History
Australia’s, and America’s, Convict Pioneers
January 18th is the day the first European settlers arrived in Australia, 225 years ago. They were convicts, deported from Britain. You may be surprised to hear this was not a new practice for the Brits.
Never Underestimate Your Enemy: General Washington at Princeton
Never underestimate your enemy. On January 3rd 1777, General George Washington made a surprise attack on Princeton, New Jersey [...]
Off With His Head! DNA Connects Louis XVI to Gruesome Relic
DNA evidence has connected a gruesome relic to the execution of the French King, Louis XVI, 1793. The report provokes thoughts on the nature of relics. And power.
The Ghosts of History
Dutch historical consultant Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse found some old WWII era negatives at an Amsterdam flea market a few years ago. She decided to mash up the old photos with their present day locations. The result is a project called Ghosts of History.
Historic Handwritten Letters Reveal The Past
An impressive collection of historic letters from international artists, scientists, and writers is being put up for auction. The collection includes a letter that Dutch artist Vincent Van Goph sent to the owner of a cafe in southern France.
Britain Named Most Prolific Invader
A new book claims that Britain has invaded more countries than any other. In fact, according to “All the Countries We’ve Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To”, by Stuart Laycock, there are only 22 nations which never suffered British attack. Anchor Aaron Schachter discusses the claim with the World’s News Editor and resident history buff, Chris Woolf.
‘Horses and Bayonets’
The most tweeted line of the debate was President Obama’s zinger that the military has fewer horses and bayonets as well as fewer ships than it did in 1916. So where are bayonets from? Anchor Marco Werman gets the answer, plus the history of bayonets and horses in the military, from The World’s resident military history buff, Chris Woolf.
The Hidden History of Mexican Migrants
We may be wrapping up the largest immigration wave in modern times: 12 million Mexican migrants have come to the US over the past four decades, many illegally and out of sight. One professor is trying to collect and preserve the artifacts of this hidden migration before the clues completely disappear.
Civil War, 1896 Tsunami, Mau Mau, Yuri Gagarin, Bay of Pigs
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In the last week alone we’ve had at least three big anniversaries: 150th anniversary of the start of the (American) Civil War; 50th anniversary of the first human being into space; 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs. So we’ll look back at each of those moments. Plus Lisa Mullins interviews an archivist at National Geographic about an American writer and photographer, Eliza Scidmore, who documented the aftermath of a tsunami in northeast Japan more than a century ago. And we have two segments on the history behind the trial unfolding in London right now over alleged British atrocities in Kenya during the counterinsurgency campaign against Mau Mau rebels in the 1950′s. Download MP3
The Fear by Peter Godwin
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This is the long version of Marco’s interview with Peter Godwin, author of The Fear: Robert Mugabe and the Martyrdom of Zimbabwe. Godwin is a journalist and writer who grew up in Zimbabwe when it was still Rhodesia. He returned once more in 2008 expecting to celebrate the end of Mugabe’s rule. Instead he witnessed an orchestrated campaign of terror that allowed Mugabe to cling to power. The Fear is Godwin’s account of that time. It is both a catalogue of human rights abuses and a lyrical, angry, deeply personal narrative about going home to a shattered dream. Download MP3
Chernobyl, Abd-El Krim, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
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This week’s history podcast showcases three unrelated but timely radio features. In light of the nuclear crisis in Japan, Brigid McCarthy reminds us what happened at Chernobyl in 1986. Gerry Hadden introduces us to a Berber hero in Morocco and explains where he fits in the contemporary political landscape. And Jason Margolis retells the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire a century ago and explains why it’s still relevant today.Download MP3The Italian Occupation of Libya
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The World’s Marco Werman interviews historian Ronald Bruce St John about the Italian occupation of Libya in the first half of the 20th century and its ramifications today. St John is the author of Libya: From Colony to Independence and Libya: Continuity and Change. Download MP3
Robert Fatton on Jean-Bertrand Aristide
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On this edition of How We Got Here, political scientist Robert Fatton of the University of Virginia helps us understand Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s place in Haitian politics and history. Ever since former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier returned to Haiti in January there’s been speculation that former President Aristide would return as well. His lawyer even flew to Port au Prince to collect a passport for him. So far there’s no sign of his return though, and it’s clear the United States and the Haitian government would prefer him to stay away at least until Haitians have voted in presidential runoff elections on March 20th. But all the speculation got us thinking about Aristide again, and wondering about the historical currents that led to his overthrow and exile, not just once, but twice, in 1991 and again in 2004. Download MP3
Dirk Vandewalle on Gaddafi and Libya
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Dirk Vandewalle of Dartmouth College and author of A History of Modern Libya tells us about the life and times of Muammar Gaddafi. Also we hear eyewitness accounts of the 1969 Coup in Libya from the BBC World Service program Witness. Download MP3
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