Podcasts about Arion

Inspired by a dream, Prince Charles of Provence ordered an excavation that uncovered a sarcophagus believed to contain the remains of Mary Magdalene on 12th December, 1279.  The evidence presented included a papyrus note, a sweet rose fragrance filling the air, a wax-covered tablet proclaiming Mary's identity, and even a piece of skin where Jesus supposedly touched her after his resurrection.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly investigate how and why Mary may have ended up in France in the first place; recall the bout of ‘Magdalene mania' that gripped the mediaeval world; and explain why, for centuries, people said she was a sex worker…  Further Reading: • ‘How Early Church Leaders Downplayed Mary Magdalene's Influence' (HISTORY, 2019): https://www.history.com/news/mary-magdalene-jesus-wife-prostitute-saint • ‘The Skull and Bones of Mary Magdalene' (Atlas Obscura, 2013): https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/marys-house-in-provence • ‘Relics of St. Mary Magdalene in the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Saint-Baume, France' (Pierre Repooc Productions, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO8MQzApXvE This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

‘The Muppet Christmas Carol' underwhelmed at the box office when it was first released on 11th December, 1992 - but found its audience on video and DVD in the decades later, becoming a gold-plated Christmas classic, re-watched by families, year after year.  There was darkness behind the scenes - from the sudden death of Muppets creator Jim Henson, to the legal wrangling over Disney's acquisition deal for his company, and composer Paul Williams's return from a difficult decade of addiction. But, despite this, or, perhaps, because of it, 28 year-old first-time director Brian Henson delivered a faithful and enduring adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how Steve Whitmire shouldered the daunting job of playing Kermit for the first time; consider Michael Caine's masterstroke performance as Scrooge (‘as if playing opposite the Royal Shakespeare Company'); and reveal how Jerry Juhl's script shifted from comedy pastiche to heartfelt musical…  Further Reading: • ‘‘You'll never see Michael Caine blink': An oral history of The Muppet Christmas Carol at 30' (The Independent, 2022): https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-muppet-christmas-carol-brian-henson-b2243015.html • ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol movie review' (Roger Ebert, 1992): https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-muppet-christmas-carol-1992 • ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol Trailer #1' (Disney, 1992):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNo-Q0IDJi0 #90s #Film #Christmas #Heartwarming Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer:  Ollie Peart Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 year-old singer Frank Sinatra, Jr was snatched from his casino dressing room on 10th December, 1962. His famous father was willing to pay the kidnappers a $1 million ransom - but they insisted they only required $240,000.  When the case went to trial, the defence suggested that the Sinatras may have been in on the crime - a slur that damaged Frank Jr's reputation for the rest of his life. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly take a peek back through kidnapper Barry Keenan's infamous 27-page ring binder; explain how the assassination of Kennedy scuppered his earlier attempt at snatching Frank, Jr; and ask how the roadblocks set up specifically to block the bungling criminals failed so spectacularly… Further Reading: • ‘FBI Cracks Sinatra Kidnapping Case' (British Pathé, 1963): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJm3lXkPZyM • ‘The story of the bumbling kidnappers who snatched Frank Sinatra's only son from hotel' (Mirror Online, 2021): https://www.mirror.co.uk/features/story-bumbling-kidnappers-who-snatched-25280617 • ‘The Bizzare And Terribly Executed Kidnapping Of Frank Sinatra Jr.' (All Thats Interesting, 2021): https://allthatsinteresting.com/frank-sinatra-jr-kidnapping this episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Now a 900 strong pub chain, with an annual turnover of £1.6 billion, J.D. Wetherspoon is a big name on the British high street. But when entrepreneur Tim Martin flung open the doors of the first branch in London's Muswell Hill on 9th December, 1979, it was known as ‘Tim's Free House' - and closed down on its opening night. He built up the business by taking over leases at old buildings such as churches and cinemas, and converting them into pubs - meaning they weren't tied to any particular brewery, guaranteeing lower prices for customers.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly interrogate Martin's ‘man of the people' image, reveal why Wetherspoon's famous carpets are so expensive; and ask if the ‘paltry chip count' meme explains why they came off social media… Further Reading: • How Wetherspoon's Conquered Britain (Esquire, 2018): https://www.esquire.com/uk/food-drink/a19129642/how-wetherspoons-conquered-britain/ • ‘Did Wetherspoons See The Pandemic Coming?' (Channel 5, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDQl21ZoMEw • ‘Wetherspoons Paltry Chip Count: How the counting chips page went sour' (JOE.co.uk, 2021): https://www.joe.co.uk/uncategorized/inside-the-wetherspoons-paltry-chip-count-how-the-last-wholesome-corner-of-facebook-turned-sour-303164 This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

A woman played a female role on the London stage for the very first time on December 8th, 1660, as Desdemona in a revival of Shakepeare's Othello. The actress was probably Margaret Hughes - though nobody bothered to record this at the time, so we can't be sure. After the 1660 restoration of King Charles II, theatres opened their doors for the first time after 16 years of Puritan suppression. Charles, who had been exiled in France, admired continental theatre, where women had already been performing for over a century, and so England's actresses were finally permitted to follow suit. Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover the stories of those pioneering performers who combatted sexism and sexual harassment to have their time in the limelight; consider the fate of the ‘pretty boys in petticoats' once real women were allowed on stage; and, once again, marvel at Samuel Pepys's inability to keep his sexual urges out of his diaries… Further Reading: • 'Who was the first Shakespearean actress?' (British Library, 2016): https://blogs.bl.uk/english-and-drama/2016/05/who-was-the-first-shakespearean-actress.html • 'The First English Actresses: Women and Drama, 1660-1700 - By Elizabeth Howe' (Cambridge University Press, 1992): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_First_English_Actresses/gPC5RvL7O_8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=elizabeth+howe+women+on+stage&printsec=frontcover • ‘April de Angelis Interview | The first women on stage' (Whats On Stage, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvaJIzHj6zY Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Rob has dug deeper into the magic of Macca's bass lines than anyone and has the website and videos to prove it. We went down the rabbit hole of influences and evolution.  Also on board: bassist Arion Salazar, musician extraordinaire and Beatles geek.  Be sure to check out Rob's site and YouTube channel. (And look for Arion's fab Beatles tributes while you're at it.)

Queen Elizabeth II made Britain's first long-distance automated phone call on 5th November, 1958 - when, from Bristol, she spoke directly to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, 300 miles away, without the need for an Operator.  Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) transformed the telephone network, but was not without its challenges: automation brought efficiency but also led to job losses, sparking some labour disputes, and the roll-out was not completed for twenty years.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why women were selected over men as telephone operators; track the evolution of phone technology through international calls and push-button phones; and propose a future role for the monarchy in testing out social media DMs…  Further Reading: • ‘Caller, putting you through!' (Daily Express, 2012): https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/334666/Caller-putting-you-through • 'Queen's first video call echoes Her Majesty's historic trunk call to Edinburgh in 1950s' (The Scotsman, 2020): https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/retro/queens-first-video-call-echoes-her-majestys-historic-trunk-call-to-edinburgh-in-1950s-2881983 ‘Queen Dials Edinburgh' (British Pathé, 1958): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfH0Xr1rIcY This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The ‘ghost ship' Mary Celeste was discovered drifting in the Atlantic by Captain David Morehouse of the Dei Gratia on 4 December 1872. On board there were intact provisions, undisturbed cargo, no evidence of violence or theft… and zero crew. Although some damage to the rigging and open hatches hinted at recent rough weather, nothing suggested a crisis severe enough to justify taking to the lifeboat. One pump had been dismantled and about a metre of water had collected in the hold, but this was neither unusual nor dangerous for a vessel of that size. Crucially, the ship's papers and navigational instruments were missing, implying a deliberate and orderly departure.  Nevertheless, no signs of fire, piracy, collision, or structural failure explained why Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, their two-year-old daughter, and seven experienced crewmen had deserted a floating refuge for a far riskier open boat. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly pore over the case that captured the Victorian imagination; explain how Arthur Conan-Doyle kickstarted some internet conspiracies; and consider some of the fruitier explanations for the mystery…  Further Reading: • ‘Mary Celeste, The 'Ghost Ship' Found Abandoned In The Atlantic' (All That's Interesting, 2022): https://allthatsinteresting.com/mary-celeste • ‘From the Mary Celeste to the USS Cyclops: The ships which disappeared or were found abandoned' (Daily Mail Online, 2023): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12218135/From-Mary-Celeste-USS-Cyclops-ships-disappeared-abandoned.html • ‘The True Story of the Mary Celeste' (Smithsonian, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTb54_gLd5Q #Mystery #Victorian #Strange Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Renaissance Man Thomas Harriot was noted for many things - devising the theory of refraction, creating mathematical symbols including ‘greater than' and ‘lesser than', and being the first person to draw the Moon through a telescope. But the contribution for which he's most remembered is bringing back the potato to Britain - an event commonly credited to 3rd December, 1586. On first spotting the vegetable on Roanoke Island, he wrote: ‘They are a kind of roots of round form, some of the bigness of walnuts, some far greater, which are found in moist & marish grounds growing many together one by another in ropes, or as though they were fastened with a string. Being boiled or sodden they are very good meate.' In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca ask what a ‘versifier' is; come up with a new name for Accountancy; and discover the bizarre means by which Antoine-Augustin Parmentier popularised spuds in France… Further Reading: • ‘The history of the potato: The humble vegetable that changed the world' (Sky HISTORY): https://www.history.co.uk/articles/the-history-of-the-potato-the-humble-vegetable-that-changed-the-world • ‘Thomas Harriot (1560 - 1621) - Biography' (MacTutor History of Mathematics, St Andrews University): https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Harriot/ • ‘History through the eyes of the potato' (Leo Bear-McGuinness, TEDx 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xROmDsULcLE This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Tinseltown's most notorious pimp was convicted of providing high-class ‘call girls' to undercover police officers on 2nd December, 1994. It followed a dramatic sting involving the LAPD, the Beverly Hills police department, the state alcoholic beverage control agency and the state attorney General's office. They seized her ‘little black book' (actually a red Gucci diary) full of high-profile names, but the only celebrity client of hers that testified was Charlie Sheen. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether Fleiss' own desire for profile was part of her undoing; explain how she had unseated ‘Madam Alex' from the top of the tree; and reveal the role of Travellers Cheques in her most famous client's downfall… There was a surprising next chapter to Fleiss' career - as a carer for parrots - which we discuss in today's bonus bit, only available for supporters of the show. Just click Subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or head over to Patreon.com/Retrospectors (top two tiers only) to hear it, and a weekly bit of bonus content every single week. By so doing, you're also supporting our show - so, thanks! Further Reading: • ‘HEIDI FLEISS GUILTY OF PANDERING' (The Washington Post, 1994): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1994/12/03/heidi-fleiss-guilty-of-pandering/d836cdbd-4461-47d2-9038-45842269c3c9/ • ‘Heidi Fleiss on Her Arrest, Macaw Cause and “Drug Addict” Ex Tom Sizemore' (The Hollywood Reporter, 2018): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/heidi-fleiss-her-arrest-macaw-cause-drug-addict-tom-sizemore-1117449/ • ‘Jurors in the Heidi Fleiss trial watch videotape of police arresting four alleged prostitutes' (AP, 16 Nov 1994): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO0mQUA0bVw This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Which young men should be sent to fight in Vietnam? Amidst a growing public outcry against the biases in the system, the United States instituted a live televised lottery draft on December 1st, 1969. In a sombre spectacle, plexiglass drums and capsules containing birthdates were drawn live on CBS, dictating the order in which men born on that day might be conscripted. Youth delegates participated to symbolize approval from the draftees' generation, but some refused to cooperate; one storming off live on air, others making peace signs or reading out protests during the broadcast. Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how this dystopian ‘Hunger Games' lottery came to be; consider the effect Vietnam the draft had on parenting and college statistics back home; and track their own birthdays to discover when they would have been drafted… Further Reading: • ‘Live From Washington, It's Lottery Night 1969!' (HistoryNet, 2009): https://www.historynet.com/live-from-dc-its-lottery-night-1969/ • 'Curtis W. Tarr, Selective Service chief who ran the Vietnam War draft lottery, dies at 88' (The Washington Post, 2013): https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/curtis-w-tarr-selective-service-chief-who-ran-the-vietnam-war-draft-lottery-dies-at-88/2013/06/26/7c615842-de97-11e2-b2d4-ea6d8f477a01_story.html • ‘The Draft Lottery' (CBS, 1969): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl29gRRppBg Love the show? Support us!  Join 

In the annals of automotive innovation, November 28th, 2018 marked a peculiar milestone: the birth of the Lincoln Chimes. The brainchild of Jennifer Prescott, overseer of "Vehicle Harmony" at the motor company, this warning system replaced the synthetic sound of in-car emergency alerts with a blend of violin, viola, and marimba played by The Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Lincoln's endeavour followed in the wake of Bentley revamping its alert and indicator sounds, drawing inspiration from the gentle ticking of a grandfather clock - but cars are not the only luxury products to dabble in ‘sonic branding'. From computer startup chimes to the noise accompanying credit card transactions, there's a soundscape of jingles which have become an integral part of our conditioned understanding of products and experiences. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how NBC were the first company to trademark  a sound; check out MasterCard's deviation into recorded music; and reveal just how many drafts Brian Eno went through before settling on his final start-up sound for Windows95… Further Reading: • ‘Why Big Brands Are Using Sonic Signatures To Reach Consumers' (Forbes, 2018): https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2019/05/08/why-big-brands-are-using-sonic-signatures-to-reach-consumers/?sh=35f5b651d39c • ‘Inside Mastercard's ‘10-layer' sonic branding plan' (Marketing Brew, 2022): https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2022/10/17/inside-mastercard-s-10-layer-sonic-branding-plan • ‘2019 Lincoln Aviator chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra' (Wheel Network, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7uZ27Uzgsk This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The most notorious accused spy of the early Cold War, Alger Hiss, emerged from Lewisburg Penitentiary on 27th November, 1954; calm, composed, and determined to reclaim his reputation. Surrounded by a scrum of journalists, he insisted fear had shaped his conviction, and vowed to vindicate his name. A reserved, cultured “grey man” who had risen through the New Deal, attended the Yalta Conference with Roosevelt, and served as acting Secretary-General at the UN's founding, Hiss's conviction for perjury when accused of Soviet espionage had captured America's attention. Former communist Whitaker Chambers claimed Hiss had been part of an underground network with him in the 1930s, and produced the explosive “pumpkin papers” to prove it: microfilm and typed copies of classified documents that he said Hiss had passed to him, which he'd then stored inside a pumpkin on his farm in Maryland. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover how a young Richard Nixon was instrumental in Hiss's downfall; discover how support for Hiss among prominent liberals turned the case into an early culture-war flashpoint, fuelling the rise of McCarthyism; and probe into Hiss's red-tinged prison reading list… Further Reading: • ‘Chaos Agent, by Jeff Kisseloff' (Harper's, 2025): https://harpers.org/archive/2025/09/chaos-agent-jeff-kisseloff-rewriting-hisstory-alger-hiss/ • ‘SEQUELS: Ordeal of Living' (TIME, 1954): https://time.com/archive/6885609/sequels-ordeal-of-living/ • Alger Hiss Released From Jail' (British Pathé, 1954): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIII6PLV4LY #Scandal #ColdWar #50s #Legal #Politics  Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Escaping a Scary Cave by Arion by 826 Valencia

Your TV signal wobbles. An alien voice (albeit one with a Southern English accent...) seizes control of your set. And, instead of newsreader Andrew Gardner reporting on the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, you hear a voice claiming to be ‘Vrillon', of Ashtar Galactic Command, with a message for humanity. Such was the experience for viewers attempting to watch the ITV Evening News on Southern TV on 26th November, 1977 - an incident which became infamous in the ‘signal-jamming' pantheon of the twentieth-century. Nobody has ever claimed responsibility. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly compare ‘Vrillon' to its US counterpart, the ‘Max Headroom' incident; unpick the idea that the broadcast was part of the Raelian movement; and explain how Twitter ruined signal-jamming pranks forever...   Further Reading: • ‘Alien Vrillon Interruption 1977' (RECREATION by RukiTheDreamer, YouTube 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhNriwaMTQE • ‘Vrillon: the alien voice hoax that became a legend' (The Independent, 2017): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/vrillon-hacking-alien-voice-seventies-extra-terrestrial-hoax-unexplained-mysteries-a8069926.html • ‘Five Of The Eeriest Interruptions In Broadcast History' (Neatorama, 2015): https://www.neatorama.com/2015/11/30/Five-Of-The-Eeriest-Interruptions-In-Broadcast-History/ This show first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Wearing an armoured breastplate, clasping a silver cross and seizing an Army spontoon, 31 year old Elizabeth Petrovna appeared at the HQ of the elite Preobrazhensky Regiment guards in St. Petersburg on 25th November, 1741 - intent on over-throwing Tzar Ivan VI (a baby), and seizing the Russian throne for herself. Although she was the daughter of Peter The Great, she was also illegitimate, and overlooked in the line of succession. But her coup was bloodless, and she oversaw a productive cultural period for the dynasty - including her role in selecting Catherine The Great. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly recall Elizabeth's fondness for food, fashion and f***ing; posit that her husband Alexis Razumovsky was a bit like Dolly Parton's beau Carl Dean; and explain why, if you're staging a coup, you should always slit your drums… Further Reading: • ‘Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia' (Unofficial Royalty, 2018): http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/empress-elizabeth-i-of-russia/ • ‘Decadent Facts About Empress Elizabeth Of Russia, The Last Romanov' (Factinate): https://www.factinate.com/people/empress-elizabeth/ • ‘St Petersburg Palaces of the Romanovs' (RT, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3LRMZfmAsU This episode was first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Dr. Vincenz Czerny performed the world's first breast augmentation in Vienna on 24th November, 1893. After removing a benign tumour via a mastectomy, Czerny addressed the asymmetry left behind by innovatively transplanting a non-cancerous lipoma from his patient's lower back to reconstruct her breast. Czerny's work was cutting-edge for its time (pun intended): it wasn't until the Second World War, in the era of curvier pin-up girls, that cosmetic surgery began to become widespread, alongside the rise of silicone. The breakthrough came in 1962, when American surgeons Frank Gerow and Thomas Cronin developed the first silicone breast implant, tested on a Texas woman named Timmie Jean Lindsay, who agreed to the surgery only after being promised an ear-pinning as a bonus. Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover the story of breast surgery, both reparative and cosmetic; explain how early attempts at the art resulted in unfortunate outcomes like “paraffinomas”; and reveal why a dog named Esmeralda has an historic place in pantheon of historic boob jobs… Further Reading: • 'Breast implants: the first 50 years' (The Guardian, 2012): https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/11/breast-implants-50-years?CMP=twt_gu • ‘From supersized to a more natural look: The evolution of breast implants' (CNN, 2021): https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/evolution-of-breast-implants/index.html • 'Breast Implant Options for Augmentation & Reconstruction (Graphic)' (Cleveland Clinic, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twsPcwxNSQQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the Maccabees celebrated the recapture of Jerusalem from the Macedonian emperor Antiochus IV, they lit a menorah in the city's holy temple. The date, in the ancient Hebrew calendar, was the twenty-fifth day of the third month of Kislev 3597… the first Hanukkah.  Hanukkah's significance waned in some early Jewish texts due to the favourable portrayal of Romans in the Book of Maccabees, but gained prominence in the Diaspora during the late 19th century, as it offered a distinct celebration for Jews in Western societies during the festive season.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether the Maccabees were freedom fighters or religious fundamentalists; explain why donuts may have played a crucial role in the widespread adoption of Hanukkah; and recall Adam Sandler's totemic contribution to Hanukkah lore… Further Reading: • ‘The story of Hanukkah: how a minor Jewish holiday was remade in the image of Christmas' (The Conversation, 2019): https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-hanukkah-how-a-minor-jewish-holiday-was-remade-in-the-image-of-christmas-127620 • ‘Hanukkah: 20 Facts You Probably Didn't Know' (Entertainment Tonight, 2021): https://www.etonline.com/20-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-hanukkah-137874 ‘Saturday Night Live: Adam Sandler on Hanukkah' (NBC, 1994): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5Z-HpHH9g This episode first aired in 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Windows 1.0 came out on 20th November, 1985, introducing graphical user interface to the masses for the first time. Well, that was the concept, anyway; in truth, users required mighty hardware by the standards of the time (TWO floppy drives!), and hardly anybody bought it. But it laid the template for what would, within a decade, become world-conquering software.  Built on MS-DOS, Microsoft's operating system empowered users to point-and-click rather than type commands, and run multiple programs at once (theoretically: your PC would actually politely freeze most of them…), including Paint, Notepad, Calculator, and a game called Reversi. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how Bill Gates and Paul Allen built their ambition to have a ‘computer in every home'; review Apple's flawed lawsuit against Microsoft for copying their technology; and reveal who was responsible for putting the word Microsoft in front of all their product names…  Further Reading: • ‘Microsoft Windows 1.0, where it all began (pictures)' (CNET, 2013): https://www.cnet.com/pictures/microsoft-windows-1-0-where-it-all-began-pictures/ • ‘From Windows 1 to Windows 10: 29 years of Windows evolution' (The Guardian, 2014): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/02/from-windows-1-to-windows-10-29-years-of-windows-evolution• ‘Microsoft Windows 3.1 promo' (Microsoft, 1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyg-DYm7b0A Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer:  Ollie Peart Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Mount Vesuvius erupted - and original hosts Rome pulled out - the British Olympic council sent a letter, dated 19th November, 1906, agreeing to host the fourth modern Olympic games. With just two years to go, the event was put together hastily, and on a paltry budget; a stadium erected at the White City home of the Franco-British exhibition, and the chosen events ones that British athletes excelled at, including polo, lacrosse, tug of war, deer-shooting, and duelling. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal what a ‘flip-flap' was; consider the calculation done to establish the length of the modern-day marathon; and establish how a small swig of champagne contributed to one of the Games' greatest ever controversies... Further Reading: • ‘The 08 Olympics... 1908, that is' (BBC News Magazine, 2008): http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7544392.stm • ‘Why Is a Marathon 26.2 Miles?' (HISTORY, 2014): https://www.history.com/news/why-is-a-marathon-26-2-miles • ‘The 1908 London Olympics - extracts from surviving footage of Track & Field and Marathon events' (BFI, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IqE2KEqZJI This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Switzerland's most famous archer shot fruit off his own son's head on 18th November, 1307. Or did he?  ‘Chronicon Helveticum' by Aegidius Tschudi, from which the date comes, claims to be a serious historical account, but was written roughly 200 years later - and not published until nearly 200 years after that. And the myth bears remarkable similarities with the Danish folklore of Palnatoki, recorded in print centuries earlier.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly recount the improbable beats of Tschudi's tale; consider the small casting pool for 1950s swashbucklers; and marvel at how the story has come to represent the (genuine) Swiss resistance of the Habsburg army… Further Reading: • ‘A Brief History of the Legend of William Tell' (The Culture Trip, 2017): https://theculturetrip.com/europe/switzerland/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-legend-of-william-tell/ • ‘Shooting an apple off one's child's head' (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_an_apple_off_one%27s_child%27s_head#Palnatoki • ‘The Adventures of William Tell: Opening Theme' (ITC, 1958): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcfykK8Iw7w This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The bizarre, incoherent ‘Star Wars Holiday Special' was broadcast only once, on 17th November, 1978. Despite CBS signing up the stars of the original movie - Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill, the plot swapped epic battles for a bizarre variety show filled with cameos from Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur, and Jefferson Starship. The story revolves around Chewbacca's family as celebrate “Life Day” on their home planet, Kashyyyk. George Lucas' initial vision was for a sombre, character-driven tale. But instead, it evolved into a chaotic blend of guest star sketches, dodgy green screens, and musical numbers. Lucas reportedly hated it so much he wished to destroy every copy with a sledgehammer. Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why Fisher ended up singing a new song to the tune of John Williams's Star Wars theme; consider how Disney attempted to scrub the memory of the Special from the Star Wars canon after acquiring Lucasfilm; and contemplate the wisdom of making Wookies - who speak an unintelligible language, with no subtitles - the stars of the show… Further Reading: • ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special: A Retrospective' (Empire, 2009): https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-wars-holiday-special/ • ‘Star Wars Holiday Special: Inside the Confusing Christmas Special' (Thrillist, 2017): https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/star-wars-holiday-special • 'The Star Wars Holiday Special' (CBS, 1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxtSX1lg8rE Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Workers involved in tomb construction in the Valley of the Kings staged the earliest recorded strike in history on 14th November, 1157 B.C. Having not been paid their ration of food for 18 days, they set about disrupting temple life and rituals, to the shock of Pharaoh Ramses III's administration. The workers' struggle wasn't solely about wages; it reflected broader discontent, too, as they voiced concerns about alleged corruption, such as barley being replaced with dirt in payments. And the strike indicated a shift in the workers' perceptions, as they realised they couldn't rely solely on the divine authority of the Pharaoh to meet their basic needs. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how Ancient Egypt was financially decimated by the suppression of the ‘Sea Peoples'; explain how an offer of cake was (unsurprisingly) not enough to pacify the protests; and consider whether the workers' picket-line slogans needed a little workshopping…  Further Reading: • ‘When Was The First Strike In History?' (HistoryExtra, 2016): https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-egypt/when-first-strike-history/ • ‘Red Traces, Part 4: Strikers and Pharaohs in Ancient Egypt' (Counterfire, 2023): https://www.counterfire.org/article/red-traces-part-4-strikers-and-pharaohs-in-ancient-egypt/ • 'Rameses III Describes Invasion Of Sea Peoples' (Voices of the Past, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01eyTLfFJqQ This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Westminer's most famous landmark, Big Ben, bongggged for the first time on 13th November, 1856, outside the not-yet-finished House of Commons. Londoners gathered to hear what would become Britain's most iconic sound; a spectacle so loud and unsettling that some spectators literally ran away.  But the first bell didn't last long: after just eleven months of impressive Saturday tolls, it cracked under the strain of its own colossal hammer. The whole thing was melted down and recast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry… but the second bell also cracked and broke! But, after a bit more tinkering - rotating the bell slightly and fitting a lighter hammer - Big Ben finally settled into its iconic almost-but-not-quite-E natural tone.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the BBC struggled to adapt its chimes for radio broadcasts; reveal why the Elizabeth Tower leans ever so slightly; and consider a potential Victorian euphemism for pants-pissing… Further Reading: • ‘When Did Big Ben First Bong?' (Londonist, 2022): https://londonist.com/london/history/when-did-big-ben-first-bong • ‘This History Might Ring a Bell' (WIRED, 2011): https://www.wired.com/2011/10/1014big-ben-lifted/ • ‘Big Ben - 5 Secrets About London's Famous Chimes | Most Iconic Buildings' (DW Euromaxx, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Jo8hHsFXA #London #Victorian #Design #Mistakes Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Jules Leotard first somersaulted off a trapeze at Cirque Napoléon in Paris on 12th November, 1859. His act inspired gymnasts and circus performers the world over - although Leotard is now best remembered as the inventor of the skin-tight outfits he wore on stage. Leotard had abandoned his studies as a lawyer to perfect his circus skills, spurred on by his acrobatic father. He developed his act into a twelve-minute trapeze routine with only a heap of mattresses to break his fall.  In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca perve over old photos of Leotard's physique; reveal how Alvin and the Chipmunks AND Bruce Springsteen have a connection with this day in history; and consider how the leotard evolved from a ‘strong man' outfit to a girl's ballet costume…  Further Reading: • ‘The First Public performance by Jules Leotard' (Squaducation, 2020): https://www.squaducation.com/blog/first-public-performance-jules-leotard • ‘THE DRESS AND THE LEGEND: HISTORY AND FUNCTIONS OF A LEOTARD' (The Vistek, 2020): https://thevistek.com/the-dress-and-the-legend-history-and-functions-of-a-leotard/ • ‘Eddie Cantor - The Man On The Flying Trapeze' (Columbia Years 1922-1940): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwvqMptS7UA This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Geoffrey Chaucer's granddaughter Alice was first married at the age of 11. She was granted a license to marry her third husband on 11th November, 1430; and became defined by her three powerful unions with men she outlived. Having lost her first two husbands in the Hundred Years War, she then settled down with William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk; a marriage that got her closer than ever to the seat of power. At one point, she even filled in for Queen Margaret on a ceremonial parade in France. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly marvel at Chaucer's ability to climb the social hierarchy via her marriages; explain why ‘jointures' changed the fortunes of widows in the Middle Ages; and consider the merits of commissioning multiple statues of themselves… Further Reading: • ‘Four Thought: And His Wife' (BBC Radio 4, 2021) - Olly Mann interviews Jessica Barker about medieval statues of women, including Alice Chaucer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000z0c4 • ‘Historical Figures: Alice Chaucer, Lady of the Garter' (Just History Posts, 2020): https://justhistoryposts.com/2020/08/11/historical-figures-alice-chaucer-lady-of-the-garter/ • ‘'Till Death Us Do Part? Love and the Medieval Tomb Monument with Dr Jessica Barker' (The Churches Conservation Trust, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH55Vq3tHo0 This episode first aired in 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big Bird, Oscar and Bert & Ernie were first introduced to America's children on 10th November, 1969, when Sesame Street made its small-screen debut. Designed to resemble a real inner-city street, its set and multicultural cast including African Americans was a groundbreaking concept. Aiming to address educational inequality, its creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morissette had been inspired by the idea that TV could help underprivileged kids get a leg-up by learning through engaging skits, songs, and lovable characters. The show became wildly popular, with 7 million children watching daily, and early studies showing viewers scored higher on educational tests.  Over time, the series tackled issues such as racism, death, autism and bullying. Arion, Rebecca and Olly recount how Jim Henson came on-board; reveal how racists in Mississippi refused to screen the series; and explain how this transformational show came about thanks to a dinner party gambit… Further Reading: • ‘How Sesame Street Helps Children Learn for Life' (PBS, 2017): https://www.pbs.org/education/blogs/pbs-in-the-classroom/how-sesame-street-helps-children-learn-for-life/ •  ‘Mississippi banned Sesame Street for showing Black and White kids playing' (The Washington Post, 2023): https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/02/05/sesame-street-ban-mississippi/ • ‘Sesame Street' (Children's Television Workshop, 1969): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9NUiHCr9Cs Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The first meteorite to crash land into Earth - and have its date recorded - impacted the hamlet of Ensisheim (in modern-day France, then Austria) on 7th November, 1492. The stone's descent created a crater in a wheat field, captivating villagers who believed such occurrences were cosmic signs. A striking deafening noise accompanied the meteor's descent; the bright trail it left was blinding. A young boy witnessed the fall and alerted the townsfolk, leading to a frenzy of villagers rushing to collect souvenirs and good luck charms from the impact site. The local magistrate intervened, preserving the meteorite by having it relocated to the church for safekeeping.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reflect on how the villagers reacted to the coming of what they called the Thunderstone, or Firestone; explain how the event was widely interpreted as a divine warning mainly thanks to the invention of the printing press; and reveal why the meteorite was affixed to the wall using iron crampons…  Further Reading: • ‘This Famous 1492 Meteorite Impact Was Interpreted as an Omen from God' (VICE, 2016): https://www.vice.com/en/article/jpgk47/this-famous-1492-meteorite-impact-was-interpreted-as-an-omen-from-god • ‘The Meteorite of Ensisheim: 1492 to 1992' (Harvard, 1991): https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1992Metic..27...28M&db_key=AST&page_ind=0&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_VIEW&classic=YES • ‘World's Largest Meteorite Weights Over 100K Pounds But No One Knows Where It Came From' (Did You Know?, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lJwXquFpHw This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Real-time thriller ‘24', starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, debuted on Fox on 6th November, 2001. The show's use of split screens, constant tension, and ticking clocks became its signature style, and the nerve-shredding pilot went on to win an Emmy for series creators Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran. But, in a post-9/11 climate, its terrorism theme was not a dead cert, and its marketing - featuring a fiery jetliner dropping from the skies - was withdrawn following the tragedy. Yet as America's mood shifted from grief to a hunger for justice, Sutherland's anti-hero, breaking the rules to protect his country, became the cathartic character the USA seemed to need.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how the series was nearly a comedy about a shotgun wedding; consider how the writers dealt with the numerous challenges thrown up by the format (e.g. how do you let Jack heal or sleep in real time?); and explain why it was on DVD, not TV, that the show truly left its mark…  Further Reading: • ‘TELEVISION REVIEW; Racing in Real Time to Track Down an Assassin and a Daughter' (The New York Times, 2001): https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/06/arts/television-review-racing-in-real-time-to-track-down-an-assassin-and-a-daughter.html?searchResultPosition=10 • ‘'24' Executive Producer On How The Series' Run Was Defined By 9/11' (Deadline, 2021): https://deadline.com/2021/09/24-tv-series-9-11-impact-20-years-later-1234823534/ • ‘Previously on 24' (Fox, 2001): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rJhHWoR0VM #TV #2000s #US  Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The Mongols attempted to invade Japan on 5th November, 1274. Despite having a fleet of 900 ships, they failed - in part due to a ‘kamikaze' typhoon that whooshed their boats back to Korea. Then they tried again - and failed again. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how a gunpowder-armed Army was defeated by the Samurai; reveal the brutal (yet unambiguous) response the Japanese gave to the Chinese diplomats who attempted to talk things through; and unearth the surprising connection between Kublai Khan and Lionel Blair… Further Reading: • ‘Kublai Khan - Biography, Death & Achievements' (HISTORY, 2009): https://www.history.com/topics/china/kublai-khan • Japan's Kamikaze Winds, the Stuff of Legend, May Have Been Real (National Geographic, 2014): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/141104-kamikaze-kublai-khan-winds-typhoon-japan-invasion • ‘Mongol Invasion of Japan: Maps, Animation and Timelines' (Past To Future, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpguP8emkYc This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered by a water boy who serendipitously stumbled on a buried staircase in Egypt's Valley of the Kings on 4th November, 1922. It marked the greatest triumph in archaeologist Howard Carter's career, and unearthed dozens of priceless treasures. The loot included the famous golden death-mask - but also the Pharaoh's walking sticks, linen underwear, and uneaten chickpeas. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the discovery kickstarted a Western interest in Egpytology that influenced fashion, design and art, and lead directly to Indiana Jones; ask whether Carter was a historian or a grave-robber; and dig into the so-called ‘Mummy's Curse'...  Further Reading: • ‘Discovering King Tutankhamun's tomb: Harry Burton's photographs' (BBC News, 2018): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44636774 • ‘The History Of A Cursed Ancient Egyptian Tomb' (Channel 5, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxot6xmDymQ • ‘Howard Carter - King Tut, Death & Family' (Biography, 2020): https://www.biography.com/scientist/howard-carter This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The Crystals hit number one with their version of Gene Pitney's ‘He's a Rebel' on 3rd November, 1962, but it was actually another of Phil Spector's girl-groups, The Blossoms, who had recorded the song. The two groups never even met, until awkwardly posing together for Spector's iconic Christmas album cover. Lead singer Darlene Love, realising her $5,000 fee was a fraction of what the song had made, demanded royalties - leading Spector to turn his attention to The Ronettes instead… Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how the success of He's A Rebel led to Spector's absurd 10-minute “swan song” Let's Do the Screw, a parting blow to his business partners; explain why Love changed her name by deed poll; and consider how Spector's “Wall of Sound” Spector created a major impact, but at the expense of his artists' well-being… Further Reading: • 'Darlene Love Remembers Phil Spector, Their Thorny Relationship' (Billboard, 2021): https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/darlene-love-remembers-phil-spector-9512712/ • ‘The Voices Of Black Women Were Essential To Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound' (NPR, 2021): https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/959057719/the-voices-of-black-women-were-essential-to-phil-spectors-wall-of-sound • ‘The Crystals - He's a Rebel' (Philles, 1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waRbcqP4cUI Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The return of The GROGNARD files, we talk about stuff we are playing The post Arion Games and other RPGs (with Graham Bottley) first appeared on The GROGNARD Files.

‘Ghostwatch', a Halloween drama in the style of a documentary, reached 11 million viewers on its first and only UK broadcast on BBC 1, on 31st October, 1992. It starred Sarah Greene, Craig Charles, Mike Smith, and - in a stroke of genius - trusted veteran broadcaster Michael Parkinson, who became possessed by the voice of ‘Pipes' as the programme reached its terrifying climax.  The show caused outrage for its disturbing content and the way it blurred the line between fact and fiction. Most of the 30,000 complainants didn't believe the events portrayed were real; they were simply distressed that the BBC would make a horror drama that borrowed the visual language of current affairs television. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the entire cast and crew were holed up in a Chiswick sailing club during the transmission; consider how the show's pioneering style influenced the likes of Derek Acorah and ‘Most Haunted'; and document the astonishing effect the show allegedly had on young viewers…  Further Reading: • ‘Ghostwatch is 30: "It got a reputation as something subversive"' (Radio Times, 2022): https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/ghostwatch-oral-history-rt-rewind/ • ‘30 years on, Ghostwatch is still as haunting as ever' (Little White Lies, 2022): https://lwlies.com/articles/30-years-on-ghostwatch-is-still-a-haunting-watch/ • ‘Ghostwatch' (BBC, 1992): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JkEbGMEXVs This show first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Nat Turner, leader of the deadliest slave rebellion in U.S. history, was captured on 30th October, 1831. For over two months, he'd hidden out in the woods of Virginia, having led a violent uprising that terrified white Southerners and electrified the enslaved population. When finally caught, by farmer Benjamin Phipps, Turner was armed only with a sword and a few branches. Born into slavery in 1800, Turner was marked from birth - literally - with mysterious symbols on his chest that his family interpreted as a sign from God. A prodigious reader and deeply religious, he became known as a preacher, believing he was divinely chosen to free his people.  In the early hours of August 22, he and his accomplices started their killing spree by murdering Turner's master, Joseph Travis, and his family. They then moved swiftly across Southampton County, recruiting others and attacking slaveholders. Their plan was to reach the county seat of Jerusalem, seize weapons, and spark a full-scale revolution. By the rebellion's end, about 60 white people were dead, but so were over 120 Black people, many of them innocent victims of revenge killings by militias and vigilantes.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover the manhunt for Turner and the brief trial before he was hanged; reveal how white lawmakers responded to events with ever-harsher laws prohibiting the movements of enslaved people; and consider Turner's complex legacy…  CONTENT WARNING: descriptions of extreme violence, racist violence, racism, mutilation. Further Reading: • 'Nat Turner's Insurrection' (The Atlantic, 1861): https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/02/nat-turners-insurrection/308791/ • 'Black History | Nat Turner' (African-American History Online): https://www.africanamericanhistoryonline.com/natturner.php • 'THE BIRTH OF A NATION' (Searchlight Pictures, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm15udgj3zs #Black #Racism #US #Crime #Protest #Scandal #1800s  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Thatcher finally opened London's first ring road - construction on which had begun in the 1970s - on 29th October, 1986, declaring: "I can't stand those who carp and criticise when they ought to be congratulating Britain on a magnificent achievement and beating the drum for Britain all over the world". A 58-page commemorative booklet was issued for enthusiasts, and coach trips were organised so that car-less punters could complete a circuit of the new motorway. But public enthusiasm for the project was short-lived when it lead to increased congestion and seemingly endless proposals for expansion. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly dig into the long history of plans for the capital's ring roads; explain why the M25 managed to bring Epping's combine harvesters to Parliament Square; and consider how Britain's most hated motorway remains an existential threat to London's ‘green belt' countryside…… This episode first aired in 2021 This episode first premiered in 2024, for members of

George IV's impressive Library included all the novels of Jane Austen, for whom he had a particular fondness. But what was not known (until a receipt was discovered in the Royal Archives in 2018) was that the Prince Regent had almost certainly been Austen's very first customer - buying a copy of ‘Sense and Sensibility' for 15 shillings on 28th October, 1811. His admiration for the anonymous 35 year-old author's work lead to an awkward moment later in her career, when she felt obligated to dedicate ‘Emma' to His Royal Highness - a task she clearly wished to avoid. In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca explain why Austen detested her royal patron; reveal the dry first draft of her dedication to him; and consider how the famously promiscuous, indulgent monarch could have so badly misread Austen's manifesto for moderation… Further Reading • ‘One of Jane Austen's earliest buyers revealed as Prince Regent – who she 'hated'' (The Guardian, 2018): https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/25/jane-austen-buyer-hated-prince-regent-sense-and-sensibility • ‘Jane Austen's First Buyer? Probably a Prince She Hated' (The New York Times, 2018): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/books/jane-austen-prince-regent.html • ‘JANE AUSTEN, PRINCE REGENT & SANDITON' - excerpt from “Elegance and Decadence: The Age of the Regency” (BBC, 2011): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzrlpIjwKv0 This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The brutal murder of Alan R. Schindler Jr. on 27th October 1992 revealed the harsh realities faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in the military. Schindler, a young Navy radioman, who suffered bullying and isolation due to his sexual orientation, had attempted to report the harassment, but faced obstacles due to the military's exclusionary policies on gay personnel. Tragically, his life was cut short when two shipmates attacked him in a homophobic assault, sparking a wave of public outrage. Occurring shortly before Bill Clinton's presidential election, the incident catalysed public debate on the military's treatment of homosexuals. Clinton's inclusive vision met strong resistance, and, as a compromise, he introduced the “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” (DADT) policy, which allowed LGBTQ+ service members to remain in the military - as long as they did not openly disclose their sexuality. In this episode Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how this seemingly progressive policy nonetheless forced LGBTQ+ personnel to continue to hide their identities; consider how the outlook changed after President Obama repealed DADT in 2011; and reveal the role General Colin Powell had in creating the policy… CONTENT WARNING: homophobic violence, description of murder Further Reading: • 'Homosexual Sailor Beaten to Death, Navy Confirms : Crime: Gay-bashing may be motive, activists and family members say. They charge cover-up by military' (Los Angeles Times, 1993): https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-09-mn-1001-story.html • ‘Once Banned, Then Silenced: How Clinton's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy Affected LGBTQ Military' (HISTORY, 2018): https://www.history.com/news/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-compromise • 'Mission Possible: The Story of Repealing “Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (CAMP Rehoboth, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6evO4jn2SQE This episode first aired in 2024 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

ing Henry VIII's third wife, Queen Consort Jane Seymour, died aged just 29 on 24th October, 1537 - 12 days after giving birth to their son, future King Edward VI. Her death was attributed to complications following a prolonged and challenging labour, though recently it has been speculated it was in fact a pulmonary embolism.  Despite her limited education, Jane's gentle nature and domestic skills appealed to Henry, who was, perhaps, looking for a more ‘girl next door'-type following his disastrous marriage to Anne Boleyn, whom he had beheaded just ten days before marrying Jane.  In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca weigh up Jane's plain reputation with her latent plucky side and glitzy jewellery; consider Jane's role in reconciling Henry with his daughter Mary, who had been declared a bastard; and delight in the discovery of black wax in Henry's mourning court… Further Reading: • ‘Jane Seymour | Hampton Court Palace' (Historic Royal Palaces): https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/jane-seymour/#gs.71s7lp • ‘Jane Seymour | Queen, Henry VIII's Third Wife, Facts & Death' (HistoryExtra, 2021): https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/kings-and-queens-in-profile-jane-seymour/ • ‘The HORRIFIC Death Of Jane Seymour - Henry VIII's Third Wife' (Her Remarkable History, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3wckPOvxVY This episode first aired in 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peyo's comic album ‘Johan and Peewit' provided the platform for The Smurfs' debut on 23rd October, 1958 - a cameo that their Belgian creator considered an unremarkable side-hustle. But the tiny blue creatures (“Schtroumpfs”, in the original text) went on to become a global cultural phenomenon. Within a year, the Smurfs got their own stories, and by 1959 were starring in dedicated comics. Then came the merch: first as plastic figurines in cereal boxes, then as collectible cuddly toys. When NBC's Fred Silverman saw his daughter playing with a Smurf doll, he commissioned Hanna-Barbera to turn them into a Saturday morning TV sensation.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Peyo took inspiration from Disney, dwarves and medieval fantasy; consider the origin story of ‘the female smurf', Smurfette; and explain why Hollywood keeps rebooting their Smurfy adventures… Further Reading: • ‘PIERRE CULLIFORD, CREATOR OF THE SMURFS, DIES AT 64' (The Washington Post, 1992): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1992/12/25/pierre-culliford-creator-of-the-smurfs-dies-at-64/c9cf93c8-3896-4253-9448-f09f7cc49e82/ • ‘The inside story of the little blue tribe that conquered the world' (Brussels Times, 2023): https://www.brusselstimes.com/499686/empire-of-the-smurfs • ‘Can the Smurfs save Smurfette from the wicked witch Hogatha, who wants to steal her golden hair?' (The Smurfs, 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-RJq4O_tM #Comics #Belgium #Toys #Sexism This episode first premiered in 2024, for members of

Jesus failed to show up on the day that came to be known as ‘The Great Disappointment' - 22nd October, 1844. It was an embarrassment for the New England preacher, William Miller, who had prophesied Christ's return; and devastating for his 100,000+ followers in North America alone.  Miller had calculated the end of the world via an idiosyncratic interpretation of Daniel 8:14 (“And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”).  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how the Millerites processed their monumental anti-climax; reveal what Ralph Waldo Emerson made of it all; and wonder whether Miller's flexibility in the face of contrary evidence has parallels in the modern-day QAnon movement… Further Reading: • ‘William Miller Convinced Thousands of Millerites the End Was Near' (New England Historical Society, 2020): https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/william-miller-convinced-thousands-millerites-world-end/ • ‘The Great Disappointment' (Grace Communion International): https://www.gci.org/articles/the-great-disappointment/ • ‘William Miller Predicted Christ's Return in 1844. Here's What Happened After His Prophecy Failed' (History Unplugged, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkYj9DOyz5k This episode first aired in 2021 This episode first premiered in 2024, for members of

Berated by the tabloids as exhibitionist pornography, Madonna's coffee table book, ‘Sex', quickly sold out upon its release on 21st October, 1992. Influenced by artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman, the book included images of full-frontal nudity, simulated gay sex, mixed race couples, threesomes and trans imagery. Madonna vigorously defended it, in a series of interviews, as a portrayal of female sexuality. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask if Madonna was fighting an uphill battle to be taken seriously; debate whether the book was art, a smutty publicity stunt… or both; and consider whether a particularly sensational spread involving a canine companion was taken out of context...  Content Warning: discussion of erotic imagery, including abusive sexual fantasies Further Reading: • ‘How Madonna Turned Controversy Into a Best-Selling Book' (Entertainment Tonight, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILybauhbA00 • ‘25 Years Later, Madonna's 'Sex' Book Is Still Pop's Most Radical Moment' (HuffPost, 2017): https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-sex-book-25th-anniversary_n_59e9f8f1e4b0f9d35bca11e6 • ‘Madonna's 'Erotica,' 'Sex': Misunderstood Masterpieces' (Rolling Stone, 2017): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonnas-erotica-sex-why-musical-masterpiece-defiant-book-still-matter-200685/ This episode first aired in 2021 This episode first premiered in 2024, for members of

Losing control of his monoplane at 2,000 ft, First Lieutenant Harold R. Harris made history on 20th October, 1922, when he became the first person to use a manually-activated parachute to save his life. He landed in the grape arbor of a family house in Dayton, Ohio, narrowly missing the occupants, and escaping with just a few scratches. During World War I, many countries believed that giving pilots parachutes would encourage them to abandon planes, rather than fight to the end. But Harris's experience proved the life-saving potential of this technology. And, as a result, he earned a badge from ‘the Caterpillar Club', an elite group of pilots who survived thanks to parachutes, founded by Leslie Irvin (its name coming from the silk used to make early parachutes). Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover just how many members the Caterpillar Club has now welcomed; unearth the female trailblazer who joined their ranks; and reveal a surprise twist in Harris' subsequent aviation career ✈️… Further Reading: • 'History of the Parachute (Inventors and Innovations)' (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-parachute-1992334 • ‘The “First” Members of the Caterpillar Club' (National Air and Space Museum, 2019): https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/first-members-caterpillar-club • ‘Parachutist' (British Pathé, 1950): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRLAybBcsP0 This episode was first published in 2024 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

The traditional music for the circus, "Entrance of the Gladiators", wasn't actually written for the circus at all, instead when it was composed on 17th October, 1899, it was in fact intended to be a military march.   Julius Fučík composed it, in part, to showcase the cutting-edge capabilities of the era's brass instruments, which had become quicker and more precise than ever before.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly investigate how a sober military march ended up being associated with clowns and trapeze artists; explain what circus music would have sounded like before big bands took over; and reveal which song you should listen out for that traditionally tells circus performers if there is a fire or an escaped wild animal…   Further Reading: • ‘Julius Fučík ‘Entrance of the Gladiators': Roll Up Roll Up!' (Clasicalexburns, 2020): https://classicalexburns.com/2021/10/15/julius-fucik-entrance-of-the-gladiators-roll-up-roll-up/  • ‘Circus Music History and Facts' (History of Circus, 2020): https://www.historyofcircus.com/circus-facts/circus-music-history-facts/  • ‘Julius Fucik - Entry of the Gladiators' (The Wicked North, 2005): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B0CyOAO8y0  This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

In front of the world's TV cameras, 18-month-old Jessica McClure - affectionately known as “Baby Jessica” - was lifted from a disused well in Midland, Texas on 16th October, 1987, having been trapped down there for two and a half harrowing days.  Jessica had slipped into the eight-inch-wide shaft while playing in her aunt's backyard. The hole was too narrow for adults to enter, and too deep for a simple rescue; within hours, the local emergency had turned into a media storm. CNN, still a young network at the time, broadcast the event live to millions, cementing the story of Baby Jessica as one of the first true 24-hour news sensations. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the rescue operation took shape, with a heady mix of engineers, miners, firefighters, and volunteers; reveal that the hero of the day, paramedic Robert O'Donnell, never recovered from the trauma of the rescue; and check-in with ‘Baby' Jessica now, forty years on… Further Reading: • ‘RESCUE WORKERS FREE CHILD TRAPPED 2 1/2 DAYS IN WELL' (The Washington Post, 1987): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/10/17/rescue-workers-free-child-trapped-2-12-days-in-well/53916dc9-3911-4352-9b63-8b92b93ac302/ • ‘Opinion: How 58 hours in Midland, Texas, changed the future of TV news' (CNN, 2021): https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/30/opinions/baby-jessica-cnn-films-shorts-mark-bone-opinion • ‘Baby Jessica: 30 Years After Being Rescued From The Well' (People, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksZMIvHNeJ0 #Strange #80s #US #Child Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Future President Abraham Lincoln had yet to grow his iconic facial fuzz when he received a letter from Grace Bedell - an 11 year-old resident of Westfield, New York - dated 15th October, 1860.  “I have yet got four brothers... and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin”, she wrote. “All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.” When Lincoln returned to Westfield (having just been elected), he had grown a beard - and thanked Bedell personally for the suggestion. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how jibes about Lincoln's appearance had become part of his Presidential campaign; explain the origin of ‘sideburns'; and uncover the surprising story of how Lincoln's beard lead to the creation of MB Games… (Plus, for our supporters on Patreon* and our paid subscribers on Apple Podcasts, we discuss the SECOND letter Grace Bedell wrote to Lincoln in 1864, requesting his help gaining a job with the Treasury so that she could financially support her parents. Sign up now to hear it at patreon.com/Retrospectors) *top two tiers only. Further Reading: • ‘The Surprising Reason Abraham Lincoln Grew a Beard' (Biography, 2020): https://www.biography.com/news/abraham-lincoln-beard • ‘Grace Bedell: Abraham Lincoln grew beard after girl, 11, wrote to him and said 'all the ladies like whiskers'' (Mail Online, 2012): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2240765/Grace-Bedell-Abraham-Lincoln-grew-beard-girl-11-wrote-said-ladies-like-whiskers.html • ‘The Interesting Story Behind Lincoln's Beard' (Today I Found Out, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJRrusMBGxU  This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Accused of planning the assassination of her cousin Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots stood trial for treason on 14th October, 1586. Mary's coded letters, delivered to her co-conspirators in beer barrels, had been intercepted by Sir Francis Walsingham, who had deciphered and copied them and built a case against the former Scottish monarch. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Mary had come to be exiled in not one, but two, palaces; consider her pleas of innocence, in the light of her apparent propensity for plotting; and paint a memorable picture of her decapitation at the hands of the State…  Further Reading: • ‘Mary, Queen of Scots: Life Story (The Babington Plot)', (Tudor Times, 2017): https://tudortimes.co.uk/people/mary-queen-of-scots-life-story/the-babington-plot • ‘Facts about the execution of Mary Queen of Scots' (History Scotland, 2020): https://www.historyscotland.com/history/facts-about-the-execution-of-mary-queen-of-scots/ • ‘The Babington Plot' (Russel Tarr, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1siZxHuzkdU This episode first aired in 2021 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margaret Travers Symons was the first woman to make herself heard in the British House of Commons - albeit without permission - on 13th October, 1908. During a tour of Westminster, the suffragette campaigner escaped her escort and interrupted a debate on children's issues, making a bold demand for votes for women. Meanwhile, outside Parliament, some 60,000 people were protesting for the cause. Symons' act of defiance occurred during a pivotal time for the women's suffrage movement. The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), founded by Emmeline Pankhurst, were turning to ever-more extreme and direct forms of action, in pursuit of their motto of ‘Deeds, not Words'. Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the movement then escalated into acts of vandalism, arson, and even bombings; consider just how ‘equal' equal voting rights were when they finally arrived; and discover the day suffragettes dispatched the grille on Parliament's ‘women's gallery' in spectacular style… Further Reading: • ‘First woman to speak in UK parliament' (Bangladesh Post, 2019): https://bangladeshpost.net/posts/first-woman-to-speak-in-uk-parliament-14420 • 'Suffragettes History Facts: A Guide To The Votes for Women Campaigners' (HistoryExtra, 2024): https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-the-suffragettes/ • 'Suffragettes vs Suffragists: Did violent protest get women the vote?' (Channel 4 News, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw0IAFIhVfA This episode first aired in 2024 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

On 10th October, 1967 a treaty went into force that has gone on to become the backbone for all international space law – a United Nations-approved agreement known as the The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, but better known today as the Outer Space Treaty. It's a relatively succinct document of just 17 articles, some as short as a single sentence, but it represented a lot of fundamentally very challenging cooperation at the time. Not least because it came about when the Cold War was in full swing, and both the United States and the Soviet Union wanted to prevent the expansion of the nuclear arms race into space.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the principles of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 turned out to be a good fit for rules on what can and can't be done in outer space; revisit everyone's favourite topic of property law in the 13th century; and discuss whether Elon Musk will, according to the law, own other planets if he lands on them. Further Reading: • ‘Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies' (US Department of State, 2009): https://2009-2017.state.gov/t/isn/5181.htm  • ‘How an international treaty signed 50 years ago became the backbone for space law' (The Verge, 2017): https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/27/14398492/outer-space-treaty-50-anniversary-exploration-guidelines  • ‘Who Owns The Moon?' (Vsauce, 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks8WH3xUo_E  This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us!  Join 

Paul kicks off hour 2 with ESPN college football writer Bill Connelly. Paul stops by the phones and then welcomes in star Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter to the program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices