On 28 June 1895, a United States court delivered a verdict that ended one of the most audacious land frauds in American history. James Addison Reavis had spent over a decade claiming ownership of roughly eleven million acres of Arizona, armed with forged documents, a fabricated Spanish aristocratic title, and a wife he had specifically coached to play the role of Baroness. He had altered genuine historical archives across two continents, sold quit-claim deeds to major businesses, and convinced the world that the Barony of Arizona was real. It was not. Today, Clare Vale unpacks the spectacular rise and meticulous unravelling of the Peralta Grant, alongside the 1997 boxing match where Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear, the 1911 Martian meteorite that landed in Egypt, and the surprisingly modest origins of the modern dog show in Newcastle upon Tyne. History, as ever, rewards confidence, until someone checks the paperwork.

• Intro Clare introduces the audacious fraud of James Addison Reavis, who claimed ownership of eleven million acres of Arizona using forged documents and a fake Spanish aristocratic title.
• The Baron of Nowhere The complete story of Reavis’s scheme: from his early talent for forgery, to his meticulous construction of the Peralta Grant fraud, his insertion of fake documents into genuine archives, and the painstaking investigation that ultimately exposed him on 28 June 1895.
• CTA Clare encourages listeners to follow the show and share it with others.
• Holyfield vs Tyson II: The Ear Incident The notorious boxing match on 28 June 1997, in which Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during their MGM Grand rematch, leading to disqualification and a three million dollar fine.
• The Nakhla Meteorite On 28 June 1911, fragments of a Martian meteorite fell near Alexandria, Egypt, later revealing the first evidence of liquid water on Mars.
• The First Dog Show The world’s first conformation dog show was held in Newcastle upon Tyne on 28 June 1859, featuring only pointers and setters, and laying the foundation for institutions like Crufts.
• Outro Clare wraps up with reflections on human overconfidence across history’s odd corners.

• https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2009/fall/peralta.html
• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-baron-of-arizona-4686903/
• https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19738896/mike-tyson-bites-evander-holyfield-ear-20-years-later
• https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/nakhla-meteorite
• https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/collections/mineralogy-collections/meteorite-collection/nakhla-meteorite.html
• https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/about-us/history-of-the-kennel-club/
• https://www.crufts.org.uk/about-crufts/history-of-crufts/