Shockingly, the man who named a company, school, foundation, bank, and town after himself turned out to be a violent control freak. Not so shockingly, he was also very racist.

Meet Your Heroes

Episode 86: Milton S. Hershey

This week’s hero was a man who wanted to control the narrative of his life in the same way he controlled the narrative of his novels, and he didn’t care who in his life he had to manipulate in order to make it happen.

Episode 85: Charles Dickens

This week's hero is yet another only slightly better-than-average aviator whose superstardom was manufactured by a major media company. Known best for his transatlantic flight and personal tragedies, what Charles Lindbergh really wanted to be known for was his "superior" genetics.

Episode 84: Charles Lindbergh

There are untold numbers of pioneering female aviators who defied societal pressure at the turn of the 20th century and became incredible pilots who pushed the boundaries of flying, and ushered in the age of commercial airlines. Then there’s Amelia Earhart.

Episode 83: Amelia Earhart

Home run record holder. Procurer of Blackmarket sheep-testicle-derived steroids. Amateur wrestling referee. What can’t this week’s hero do? Well, stay faithful to his wives for starters.

Episode 82: Babe Ruth

Listen to this week's Meet & Greet episode to find out why the first time we tried to record an episode about Cleopatra, it almost ended the podcast. Much better suited to the summer series Meet & Greet format, we're bringing you five lesser-known legacies about the Egyptian pharaoh who famously used lead as eyeliner. Hashtag girlboss.

Episode 81: Meet and Greet, Cleopatra

This week’s hero is a testament to the age-old adage that if you practice magic long enough, win enough prestigious awards, and unsuccessfully petition the US government to change the Constitution, you too can have a mean, but kind of funny wife.

Episode 80: Meet Your Host, Elliot

What do you get if you ride four times farther than Paul Revere, by yourself, while being attacked by bandits, in the rain? If you’re this week’s hero the answer is almost none of the fame and most likely only 70% of the pay.

Episode 79: Unsung Hero Sybil Ludington

Although an infamous poem may have made him sound like a badass, it was all an elaborate facade for this very run-of-the-mill horse whisperer. That said, if you hear about someone’s badass reputation from a poem, that should really be your first clue.

Episode 78: Meet and Greet Paul Revere

We're back with another episode in our summer series. This week, we're doing a quick meet and greet with world-renowned and notoriously smelly artist Michelangelo. Join us for five fast facts about the inspiration behind one-quarter of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Episode 77: Meet & Greet Michelangelo

If this week’s hero hits a little close to home, it’s because this week’s hero is recording this week’s episode in her home. We’re turning Meet Your Heroes into Meet Your Host with a short episode featuring Audrey. ..the good, the bad, and the (admittedly) very vain.

Episode 76: Meet Your Host, Audrey

This week’s hero started out as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River and ended up a creepy old man who recruited pre-pubescent girls to join a secret club located in his billiard room.

Episode 75: Mark Twain

Imagine leaving for vacation, getting halfway there, realizing you forgot something, going all the way back home, leaving again, traveling for several more years, then getting conscripted as a diplomat for Ghengis Khan’s grandson. It could be your ticket to fame and fortune, but don’t be surprised if the game they name after you involves someone flailing about with their eyes closed.

Episode 74: Marco Polo

This week we’re talking about an American statue that was originally so disliked it had to be funded by the spare change of impoverished children in Iowa.

Episode 73: The Statue of Liberty

This week we follow the inevitably horrifying second act of a wealthy, bigoted man who took finally achieved the power he craved during the worst economic crisis in American history. What did he do with that power? Spend a ton of money, and ruin lives with racism.

Episode 72: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Part 2)

Weekly 30-min comedy podcast exposing the real stories behind history’s most-notable heroes. Kind of like if history books told the truth and also made jokes.

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Meet Your Heroes

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