Honourable Mentions: Hilarious History

Steve and Neil Webb
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Comedy

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. 3d ago

    Michel & Nadine Vaujour's Helicopter Prison Escape

    Send us Fan Mail Can love break you out of prison? In 1986, Nadine Vaujour took flying lessons under a fake name with one goal in mind: to pluck her husband, notorious bank robber Michel Vaujour, off the roof of Paris's high-security Santé Prison in a stolen helicopter. ​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 turns 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 don't forget to hit Follow/Subscribe for more incredible true crime stories! Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  2. Jul 15

    Krystyna Skarbek: The Spy Who Fooled The Gestapo

    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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Jun 10

    Who was Sergeant Stubby the American hero of WWI

    Send us Fan Mail Meet Sergeant Stubby, the ultimate four-legged hero of the Great War. In this episode, we dive into the incredible true story of a stray pit bull mix who wandered onto a Yale University training camp and ended up on the front lines of World War I. ​From saving his regiment from mustard gas attacks to capturing a German spy by the seat of his pants, Stubby’s bravery earned him a lifetime of fame, a meeting with three U.S. presidents, and the official rank of Sergeant. ​In this episode, we discuss: ​How a stray dog was smuggled onto a military ship to France. ​Stubby’s incredible senses that warned soldiers of incoming artillery and gas attacks. ​His life as an American celebrity, mascot, and the ultimate war hero dog. ​The enduring legacy of animals in military history. ​If you love military history, incredible animal stories, or forgotten tales from WWI, this episode is for you! ​Enjoyed the episode? Don't forget to hit Follow, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with a fellow history buff or dog lover! ​ Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

  8. Jun 3

    Margorie McCall: Lived Once, Buried Twice

    Send us Fan Mail Imagine waking up in the dark, cold, confused, in absolute agony and trapped inside a wooden box at the bottom of a six foot hole - you’ve just been buried alive! ​In this episode, we dive into one of history’s most chilling and enduring urban legends: the story of Margorie McCall, the Irish woman whose epitaph reads, lived once, buried twice.  After seemingly succumbing to a fever, Margorie was hastily interred to prevent the spread of disease. But her story didn't end beneath the dirt. ​We trace her fate directly into the dark, underground economy of the Resurrectionists—the notorious grave robbers who made a living digging up fresh corpses to sell to medical schools for anatomical dissection. What happened when these body snatchers tried to slice a valuable ring off Margorie's finger? The answer is a piece of gothic history you have to hear to believe. ​In this episode, we discuss: ​The gruesome history of grave robbing, body snatching, and early medical science. ​The historical context of Lurgan, Ireland and the Glorious Revolution of Mary and William of Orange. ​Did Margorie McCall really survive her own grave? ​Enjoyed the episode? Don't forget to hit the Follow button, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with a fellow history or true crime lover! Email honourablementionspod@gmail.com  Website honourablementions.buzzsprout.com Facebook Honourable Mentions  Instagram  honourablementionspod TikTok  honourable.mentionspod Discord honourablementions

See All (39)

About

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.

Information

You Might Also Like