Robert Ripley and the ‘Believe It or Not’ empire

In December 1918, sports writer and cartoonist Robert Ripley was struggling to find some content for his column in the New York Globe.

So he compiled and illustrated some of the quirkiest sports facts from the year and created what would go onto become the ‘Believe It or Not’ cartoon.

Its popularity grew and, by the time of America’s Great Depression, Ripley was a multi-millionaire who would travel the world on his hunt for more weird and wonderful facts.

His empire expanded into radio and, in 1940, he persuaded the Duke of Windsor – who had abdicated from the throne in 1936 - to give his first commercial radio appearance.

John Corcoran, exhibits director at Ripley’s, tells Vicky Farncombe about that historic moment.

This programme also includes archive courtesy of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Archives.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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(Photo: Robert Ripley. Credit: Getty Images)