The Obscure
A history podcast about strange stories, forgotten figures, and the obscure corners of the past.
History remembers the famous — but what about everyone else?
The Obscure is a relaxed and often funny podcast that shines a light on historical figures whose contributions were vital, fascinating, or quietly revolutionary, yet largely unrecognised. Hosted by Daniel Darkens, Nina Bickerton and Minna Hayman, it’s a podcast for curious minds who enjoy learning, laughing, and looking at history sideways.
Episodes
10 episodes
The Most Disastrous Observation in History: Guillaume Le Gentil’s Long Wait
Guillaume Le Gentil and the Most Disastrous Observation in HistoryGuillaume Le Gentil should have been remembered as one of the great astronomical observers of the 18th century. Instead, history handed him a cosmic slapstick routi...
The Curious Case of Mary Toft — Britain’s Strangest Medical Scandal
In 1726, a young woman from Godalming convinced England’s leading physicians — including the King’s own surgeon — that she was giving birth to rabbits. The Mary Toft scandal became one of the most bizarre medical episodes in British history, ex...
The Unkillable Soldier - Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart
Adrian Carton de Wiart lived a life so extreme it feels fictional — a one‑eyed, one‑handed, bullet‑ridden British officer who fought in the Boer War, WWI, and WWII, survived a plane crash, escaped a POW camp, negotiated in China, and still insi...
Trailer - The Obscure
A quick introduction to The Obscure - a history podcast about strange stories and forgotten figures.
The Gold‑Nosed Astronomer Who Measured the Heavens and Died of Politeness
Daniel Darkens is accompanied for another episode of The Obscure by Minna Hayman in which we explore the extraordinary and eccentric history of Tycho Brahe — a forgotten scientific pioneer whose naked‑eye astronomical observations transforme...
Kidnapped, Sold Into Slavery, Escaped - The Astonishing Life of Indian Peter Williamson
Welcome to the latest episode of The Obscure with Daniel and Minna, where we explore the strange and often disputed history of Indian Peter Williamson - a forgotten Scottish figure whose dramatic tale of kidnapping, slavery, escape and reinvent...
The Calculating Boy Who Built Britain's Railways - the Little-Known Story of George Parker Bidder
In this episode of The Obscure, we uncover the remarkable history of George Parker Bidder — a forgotten Victorian engineer and former child prodigy whose influence on railways, docks, harbours, and early telegraphy hel...
Britain's Most Eccentric Aristocrat - The Wild Life of Mad Jack Mytton
In this episode of The Obscure, we dive into the eccentric and often unbelievable history of Mad Jack Mytton — a forgotten 19th‑century figure whose wild antics and chaotic life have become legendary in British folklor...
Scotland's Greatest Scientist? John Scott Haldane, The Man Who Risked His Life to Understand Poison Gas
In this episode of The Obscure, we explore the remarkable and often overlooked history of John Scott Haldane — a forgotten pioneer whose groundbreaking work in safety, welfare, and human physiology shaped everything fr...
The Man Who Flew to Everest to Climb it Alone - the Remarkable Story of Maurice Wilson
In this episode of The Obscure, we explore the extraordinary and little‑known history of Maurice Wilson — a forgotten figure whose attempt to climb Mount Everest alone remains one of the strangest stories of the early ...
