Omnibus artwork

History · Omnibus

Omnibus

by Omnibus

Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.

Chart trend

Position in the History chart (US), last 90 days.

#51
all-time peak
327
days in the top 100 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

ANNOUNCEMENT: Omnibus Live at the Portland Book Festival - November 4th

Sep 12
1 min

(Live at the Library of Congress) Paper Prints (Entry 897.IS3404)

In which John and Ken record an entry at Library of Congress before a live audience, and Ken pitches the next hit reboot starring John Cena. Certificate #24597

Sep 8
1 h 17 min

Project Habakkuk (Entry 993.HA0105)

In which Futureling Faris Alikhan reveals an Allied plan to stop U-boats with a mix of ice and wood pulp, and John asks why everyone at SFO wears quarter-zip sweaters. Ce

Sep 1
1 h 14 min

West Edmonton Mall (Entry 1422.JO0502)

In which Futureling Adam Wonderly discusses how a rug empire ended up creating a Canadian landmark, and John learns that Anchorage could have done better than an indoor i

Aug 25
1 h 12 min

The Carnegie Libraries (Entry 188.LU2101)

In which Futureling Jon Hannah discusses the origins of public libraries, labor exploitation and the uneasy bargain between wealth and the common good. Certificate #39770

Aug 18
1 h 27 min

The Maury Island Incident (767.EZ0104)

In which Futureling Loren Skaggs and John discuss Tacoma, Cold War paranoia, the birth of flying saucer mythology, and the Katuga boat trote. Certificate #31561.

Aug 11
1 h 04 min

Jugglers, The Internet (Entry 667.EX0722)

In which Futureling Luke Burrage and John discuss the early history of the internet, Claude Shannon, information theory, and one of the least likely professions ever to b

Aug 4
1 h 03 min

ANNOUNCEMENT: Omnibus Live at the Library of Congress

Jul 31
3 min

The Bosnian War Camaro (Entry 144.MA0718)

In which Brendan McAleer explains how a 1979 Chevrolet Camaro became a lightly armored, smoke-blowing, night-vision-equipped humanitarian savior, which John insists is th

Jul 29
1 h 16 min

Free to Be You & Me (Entry 499.1C1111)

In which we finally get a John show about growing up Gen X in front of the TV console watching Alan Alda, Rosey Grier, Cicely Tyson, Carol Channing, and Michael Jackson a

Jul 22
1 h 00 min

The Bulldozing of Meigs Field (Entry 163.PS3508)

In which Futureling Rebecca unpacks the story of a mayor, a demolished airport, and the battle over who really gets to claim a city's waterfront, while John recalls disco

Jul 14
59 min

The Ukrainian Interviews (Entry 1356.EC0918)

In which John travels to Ukraine and interviews Alisa Demina (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), Kateryna Ch

Jul 8
1 h 47 min

Carob (Entry 188.MA0106)

In which Futureling Christa Dahlstrom and John enjoy a virtual taste test and discuss the lifelong trauma of discovering that what you were promised was, in fact, not cho

Jun 30
49 min

The Tommy Westphal Universe (Entry 1315.JO0714)

In which Futureling Thomas Dolan-Gavitt traces how an offhand blog post gave rise to television’s greatest conspiracy theory, weaving together Hill Street Blues, St. Else

Jun 23
1 h 13 min

Niagara Falls in a Barrel (Entry 836.PS4207)

In which a Yankee leaper and a long line of hucksters and daredevils take their chances over an American landmark, and John reveals he doesn't have Incognito Mode turned

Jun 16
1 h 26 min

Nell Gwyn (Entry 557.GE2106)

In which cartoonist and writer Emily Flake discusses chance encounters with Dan Rather, being denied entry to Turks and Caicos, and the namesake of Emily's St. Nell's Hum

Jun 9
50 min

The Astor Place Riot (Entry 76.PR2817)

In which David Hyde (Blue City Blues, Seattle Nice) meets John in the bunker to discuss the 1849 Astor Place Opera House Riot and the welcome return of the timeless Ken-e

Jun 2
55 min

The Dyatlov Pass Incident (Entry 389.1SA2314)

In which Futureling Ariela Silberstein gives John his Cold War fix while discussing the mysterious disappearance of nine Soviet hikers. Certificate #48070.

May 26
1 h 16 min

The Death of Mr. McMahon (Entry 319.MA0605)

In which Nick Butler (Sometimes Weekly) recalls exploding limos, kayfabe and a future President. Certificate #44697

May 19
1 h 31 min

Operation Columba (Entry 869.GE0810)

In which Futureling (and occasional magician’s assistant) Jennifer MacFarlane discusses pigeons and a family story from the southern Netherlands in the fall of 1944. Cert

May 12
1 h 31 min

Chart positions

Where Omnibus ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 13, 2026).

#104 ▲ 22 History US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Ken and John have a great dynamic and always put an interesting spin on the topic of the week. I love the side info on the Seattle area of Washington (where my wife is from) and Ken’s memories of living in Korea, where my family and I lived for many years.

James Asch · Oct 2024

My husband and I plan our Tuesdays to listen to Omnibus. It’s one of the highlights of our week. We re-listen to old episodes all the time. Ken and John are entertaining, smart, funny, and down-to-earth.

sunnywz · Jul 2024

I don’t get the people angry about them taking so long to get to the topic. They’re entertainers, if you want a list of facts Google it, ding dongs. I listen and re-listen to Omnibus daily. John is so human that I sometimes forget how smart he is. The mispronunciations, the cryptic allusions to his love life, his issues with social media... listening to his lovely voice is like a big hug. Youtube the talk he did at the XOXO Festival to truly appreciate his brilliance. (and for what it’s worth, he seems like a wonderful dad) Ken is what I would choose as a video game avatar. So much knowledge right at his fingertips. It’s genuinely thrilling to hear him in conversation. He could so easily be an insufferable nerd but instead he’s just funny and cool. His tact and social skills border on art. Also, he keeps me up to date on PC terminology, which I unironically appreciate. I have huge crushes on them both, and I’m very grateful to have found this podcast. I hope they continue making it for many years to come.

justthisnexttime · Mar 2024

John & Ken deliver a warm and funny reading of unique and far flung tidbits from recent history, powered by their enjoyable banter, liberally sprinkled with tales of John’s long-ago walking trip across Europe, WWII airplanes, Gen Ex / Millennial adjacent pop culture and occasional mentions of local landmarks of the Great Pacific Northwest that will keep a smile on the faces of nerds everywhere. Comfort listening at its best

Johnnn and stuff · Feb 2024

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About Omnibus on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Omnibus, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

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