Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchTesla and Edison: Electricity rivals
By 1915, the two great rivals, Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, had brought electricity to the world.
It was reported that they were set to share the …
1 year, 1 month ago
Intervision Song Contest
In 1980, Finnish singer Marion Rung won the Intervision Song Contest.
Born in the 1960s, Intervision was the Eastern Bloc’s answer to Eurovision. It …
1 year, 1 month ago
Rescuing Palmyra’s treasures from the Islamic State group
In May 2015, when the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria was about to fall to jihadist fighters, a group of men risked their lives to load centuries-ol…
1 year, 1 month ago
VE Day celebrations
The end of the Second World War in Europe came on 8 May 1945, after more than five years of conflict.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announc…
1 year, 1 month ago
Sinking of the Lusitania
On 7 May 1915, the British ocean liner, the Lusitania, was sunk by a German submarine off the Irish coast, as it sailed from New York to Liverpool.
Th…
1 year, 1 month ago
The invention of the automatic electric rice cooker
In 1955, entrepreneur and engineer Yoshitada Minami came up with a way to liberate women from two to three hours of housework a day.
When his water-he…
1 year, 1 month ago
Conclave: How a new pope is chosen
In April 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI following the death of Pope John Paul II.
The new leader of the Catholic Church was …
1 year, 1 month ago
Snake: Popularising mobile gaming
In 1998, the Snake game made its debut on mobile phones. It is known for its simple yet addictive gameplay and played a major role in popularising …
1 year, 1 month ago
Ten countries join the EU in one night
On 1 May 2004, the European Union went through its biggest ever enlargement. 10 countries joined including eight from the former Soviet Union’s spher…
1 year, 1 month ago
The Cu Chi tunnels of the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, North Vietnamese VietCong guerrillas built a vast network of tunnels in the south of the country as part of the insurgency ag…
1 year, 2 months ago