Beheaded

Maximilien Robespierre believed he could save France. A poor boy turned lawyer, he built his reputation defending the forgotten and fighting for equality. But when revolution came, his desire to create a perfect republic led him down a dangerous path. In part one of our season finale, we follow Robespierre’s rise from an ambitious young politician to one of the men responsible for the downfall of the monarchy, setting the sta...

Agrippina the Younger, also known as Julia Agrippina, was one of the most powerful women in ancient Rome. She played a pivotal role in securing the throne for her son, the infamous (and villainous) Emperor Nero, only for their relationship to end in one of history’s greatest betrayals. Life in ancient Rome was an ongoing story of ambition, revenge, death, and execution. But when it comes to Agrippina’s own fate, the ans...

In 1324, the town of Kilkenny became the setting for Ireland's first recorded witch trial. When wealthy noblewoman Alice Kyteler was accused of witchcraft, her servant Petronilla de Meath was swept into the investigation. Rumors of mysterious deaths and dark magic soon captured the attention of church authorities, turning a local scandal into a deadly trial. In this episode, we explore the legal case that would leave a lasting mark...

The Great Fire of London in 1666 left people not only homeless and terrified, but desperate for answers. Accepting that a catastrophic disaster could begin with a simple accident wasn't nearly satisfying enough. London wanted to know who started the fire.

In this episode, we dive into the bizarre case of Robert Hubert, the Frenchman who somehow became London's prime suspect after the city went up in flames. There's just one problem:...

In 1888, hangings in America were falling out of favor, and a task force was assembled to find a more “humane” method of capital punishment. At the very same time, electricity was transforming the modern world , and the infamous Current Wars were raging.

On one side was George Westinghouse, backed by Nikola Tesla, advocating for AC (alternating current). On the other was Thomas Edison, pushing for the widespread use of D...

In the final, chaotic days of the French Revolution, a small community of Carmelite nuns made a decision that would echo through history.

In this episode, we tell the haunting and deeply moving story of the Martyrs of Compiègne—sixteen women who refused to abandon their religious vows, even under the looming threat of the guillotine. As the Reign of Terror intensified, they were arrested, tried, and sentenced to death simply f...

In 1833, the quiet town of Morristown, New Jersey became the site of one of the most disturbing crimes in early American history. When French immigrant Antoine Le Blanc arrived in the United States looking for work, he found a job with the Sayre family. Within weeks, the arrangement ended in brutal violence.

Le Blanc went down in history not only for committing the town’s only triple homicide, but also for what happened after ...

We’re joined by historian, author, and podcaster Adam Pennington for an in-depth conversation on power, lineage, and survival in Tudor England.

Adam is the creator and host of "The Tudor Chest" website and podcast series, where he brings a fresh and thoughtful perspective to one of history’s most dramatic periods. He is also the author of the highly praised Henry VIII and the Plantagenet Poles: The Rise and Fall of a Dyn...

Bishop John Fisher was one of the most respected minds of Tudor England. He was also one of the very few men who dared to say “no” to King Henry VIII. Rising quickly through a series of early successes, Fisher became Bishop of Rochester, where he openly opposed the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and refused to take the Oath of Supremacy, which named the king as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. H...

Mary Hamilton was a young woman of Scottish descent who rose to prominence in the Russian court of Peter the Great. Serving as a lady-in-waiting to Empress Catherine I, Mary appeared to have a life worth envying. But behind the elegance of court life, she harbored dark and dangerous secrets.

Set in early 18th-century Russia, this episode examines how power, gender, and fear shaped justice under Peter the Great. While Mary Hamilton&r...

In this episode, we travel to the dusty streets of Bisbee, Arizona in 1883, where a robbery quickly spiraled into deadly violence. What was intended to be a targeted crime resulted in the deaths of innocent people and left the town shaken with shock and anger. At the center of it all was John Heath, the man who orchestrated the robbery while keeping his own hands free of blood.

In the aftermath of what became known as the Bisbee Mas...

Introducing Madame de Brinvilliers: devoted lover, enthusiastic poisoner, and a woman who could hold a truly impressive grudge. Her clever murder spree horrified Paris and helped ignite France’s obsession with secret poisons, eventually leading to the Affair of the Poisons.

Competent, methodical, and alarmingly confident, she nearly got away with it all. Unfortunately for Marie-Madeleine, her own incriminating self-confessions...

Richard Woodville was the unlikely courtier who rose from modest origins to become Earl Rivers and father of the Queen of England. In the real-life Game of Thrones that was the Wars of the Roses, Woodville climbed from being the son of a chamberlain to the husband of a wealthy duchess. Their daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, rose higher still and married King Edward IV. But swift ascents create swift enemies, and the Woodville rise ig...

For over 2,000 years, Cleopatra has remained one of the most recognizable queens in history. Yet despite her fascinating life, Cleopatra’s older sister is often reduced to a footnote. This episode turns our attention to Berenice IV, one of the most overlooked figures in the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

When her father, Ptolemy XII, fled Egypt, Berenice suddenly found herself thrust onto the throne. But with the kingdom strained by polit...

We are honored to welcome renowned historian, author, and television presenter Professor Suzannah Lipscomb for a very special interview. Known for her sharp insight into the lives of women throughout history, Suzannah joins us to discuss everything from the impact of the Tudor world to the spread of witchcraft accusations over the centuries. Suzannah uncovers what it really means to reclaim history from a modern feminist lens. Expe...

In 1612, the rural landscape of Lancashire became the backdrop for one of England’s most notable witch trials. This episode explores how village rivalries, deep-rooted superstitions, and a shifting political climate all played a role in the events leading up to the Pendle Witch Trials. King James I's personal fears about witchcraft and his book Daemonologie helped shape a legal system eager to pursue accusations of magic, mal...

Princess Elisabeth of Hesse and by Rhine is a captivating yet often overlooked figure in European royal history. Born into an impressive lineage as the daughter of Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and sister-in-law to the Romanov family, Elisabeth’s life was marked by both privilege and tragedy. Despite the personal challenges she faced, she became one of the most admired and sought-...