The Y in History Ajay Kaul
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- History
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Analyzing events in history to understand why they happened. The factors that led to various events at different times in history. The show picks certain eras like post-World War II and tries to connect events that happened across the globe around that time.
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Putin and Xi - the powerful Authoritarians
Putin was a working class outsider who rose through the ranks to the Country's top job. Once at the top, Putin consolidated his position by eiminating opposition and giving Russia a strategic economic advantage.
Xi was a Princeling who ended up on the wrong side during Mao's time. But Xi believed in Mao and came back, aspiring to be Mao 2.0 -
Cricket - 1950s through 1980s
The West Indies emerge as a force in Cricket as Frank Worrell leads the team to Australia in 1960. South Africa is banned from International Cricket in 1970 due to apartheid. Kerry Packer becomes a major disruptor in International Cricket as he signs up top players for World Series of Cricket.
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Cricket - early times to 1950s
Cricket was spread by England through its Colonies. But it needed stars like WG Grace to make it popular enough to become a spectator sport. The England-Australia rivalry led to the Ashes Trophy and containing Aussie star, Don Bradman, led to the infamous Bodyline series between the two sides.
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20th Century Political Assassinations
JFK is assassinated as his convoy drives through Dallas, bringing the US and the rest of the world to a stunned standstill. Egypt's Anwar Sadat is assassinated while inspecting a parade. But Congo's Patrice Lumumba is made to disappear in the most barbaric manner.
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Silicon Valley
Railway tycoon Leland Stanford lived in Santa Clara Valley and founded Stanford University in 1891. Another prominent Stanford University figure, Frederick Terman. invested heavily in businesses that would base themselves in the area and employ talented young people. One such business was the original start-up, an electrical company started in a garage by Stanford alumni William Hewlett and David Packard, Hewlett-Packard. The beginning of Silicon Valley as an epicenter of innovation began in 1955 with the arrival of the Shockley Semiconductors Laboratory.
Another revolutionary point was reached in 1968 when Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore left Fairchild Semiconductor to form Intel. -
Financial Coups - Haiti, FDR and Guatemala
In 1914, American Marines rob Haiti's National Bank of $500,000 in Gold Reserves at th ebehest of the National City Bank. Wall Street looks to topple FDR and replace him with a business friendly Dictator. United Fruit, now Chiquita engineers the ouster of the democratically elected Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala.
Customer Reviews
Refreshingly Done
Brings to light an aspect of Indian history I’d occasionally wondered about but had no idea what had actually transpired. The narrative is compelling, undiluted by overt bias. The speaker identifies opinion on the rare occasion it’s offered, sticking to historical facts and exploring causation, timing, key players with the choices presented to them and the factors surrounding those choices and, ultimately, their horrific consequences.
Well written and meticulously delivered this is a must listen for those interested in world history and how we came to be where we are today.