Today In History with 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.
- Update frequency
- every day
- Average duration
- 12 minutes
- Episodes
- 1103
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Game Boy: Game Changer
Costing just 12,500 yen, Nintendo's revolutionary handheld console, the Game Boy, was released in Japan on 21st April, 1989, quickly selling out its initial stock of 300,000 units.
With its compact …
00:11:26 |
Mon 21 Apr 2025
It's Superman!
Action Comics #1, published on April 18th, 1938, featured the first ever appearance of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s iconic superhero, Superman.
The character already boasted invincibility, had a h…
00:11:49 |
Fri 18 Apr 2025
Let's Buy London Bridge
Oil tycoon Robert P. McCulloch purchased London Bridge for $2,460,000 on 17th April, 1968. The Victorian structure, which had been sinking into the River Thames at a rate of one inch every eight year…
00:12:03 |
Thu 17 Apr 2025
Ancient Egypt's Napoleon
Pharaoh Thutmose III’s legendary military career kicked off on 16th April, 1457 BC with the Battle of Megiddo, the first recorded battle in history.
Facing a rebellion from the Canaanite city-states…
00:12:53 |
Wed 16 Apr 2025
The First Casino Royale
A chaotic, shambolic and critically panned parody, the first on-screen incarnation of Ian Fleming’s novel ‘Casino Royale’ received its London premiere on 12th April, 1967 - with final edits still bei…
00:12:03 |
Tue 15 Apr 2025
When Presidents Play Ball ⚾
President William Howard Taft became the first Commander-in-Chief to throw the ceremonial first pitch on 14th April, 1910.
Taft's participation cemented baseball as the quintessential American sport…
00:12:06 |
Mon 14 Apr 2025
Stealing The Stone of Destiny
The Stone of Scone, an oblong block of red sandstone used for centuries in the coronation of British monarchs, was recovered by Police on April 11th, 1951; three and a half months after its removal f…
00:11:52 |
Fri 11 Apr 2025
The Birth of Copyright
The foundations of modern copyright law were laid on 10th April 1710, when the Statute of Anne came into effect. Before the Act, anyone could copy and sell books without giving a penny to the author;…
00:11:43 |
Thu 10 Apr 2025
The Speeding President
The only sitting U.S. president to ever be arrested was Ulysses S. Grant, who was busted THREE TIMES for the same crime: speeding. The first was 9th April, 1886, when he tore through Washington, D.C.…
00:11:34 |
Wed 09 Apr 2025
Venus, Reborn
The most famous armless statue of all time, ‘Venus de Milo’ was discovered by a farmer on the Aegean island of Milos on 8th April, 1829, sparking an international bidding war that saw her eventually …
00:11:55 |
Tue 08 Apr 2025
When Wham! Went To China
George Michael and Andew Ridgely, aka British duo Wham!, became the first Western group to play a gig in Communist China on 7th April, 1985.
The event, staged at the People's Gymnasium in Beijing, w…
00:11:51 |
Mon 07 Apr 2025
Give Peace A Brand
Gerald Holtom’s CND symbol, known internationally as the ‘peace’ symbol, made its debut at a protest march by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament on 4th April, 1958.
The march went from London to A…
00:12:01 |
Fri 04 Apr 2025
Here Comes The Pony Express
Before the transcontinental telegraph, sending a message coast-to-coast in the United States could take up to a month via stagecoach. Until, that is, the opening of the Pony Express, on April 3, 1860…
00:11:35 |
Thu 03 Apr 2025
Fleetwood Mac’s Breakup Masterpiece
Fleetwood Mac’s iconic breakup album ‘Rumours’ hit No.1 on the U.S. album charts on April 2nd, 1977, and has never really left the public consciousness since.
With banger after banger—Dreams, Go You…
00:11:26 |
Wed 02 Apr 2025
Unearthing Pompeii
Under the orders of King Charles III - who wanted marble and classical art for his palace at Portici - Spanish military engineer Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre excavated some Campanian ruins on 1st Apri…
00:11:48 |
Tue 01 Apr 2025
Meet The Teletubbies
Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po were introduced to British viewers on 31st March, 1997 - launching an international phenomenon and changing kid’s television forever.
‘Teletubbies’ was an enormous hi…
00:11:53 |
Mon 31 Mar 2025
Ed Sullivan Bows Out
After a 23 year run that included introducing American audiences to The Beatles, Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones, the last original episode of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ aired on CBS on March 28, 19…
00:11:55 |
Fri 28 Mar 2025
Sacheen Littlefeather's Oscars Controversy
When Marlon Brando won Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in The Godfather on March 27, 1973, he sent Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. Dressed in traditional Ap…
00:11:56 |
Thu 27 Mar 2025
Italy's Deadly Roadrace
The Mille Miglia - a daring, 1,000-mile race across Italy - was first held on March 26th, 1927. Using ordinary dirt roads as the racetrack, competitors tore through cities, mountains, and countryside…
00:12:44 |
Wed 26 Mar 2025
The Tunnel Under The Thames
Marc Brunel’s visionary under-water tunnel from Rotherhithe to Wapping finally opened to the public on 25th March, 1843. It had taken 18 years to build, and was massively over-budget, but was the fir…
00:12:02 |
Tue 25 Mar 2025
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