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PODCAST

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

Curious, funny, surprising daily history - with Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina and Arion McNicoll. From the invention of the Game Boy to the Mancunian beer-poisoning of 1900, from Julius Caesar"s invasion of Britain to America"s Nazi summer schools... each day we uncover an unexpected story for the ages. In just ten minutes! Best Daily Podcast (British Podcast Awards 2023 nominee). Get early access and ad-free listening at Patreon.com/Retrospectors or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

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All Episodes

10:32

Can You Smell Eggs?

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/08

In New York City on 8th January, 2007, an unexplained pervasive egg smell was reported.Baffled authorities scrambled to try to work out whether it had been caused by a gas leak, a chemical spill, a terrorist attack or something else entirely.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly open (and close) their own investigation into the case; consider other major malodorous outbreaks in Manhattan, including the 2005 Maple Syrup Event; and reveal the best and worst smelling cities in the world…Further

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10:25

Meet Jekyll and Hyde

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/05

Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic novella ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ was published in the USA on 5th January, 1886. It had been intended for release as a Christmas horror story the previous month - but Stevenson's wife Fanny had been so disturbed by the initial draft that she reportedly asked him to burn it.The book’s core themes, exploring the duality of human nature and the consequences of unchecked scientific experimentation, contributed to the story having an enduring appeal that

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10:52

Dawn of the Hit Parade

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/04

Billboard introduced the first-ever pop music chart on 4th January, 1936. Catering to jukebox operators, rather than everyday music fans, the chart was an occasional magazine feature, listing top tracks from each of the major record labels based on sheet music sales, record sales, requests from band leaders, and mail-in requests to radio stations.Big Band numbers dominated the chart, which evolved (as the record industry recovered from the Depression) to eventually recognise black music with the

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10:51

The Siege of Sidney Street

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/03

A dramatic standoff between Metropolitan Police and Latvian anarchists unfolded in the East End of London on 3rd January, 1911 - when two men suspected of murdering policemen in a jewellery heist were surrounded by armed authorities.As tensions escalated, Winston Churchill, then the Home Secretary, mobilised a significant military force to Sidney Street, where the anarchists, armed with powerful weapons, responded with fierce gunfight. The spectacle attracted onlookers, reporters, news cameras, and

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10:46

Ronald Reagan: Hollywood's Governor

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/02

Former actor and SAG President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as Governor of California just after midnight on 2nd January, 1967: the end of the beginning of a hugely successful political career that would propel him all the way to the White House.Reagan's used oratory to gain prominence, notably his 1964 speech ‘A Time for Choosing’, supporting Barry Goldwater's Presidential campaign, which established the Reaganite themes of anti-communism, limited government, and individual freedom.In this

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10:04

Inside Barnum's Museum

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2024/01/01

Happy New Year! Our first episode of 2024 recalls Today In History in 1842 - the day P.T. Barnum opened his ‘American Museum’ in New York, replete with a flea circus, ‘Siamese’ twins, and a ‘mermaid’ skeleton.The ‘museum’ merged authentic specimens with audacious hoaxes, blurring the line between reality and fiction, exploiting many of its star performers, and bewitching the public. It followed on from the ‘Greatest Showman’s earlier triumph: exhibiting an elderly enslaved woman, Joyce Heth, who

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13:28

Best of 2023: Captain Kidd: Pirate or Privateer?

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/29

We’re back with new episodes on New Year’s Day, but, before we finally turn our backs on 2023 for good, here’s Olly’s choice for his favourite episode of the year - our story from 23rd May, the day in 1701 when sea captain William Kidd was executed for piracy and murder.From the gallows, Kidd 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

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12:04

Best of 2023: Richard I's Awkward Wedding Night

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/28

Arion’s favourite episode from 2023 is this romp from May 12th, the day on which, in 1911, Richard the Lionheart finally got hitched. His Bride? Berengaria of Navarre, daughter of King Sancho VI – a key ally in extending his Kingdom across Europe.Sure, he may have already slept with her brother, but hey, that’s less awkward than marrying his original betrothed princess, his father’s mistress. The marriage was indifferent and potentially unconsummated; Berengaria becoming the only English Queen in

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12:32

Best of 2023: The Counterfeit Queen of Soul

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/27

This week we’re revisiting our favourite episodes of 2023, and Rebecca has chosen to replay our episode from 15th February, the day in 1969 when Mary Jane Jones - known professionally as Vickie Jones - was arrested on fraud charges after successfully impersonating soul legend Aretha Franklin during multiple sold-out shows across Florida.When her case ended up before a judge, Jones maintained her innocence, insisting that she had been press-ganged into the deception by conman, kidnapper and

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22:32

Retrospectors Quiz Of The Year 2023

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/22

It’s been a hell of a year at Retrospectors HQ - from Clyde Barrow's first scrape with the law to the installation of Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America.BUT when it comes to retaining trivia, who is the brainiest Retrospector of all?There’s only one way to find out, as Olly challenges Arion and Rebecca to go head-to-head in our legendary annual fact battle…Thanks so much for listening - we’ll be back with all-new episodes from January 1st, 2024.Happy Christmas!Watch this episode on YouTube:

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10:34

Mariah's Christmas Hit

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/21

Rerun: All I Want For Christmas Is You has made Mariah Carey a fortune - but it took an astonishing 25 years for the song to finally reach Number One on the Billboard Hot 100; a feat it achieved on 21st December, 2019, becoming America’s first festive-themed chart-topper since The Chipmunk Song in 1958.When originally released in 1994, neither Carey nor her co-songwriter Walter Afanasieff expected great things. Afanasieff voiced concerns that it sounded ‘like someone singing vocal scales’, and Carey

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11:16

Panto's Greatest Dame

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/20

Victorian music hall star Dan Leno, creator of Widow Twankey and Mother Goose, was born on 20th December, 1860. A child prodigy of the stage, Leno kicked off his career as "Little George, the Infant Wonder," winning the World Clog Dancing Championship in Leeds.Having become an esteemed character comedian, Leno was poached to play Dame Durden in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane - a success so immense that he played the role for 15 consecutive years, effectively kickstarting

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9:36

The War on Christmas

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/19

England’s Puritan Parliament attempted to purge Christmas of Catholic influences on 19th December, 1644, by passing The Ordinance for the Better Observation of the Monthly Fast, an attempt in the legislature to solemnise the day and prevent the public from indulging in carnal and sensual delights. Essentially: to ban Christmas.The enforcement of these measures led to numerous conflicts, including the Plum Pudding Riot of 1647, when 10,000 men in Kent signed a petition declaring they would rather see

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10:12

Introducing The Nutcracker

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/18

The premiere of Tchaikovsky’s seminal ballet ‘The Nutcracker’, on 18th December, 1892, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg. It was NOT a hit.The composer, who thought the Alexander Dumas source material was slight and childish, only agreed to write the piece if it was shown in a double-bill with his opera, ‘Iolanta’. He certainly didn’t want to repeat the critical failure of his earlier work: a certain ‘Swan Lake’.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how a trip to Paris

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11:15

Spice World!

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/15

At the height of the ‘Cool Britannia’ craze, the Spice Girls released their first movie, ‘Spice World’, with a glittering premiere at the Empire Leicester Square, on 15th December, 1997. Geri, Emma, Victoria, Mel B, and Mel C donned pinstripe suits with boosted cleavage; attendees included the Prince of Wales; and their on-screen co-stars included Meat Loaf, Richard E Grant, Roger Moore, and Elton John.The film, made for a budget of just $5m and with a production schedule of just one year, had been

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10:31

Dubya Dodges A Shoeing

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/14

Rerun: When George W Bush flew to Baghdad for a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 14th December, 2008, he had hoped the headlines would reflect his triumphant appraisal of his deployment of American troops. Instead, it became known as the day he got some shoes thrown at him.The man throwing the shoes was Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi, who yelled in Arabic: “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, dog!”. The president ducked, and Zaidi let his other shoe fly

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10:37

The ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’ Craze

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/13

The undisputed viral hit of Christmas 1852 was the country dance ‘Pop Goes The Weasel’, still taught to children today. On 13th December, 1852, the craze was seen at a party in Ipswich, where it was declared “one of the most mirth-inspiring dances which can ever be well imagined”.The song was performed at the Palace and taught to the gentry but, within a few years, had gained a reputation as an irritating earworm beloved by the poor and illiterate. How did this plummet from posh society come about

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10:42

Is That Mary Magdalene?

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/12

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

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10:18

The Man Who Sold The Eiffel Tower

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/11

On this day we recall the Police operation to ensnare prolific conman Victor Lustig.The ‘Catch Me If You Can’-style manhunt intensified on 11th December, 1928, when Lustig made the mistake of robbing $16,000 from Massachusetts businessman Thomas Kearns, thereby triggering a chase that eventually saw Lustig sent to Alcatraz.Prior to this, he’d scarcely ever tripped up: scamming everyone from county fair audiences to notorious gangster Al Capone. He gambled, he swindled, he fixed sporting odds. But

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10:35

Let Them Drink Curry

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2023/12/08

The Duke of Norfolk suffered a ‘Marie Antoinette Moment’ on 8th November, 1845, when, amidst the Irish Potato Famine, the Whig MP proposed a questionable solution to feed Ireland’s starving workers: curry powder soup.The Duke was met with derision, but the moment highlighted how woefully out-of-touch the English aristocracy were regarding what was about to befall the Irish people. Far worse was the attitude of Charles Trevelyan, whom Prime Minister Robert Peel had tasked with addressing the crisis,

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1,258 results

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