Ulysses S. Grant is remembered as the general who won the Civil War, but his greatest battles may have come after the fighting ended. As president, Grant found himself surrounded by friends, allies, and appointees who exploited his trust, dragging his administration into a series of corruption scandals that damaged his reputation.
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📜 Welcome, Extra Historians, to our Caterina Sforza, Extra Context video! Where we talk about the mistakes we made and the details we couldn't quite squeeze into our series. With questions like, Just how much tea was happening during the Italian Renaissance?, Caterina's was such a boss, did her children live up to her hype?, and " Did Caterina really fight side by side with her…
In January 1945, nineteen-year-old Audie Murphy found himself facing an impossible situation: hundreds of German troops and six Tiger tanks advancing on his position. Standing alone atop a burning tank destroyer, Murphy held the line against overwhelming odds in a feat of heroism that would earn him the Medal of Honor. But his story didn't end on the battlefield. From war hero to Hollywood star,…
When Napoleon's armies invaded Portugal, the Portuguese royal family did something unprecedented: they moved their entire court across the Atlantic to Brazil. What followed was a dramatic struggle between empire and independence, royal authority and constitutional government. From the rise of Emperor Pedro I to the reign of Pedro II, discover how Brazil transformed from a colonial possession into…
Today, outside of the occasional corporate shakeup or Game Pass controversy, Xbox doesn't dominate gaming conversations the way it once did. So what happened? How did a console that started as little more than a risky side project become an industry giant, and then lose so much momentum that even Costco stopped carrying its hardware? Find out today as we explore the complete history of…
By the end of the 15th century, Caterina Sforza had already survived more than most rulers could imagine. For over a decade, the Tigress of Forlì governed the territories of Imola and Forlì, enduring riots, assassinations, invasions, betrayals, and the deaths of three husbands, all while raising eight children in the brutal world of Renaissance Italy. But her greatest challenge was still to…
Last time we saw Caterina Sforza, she was trapped in a dangerously toxic relationship, one that blurred the line between loyalty and obsession. But personal turmoil is only the beginning, because war has arrived at her doorstep.
Charles VIII of France has marched into Italy with a massive army, determined to claim the throne of Naples. And in the chaotic world of 15th-century Italian politics,…
📜 Welcome, Extra Historians, to our Historical Tyrants, Extra Context video! Where we talk about the mistakes we made and the details we couldn't quite squeeze into our series. With questions like, Was there any backlash from treating public executions like entertainment? Did "Whipping Tom" actually do all that weird stuff, or was it just folklore? And, just how spicy were these Varney the…
Caterina Sforza, later known as the “Tigress of Forlì”, was one of the most formidable figures of late medieval Italy. Born into the powerful Sforza family, she rose to dominate the ruthless world of 15th-century Italian politics, where alliances shifted as quickly as daggers were drawn.
At the height of her power, Caterina ruled multiple territories, navigated the dangerous intrigues of papal…
The Third Crusade: a clash of kings, warriors, and empires. After the crushing defeat of the Crusader states at the Battle of Hattin, Saladin emerged as the dominant power in the Holy Land, capturing Jerusalem and shaking Christendom to its core. But victory brought its own challenges. Rival European kings, Richard the Lionheart, Philip II of France, and others marshaled their forces, and the…
Zoos didn’t begin as places of education or conservation; they began as spectacles of power. For centuries, kings and elites collected exotic animals like trophies, cramming lions, elephants, and monkeys into cramped menageries to show off their wealth and dominance over nature. It was chaotic, cruel, and wildly popular. But as cities like London and Paris grew, so did public discomfort. Shocking…
Before modern horror had rules, there was Varney the Vampire, a wildly inconsistent, totally addictive penny dreadful that helped shape vampire lore as we know it today. Also known as _The Feast of Blood_ , this story follows a mysterious figure, possibly a vampire, possibly an imposter—who stalks an aristocratic family… and may even be one of them. Let’s dive into the strange, messy, and…
📜 Welcome, Extra Historians to our Historical Tyrants, Extra Context video! Where we talk about the mistakes we made and the details we couldn't quite squeeze into our series. With questions like, did Leopold really get boo'ed at his own funeral? Is it really paranoia if half your kingdom literally wants you dead? Did Shakespeare exaggerate Richard III?
The story of the Inca Empire is pieced together from archaeology, oral tradition, and often conflicting Spanish accounts, but what emerges is the rise of the largest Indigenous empire in the Americas. From its legendary founder Manco Cápac to the transformative reign of Pachacuti, who turned Cusco into the heart of a vast imperial network stretching to Quito, the Inca built a highly organized…
Welcome back to our Victorian Horror series, where we explore how London’s pulp publishing boom helped shape everything from modern true crime to the monsters of pop culture. In this episode, we step into something stranger. A devil-faced figure leaping across rooftops with clawed hands and fire-breathing attacks. He was a shadowy prowler who may have helped inspire later masked vigilantes,…
If you’ve ever wondered why MOBA games feel overwhelming, why experienced players dominate new releases like Deadlock, or how to improve at MOBA-style gameplay, this deep dive will help you understand the strategy, teamwork, and design philosophy that define the genre.
In this series, we dive into a world of murder, monsters, mysteries, and misdeeds, but also into something even more powerful: the rise of cheap, disposable print that reshaped our culture forever. From penny dreadfuls and crime papers to sensational broadsheets, these publications fueled the birth of true crime, tabloid media, mass literacy, and even helped shape the vampires and monsters we…
This week, we crack open the case of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England. From the blood-soaked chaos of the Wars of the Roses to the mystery of the Princes in the Tower, we will follow Richard’s rise from loyal brother to crowned king and examine his role in the downfall of Edward V, the disappearance of the young princes, and the rebellion that ended at the Battle of Bosworth in…
Cleopatra VII Philopator was more than Rome’s most famous queen; she was one of the most skilled political operators of the ancient world. Join us as we go beyond the myths of romance and snake bites to uncover the ruthless intelligence, ambition, and strategy that defined Cleopatra’s rise and fall.
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