History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast

Imagine a king who could steal your favorite toys and lock you in your room forever! Eight hundred years ago, King John of England thought he could do whatever he wanted. He stole money from his people, lost his lands in France, and earned the terribly embarrassing nickname "Softsword"! The furious lords, known as barons, finally had enough. They formed an army and forced King John to meet them in a squishy mud meadow called Runnymede to agree to a giant sheepskin document called the Magna Carta!

This "Great Charter" forced the king to follow the law just like everyone else. But King John crossed his fingers! He got the Pope to cancel it just ten weeks later, starting a massive war. John's luck totally ran out when he lost all his royal crown jewels in muddy quicksand and died after eating way too many peaches!

Join Mira and Finn to discover how this ancient sheepskin survived against all odds. Learn how rules about medieval fish traps and fair trials helped shape the laws that protect our freedom today!

Did you know the creators of Superman sold him for just $130? Today, that very first comic book is worth millions of dollars! In this exciting episode of History's Not Boring, Mira and Finn uncover the amazing true story of how superheroes were invented! Travel back to the 1930s to meet Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two teenagers from Cleveland who changed the world forever. You'll discover how ancient myths like Hercules, circus strongmen who bent iron bars with their bare hands, and pulp adventurers all helped inspire the Man of Steel! We also explore the arrival of Batman, a hero who uses his brain and cool gadgets instead of superpowers, and Wonder Woman, who fights for truth with her magical lasso. Plus, learn why so many superhero creators were from immigrant families, and find out a hilarious secret about why Kryptonite was actually invented (hint: someone really needed a beach vacation!). Grab your cape and join us on an incredible journey from cheap 10-cent comic books to the biggest blockbuster movies on Earth!

Grab your pickaxes and lace up your ice skates! Have you ever wondered why someone would dig a 202-kilometre ditch straight through solid rock, thick wild forests, and bug-filled swamps? We are traveling back to the early 1800s to uncover the wild history behind the Rideau Canal! After the War of 1812, the British military was terrified the Americans might invade Canada again. Their solution? Build a massive secret water highway for their supply ships! Join Mira and Finn as they explore how thousands of brave Irish and French-Canadian labourers dug this gigantic canal entirely by hand without any bulldozers or modern machines. You will meet Lieutenant-Colonel John By, the clever military engineer who led the incredible project. Plus, discover how a rough, muddy, and noisy lumberjack camp called Bytown eventually grew into the beautiful city of Ottawa! Find out why Queen Victoria chose it to be the capital of Canada, and learn all about the famous Rideau Canal Skateway—the largest naturally frozen ice skating rink in the entire world!

Have you ever heard of a man named Guy Fawkes and a secret plan called the Gunpowder Plot? Travel back in time with Mira and Finn to the muddy, bustling streets of London in the year 1605! A group of plotters, led by a man named Robert Catesby, were very unhappy with King James I. Together, they hatched a shocking, top-secret plan to blow up the House of Lords using 36 massive barrels of gunpowder! That’s over 5,000 pounds of dangerous explosives hidden right beneath the government's feet! But how did they sneak it all inside? And what happened when a mysterious, anonymous letter was sent to a politician warning him to stay away?

Join us as we explore one of the wildest close calls in British history! Discover how Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed in a pitch-dark cellar just before midnight with matches right in his pocket. Plus, find out why people across Britain still celebrate Bonfire Night with spectacular fireworks every 5th of November, and learn the surprising true story behind the word "guy"! Grab your lanterns and let’s dive into history!

Imagine going to sea at just twelve years old and growing up to become the most famous admiral in history—even though you were seasick your entire life! In this exciting episode of History's Not Boring, Mira and Finn dive into the wild and adventurous life of Horatio Nelson! Find out how a small, sickly boy from the English countryside became an absolute legend of the British Royal Navy. You won't believe what happened when a French cannonball blasted sharp stones into his face, or how he kept giving orders to his men just thirty minutes after losing his arm! Discover the genius trick he used at the Battle of Copenhagen when he literally turned a "blind eye" to a retreat command he didn't want to follow. Plus, we'll sail right into the legendary Battle of Trafalgar, where Nelson defeated the French and Spanish fleets from aboard the massive HMS Victory. Oh, and wait until you hear the incredibly weird true story of how they brought his body back home across the ocean in a giant barrel of brandy! Get ready for flying cannonballs, massive warships, and history's bravest sea captain!