On June 1, 1783, a 7'7" Irishman named Charles Byrne died of tuberculosis and complications with giantism. Eagerly awaiting his death was a man regarded as England's greatest surgeon, who was competing with others in the medical community to earn the opportunity of dissecting such a rare medical specimen. Byrne, however, was terrified of post-mortem dissection, and begged his friends to take any measures to keep his body away from the mob of doctors... but Hunter didn't take "no" for an answer.

Cock and Bull is a somewhat-weekly history podcast about unbelievable characters and shockingly true stories, brought to you by Spencer Foust and Nathan: a sophisticated text-to-speech program. You can donate to our show with the tip jar, which we promise to use for research materials and NOT $1 medium fountain drinks at Taco Bell from 2-5 p.m.

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On June 24, 1801, Victor Hugo was conceived on the peaks of the Vosges Mountains. It's unclear whether this is pertinent to him writing The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Cock and Bull is a somewhat-weekly history podcast about unbelievable characters and shockingly true stories, brought to you by Spencer Foust and Nathan: a sophisticated text-to-speech program. You can donate to our show with the tip jar, which we promise to use for research materials and NOT $1 medium fountain drinks at Taco Bell from 2-5 p.m.

Support Cock and Bull by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/cockandbull

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-b8b8a7 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Cock and Bull.

February 2 of 1685, Charles II, King of England, woke up feeling a little under the weather. What followed was perhaps the most aggressive case of "good intentions, poor execution."

Cock and Bull is a somewhat-weekly history podcast about unbelievable characters and shockingly true stories, brought to you by Spencer Foust and Nathan: a sophisticated text-to-speech program. You can donate to our show with the tip jar, which we promise to use for research materials and NOT $1 medium fountain drinks at Taco Bell from 2-5 p.m.

Support Cock and Bull by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/cockandbull

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-b8b8a7 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Cock and Bull.