1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: From the newsroom. A news still come to me. Gooday, there, 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: I'm Andrew Bucklow, And here's a sentence that you don't 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: hear that often. 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 2: He was shagging his son's ex girlfriend, right, and he 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 2: died while doing it. 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: That's from today's guest, who is an expert in History's 7 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: Strangest deaths. Get this, he's actually talking about an Aussie 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: politician there. It's just one of the many wild stories 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: you're about to hear in this chat, including killer poodles, 10 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: deadly beards, and people getting roasted alive. Riley Night is 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: the host of a very popular podcast called half Ass History. 12 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: Since twenty eighteen, he has released more than three hundred 13 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: episodes highlighting absurd and entertaining stories from the past. He's 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: turned some of those stories into a book called History 15 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: Strangest Deaths. It is out now, He joins me. Now, gooday, Riley, 16 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: it make good to be here. Thank you, Thank you 17 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: so much for coming on, because this is such a 18 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: cracker of a book. You write about fifty different deaths, 19 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: some funny, some shocking, some truly unbelievable. I've picked a 20 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: handful of my favorites, and I'm hoping that you can 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 1: just tell everyone what happened? Is that? 22 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: Okay? Yeah, he may, Let's get into it absolute, yeah 23 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 2: for sure. 24 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: All right, let's start with a fellow known as y'all 25 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: Sigurd the Mighty apologies if I got that wrong. He 26 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: died after being bitten by a severed head. Tell everyone 27 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: what happened. 28 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, so, really interesting story behind this one. It's not 29 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: often that the blow a bloke that you kill then 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 2: goes on to kill you from beyond the grave. But yall, Sigurd, 31 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 2: he was a Viking and he was doing what Vikings 32 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 2: do best. He's raiding and reading and pillaging across what 33 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 2: is today the coast of northern Scotland. Anyway, a local 34 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: warlord named mail brig To the buck Tooth challenged him, right, 35 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 2: challenge him in his own He said, listen, mate, we 36 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 2: don't like you, Rannie, we don't like what you're doing. 37 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 2: We're gonna we're gonna boot you out of here, and 38 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: we're gonna do it by force of arms. Anyway, yall 39 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: Sigurd wipes the floor with this bloke, captures Mail Brigta 40 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: as his prisoner, lops his head off right, and then 41 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 2: rides off into the sunset in other days thrieving and pillaging. 42 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 2: Well done. He straps the severed head of this bloke 43 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 2: again Malbury to the buck toothed to his saddle as 44 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 2: like a grizzly trophy. Take it back to his Viking mate. 45 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: So look what I got up to today. Anyway, Apparently 46 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: their head is bouncing along on the side of his saddle, 47 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 2: and the buck teeth of this severed head lacerate this 48 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 2: bloke's leg right, which, of course, these days, you know, 49 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: you both go down the doctor, get your antibiotics and 50 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: you're all good to go. But an infected wound back then, 51 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 2: that could be a death sentence. And it was for yall. 52 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: Sigurd his leg got so badly infected that he died 53 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 2: of the wound. He was killed by someone that he beheaded. 54 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it's the ultimate case of revenge from beyond 55 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: the grave, really, isn't it. 56 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: There are so many different ways to die in battle. 57 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 2: It's not very often that you die like that. After 58 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 2: the battle, you know, from an infected wound that someone 59 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 2: that you killed gave you. 60 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: Another standout story in the book is about an American 61 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: lawyer named Clement Valen Dingham in the eighteen seventies. I 62 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: love this one. Tell everyone what happened. 63 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, So this bloke, he was an interesting fellow on 64 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: the wrong side of history. For most of his career. 65 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: He was an ardent supporter of the rebel Confederates and 66 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: all that sort of stuff. Anyway, in his later years, 67 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: he worked with a lawyer, right, and one day he's 68 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 2: got to get his client off a murder charge. This 69 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 2: bloke has been charged with shooting someone in the guts 70 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: during a barroom brawl. Now Clement, he comes up with 71 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 2: a rather novel defense for this bloke has been accused. 72 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: He said, no, no, no, my client didn't shoot him in 73 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: the guts. This bloke shot himself in the guts accidentally 74 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: while he was trying to pull his own pistol out 75 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: of his pocket, right, And people go, well, that doesn't 76 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: sound like it could actually happen. We come, He goes, well, 77 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 2: before you, before you get two carried away, he let 78 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 2: me demonstrate for you how this could have happened. So 79 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: he puts a pistol in his pocket, right, and he 80 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 2: makes this big show of sort of fumbling it as 81 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: he's pulling it out, and he didn't realize the pistol 82 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 2: was loaded, so as he's pulling it out and fumbling 83 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: away with it, it went off. He shot himself in 84 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: the guts and he died. So he proved beyond a 85 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: shadow of a doubt that it was possible to kill 86 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: yourself in this way. And if you'll believe it, this 87 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 2: defense worked. When it was taken to the courtroom, the 88 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: remaining defense team for this bloke was on the murder charge, 89 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: they said, well, look you're on it. We've tested this 90 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 2: and yeah, nah, look it could have happened. Here's the 91 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 2: corpse to prove. 92 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: It undeniable proof. 93 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 2: Wow. 94 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: I mean, that's a defense you can really only do once, 95 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: isn't it, shooting yourself and dying for your clients. 96 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 2: Well that it shows an exceptional an exceptional level of 97 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 2: dedication to his craft. That's the sole lawyer you wanted 98 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 2: your side. Someone's going to put his not just his name, 99 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:44,919 Speaker 2: but his body on the line for it. 100 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: There is a cracking story about a man named Hans Staininger. Again, 101 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: don't know if I got the name right. He died 102 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: in the year fifteen sixty seven due to his facial hair. 103 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: This is bonkers. Tell us how it happened. 104 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 2: Yes, so this bloke Haunstaining a Hea was the burgermist 105 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:03,239 Speaker 2: of the mayor essentially of a little town called brawn 106 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: I'm in Some of you may have heard of this 107 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 2: town in Hanstraining. It is the probably I would say, 108 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: the second most famous facial hair bearing man to come 109 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 2: from it. There was another rather unfortunately iconic piece of 110 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 2: facial hair to emerge from Brunna in and around. When 111 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: was it the nineteen thirties or forties perhaps? Anyway, this 112 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 2: fella right much better bloke than Hitler, not that that's 113 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 2: a very high barty clear. He was, by all accounts, 114 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: a dedicated public servant, a very popular leader in this 115 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 2: town as a mayor, dedicated to the service of his people, 116 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: so much so that one night, right when he's lying 117 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 2: in bed, he hears the alarm of fire go up 118 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: throughout the town. So he, again, being a diligent public 119 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 2: service servant, he rushes out of bed to go and 120 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 2: give it. Except this bloke, again famous for his facial hair, 121 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: he had a magnificent two meter long beard. This thing 122 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 2: was the pride and true not just of him but 123 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: the town people. I loved seeing this bloke strutting around 124 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: with his massive beard he used to roll it up 125 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: and keep it in like a little sort of satchel thing, 126 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 2: like a little pocket right on his belt. Anyway, one night, 127 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 2: as I say that the fire alarm goes fire alarm, 128 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 2: you know, he does to change the nine volt battery. 129 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: In the nineteenthury, the alarm of fire goes up, he 130 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 2: gets out of bed, races down the stairs, but doesn't 131 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: tuck his beard away in time. This man's magnificent facial 132 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,160 Speaker 2: hair was his undoing. He got entangled, tripped up in 133 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 2: the beard, fell down the stairs, broke his neck, and 134 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: that was that for poor old Hanstunnier. However, while he 135 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: was dead and buried and you know, obviously laid to 136 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: rest in a cemetery somewhere, his beard was shorn off 137 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: and today is proudly displayed at the local history museum 138 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: in in You would imagine that the local history museum 139 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: is looking for anything at all to put in their 140 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 2: displays that doesn't involve some other elements of the history. 141 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: What an amazing You don't see on too many coroner's reports. 142 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: Death by bear. That is pretty remarkable. Let's move on 143 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: to well, one of the more gruesome deaths in the book. 144 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: There's a few of them. There was a guy called 145 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: Saint Lawrence who died back in the year two hundred 146 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: and fifty eight Common era. Tell us what happened to him? 147 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, very early Christian saint, this bloke, so third century 148 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 2: obviously a point where Christianity was establishing itself. It wasn't 149 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 2: the massive, you know, huge global world religion that it 150 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: is today, so much so that many Christians were persecuted 151 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 2: by a government in Rome at the time. And Saint 152 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 2: Lawrence he he was a deacon of archdeacon I believe 153 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 2: it was an alloe of the pope at the time. 154 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: Right. 155 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 2: In any case, he was pretty high up in the 156 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 2: early Christian Church. And when the Roman government came down 157 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: on Christians as they as they sometimes did, he was 158 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 2: one of the blokes who was ultimately put to death, right, 159 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 2: it was martyred for his faith. But today Saint Lawrence 160 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 2: is remembered as being the patron saint in the Catholic faith, 161 00:07:54,840 --> 00:08:00,040 Speaker 2: at least of cooks and comedians. And this has a 162 00:07:59,920 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 2: lot to do with the way that he died, because 163 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: Saint Lawrence was roasted alive, the poor bloke, which again 164 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 2: is a very very nasty way to go right, not 165 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 2: the sort of way you want to shuffle off this 166 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 2: mortal coil. But the story goes that as he was 167 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 2: sort of strapped to this grille that was then rotated, 168 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: so he was you know, cooked through, if you want 169 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 2: to put it in those terms. And as this was 170 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 2: happening right as he was being cooked alive on one side, 171 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 2: he apparently said to the blokes who were roasting him, 172 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 2: he said, turn me over, I'm done on this side. 173 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,560 Speaker 2: And so this zinger that he left this world with 174 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 2: resulted him in being again not just the patron saint 175 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 2: of Cook's, given that he was cooked alive, but also 176 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 2: of comedians, given that somehow he managed to pull this 177 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:49,119 Speaker 2: one liner out of absolutely nowhere while being roasted alive. Incredible. 178 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: There is a story in History Stranger's Death about an 179 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: Aussie politician named Sir Billy Snedder. Now, I'll be honest, 180 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: I had never heard of this guy, and I certainly 181 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 1: hadn't heard of the unique way he died. To be honest, 182 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: it's probably how I want to go. He died in 183 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: the late eighties. Tell everyone what happened. Riley. 184 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 2: Certainly a better way to go than poor old Saint 185 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 2: Lawrence for sure, although it is one that's going to 186 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 2: make a fair few headlines, I'm sure so my little 187 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 2: listeners will remember this bloke, Soir Billy Steddon is the 188 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 2: Leader the Opposition for a while Speaker of the House. 189 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 2: Obviously when he retired from parliament he wasn't sick of 190 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,439 Speaker 2: being around loud, entitled rich people. So after he retired 191 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 2: from parliament he became the president of the Melbourne Football Club. 192 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,359 Speaker 2: But the way that he died it made some headlines 193 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:30,959 Speaker 2: back in the days. And as I said, I'm sure 194 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 2: some people remember he had apparently a bit of a 195 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 2: thing for should we say, extracurricular activities when it came 196 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 2: to his liaisons with women and he was caught the 197 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 2: I think it was the day of, or even the 198 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 2: day after the campaign launch for little Johnny Howard, right 199 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: all those years ago, when he was leader of the 200 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: Laberal Party, he was found in a hotel room in 201 00:09:52,840 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 2: Delicta Flagrante with his son's ex He was shagging his 202 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:05,240 Speaker 2: son's ex girlfriend, right, and he died while doing it. 203 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: He died on the gym. 204 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: Died, he died, And this was the headline on the 205 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 2: pay in the papers. The next day Sneddon dies on 206 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 2: the job, is what they all said. And look, I'll 207 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 2: try to phrase this as delicately as possible here, but 208 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: it does seem that he and his well, he at 209 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 2: least had they had sort of reached the conclusion of 210 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 2: their amorous entanglement, at least in his part. I would 211 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 2: say so, as I say in the book, it's fair 212 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 2: to say that Sir Billy Snedden, he was coming while 213 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 2: he was going. 214 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: Stick around. In just a moment, Riley's going to tell 215 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: us about a sweet little poodle that killed several people 216 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: on the same day. Welcome back. I'm training to Riley Knight, 217 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: who has very very entertaining book out called History Stranger's Death. Riley, 218 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: there's a story in there about a poodle named Karchie. 219 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 1: I think that's how you pronounced it. Carchi was responsible 220 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: for multiple deaths in the nineteen eighties. Please explain. 221 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, So this story was one that I had to 222 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 2: really track down to dig into the crates for this one. 223 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: There. 224 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 2: It happened in Argentina. So all of the news reports 225 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 2: that covered this extraordinary circumstance, they're all in Spanish time, 226 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 2: running it through translators that sort of stuff trying to 227 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 2: piece this story together, but all of the sources that 228 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 2: reported this agreed. This poodle, for unknown reasons, it threw 229 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 2: itself off the thirteenth floor of a Buenos Aires apartment 230 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:41,320 Speaker 2: building one day, and very sadly right, it landed on 231 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 2: an old lady who was walking underneath the building. Now, 232 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 2: this killed her instantly. The dog also obviously didn't survive 233 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 2: its very brief career as a canine skydiver. But it 234 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 2: didn't stop there, because obviously, this pooch falls out of 235 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 2: the sky kills this old woman. People rush over right 236 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 2: to try to help her and make sure she's like, oh, 237 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 2: see if she's okay, see if she could be helped 238 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 2: whatever else, And in one woman's haste to run over 239 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 2: and lend assistance, she ran into the road and got 240 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 2: cleaned up by a bus. 241 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: No. 242 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 2: And then on top of this, another bloke who has 243 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,559 Speaker 2: just watched a poodle fall out of the sky kill 244 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 2: an old lady and then another woman get hit by 245 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 2: a bus. This is too much for him. He has 246 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: a heart attack and he dies as well. So this 247 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 2: poodle falling off of this building killed three people in 248 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: one go, just like that. I don't know what the 249 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 2: poodle was trying to achieve him doing this. I don't 250 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: know if it was a you know, attempting to take 251 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 2: as many people out with it as it went, But 252 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 2: that's what happened. 253 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: Riley. You've told so many incredible stories like this over 254 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: the years. What got you hooked on history in the 255 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: first place all those years ago? 256 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 2: Oh, look at something. It probably goes back to being 257 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 2: a kid like I used to love stories of ancient stories, 258 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 2: of myths and legends and all of that sort of stuff. 259 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 2: And I had teachers in primary school that would tell 260 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 2: us these stories and got me really interested, not just 261 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 2: in myths and legends from ancient ancient times, but also 262 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 2: you know, the way people lived and what life was like, 263 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 2: you know, thousands hundreds of years ago. Failed history in 264 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,559 Speaker 2: year eleven. So yeah, who's laughing now, mister wakem here 265 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 2: I am. You know, but you published author hiss it. Well, yeah, no, 266 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 2: he did his best, but it was he what did 267 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: he call my work back then? He called it a 268 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 2: series of unjustified generalizations. So here we are twenty years later. 269 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 2: Nothing has changed, mate, I'm still doing exactly the same thing. 270 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 2: But no, look, I've always loved history. I studied university, 271 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: realized very quickly that it wasn't going to lead anywhere 272 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 2: in terms of employability, So got my dip ed and 273 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 2: became a teacher. But I still kept reading and doing 274 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 2: stuff with history, and then put out this podcast just 275 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 2: as a little hobby. And yeah, I been lucky enough 276 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,320 Speaker 2: that over the years it's sort of taken off. People 277 00:13:55,400 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 2: listen all around the world. Now books come out. It's 278 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 2: something I never really thought would happen, but here we are. 279 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 2: It's it's been a hell of a journey. I hope 280 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,840 Speaker 2: it's now where your finished, because I love doing this. 281 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 2: My main thing here is like history has this reputation 282 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,719 Speaker 2: for being boring, right, it's all facts and figures and 283 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 2: names and dates and times and places. But what history 284 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 2: really is, and I'd say this a lot. History is 285 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 2: just a collection of the stories that we have decided 286 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 2: are worth remembering, right. It's a collection of the stories 287 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 2: that we consider important enough to pass on through the generations. 288 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 2: And when you think about how important stories are too us. 289 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 2: So I talked to before about myths and legends. But 290 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 2: like parents all around the world, you know you read 291 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 2: a story to your kids when you're going to bed, 292 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 2: we tell our friends and family stories, whether it's something 293 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 2: funny that happened to us today or you know, an 294 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 2: anecdote from years ago. Stories of what is a huge 295 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 2: part of what gives us our shared culture, our shared society, 296 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: our humanity is based on these stories. And there's an 297 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 2: element to history that is so stayed and boring and 298 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 2: academic and dusty and scillas the podcast in this book 299 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 2: really is just trying to undo some of that and 300 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 2: just be funny and silly and lighthearted and remind people 301 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 2: that history doesn't necessarily have to be boring and dull. 302 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: So you have certainly achieved that with this book. It 303 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: is called History Stranger's Death. It is out now. I 304 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: encourage everyone to go and buy a copy because it's 305 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: not only interesting but also so very very funny. Rightly night, 306 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for chatting for news dot com dot. 307 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 2: You No, thanks for having me once again. 308 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: He's a very entertaining man. I love that chat. I 309 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: hope you did too. Thank you for listening, and I 310 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: will chat to you again next week. Follow us, subscribe 311 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: to from the Newsroom wherever you get your podcasts.