Today In History with The Retrospectors The Retrospectors

Disdain for bad table manners reportedly led 17th Century Machiavelli Cardinal Richelieu to insist that knives should be flattened at his table on 13th May, 1637 - revolutionising dining etiquette.
While some Mediaeval habits such as spitting and urinating at the table had largely disappeared by this era, finger-licking and the use of knives as toothpicks had persisted, and Richelieu’s irritation with such behaviours supposedly spurred him to action (although: it was probably *also* convenient for the baddie from ‘The Three Musketeers’ not to have a load of sharp knives in his guests’ pockets…)
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the evolution of dining customs, from communal bowls to individual plates and utensils; question whether the polite use of toothpicks at the table has actually ever been solved; and explain why a Royal edict in 1699 popularised the table knife across France…
Further Reading:
• ‘Rhodri Marsden's interesting objects: The table knife’ (The Independent, 2015): https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/rhodri-marsden-s-interesting-objects-the-table-knife-10229114.html
• ‘Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things’ (Chartwell Books, 2016): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Panati_s_Extraordinary_Origins_of_Everyd/utroDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=knife+%2B+richelieu&pg=PA80&printsec=frontcover
• ‘How To Sharpen A Knife’ (Gordon Ramsay, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBn1i9YqN1k
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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: Ollie Peart.
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.



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In this week’s Sunday’s episode, exclusively for 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴supporters on Apple Podcasts and Patreon, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unearth the story of Winnie - the real-life bear who inspired A.A. Milne to create Winnie-the-Pooh - who died at London Zoo on 12th May, 1934.



Brought to the UK by Canadian soldier Harry Colbourn, who’d named her after Winnipeg, the approachable bear took up residence at the Zoo during the First World War, where she became a favourite with visiting children, who were permitted to ride on her back and feed her treats. One such visitor was none other than Christopher Robin.



In this episode, The Retrospectors explain why Winnie’s enclosure was an architectural triumph; consider A.A. Milne’s attempt to distance his family from Pooh's legacy; and discover that the literary Pooh could have been a swan…



Further Reading:

• ‘The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh’ (HISTORY, 1934): https://www.history.com/news/the-true-story-of-the-real-life-winnie-the-pooh

• ‘The skull of the 'real' Winnie goes on display’ (BBC News, 2015): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-34844669

• ‘The bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh’ (ZSL, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdOymRprTqM



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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.

As Annette Sorensen drank margaritas in a New York BBQ restaurant on May 10th, 1997, she left her 14 month-old daughter outside, in a stroller. 
She spent two days in jail, was accused of child neglect, and was separated from her baby for four days. But Sorensen, a Danish visitor to the States, claimed she was following Scandinavian norms, and tried to sue for $20m.
In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion examine whether leaving your baby outside in the street really IS a Danish custom, consider the culture clash between Copenhagen and NYC, and confess the weirdest places they’ve left their own children...
Further reading:
• The AP films Sorensen’s (first) court appearance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-KCeRHBzK4
• The New York Times covers the story in 1997:
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/14/nyregion/toddler-left-outside-restaurant-is-returned-to-her-mother.html
• 20 years after the case, Annette Sorensen speaks to The Guardian: 
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/26/anette-sorenson-denmark-new-york-baby-left-outside

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Rerun: Fugitive Thomas Blood sneaked his way into the Tower of London’s jewel room on 9th May, 1671 - bludgeoning the 77 year-old Keeper of the Jewels, Talbot Edwards, in the process. 
Disguised as a parson, the Irish adventurer had cat-fished Edwards in an audacious and complex heist that involved multiple pairs of white gloves, a fake nephew and stuffing an orb down his trousers.
In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Blood failed to steal the jewels, but got away with a Royal pardon from Charles II; recall his earlier escapades as a fake doctor and a mock executioner; and ask why, after all that planning, the criminal gang didn’t BRING A BIGGER BAG… 
Further Reading:
• ‘Attempt to steal the Crown Jewels’ (The National Archives): https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/significant-events/attempt-to-steal-the-crown-jewels/ 
• ‘Thomas Blood and the Theft of the Crown Jewels’ (Historia Magazine, 2017): https://www.historiamag.com/thomas-blood/
• ‘The Crown Jewels Thief - Colonel Blood’ (Historic Royal Palaces, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRmBE6B8F7I
‘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
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!
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 2024.


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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
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 2024.


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

How did Coke become the world’s favourite fizzy drink? By creating a distinctive bottle, embracing technological innovations, and keeping their recipe a closely-guarded secret - as The Retrospectors reveal is this bonus three minutes of content, exclusively for 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members on Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Thanks for supporting the show!

Further Reading:
‘LETTING THE SECRETS OUT OF BOTTLE’ (The Washington Post, 1993):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1993/05/16/letting-the-secrets-out-of-bottle/6867907a-98a0-492a-bbbf-6a76da261242/