We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast

Do you love We Didn't Start The Fire? Then you'll love this new podcast.   Perfect for question-askers and curious minds, welcome to SystemShift! Have a listen, and if you love it, hit one of the links below to see and hear more. Enjoy!   https://podfollow.com/1683278976 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENvqNLnE8js Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guests are three very special ladies whom have all appeared on the show before, but this time, all three have memoirs out. Debbie Gendler was the first to appear on SATB (121: New York Stories) and her story as the 1st US fan (as far as I'm concerned) was initially laid out there. But now HER memoir has been published, I Saw Them Standing There: Adventures of an Original Fan During Beatlemania and Beyond.  Debbie joins returning guests Carol Tyler (146: Fab 4 Mania) and Sibbie O'Sullivan (273: My Private Lennon) as they react to each other's books. What ensued though was something bigger than what we anticipated, as the notion of collating their stories and those of other 1st-generation fans into something bigger and grander took shape.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please enjoy this bonus episode from the History Shorts podcast! Who has not heard at least one of Elvis Presley's songs or knows exactly who they are looking at when they see his image? But did you know that the details surrounding the king of rock and roll's untimely death are just as big of a part of pop culture as his life and music? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please enjoy this bonus episode from The French History Podcast! Is it better to be a hero or great? What is the difference? What makes someone a hero or great in France? Pierre talks all about that and how to get into the Panthéon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please enjoy this bonus episode which is the series premier of Countdown to Dallas, a new show from Evergreen Podcasts. In this episode we recap the basic events surrounding President Kennedy's assassination. We'll discuss the formation of the famous Warren Commission, its findings — and highlight the one thing about its report that's often overlooked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you hear at the bottom of the ocean? How does it feel to swim with whales? Or make friends with an octopus? Come and find out. This is Life Under Water. Wildlife filmmaker and TV personality Hannah Stitfall wants to take you the world below the waves. She'll be chatting to freedivers, marine biologists, submarine pilots and more, hearing mind-boggling stories about the oceans-deep and its inhabitants. We explore The Lost City. We hang out with your favourite animals. The hypnotic sound design and storytelling will drop you right there. Oceans: Life Under Water is brought to you by Crowd Network and Greenpeace UK, which is how these stories can be told so beautifully but also responsibly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the series premier, we recap the basic events surrounding President Kennedy's assassination. We'll discuss the formation of the famous Warren Commission, its findings — and highlight the one thing about its report that's often overlooked. Buy the book Countdown to Dallas: The Incredible Coincidences, Routines, and Blind "Luck" that Brought John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald Together on November 22, 1963 here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The time has finally come... we've made it to the end of the song. This episode description is being written on a tearstained laptop as we speak. But we PROMISE we're going out with a very fizzy bang. The cola wars was a tense battle between soda giants Coca Cola and Pepsi, as they tried to be crowned the hippest, Americanest, tastiest cola. But it's also the epitoment of American capitalism and the power of brands. So who won the war? What the hell was New Coke? And who wins in the battle of Madonna v George Michael? Plus there's a cola taste test and a whole lotta reminiscing. Thanks for joining us listeners, we hope you enjoy ❤️‍

It's the penultimate episode, and Billy's taken us back to China to talk about the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and the massacre that followed. In classic To this day, discussion of the events are strictly censored in China but in this episode we'll explore it all. What happened to the protestors? Do we know who Tank Man was? What role did rock n roll play? And what's the state of resistance and counter-culture in today's China? We're talking all that and more with modern China expert, Jess Wasserstrom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you head to the beach, you expect to find some leftover sandcastles and nasty sunburns - not a tide of used syringes. But that's what was found on the coast of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in 1987-88. It destroyed tourism and caused drastic changes in local waste disposal. It's a horrifying thing to think about, but what we didn't realise is how often this still happens. Medical waste disposal is a huge issue for anti-pollution campaigners, so to learn more about it all, we're talking to Ruth Stringer, International Society and Policy Coordinator of Health Care Without Harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ordinary guy turned vigilante icon, Bernie Goetz shook a crime-riddled New York City in 1984, after he shot 4 black teenagers on the subway. It created a rift within public opinion, and forced difficult conversations about race, self-defence, and gun rights. But when does self-defence go too far? How do we know Goetz truly felt threatened by teenagers he suspected would mug him? And was he properly punished? This week, we also explore the current case of Jordan Neely, a homeless black man who was recently killed on the subway after being placed in a deadly chokehold. It draws eery similarities to the Goetz case, so what does this say about the current state of America? Has anything changed since Goetz? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ruben Castaneda is a born storyteller and he's got an extraordinary story to tell. Ruben was The Washington Post's crime reporter in the early 90s when crack addiction was spreading across America, destroying livelihoods and ravaging communities. But what nobody knew is that at the same time as reporting on the crisis, Ruben was addicted to crack himself. WARNING: this episode contains explicit descriptions of drug use and addiction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1980s, the world was gripped by a virus that was killing people in their thousands; savaging communities and creating a climate of fear, blame and ignorance. That virus was HIV, and here to sift the facts from the fiction and explain how the AIDS crisis transformed everything from sexuality to healthcare is Deborah Gold, CEO of the National AIDS Trust. One of our partners for today's episode is Target Pilates. If you'd like to try out target pilates, head to targetpilates.online/fire to get 3 months for only £12. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homelessness has always been present in America: you've probably seen it in movies and TV, from jovial Charlie Caplin comedies, to traumatised Forrest Gump. But how did we go from the aimless vagabond to nationwide crisis? Why did Americans suddenly start to care after Vietnam? And is there anyway to tackle homelessness? We're chatting all this and more with the Manhattan Institute's Stephen Eide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've hit the 80s and Reagan's low tax and defence spending have contributed to the America's worst foreign debt in history. It turns out the US has consistently been in debt, so why does this time matter? Well, because they're borrowing heavily from the Japanese, and have turned from creditors to creditees. It leads to the deindustrialisation of the Midwest, the rise of Sony and the Walkman, and even Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewsinky… But why did kids like Billy care? What does it mean for America's political future? Can America ever be debt-free? Does that even matter? Iwan Morgan has even returned to talk us through it all! He's sort of like a walking Economics for Dummies, which is perfect for a pair of economic dummies like us…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

!sretratseriF kcab emocleW... What's that funny sentence? A secret hidden message of course! Because this week we're getting into the weeds of heavy metal and Satanic Panic. Were Judas Priest hiding secret messages in their songs? Was music threatening the very fabric of the modern world? And where did the moral panic go? It's a complicated, tragic, and often absurd story, so music journalist and metal-head Michael Hann is back to talk us through it all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RIDE SALLY RIDE! We can't believe it's true, but Sally Ride is the birth name of the woman who'd later to become the First American woman to orbit space. Talk about nominative determinism! And what an extraordinary woman she was: from tennis player mentored by THE Billy Jean King, to lifelong advocate for women in STEM, her impact can't be understated. But why were people so averse to woman-astronauts? Why did she hide her sexuality for so long? And ohhhh god WHY did engineers try to give her so many tampons for a 6 day flight?!? It's time to chat about the incredible Sally Ride, with author Sue Macy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the game that's spun its way into the hearts of millions: today we're taking a wild ride through the history of the ICONIC game show, Wheel of Fortune. But how did a billionaire's childhood memories of hangman, turn into a cultural phenomenon? What are things actually like behind the scenes? Who turned up drunk for an audition? And how did David Letterman nearly end up hosting it? Today we're joined by Wheel superfan and gameshow historian, Adam Needeff to chat all about Wheel of Fortune, why we love gameshows, and his own experiences working on the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to support the rise of communism in the country, beginning a series of constant conflict that Afghanistan still faces today. It's also had huge impacts on our geopolitical climate today - to fight Russian communism, the US backed and funded rebels, who'd later become the Taliban, who rose to power, and continue to rule today, after the civil war which followers Russia's eventual retreat. But how did one invasion lead to such huge consequences? How does the Taliban continue to rule today? What does it tell us about the war in Ukraine? And what does Afghanistan's future look like? Today, we're joined by an esteemed guest - foreign correspondent, Afghanistan expert, and the only journalist who was with the Taliban when they took Kabul in 1996, David Loyn. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1979, Iran's pro-Western Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini, ushering in the Iranian Revolution and Iran's shift to an Islamic Republic. But the hope many people thought Khomeini represented, quickly soured as his zeal led to increasing amounts of oppression. And despite it all, this revolution still holds strong today, only recently starting to face real threats to its stability. So how has it lasted so long? What do the women's rights protests mean for Iran's future? And what was it really like to live through the revolution? This week, we're joined by award-winning British-Iranian journalist, documentary producer and author, Ramita Navai, to talk through the history and her personal experiences with the Iranian Revolution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners, strap yourselves in. The late 20th century was an era of glamorous air travel, where you could saunter right through to the plane and buy your ticket in your seat (alongside your martini). But, alongside the glamour was a slew of sky-jackings, with hundreds of hijackings taking place across the world. But who were behind these? why were they so prevalent? How did it impact the public? And WHY did some hijackers bring a baby on board, and force the hostages to knit for them? This week, we're chatting ‘Terror on the Airline' with author, Brendan Koerner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Billy chose to encapsulate this behemoth of a topic in a single lyric, we'll never know. But this week, we're talking Palestine and all it experienced in the 20th century. Wars, protests, land grabs, displacement: the atrocities of this era are still being felt, and carried out, today. It's not something we were ever taught much about, but luckily we're joined by the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and co-editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Rashid Khalidi, to discuss this hugely important topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ronnie was one of America's most beloved and controversial presidents. From his early days as a B-movie actor and union president, to his pivotal role in heating up the Cold War, Reagan was an icon of the 80s (even for British kids like Tom!). But what was he really like? How did he become president? And did he really bring an end to the Cold War, or was it all just a Hollywood-style illusion?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Menachem Begin was the sixth Prime Minister of Israel, and a signal of the state's growing disillusionment. Since its founding, it had been run by socialist Ashkenazi elites, but Begin's win signified a shift to a conservative coalition of marginalised Mizrahi and Jewish-religious communities. But what did this mean long term for Israel? How does it impact politics today? And what did it all mean for Billy? To discuss it all we're joined by Henry Abramson, a Lecturer in Jewish History and Thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fluffies and spikies, get ready to ROCK! It's the music scene that shook (and scared) the 70s, and could've ended Billy's career... this week we're talking punk! How did it all start? Who's THE definitive band? Why was it so scary? And how did Billy feel about it?! We're ready to nerd out, and we're joined by music journalist Michael Hann to delve into all things punk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our friends at Podmasters have a new podcast you're going to love: Jam Tomorrow. How did Britain's dreams of a new postwar world go unfulfilled? And what does that mean for us today? In the first of a new documentary series from the makers of Oh God, What Now?, Ros Taylor looks at the legacy of the War itself. Ιdeals of the Blitz Spirit and dreams of wartime heroism still shape everything from pop culture and entertainment to the Brexit debate. But the truth of the War is more complex and less comforting. What will it take for us to see the Second World War – and ourselves – clearly? If you'd like to hear more, just search for Jam Tomorrow wherever you get your podcasts, or hit this link! https://link.chtbl.com/JamTmrwFD Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Voiceovers by Imogen Robertson. Original music by Dubstar. Lead producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmastersproduction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the 1970s, Richard Nixon's paranoia has reached new heights. He's become consumed with wiretapping, secret recording devices and surveillances, and he's convinced everyone's out to get him. He's dipping his toes into criminality, and the cover ups on top of cover ups are become more and more incriminating. But how does he get to this point? What's the point of new return? And how does it impact his legacy? It's the original scandal that broke the non-existent internet... let's chat Watergate with host of Nixon At War, Kurt Andersen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch out for that brown acid - it's WOODSTOCK time baby!! We've always wished we were alive for Woodstock (and not the '94 one that Katie worked at…) But what was it really like behind the scenes? And how did a drug deal turn into the most famous music festival of all time? Luckily author and pal of the Woodstock stars, Bob Spitz is here to chat! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's episode 100, LET'S GO TO THE MOON! The 1969 Apollo 11 landing was iconic, but what happened to the earlier missions? What kind of impact did it have on pop culture and the Cold War? Why are there so many conspiracy theories? And most importantly - who was the first person to poo on the moon? Our old pal, science journalist Kit Chapman, has returned to gab about it all with us!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tricky Dicky's back! He quite the comeback kid…It's 1969, a slew of assassinations have recently hit the country, anti-war protests are taking over college campuses, and Nixon's finally won the presidency for the Republicans. But how did it all happen, why was Nixon so damn awkward, and why did Elvis show up at the White House? Let's chat Nixon with David Greenberg! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ho Chi Minh is a man of many mysteries and many names (including the Kissing President…). But to most, he's the man who midwifed a nation and kicked out the colonisers. He's the revolutionary head of the Viet Minh who lead Viet Nam to independence in 1945. And through it all he found time to be a ferry pastry chef! In 1969, Billy is struck by his death, so it's time for us to reflect on the life of Uncle Ho, the Vietnamese Revolution, and course, the Vietnam War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's another podcast we think you'll enjoy. It's a tale of secrets, smugglers, spies, and how 852 people died on a ferry. From the team behind The Secret History of Flight 149, journalist Stephen Davis investigates the tragic sinking of the passenger ship, The Estonia, uncovering a mysterious trail that leads back to the Cold War. You can listen to the series by searching ‘The Secret History of the Estonia' wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are released weekly, with the whole series available ad-free on the Crowd Stories channel on Apple Podcasts (where you can also get ad-free and early access to Fire episodes!). You can also listen ad-free on Amazon Music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The free love of the 1960s was a crucial step in the world becoming more sex positive, but would any of it have happened without the invention of The Pill?  This week, we're chatting all things birth control - how it came about, the reaction (hello again Pope Paul!), and allll the weird old timey forms of birth controls that once existed. Plus, we discuss the long term legacy of The Pill, the controversial idea of male birth control, and the modern day battle for bodily autonomy. To wade through it all, we're joined by Dr Catherine Roach, the author of 'Good Sex: Transforming America through the New Gender and Sexual Revolution'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The assassination of John F Kennedy was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century. The young president who was supposed to change America, has his life cut short in an open topped limousine in Dallas, Texas. Supposedly, he's killed by lone gunsman Lee Harvey Oswald, who's later shot on live TV in the basement of Dallas' Police HQ. But, according to some, the official story doesn't quite stack up. So what actually happened? Was Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone? Do we actually believe any of the conspiracies? And why are conspiracy theories so damn tantalising anyway?! What else do we have to say… it's time to chat about the Kennedy assassination.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1960s, a sordid sex scandal rocked the British press. What appeared to be a shallow affair between Conservative MP John Profumo and teenage call girl Christine Keeler, spiralled into a suspected case of Soviet espionage. But how did it change the trajectory of sex-positivity in the UK? And how did it bring down a government? Kate Lister, host of Betwixt the Sheets is here to talk us through it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm X is a civil rights revolutionary. He's not playing the establishment's game. He's not keeping the peace and hoping if he's a good enough Black man, he'll be allowed to get ahead. Instead, he's calling out white segregationists. And to some people, he's an aggressive reverse-racist. But to the African American community, he's a game-changer. Before this, our exposure to Malcolm was restricted to Gen X hip hop music and being scaremongered as a young American teen. So we need to talk to an expert about all this - thank goodness for Dr Peniel Joseph! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Paul VI was in charge of the Catholic Church in a tumultuous time. Communists are locking up Catholic priests, the Vietnam War is raging on, and free love is in full swing. Does he modernise and change with the time? Or does he batten the hatches and stick to the status quo? How does he react to birth control? And how does Billy Joel come to have a Beatlemania-esque experience with this pope? Professor of History and Catholic Christianity, James Felak is here to walk us through the life of the paper-pushing pope!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liston vs Patterson is a boxing match to remember. It's an easy win for Liston and his 14 inch fists and he's extraordinary to watch. So why are the crowd so upset when it's over? It's because they think it's a fix, that the mob's somehow involves. Because everyone hates Sonny Liston. With his mob ties and bad attitude, he's wrong kind of African American. The NAACP even warn against the fight because they're worried that increasing Liston's profile will only worsen how society viewed African Americans. So, it's a boxing match to remember, but it's also a snapshot of 1965 American society. There's so much to talk about, from how the fight unfolded and the rest of their careers, to their future fights against Muhammad Ali and Liston's tragic end. So, this week we're joined by boxing journalist and co-host of the George Groves Boxing Club podcast, Declan Taylor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1962, the US is scrambling to catch up with the USSR in the Space Race and it's finally time for an American to orbit the Earth. John Glenn is the perfectly stoic character for the job, and what follows is an action packed journey into outer space, full of close calls and national propaganda. But what's it really like to be an astronaut? What's the NASA campus like? What happened to him afterwards? And how did he end of back in space at 77? Host of 13 Minutes to the Moon and ex-NASA employee, Dr Kevin Fong, joins us to talk through it all. A huge thank you to listener Mark Kelsall for convincing Kevin to come on! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1962, a riot broke out in the University of Mississippi after African American student, James Meredith is enrolled. It essentially becomes the last stand of the Civil War, with people turning up with old Civil War muskets to defend the favoured institution of Southern elites. It would help transform the kinds of opportunities available to black people in the South, but how were they able to avoid de-segregation for 8 years about Brown v Board of Education? And how did James Meredith end up campaigning for KKK klansman, David Duke? Charles K Ross, professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Mississippi is here to talk us through it all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We told you we'd be back for more baby! We couldn't condense all of the Fab Four's urine filled success to one episode, so welcome to Part 2 of our bumper chat with the world's leading Beatles expert, Mark Lewisohn. In this part we're chatting US takeover, song writing style, John-Paul-George-Ringo friendships, and lots more. This is the second part of our conversation, so make sure you've listened to the Part I before feasting on this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YEAH YEAH YEAH, we've been waiting 88 episode for this and it's finally here!! In the 60s, The Beatles' rise to fame would change the landscape of pop music and fandom forever. People were so excited to watch them, they'd urinate and scream so loud you'd struggle to hear the music. No one had ever seen fan culture or heard music like it. So it's no surprise that we're absolutely ecstatic to chat to Mark Lewisohn, arguably the world's LEADING authority on the Beatles! So ecstatic that we've made a two part episode, so make sure you listen to that once you're done with this one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices