We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Birth Control Jan 09, 2023

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The free love of the 1960s was a crucial step in the world becoming more sex positive, but would any of it have happened without the invention of The Pill?

This week, we're chatting all things birth control - how it came about, the reaction (hello again Pope Paul!), and allll the weird old timey forms of birth controls that once existed. Plus, we discuss the long term legacy of The Pill, the controversial idea of male birth control, and the modern day battle for bodily autonomy. To wade through it all, we're joined by Dr Catherine Roach, the author of 'Good Sex: Transforming America through the New Gender and Sexual Revolution'.

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JFK Blown Away (what else do I have to say?!) Dec 19, 2022

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The assassination of John F Kennedy was one of the most significant events of the 20th Century. The young president who was supposed to change America, has his life cut short in an open topped limousine in Dallas, Texas. Supposedly, he’s killed by lone gunsman Lee Harvey Oswald, who’s later shot on live TV in the basement of Dallas’ Police HQ. But, according to some, the official story doesn’t quite stack up. So what actually happened? Was Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone? Do we actually believe any of the conspiracies? And why are conspiracy theories so damn tantalising anyway?! What else do we have to say… it’s time to chat about the Kennedy assassination.

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British Politician Sex Dec 12, 2022

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In the 1960s, a sordid sex scandal rocked the British press. What appeared to be a shallow affair between Conservative MP John Profumo and teenage call girl Christine Keeler, spiralled into a suspected case of Soviet espionage. But how did it change the trajectory of sex-positivity in the UK? And how did it bring down a government? Kate Lister, host of Betwixt the Sheets is here to talk us through it all.

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Malcolm X Dec 05, 2022

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Malcolm X is a civil rights revolutionary. He’s not playing the establishment’s game. He’s not keeping the peace and hoping if he’s a good enough Black man, he’ll be allowed to get ahead. Instead, he’s calling out white segregationists. And to some people, he’s an aggressive reverse-racist. But to the African American community, he’s a game-changer. Before this, our exposure to Malcolm was restricted to Gen X hip hop music and being scaremongered as a young American teen. So we need to talk to an expert about all this - thank goodness for Dr Peniel Joseph!

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Pope Paul Nov 28, 2022

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Pope Paul VI was in charge of the Catholic Church in a tumultuous time. Communists are locking up Catholic priests, the Vietnam War is raging on, and free love is in full swing. Does he modernise and change with the time? Or does he batten the hatches and stick to the status quo? How does he react to birth control? And how does Billy Joel come to have a Beatlemania-esque experience with this pope? Professor of History and Catholic Christianity, James Felak is here to walk us through the life of the paper-pushing pope!

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Liston beats Patterson Nov 21, 2022

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Liston vs Patterson is a boxing match to remember. It's an easy win for Liston and his 14 inch fists and he's extraordinary to watch. So why are the crowd so upset when it's over? It's because they think it's a fix, that the mob's somehow involves. Because everyone hates Sonny Liston. With his mob ties and bad attitude, he's wrong kind of African American. The NAACP even warn against the fight because they're worried that increasing Liston's profile will only worsen how society viewed African Americans. So, it's a boxing match to remember, but it's also a snapshot of 1965 American society. There's so much to talk about, from how the fight unfolded and the rest of their careers, to their future fights against Muhammad Ali and Liston's tragic end. So, this week we're joined by boxing journalist and co-host of the George Groves Boxing Club podcast, Declan Taylor.

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John Glenn with Dr Kevin Fong Nov 14, 2022

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In 1962, the US is scrambling to catch up with the USSR in the Space Race and it's finally time for an American to orbit the Earth. John Glenn is the perfectly stoic character for the job, and what follows is an action packed journey into outer space, full of close calls and national propaganda. But what's it really like to be an astronaut? What's the NASA campus like? What happened to him afterwards? And how did he end of back in space at 77? Host of 13 Minutes to the Moon and ex-NASA employee, Dr Kevin Fong, joins us to talk through it all. A huge thank you to listener Mark Kelsall for convincing Kevin to come on!

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Ole Miss Nov 07, 2022

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In 1962, a riot broke out in the University of Mississippi after African American student, James Meredith is enrolled. It essentially becomes the last stand of the Civil War, with people turning up with old Civil War muskets to defend the favoured institution of Southern elites. It would help transform the kinds of opportunities available to black people in the South, but how were they able to avoid de-segregation for 8 years about Brown v Board of Education? And how did James Meredith end up campaigning for KKK klansman, David Duke? Charles K Ross, professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Mississippi is here to talk us through it all.

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British Beatlemania with Mark Lewisohn (Part II) Oct 31, 2022

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We told you we'd be back for more baby! We couldn't condense all of the Fab Four's urine filled success to one episode, so welcome to Part 2 of our bumper chat with the world's leading Beatles expert, Mark Lewisohn. In this part we're chatting US takeover, song writing style, John-Paul-George-Ringo friendships, and lots more. This is the second part of our conversation, so make sure you've listened to the Part I before feasting on this one.

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British Beatlemania with Mark Lewisohn (Part I) Oct 31, 2022

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YEAH YEAH YEAH, we’ve been waiting 88 episode for this and it’s finally here!! In the 60s, The Beatles’ rise to fame would change the landscape of pop music and fandom forever. People were so excited to watch them, they’d urinate and scream so loud you’d struggle to hear the music. No one had ever seen fan culture or heard music like it. So it’s no surprise that we’re absolutely ecstatic to chat to Mark Lewisohn, arguably the world’s LEADING authority on the Beatles! So ecstatic that we’ve made a two part episode, so make sure you listen to that once you’re done with this one.

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