History

In 1892, two people were hacked to death in a respectable Massachusetts home, and the only real suspect walked free after a trial that still divides opinion. Kyle and Adam dig into the evidence, ...

MKUltra was the CIA’s secret Cold War programme built around drugs, hypnosis, interrogation, and the dream of controlling the human mind. This episode follows Frank Olson, LSD testing, Operation ...

Bob Lazar claimed he worked at Area 51’s hidden S-4 facility reverse-engineering alien craft powered by Element 115. This episode follows the 1989 George Knapp broadcast, Lazar’s story, the credi...

Michael Jackson allegations sit at the centre of his legacy. We all know what we are talking about. In this episode, we examine the Chandler case that first ignited the scrutiny which would come ...

Michael Jackson became the most famous performer on earth, but how was the King of Pop actually made? Today, we trace his journey from family pressure and child stardom to Motown polish and a rel...

In the 1960s, NASA-funded experiments led by neuroscientist John C. Lilly saw researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt live with a bottlenose dolphin named Peter in a flooded house to try to teach him hum...

Julia Child goes from OSS odd-jobs (including shark repellent) to a late-blooming Paris obsession that turns into Le Cordon Bleu, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and TV immortality on The Fr...

The life and crimes of H. H. Holmes, the man who engineered a building into a vessel of murder behind the scenes of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. From fraud to murder, and the myth versus realit...

Biosphere 2 was meant to be a closed ecosystem proving humans could survive under glass, until an oxygen crisis forced secret fixes and triggered a spectacular public meltdown over trust, control...

A young reporter weaponises performance to reveal what happens when society locks people away and calls it care. Then she flips the whole enterprise into a global spectacle, racing the world itse...

A four-year-old vanishes in Louisiana and reappears under suspiciously perfect circumstances, sparking a century-long battle over identity and truth. This episode unravels the contradictions, con...

Two rival palaeontologists wage a reckless scientific arms race that transforms dinosaur history. This episode reveals how sabotage, obsession, and discovery collided in the infamous Bone Wars.

A failed explosion beneath Parliament becomes a national legend of treason, torture, and rebellion. We uncover the real Guy Fawkes and the events that shaped Britain’s enduring Bonfire Night ritu...

A reality show convinces contestants they’ve been launched into space, pulling off the most audacious hoax in British TV history. We explore how producers engineered the illusion—and why the part...

Diana’s final year unfolds under global scrutiny, torn between private love and public myth. This episode explores her relationship with Dodi Fayed, the pressure of the paparazzi, and the fatal n...

A viral campaign promises to stop Joseph Kony but collapses under scandal and backlash. We examine how Kony 2012 captivated the world—and why it ultimately failed to create real change.

An exploration of the 1973 Acali Experiment, where Santiago Genovés's attempt to study human aggression on a raft led to unexpected insights into cooperation and peace.

This episode explores the true story of Stella Liebeck's lawsuit against McDonald's, and the misconceptions surrounding the case and within the broader context of American tort reform and corpora...

In this episode of The Compendium, we unravel the twisted tale of Michael Alig: The Club Kid King Who Killed for Fame. At the height of New York nightlife, Alig built an empire of excess, flamboy...

In this episode of The Compendium, we dive into one of the most disturbing true crime stories in history—how Helter Skelter, a Beatles song, became the twisted manifesto for Charles Manson and hi...