Today In History with The Retrospectors

Latest Episodes:

Never In The Field Of Human Conflict May 06, 2025

Show notes

Winston Churchill had only been Prime Minister for three months when, on 20th August, 1940, he delivered ‘The Few’ - one of his most iconic speeches - in the House of Commons.

Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider how and why Churchill’s paean to the courage of RAF pilots during the Battle of Britain has been so well-remembered - albeit mainly for a quote that appears in the middle of a lengthy address: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

In this episode, The Retrospectors reveal why Churchill laboured for hours on his most famous speeches; consider how his pronouncements played a crucial role in boosting national morale; and explore how he himself transformed from a divisive figure to a unifying PM during this pivotal time in British history...

Thanks for supporting our show!

Further Reading:

• ‘The Few’ (International Churchill Society): https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/1940-the-finest-hour/the-few/

• ‘8 Of Winston Churchill's Best Speeches – Chosen By His Grandson’ (HistoryExtra, 2021): https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/churchills-greatest-speeches/

• ‘How Winston Churchill's Speeches helped to win WW2’ (Imperial War Museums, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3I_-5njblk

This episode first aired in 2023

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World War Two's Weirdest Battle May 05, 2025

Show notes

Americans and Nazis fought side-by-side in the ‘Battle For Castle Itter’ on 5th May, 1945 - an attempt to free high-profile French prisoners from a 13th century Austrian castle at the very end of the War.

The prison - a sub-unit of Dachau concentration camp - housed former prime ministers and military figures, treated as "honour prisoners" by the Nazis. But the looming chaos of the war's end brought the risk of execution as Allied and Soviet forces closed in.

Sensing the shifting tides, prisoners took matters into their own hands, dispatching emissaries to seek aid from advancing American troops. What followed was a daring rescue mission that brought together an unlikely coalition of American, German, and French forces - led by an American tank commander and aided by a defected Wehrmacht officer

This episode first aired in 2024

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Shapes in the Sky May 02, 2025

Show notes

Scientists from around the world gathered in Rome on 2nd May 1922 to agree on a definitive list of 88 constellations, which up until then had been an astronomical free-for-all.

The collection of eminent astronomers eventually settled on 42 animals, 29 inanimate objects and 17 humans or mythological characters, which, taken together, offered a complete map of the skies for the very first time.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how different ancient civilisations around the world understood the heavens differently; marvel at the immense contribution of Ancient Greeks to contemporary astronomy; and discuss why Antinous, the boy lover of the Roman emperor Hadrian, is the greatest constellation no longer in use…

Further Reading:

• ‘10 Constellations that Never Caught On’ (Mental Floss, 2010): https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49454/10-constellations-never-caught

• ‘The Constellations’ (IAU, 2001): https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/

• ‘Pictures in the sky: the origin and history of the constellations’ (The Royal Society, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZm-QaKqS-Y&t=271s

#1920s #Space #Europe #Science

This episode first aired in 2023

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are You A Frequent Flyer? May 01, 2025

Show notes

In the deregulated skies of the 1980s, airlines needed new ways to make customers feel special. Enter the first major frequent flyer program, American Airlines’ AAdvantage, on 1st May, 1981.

Bob Crandall built a powerful data system to track and process his customers’ miles, giving American a huge head start whilst rivals scrambled to copy his idea. Suddenly, airline loyalty points weren’t just for free flights — they were currency. Hotels, car rentals, and restaurant reservations got looped in, creating the foundation for today's sprawling loyalty ecosystems.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly discover how much airlines lose on each ticket they give away; uncover the small regional airline that actually beat American to the frequent flyer market; and reveal how one man with a lifetime pass has flown 25 million miles…

Further Reading:

• ‘FARE GAMES AND THE FREQUENT FLIER’ (The New York Times, 1982): https://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/17/travel/fare-games-and-the-frequent-flier.html

• ‘AAdvantage Celebrates 40 Years of Loyalty Innovation’ (American Airlines Newsroom, 2021): https://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2021/AAdvantage-Celebrates-40-Years-of-Loyalty-Innovation-AADV-04/default.aspx

• ‘Bob Crandall and Rick Elieson chats about the history of AAdvantage and how loyalty is evolving’ (Loyalty Leaders Podcast, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RZe4HCQVsw

#Business #Advertising #80s #US

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Land Rover's Rugged Beginnings Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

A British motoring icon made its debut at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30th April, 1948: the Land Rover. The UK’s first off-road vehicle (that wasn’t a tractor!) had been sketched in sand by its creator, Maurice Wilks.

Heavily inspired by the American Willys Jeep, the first Land Rovers were simple, no-frills workhorses with no roof, no heater, and barely any doors — just half-height flaps to keep you from falling out. And at £450, they were priced for farmers, not aristocrats.

But the car soon caught on, with everyone from Winston Churchill to Bob Marley. Despite being noisy, leaky and slow, the Land Rover's charm wasn’t about comfort — it was about practicality, reliability, and an unmistakably rugged, "real" vibe that everyone could get behind.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly unpick how the marque inspired explorers, aid workers, and adventurers; consider why the British Army abandoned the vehicle in the 21st century; and discover why the steering wheel on the first models was placed in the middle…

Further Reading:

• ‘Why everyone wants a classic Land Rover’ (The Times, 2022): https://www.thetimes.com/article/7e9e5d1e-7dec-11ec-b216-7a521e8f125c

• ‘Land Rover Design - 70 Years of Success by Nick Hull’ (David & Charles, 2018): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Land_Rover_Design_70_Years_of_Success/w9IjEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=maurice+wilks&pg=PT19&printsec=frontcover

• ‘History Of Land Rover: Discover the Amazing Story Behind the Land Rover!’ (Land Rover World, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV3BIQ6WfR8

#Motoring #Design #40s #UK #Inventions

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Swedish Meatballs Controversy Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Where are meatballs from, and why does it matter? Social media users frenziedly grappled with these very questions on 29th April, 2018, when Sweden’s official Twitter account proclaimed: “Swedish meatballs are actually based on a recipe King Charles XII brought home from Turkey in the early 18th century. Let's stick to the facts!”

Does this tale about the Royal family bringing meatballs back from the Ottoman Empire check out? And doesn’t every culture in the world have some form of meatballs? You’d think these would be innocent questions - but they ended up overhauling Sweden’s social media strategy for good…

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly trace the origins of IKEA’s best-selling product; reveal the world-record for meatball consumption; and investigate a Finnish hack for soupy balls…

Further Reading:

• ‘Swedish Meatballs Are Actually Turkish, According to Sweden’ (TIME, 2018): https://time.com/5263690/swedish-meatballs-actually-turkish/

• ‘Sweden’s official Twitter account will no longer be run by random Swedes’ (The Verge, 2018): https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/5/17824338/sweden-twitter-account-citizens-takeover-swedish

• ‘Sweden admits Swedish meatballs are actually from Turkey’ (CBS Evening News, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ShdZADmhg

#food #culture #sweden #2010s #tech #funny

This episode first aired in 2022

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 2025.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mutiny On The Bounty Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

History’s most famous mutiny kicked off on 28th April, 1789, when Captain William Bligh was ousted from his ship by his former friend, Fletcher Christian, and 23 rebelling crew members: ‘The Mutiny on the Bounty’.

Bligh and 18 of his loyal crew were then set adrift in a small boat with minimal provisions, while the mutineers set sail for Tahiti.

Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how some ripening breadfruit was to blame for the mounting tensions and disillusionment among the crew members; reveal how Bligh faced (lesser-reported) subsequent incidents of mutiny; and investigate his flogging record…

Further Reading:

• ‘The real story behind the infamous mutiny on the H.M.S. Bounty’ (National Geographic, 2021): https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-real-story-behind-infamous-mutiny-hms-bounty

• ‘What was the mutiny on the Bounty? Here's all you need to know’ (HistoryExtra, 2020): https://www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/mutiny-on-bounty-facts-what-happened-who-was-captain-william-bligh/

• ‘Mutiny on the Bounty - The Mutiny Scene’ (MGM, 1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0oqEjxOUww

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 2025.

This episode first aired in 2024

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lisztomania! Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

he German poet and journalist Heinrich Heine coined the term “Lisztomania” on 25th April 1844 to describe the phenomenon of frenzied fandom in Europe where women would physically assault Franz Liszt by tearing his clothes, fighting over broken piano strings and locks of his shoulder-length hair.

Heine said there was something about Liszt’s performances that “raised the mood of audiences to a level of mystical ecstasy” – which seemed to be a result of the combination of his good looks, his charisma and his stage presence.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how Liszt created an almost parasocial relationship with his fan base; investigate why critics are still reproving of expressive concert pianists to this day; and discuss whether the Heine was trying to extort money from performers like Liszt in exchange for better reviews…

Further Reading:

• ‘The Virtuoso Liszt’ (Cambridge University Press, 2002): The Virtuoso Liszt - Google Books: https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Virtuoso_Liszt/koSQAjlxeOIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=lisztomania&pg=PA203&printsec=frontcover

• ‘Forget the Beatles – Liszt was music's first “superstar”’ (BBC Culture, 2016): https://shorturl.at/eipIP

• ‘Lisztomania: the 19th-century pop phenomenon that made Beatlemania look tame’ (The Telegraph, 2019): https://shorturl.at/lwNOP

• ‘Before Beatlemania, There Was Lisztomania’ (Great Big Story, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sjCA8OPobw

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

This episode first aired in 2023

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Last Ming Emperor Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

On 24th April 1644, the Chongzhen Emperor walked to Meishan, a small hill in present-day Jingshan Park and hanged himself on a tree, bringing a sudden end to the Ming dynasty.

The writing had been on the wall for him for some time. By 1640, the unfortunate emperor faced multiple pandemics, an invasion, two internal rebellions, persistent drought, widespread famine, and an economic collapse.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the fifth son of a low ranking concubine ultimately became emperor; reveal wythe Chongzhen Emperor used to sleep clutching a sword at night; and reveal why in medieval China, the gods could grant a monarch a mandate to rule, but they could also take it away if they felt like it…

Further Reading:

• ‘A death on Coal Hill’ (The China Project, 2022): https://thechinaproject.com/2022/04/20/a-death-on-coal-hill/

• ‘The Fall of the Ming Dynasty in China in 1644’ (Thought Co., 2018): https://www.thoughtco.com/the-fall-of-the-ming-dynasty-3956385

• ‘Why did Ming explode into chaos? (Animated History)’ (Laith - The Social Streamers, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTBQJFOA-Tk

CONTENT WARNING: suicide, mass suicide

#1400s #China

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 'New Coke' Debacle Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Coca-Cola was approaching its 100th birthday on 23rd April, 1985, when it unveiled a new beverage at New York City's Lincoln Center: the ‘smoother, rounder, bolder’ flavour of ‘New Coke’.

The success of Diet Coke had fragmented the market, and, in response to Pepsi's aggressive marketing campaigns targeting younger consumers, Coke had sought to introduce a sweeter formula. But, instead of offering the new formula alongside the original, they made the catastrophic decision to discontinue their classic recipe, known as Merchandise 7X.

The company had conducted extensive taste tests involving 190,000 consumers, which indicated a preference for the new formula. However, these tests overlooked the deep emotional connection many had with the original Coke. Protest groups like the Society for the Preservation of the Real Thing and Old Cola Drinkers of America, founded by Gay Mullins, emerged, reflecting the public's dissatisfaction, and, just 79 days after the launch, on July 11th, 1985, Coca-Cola held a press conference to announce the return of the original formula - now branded as "Coca-Cola Classic."

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal those hardcore cola fans who stockpiled soda like it was gold; uncover the psychiatrist’s opinion that Coke’s most committed customers were behaving as if they’d experienced a bereavement; and consider the conspiracy theories that suggest Coca-Cola engineered the whole debacle deliberately…

Further Reading:

• ‘Coke, The Taste That Distresses’ (The Washington Post, 1985): https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/06/07/coke-the-taste-that-distresses/1f0758dd-98a2-4a9d-ae1c-c188c2228354/

• ‘New Coke Didn’t Fail. It Was Murdered’ (Mother Jones, 2019): https://www.motherjones.com/food/2019/07/what-if-weve-all-been-wrong-about-what-killed-new-coke/

• ‘1985: Coca-Cola launches new Coke’ (CBS Evening News, 1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8j97dOLsyk

#80s #Advertising #Mistakes #Food

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices