History Hit – This company has eight history podcasts to choose from.  The original “History Hit” show examines current events in light of their history. “Patented” tells the murky backstories of global inventions. In “The Ancients” the host interviews historians and archeologists. Then there are the funny, but quite adult, “Betwixt the Sheets” stories of sex and past society. Others include “Gone Medieval,” “Not Just the Tudors,” “Warfare,” and “American History Hit.” The parent company also has an online history channel, a resource website and even offers travel opportunities.

Art Curious – For all the art lovers out there, this podcast is a must. Each episode covers a new, slightly odd topic within the historical art world. From exploring artistic themes to delving into biographical stories, the podcast may expose you to new artists you’ve not encountered or give you a glimpse at the strange background of a particular famous painting. The host even tackles controversies like the potential for hidden meanings in Lenoardo’s “The Last Supper.”

The Black History Buff Podcast – This podcast is a celebration of Black history. Each short episode features the story of a particular person or event from around the world, covering topics from African heritage to the varied communities of the African Diaspora. It focuses on stories of perseverance, unique exploits and leaders within the Black community. This family-friendly podcast was started by a dad wanting to expose his son to positive stories of Black history.

British History Podcast – For a deep dive into Britain, you can do no better than the BHP. Started in 2011, this podcast has over 400 episodes to walk you through the overarching themes and untold stories of British history. There is no detail left unanalyzed with this one. The podcast has covered British history up until the 11th century with new monthly episodes continuing the epic.

Lore – This podcast is for those who are fascinated with the darker side of life. Episodes lean into the creep factor as they delve into tragic, mysterious, frightening and unusual historical stories. Pick and choose from the hundreds of episodes that are currently available. New episodes are published biweekly. In addition, they have expanded the idea into books and a show on Amazon.

A History of the World in 100 Objects – If you want the whole story broken up into 100 (now 101) 15-minute chunks, then look no further. Beginning with stone tools and ending with a solar-powered lamp, this podcast is a chronological walk-through of world history by focusing on a single representative object for each step. It is hosted by Neil MacGregor from The British Museum where the objects are housed.

Stuff You Missed in History Class – Every episode is different on this funny podcast that focuses on the people and stories that history tends to leave behind. The two hosts have a lively, down-to-earth chat about their research on the topic. Sometimes they discuss the history of modern things like penicillin or roller coasters. Other episodes feature biographies of people who changed the world, or historical events that don’t often get told.

The Memory Palace – This podcast is for listeners who enjoy their history told in short story form. Purposefully random, each short episode has a vague title that merely hints at the topic. For example, “Swans” is about an exotically-themed dinner party at the famous Delmonico’s restaurant of gilded-age New York City. The stories are sometimes funny and sometimes emotional, but always thought-provoking.

Bad Gays – Presented with humor and a teeny bit of controversy, each episode of this podcast is a well-researched biography of one historical person who would, according to the hosts, present as a member of the LGBTQ+ community if such identification had been available in the past. The focus here is on evil or complicated people (hence the title), and each episode amusingly delves into their behavior and choices, plus the politics and context of their world.

Slow Burn – This podcast by “Slate” magazine takes an entire season to unearth the details surrounding controversial and enigmatic events from modern history. There are currently eight seasons which cover Watergate, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, Biggie and Tupac, David Duke, the Iraq War, the L.A. Riots, Roe v. Wade and Clarence Thomas.