Historical Figures

Best remembered for his invention of the calendar we still use today, Pope Gregory XIII became a voice for reform in the Catholic Church by pulling the Vatican out of the dark ages and into the modern era.

They’re sport’s greatest heroes… displaying superhuman-like abilities to overcome intense pressure. But when it comes to the downfalls of fame, money, and ego—they’re far more human than super. Every Thursday, Parcast’s original series SPORTS CRIMINALS keeps score on the darker side of sports. Each episode chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of some of sport’s biggest names. Enjoy this exclusive clip from the first of two captivating episodes on disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding. To finish this episode, subscribe to SPORTS CRIMINALS free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

This 14th Century sultan of Mali became renowned for being the richest man who ever lived. During his 25-year reign, he helped Mali become one of the wealthiest and largest nations in the world.

A first-wave feminist of the 1800s and 1900s, Professor Margaret Murray was known as both "The Old Woman of Egyptology" and "The Grandmother of Wicca." She was one of the first to take up the subject of the witch-cults of England.

In the 1790s, Toussaint L’Ouverture emerges as a leading member of the most successful slave revolt in the Americas. This led to the formation of the country we know today as Haiti.