Short History Of...
Episodes
Ian Fleming
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Fleming’s most famous creation, James Bond, is a cultural icon. To paraphrase one critic, Bond is someone men want to be, and women want to be w...
Introducing: The Curious History of Your Home
14 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Noiser presents a brand new podcast: The Curious History of Your Home. In this taster episode of Noiser’s new podcast, join domestic historian Ruth...
The Aztecs
07 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the arrival of the Aztecs in central Mexico from the early 1300s, history has been fascinated by them. They’re widely reputed to be a savage p...
The Battle of the Somme
31 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Battle of the Somme was supposed to be the joint British-French offensive that would win the First World War. A string of battles spread over five...
The Founding Fathers of the US
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The founding of the United States on July 4th, 1776, changed the world, and inspired other colonies to control their own destinies. The men responsibl...
Eleanor Roosevelt
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman who redefined the role of the First Lady of the United States. By refusing to be merely a passive companion and wife, an...
St Patrick (Repeat)
17 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Though St Patrick is honoured by millions of revellers worldwide every year, few know more about him than the popular myths concerning shamrocks and s...
The Real Pirates of the Caribbean
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout the late 17th and early 18th Century, the waters of the Caribbean were crawling with pirates. Stories about swash-buckling buccaneers, and ...
The French Revolution, Part 2 of 2
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s simple enough to pinpoint the beginnings of the French Revolution in 1789, but far more difficult to mark its end. Following the initial outbre...
The French Revolution, Part 1 of 2
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the late 18th Century, a series of political, social, cultural, and economic issues reached breaking point, exploding in what is now known as t...
River Nile
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Snaking across 4,000 miles and 11 African countries, the River Nile is perhaps the most famous river on planet earth. The 80 billion gallons of water ...
Industrial Revolution
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
During the years 1760 to 1830, British industry exploded. Thanks to advances in machinery, and forward-thinking inventions, the country shifted from a...
The Ninja
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Remembered in popular culture as the ultimate type of assassin, the Ninja were ancient masters of secrecy, operating for just 200 years in central Jap...
Michelangelo
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists of his time, with works such as the Sistine Chapel and his sculpture of David, earning him an enduring pl...
Queen Victoria
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Queen Victoria was Britain's longest reigning monarch until Queen Elizabeth II - her great great granddaughter. Born fifth in line to the throne, at a...
Petra
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The ancient city of Petra, in south-west Jordan, is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. Founded over two millennia ago, it was a ke...
Boudica
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The legend of Boudica has survived for two millennia, although much of her life still remains a mystery - some historians dispute whether she existed ...
Indian Ocean Tsunami
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning of December 26th, 2004, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggering an enormous tsunami that hit Indon...
The Whiskey Rebellion
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just a few years after the Declaration of Independence, an uprising against a levy on liquor became the first great test for the government of the nas...
Introducing: Herod the Great Part 1: Ruler of Galilee
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Noiser presents Real Dictators: The Story of Herod the Great. You may well know the name from the Nativity story. The cruel king who learns of a proph...
Agatha Christie (Repeat)
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Retaining the title of the “Queen of Crime” to this day, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. Across 66 novels, 14 short-stor...
J.R.R Tolkien
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
J.R.R Tolkien is one of Britain’s most beloved authors, famous for creating the fantasy world ‘Middle Earth’ through his novels ‘The Hobbit’...
The Colosseum
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Voted one of the seven modern wonders of the world, Rome’s Colosseum is an instantly recognizable building. Constructed by Emperor Flavian in the fi...
Winston Churchill
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Winston Churchill is one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th Century. Voted in 2002 as ‘the greatest Briton’, he’s remembered for his u...
Highwaymen
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries, stories have been told about highwaymen - dangerous rogues who attacked unsuspecting travellers in the dead of night, demanding their m...
Abolition of The British Slave Trade
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the mid-17th Century, Britain dominated the Slave Trade, shipping over 3 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. Conditions on board slave s...
Charles Dickens
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Dickens is considered one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian Age. His works shone a light on prevalent issues of his era, such as pove...
The Gunpowder Plot (Repeat)
05 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Gunpowder Plot is an epic tale of adventure and murderous revenge, a detective story complete with secrets, aliases, even an anonymous letter of b...
Magna Carta
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Magna Carta is one of the most enduring documents from the Middle Ages. Reluctantly signed by King John at Runnymede in 1215, it forever changed socie...
Jane Austen
22 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jane Austen is arguably the most famous female writer in history. Her novels have gone on to inspire countless films, plays, and dramas all over the w...
Congo River
15 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Congo River is the world’s deepest and most powerful waterway. In its basin, a wilderness bigger than Alaska, natural resources abound - oil, go...
Margaret Thatcher
08 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Margaret Thatcher was one of the most controversial figures of the 20th Century. Praised by some as a fearless leader and feminist icon, and despised ...
Boston Tea Party
01 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In December, 1773, hundreds of angry Bostonians charged into the harbor at Griffin’s Wharf, and tossed over 300 chests of tea into the icy waters be...
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
24 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2011, Japan was hit by the worst earthquake in the country’s history. Enormous tremors caused devastation all throughout Japan, and the tsunami t...
Joan of Arc
17 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joan of Arc is a historical superstar, a peasant who rose above her rank and gender to help free France from foreign occupation. Claiming to be acting...
Suez Canal
10 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most famous waterways - connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, and opening up trade between the East and ...
Marilyn Monroe
03 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marilyn Monroe was one of the most famous screen actors of all time. Known for her charisma and beauty, her private life and turbulent health made hea...
The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
27 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The discovery at Sutton Hoo of the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king and his lavish treasure is one of the greatest archaeological finds on English s...
Charlie Chaplin
20 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The first truly global celebrity, Charlie Chaplin was once the most famous man in the world. The king of the silent movie, over the course of 82 films...
Women’s Football
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Football is the most popular sport in the world, and is played anywhere from pitches marked out in desert dust, to warzones with helmets for goalposts...
Introducing: Real Survival Stories - Abandon Ship (Part 1 of 2)
06 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Noiser presents a brand-new podcast: Real Survival Stories. Hosted by John Hopkins, the show brings you astonishing tales of ordinary people thrust in...
The Battle of Britain
30 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain saw 3,000 airmen risk their lives to defend British shores from the Nazis. But as the pilots battled over...
The Great Depression
23 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Depression was the worst and deepest peacetime economic shock of the twentieth century. It affected millions of lives, redefined global trad...
The French Resistance
16 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the dark years of the Nazi occupation, many French and Allied citizens risked and sacrificed their lives fighting against their oppressors. The...
Richard the Third
09 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Richard the Third was the last English king to die in battle. A key figure in the Wars of the Roses, he is also prime suspect in the enduring mystery ...
Hadrian’s Wall
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nineteen hundred years ago, Hadrian’s Wall was built to defend against the northern tribes, and mark the extent of the Roman empire in Britain. But ...
The Wright Brothers
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As long as humans have observed creatures in flight, we have dreamed of taking to the skies ourselves. But Wilbur and Orville Wright were determined t...
The Golden Age of Athens
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While the Roman Republic was still in its infancy, the Greek city-state of Athens rose from the ruins of war with the Persians to become the most beau...
Female Spies of World War Two
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During World War Two, dozens of British-trained women were deployed as spies and saboteurs, to infiltrate behind enemy lines in Nazi-controlled France...
The Renaissance
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries was a time of rediscovery. With Florence as its epicentre, it saw a revival of the art, culture and phi...
Thomas Edison
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Edison was one of history’s greatest inventors, who gave the world not only electric light but other landmark innovations in sound recording ...
Angkor
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Built by the Khmer kings centuries ago, Angkor in modern Cambodia had a footprint bigger than present-day New York. But after it fell into ruin, much ...
The Soviet Union, Part 2 of 2
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite its troubled infancy and the hardship faced during World War 2, in the second half of the 20th century the USSR became one of the world’s tw...
The Soviet Union, Part 1 of 2
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From its initial creation in 1922, the Soviet Union was perhaps the most ambitious political experiment in human history. But how did this superpower ...
Alexander the Great
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though he ruled for just 13 years, Alexander the Great is as famed for his hedonistic lifestyle as his military genius. But how did he become one of t...
The Crown Jewels
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The British Crown Jewels is a priceless collection of items gathered over eight turbulent centuries. Consisting of 100 objects decorated with 23,000 g...
The Blitz
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From September 1940, Germany’s Luftwaffe subjected Britain to an intense bombing campaign lasting more than eight months. Around 43,000 civilians we...
The Wild West
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think of the Wild West, and you’ll imagine cowboys, shootouts, bank robberies and saloons. But it was also a time of massive resettlement, new techn...
British Castles
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For over 600 years, castles played a leading role in the story of Britain. From the Norman Conquest to the English Civil War, they are woven into the ...
Muhammad Ali
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the day he burst onto the scene, Muhammad Ali changed boxing history. But he also influenced the American civil rights movement, the perception o...
Introducing: Detectives Don’t Sleep - Murder in Paradise (Part 1 of 2)
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From Noiser, comes the brand-new podcast Detectives Don’t Sleep. The show takes you beyond the police tape to shadow the real detectives who worked ...
The Dinosaur Rush
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Edward Cope and OC Marsh began their race to identify and name new species of dinosaur in the 1870s, palaeontology was still a new discipline. Be...
Frida Kahlo
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frida Kahlo is as much a modern icon for her personal flair as she is for her paintings. But how did her style develop, and what did she intend it to ...
St Patrick
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Though St Patrick is honoured by millions of revellers worldwide every year, few know more about him than the popular myths concerning shamrocks and s...
The Trans-Siberian Railway
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Trans-Siberian railway is the longest train line in the world, spanning 5700 miles, seven time zones, and straddling two continents. Though today’...
The Bayeux Tapestry
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since it was created 900 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry has survived war, revolution and the ravages of time. This fragile piece of linen, almost seve...
The Real Robinson Crusoe
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe is one of the most widely published books in history. This story of a man stranded alone on an island is s...
The Mona Lisa
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world. 500 years old and just 77x53cm in size, it is kept behind bulletproof glass ...
The Partition of India
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1947, the British divided up its former colony of India into two provinces. What followed was confusion, chaos, and an unprecedented wave of sectar...
D.B. Cooper
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At approximately 8:13 p.m. on November 24th, 1971, a hijacker exited Northwest Airlines flight 305 at an altitude of 10,000 feet, carrying just a case...
Agatha Christie
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Retaining the title of the “Queen of Crime” to this day, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. Across 66 novels, 14 short-stor...
The Irish Potato Famine
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Between 1845 and 1852, Ireland suffered an appalling famine after the repeated failure of the potato crop, its national staple. But though caused by a...
Las Vegas
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Best known for its world-class casinos and lavish hotels, the desert city of Las Vegas, Nevada has a darker side, too. For decades, connections to org...
Shakespeare
01 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No single writer has shaped the way we speak and think more than William Shakespeare. Whether we’re being cruel to be kind, wearing our hearts on ou...
The Christmas Truce of 1914 (Repeat)
25 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Christmas eve, 1914. On the Western Front, a British soldier peers out across No Man’s Land. A sound catches his attention – not artillery ...
Pocahontas
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pocahontas is probably the best known Native American in history. But the true story of her life has been eclipsed by a fictionalised version, played ...
Abraham Lincoln
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Abraham Lincoln’s life reads like an American folk tale. The story of a boy born into poverty, whose drive and determination saw him become the most...
The Rosetta Stone
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt unearthed what would become one of the world’s most famous artefacts. After a desperate race to decipher its symbo...
The Tower of London
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Tower of London has been a symbol of the authority and power of the British crown for almost a thousand years. Established by William the Conquero...
Easter Island
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
First inhabited by the Rapa Nui people a thousand years ago, Easter Island is best known for its hundreds of giant stone statues. But what inspired a ...
Vincent Van Gogh
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Vincent van Gogh was one of the most important and influential figures in the history of art. Though he created thousands of drawings and paintings, h...
The Conquistadors
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From the end of the 15th century, the Conquistadors changed the face of the Americas. Invading first the Caribbean and Mexico, they then plunged on in...
Albert Einstein
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Albert Einstein overhauled our understanding of the universe—from the sub-atomic level to beyond the edges of the cosmos. Today his ideas are in evi...
The Great Train Robbery
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Train Robbery of 1963 saw a gang of career criminals stage a daring heist of the multi-million pound cargo of a travelling Royal Mail train....
Cleopatra
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The last of the Ptolemaic Pharoahs, the enduring legend of Cleopatra has captivated imaginations for centuries. Though some write her off as a manipul...
The Conquest of Everest
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Standing over 29,000ft above sea level, the peak of Everest is the highest point on the planet. To the sherpa people of the Himalayas it is sacred, a...
The Mongol Empire
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the late Middle Ages, the Mongol Empire became the largest the world had ever seen. At its peak, maybe 100 million people lived under its banner, l...
The Real Peaky Blinders
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Between the 1890s and 1910s, the British city of Birmingham was in the grip of a gang: the Peaky Blinders. Their crimes – from stone-throwing and pe...
Queen Elizabeth the Second, Part 2 of 2 (Repeat)
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the passing of the Queen, Noiser brings you this episode from the archive of Short History Of… As the Queen’s family life became more comp...
Queen Elizabeth the Second, Part 1 of 2 (Repeat)
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To mark the passing of the Queen, Noiser brings you this episode from the archive of Short History Of… Spanning seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II’...
The Wars of the Roses, Part 3 of 3
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After the death of King Edward IV, the heir to the throne, Edward V, is left under the protection of the late king’s brother Richard. But what lay i...
The Wars of the Roses, Part 2 of 3
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With his father Richard of York’s head now on a spike, Edward’s determination to snatch the crown from Henry VI is stronger than ever. But how wil...
The Wars of the Roses, Part 1 of 3
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Almost 600 years ago, two rival branches of the ruling house of Plantagenet dragged England into unprecedented bloodshed in what became known as the W...
Introducing: Napoleon
28 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Noiser presents Napoleon, a new podcast examining the life and times of one of history’s most intriguing figures. You’ve heard the name Napoleon B...
The Spanish Armada
21 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English navy is often recounted as a ‘David and Goliath’ tale in which one tiny country overcame a huge an...
Stonehenge
14 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Older than the pyramids and just as cryptic, the prehistoric British site of Stonehenge has dominated its landscape for thousands of years. But what i...
Amelia Earhart
07 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As one of the great pioneers of air travel, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She pushed aviation technology to its ...
Marco Polo
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the thirteenth century, Marco Polo spent decades travelling the world. His adventures took him from his home in Venice as far east as the Yellow Se...
The Spartans
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 480BC, the Spartans secured their place in history when 300 of their soldiers fought to the death against the mighty Persian army at Thermopylae. T...
Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail
17 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Covering thousands of miles in the Andes, the Inca Trail was the backbone of the ancient empire, connecting the millions of people who lived under its...