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Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors
  • 4.6 (168)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED DAILY

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. Mussolini's Last Day on Earth

    9 HR AGO

    Mussolini's Last Day on Earth

    Benito Mussolini was captured by partisans on 27th April, 1945, whilst attempting a hopeless escape to Switzerland, ‘disguised’ in a Luftwaffe coat and helmet alongside his much-younger mistress, Clara Petacci. Hiding in plain sight was never going to work for a man who had spent years building a cult of personality. He put up little resistance to his capture. That night, the couple spent their final hours in a peasant farmhouse, under the nervous watch of their captors. Mussolini, who once saw himself as Italy’s savior and Hitler’s equal, had lost everything. His empire was gone, his people had turned against him, and now he was simply waiting to die. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the missing evidence around his iconic execution; explain what happened to Mussolini’s body in Milan’s Piazzale Loreto; and discover how his tomb in Predappio is still attracting neo-fascist pilgrims... Further Reading: • ‘Benito Mussolini's Death At The Hands Of Italian Partisans In 1945’ (All That’s Interesting, 2025): https://allthatsinteresting.com/benito-mussolini-death • ‘How Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini Became The First Face Of Fascism’ (HistoryExtra, 2022): https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/benito-mussolini-il-duce-first-20th-century-european-fascist-italian-dictator/ • ‘The Final Years of Il Duce’ (SLICE HISTORY, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2wB22RVkH4 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. #WW2 #Italy #40s #Macabre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    13 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO ·  BONUS • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    EXTRA: Studio 54's Eccentric Door Policy

    What were the rules for getting into New York’s most notorious nightclub? In this week’s bonus bit for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, The Retrospectors reveal all. Thanks for supporting the show!

    6 min
  3. Sunday Special: Inside Studio 54

    1 DAY AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Sunday Special: Inside Studio 54

    Thousands of partygoers crowded the pavements outside Studio 54 on its opening night, 26th April, 1977. Inside, a fusion of hedonism, performance, and celebrities on the dancefloor ensured it would quickly become New York’s most talked-about nightclub. Its founders, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, had transformed a former TV studio into an extravagant pleasure palace complete with elaborate lighting rigs, VIP area, and provocative set pieces, including the infamous “Moon and Spoon” installation. Central to Studio 54’s allure was its famously capricious door policy. Admission was less about fame or wealth than about fitting the desired “scene”. Celebrities such as Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger, and Elizabeth Taylor became synonymous with the club, yet even well-known figures were routinely refused entry. In this Sunday Special, exclusively for our 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Rubell’s public boasts about profits led to the nightclub’s downfall; consider how large a part Quaaludes and cocaine played in its success; and explain how a photo of Cher kickstarted its phenomenal popularity… Further Reading: • ‘David Bowie, Sly Stallone, Cher and even Donald Trump couldn't get enough of nightclub Studio 54’ (Irish Mirror, 2017): https://www.irishmirror.ie/showbiz/celebrity-news/david-bowie-sly-stallone-cher-9669375 • ‘Studio 54 opens in New York City | April 26, 1977’ (HISTORY, 2009): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/April-26/studio-54-opens • ‘Inside Iconic Disco Nightclub Studio 54’ (ITN, 1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdfYSI5HkDU #70s #NewYork #LGBT #Fashion #Crime 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
  4. Jane Fonda's Workout

    3 DAYS AGO

    Jane Fonda's Workout

    Two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda expanded her repertoire beyond acting and activism into exercise videos on 24th April, 1982, with the release of her bestselling aerobics VHS, "Workout."  What seemed like a small venture at the time swiftly captivated the nation, revolutionising fitness trends and catapulting household VCR ownership. Extraordinarily, all profits from the enterprise went to her and her husband’s leftist pressure group, the Campaign for Economic Democracy. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how Fonda’s brand of fun, DIY fitness appealed to a generation of women who felt unwelcome in the male environment of 80’s gyms; reveal why filming the classic video was an arduous and exhausting process; and explain why Fonda’s foray into fitness was actually inspired by a broken ankle… Further Reading: • ‘30TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY FIRST WORKOUT VIDEO’ (Jane Fonda, 2012): https://www.janefonda.com/2012/04/30th-anniversary-of-my-first-workout-video/ • ‘How 'Jane Fonda's Workout' Conquered the World’ (Mental Floss, 2015): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65314/how-jane-fondas-workout-conquered-world • ‘Jane Fonda's Original Workout: Follow Along With Classic Step Aerobics’ (Tonic, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwQ1PrED9IE 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

    11 min
  5. How To Brew Beer in Bavaria 🍻

    4 DAYS AGO

    How To Brew Beer in Bavaria 🍻

    Duke Wilhelm IV issued what later became known as the Reinheitsgebot - the decree setting out that Bavarian beer should be made using only water, barley and hops - on 23rd April, 1516.  Although the famous “purity” clause occupies only a small part of the original document, the law helped improve drink quality, and remains in place today as a powerful marketing tool, shaping global perceptions of German beer.  In this tasty episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why yeast wasn’t included in the original law; consider some of the alarming ingredients that were once added to alcohol (henbane, thorn apple, and even soot); and reveal where the word “lager” comes from…  Further Reading: • ‘German beer: 500 years of 'Reinheitsgebot' rules (BBC News, 2016): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36110288 • ‘The best German lagers to buy — and why they’re superior to UK brews (The Times, 2026): https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/best-german-beers-lagers-to-buy-bbjrv9tts • ‘What is the German Beer Purity Law? | Made in Germany’ (DW, 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQcXWmWULU #1500s #Food #Germany #Legal  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

    14 min
  6. The 'Hitler Diaries' Hoax

    5 DAYS AGO

    The 'Hitler Diaries' Hoax

    Extracts from Adolf Hitler's long-lost diaries were brought to the world’s attention on 22nd April, 1983, provoking an international sensation - until they were quickly exposed for being a hoax.  Respected World War Two historian Hugh Trevor Roper had authenticated the diaries, leading Rupert Murdoch to personally negotiate a $1.2 million serialisation in The Sunday Times, which went to press as Roper changed his mind. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal the true author of the ‘diaries’; explain why Murdoch was unrepentant, despite having splashed on perhaps the biggest fake news of the century; and appraise the chaotic atmosphere at the Stern magazine press conference, where punches were thrown, and David Irving started shouting about ink… Further Reading: • ‘Hitler Diaries hoax exposed in full for first time’ (The Times, 2023): https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hitler-diaries-released-full-text-public-hoax-forged-journals-w9jfcmrld • ‘Murdoch's bravado forced through the publication of the Hitler diaries’ (The Guardian, 2012): https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/apr/25/rupert-murdoch-bravado-publication-hitler-diaries • ‘Robert Harris on Selling Hitler’ (The Guardian, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV_TpAkL6Q4 (Repeats currently Mon, Tues, Wed) 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 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    13 min
  7. The Red Baron's Flying Circus

    6 DAYS AGO

    The Red Baron's Flying Circus

    Germany’s most famous fighter pilot, Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (aka ‘The Red Baron’) was shot down near the Somme River on the Western Front, on 21st April 1918. He had been credited with an incredible 80 air combat victories during World War I.  Originally a cavalryman, Richthofen transferred to the Imperial Air Service and downed 15 enemy planes by the end of 1916. He then headed up his own regiment, using a Fokker triplane painted entirely red; his unit becoming known as the ‘Flying Circus’ because of their brightly-coloured planes. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why even the Allies liked Richthofen; reveal why the Baron stopped printing up souvenir silverware for each of his kills; and consider the fate of the Broadway musical inspired by his heroism…  Further Reading: • ‘History of Government: They seek him here… the life and death of the Red Baron’ (UK Government blog, 2018): https://history.blog.gov.uk/2018/04/20/they-seek-him-here-the-life-and-death-of-the-red-baron/ • ‘Ace for the Ages: World War I Fighter Pilot Manfred von Richthofen’ (HistoryNet, 2006): https://www.historynet.com/red-baron-world-war-i-ace-fighter-pilot-manfred-von-richthofen/?f • ‘The Red Baron & The Flying Circus in full HD at 1080p’ (Historical Aviation Film Unit, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4lDB7lXFOg 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 2023. #Germany #War #1910s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 min
  8. The Origins of AstroTurf

    20 APR

    The Origins of AstroTurf

    The Houston Astrodome was a marvel of modern engineering: the world’s first fully covered sports stadium; a futuristic symbol of Houston’s rise as the home of NASA’s Mission Control. But, after its glorious see-through roof created a blinding glare that made it nearly impossible for baseball players to see the ball… on 20th April, 1965, the panels had to be painted over. And the grass on the pitch began to DIE. Enter AstroTurf—or, as it was originally called, ChemGrass; a synthetic solution developed by Monsanto for urban recreational areas, quickly rebranded and installed in the Astrodome, kickstarting the age of artificial turf. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the fortunes of the company, as various sporting injuries were blamed on the product; track the fate of Astrodome itself, the now-demolished "Eighth Wonder of the World"; and discover how AstroTurf’s origins had roots in the Korean War… Further Reading: • ‘AstroTurf’ (Google Arts & Culture): https://artsandculture.google.com/story/astroturf/awUxQ3fIt35WPg • ‘AstroTurf®, The Story Behind the Product That Revolutionized Sports Surfaces’ (AstroTurf): https://astroturf.com/astroturf-the-story-behind-the-product-that-revolutionized-sports-surfaces/ • ‘BUILDING THE HOUSTON ASTRODOME’ (Periscope Film, 1965): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VHPi4ziB7E 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
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4.6
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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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