Today In History with The Retrospectors

Latest Episodes:

Meet Sherlock Holmes Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, published on 14th October, 1892, was the collection of 12 stories that took his much-loved titular detective from the pages of magazine serials and on to the world’s bookshelves.

The inspiration for Holmes, who solves crimes through science rather than chance, came from Dr. Joseph Bell, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who impressed Conan Doyle with his keen powers of deduction. The progressive edge to the stories also set them apart, as Holmes often fought for the powerless, helping stepdaughters, servants, and others who were mistreated.

Yet, despite the public’s adoration, Conan Doyle grew tired of writing about Holmes. By 1893, he’d had enough and wrote Holmes off, literally, by pushing him down a waterfall in a confrontation with Moriarty.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the public backlash to Holmes’s death lead to his reluctant resurrection; consider how Holmes came to be pictured with his distinctive pipe; and reveal Conan Doyle’s frustrations that this highly successful side hustle completely overtook his medical career…

Further Reading:

• ’The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ (Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892): https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1661/1661-h/1661-h.htm

• ‘How Arthur Conan Doyle Plotted Against Sherlock Holmes’ (History Collection, 2020): https://historycollection.com/how-arthur-conan-doyle-plotted-against-sherlock-holmes/

• ‘Stephen Fry on Celebrity Mastermind: Sherlock Holmes’ (BBC, 2003): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdxafxQe-Bc

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 ❤️

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

Branson's Cola Gamble Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

Rerun: Virgin Cola, Sir Richard Branson’s ultimately flawed contender in the Cola Wars, was certainly taken seriously by the competition. On 11th October 1994, a pokerfaced Coca-Cola spokesperson told The Independent: “Consumers consistently demonstrate, when given a free choice, that they prefer our product.

”Despite an extensive publicity campaign - including a stunt in Times Square, a bottle shaped like Pamela Anderson, and product placement on ‘Friends’ - the beverage never took off internationally, but did have success in the UK and Bangladesh, before being discontinued in 2009.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider Coke’s ‘gangster’ tactics; sympathise with Branson’s children and their classmates; and question why the maverick billionaire just wasn’t able to disrupt the cola market as he’d hoped…

Further Reading:

• ‘How Richard Branson Took On Coca-Cola’ (Intrigue Academy, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-PaJkPTQYk

• ‘What Richard Branson learned when Coke put Virgin Cola out of business’ (CNBC, 2017): https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/07/what-richard-branson-learned-when-coke-put-virgin-cola-out-of-business.html

• ‘Sir Richard Branson’s setbacks: from Virgin Cola to Virgin Brides’ (The Guardian, 2014): https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/oct/06/sir-richard-branson-failures-vigin-cola-brides

‘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 ❤️

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.

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

The Smell of the Big Screen Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

Rerun: Scent-o-Vision, an in-cinema olfactory experience, was unveiled at the New York World’s Fair on 10th October, 1940.

Accompanying a short film ‘My Dream’, its Swiss inventor, Hans Laube, pumped in aromas of rose water, peaches and burning incense for his wowed attendees to sniff. But it would be two decades before the technology was finally put into a feature film - Mike Todd, Jr’s ‘Scent of Mystery’, in 1960 - and never used again.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly revisit the 50’s battle of the ‘smellaroo pix’, as Todd’s re-named ‘Smell-o-Vision’ took on the rival ‘Smell-O-Rama’; explore why theme parks ultimately provided the best platform for the theory in practice; and consider what happens when an audience experiences ‘olfactory fatigue’...

Image source Carmen Laube

Further Reading:

• ‘Smell-O-Vision: That Movie Really Did Stink!’ (Neatorama, 2015): https://www.neatorama.com/2015/04/27/Smell-O-Vision-That-Movie-Really-Did-Stink/

• ‘Rare pictures from the 1939 New York World's Fair’ (Rare Historical Photos, 2021): https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/1939-new-york-world-fair/

• ‘Trailer: Scent of Mystery’ (1960): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7jNGsLEn2U

‘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 ❤️

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.

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

Killing Yugoslavia's King Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

King Alexander of Yugoslavia embarked on a state visit to France on 9th October, 1934 - and was shockingly shot dead by an assassin in the crowd, the aftermath of which was captured by newsreels.

Yugoslavia was a fractured country; an uneasy alliance between multiple peoples governed from Belgrade, and despised by extremist groups who wanted Macedonian independence.

The assassin, Bulgarian revolutionary Chernozemski, was facilitated by Italy and Hungary, dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles and seeking influence in the Balkans - but this dark alliance was covered-up by France in an attempt to keep Mussolini on-side in upcoming battles against Hitler.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how King Alexander’s death symbolised the deep fractures about to engulf Europe; review the film footage that was sexed-up by American news agencies; and reveal why Alexander was so wary of Tuesdays…

Further Reading:

• ‘Balkan Terrorists’ (LIFE, 1934): https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SVEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54&dq=king+alexander+assassination+1934&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjW-bjO9rqIAxVEVkEAHeJoLGYQ6AF6BAgEEAI#v=onepage&q=king%20alexander%20assassination%201934&f=false

• ‘Alexander I of Yugoslavia assassinated’ (History Today, 2010): https://www.historytoday.com/archive/alexander-i-yugoslavia-assassinated#:~:text=He%20was%20a%2036-year-old%20Bulgarian%20who%20belonged%20to%20a%20Macedonian

• ‘Assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia & Louis Barthou’ (British Pathé, 1934): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R3dVZdFxxo

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 ❤️

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

The World's First Constitution Oct 08, 2024

Show notes

The world's oldest oldest continuously surviving constitution, was adopted in the tiny country of San Marino on 8th October, 1600.

This was a good 187 years before the United States adopted its own constitution and, during his presidency, Abraham Lincoln frequently held San Marino up as the model of a government founded on republican principles. Such ongoing praise eventually earnt the US president honorary San Marino citizenship!

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain what an "Extraordinarium" is; discuss why most of the rest of the world had to wait almost two hundred years before they had their own constitutional moment; and reveal that the world's first parliament was created by vikings…

Further Reading:

• ‘The Constitution of San Marino-Oldest and Active written Constitution of the World’ (FYI, 2021): https://vocal.media/fyi/the-constitution-of-san-marino-oldest-and-active-written-constitution-of-the-world

• ‘San Marino is founded by Saint Marinus’ (The Centre of the Rule of Law, 2021): https://www.thecenterforruleoflaw.org/rule-of-law-blog/september-3-301-san-marino-one-of-the-smallest-nations-in-the-world-and-the-worlds-oldest-republic-still-in-existence-is-founded-by-saint-marinus-or-maybe-its-one-of-the-newest-nations-at-just-48-years-old-wait-what

• ‘Why is San Marino a country? - History of San Marino in 12 Minutes’ (Knowledgia, 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXxIV1IRMR4

This episode first premiered in 2023, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 100 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.

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

Invasion of the Identical Twins Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

A boatload of Swedish identical twins, aged 11 to 80, descended into Felixstowe on 7th October, 1977 - wearing matching outfits - for a shopping trip.

The eye-catching stunt was part of a scientific project led by ship captain Sune Dahlström, a twin himself, in collaboration with the Swedish Twin Register at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and aimed to study the similarities and differences in their behaviours.

Twin studies have a long history, with dark roots in Victorian eugenics and, infamously, Nazi experiments. However, the Swedish Twin Register became a more positive force for scientific discovery, meticulously based on twin birth records from parishes across Sweden, and today holding data on nearly 100,000 pairs of twins, making it the most comprehensive collection of its kind.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly celebrate the accomplishments of the Swedish Twin Register; discover how education impacts longevity; and consider why on Earth Felixstowe, of all places, played host to this unusual event…

Further Reading:

• ‘“As twins we’re useful”’ (Karolinska Institutet, 2017): https://ki.se/en/research/popular-science-and-dialogue/spotlight-on/spotlight-on-participating-in-research/as-twins-were-useful

• ‘Seeing Double: How History Became Obsessed With Twins’ (Google Arts & Culture): https://artsandculture.google.com/story/seeing-double-how-history-became-obsessed-with-twins/XgIiH-H78-86LQ

• ‘What identical twins separated at birth teach us about genetics’ (BBC REEL, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMlJcOSRX-8

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 ❤️

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

Birth of The Breastaurant Oct 04, 2024

Show notes

Rerun: Hooters, the beach bar chain famous for its flirtatious waitresses, first flung open its doors in Clearwater, Florida on 4th October, 1983. Its publicity-friendly ‘Hooters Girls’ - and a chance visit by John Riggins, star fullback for the Washington Redskins - ensured the concept took off, spawning 425 outlets in 30 countries.

However, more recently, Hooters was hit by rival ‘breastaurants’ Tilted Kilt and Twin Peaks, and a slow generational shift away from ‘male’ environments in which exclusively female serving employees are forced to wear sexualised outfits and banter with customers.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the clever but disconcerting clauses within Hooters’ employment contracts; reveal the thinking behind the safety briefings on-board short-lived airline Hooters Air; and explain how Hooters Girls kept U.S. troops entertained in Afghanistan…

Further Reading:

• ‘Wanna do a Dad a really big favor? Tell your Mom you wanna go to Hooters!’ - Hooters’ first TV commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIEentLPJQQ

• ‘14 Things You Should Know Before Eating At Hooters’ (Delish, 2016):

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a48451/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-visit-hooters/

‘The Real Reason Hooters Is Disappearing Across The Country’ (Mashed, 2018): https://www.mashed.com/129065/the-real-reason-hooters-is-disappearing-across-the-country/

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 ❤️

To get an exclusive NordVPN deal, head to https://nordvpn.com/retrospectors

to get an extra 4 months on the 2-year plan. There’s no risk with Nord’s 30-day

money-back guarantee.

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

The End Of Siegfried & Roy Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

Rerun: The Roy half of Siegfried and Roy was mauled on October 3rd, 2003, by a 380-pound white tiger live on stage in Las Vegas.

Roy lived, but was partially paralysed, which spelled the end for the wildly successful double act, which had performed more than 30,000 shows for 50 million people and generated well over $1 billion in ticket sales over nearly half a century.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore how opulence, German accents and mullets proved a winning formula for Siegried and Roy; discuss how the pair bonded over a smuggled cheetah; and look into why there was a police investigation into the white tiger’s attack…

Further Reading:

• ‘Siegfried and Roy: What Happened the Night of the Tiger Attack?’ (Reader’s Digest, 2021): https://www.rd.com/article/siegfried-and-roy-tiger-attack/

• ‘The untold truth of Siegfried and Roy’ (Grunge, 2021): https://www.grunge.com/163908/the-untold-truth-of-siegfried-and-roy/

• ‘Roy Horn Reveals Shocking Info on Tiger Attack from 11 Years Ago’ (Entertainment Tonight, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU_d7O8dWww

• ‘Siegfried & Roy Full Show: The Magic & The Mystery at The Mirage Las Vegas (Legends of Magic, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7VCa8yowlA

‘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 ❤️

To get an exclusive NordVPN deal, head to https://nordvpn.com/retrospectors

to get an extra 4 months on the 2-year plan. There’s no risk with Nord’s 30-day

money-back guarantee.

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

Creating Opus Dei Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Secretive Catholic sect Opus Dei was founded on 2nd October, 1928 by the young, energetic priest Jose Maria Escriva, who believed his divine mission was to inject religious fervour into everyday life, with holiness achieved not via clergy, but from the daily work of laypeople.

The faith grew rapidly in Spain, especially during the Franco era, eventually spreading internationally. But its ties to right-wing governments, including those of Franco and Pinochet, sparked criticism; and its propagation of corporal mortification - where members engage in practices such as wearing uncomfortable garments and self-flagellation - have been controversial.

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly consider the organisation’s presence in the halls of power; investigate how the sect continues to attract followers, years after Escriva’s death (and Sainthood); and ask just how (in)accurate Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code really was…

Further Reading:

• ‘What is Opus Dei, and why is it so controversial — both in and out of the Catholic Church?’ (ABC News, 2023): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-30/what-is-opus-dei-secretive-catholic-church-group-prelature/101905802

• ‘Letter: A former member recalls Opus Dei’s methods’ (Financial Times, 2024): https://www.ft.com/content/5e053d88-4b12-4cd9-95d9-fbfee2eecfa4

• ’St. Josemaria Escriva's impact’ (Catholic News Service, 2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHFNuo5cefQ

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 ❤️

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

Screening The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

Tobe Hooper’s legendary low-budget horror film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, first screened in Austin on 1st October, 1974.

The movie was an international sensation - making £21.9 million from its £100,000 budget in its first year - although not in the UK, where it was not screened nationally for 25 years, due to the BBFC’s concerns about its portrayal of suffering and violence against women.

In this episode, The Retrospectors unpick the picture’s gruesome reputation, given that much of the violence is suggested rather than explicitly shown; pore over the extreme conditions faced by the hitherto unknown cast during filming, including scorching Texas heat and foul-smelling props like rotting animal bones; and consider whether the piece can be considered a (very black) comedy…

Further Reading:

• ‘Tobe Hooper: the director who took a chainsaw to wholesome family life’ (The Guardian, 2017): https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/aug/27/tobe-hooper-appreciation-texas-chainsaw-massacre-american-family

• ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (BBFC Education): https://www.bbfc.co.uk/education/case-studies/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre

• ‘ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Original Trailer (Tobe Hooper, 1974): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKn9QIaMgtQ

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.

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Today In History with The Retrospectors

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected