Today In History with The Retrospectors The Retrospectors

Rerun. England played Scotland in a publicly-advertised game for the first time on 30th November, 1872 - kickstarting international football as we know it today. The English team included players drafted in from Oxford University. The Scottish team was entirely made up of teammates from Queen’s Park. The score was 0-0.
Much of the game was yet to be codified - for example, that you couldn’t catch a ball with your hands. Readers of the match-report in The Guardian had to have it explained to them that half-time was 45 minutes. But the game was an indisputable hit.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal why Scotland still wear dark blue in international competitions; consider the role of cricket stadiums in the continuing confusion over pitch sizes; and question the wisdom of the photographer booked to document the occasion - who decided not to turn up…
Further Reading:
• ‘Scotland v England 1872’ (scottishsporthistory.com): https://www.scottishsporthistory.com/scotland-v-england-1872.html
• ‘The first official fixture between England and Scotland’ (The Guardian, 1872): https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/11/england-scotland-first-football-fixture-1872
• ‘EXCLUSIVE! First ever International Highlights’ (Queen’s Park YouTube Channel, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OJD1nXlnuA
‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’ Every Thursday is 'Throwback Thursday' on Today in History with the Retrospectors: running one repeat per week means we can keep up the quality of our independent podcast. Daily shows like this require a lot of work! But as ever we'll have something new for you tomorrow, so follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors
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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: Emma Corsham.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.


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The first American mass marriage ceremony of the Unification Church - for 28,000 couples in matching garb, led by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon - took place at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. on 29th November, 1997.Newleyweds had to confirm their virginity and abstain from sexual relations for 40 days afterwards, but many participants were already legally married, and the event was a blend of existing unions and Moonie recruits. Whitney Houston was slated to perform at the post-marriage party, but her last-minute cancellation led to disappointment among attendees, who had paid varying ticket prices, starting at $35.In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain the appeal and recruiting practices of this cult / church; trace back Moon's claims to continue Jesus' interrupted work on Earth; and reveal how the Moonies became an accepted part of Korean cultural representation in the United States…Further Reading:
• ‘Followers begin to see the dark side of the Moonies’ (The Irish Times, 1997): https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/followers-begin-to-see-the-dark-side-of-the-moonies-1.131871
• ‘Church or cult? Inside the Moonies’ ‘world of delusion’’ (Financial Times, 2022): https://www.ft.com/content/2bf8dd43-78ca-4d2f-935e-70c9d34e1a5d
• ‘USA: THOUSANDS OF COUPLES TAKE PART IN MASS WEDDING CEREMONY’ (AP, 1997): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyPFEaI6_U0
Love the show? Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS 🌴 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!
Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.
Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!
We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors
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 2023.


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In the annals of automotive innovation, November 28th, 2018 marked a peculiar milestone: the birth of the Lincoln Chimes. The brainchild of Jennifer Prescott, overseer of "Vehicle Harmony" at the motor company, this warning system replaced the synthetic sound of in-car emergency alerts with a blend of violin, viola, and marimba played by The Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Lincoln's endeavour followed in the wake of Bentley revamping its alert and indicator sounds, drawing inspiration from the gentle ticking of a grandfather clock - but cars are not the only luxury products to dabble in ‘sonic branding’. From computer startup chimes to the noise accompanying credit card transactions, there’s a soundscape of jingles which have become an integral part of our conditioned understanding of products and experiences.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how NBC were the first company to trademark  a sound; check out MasterCard’s deviation into recorded music; and reveal just how many drafts Brian Eno went through before settling on his final start-up sound for Windows95…
Further Reading:
• ‘Why Big Brands Are Using Sonic Signatures To Reach Consumers’ (Forbes, 2018): https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferhicks/2019/05/08/why-big-brands-are-using-sonic-signatures-to-reach-consumers/?sh=35f5b651d39c
• ‘Inside Mastercard’s ‘10-layer’ sonic branding plan’ (Marketing Brew, 2022):
https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2022/10/17/inside-mastercard-s-10-layer-sonic-branding-plan
• ‘2019 Lincoln Aviator chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’ (Wheel Network, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7uZ27Uzgsk
Love the show? Join 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS 🌴 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!
Plus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.
Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!
We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors
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 2023.



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We reveal how, on 27th November, 1809, a respectable house on the well-to-do Berners Street in London became ground zero for one of the most disruptive practical jokes in history: the Berners Street Hoax.
First a chimney sweep turned up at the address, then another and another, then cake makers, surgeons, lawyers, physicians, obstetricians, butchers, priests and more. The archbishop of Canterbury also showed his face, as did the Governor of the Bank of England, the chairman of the East India Company, and even the Duke of York.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the practical joke that brought London to a standstill; discuss why exactly 54 Berners Street was the chosen address for the prank; and debate whether it was funny or just incredibly tiresome…
Further Reading:
• ‘Lippincott's Monthly Magazine: Volume 42’ (J.B. Lippincott Company, 1888): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Lippincott_s_Monthly_Magazine/JbURAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=berners+street+hoax&pg=PA415&printsec=frontcover
• ‘The Berners Street Hoax, History's Most Audacious Prank’ (Curious Historian, 2020): https://curioushistorian.com/the-berners-street-hoax-historys-most-audacious-prank
• ‘On Punning by Theodore Hook’ (LibriVox Audiobooks, 2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p44rcxOlp78
This episode first premiered in 2022, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!
 
We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors
 
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 2023.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Sunday episode, exclusively for 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly recall the founding of The Kappa Alpha Society, the oldest continuously existing college fraternity, established as a literary society at Union College, New York on 26th November, 1825.



The founders, led by John Hart Hunter, sought camaraderie and intellectual discussions, creating a forum where they could break free from the constraints of the curriculum. The use of Greek letters and mottos added an element of secrecy, a common feature of fraternal orders during that era. Later, these societies evolved into fraternities with social elements, including rituals, signs, and boozy gatherings.

In this episode, The Retropsectors uncover just how many US Preisdents have been members of a college fraternity; reveal Jon Hamm’s involvement in an out-of-control hazing ritual; and explain how baked potatoes became an iconic foodstuff for students ever since this day in history…



Further Reading:

• ‘“Botany Bay”: The State of Society at Union College during the Early Nineteenth Century’ (Andrew Cassarino, Union College, 2018): https://digitalworks.union.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1800&context=theses

• ‘Mad Men star Jon Hamm was charged with hazing in college days’ (The Guardian, 2015): https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/apr/10/mad-men-star-jon-hamm-was-charged-with-hazing-in-college-days

• ‘Why colleges tolerate fraternities’ (Vox, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVh7HP_wisw



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 2023.

The ‘Windsor Shower Companion’ ($11.49) was the first product sold on home shopping network QVC, which made its debut on 24th November, 1986, quickly becoming a cable TV phenomenon.
Joe Segel, the channel’s founder, focussed on a ‘soft sell’ approach that emphasised authenticity and a friendly, neighbourly connection. The channel's anonymity factor allowed customers to indulge in, um, unusual purchases without fear of judgement, contributing to its ongoing appeal.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal the rigorous selection process for QVC presenters; explain why some products’ failure on the network can be ruinous for the companies who made them; and uncover Marlon Brando's extraordinary QVC near-miss… 
Further Reading:
• ‘15 Things You Might Not Know About QVC’ (Mental Floss, 2015): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/67266/14-things-you-might-not-know-about-qvc
• ‘Joseph Segel, founder of the Franklin Mint and QVC shopping network, dies at 88’ (The Washington , 2019): https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/joseph-segel-founder-of-the-franklin-mint-and-qvc-shopping-network-dies-at-88/2019/12/24/40d98a34-2679-11ea-b2ca-2e72667c1741_story.html
• ‘QVC's First Broadcast’ (QVC, 1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKaIMdX6K7g
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 2023.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.