History Fix

Shea LaFountaine
History Fix
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174 episodes

  • History Fix

    Ep. 159 Absinthe: How Bad Science and a Greedy Wine Industry Transformed the "Green Fairy" Into the "Green Demon"

    05/10/2026 | 35 mins.
    Absinthe, a pale green drink consisting of mostly alcohol and small amounts of wormwood oil, has only recently been legalized in much of the western world after a nearly century long ban. Everyone knows the myths about absinthe - that it causes hallucinations, that it'll make you go crazy. They banned it for a reason after all right? It's powerful, dangerous stuff which, in many ways, makes it all the more alluring to the masses. But what if I told you that thujone, the psychoactive chemical found in wormwood, doesn't cause hallucinations at all? That the degeneration and "poisoning of the population" blamed entirely on absinthe at the turn of the 20th century was much likely to have been caused by the near 70% alcohol it contained? So why was absinthe really banned? Who turned the "green fairy" into the "green demon?" Let's fix that. 
    Support the show! 
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    Sources: 
    Distillations Magazine "The Devil in a Little Green Bottle: A History of Absinthe"
    Healthline "Does Absinthe Really Make You Hallucinate?"
    Alandia "Absinthe History: From invention to ban and re-legalization"
    Food52 "The Folklore-Filled History of Absinthe"
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  • History Fix

    Mini Fix #31 Preview: The Mysterious Death of Amy Dudley

    05/03/2026 | 1 mins.
    For this mini fix, I asked you guys on Instagram to choose between 3 Queen Elizabeth I related topics and the majority of you picked the mysterious death of Amy Dudley! The results were:
    What the heck was sweating sickness - 24%
    The mysterious death of Amy Dudley - 44%
    The execution of Sir Walter Raleigh 32%
    Make sure you follow me on Instagram (@historyfixpodcast) to cast your vote next time I do something like this! 
    This not so mini fix was so dang interesting it stretched past the 30 minute mark, making it my longest mini fix ever. To listen to the full thing, you can subscribe to the Patreon for $5 a month or just pay $3 to listen to this one episode. Totally worth it! 
    Support the show! 
    Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
    Buy some merch
    Buy Me a Coffee
    Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine
    Sources: 
    UK National Archives “Coroner’s Report”
    History Hit “Amy Dudley: Accident, Suicide, or Murder?”
    Wikipedia “Amy Robsart”
    Shoot me a message!
    Support the show
  • History Fix

    Ep 158 Elizabeth I: How a Disappointing Girl Became the Quintessential Queen

    04/26/2026 | 44 mins.
    This week is all about a lady I've danced around for far too long: Queen Elizabeth I. Born an utter disappointment to literally everyone and declared illegitimate after her mother’s execution, disinherited as a toddler, the future throne snatched out from under her, Elizabeth would go on to shatter all possible expectations and would end her 44 year reign as one of the most beloved and successful queens, nay monarchs, the world has ever known. How? Let’s fix that. 
    Support the show! 
    Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
    Buy some merch
    Buy Me a Coffee
    Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine
    Sources:
    Historic Royal Palaces "Elizabeth I, the last Tudor"
    BBC "Elizabeth I: Troubled child to beloved queen"
    Royal Museums Greenwich "Queen Eliabeth I facts and myths"
    royal.uk "Elizabeth I"
    UK National Archives "The Golden Speech"
    History Extra "Did Thomas Seymour sexually abuse the teenage Princess Elizabeth?"
    Shoot me a message!
    Support the show
  • History Fix

    Mini Fix #30 Preview: The Challenger Disaster

    04/19/2026 | 2 mins.
    In my off week, I'm popping into the Patreon feed to talk about the 1986 Challenger disaster, when the Challenger space shuttle burst into flames and blew apart, killing all 7 passengers onboard, while millions of people, including many children, watched live. What actually happened that cold January morning 40 years ago? And more importantly... why were the rocket engineer's dire warnings ignored? Let's fix that. 
    Support the show! 
    Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
    Buy some merch
    Buy Me a Coffee
    Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine
    Sources: 
    NPR “40 years after Challenger: Lingering guilt and lessons learned”
    History.com “5 Facts You May Not Know About the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster”
    NASA “The Crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51L Mission”
    Shoot me a message!
    Support the show
  • History Fix

    Ep. 157 Reincarnation: How Cultures Throughout History Have Believed in the Recycling of Souls

    04/12/2026 | 36 mins.
    Join me this week as I delve into the history of reincarnation, the idea that, when you die, you can be reborn into the body of another. Where did the idea come from? Who believes in it today? And what evidence is there to support it? Let’s fix that. 
    Support the show! 
    Join the Patreon (patreon.com/historyfixpodcast)
    Buy some merch
    Buy Me a Coffee
    Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine
    Sources: 
    Medium "Reincarnation"
    Readers Digest "Chilling Reincarnation Stories: Meet 6 People Who Lived Before"
    Institute of Noetic Sciences "Exploring the History of Reincarnation Beliefs"
    Indian Journal of Psychiatry "The mystery of reincarnation"
    Encyclopedia Britannica "Reincarnation"
    Wikipedia "Reincarnation"
    Shoot me a message!
    Support the show

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About History Fix

In each episode of History Fix, I discuss lesser known stories from history that you won't be able to stop thinking about. Need your history fix? You've come to the right place.Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/historyfix or Venmo @Shea-LaFountaine. Your donations make it possible for me to continue creating great episodes. Plus, I'll love you forever! Find more at historyfixpodcast.com
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