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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.

  1. Sunday Special: The Shakespeare Riots

    16 HR AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Sunday Special: The Shakespeare Riots

    The Astor Place Riot, on 10th May 1849, was a pivotal moment in the policing of New York protests, and the day the city’s 19th century culture wars came to a head. The violence began in response to English actor William Charles Macready performing in Macbeth at the Opera House - considered a display of British cultural dominance by supporters of the popular American actor Edwin Forrest. What might otherwise have been an artistic disagreement had become a schism between the educated, Anglophile theatrical elite and the working-class labourers and immigrants who supported Forrest. The unrest quickly escalated. Protesters clashed with authorities, hurling stones and bricks, and attempting to breach the theatre. Soldiers first fired warning shots, but when the crowd did not disperse, they were ordered to fire directly into it. Between 22 and 30 people were killed, and dozens more injured. In this Sunday Special, exclusively for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how the riots exposed sharp class divisions and accelerated the separation of cultural spaces in New York; reveal how even more people could have been injured earlier in the run, thanks to a spot of chair-chucking from the gallery; and explain why freebie theatre tickets played their part in the pandemonium… Further Reading: • ‘The Astor Place Riot: Blood on the Cobblestones’ (The Gotham Center for New York City History, 2024): https://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/astorplaceriot-commemorationpart2-zy4la-cerc4-ezwep-hsfs3s-rnyg3-tm6kl-anff2-8hdc3-el4s7-lryac • ‘When 'Macbeth' Shook the World Of Astor Place’ (The New York Times, 1992): https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/12/theater/theater-when-macbeth-shook-the-world-of-astor-place.html • ‘Nigel Cliff, author of "The Shakespeare Riots”’ (Harry Random Center, 2016):, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsR17h3Eaqs #Theatre #NewYork #Protest #Irish Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer: Ollie Peart. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026.

    11 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    Cocaine + Caffeine = Coca-Cola

    John Pemberton launched Coca-Cola from a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on 8th May, 1886. Legend has it that a serendipitous mishap had led to the addition of carbonated water, transforming the medicinal tonic into a fizzy beverage that would capture the public's imagination. But in fact, Pemberton's original formula - Pemberton's French Wine Coca - had already been attracting a following; but it had to be relaunched to the market in a non-alcoholic formula, because it boasted wine among its ingredients, at the onset of temperance legislation in Atlanta. Nobody seemed bothered that it contained cocaine, however... In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Coke’s origins lay in curing morphine addiction; consider how strategic marketing, aggressive advertising, and a stroke of luck in a bottling deal pushed Coca-Cola’s proliferation across the globe; and reveal why their iconic logo is written in handwritten script…  Further Reading: • ‘Vin Mariani: The Cocaine Wine Beloved by Popes and Presidents’ (Mental Floss, 2021): ⁠https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/644226/vin-mariani-cocaine-wine-history⁠ • ’John Pemberton And The Quiet Tragedy Behind Coca-Cola's Invention’ (All That’s Interesting, 2017): ⁠https://allthatsinteresting.com/john-pemberton⁠ • ‘John Pemberton and the invention of Coca-Cola (The Coca-Cola Company, 2017): ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxrIgUGfJ8c⁠ We'll be back on Monday - unless you join CLUB RETROSPECTORS, where we give you ad-free listening AND a full-length Sunday episode every week!Plus, weekly bonus content, unlock over 70 bonus bits, and support our independent podcast.Join now via ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ or ⁠Patreon⁠. Thanks!The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 min
  3. The Return Of 'The Scream'

    3 DAYS AGO

    The Return Of 'The Scream'

    The theft of Edvard Munch’s iconic painting ‘The Scream’ sullied the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer - but, on 7th May, 1994, the iconic work was recovered. The painting, which has been stolen multiple times, was returned on this occasion thanks to the involvement of Britain’s Metropolitan Police - and the comic ineptitude of the thieves. In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion explore the bizarre career of professional footballer turned art thief Pal Enger; consider what Munch had in common with modern-day artists like Damien Hirst; and reveal whether Macaulay Culkin’s ‘scream’ on the poster for Home Alone was a deliberate tribute... Further reading: • When ‘The Scream’ was stolen AGAIN - in 2005: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2005/jun/13/art.arttheft • Conservator Gry Landro talks about what happened to the painting after the robbery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm45OPVxoCc • The Athletic profiles Pal Enger: https://theathletic.co.uk/2445693/2021/03/16/the-footballer-turned-art-thief-who-stole-the-scream/ Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2021. #90s #Arts #Crime #UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    11 min
  4. Duran Duran's James Bond Banger

    4 DAYS AGO

    Duran Duran's James Bond Banger

    A View To A Kill by Duran Duran was released on 6th May, 1985. It remains the only James Bond theme to reach Number One on the Billboard Hot 100.  To get the gig, bassist John Taylor reportedly approached Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli at a party and bluntly asked him why the series had not enlisted a “decent band” for a theme. At the time, Duran Duran were at the height of their fame, and Simon Le Bon’s ‘Dance! Into the Fire’ vocal performance certainly embraced the assignment with appropriate theatrical commitment. The film it accompanied, however - Roger Moore’s last expedition as Bond, A View to a Kill - received a more mixed reception, critics frequently remarking on Moore’s age: at 57, he was the oldest actor to portray Bond in an official movie. But the song endured beyond the film’s reputation. Its accompanying music video, featuring the band members separately filmed atop the Eiffel Tower (as the band had just split!), became emblematic of the MTV era. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the song’s place in the James Bond canon; reveal which Bond film was the first to avoid its title song lyrically echoing the actual title of the film; and marvel at the delights of Duran Duran’s detonating Walkman…  Further Reading: • ‘The ten best Bond songs: https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/the-ten-best-bond-songs-gz9x56wxdzx • ‘Why 'A View to a Kill' Remains a Perfect James Bond Song’ (Men's Journal, 2025): https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/a-view-to-a-kill-james-bond-song-movie • ‘Duran Duran - A View To A Kill’ (Capitol Records, 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp4CR2HcHLQ #Music #80s #Film #UK Love the show? Support us!  Join  🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY…  … Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.  Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️ The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    EXTRA: The Name’s Barry, John Barry

    The sound of James Bond is mostly down to just one man - but you may be surprised at how he got the gig, as The Retrospectors discuss, in this week’s bonus bit for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Thanks for supporting the show!

    2 min
  6. Renouncing King John

    5 DAYS AGO

    Renouncing King John

    The Magna Carta would not have become law unless a group of Barons had first renounced their allegiance to King John on 5th May, 1215. Primarily protecting their own interests, they were keen to prevent John burdening them with ever-higher taxes to fund his seemingly endless Wars.  Even once agreed, the now-revered document contained some surprising clauses: for example a law preventing members of a particular family ever serving as a Royal officer; and another stating that, ‘no one should be arrested or imprisoned on the appeal of a woman, for the death of any person except her husband.’ In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover the legal loopholes John had previously exploited to enforce his tax hikes; consider the tricky business of trying to get a rapid response from the Pope; and reveal the Magna Carta’s original title…  Further Reading: • ‘King John and the Magna Carta - The Magna Carta’ (BBC Bitesize): https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zcyx2v4/articles/zcg66g8 • ‘Magna Carta - The True Story Behind the Charter - By David Starkey’ (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Magna_Carta/JtCVBgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=article+of+the+barons&printsec=frontcover • ‘Horrible Histories Song - Magna Carta 800 Years’ (CBBC, 2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTWQzF1027I Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.  Edit producer: Ollie Peart. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026. This episode originally aired in 2023. #1200s #Royals #UK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 min
  7. Australia's Anthem Saga

    6 DAYS AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Australia's Anthem Saga

    ‘Waltzing Matilda’ moved a step closer to becoming Australia’s National Anthem on May 4th, 1976 - when Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser suggested in Parliament that he’d like to hear the song if Australia won gold at the Montreal Olympics.  Throughout the seventies, there had been a big push to ditch God Save the Queen for something more Australian, but Gough Whitlam’s Labour government’s hunt for an alternative had picked Advance Australia Fair — a 19th-century song that Fraser then demoted to a trio of ‘national songs’ which were not to be considered as the national anthem.  Further Reading: • ‘Australia's national anthem’ (National Archives of Australia): https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/fact-sheets/australias-national-anthem • ‘How Advance Australia Fair waltzed with Matilda and won’ (The Conversation, 2014):  https://theconversation.com/how-advance-australia-fair-waltzed-with-matilda-and-won-21564 • ‘The Wiggles | Australian National Anthem’ (10 Football, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldo0iO7-Gzg Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.  Edit producer: Ollie Peart. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026

    10 min
  8. Sunday Special: How Bollywood Began

    2 MAY • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Sunday Special: How Bollywood Began

    The Coronation Cinema, Bombay premiered ‘Raja Harishchandra’, a 40-minute mythological drama directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, on 3rd May, 1913. As a silent film, it obviously contained none of the songs now associated with Hindi cinema - but it helped establish an audience appetite for heightened emotion, clear moral stakes and visual spectacle, all of which later flourished in “Bollywood” cinema. It was a budget affair: Phalke himself wrote, directed, produced, designed sets, handled effects, and even managed costumes and make-up. Female roles were played by men. And strictly speaking, it was not even the first film made in India (an earlier work was filmed by an Englishman). But because Raja Harishchandra was an entirely Indian production, telling an Indian story with Indian performers, it has accrued enormous cultural importance. In this Sunday Special, exclusively for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Phalke’s inspiration came from a depiction of the life of Christ; reveal how his trip to Britain led to an apprenticeship from eccentric pioneer Cecil Hepworth; and consider how Bollywood has evolved from a cinematic novelty into one of the world’s most prolific film industries... Further Reading: • ‘Dadasaheb Phalke: 110 years of India’s first feature film Raja Harishchandra’ (Times of India, 2023): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/110-years-of-indias-first-feature-film-raja-harishchandra/articleshow/99943210.cms • ‘Dadasaheb Phalke: A brief history of the Father of Indian cinema; a man of many talents | Bollywood News’ (The Indian Express, 2023): https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dadasaheb-phalke-a-brief-history-of-the-father-of-indian-cinema-raja-harishchandra-8575271/ • ‘Raja Harishchandra’ (Dadasaheb Phalke, 1913): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2mruGFm_Ow #India #Film #1910s Thanks so much for supporting the show! We massively appreciate it. The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer: Ollie Peart. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2026.

    11 min
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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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