We Didn't Start the Fire: The History Podcast

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Chubby Checker Aug 14, 2022

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Ernest Evans aka Chubby Checker is the King of the Twist! It’s the teenie bopper hit that ushered in an instructional dance music CRAZE. It’s infectious, but was it actually any good? Who even was Chubby? And how did he end up making a psychedelic rock flop called Stoned in the Bathroom? Philadelphia music historian, Jack McCarthy is here to chat!

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Kennedy Aug 07, 2022

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FINALLY! IT'S KENNEDY! It’s 1960 and JFK has been elected president, having beaten Nixon in one of the closest presidential elections of the 20th century. He becomes the youngest and first Catholic president in US history, and would come to face many critics and juicy rumours over the next fews. But how does he rise so quickly? Did the mob have anything to do with it? What kind of person is he? And how about all those relationships - Jackie, Marilyn, Khrushchev? For a huge figure, we have a huge guest - Pulitzer Prize winning author and JFK biographer, Fredrik Logevall, is here to chat us through it all.

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Payola Jul 31, 2022

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Music is often the most fondly remembered part of the 20th century, but what we don't always remember is the surreptitious dealings that were going on behind the scenes... The truth is, the mob were a huge part of some of the era's biggest stars, and the music we know and love might be known and loved thanks to corruption. To explain the eras biggest radio controversy and the mob figures behind it all, we're chatting to Richard Carlin.

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Syngman Rhee Jul 24, 2022

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Billy's back to teaching us about Korea! This time, we've hit the '60s so it's all about the American-backed improvised authoritarian who became the first president of the Republic of Korea, after their forced split from their neighbours to the north - it's Syngman Rhee! But how did he end up as president of the ROK (rock!🤘)? How did he slip into authoritarianism? And how did student protests lead to revolution and Rhee's resignation? Korea expert, Owen Miller, is here to walk us through it all.

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U-2 with Francis Gary Powers Jr. Jul 17, 2022

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After the American U-2 spyplane is shot down over the Soviet Union, its pilot Francis Gary Powers becomes a controversial international figure overnight. Had he been turned? Was he involved in planning the attack? Or… did the Soviets just have more advanced weapons than the Americans had expected? Francis Gary Powers Jr. has dedicated his career to reinstating his father’s name, and today he joins us to tell the story of his father and the U-2 spyplane.

If you'd like to contact Gary, you can find him at GaryPowers.com

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Edsel is a no-go Jul 10, 2022

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With losses of $2 billion, it's no surprise Ford's Edsel became a meme for corporate failure. So why did they design such an ugly (and shockingly lipsy) spaceship of a car? How did the Vasty Stroke and Mongoose Civique become name options for it? What in the world was Fordlandia? And how did Ford cause a hamburger revolt? Science journalist Kit Chapman is here to tell all!

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Castro Jul 04, 2022

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Castro’s the kind of guy who likes to think he’s not like other dictators. He’s the rock ’n’ roll revolutionary with a solid brand, a penchant for the ladies, and a peculiar interest in bovine insemination… But how does he rise to power? Where does the revolutionary spirit come from? How does the US react? And what happens to those who oppose him? This week, we’re joined by Cuba expert Dr Stephen Wilkinson to find out all this, and more.

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Hula Hoops Jun 27, 2022

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It’s 1958 and America is rife with fads. Everyone’s looking to make a quick buck with the next big thing, and Wham-O’s struck gold with the hula hoop. But the hula hoop has a long, and sometimes sordid history. At the heart of America’s love affair with the hula hoop is the often-forgotten pop-culture ICON Joan Anderson, who first introduced the hoop to Wham-O, only to be written out of history. Co-director of the documentary ‘Hula Girl’, Amy Hill, is here to tell Joan’s tale.

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Mafia Jun 20, 2022

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It’s time for Tommy ‘The Talker’ Fordyce and Katie ‘Dimples’ Puckrik to chat Mafia. What were the mob up to in Billy’s days? How did it all start?

And how was the mob involved with the plots to kill Castro and JFK? Our knowledge of the mafia is based purely on the Godfather and Mad Magazine, so thank goodness Jeff Nadu from The Sitdown podcast is here to chat with us. Thinking of skipping this one? FORGET ABOUT IT!

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Space Monkey Jun 13, 2022

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They’re the heroes of space travel who had to suffer unimaginable terror for the sake of us humans. Today we’re talking about the ICONIC space monkeys of the late 1950s. But why use primates? Why did the Russians use dogs? Were there any alternatives? And what happened to these brave space pioneers? Astronomy journalist Dr Stuart Clark is here to chat about all this and more!

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