American Timelines

historyforjerks
  • 4.6 (42)
  • Comedy
  • Updated Biweekly

Amy & Joe discuss true crime & pop culture and crazy events through history year by year. Amy takes a deep dive on something creepy while Joe tells us about wacky stuff that happened. Amy likes murder, Joe likes old sitcoms, and they podcast to escape the monotony of adulthood.

  1. Sep 4

    The Last Jewish Gangster

    Joe sits down with author David S. Larson to discuss his time interviewing gangster Michael Hardy, who was born in 1944. David describes Hardy in detail as he recounts his 2 years of interviews of the former storied criminal in San Diego. David S. Larson is an author and former marketing executive who wrote the true-crime series The Last Jewish Gangster. Background: Larson is a former Fortune 500 global marketing executive. Other Works: He has written books like WEST: Journey Across the Plains and Mr. Meeks. Writing Style: He writes across genres including true crime, historical fiction, and memoirs. Subject: The books tell the true-crime story of Michael Hardy. The Connection: Hardy was the godson of famous mobster Bugsy Siegel. The Content: The story covers Hardy's life in Brooklyn, time in a dangerous Mexican prison, and work with the mob. The Early Years (Volume 1): Follows Hardy's entry into a life of crime in Brooklyn and his early criminal exploits. The Middle Years (Volume 2): Covers his time imprisoned in Mexico and his return to crime upon release.

  2. Aug 14 ·  Bonus

    Flashback: Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995

    Flashback to our 6th episode when Amy took a deep dive on the Oklahoma City Bombing, and we were new at podcasting...

  3. Jun 14

    Barry White, Peter Cetera & The Battle of Lone Tree Hill

    Joe and Artstar cover historical events from September 1944, including the Battle of Lone Tree Hill in Dutch New Guinea and a significant earthquake in New York. The episode features multiple birthday celebrations, with Artstar presenting detailed biographies of Barry White and Peter Cetera, while Joe shared information about Ty Warner (creator of Beanie Babies) and Swoozie Kurtz.

  4. Apr 1

    Tug McGraw & The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

    American Timelines by History For Jerk is back....continuing August of 1944... Listen as we discuss historical events from August 1944, including the liberation of Paris and the creation of the United Nations. Artstar shares a detailed biography of baseball player Tug McGraw while Gruff details the "Mad Gasser of Mattoon" incident from 1944, where residents of Mattoon, Illinois reported mysterious gas attacks.

  5. Mar 13

    Fort Lawton Riots & Richard Belzer

    Welcome to August of 1944. Joe and Hunter discuss various topics such as Richard Belzer's and Sam Elliott's birthdays, and the tragic death of Joseph Kennedy Jr. Hunter presents a detailed account of the Fort Lawton riots, highlighting the racial tensions and cover-up that followed.

  6. Jan 15

    Operation Valkyrie & Asmahan

    Operation Valkyrie & Asmahan: July 1944 Part 2. Hunter Bizzle and Gruff cover Operation Valkyrie, the plot to assisinate Hitler and the mysterious death of Arab superstar Asmahan in July of 1944.

  7. 12/17/2025

    The Day the Clowns Cried & Lt. Jackie Robinson

    Jumping into July 1944, Joe talks about the Hartford Circus Fire tragedy, and Arstar tells us about Lt. Jack Robinson refusing to give up a seat on the bus. This is American Timelines.

  8. 10/19/2025

    Ern Malley, Joe Nuxhall, Vojtěch Preissig and The Buzz Bomb

    In this episode, the American Timelines gang explore historical and artistic topics, including baseball history, World War II recruitment posters, and the development of the V1 flying bomb. Specifically: Joe Nuxhall's Record-Breaking MLB Debut Joe shares the story of Joe Nuxhall, who at 15 years and 10 months became the youngest person to pitch in a Major League Baseball game for the Cincinnati Reds in 1944. Vojtěch Preissig's Life and Art Artstar shared the life story of Czech artist Vojtěch Preissig, who was born in 1872 and worked as a topographer, illustrator, and designer. Artstar also discussed how the Nazis categorized artists into "degenerate" and "Nazi-approved" categories, with the former including modern artists like Otto Dix, Paul Klee, and Picasso, while the latter favored realistic or neoclassic art. Nazi V1 Flying Bomb Overview Hunter presented an in-depth overview of the V1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodle Bug, developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Ern Malley Hoax Steve shared the story of the Ern Malley poetry hoax, which was created to mock modernist poetry but ended up being embraced by some as legitimate art.

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4.6
out of 5
42 Ratings

About

Amy & Joe discuss true crime & pop culture and crazy events through history year by year. Amy takes a deep dive on something creepy while Joe tells us about wacky stuff that happened. Amy likes murder, Joe likes old sitcoms, and they podcast to escape the monotony of adulthood.

Information

  • Creator
    historyforjerks
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    258
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © American Timelines by History For Jerks is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.historyforjerks.com. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.historyforjerks.com.
  • Show Website
    American Timelines