History Loves Company

The knight has become a stock figure in Medieval dramas, embodying the ideals of chivalry, courtly manners, and Christian values. But what if I told you that the last knight in Europe existed on the eve of World War Two? Find out all about it in this week's episode!

Throughout the golden age of Hellenistic culture and thought, the Library of Alexandria was a bastion of knowledge and intellectual pursuits. But the beginning of the end was sewn when a usurper assumed command of the Ptolemaic throne, expelling all scholars. Yet even this short-sighted act pailed in comparison to what happened next. Tune in for the exciting conclusion on the Library of Alexandria, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The library as an institution is nothing new. The first libraries came about with the world's first cities. In the land of Sumer in present-day Iraq, Uruk boasted an impressive library, where people from throughout the region could read and study texts. Assyrian king Ashurbanipal had his own personal library with clay tablets on a wide variety of subjects. But the biggest and most impressive of Antiquity's libraries was that which was housed in Alexandria, Egypt. Join me this week for a tour of this incredible institution and how it gained a reputation throughout the known world.

A place as renowned as Hollywood in Los Angeles, California is bound to have some legends attached to it. The ghost of Charlie Chaplin, for example, is said to haunt a cinema-turned-live theatre venue while the ghost of Marilyn Monroe can be seen in the mirror on one of the upper floors of a landmark hotel. Yet even these sightings and occurrences pale in comparison to the story of a despondent actress who killed herself by leaping off the Hollywood Sign. Join me this week for a look at the life of Peg Entwistle on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Referred to by historians as "the Venice of the Americas", Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was truly a civic and engineering marvel that was wondrous to behold. Today, not much remains of the original city, but what does is impressive and offers a glimpse at the grandeur and magnificence of Aztec architects. Join me for a tour of this amazing city, this week on the History Loves Company podcast!

We seem to be jaded in our contemporary age. We've lost all sense of optimism. It's difficult to pinpoint any singular reason for this, but our current penchant for nostalgia is seemingly justified given the circumstances. But, believe it or not, there was a time when a new century meant promise and hope. Join me this week for a look at fin-de-siècle Vienna and how a unique (albeit extremely brief) literary movement helped shape Austrian literature all the way to the present!

Few cities in Europe, or the world, for that matter, can claim such a rich and lengthy history as picturesque Plovdiv in southern Bulgaria. Boasting a human presence dating back 8000 years, it's a remarkable place that has seen empires crumble and people from all walks of life making something extraordinary of themselves. Join me on a tour of Europe's oldest city!

We've all seen it: a black-and-white, grainy photo of a long-necked creature surfacing the waters of Loch Ness. This is perhaps the most iconic image of the so-named Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, ever captured on film. But while the creature has been better documented in recent centuries thanks to photographic and video evidence, sightings of it date back even further to several centuries in the past. Get your swim trunks and floaties, dear listeners, because we're diving into the depths of Loch Ness for a look at the history behind sightings of the world's most famous cryptid!

There are many ways to legitimize a city, but your first thought might not be to steal a holy relic. The Most Serene Republic of Venice, or La Serenissima in the Venetian language, did just that in its formative years and it fast became the symbol of the city itself. How and why did they do it? Was it indeed God's will? And how has this holy relic shaped its identity? Find out in this week's enthralling episode!

The bond between humans and dogs is an unbreakable one. From their domestication some 20000 to 40000 years ago during the Ice Age, they've become loyal companions and dear friends. Across cultures, dogs are often associated with benevolence, but did you know that a town in Medieval France even went as far as to make one a saint? Find out how it all happened in this week's episode, all about Saint Guinefort, the dog saint!

French art in the late 19th Century was at a crossroads. Between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism and the various Modernist movements that would dominate the early 20th Century, the Turn-of-the-Century was a transitional period. And yet, no movement better embodied this transition than the Nabis, a fringe movement that would ultimately bridge the gap between the two. Tune in this week to discover more about them!

With the rise of Benito Mussolini (and, by extension, fascism) in Italy, the colony of Eritrea was hurled into Modern Age. Rapid industrialization and development of infrastructure meant that the capital city of Asmara's population more than doubled within a decidedly short span of time. But the grinding gears of history had other plans for the colony. Find out what happened next in Part Two of Italian Eritrea!

Admittedly, the so-called "Rush to Africa" conjures up the usual European suspects: France, Belgium, and, of course, Britain. But lesser known is Italy who established its own colony in East Africa in a place they called Eritrea (from the Latin name for the Red Sea that borders it). Today, the capital city of Asmara is a hodgepodge of Romanesque churches, Modernist architecture, and businesses with names in both Italian and Tigrinya (the primary native tongue). Come along with me for a tour of this beautiful country and how the Italians shaped the place it became.

You've likely heard the phrase "singing for one's supper," but how about singing for one's freedom? Nearly forty years ago now, the people of the Baltic states did just that in order to cast off the yoke of Soviet oppression. Lend me your ears (and voices) this week for a look at the Singing Revolution!

The sinner-to-saint story is prevalent in Christianity. There are countless examples of men and women who saw the proverbial light and made a change for the better. But what about in other faiths? In the East, such figures can also be found in Buddhism. And in Tibet, perhaps none is as famous as the subject of this week's episode. We return to the Himalayas this week, dear listeners, for a look at the wondrous life of Milarepa!

Despite three of the world's main religions being monotheistic in nature, they were not the first to adopt such a concept. The belief in a sole or chief deity is decidedly older, with roots in Persia and, perhaps surprisingly, in Egypt, where one pharaoh dared to topple the age-old religious order in favor of something new and radical. Tune in this week to learn about Atenism, Ancient Egypt's monotheistic faith, as well as the man behind it, the great Akhenaten!

The subject of colonization of North America typically conjures up a few "culprits": Spain, France, and, of course, Britain. But it's important to remember that other European powers gave it a go here as well: the Dutch, for example, whose colony of New Amsterdam would one day become the city of New York. But even lesser known than the Dutch were the Russians, who, unlike the others who crossed the Atlantic and expanded westward, traveled east from the European part of their domain across Siberia and into North America via the North Pacific. Come with me as we join these intrepid explorers and settlers on their journey to the New World, a place that would come to be known as Russian America!

Take a look in your pockets, dear listeners. Do you have any spare change? Perhaps a nickel, a dime, or a penny? Of these, the penny isn't worth that much. Just one cent in American currency, these copper coins bearing the likeness of our 16th president (Abraham Lincoln) are the most commonly found coins on the ground while out and about. And yet, it was a humble penny, albeit far older than the Lincoln Cent, that created quite a stir when it was unearthed at a Native American archaeological site in the state of Maine in the 1950s, one that brought up the biggest question since both the United States and Canada were founded: Who discovered North America? Tune in to this week's brief episode about the so-named "Maine Penny" to learn more!

If you've attended a university in either the United States or Canada, chances are you or someone you know was part of a fraternity or sorority. These exclusive student-led clubs offer a sense of camaraderie and community and, some would say, enhance and exemplify the college experience. But there was a time before such organizations existed and were even regarded with scorn by university faculty. You'll want to rush or pledge this week's episode, underclassmen, all about the history of fraternities and sororities!

"Do yeh fear that dark abyss?" So asks Davy Jones, the main antagonist of the second film in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise: 'Dead Man's Chest.' For context, he was referring to death, but his words could just as easily apply to the sea itself. The ocean is vast, unforgiving, and holds many secrets. One such secret is the disappearance of a Danish ship almost a century ago--the København--in which she and her entire crew vanished without a trace. Join me, if you dare, for this week's chilling episode.

Our species is obsessed with immortality. Given our limited time on this Earth, who can blame us? As such, many great men and women throughout history have sought to halt or postpone death through both supernatural and scientific means. But of them, perhaps none did so quite as intensely as the first emperor of China. Join me this week for a tale of political intrigue, assassination attempts, and paranoia and how one of the most powerful figures in history sought the recipe for the elixir of eternal life!

Baseball is America's pastime. So how did it end up in one of the remotest places on Earth? Just in time for the World Baseball Classic (starting March 5th), join me as we explore the history of the sport in Bhutan and how a tiny part of the Himalayas became a bastion for baseball.

As there's currently a revolution taking place in Iran, it seemed high time that the 'History Loves Company' podcast traveled to this historically and culturally rich land to explore its ancient past. If you've attended any of the pro-democracy demonstrations in Persian communities throughout the world, then you've seen images of heard tell of a man known as Kurosh, better known in the West as Cyrus the Great. The first king of a unified Persia, he'd go on to forge what was the largest empire in the world at the time. But just who was this man? Where did he come from? And was he indeed responsible for the first known human rights policy in history? Find out in this week's episode and tremble before the might of the great "Shahanshah" ("king of kings")!

About 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Los Angeles is a natural rock formation known as Vásquez Rocks. Formed around 25 million years ago, they dominate the sparse landscape, their bright reddish hues telling the story of the area's seismic and geological history. But our focus this week isn't on the formation, but the man whose name now graces it. Few figures in the days of California's Wild West cast as big a shadow as Tiburcio Vásquez. You'll definitely want to hear his story, as it's almost too crazy to be true!

Many of us grew up with Paddington, the adorable, lovable bear who somehow finds himself transplanted on British soil from his homeland of "darkest Peru." While the subjects of today's episode are a bit less endearing (to say nothing of a geographical reversal of this), their story is nonetheless captivating. How did a vibrant community of Welsh people end up in one of the wildest regions of South America? How did they shape the land they came to inherit? And are there any still left today? "Croeso", dear listeners ("welcome" in Welsh), to discover the answers to these and other questions this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Much like life, history has a way of going its own way, usually in a direction one least expects. After becoming part of Italy, South Tyrol enjoyed some autonomy and was allowed to retain its culture and practices. But then, a little thing called fascism assumed control of Italy in what can best be described as a coup d'état and the South Tyroleans found their entire world turned upside-down. Find out how it all turned out, in the second part of South Tyrol's story, this week on the History Loves Company podcast.

Ah, Italy! Known the world over for its natural beauty, picturesque towns, and delicious cuisine, to walk or drive its roads is to follow in the footsteps of great men and women or else great civilizations and disparate peoples such as the Etruscans, Romans, or...Austrians?! You read that right, dear listeners. Indeed, Italy shares a border with Austria, but how did some 150000 Austrians become Italian citizens virtually overnight? Tune in this week to find out in Part One of South Tyrol's fascinating history!

If you're hungry this week, dear listeners, how about having something a bit "meteor"? Get it? Instead of "meatier"...Okay, so you're not here for my knockabout comedy, but this week's episode is, quite literally, out of this world. What do Siberia, Evenki natives, and space rocks all have in common? If you're in suspense, hit that play button to find out!

Imagine going on a hunting trip with your sibling or best friend, only to happen upon the body of an infant. It's a frightening prospect, but that's exactly what happened to brothers Hans and Jokum Grønvold of Ummannaq, Greenland in 1972. They immediately contacted local authorities, mistaking the child as the victim of a murder. But further analysis revealed something far different--and far older--than anyone could have imagined. Join me this week for a look at the mummies of Greenland.

If you've ever seen the musical '1776,' then you're likely familiar with the spirited debate between Founding Fathers John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin about which bird should be the symbol of America. Adams vies for the bald eagle, Jefferson the ring-necked pheasant, and Franklin the wild turkey. All three species are native to the United States, yet history shows us that it was the bald eagle that ultimately won out. But was John Adams truly the reason for this? Or is this legend the result of Broadway fantasy? Tune in this week to find out!

As with many cities throughout the world, Los Angeles has a long and troubled history of crime. The Black Dahlia, Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez (the infamous "Night Stalker")...these are just some of the most notorious criminal cases that have taken place in the so-called City of Angels. But long before these, even before its days as a lawless Wild West town, Los Angeles was home to one of the earliest, if not THE earliest, crimes ever committed within what are now LA City limits. Join me this week as we venture back to Prehistoric LA to discover the sordid tale of the La Brea Woman.

Celebrity and tabloid culture are nothing new. We forget that the stories and scandals of today are not a recent phenomenon. Indeed, what we now regard as salacious can, in fact, trace its roots back a century at the height of the Roaring Twenties, when a lively and decadent youth subculture took Britain by storm with their shocking behavior. Join me this week for a look at the Bright Young Things and see how little has truly changed!

Every city has an underbelly, a dark and shady section that's perhaps best to avoid altogether. But the literal underbelly of Paris is just so cool and unique that you might NOT want to miss it! Tune in this week on Halloween Eve (that's a thing, right?) for the grim and grisly history of the Paris Catacombs!

Babylon. The name conjures up images of Biblical grandeur, of a wicked city whose reputation for vice and vanity would be its ultimate undoing. But beneath this unjust, one-sided, depiction lies one of the greatest architectural marvels in all of human history...or so we've been told. Just what were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Who ordered their construction and why? And if they were as grand as several ancient sources claim they were, then how come no archaeological evidence among the ruins of Babylon can corrorborate their existence? Find out in this week's episode!

Historically speaking, it goes without saying that Europe is a Christian continent. But prior to the arrival of this monotheistic faith from the Middle East, its various cultures and peoples had their own gods and religious practices. Still, the conversion of the continent from paganism to Christianity didn't occur overnight and there were indeed a few holdouts, though perhaps none quite as late, if you will, than the subject of this week's episode. Join me on a trip to 14th Century Lithuania for a look at Europe's last pagans!

As of 2025, the city of Manila in the Philippines is the most densely populated place on Earth with 119,600 people per square mile. These statistics are staggering to say the least, but prior to this, one of the most densely populated places in history was the so-named Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. Roughly the size of four American football fields, this makeshift enclave boasted some 33,000 inhabitants and likely more. Tune in this week to find out how such a place came into being and what fate ultimately befell it, right here on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

Celestial phenomena are nothing new. In fact, they've been recorded throughout human history. The appearance of Halley's Comet in the skies over the English Channel during the Norman Conquest was one such instance. A lunar eclipse prior to the abandonment of several Mayan cities was thought to be an omen from the gods of portents dire. And in an open field in Fátima, Portugal on October 13th, 1917, the sun performed a series of gymnastic-like feats that left witnesses stunned, intrigued, and bewildered. What did the citizens of Fátima see that fateful day? Was it celestial or superstitious in nature? And if it can't be explained scientifically, was it really the miracle they said it was? Tune in to find out!

Despite there being several examples of female pirates in popular culture, there were, in fact, only about a hundred of whose exploits were recorded throughout history. One of these was Grace O'Malley, the daughter of a prominent Irish clan leader who would go on to gain a fearsome reputation for herself in a largely male-dominated society and age. So avast, me hearties, as the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' song at Disneyland goes, and join me on deck for her incredible story!

Anyone who has seen 'Jurassic Park' will be familiar with amber, as it plays a major role in the plot. This fossilized tree resin was described by the ancients as "warm to the touch and, when burned, is even more agreeable than frankincense." Indeed, it was a highly prized commodity in Antiquity, being used in jewelry and religious practices throughout the Mediterranean, North Africa, and even Central Asia. But the amber in question came from somewhere decidedly far from any of these places: the Baltic Coast. How did this "red gold" travel so far? Tune in to this week's episode to find out!

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a golden age as "an idyllic, often imaginary, past time of peace, prosperity, and happiness." Yet, for the people who lived under the reign of the subject of this week's episode, it was anything BUT imaginary. To this day, the name Mansa Musa strikes awe in the hearts and minds of all those who hear his story, but what exactly IS that story? How was his reign seen as both a literal and figurative golden age? And why are we still talking about it seven centuries later? Tune in to find out!

Never had Italy been more fractured in its reunification efforts than it was following the Revolutions of 1858-49 as well as the Italian Independence War. Both sides kept butting heads with one another in a tug-of-war that showed no signs of stopping. How long would the revolutionaries' struggle last? Would the Italian Peninsula ever be united? And were it so, what sort of government would ultimately be chosen? Find out in the thrilling conclusion on the Risorgimento!

As Charles Dickens wrote at the beginning of 'A Tale of Two Cities': "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," though for the disparate states scattered throughout the Italian Peninsula for much of the start of the 19th Century, it was more the latter. With the people demanding a unified Italy, a series of revolts (some peaceful, some not) broke out, some of which bore partial fruit with others being quickly suppressed. By the middle of the century, it seemed as if all hope of unification had been dashed, but was it really? Join for a tour through this Age of Revolutions, this week in part two on the Risorgimento!

Once, all of the Italian Peninsula was united under the Roman banner. But with the fall of the western half of that mighty empire in the late 5th Century, it became a fractured collection of kingdoms, republics, and city-states. It would take another fourteen centuries before anything close to cohesion would emerge in Italy and it would come at a highly volatile time in European history. Tune in this week for the distant rumblings of what would ultimately come to be known as the "Risorgimento" (literally "resurgence," but more generally "reunification") on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The word "frontier" conjures up many ideas in the American consciousness. It's become synonymous with the concept of Manifest Destiny in 19th Century American politics, the eventual westward expansion, and, of course, the so-named "Wild West" period that ensued. But before all that, the American Frontier was confined to the land west of the Appalachian Mountains along the country's eastern seaboard, where a group of hearty "overmountain men" lived and would play a significant role in the fight for independence against the British. Join me as we explore the Overmountain Men, this week on the 'History Loves Company' podcast!

The modern nation-state of Romania is a puzzle of sorts. Given its place in Eastern Europe, surrounded by mostly Slavic and Slavic-speaking countries, its people speak a tongue descended from Latin, the noble language of the Romans. Its name also gives a hint at ties to Rome, but before these lands fell under Roman influence and jurisdiction, they were united by a man who has since become a national hero the Romanians: Burebista. Join me today for a look at the reign and times of this great leader, who forged an empire all his own!

With several rescue and relief efforts underway, one would think the surviving Donner Party members' fates were secured. But alas, inclement weather and the limits of manpower meant that they still had several struggles to overcome, the like of which would cost some of them their lives. Tune in this week for the third and final installment of the Donner Party's epic journey.

When last we left our...heroes? Anti-heroes? Villains? Anyway, when last we left the Donner Party, they had rejoined the Oregon Trail after the disastrous "shortcut" that had been the Hastings Cutoff. But their troubles were only just beginning, as we'll discover in this week's episode, part two of the Donner Party.

We in the 21st Century have it decidedly easy as far as travel is concerned. With cars, trains, and airplanes at our disposal, we've the luxury of traveling in comfort, style, and with enough provisions to ensure our satisfaction. But those in 19th Century America weren't as fortunate, making long overland crossings that caused them to face starvation, attacks from hostile Native Americans, and other perils. One such group of pioneers to make the westward journey was the so-named Donner Party, whose name has become synonymous with some of humanity's darker practices. Tune in this week for part one of their notorious journey, though you might want to hold off on the fava beans and Chianti when you do.

The primary purpose of language is to communicate, though with the variety of tongues spoken throughout the world, understanding is somewhat complicated. But in the late 19th Century, an ophthalmologist from a town in what's now Poland sought to bridge these linguistic gaps by creating a universal language. How did he do it? What inspired him to do so, despite his decidedly non-linguistic career path? And what place does his language hold in our contemporary world? Tune in this week to discover the answer to these and other questions, all about the language known as Esperanto!

As far as 20th Century German art is concerned, the German capital of Berlin tends to overshadow all others, especially In regards to the Weimar Republic of the late 1910s through the early 1930s. But at the beginning of the 20th Century, Munich was the undisputed art capital of Germany when many avant-garde artists converged there and formed a group known as Der Blaue Reiter ("the Blue Rider"). Tune in this week for a comprehensive look at this highly influential artistic movement. Jawohl!