Listen "Dancing Plague and Willie Johnston"
Episode Synopsis
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Dancing? Could be fun!" And, well, under normal circumstances and for certain people, it is fun. But imagine, if you will, an historical event where hundreds, even thousands, of people were seized by an uncontrollable urge… to dance. And I don't mean a casual waltz. We’re talking hours, even days of relentless, frenzied movement. Exhaustion, dehydration, heart attacks… all leading to some truly grim results. This, my friends, is the Dancing Plague, also sometimes referred to as St. John's Dance, and it's one of the most peculiar episodes in medical and social history.
More episodes of the podcast Random History
The Wright Brothers and Ernest Evans
20/08/2025
The Church That Survived the Atomic Bomb
06/08/2025
D-Day and its heroes
06/06/2025
Wojtek the Army Bear and Daniel Daly
16/05/2025
The Emu War and Charles McGee
09/03/2025
Pidgeon Guided Bombs and Josephine Baker
08/02/2025
Bazooka Charlie and Don Ross
29/01/2025
Tunguska Event and Leonard Funk
10/01/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.