Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History

Steve and Neil Webb

Join two brothers for a hilarious dive into the untold stories of history's most obscure figures. Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History unearths the hidden tales your teachers forgot to mention—If you love a good laugh with a bit of sibling rivalry, and learning about remarkable everyday people who did extraordinary things, subscribe for your weekly dose of banter and historical deep dives. It’s the history podcast where the underdogs finally get their due.

  1. 6h ago

    The plan to nuke the moon

    Send us Fan Mail In the late 1950s, the Cold War was heating up, the Space Race was slipping away, and America’s top military minds came up with the ultimate, infallible solution to flex on the Soviet Union: Let’s blow up the Moon! ​This week, we’re investigatin Project A119—a top-secret U.S. Air Force plan that really did ask, “What if we dropped a nuclear bomb on the lunar surface just so everyone on Earth could see the giant mushroom cloud?”  The project was led by a genius named Leonard Reiffel and involved a young man called Carl Sagan. Join us as we explore the terrifying confidence of the US military in their bad idea, and why the American Cold War scientists weren't exactly working alone. More importantly, we discover why the government eventually realized blowing up the man in the moon might be bad PR.  Grab your tinfoil hats and pop on a hazard suit—it’s time to talk about the space mission that thankfully never happened. 🔔 Please Subscribe/Follow so you never miss an episode! ⭐ Enjoyed the show? Please leave us a 5-star rating on Spotify—it really does help other history lovers to find us. 💬 Join the conversation on Instagram at honourablementionspod  Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  2. Jul 29

    Henry Every: The most successful pirate who ever lived

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we set sail for the legend of Henry Every (also known as Long Ben or Benjamin Bridgeman), the 17th-century pirate captain who pulled off the ultimate score and ask just how did an English sailor rise to pirate captain, carry out the most lucrative raid in human history, trigger the world's first global manhunt, and then vanish into thin air with millions in gold? From his mutiny aboard the Charles II to the daring raid on the Grand Mughal’s treasure ship, the Ganj-i-Sawai, We explore: ​How Henry Every led a bloodless mutiny to start his pirate career. ​The high-seas capture of the Mughal Emperor’s flagship and its massive fortune. ​The subsequent political crisis that nearly destroyed the East India Company.  ​Henry's disapperance and a possible explanations. ​Whether you’re a history buff, a true crime fan, or love golden age pirate lore, this is the unbelievable true story of the pirate king who beat the system. ​ 🔔 Subscribe/Follow so you never miss an episode! ⭐ Enjoyed the show? Please leave us a 5-star rating on Spotify—it really does help other history lovers to find us. 💬 Join the conversation on Instagram at honourablementionspod  Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  3. Jul 22

    The prison break that stunned the world

    Send us Fan Mail In 1986, Nadine Vaujour, supposedly a bored French housewife, took flying lessons under a fake name with one goal in mind: to steal a helicopter, fly over Paris and pluck her husband, the notorious bank robber Michel Vaujour, off the roof of the high-security Santé Prison. ​In this episode, we dive deep into the extraordinary true crime story of Michel and Nadine Vaujour. From Michel’s legendary reputation as France's "King of Escapes" to Nadine’s audacious, movie-worthy helicopter rescue, we explore: ​Michel Vaujour's multiple prison escapes  ​The painstaking plan and undercover flying lessons behind the 1986 getaway ​The dramatic rooftop extraction that shocked the world ​The aftermath, the manhunt, and the surprising twists in their story. ​If you love true crime, high-stakes heists, wild prison escapes, and insane real-life love stories, you won't want to miss this one. ​Listen now and remember to hit Follow/Subscribe for more incredible true crime stories. Thank you. 🙏 Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  4. Jul 15

    Krystyna Skarbek: The greatest female spy of all time.

    Send us Fan Mail Meet Krystyna Skarbek (alias Christine Granville), Britain’s first and longest-serving female secret agent of World War II. Long before the world knew of Ian Fleming's James Bond or Vesper Lynd, this Polish-born countess was pulling off the most daring covert operations in espionage history. ​In this episode of Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History, we tell the remarkable true story of a woman who repeatedly stared down the Gestapo and won. From skiing across the perilous Tatra Mountains to smuggle intelligence, to single-handedly engineering a prison break to save her fellow Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents just hours before their scheduled execution, Krystyna’s life reads like a Hollywood thriller. ​We unmask the reality of WWII espionage, exploring how she survived under deep cover, her complex relationships, and why the British government abandoned its most decorated female spy after the war ended. ​Key Topics Covered in This Episode: ​The Making of a Spy: Krystyna’s early life in Poland and her recruitment into Britain's secret SOE. ​Behind Enemy Lines: Daring missions across Nazi-occupied Europe and occupied France. ​The Great Escape: How she used raw bluffing and psychological manipulation to free captured British agents. ​The Tragedy of Peace: Her mysterious, tragic post-war life and untimely death in London. ​If you love military history, untold stories of badass women in history, and gripping espionage tales, hit that Follow button and leave us a 5-star review! Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  5. Jul 8

    The Tragic Arctic Balloon Crash of S. A. Andrée

    Send us Fan Mail In 1897, Swedish explorer S.A. Andrée set out to fly a hydrogen balloon over the North Pole. Alongside Knut Frænkel and Nils Strindberg, he launched The Eagle (or the Ornen) into the freezing unknown. Less than three days later, they were fighting for their lives on shifting pack ice. ​In this episode, we examine the reasons behind the expedition, the design of the balloon, how the money was raised and the harrowing discovery over 30 years after the crew were last seen — including the frozen diaries and camera film that finally told the world what happened to Andrée,  Frænkel and Strindberg. If you like a chuckle and are a fan of the kind of forgotten hisory they didn’t teach you at school, please subscribe so you don't miss a future episode.  Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  6. Jul 1

    Did a Pope put a corpse on trial?

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when the supreme leader of the Catholic Church goes completely mad with power? You get the Cadaver Synod. Join us for the terrifying medieval courtroom drama of 897, when Pope Formosus was put on trial by Pope Stephen VI. The problem was that Formosus had been dead for 9 months!  We explore the political schemes, the gruesome trial and punishment of a corpse, and the chaotic aftermath that shook Rome to its core. If you like your history dark, gripping and gruesome then you're in the right place. ⛪️ Please give us a like and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes of Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History  Thank you Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  7. Jun 24

    Hitler’s Jewish Neighbors: The Feuchtwanger Story

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when a dictator's fiercest critic lives right in his backyard?  Welcome to Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History and the story of Hitler and The Feuchtwanger family. The Jews who lived as his neighbors and who were the relatives of the Nazi Party's Public Enemy Number 1. All without the Fuhrer suspecting a thing. We look at Adolf Hitler's rise to power and how acclaimed novelist, Lion Feuchtwanger, used his satirical wit to warn the Weimar Republic of the growing Nazi threat—making him one of Hitler's personal enemies. As well as hearing from his nephew, Edgar, and his first hand experience of what it was like growing up as a German-Jew with Hitler living across the road.  If you love discovering the history they forgot to teach you in school and all told with a laugh, then subscribe so you never miss a future episode.  Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  8. Jun 17

    Who invented the penalty kick?

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered who invented the football penalty kick? Meet William McCrum, the forgotten Irish goalkeeper from County Armagh who revolutionized soccer history in 1890 by proposing what critics furiously called the "death penalty" rule to stop dirty play.   ​In this episode, we dive deep into the fascinating sports history of how a wealthy linen manufacturer's son and amateur theatre lover changed the Laws of the Game forever. From a muddy pitch in Milford to the high stakes of a modern FIFA World Cup shootout, discover how McCrum's radical idea shocked Victorian England.   ​We break down: ​Why the English Football Association originally called the rule an insult ("gentlemen don't cheat!") ​The blatant, game-changing goal-line foul that forced the FA to change their minds in 1891   ​The tragic personal life of McCrum, who lost his fortune in the 1929 Wall Street Crash and died penniless, never seeing his invention achieve global glory   ​Whether you call it football or soccer, you'll never look at a twelve-yard shootout the same way again. ​⚽ Love untold history? Hit follow, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend! Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

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Join two brothers for a hilarious dive into the untold stories of history's most obscure figures. Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History unearths the hidden tales your teachers forgot to mention—If you love a good laugh with a bit of sibling rivalry, and learning about remarkable everyday people who did extraordinary things, subscribe for your weekly dose of banter and historical deep dives. It’s the history podcast where the underdogs finally get their due.

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