In 1872, two smooth-talking con men pulled off one of history's most audacious scams by "discovering" a massive diamond field in the American West. After secretly scattering cheap diamonds across worthless land, they convinced banking tycoons, geologists, and even a founder of Tiffany & Co. to invest millions in their fictional gem empire. The scheme was so convincing that it sparked a nationwide diamond rush and nearly crashed the global gem market - until one skeptical geologist noticed something wasn't quite right about these miraculous diamond fields. This is the incredible true story of Philip Arnold and John Slack, the Kentucky cousins who almost got away with the perfect crime, and the investigation that brought down their glittering house of cards.

In 1933, a group of powerful Wall Street executives allegedly plotted to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install a fascist military government. Their plan? Recruit decorated Marine Corps General Smedley Butler to lead a coup, only to have Butler secretly expose the entire conspiracy to Congress. Discover the shocking true story of the Business Plot - a near-successful attempt to replace American democracy with a corporate-controlled regime that came closer to succeeding than most history books admit.

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You've heard the story: Pope Gregory IX declared war on cats, linking them to satanic heresy in a 1233 papal bull that triggered widespread feline extermination. But here's the twist - historians now believe this dramatic tale is mostly medieval urban legend. While anti-cat sentiment existed in medieval Europe, there's little evidence of an official papal campaign against cats. This episode unpacks how historical myths get created, spread, and believed - exploring the thin line between fascinating storytelling and historical fact. Discover how a compelling narrative can sometimes overpower historical accuracy, and why we love a good story, even when it might not be entirely true.

In 1859, Joshua Abraham Norton declared himself Emperor Norton I of the United States - and somehow, an entire city decided to play along. Broke and desperate after losing his fortune, Norton began issuing imperial decrees, printing his own currency, and walking San Francisco's streets in a makeshift military uniform. Incredibly, local businesses honored his fake money, theaters reserved him free seats, and newspapers published his royal proclamations with a mix of humor and genuine respect. This is the unbelievable true story of how one man's delusion became a beloved urban legend, transforming a failed businessman into a beloved city icon who ruled without an army, palace, or any real power - just pure audacity and the collective imagination of an entire city.

In this episode of 'Weird History,' we explore the fascinating and somewhat disturbing history of phrenology, a 19th-century pseudoscience that claimed to determine a person's character and intelligence based on the shape and size of their skull. We delve into the origins of this bizarre theory, its impact on society, and the ethical implications of such pseudoscientific beliefs.

In 1847, skilled surgeon Robert Liston attempted to perform the fastest amputation in medical history - and succeeded in the worst possible way. Armed with his lucky knife and legendary speed, Liston completed the surgery in under 30 seconds... but accidentally slashed his assistant's fingers, sliced through a spectator's coat, and watched in horror as both men and his patient died from different causes. This is the incredible true story of the only operation in history with a 300% mortality rate. Join us as we explore the bizarre world of pre-anesthetic surgery, where speed was prized above all else, surgeons were ranked by how fast they could cut, and a man could accidentally kill three people while trying to save one life. Discover why Liston was called "The Fastest Knife in the West End" - and why that wasn't always a good thing.

In 1945, German soldier Georg Gärtner slipped away from a POW camp in New Mexico, beginning one of the longest successful disappearing acts in American history. For four decades, he built a new life as "Dennis Whiles" - becoming a tennis instructor, marrying an American woman, and even appearing on TV's "To Tell The Truth." No one, not even his wife, knew his true identity until 1985, when he finally surrendered to the FBI. His incredible story includes riding the rails as a hobo, learning English from cowboys, and living in constant fear of discovery while building the American Dream. Discover how this former Nazi soldier became the last WWII German POW to be captured in America - by turning himself in.

When the French king betrayed and executed her husband in 1343, noblewoman Jeanne de Clisson transformed from a wealthy aristocrat into one of history's most ruthless pirates. Selling her lands to fund a fleet of black ships with blood-red sails, she terrorized the English Channel for 13 years, hunting down French nobles and leaving only a few survivors to tell the king about her vengeance. Known as the "Lioness of Brittany," this medieval mother-turned-pirate specifically targeted French royalty and nobility, often personally beheading her aristocratic captives with an ax. While she showed mercy to common sailors, any nobles unlucky enough to cross paths with her black ships met a grisly fate. Discover the true story of how one woman's quest for revenge turned her from a lady of the French court into a feared pirate commander who made the nobility tremble.