Today In History with The Retrospectors The Retrospectors

King George VI first tasted a hot dog on June 11th, 1939.

The moment occurred during a picnic at the Hyde Park residence of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But behind the culinary first for the King, the famous American Royal Picnic would turn out to be an essential moment in the Special Relationship between the UK and the US.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discuss how the event warmed the American public up to the idea of supporting Britain in the Second World War; look into how sausages in buns became synonymous with US culture; and explain how hot dogs got their name (probably)...

Further Reading:
• ‘When Franklin Delano Roosevelt Served Hot Dogs to a King’ (Smithsonian Magazine, 2017): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-franklin-delano-roosevelt-served-hot-dogs-king-180963589/
• ‘The Royal 'Hot Dog' Picnic’ (The American, 2020): https://www.theamerican.co.uk/pr/ft-Special-Relationship-Hot-Dog-June-11-1939
• ‘How Hot Dogs Helped Endear This British King to his U.S. Hosts’ (Smithsonian, 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HiOM7XFMzc

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 2024.

The renowned author of "War and Peace," Count Leo Tolstoy, set off on a pilgrimage to Optina Monastery on 10th June, 1881, disguised as a peasant.

Accompanied by his valet, Sergei Arbuzov, Tolstoy traipsed 130 miles from his vast estate; his feet bleeding from blisters thanks to his insistence that he be dressed in authentically threadbare sandals.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly assess whether Tolstoy’s pilgrimage should be considered a spiritual journey, mid-life crisis, or poverty tourism; consider the impact his impulses had upon his poor wife, Sophia; and uncover the great author’s final moments, seeking ‘solitude’ at a railway station, as the world’s news cameras whirred away… 

Further Reading:
• ‘Tolstoy disguises himself as a peasant and leaves on a pilgrimage’ (HISTORY, 2009): https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tolstoy-disguises-himself-as-a-peasant-and-leaves-on-a-pilgrimage
• ‘A.N. Wilson on Tolstoy's life and work, 100 years on’ (Financial Times, 2010): https://slate.com/culture/2010/11/a-n-wilson-on-tolstoy-s-life-and-work-100-years-on.html
• ’1908-10: Footage of the life and death of Leo Tolstoy’ (Public Domain Archive, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQO9HQAWqu4

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In Nordic countries, Donald Duck’s popularity trumps even Mickey Mouse’s - as The Retrospectors reveal in this bonus four minutes, exclusively for 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon.

Thanks for supporting our show!

In this week’s Sunday’s episode, exclusively for 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly check out ‘The Wise Little Hen’, the Silly Symphonies short from 9th June, 1934 that introduced a new Disney character: Donald Duck.

With his distinctive strangled quacking (born from the unique talents of Clarence Nash - a man who’d spent his childhood mimicking barnyard sounds), Donald's hot-tempered, accident-prone slapstick sensibilities brought a welcome unpredictability to the sanitised world the studio had constructed around their hero, Mickey Mouse.

But Donald wasn’t just a cartoon character. He soon became a symbol of resilience during World War II, when he starred in morale-boosting shorts like Donald Gets Drafted - and even donned a swastika to parody Nazi Germany in the Oscar-winning Der Fuehrer's Face.

In this episode, The Retrospectors unpick the particular appeal of Donald’s vain, cocky, and boastful appearances; explain why it took years for him to truly earn his iconic sailor’s outift; and reveal how Duck Tales has its roots in military service…

Further Reading:
• ‘A Duck for All Seasons’ (The Washington Post, 1984): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1984/06/24/a-duck-for-all-seasons/36253ddd-a547-47ab-9c50-b0ff696f707e/
• ‘50-Year Career : Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies’ (Los Angeles Times, 1985): https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-21-mn-619-story.html
• ’The Wise Little Hen’ (Disney, 1934): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLFyNRuEkCM

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 2024.

Rerun: Edgy, gritty and sexy, the Broadway production of ‘Grease’ opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on 7th June, 1972, beginning what would become a record-breaking eight-year run. 
Despite NOT featuring some of the most well-known hits from the movie - including ‘Grease Is The Word’, ‘You’re The One That I Want’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ - the production attracted an unusually high proportion of blue-collar audiences, keen to see working-class and ethnic immigrant subculture portrayed in a musical.
In this episode, Olly, Arion and Rebecca reveal the origin of the word ‘greasers’, explain why ‘50s nostalgia played little part in the original success of the show, and consider whether the Grease Megamix is an appropriate choice for 10 year olds to sing at a Summer Ball…
Further Reading:
• The Playbill from the original production:
https://www.playbill.com/article/playbill-archives-grease-1972-com-143094
• ‘It’s The Longest-Running Show on Broadway’ - a 1970s TV commercial for the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phxb5K7jUUw
• The original dialogue from ‘Grease’ c/o New Line Theatre:
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/grease-dialogue.html
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… But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️
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Rerun: George Williams, 22, created the Young Men’s Christian Association to provide somewhere for London’s young men to escape the vices and stress of rapid urbanization (translation: get yourself clean, hang out with all the boys). The group’s first meeting was above a draper’s shop in St Paul’s on 6th June, 1844.
The mission aligned perfectly with the burgeoning movement for ‘muscular Christianity’, and before long, multiple groups were sprouting all over Europe, and then the United States - where YMCA affiliates invented body-building, volleyball and basketball. 
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the YMCA then became associated with cruising; reveal how the Village People got together; and consider what George Williams had in common with Milton S. Hershey… 
Further Reading:
• ‘15 Things You Might Not Know About the YMCA’ (Mental Floss, 2018): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57095/facts-about-the-ymca
• ‘#DidYaKnow? For 50+ Years the YMCA & Most Schools REQUIRED Males to Swim Naked!?’ (World of Wonder, 2021): https://worldofwonder.net/didyaknow-for-50-years-the-ymca-most-schools-required-males-to-swim-naked/
• ‘Village People - YMCA’ (1978): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k
‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’
Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday… 
… But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices