women's history, world history, and weird history
It's a miracle the Olympic Games continued after the absolute clusterf*ck that was its early history. From near-death marathons to shady organizers and displays of human cruelty like no other, the Olympics of the early 1900's were chaotic to say the least. When it looked like the Olympic Games would be canceled, the 1906 Olympics forever showed up to save the day, but they're just one problem... they technically don't exist. 😳
If you enjoyed this episode, then I'm sure you'll enjoy all the other episodes I have to offer!! And if you really enjoy the episode, a cheeky little comment, like, or even a subscribe would be absolutely lovely!! If you want to support the podcast in some other ways, you can follow the links below!! 👇
🌟 FTLH UNI Lecture🌟 Topic | The Island of Waves and Foam: origins and mythology of Shintoism
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I've found Yzma's llama potion, and I'm taking it back to the 13th century!! Yes, beloved, we're going to Emperor's New Groove it in this episode and talk about the history of llamas in the Incan empire. If you were playing Settlers of Catan, you would definitely want to choose llama over iron, because llamas were WAY more useful!! In this episode, we'll learn 🦙 The history of the Incan empire 🦙 The roles llamas played in Incan expansion 🦙 a very chill llama God 🦙 how it all came to an end If you enjoyed this episode, then I'm sure you'll enjoy all the other episodes I have to offer!! And if you really enjoy the episode, a cheeky little comment, like, or even a subscribe would be absolutely lovely!! If you want to support the podcast in some other ways, you can follow the links below!! 👇
🌟 FTLH UNI Lecture🌟 Topic | The Island of Waves and Foam: origins and mythology of Shintoism
If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, check out these links!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Say hello to spicy TK this episode because I have MAD beef with the Japanese Imperial Household Agency and their very dumb rules! But besides attempting to get myself banned from Japan in this episode, we talk about 👑 One of my favorite people in Japanese history, Queen Himiko. 🍃 The origins of Shintoism ❌ the multiple attempts at erasing her history 😡 and why we aren’t ALLOWED to look for her I hope you enjoy this episode!! I'm so glad you found my little corner of YouTube. If you're interested in world history, women’s history, and unusual history, then I hope you stick around! History bestie applications are always open!! 🌟 FTLH UNI Lecture🌟 Topic | The Island of Waves and Foam: origins and mythology of Shintoism
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Japanese tattoos are loved around the world, but reviled in Japan. WHY!? How did that happen? In this week's episode, TK explores the history of Japanese tattoos and their connection with resistance, identity, and Ukiyo-e art. In this episode, we cover 🌟 The history of Japanese tattoos 🌟 How Utagawa Kuniyoshi started a tattoo renaissance 🌟 The artistic middle finger Ukiyo-e artists gave to the Shogunate 🌟 The rise and fall of tattoos in Japan and worldwide I'm so glad you found my little corner of YouTube, and if you like world history, Women’s History, and weird history, then I hope you stick around! History bestie applications are always open!!
Topic | The Island of Waves and Foam: origins and mythology of Shintoism
If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, check out these links!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Japanese tattoos are loved around the world, but reviled in Japan. WHY!? How did that happen? In this week's episode, TK explores the history of Japanese tattoos and their connection with resistance, identity, and Ukiyo-e art. In this episode, we cover 🌟 The history of Japanese tattoos 🌟 How Utagawa Kuniyoshi started a tattoo renaissance 🌟 The artistic middle finger Ukiyo-e artists gave to the Shogunate 🌟 The rise and fall of tattoos in Japan and worldwide I'm so glad you found my little corner of YouTube, and if you like world history, Women’s History, and weird history, then I hope you stick around! History bestie applications are always open!! 🌟 FTLH UNI Lecture🌟
Topic | The Island of Waves and Foam: origins and mythology of Shintoism
If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, check out these links!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome, history bestie, to the season 12 premiere!!
I'm TK, your tour guide to the past, and today we're starting this season off strong with the longest "Women History Owes an Apology Too" episode I've ever done. From pre-history to the Sumerians, all across Europe and beyond, women have been the brewers of beer and the keepers of the keg. That was until the fellas found out that they could make some serious cash in a Post Black Plague Europe.
In this episode, we'll learn about
🍺 How beer was invented/discovered
🍺 The Sumerian goddess of beer
🍺 How beer shaped civilization
🍺 The Golden Era of the Ale wife
🍺 And how the plague and capitalism ruined everything.
I'm so glad you found my little corner of YouTube, and if you like world history, Women’s History, and weird history, then I hope you stick around! History bestie applications are always open!!
🌟🍻 Patreon Bonus EP on the Lady King 🍻🌟
If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, check out these links!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome, history bestie, to the season 12 premiere!!
I'm TK, your tour guide to the past, and today we're starting this season off strong with the longest "Women History Owes an Apology Too" episode I've ever done. From pre-history to the Sumerians, all across Europe and beyond, women have been the brewers of beer and the keepers of the keg. That was until the fellas found out that they could make some serious cash in a Post Black Plague Europe.
In this episode, we'll learn about
🍺 How beer was invented/discovered
🍺 The Sumerian goddess of beer
🍺 How beer shaped civilization
🍺 The Golden Era of the Ale wife
🍺 And how the plague and capitalism ruined everything.
I'm so glad you found my little corner of YouTube, and if you like world history, Women’s History, and weird history, then I hope you stick around! History bestie applications are always open!!
🌟🍻 Patreon Bonus EP on the Lady King 🍻🌟
If you'd like to support the podcast in other ways, check out these links!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Before Anne Bonny. Before Grace O’Malley. There was Sayyida al-Hurra — the Pirate Queen of the Mediterranean.
In this episode of For the Love of History, we uncover the extraordinary true story of Sayyida al-Hurra, a Muslim woman who rose to power in the late 1400s and became one of the most feared pirates in history. Born in Granada during the violence of the Reconquista, Sayyida was forced to flee Spain as Catholic rulers Ferdinand and Isabella expelled, enslaved, and murdered thousands of Muslims. That injustice would shape her destiny.
After becoming governor of Tetouan (Tétouan), Morocco, Sayyida didn’t just rule — she fought back. Partnering with the legendary Ottoman pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa (Redbeard), she launched relentless naval attacks against Spanish and Portuguese ships, dominating the Mediterranean and earning her title as the unrivaled pirate queen. Her piracy wasn’t just about wealth; it was about defense, revenge, and protecting displaced Muslim communities.
This episode explores:
The Reconquista and the forced expulsion of Muslims from Spain
How Sayyida al-Hurra became a female political leader and naval commander
Her alliance with Barbarossa, one of history’s most famous pirates
Pirate warfare, ransom, and Mediterranean power politics
How piracy rebuilt Tetouan into a thriving city
Why European powers feared her — and her people adored her
Her unprecedented marriage to the Sultan of Morocco on her own terms
Sayyida al-Hurra’s legacy lives on in the walls of Tetouan, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in the history of women who refused to be erased.
If you love pirate history, women in power, Islamic history, and stories of resistance against empire, this episode is for you.
Grab your sword, your most dramatic blouse, and let’s set sail.
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They flew with no lights, no radios, and no parachutes. Their planes were made of wood, covered in canvas, and could barely outrun a speeding truck—but the German army feared them more than anything that roared across the skies. These were the Night Witches of the Soviet Union, the all-women 588th Night Bomber Regiment—daring young pilots who turned impossible odds into legendary victories.
In this archived episode of For the Love of History, TK takes you into the nighttime skies of WWII, where teenage aviators glided silently over enemy lines, dropping bombs with such stealth that German soldiers swore they “flew like witches.” Learn how these women were trained, what they flew, why Hitler’s forces awarded medals for shooting them down, and how the most decorated of them—Nadezhda Popova—once flew 18 missions in a single night.
This episode touches on:
✨ The all-women bomber regiment Stalin tried to ignore
✨ Biplanes that were literally held together with fabric
✨ Combat missions flown in total darkness
✨ Soviet sexism…but also Soviet girl power
✨ One of the greatest forgotten stories of WWII
This story is fierce, heartbreaking, inspiring—and absolutely unforgettable.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to support more hidden women’s history and weird world history, you can join the community on Patreon. New goodies and bonus content are waiting for you!
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Prepare to clutch your pumpkin spice latte a little tighter, friend, because today we’re diving into the chaotic, deadly, and surprisingly dramatic history of spice. Yes — that cozy sprinkle on your latte once launched wars, bankrupted empires, fueled colonization, and led to one of the worst genocides of the 1600s. Delicious!
In this episode, we explore how everyday seasonings like nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper sparked global conflict and reshaped world history. From the pepper-obsessed Portuguese to the Dutch colonizers who committed atrocities in the Banda Islands, the spice trade was anything but fragrant.
You’ll learn:
Why black pepper was basically 17th-century Bitcoin
How European explorers weren’t “discovering” anything except their own incompetence
The wild propaganda Arabic traders used (giant birds! flying snakes!)
The brutal rise of the Dutch East India Company (VOC)
The horrific Banda Islands genocide and the 4-year Nutmeg War
How smuggling spice plants undermined European monopolies
And the absolutely iconic Buddha Tooth Bamboozle — the ultimate “you thought!” moment in colonial history
This episode is a chaotic cocktail of world history, women’s history, weird history, humor, and righteous rage. If you never look at your spice cabinet the same again… mission accomplished.
Call to Action: If you love a spicy historical deep dive, share the episode or leave a rating — we’re almost at our goal!
Key Words
history of spice
spice trade history
deadly spice trade
nutmeg war
Banda Islands genocide
Dutch East India Company
VOC history
history of nutmeg
history of black pepper
colonialism and spices
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Two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population are women — but did you know the world’s first university was founded by a woman? 🤯
Meet Fatima al-Fihri, the 9th-century Muslim refugee who built education itself — literally. This episode of For the Love of History dives into the incredible story of how one woman in medieval Morocco changed the entire world’s relationship with knowledge.
TK takes us on a whirlwind journey through Fatima’s life, legacy, and revolutionary spirit, revealing how her creation — Al-Qarawiyyin University in Fez — became the model for every modern university that followed. From the tassels on your graduation cap to the oral defense of your thesis, it all started with Fatima.
✨ You’ll learn:
How a Muslim refugee woman built the first degree-granting university in 859 CE 🕌
Why Fez, Morocco, became the intellectual capital of the medieval world
How Al-Qarawiyyin University inspired Oxford, Al-Azhar, and the European Renaissance
The forgotten role of women in Islamic education
And how a modern Muslim architect, Aziza Chaouni, is continuing Fatima’s legacy today
🧠 Fun fact: Fatima not only funded the university herself — she designed it, supervised construction, and studied there once it opened. Talk about a lifelong learner!
💬 Why This Story Matters
Fatima al-Fihri’s story isn’t just about history — it’s about visibility. She proved that education, innovation, and progress are universal human rights, not privileges for men or the West.
If you’ve ever set foot on a college campus, taken an online class, or proudly donned a graduation gown, you have Fatima to thank.
✨ CTA: If this story inspired you, leave a review and share the episode with your favorite lifelong learner. Because history, like education, is always better when it’s shared.
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