Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchThe contraceptive pill gets legalised in Japan
After decades of campaigning in Japan, the pill was finally legalised in 1999.
In contrast, the male impotency drug Viagra was approved for use in ju…
21 hours ago
Sulawesi's cave art and the origins of storytelling
In 2012, the discovery of rock art in caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi changed our understanding of early human history.
Archaeologist Maxi…
1 day, 21 hours ago
The birth of Jodrell Bank
On an English field in 1957, the final touches were made to what was then the largest radio telescope in the world.
But designing and building the Jo…
2 days, 21 hours ago
Harold Riley: Painting Nelson Mandela
Harold Riley was the only artist in the world given the opportunity to paint Nelson Mandela from life.
When Mandela agreed to pose for the English art…
5 days, 21 hours ago
Kinder Scout mass trespass
In 1932, hundreds of walkers organised a mass trespass on Kinder Scout, the highest point in England's Peak District.
It was a major step in the campa…
6 days, 21 hours ago
The gathering that helped shape decolonisation
The Fifth Pan-African Congress was held in Manchester, England, in 1945, helping to shape the post-war struggle against colonialism and racial discri…
1 week ago
‘Baby’ computer is invented
In June 1948, the ‘Baby’ was invented. It was the first stored-program computer, meaning it was the first machine to work like the ones we have today…
1 week, 1 day ago
The nightclub that changed Manchester
In 1962, Nigerian-born Phil Magbotiwan opened a brand-new nightclub in Manchester, England. In part because of his own personal experiences of racism…
1 week, 2 days ago
The discovery of the San José shipwreck
In November 2015, the 'holy grail' of shipwrecks, laden with treasure worth an estimated $18 billion, was found off the coast of Colombia.
The San Jos…
1 week, 5 days ago
The birth of India's call centre industry
In 1997, after years working abroad, Pramod Bhasin returned to India and spotted an opportunity that would help transform his country's economy.
Despi…
1 week, 6 days ago