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Mary Whitehouse successfully sued Gay News and publisher Denis Lemon at the Old Bailey in a trial that began on 11th July, 1977 - Britain's last conviction for blasphemy. What had ired the notorious Christian campaigner was the magazine's publication of “The Love That Dares to Speak Its Name”, a poem by James Kirkup written from the perspective of a Roman centurion who graphically describes having sex with Jesus after his crucifixion. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the poem literally could not be defended on its artistic merit; reveal how it came to Whitehouse's attention in the first place; and consider the literary potency of ‘Foxy Judas'... Content Warning: explicit poetry, necrophilia, material likely to offend Christians. Further Reading: • ‘The gay poem that broke blasphemy laws' (Pink News, 2008): https://www.thepinknews.com/2008/01/10/the-gay-poem-that-broke-blasphemy-laws/ • ‘Blasphemy in the Christian World - A History, By David Nash' (OUP, 2010): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Blasphemy_in_the_Christian_World/BPYkhnY-3_cC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=robertson+whitehouse+lemon&pg=PA98&printsec=frontcover • ‘The Love That Dares To Speak Its Name, by James Kirkup' (Stand Up Jesus, 2010): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iiIORJTOqY This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
The ‘Abernathy Boys', Temple and Louis, were aged just 5 and 8 respectively when they departed Guthrie, Oklahoma for a 1,300-mile horseback trip to Roswell, New Mexico on July 10th, 1909. Alone. Sons of widower John Abernathy, himself the youngest-ever U.S. Marshal, the boys encountered wolves, outlaws and vast stretches of untamed plains on their journey - but survived the trip and became national celebrities and friends with Teddy Roosevelt. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how, in another adventure, the brothers ended up commandeering a motor car back from New York City; consider the extent to which the boys were being exploited to provide their Dad with publicity; and reveal John's arresting technique for capturing wild wolves… Further Reading: • ‘Free-range kids: Louis and Temple Abernathy rode horses from Oklahoma to New York to meet Teddy Roosevelt' (The Washington Post, 2019): https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/10/19/ultimate-free-range-kids-two-boys-rode-horses-new-york-oklahoma/ • ‘How The Abernathy Boys Became The Most Adventurous Kids In History' (Fatherly, 2016): https://www.fatherly.com/love-money/abernathy-boys-solo-cross-country-1909 • ‘America On Their Own: The True Adventures and Explorations of the Abernathy Boys' (Holly Culver, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01szRIfFjiQ Love the show? Support us! Join
Is it a concern that the Tennessee football Volunteers' biggest stars entering 2025 are all on defense? The Dave Hooker Show. Represented by Banks and Jones. Tennessee's Trial Attorneys. Play to win. Why settle? Banks and Jones, led by T. Scott Jones. https://www.banksandjones.com/ Live from the Ted Russell Ford/Lincoln Studio. Ted Russell/Ford Lincoln is your home for the finest vehicles in Knoxville. New and used. East Tennessee's largest Ford and Lincoln Volume dealer Brainerd Golf Course and Brown Acres Golf Course Golf Chattanooga's best public courses. Tee times available! Just click below. https://secure.east.prophetservices.c... Chattanooga Mortgage Congratulations! Your home search just got easier. Buying a home in Chattanooga has never been easier. https://chattmortgage.com/ City Heating and Air 50 years in East Tennessee. Integrity Matters! http://www.cityheatandair.com Commercial Bank Commercial Bank. Member FDIC. Life. Made Better. https://www.cbtn.com/ Hemp House The premier hemp dispensary online with a wide variety, great selection and strict standards. https://hemphousechatt.com/ Use promo code "HOOKED" for 10-percent off. HoundDogs of Knoxville Champions look good in Orange! https://hdknoxville.com/ Joe Neubert Collision Center For nearly 50 years, Neubert Collision Center has been East Tennessee's best choice for quality repair work and fantastic customer service. https://www.joeneubertcollision.com/ National Fitness Center Unmatched value. Limitless options. Begin your fitness journey today! https://nfc1.com/ Peak IV Hydration In South Knoxville and Sevierville. Live your life to the fullest. Hydrate, rejuvenate, and elevate your health with Peak IV Hydration. https://www.peakivhydration.com/ Quality Tire Pros Serving Chattanooga community since 1957. All major brands of tires. Full Service Automotive. Brake, Alignments, Oil Changes and more. https://www.qualitytirepros.com/ Say OTH said “Hey Bo!” Rick Terry Jewelry Designs We want to be your Jeweler! Looking for affordable game-day jewelry. A Tennessee tradition. https://rickterryjewelry.com/ Sports Treasures Carrying Over 5-million Sports Treasures….and so much more! Follow on Facebook for the best sports memorabilia. Daily updates! https://www.facebook.com/SportsTreasuresTn The UPS Store Hardin Valley Helping individuals and small businesses. Wide range of products and services. Locally owned and operated. https://locations.theupsstore.com/tn/knoxville/10629-hardin-valley-rd WorkTrux They are all about trucks. Right truck. Right place. Right time. https://worktruxllc.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Rock Around The Clock was a moderately successful B-side - until its inclusion in the teen rebellion movie Blackboard Jungle - following which, on 9th July, 1955, Bill Haley and the Comets' earworm became the first rock n'roll song to hit US No.1. But Haley was no teenage rebel. He was already in his late 30s, balding, and rocking a curl on his forehead that screamed “respectable uncle”. But he was smart. He had rebranded his country-western band, The Saddlemen, as a rock outfit; raided high school dances for slang, watched what kids moved to, and marketed accordingly. But, despite kickstarting a musical revolution, his star dimmed quickly. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover Haley's bizarre second wind in Mexico, where he became the voice of The Twist; consider Rock Around The Clock's role in retro nostalgia, following its later inclusion in ‘Happy Days'; and examine exactly what in its DNA caused 50's teenagers to slash open cinema seats in excitement… Further Reading: • ‘Clock that rocked the world' (The Times, 2004): https://www.thetimes.com/article/766e2b25-addf-46fc-bfb4-98f821692d79 • ‘The Making of a Teenage Anthem: The Story Behind "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets' (American Songwriter, 2024): https://americansongwriter.com/a-teenage-anthem-the-story-behind-rock-around-the-clock-by-bill-haley-and-his-comets/ • ‘Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock' (1955): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Tennessee football Volunteers are sending a junior to the Southeastern Conference event. The Dave Hooker Show. Represented by Banks and Jones. Tennessee's Trial Attorneys. Play to win. Why settle? Banks and Jones, led by T. Scott Jones. https://www.banksandjones.com/ Live from the Ted Russell Ford/Lincoln Studio. Ted Russell/Ford Lincoln is your home for the finest vehicles in Knoxville. New and used. East Tennessee's largest Ford and Lincoln Volume dealer Brainerd Golf Course and Brown Acres Golf Course Golf Chattanooga's best public courses. Tee times available! Just click below. https://secure.east.prophetservices.c... Chattanooga Mortgage Congratulations! Your home search just got easier. Buying a home in Chattanooga has never been easier. https://chattmortgage.com/ City Heating and Air 50 years in East Tennessee. Integrity Matters! http://www.cityheatandair.com Commercial Bank Commercial Bank. Member FDIC. Life. Made Better. https://www.cbtn.com/ Hemp House The premier hemp dispensary online with a wide variety, great selection and strict standards. https://hemphousechatt.com/ Use promo code "HOOKED" for 10-percent off. HoundDogs of Knoxville Champions look good in Orange! https://hdknoxville.com/ Joe Neubert Collision Center For nearly 50 years, Neubert Collision Center has been East Tennessee's best choice for quality repair work and fantastic customer service. https://www.joeneubertcollision.com/ National Fitness Center Unmatched value. Limitless options. Begin your fitness journey today! https://nfc1.com/ Peak IV Hydration In South Knoxville and Sevierville. Live your life to the fullest. Hydrate, rejuvenate, and elevate your health with Peak IV Hydration. https://www.peakivhydration.com/ Quality Tire Pros Serving Chattanooga community since 1957. All major brands of tires. Full Service Automotive. Brake, Alignments, Oil Changes and more. https://www.qualitytirepros.com/ Say OTH said “Hey Bo!” Rick Terry Jewelry Designs We want to be your Jeweler! Looking for affordable game-day jewelry. A Tennessee tradition. https://rickterryjewelry.com/ Sports Treasures Carrying Over 5-million Sports Treasures….and so much more! Follow on Facebook for the best sports memorabilia. Daily updates! https://www.facebook.com/SportsTreasuresTn The UPS Store Hardin Valley Helping individuals and small businesses. Wide range of products and services. Locally owned and operated. https://locations.theupsstore.com/tn/knoxville/10629-hardin-valley-rd WorkTrux They are all about trucks. Right truck. Right place. Right time. https://worktruxllc.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
‘Our Lady of Kazan', a painting of the Virgin and Child, was discovered in the ashes of a fire in the Russian town of Kazan on 8th July, 1579. The icon quickly became associated with miracles after two blind men were said to have their sight restored by standing in front of it. The original was stolen in 1904, but the copies still represent one of Russia's most important pieces of religious art - credited by some with thwarting Napoleon's invasion of 1812. In this episode, Rebecca, Arion and Olly interrogate the reportage that continues to promote the ‘miracles' performed by the painting; reveal Hermann Goering's role in the fascinating 20th century history of the work; and recall a religious image of squirting milk that, once seen, cannot be unseen... Further Reading: • ‘Roman Catholic Saints' profiles Our Lady of Kazan (2011): https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/our-lady-of-kazan.html • ‘The Miracle Behind One of St Petersburg's Most Famous Landmarks' (Russian National Tourist Office): https://www.visitrussia.org.uk/blog/the-miracle-behind-one-of-st-petersburgs-most-famous-landmarks/ • The Associated Press records the day the icon was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church by the Pope (2004): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIVLYmmHrOE Love the show? Support us! Join
Samantha Smith, an 11 year-old from Maine, New England, left for the USSR on 7th July, 1983, as the personal guest of Soviet Premier Yuri Andropov. Her adventure began with a letter she wrote him, bluntly asking if he intended to start a war or conquer the United States. After the letter was published in Pravda, Andropov invited her to visit Russia, attending the Bolshoi Ballet, touring Lenin's Tomb, and staying at the Artek summer camp in Crimea. In this episode Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Smith's journey to the land described as an "Evil Empire" by President Reagan captured the hearts of millions; recall the showbiz career awaiting her upon returning to the United States; and uncover the tributes paid to her after the plane crash that ended her life… Further Reading: • ‘The Surprising Story of the American Girl Who Broke Through the Iron Curtain' (Smithsonian Magazine, 2018): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/surprising-story-american-girl-who-broke-through-iron-curtain-180969043/ • ‘11-year-old Samantha Smith leaves for visit to the USSR' (History, 2009): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/samantha-smith-leaves-for-visit-to-the-ussr Love the show? Support us! Join
Jack Johnson, the first Black world heavyweight champion, and Jim Jeffries, the so-called "Great White Hope", slugged it out in Reno, Nevada on 4th July, 1910 - in one of the most explosive sporting events in American sports history. Literally billed as a battle for racial supremacy, the fight attracted 20,000 paying fans - and sparked the biggest race riots in the United States until the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Jeffries came out of retirement for a fat paycheck. Johnson danced circles around him, forcing his corner to throw in the towel by round 15. To many white Americans, this wasn't just a loss; it was an existential meltdown in boxing gloves. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Johnson's brashness and defiance made him a marked man; explore how his triumph resonated in Black America, just one generation after emancipation; and reveal what Sylvester Stallone contributed to his place in the history books... Further Reading: • ‘Introduction - Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries: Topics in Chronicling America' (Library of Congress): https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-johnson-vs-jeffries • ‘Tex Rickard and the Making of Modern Sports' (We're History, 2015): https://werehistory.org/tex-rickard/ • ‘Jack Johnson Vs. James J Jeffries (July 4th, 1910): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esnq-orAvo8&t=14s Love the show? Support us! Join
David Bowie retired his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust live on stage at London's Hammersmith Odeon on 3rd July, 1973. To the surprise of most of his band, the Spiders From Mars, he announced to a devastated crowd that the gig was “the last show we'll ever do.” Bowie's management company had plans to take Ziggy on an international tour, but being Ziggy Stardust had taken a mental and physical toll on the singer. “I really did want it all to come to an end,” he wrote in Moonage Daydream. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how a ‘fake' Lou Reed influenced Bowie to create the character of Ziggy; discover how, for a while, his fans were called ‘the Uglies' and his genre ‘freakrock'; and reveal how this iconic rockstar felt ‘hopelessly lost' in his own fantasy… Further Reading: • ‘Looking back on David Bowie's most legendary gig: The death of Ziggy Stardust' (London Evening Standard, 2019): https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/david-bowie-death-ziggy-stardust-hammersmith-odeon-a4034746.html • ‘How David Bowie killed off Ziggy Stardust' (Far Out Magazine, 2021): https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/how-david-bowie-killed-ziggy-stardust/ • ‘David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust' (Live, 1973): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq8gG3pzMrU&list=PLNJirx02I6P72KTv5oJPSF-kkagLgfJWr&index=3 Love the show? Support us! Join
Minnesotan dentist Walter Palmer killed Cecil The Lion on 2nd July, 2015; ending the life of a beloved and photogenic big cat, and kickstarting his career as the internet's most vilified trophy hunter. Cecil, who lived in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, wasn't just any lion - he was being tracked by Oxford scientists, and was a hit with tourists, known for his majestic black mane and his chill attitude toward safari vehicles. Palmer used a bow and arrow, returning 11 hours later to finish the kill, behead him, and leave the body to rot. The backlash was explosive. Palmer's dental office, homes, and reputation were targeted with vandalism, hate mail, and death threats; his Yelp reviews are still haunted by Cecil's ghost. While many in Africa were confused by the global outrage, Western celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Ricky Gervais, and Ellen turned the story into a viral cause. Palmer claimed ignorance - he didn't know Cecil was special. But critics asked: why be okay with killing a lion at all? In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the ethics of big game hunting; investigate Palmer's trophy-hunting past (and present); and, ten years on from this viral moment, ask if the backlash following Cecil's death led to any positive outcomes… Further Reading: • ‘Why Cecil the Lion Was So Popular With People' (National Geographic, 2015): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/150730-cecil-lion-africa-hunting-science-animals • ‘Cecil the lion's legacy: five years on' (University of Oxford, 2020): https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-12-21-cecil-lion-s-legacy-five-years • ‘Cecil The Lion's Death: What Really Happened Is Revealed In New Book 'Lion Hearted'' (TODAY, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgwHH9oS3IA Love the show? Support us! Join
Sony's revolutionary cassette player, the Walkman, debuted in the USA on 1st July, 1979, costing $150. It went on to shift a staggering 450m units. Boasting a classy aluminium chassis, audio splitter, and novelty ‘Hotline' button for dance parties, the device took off after an advertising campaign featuring sexy models and an elderly Japanese monk. In this episode, Olly, Arion and Rebecca reveal the genesis of the Walkman's brand name; consider whether it deserved an even HIGHER place in TIME's list of the Top 50 Most Influential Gadgets, and ask if, in 2021, we are living in the shadow of ‘The Walkman Effect'... Further Reading: • ‘The History of the Walkman: 35 Years of Iconic Music Players' (The Verge, 2014): https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/1/5861062/sony-walkman-at-35 • The original TV spots for the Walkman in Japan (1979): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrrTv_BzAAQ • TIME's list of the 50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time (2016): https://time.com/4309573/most-influential-gadgets/ Love the show? Support us! Join
Margaret Mitchell's first and only novel, Gone With The Wind, was released on 30th June, 1936, and delighted readers and critics alike, shifting millions of copies and scooping the Pulitzer Prize. But its romanticised tales of life in the South - complete with glorified depictions of slave labour and the Confederate Army - was divisive for African-Americans at the time, and is now recognised as overtly racist. Mitchell, a ‘flapper' who had a racy private life compared to her cohort, died after being struck by a car. But her magnum opus remains consistently ranked as one of America's favourite books. In this episode Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Martin Luther King, Jr. was involved in the premiere of the movie; consider an alternative name for the novel's lead character; and reveal the mind-boggling amounts of money paid for copies of the book, and the film rights… Further Reading: • ‘Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone With The Wind' Turns 75' (NPR, 2011): https://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137476187/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-the-wind-turns-75 • ‘The Long Battle Over ‘Gone With the Wind'' (The New York Times, 2020): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/movies/gone-with-the-wind-battle.html • ‘Gone with the Wind - By Margaret Mitchell. FULL Audiobook' (Complete Audiobooks, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6mpo9-P5BQ Love the show? Support us! Join
The deadly fight between Patrick Farrell and James Donnelly on 27th June 1857 kickstarted one of the longest-lasting and most violent feuds in Canadian history. The property the Donnellys had been squatting on had been previously leased by Farrell. A judge had ruled that the lot be split 50/50, but, at a barn raising bee, Donnelly chucked a handspike at Farrell, who died two days later. Decades later, the Donnelly family's homestead was attacked by a vigilante mob, leaving five of their family dead. In this episode Arion, Rebecca and Olly ask why nobody was convicted of the murders, despite two trials and a reliable eyewitness; reveal why the Donnelleys became known locally as the ‘black' Donnelleys, a nickname which persists to this day; and unearth, amongst one of their number, a surprising predilection for poetry… Further Reading: • ‘History | Lucan Museum' (donnellymuseum.com): https://www.donnellymuseum.com/history • ‘Black Donnellys - The Outrageous Tale of Canada's Deadliest Feud, By Nate Hendley' (Formac Publishing Company Limited, 2018): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Black_Donnellys/sK5jDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 • ‘The Doomed Donnellys of Ontario' (TVO Today, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqqfg3PND7o Love the show? Support us! Join
At a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio, a packet of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum became the first ever product to have its barcode scanned - at 8:01 a.m. on June 26th, 1974. Inspired by the morse code training of his Boy Scout days, Norman Joseph Woodland first sketched out a barcode on a Florida beach in 1948, drawing dots and dashes in the sand. Together with fellow Drexel Institute graduate student Bernard Silver, he received a U.S. Patent in 1952 - but it would be another 20 years before IBM produced the technology that could be rolled out to grocery stores. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the invention accelerated the growth of the largest retailers; consider Woodland's original ‘bullseye' barcode design; and reveal why conspiracy theorists think barcodes are the DEVIL's work… Further Reading: • ‘How the barcode changed retailing and manufacturing' (BBC News, 2017): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38498700 • ‘N Joseph Woodland obituary' (The Guardian, 2012): https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/dec/16/n-joseph-woodland • ‘How Do Barcodes Work?' (sciBRIGHT, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfeVckbQxdQ Love the show? Support us! Join
Architect Stanford White was shot three times at close range by millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw during a performance of Broadway comedy ‘Mamzelle Champagne' on 25th June, 1906. At first, the stunned audience thought it was part of the show. Thaw claimed White had “ruined” his wife, showgirl Evelyn Nesbit - often called America's first ‘It Girl' - who at just 16 had been lured into White's orbit and ‘seduced' by White - though a reading of Nesbit's diary makes it sound a lot more like rape. But sadistic playboy Thaw was no knight in shining armour himself. His legal defense introduced the bizarre concept of dementia Americana—a supposed burst of "patriotic insanity" any red-blooded man might feel upon learning his wife had been wronged. Astonishingly, it worked. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider (yet another) ‘trial of the century'; reveal what happened to Nesbit once the dust had settled; and explain what Thaw used to with his $100 bills… CONTENT WARNING: sexual sadism, abuse, coercive control, description of murder. Further Reading: • ‘The History of New York Scandals - Harry Thaw Shoots Architect Stanford White' (New York Magazine, 2012): https://nymag.com/news/features/scandals/stanford-white-2012-4/ • ‘THAW MURDERS STANFORD WHITE; Shoots Him on the Madison Square Garden Roof' (The New York Times, 1906): https://www.nytimes.com/1906/06/26/archives/thaw-murders-stanford-white-shoots-him-on-the-madison-square-garden.html • ‘The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing: Trailer' (20th Century Fox, 1955): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARhXJas59YQ Love the show? Support us! Join
‘Dancing Mania' - in which people spontaneously danced to exhaustion, some until they broke their ribs and subsequently died, took hold of Aachen, Germany on 24th June, 1374. We still don't really know why. Had the victims ingested ergot, a mould from rye bread that can inspire hallucinations? Was it a hysterical mass response to a stressful and traumatic environment? Or a kind of pre-smartphone flashmob? In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the likely causes and cures for this curious episode, learn about the equally extraordinary phenomenon of Tarantism, and play ‘guess the Saintly disease'... Further Reading: • ‘A Strange Case of Dancing Mania Struck Germany Six Centuries Ago', Smithsonian Magazine (2016) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/strange-case-dancing-mania-struck-germany-six-centuries-ago-today-180959549/ • ‘A forgotten plague: making sense of dancing mania', The Lancet (2009): https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(09)60386-X/fulltext • ‘Tarantism: A Rhythm For Your Soul' (Giuliano Capani, 2008) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6fB4oInT7A Love the show? Support us! Join
John Gotti, the infamous ‘Teflon Don' boss of New York's Gambino crime family, smiled as he received a life sentence in a Brooklyn courthouse on 23rd June, 1992. Outside, chaos reigned as nearly a thousand supporters flipped over a federal marshal's car and chanted in defence of the mobster, framing his conviction as an anti-Italian injustice. But the FBI had been determined to bring Gotti down. After multiple failed attempts - including a memorable trial with a bribed juror - they finally found their opportunity by bugging his social club, capturing crucial conversations that convicted him of multiple murders and racketeering. Arion, Rebecca and Olly contrast Gotti's reputation in his Queens neighbourhood with his perception amongst the public at large; explain how his charisma and flashy style earned him the nickname ‘Dapper Don' before he became ‘Teflon'; and reveal how a true crime documentary helped bring him to justice... Further Reading: • ‘Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano, The Mobster Who Betrayed John Gotti' (All Thats Interesting, 2023): https://allthatsinteresting.com/sammy-the-bull-gravano • ‘MOB CHIEF GOTTI SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE' (The Washington Post, 1992): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1992/06/24/mob-chief-gotti-sentenced-to-life-without-parole/885eb70e-2eae-4be4-9126-c54182b3262f/ • ‘John Gotti trial' (Fox 5 New York, 1992): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLPjxxw-mGU Love the show? Support us! Join
When the East India Company surrendered Fort William (in modern-day Kolkata) to the Nawab of Bengal on 20th June, 1756, dozens of British captives were imprisoned in a cell measuring only 18ft long and 14ft wide, with just two tiny windows - ‘the Black Hole of Calcutta'. Among the prisoners was John Zephaniah Holwell, whose pamphlet describing the terrors of the airless room caused a sensation back in Britain and became a cause célèbre in the idealization of imperialism in India. Holwell claimed 123 men lost their lives in the cell, although it is now thought the number of deaths was exaggerated. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover Holwell's mixed feelings around colonialism; consider how ‘the black hole of Calcutta' became an enduring term of phrase; and reveal what connected Kolkata with Olly's home village in Hertfordshire… Further Reading: • ‘A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen, and Others, who Were Suffocated in the Black-Hole in Fort-William, at Calcutta, in the Kingdom of Bengal, in the Night Succeeding the 20th Day of June, 1756, in a Letter to a Friend - By John Zephaniah Holwell' (A. Millar, 1758): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/A_Genuine_Narrative_of_the_Deplorable_De/xGg0Cg9WVNcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Holwell+%2B+Calcutta&printsec=frontcover • ‘The Black Hole of Calcutta – Kolkata, India' (Atlas Obscura): https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-black-hole-of-calcutta • ‘The Story of The Black Hole Of Calcutta - Britain's Secret Homes' (ITV Daytime, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbjFxITtXwU This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us! Join
The Grand Knockout Tournament (also known as It's a Royal Knockout) was a one-off charity event first shown on BBC1 on 19th June 1987, to an audience of 18 million gobsmacked viewers. The brainchild of the then 23 year old Prince Edward, the slapstick spectacle featured the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of York captaining rival teams in a series of preposterous rounds involving celebrities including Rowan Atkinson, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, John Travolta and Les Dawson. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly recall Fergie's feelings of shame, blame and betrayal; discover the extraordinary cast of characters gathered at this bizarre occasion; and explain why Meat Loaf and Prince Andrew did not see eye-to-eye… Further Reading: • ‘Remembering The TV Disaster That Was It's A Royal Knockout' (Grazia, 2020): https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/royal-knockout-anne-edward-andrew/ • ‘It's a royal cock-up' (The Guardian, 2002): https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/mar/05/themonarchy.broadcasting • ‘The Grand Knockout Tournament' (BBC, 1987): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwkv0-QlbZY This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us! Join
Aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart became the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air on June 18th, 1928… but on this occasion didn't actually fly the plane; she was a passenger aboard the Friendship, a three-engine seaplane piloted by Wilmer Stultz and co-piloted by Louis Gordon. Originally, a wealthy heiress was meant to take the flight, but her family vetoed it as too dangerous. So Earhart, smart, skilled, and camera-ready, was chosen to be “Lady Lindy”, and that one journey launched her into the stratosphere of fame. She wrote a book, became a Cosmopolitan editor, endorsed everything from cigarettes to watches, and even launched her own fashion line. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit Earhart's iconic joyrides, including the one alongside Eleanor Roosevelt; consider the impact of her work to elevate women pilots, given that 95% of pilots are still men; and speculate about one of aviation's greatest mysteries: what happened to her plane on the day she went missing? Further Reading: • ‘BBC - Wales History: Amelia Earhart flies the Atlantic' (BBC Wales, 2010): https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2010/05/amelia_earhart_flies_the_atlantic.html • ‘Amelia Earhart Facts: 24 Fascinating Things You Should Know' (All Thats Interesting, 2017): https://allthatsinteresting.com/amelia-earhart-facts • ‘Mystery solved? Explorer thinks he found Amelia Earhart's lost plane' (NBC, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DqU8LaL-L0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Still the tallest statue in the USA, the Statue of Liberty arrived from France - in no less than 214 crates - in New York City on 17th June, 1885. Costing just $10m in today's money, the Lady went on to symbolise the immigrant journey - even though the designers and engineers behind it had no such intention. And it wasn't supposed to be green, either - that's because it's oxidized. In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion consider whether NYC bagged themselves a bargain, reveal the origins of the ‘ticker tape parade', and wonder if they could ever do something so epic for their Mums... Further Reading: • The Statue of Liberty: Building an Icon (The B1M, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QM0tipFQ9c • History on ‘How The Statue of Liberty Became An Icon': https://www.history.com/news/statue-of-liberty-icon-building • Reuters fact-check: why Lady Liberty is NOT an enslaved black woman (2020): https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-statue-liberty-design-idUSKBN24B2L1 This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us! Join
Which Tennessee football Volunteers are most likely to earn All-Southeastern Conference this year? The Dave Hooker Show. Represented by Banks and Jones. Tennessee's Trial Attorneys. Play to win. Why settle? Banks and Jones, led by T. Scott Jones. https://www.banksandjones.com/ Live from the Ted Russell Ford/Lincoln Studio. Ted Russell/Ford Lincoln is your home for the finest vehicles in Knoxville. New and used. East Tennessee's largest Ford and Lincoln Volume dealer Brainerd Golf Course and Brown Acres Golf Course Golf Chattanooga's best public courses. Tee times available! Just click below. https://secure.east.prophetservices.c... Chattanooga Mortgage Congratulations! Your home search just got easier. Buying a home in Chattanooga has never been easier. https://chattmortgage.com/ City Heating and Air 50 years in East Tennessee. Integrity Matters! http://www.cityheatandair.com Commercial Bank Commercial Bank. Member FDIC. Life. Made Better. https://www.cbtn.com/ Hemp House The premier hemp dispensary online with a wide variety, great selection and strict standards. https://hemphousechatt.com/ Use promo code "HOOKED" for 10-percent off. HoundDogs of Knoxville Champions look good in Orange! https://hdknoxville.com/ Joe Neubert Collision Center For nearly 50 years, Neubert Collision Center has been East Tennessee's best choice for quality repair work and fantastic customer service. https://www.joeneubertcollision.com/ National Fitness Center Unmatched value. Limitless options. Begin your fitness journey today! https://nfc1.com/ Peak IV Hydration In South Knoxville and Sevierville. Live your life to the fullest. Hydrate, rejuvenate, and elevate your health with Peak IV Hydration. https://www.peakivhydration.com/ Quality Tire Pros Serving Chattanooga community since 1957. All major brands of tires. Full Service Automotive. Brake, Alignments, Oil Changes and more. https://www.qualitytirepros.com/ Say OTH said “Hey Bo!” Rick Terry Jewelry Designs We want to be your Jeweler! Looking for affordable game-day jewelry. A Tennessee tradition. https://rickterryjewelry.com/ Sports Treasures Carrying Over 5-million Sports Treasures….and so much more! Follow on Facebook for the best sports memorabilia. Daily updates! https://www.facebook.com/SportsTreasuresTn The UPS Store Hardin Valley Helping individuals and small businesses. Wide range of products and services. Locally owned and operated. https://locations.theupsstore.com/tn/knoxville/10629-hardin-valley-rd WorkTrux They are all about trucks. Right truck. Right place. Right time. https://worktruxllc.com/ Workout Anytime Offers affordable fitness with high-quality equipment whenever you want it. Fitness that fits your life means there's no excuse, just results. https://workoutanytime.com/ooltewah/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Until the mid-20th century, putting nappies on babies involved folding and pinning cloth towelling, then pulling a pair of rubber pants over the top. That all began to change on June 12th, 1951, when the US inventor Marion Donovan patented a new kind of nappy, with an envelope-like plastic cover and an absorbent insert. Her invention ultimately netted her a million dollars (nearly $10 million in today's money) and paved the way for the development of disposable nappies which have become ubiquitous in many parts of the world today. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss how Donovan became one of the most prolific female inventors of her time; reveal that when she attempted to sell her invention, she was laughed out of boardrooms by male executives; and explain why one of her inventions, the “Zippity-Do”, could potentially be the undoing of Olly's relationship with his wife… Further Reading: • ‘The Woman Who Invented Disposable Diapers' (The Atlantic, 2014): https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/the-woman-who-invented-disposable-diapers/381310/ • ‘Marion Donovan: Waterproof Diaper Cover Inventor' (National Inventors' Hall of Fame, 2023): https://www.invent.org/inductees/marion-donovan • ‘Inventors on "Not for Women Only" from 1975' (Lemelson Center, 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-YtYOKt6T0 This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in an extravagant ceremony at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, Ireland, on 11th June, 2002. 300 VIP guests were in attendance, including Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, but only one official photo was ever released - so local teens with disposable cameras became unlikely paparazzi for hire. The couple's doomed love story began in 1999 at the Pride of Britain Awards, but when the tabloid press got hold of their relationship, eyebrows were raised over their age gap, Mills' rocky employment history, and her supposed friction with Paul's daughter, designer Stella McCartney. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look back at the misogynistic coverage of Mills in the popular press; revisit the turbulent fallout of this high-profile celebrity marriage; and pore over the ashes of Mills's prior romances… Further Reading: • ‘McCartney ties knot at rock 'n' roll wedding' (CNN, 2002): https://edition.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/11/mccartney.wedday/index.html • ‘First view from inside Paul McCartney and Heather Mills' wedding' (Mail Online, 2015): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3035182/Help-Gloom-Macca-s-girls-doomed-wedding-view-inside-Paul-Heather-s-wedding-did-grim-faced-Stella-Mary-know-coming.html • ‘Mills rants after getting £24.3m from Macca' (On Demand Entertainment, 2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9R7gV9evNE Love the show? Support us! Join
The Oxford v Cambridge Men's Boat Race has been an annual tradition since 1856 - but the first one was the result of a light-hearted bet between two friends called Charles on 10th June, 1829. When Wordsworth (Christ Church College, Oxford) and Merivale (St. John's, Cambridge) challenged each other to race up the Thames in Henley, they never could have known their schoolboy jape would attract 20,000 spectators, nor that it would go on to become one of the major sporting events in the British calendar. In this episode, Rebecca, Olly and Arion consider if rowing is still an elitist sport; whether Oxbridge colleges should now ditch the pretence that they never admit postgraduate students specifically to participate in the race; and reveal Hugh Laurie's consolation prize for losing for Cambridge in 1980… Further Reading: • ‘Origins of the Boat Race' at the Boat Race's official website: https://theboatrace.org/origins • 111 years after the original race, Oxford and Cambridge compete in Henley again (British Pathé, 1940): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSsei8KxCw • ‘Ten Things You Didn't Know About The Boat Race' from Sky History: https://www.history.co.uk/article/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-boat-race This episode first aired in 2021 Love the show? Support us! Join
Notorious Nazi doctor, ‘Angel of Death' Josef Mengele, spent the last twenty years of his life on the run. His remains were recovered in São Paulo on 6th June, 1985, when Brazilian Police dug up the grave of a man named “Wolfgang Gerhard” - later proven to be Mengele, who'd drowned at a beach resort at the age of 68. Mengele, responsible for sending up to 400,000 Jews to their deaths at Auschwitz, was able to escape to Argentina via Italy after the War, even living freely under his real name for a period, before Mossad and ‘Nazi Hunter' Simon Wiesenthal began hunting him down more assiduously. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how frustratingly close Israel's secret services came to capturing him in his lifetime; explain how he was able to live under cover in South America for decades; and consider the irony of what finally happened to his skeleton… Content Warning: depictions of Auschwitz, Holocaust torture techniques Further Reading: • ‘Son Says Mengele's Dead, Tells Why He Kept Silent : Learned of Death in 1979' (Los Angeles Times, 1985): https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-06-11-mn-10339-story.html • ‘How did the infamous Josef Mengele escape punishment?' (The Spectator, 2020): https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-did-the-infamous-josef-mengele-escape-punishment/ • ‘Confirming the remains of Josef Mengele' (NBC, 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m46WUDwxxpA This episode first premiered in 2024, for members of
Who should represent the Tennessee Football Volunteers on magazine covers? The Dave Hooker Show. Represented by Banks and Jones. Tennessee's Trial Attorneys. Play to win. Why settle? Banks and Jones, led by T. Scott Jones. https://www.banksandjones.com/ Live from the Ted Russell Ford/Lincoln Studio. Ted Russell/Ford Lincoln is your home for the finest vehicles in Knoxville. New and used. East Tennessee's largest Ford and Lincoln Volume dealer Brainerd Golf Course and Brown Acres Golf Course Golf Chattanooga's best public courses. Tee times available! Just click below. https://secure.east.prophetservices.c... Campbell, Cunningham, Taylor and Haun. Life is better when you see better!!! http://www.ccteyes.com Chattanooga Mortgage Congratulations! Your home search just got easier. Buying a home in Chattanooga has never been easier. https://chattmortgage.com/ City Heating and Air 50 years in East Tennessee. Integrity Matters! http://www.cityheatandair.com Commercial Bank Commercial Bank. Member FDIC. Life. Made Better. https://www.cbtn.com/ Hemp House The premier hemp dispensary online with a wide variety, great selection and strict standards. https://hemphousechatt.com/ Use promo code "HOOKED" for 10-percent off. HoundDogs of Knoxville Champions look good in Orange! https://hdknoxville.com/ Joe Neubert Collision Center For nearly 50 years, Neubert Collision Center has been East Tennessee's best choice for quality repair work and fantastic customer service. https://www.joeneubertcollision.com/ National Fitness Center Unmatched value. Limitless options. Begin your fitness journey today! https://nfc1.com/ Peak IV Hydration In South Knoxville and Sevierville. Live your life to the fullest. Hydrate, rejuvenate, and elevate your health with Peak IV Hydration. https://www.peakivhydration.com/ Quality Tire Pros Serving Chattanooga community since 1957. All major brands of tires. Full Service Automotive. Brake, Alignments, Oil Changes and more. https://www.qualitytirepros.com/ Say OTH said “Hey Bo!” Rick Terry Jewelry Designs We want to be your Jeweler! Looking for affordable game-day jewelry. A Tennessee tradition. https://rickterryjewelry.com/ Sports Treasures Carrying Over 5-million Sports Treasures….and so much more! Follow on Facebook for the best sports memorabilia. Daily updates! https://www.facebook.com/SportsTreasuresTn Tri-Star Hats For the latest in Tri-Star Hats, go to the original. Hats, apparel and more!!! http://www.tristarhatsco.com The UPS Store Hardin Valley Helping individuals and small businesses. Wide range of products and services. Locally owned and operated. https://locations.theupsstore.com/tn/knoxville/10629-hardin-valley-rd WorkTrux They are all about trucks. Right truck. Right place. Right time. https://worktruxllc.com/ Workout Anytime Offers affordable fitness with high-quality equipment whenever you want it. Fitness that fits your life means there's no excuse, just results. https://workoutanytime.com/ooltewah/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lizzie Borden's murder trial began on June 5, 1893 in New Bedford Courthouse, Massachusetts. The 32 year-old was accused of killing her father, wealthy magnate Andrew Borden, and his wife Abby, her stepmother, who had been crushed by the blows of a hatchet - 11 and 19 times, respectively. In attendance were three judges, Borden's high-powered defense team (paid for from her late father's estate), and reporters and onlookers keen to parse the lurid details of the shocking deaths in the Borden homestead. But, despite there being no other suspects, Borden was acquitted. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why Lizzie just *may* have innocently been purchasing poison; consider whether this was the case that first ignited the female interest in ‘true crime' stories in America; and reveal what's happened to the ‘Borden Murder House' in the 21st century … Content Warning: domestic violence, description of brutal murder scene. Further Reading: • ‘Why 19th-Century Axe Murderer Lizzie Borden Was Found Not Guilty' (Smithsonian Magazine, 2019): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-19th-century-axe-murderer-lizzie-borden-was-found-not-guilty-180972707/ • ‘Lizzie Borden case: Images from one of the most notorious crime scenes in history' (CBS, 2021): https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/lizzie-borden-case-images-crime-scene/ • ‘48 Hours: Lizzie Borden Took an Axe' (CBS, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYDiEcyDUBU Love the show? Support us! Join
Twice the usual crowd turned up to see the Cleveland Indians take on the Texas Rangers on June 4th, 1974 - drawn in not by the baseball match, but by an innovative promotion: for just 10 cents, fans could grab 10 ounces of beer. The lines never stopped, as fans circled back, drank in line, and kept the buzz going. Tensions were high, as this was a rematch with the Texas Rangers following a brawl. Fans cheered when a Rangers player got injured, and started throwing trash, rocks, and batteries onto the field. Then came a full-on invasion: around 200 fans, some armed with chains and chunks of stadium seats, rushed the pitch. Players fought to protect each other. The umpire, bleeding from a thrown rock and narrowly missed by a knife, finally called it: game over. Cleveland forfeited. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Cleveland's ill-advised 10 cent beer promotion came to be; unpick what the baseball players were thinking, as they were dashed back to a hotel for their safety; and marvel at the gratuitous nudity on the pitch, in the golden age of 70s streaking… Further Reading: • ‘A mistake by the lake: Remembering the 10-cent Beer Night riot' (Sports Illustrated, 2013): https://www.si.com/mlb/2013/06/04/mistake-lake-remembering-10-cent-beer-night-riot • ‘10 Cent Beer Night: An Oral History of Cleveland Baseball's Most Infamous Night' (Cleveland Magazine, 2024): https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/sports/articles/10-cent-beer-night-an-oral-history-of-cleveland-baseball's-most-infamous-night • ‘10-Cent Beer Night: A look back' (Sports & Extras Network, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFtR38Mlscc Love the show? Support us! Join
Radical playwright Valerie Solanas, author of the SCUM Manifesto (for the ‘Society of Cutting Up Men') attempted to assassinate pop artist Andy Warhol at The Factory on 3rd June, 1968. As a result, Warhol wore a corset for the rest of his life; security had to be introduced at the previously open-door environment of The Factory; and Solanas' name went down in infamy. In this episode, Olly, Arion and Rebecca ask whether her feminist writing would carry more weight if she'd never committed this violent act; consider the ethics of wannabe-assassins becoming celebrities, and wonder whether her SCUM Manifesto reads more like Jane Austen or Germaine Greer… Content Warning: mental health, paranoid schizophrenia, injury detail Further Reading: • ‘I Shot Andy Warhol' trailer (1996): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQRCcQlXXE • ‘The SCUM Manifesto' on Northeastern University's website: https://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/shivers/rants/scum.html • ‘This Is Why a Radical Playwright Shot Andy Warhol' (Time, 2015): https://time.com/3901488/andy-warhol-valerie-solanas/ This episode was first published in 2021 Love the show? Support us! Join
Arion, Rebecca and Olly recall the shocking events of the Heysel Stadium disaster, which lead to all English football clubs being banned from European competitions for five years from 2nd June, 1985. The tragedy occurred during the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus, when hooligans from both clubs had infiltrated the neutral sections. The policing was inadequate, with officers diverted by minor thefts, and the stadium's security measures woefully insufficient. 39 fans died, and 600 were injured, but, astonishingly, the match continued - with Juventus winning 1-0. In this episode, The Retrospectors discover how the ban led to the creation of the ill-fated ‘Screensport Super Cup'; consider how Rupert Murdoch's investment in rights transformed the sport; and reveal how the ban affected English clubs' ability to attract international talent… Love the show? Support us! Join
The most significant rebellion of the Medieval era, the so-called Peasant's Revolt, kicked off in Brentwood, Essex on 30th May, 1381, when tax collector John Bampton attempted to collect unpaid poll tax. The protest triggered a violent confrontation, rapidly spreading across the south-east of the country. Within a month, the rebels were marching towards London, massacring merchants and razing the palace of the king's uncle, John of Gaunt. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider whether the protestors really were ‘peasants' at all; appraise 14 year-old king Richard II's handling of their appeasement; and explain how, despite the horrific hardship of the Black Death, the working classes had, for once, something of an advantage… Further Reading: • ‘The Peasants' Revolt Of 1381: A Guide' (HistoryExtra, 2021): https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieval/your-guide-peasants-revolt-facts-timeline/ • ‘Peasants' Revolt' (British Library): https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item132518.html • ‘The Untold Story Of The 1381 Peasants Revolt' (Timeline, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kq9sbtFCR8&t=2s Love the show? Support us! Join
Whit Monday became the first of the new ‘Bank Holidays' on 29th May, 1871, as millions of Britons got an officially-sanctioned paid day off. The brainchild of eccentric polymath (and former banker) Sir John Lubbock, the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 created four official days off, cleverly packaged as innocuous financial regulation so as to sneak through Parliament without incurring moral panic. So admired was the innovation that the holidays became informally known as “Saint Lubbock's Days”. But, in a way, Lubbock had only revived the spirit of the medieval calendar, which had plenty of saint days and community-wide rest. The industrial revolution had crushed all that under factory whistles and time cards, but now, with the rollout of the Victorian railways, city folk could flee to the seaside for a sunny day with their families. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly pore over Lubbock's bizarre CV; consider the debate around renaming Bank Holidays as “Princess Diana Day” or “Britishness Day”; and explain why, despite the new laws, not all industries shut up shop… Further Reading: • ‘Bank holiday notice, 1896' (NatWest Group Heritage Hub): https://www.natwestgroup.com/heritage/history-100/objects-by-theme/our-people-in-the-community/bank-holiday-notice-1896.html • ‘Sir John Lubbock, Lord Avebury 1834 – 1913' (Chislehurst Society): https://chislehurst-society.org.uk/pages/about/people/sir-john-lubbock-lord-avebury-1834-1913/ • ‘What is a Bank Holiday? | Why Do We Get Bank Holidays?' (Twinkl Educational Publishing, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_I_pzgE920 Love the show? Support us! Join
A naval juggernaut of 137 ships, 10,000 sailors, 2,500 guns, and 20,000 soldiers was launched at England by Philip II of Spain on May 28th, 1588: the Spanish Armada. Their goal? A full-scale invasion to dethrone Queen Elizabeth I and restore Catholicism, no less. Unfortunately, their commander, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, had no naval experience. And the English got wind of the "secret" invasion months in advance. When they finally arrived, the Spanish were struggling with storms, rotting supplies, and low morale; and the comparatively cobbled-together English fleet darted in, fired, and slipped away before the lumbering Spanish could react. Then came the infamous “fire ships”—floating bonfires set toward the Spanish fleet, causing panic, chaos, and most importantly, shattering the Armada's crescent formation. With ships scattered and winds whipping up, the Spanish went into retreat — but the exit door was now a long, stormy road around Scotland and Ireland… In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider why the Spanish believed victory was inevitable; reveal how the biggest toll on the Armada came AFTER the famous battle; and explain why it took so long for news of the victory to spread around England… Further Reading: • ‘Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada' (Royal Museums Greenwich): https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/elizabeth-i-spanish-armada • ‘The Spanish Armada: 10 Little-Known Facts' (HistoryExtra, 2018): https://www.historyextra.com/period/elizabethan/spanish-armada-facts-elizabeth-i-medina-sidonia-catholic-philip-ii/ • ‘England vs The Spanish Armada: The Defeat Of The Invincible Fleet' (Timeline, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZsTRdmnp_Y Love the show? Support us! Join
Microwave cookery was first demonstrated by Ross Kilgore of Westinghouse at the Chicago World's Fair, which opened on 27th May, 1933. But the event was deemed to be a side-show of little scientific significance, and was forgotten until microwaves were ‘discovered' two decades later. Incredibly also on display at the Chicago World's Fair were incubated premature babies; people with dwarfism paraded in ‘midget's village'; and, most attention-grabbingly of all, a provocative fan dancer called Sally Rand. Different times. In this episode, Arion, Olly and Rebecca compare the Fair's SkyRide to its ‘coal mine'; question the purpose of a cigar-smoking robot; and explain why amoebic dysentery made an unwelcome souvenir for many... Further Reading: • America's Best History looks back at the ‘Century of Progress' exhibition: https://americasbesthistory.com/wfchicago1933.html • Wilding Pictures captures Technicolor footage of the Fair in 1934: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTqNPjQvOC0 • The ‘Coal Mine' exhibit, preserved at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry: https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/coal-mine/ Love the show? Support us! Join
Hanged for piracy and murder, sea captain William Kidd was executed in Wapping on 23rd May, 1701. From the gallows he proclaimed to the large assembled crowd that he was innocent of the crimes, as he was a licensed privateer. The vessel he'd captured, the Quedagh Merchant, was indeed sailing under a ‘French pass' - though the documents that prove this lay unearthed until the 20th century. His trial was used by the governing Tory party as a political opportunity to embarrass his Whig sponsors, and he was convicted on all counts. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what happened to his body after his botched hanging; reveal the extraordinary monetary value of his plunder; and explain how, despite his established prowess as a seaman, he became seen as a public enemy… Further Reading: • ‘Biography of Captain William Kidd, Scottish Pirate' (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/captain-william-kidd-2136225 • ‘The sacrifice of Captain Kidd' (HistoryExtra, 2011): https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/the-sacrifice-of-captain-kidd/ • ‘Accidental Pirate' (National Geographic, 2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4aGvWzFoko Love the show? Support us! Join
Namco's ground-breaking arcade game Pac-Man had its first focus test in a Tokyo cinema foyer on May 22nd, 1980. Created by 24 year-old Toru Iwatani, it was originally called ‘Puck-Man' and designed to appeal to women as well as men. Each of the ghosts - Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde - was programmed to have its own personality using AI routines, creating a sense of ‘character' despite the pixelated rendering. Atari declined the opportunity to distribute the game in the U.S. - where, in just a year, it generated $1billion of revenue - in quarters… In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why the gameplay wipes out after 256 levels; explore the craze that saw a Pac-man strategy textbook shift one million copies; and consider why the game's name was changed to avoid some unfortunate graffiti… Further Reading: • ‘The game that ate the world: 40 facts on Pac-Man's 40th birthday' (The Guardian, 2020): https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/may/22/pac-man-video-game-40-years-old • ‘Why Players Around the World Gobbled Up Pac-Man' (Smithsonian Magazine): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-players-around-world-gobbled-up-pac-man-180974902/ • ‘Pac-Man Level 256 - the last level in the game' (The Glitch Gamer, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcI42czB2q4 Love the show? Support us! Join
Labour leader Ed Miliband awkwardly ate a bacon sandwich at New Covent Garden Market on 21st May, 2014. Mid-bite, eyes squinting, lips oddly parted, and fingers clumsily gripping the sandwich - it was an instantly meme-able moment. The British press pounced. The photo became a viral sensation, with endless edits, spoofs, and headlines suggesting Miliband wasn't “human enough” to relate to the average voter. It was a perfect storm of bad optics, class-coded food politics, and the relentless image-focused nature of modern campaigning. The idea that someone couldn't even eat a sandwich “properly” became, bizarrely, a shorthand for unrelatability. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick why this accidental photocall continued to resonate a year later, becoming a ‘defining image' of the 2015 general election; recall how David Cameron swerved a similar encounter with a hot dog; and discover how the Google results for this iconic moment have been somewhat interfered with… Further Reading: • 'Is this the moment Ed realised that the man who sold him this bacon sandwich is voting Tory? Labour leader's nationwide tour gets off to a difficult start' (Mail Online, 2014): https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2634977/Is-moment-Ed-realised-man-sold-bacon-sandwich-voting-Tory-Labour-leaders-nationwide-tour-gets-difficult-start.html • ‘The Defining Image of the British Election' (The Atlantic, 2015): https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/05/ed-miliband-bacon-british-election/392867/ • 'Ed Miliband: 'The bacon sandwich didn't lose me the election'' (LBC, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O38SKEBPohU Love the show? Support us! Join
When Hitachi launched their ‘personal massager' on 20th May, 1968, they had no idea (or so they claim) that they were about to, um, go down in sex toy history. The Magic Wand was initially developed to relieve tension and relaxing sore muscles - but soon became celebrated as the most powerful vibrator the world had ever seen. In this episode, Rebecca, Olly and Arion discover how its innocent packaging helped boost sales when female masturbation was taboo, reveal the role sex educator Betty Dodson had in introducing it to the chattering classes, and consider how Apple would react today, if it was revealed that ‘rubbing an iPad on your bits felt good'... Content Warning: Explicit content, references to genitalia. Further Reading: • ‘A Brief History of The Magic Wand', Cosmopolitan (2017): https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a14105499/hitachi-magic-wand-history/ • Sam returns her ‘neck massager' to The Sharper Image in Sex and the City (2002): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T4QIO4XVPc • Magic Wand's official website: https://magicwandoriginal.com/ Love the show? Support us! Join
Socialite, wit and fashion influencer Beau Brummell fled to France on 16th May, 1816, in order to escape his creditors, from whom he had racked up around £600,000 of gambling debts. Staying at Dessin's Hotel, he entertained in his apartments while learning French and writing his memoirs, biding his time until his bestie George IV appointed him to the British consul in nearby Caen. But the position lasted only two years, and eventually he was jailed for his mounting debts in France. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly track the highs and lows of this iconic dandy's relationship with the Palace; consider how his career in the consulate came to such a rapid end; and explore his influence on gentleman's fashion ever since… Further Reading: • ‘Beau Brummell - The Ultimate Man of Style, By Ian Kelly' (Atria Books, 2013): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Beau_Brummell/z0bihH_cbTgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Beau+Brummell&printsec=frontcover • ‘Regency London: Where did the Ton spend their time?' (Britain Magazine, 2023): https://www.britain-magazine.com/featured/regency-london-where-did-the-ton-spend-their-time/ • ‘Beau Brummell: The First Menswear Influencer?' (Gentleman's Gazette, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBgVvvGHFiM Love the show? Support us! Join
Ellen Church became the first ever airline stewardess on May 15th, 1930 - when she took to the skies with a Boeing Air Transport flight from Oakland, California to Chicago. A licensed airplane pilot, she'd approached the airline to inquire about flying planes, but, when she was told that in fact they didn't employ women at all, she suggested that they put registered nurses like herself aboard to care for the passengers - and was hired to recruit and train seven additional women for the role. Candidates needed to be no taller than 5 feet, 4 inches; not more than 25 years old… and single. Their salary was $125.00 per month. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal the seemingly never-ending list of safety responsibilities given to this first generation of ‘Sky Girls'; unpick the sexist recruitment policies underpinning their employment; and discover some of the most sexualised ad-campaigns of all time… Further Reading: • ‘Flight Attendants of History: How the First Stewardess Got Her Job' (Time, 2015): https://time.com/3847732/first-stewardess-ellen-church/ • ‘Shaking up a cocktail, tucking passengers into bed and calming nervous flyers: Fascinating vintage photos reveal life in the sky for the first air hostesses of the 1930's' (Mail Online, 2015): https://rb.gy/h01wa • ‘Southwest Airlines' - commercial circa 1972: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR7JApjgIGw Love the show? Support us! Join
The Adultery Act, passed into British law on 14th May, 1650, made having sex with a married woman a crime so severe it was punishable by death – but only for her. Radical groups like the Ranters mocked Puritan prudishness, Royalists called the law joyless and tyrannical, and Presbyterians argued the law would be impossible to apply fairly. But the Puritans needed something everyone could rally around – and sexual sin was an easy target. Those who thought the English Civil War had been divine punishment for a sinful nation believed only Old Testament-style legislation could stop society from descending into full-blown chaos. Yet, during the time the law was on the statue books, no one was actually executed. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the practicalities of proving adultery in a time when no reliable records of marriage existed; explain why sex with your son's wife or daughter's husband was considered incest; and reveal how, in some form, adultery stayed on the books until 2022.... Further Reading: • ‘An Act for suppressing the detestable sins of Incest, Adultery and Fornication' (House of Parliament, 1650): https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/acts-ordinances-interregnum/pp387-389 • 'England's Culture Wars - Puritan Reformation and Its Enemies in the Interregnum, 1649-1660, By B. S. Capp' (OUP, 2012): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/England_s_Culture_Wars/d42Z-58lIdcC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=7+Puritans+and+Sex&pg=PA132&printsec=frontcover • '60 Second Lecture Series- "The Puritans Had Sex? Why, Yes, They Did...!" - Kathy Cooke' (Quinnipiac University, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faHxWKgtkkw Love the show? Support us! Join
‘WannaCry', the biggest cyberattack the world has seen, was stopped in its tracks on 13th May, 2017. British blogger Marcus Hutchins found the 'kill switch'. He was 22. The ransomware had attacked the NHS, Renault, Telefónica, FedEx, and Boeing - causing damage estimated at up to $8 billion. In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion revisit Hutchins' incredible story, from childhood computer programmer to criminal hacker and, eventually, British hero; consider when exactly their own children will eclipse their technical proficiency; and discover what ‘sinkholing' is... Further reading: • ‘The Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker Who Saved the Internet' - a long read interview in ‘Wired': https://www.wired.com/story/confessions-marcus-hutchins-hacker-who-saved-the-internet/ • “I'm no hero”, Marcus Hutchins tells the Telegraph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5dNdnG_t1U • Follow Marcus Hutchins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MalwareTechBlog Love the show? Support us! Join
Fourteen years of food rationing came to an end in Britain on 4th July, 1954, when restrictions on the sale and purchase of meat and bacon were lifted - and we're running this episode today as part of the 80th anniversary of VE Day that Europe is celebrating this week. Members of the London Housewives' Association held a special ceremony in London's Trafalgar Square to mark Derationing Day. Meanwhile, The Minister of Fuel and Power, Geoffrey Lloyd, burned a large replica of a ration book. Rationing had been introduced due to difficulties importing food to Britain by boat during the war, but also affected the supply of clothes, furniture and fuel. During the war, the Ministry of Food urged the British people to grow their own veg to play their part in defeating the Germans. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the merits of a ‘mock' fish and chips recipe; examine how the Conservatives used this ‘Victory Day for Housewives' to score a political point of the previous Labour government; and reveal how to avoid ‘Humble Pie with Hitler'... Further Reading: • ‘Food Rationing In WW2: When Did It Begin & End, & How Did People Cook?' (HistoryExtra, 2021): https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/when-food-rationing-begin-end-ww2/ • ‘The wartime recipes that kept Britain going in the Second World War' (Country Life, 2017): https://www.countrylife.co.uk/food-drink/victory-in-the-kitchen-easy-wartime-recipes-to-try-149921 This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
Today is the 80th anniversary of ‘Victory in Europe Day', but despite the popular impression of the joyous street parties and jubilant crowds that took over London on 8th May, 1945, the reality was rather more complex. For starters, the terms of Germany's surrender itself had displeased the Soviet Union, and Stalin insisted on a second, official surrender in Berlin. This meant that while the West celebrated on May 8th, Russia and its allies marked Victory Day on May 9th. Meanwhile, in Britain, the logistics behind our ‘spontaneous' celebrations had actually been in the works since D-Day, with the working title of Ceasefire Day. Winston Churchill, amongst his many more sombre duties, was tasked with ensuring that the country had enough beer and bunting. And not everyone came out in the streets. While a million people flooded central London, many others stayed home, exhausted and mourning loved ones lost in the war. The sound of church bells—silent for five years except in case of invasion—was an emotional moment for many. In this special 80th anniversary episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the tricky dynamics of VE Day for President Truman, just weeks after Franklin D. Roosevelt had died; explain how time zone differences caused confusion in Australia and New Zealand; and discover the ultimate celebratory foodstuff: mashed parsnips… Further Reading: • ‘What You Need To Know About VE Day 8 May 1945' (Imperial War Museums): https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-ve-day • ‘VE Day' (Bletchley Park): https://bletchleypark.org.uk/our-story/ve-day/ • ‘V E Day in London - 1945' (Movietone, 1945): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEavcsrMoMw Love the show? Support us! Join
Nazi propagandist William Joyce, best known to British radio listeners as ‘Lord Haw Haw', was hanged by Albert Pierrepoint at Wandsworth Prison on 3rd January, 1946 - and we're running this episode today as part of the 80th anniversary of VE Day that Europe is celebrating this week. At the peak of his powers, his anti-Allied broadcasts from Hamburg reached up to 50% of the UK listening public, who tuned in to hear the German perspective on the looming confrontations, correspondence from British prisoners of War, and Joyce's compelling, menacing, yet gossipy delivery of Hitler's aims and accomplishments. And a bit of Jazz. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how there were not just one, but in fact three ‘Lords Haw Haw'; consider how Joyce leaned into his celebrity status during World War II; and reveal how his fraudulently-obtained British passport helped to seal his fate on the hangman's noose… Further Reading: • ‘Treason law reform and the Lord Haw-Haw case 75 years on' (House of Lords Library, 2020): https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/treason-law-reform-and-the-lord-haw-haw-case-75-years-on/ • ‘Lord Haw-Haw: popularity of wartime Nazi propagandist made the BBC up its game' (The Conversation, 2021): https://theconversation.com/lord-haw-haw-popularity-of-wartime-nazi-propagandist-made-the-bbc-up-its-game-150787#:~:text=Haw-Haw%2C%20wrote%20Hobson%2C%20had%20increased%20the%20nation%E2%80%99s%20Christmas,made%20an%20impact%20because%20he%20faced%20no%20contradiction. • ‘Germany Calling: Lord Haw Haw's Final Broadcast' (Station Bremen, 1945): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe-THrWu_4I This episode was first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
Scientists from around the world gathered in Rome on 2nd May 1922 to agree on a definitive list of 88 constellations, which up until then had been an astronomical free-for-all. The collection of eminent astronomers eventually settled on 42 animals, 29 inanimate objects and 17 humans or mythological characters, which, taken together, offered a complete map of the skies for the very first time. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how different ancient civilisations around the world understood the heavens differently; marvel at the immense contribution of Ancient Greeks to contemporary astronomy; and discuss why Antinous, the boy lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, is the greatest constellation no longer in use… Further Reading: • ‘10 Constellations that Never Caught On' (Mental Floss, 2010): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49454/10-constellations-never-caught • ‘The Constellations' (IAU, 2001): https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/ • ‘Pictures in the sky: the origin and history of the constellations' (The Royal Society, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZm-QaKqS-Y&t=271s #1920s #Space #Europe #Science This episode first aired in 2023 Love the show? Support us! Join
In the deregulated skies of the 1980s, airlines needed new ways to make customers feel special. Enter the first major frequent flyer program, American Airlines' AAdvantage, on 1st May, 1981. Bob Crandall built a powerful data system to track and process his customers' miles, giving American a huge head start whilst rivals scrambled to copy his idea. Suddenly, airline loyalty points weren't just for free flights — they were currency. Hotels, car rentals, and restaurant reservations got looped in, creating the foundation for today's sprawling loyalty ecosystems. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how much airlines lose on each ticket they give away; uncover the small regional airline that actually beat American to the frequent flyer market; and reveal how one man with a lifetime pass has flown 25 million miles… Further Reading: • ‘FARE GAMES AND THE FREQUENT FLIER' (The New York Times, 1982): https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/17/travel/fare-games-and-the-frequent-flier.html • ‘AAdvantage Celebrates 40 Years of Loyalty Innovation' (American Airlines Newsroom, 2021): https://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2021/AAdvantage-Celebrates-40-Years-of-Loyalty-Innovation-AADV-04/default.aspx • ‘Bob Crandall and Rick Elieson chats about the history of AAdvantage and how loyalty is evolving' (Loyalty Leaders Podcast, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RZe4HCQVsw #Business #Advertising #80s #US Love the show? Support us! Join
A British motoring icon made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30th April, 1948: the Land Rover. The UK's first off-road vehicle (that wasn't a tractor!) had been sketched in sand by its creator, Maurice Wilks. Heavily inspired by the American Willys Jeep, the first Land Rovers were simple, no-frills workhorses with no roof, no heater, and barely any doors — just half-height flaps to keep you from falling out. And at £450, they were priced for farmers, not aristocrats. But the car soon caught on, with everyone from Winston Churchill to Bob Marley. Despite being noisy, leaky and slow, the Land Rover's charm wasn't about comfort — it was about practicality, reliability, and an unmistakably rugged, "real" vibe that everyone could get behind. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick how the marque inspired explorers, aid workers, and adventurers; consider why the British Army abandoned the vehicle in the 21st century; and discover why the steering wheel on the first models was placed in the middle… Further Reading: • ‘Why everyone wants a classic Land Rover' (The Times, 2022): https://www.thetimes.com/article/7e9e5d1e-7dec-11ec-b216-7a521e8f125c • ‘Land Rover Design - 70 Years of Success by Nick Hull' (David & Charles, 2018): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Land_Rover_Design_70_Years_of_Success/w9IjEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=maurice+wilks&pg=PT19&printsec=frontcover • ‘History Of Land Rover: Discover the Amazing Story Behind the Land Rover!' (Land Rover World, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV3BIQ6WfR8 #Motoring #Design #40s #UK #Inventions Love the show? Support us! Join
Where are meatballs from, and why does it matter? Social media users frenziedly grappled with these very questions on 29th April, 2018, when Sweden's official Twitter account proclaimed: “Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century. Let's stick to the facts!” Does this tale about the Royal family bringing meatballs back from the Ottoman Empire check out? And doesn't every culture in the world have some form of meatballs? You'd think these would be innocent questions - but they ended up overhauling Sweden's social media strategy for good… In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the origins of IKEA's best-selling product; reveal the world-record for meatball consumption; and investigate a Finnish hack for soupy balls… Further Reading: • ‘Swedish Meatballs Are Actually Turkish, According to Sweden' (TIME, 2018): https://time.com/5263690/swedish-meatballs-actually-turkish/ • ‘Sweden's official Twitter account will no longer be run by random Swedes' (The Verge, 2018): https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/5/17824338/sweden-twitter-account-citizens-takeover-swedish • ‘Sweden admits Swedish meatballs are actually from Turkey' (CBS Evening News, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ShdZADmhg #food #culture #sweden #2010s #tech #funny This episode first aired in 2022 Love the show? Support us! Join
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