughing at old dead guys' dumb decisions, buckle up for a wild ride through America's lesser-known past. New episodes drop every week—perfect for fans of dark humor, surprising trivia, and stories that Netflix wouldn't dare touch. Hosted by self-proclaimed presidential historian Stan Nawalaniec (owner of three Warren G. Harding bobbleheads) and co-host Jeff Hickcox (the voice of reason).

Experience the harrowing true story of a Jewish boy and his family's 6-year flight across the Soviet Union during World War II. When the Nazi invasion threatens their small town in Belarus, 11-year-old Yasha's mother makes a decision that will save the lives of generations to come: the decision to flee. What follows is an odyssey spanning thousands of miles across a war-torn nation, caught between Hitler's advancing forces and Stalin's iron rule. Built from testimony recorded by his grandson on an old camcorder, Yasha brings to life a childhood defined by upheaval, scarcity, and war, where growing up meant never standing still.

Everyone knows Salem. Almost nobody knows Vardø.

At the very edge of Europe, above the Arctic Circle, there was a place people believed stood on the boundary between this world… and something else. A place where the Devil could enter the world.

In February 1692, the same month the Salem accusations began, the last victim of the Vardø witch trials was being brought to court. Salem was over in little more than a year. This had already been going on for 70 years.

91 people died, most of them women, in Norway's deadliest witch hunt.

It began in 1619, when a Scottish sea captain arrived in this isolated community, a coast full of widows. Soon, a terrifying belief took hold, that witches were living among them.

Join me as I travel to the remotest parts of Norway, to the places where the women lived, were imprisoned and put to death. And I've been given rare access to the 17th century witch trial court books, with one of the few people alive who can still read them.

Whose words were really in those confessions?
And why did they kill so many women?

A 6-part documentary series from Lisa Williams.
Sound design by Craig Edmondson.