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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

12:38

How '24' Changed TV

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/11/06

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its terrorism theme was not a dead cert, and its marketing - featuring a fiery jetliner dropping from the skies - was withdrawn following the tragedy.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

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11:37

Kublai Khan's Kamikaze Climbdown

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/11/05

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

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11:21

Digging Up King Tut

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/11/04

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

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12:35

Phil Spector's 'Phantom Voice'

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/11/03

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,

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11:16

The BBC's Halloween Hoax

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/31

‘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

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13:31

The Slave Rebellion

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/30

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

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11:23

The M25 - Britain's Biggest Carpark

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/29

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

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10:48

Jane Austen and the Profligate Prince

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/28

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

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12:21

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/27

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

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12:51

Mourning Jane Seymour

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/24

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

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11:20

Meet The Smurfs

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/23

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

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11:23

Not The End Of The World

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/22

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,

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11:48

Madonna's Naked Photos

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/21

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

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11:29

Parachute!

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/20

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

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12:09

The Sound of the Circus

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/17

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

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11:33

The Baby in the Well

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/16

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

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11:43

How Lincoln Got His Beard

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/15

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

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11:02

Mary Queen of Plots

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/14

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

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12:49

Suffragettes... in the House!

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/13

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

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13:00

Governing Outer Space

Today In History with The Retrospectors ·

2025/10/10

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

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1,145 results

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