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.

Welcome to Weird History!

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.