Best HistoryPod Podcasts (2025)

1
10th July 1940: The Vichy government established in France

Play Pause

1h ago

—

The Vichy government was established in France after the National Assembly approved a new French Constitutional Law that granted full powers to Marshal ...By Scott Allsop

1
9th July 1877: The world’s first official lawn tennis tournament begins at Wimbledon in London

12h ago

—

The first Wimbledon Championship was staged in order to raise money to repair the roller that was used to maintain the lawns at the club, and only featured a Gentlemen’s Singles ...By Scott Allsop

1
8th July 1497: Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sets sail from Lisbon on the first known voyage to India from Europe

1d ago

—

In May 1498, the expedition reached the Indian city of Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) on the Malabar Coast. Da Gama met with the the local ruler, and attempted to establish a trading ...By Scott Allsop

1
7th July 1928: Pre-sliced and wrapped bread first sold by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri

3d ago

—

The Chillicothe Baking Company's ‘Kleen Maid Sliced Bread’ proved incredibly popular and was advertised as ‘the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was ...By Scott Allsop

1
6th July 1988: Piper Alpha oil platform destroyed by a series of explosions in the deadliest offshore oil disaster in history

4d ago

—

The public inquiry into the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster identified numerous failings in maintenance procedures, communication, design, and emergency ...By Scott Allsop

1
5th July 1865: United States Secret Service established in Washington, D.C., by the Department of the Treasury

5d ago

—

Although the Secret Service is now most commonly associated with the protection of national leaders, this didn’t begin until after the assassination of President William McKinley in September ...By Scott Allsop

1
4th July 1862: Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) first tells the story of Alice in Wonderland

6d ago

—

Charles Dodgson, better known as the author Lewis Carroll, told a story to the sisters Alice, Lorina and Edith Liddell that was to develop into Alice's Adventures in ...By Scott Allsop

1
3rd July 1973: David Bowie announces the end of Ziggy Stardust during a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London

7d ago

—

Prior to the last song of the performance, Bowie told the crowd, “Not only is it the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do.” Even some of the band members were taken by surprise at the ...By Scott Allsop

1
2nd July 1881: American President James A. Garfield shot by Charles J. Guiteau

8d ago

—

James A. Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, ...By Scott Allsop

1
1st July 1979: Sony Corporation releases the Walkman portable cassette player in Japan

9d ago

—

While retailers were unsure about the demand for a playback-only cassette device, Sony conducted street demonstrations and distributed units to celebrities and influencers that led to the Walkman selling over 30,000 units in Japan within its first two ...By Scott Allsop

1
30th June 1894: Tower Bridge in London officially opened by the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII

10d ago

—

The opening ceremony was attended by the Lord Chamberlain and the Home Secretary, H. H. Asquith, who watched the Prince of Wales formally declare the bridge open while a parade of vessels passed underneath the raised ...By Scott Allsop

1
29th June 1613: The Globe Theatre in London burns to the ground

11d ago

—

The Globe Theatre in London burned to the ground during a performance of Henry ...By Scott Allsop

1
28th June 1935: United States approves the construction of a vault to hold the country’s gold reserves at Fort Knox, Kentucky

12d ago

—

Constructed of granite-lined concrete and reinforced with steel, the vault is located at the centre of the building. Gold began arriving in January 1937, transported by the U.S. Army in a series of high-security rail ...By Scott Allsop

1
27th June 1950: President Truman sends US navy and air force to Korea

13d ago

—

US President Harry S. Truman ordered air and naval forces to assist South Korea against an invasion by North ...By Scott Allsop

1
26th June 1794: French army makes the first recorded military use of an aircraft for reconnaissance during the Battle of Fleurus

14d ago

—

The aircraft used was a tethered hydrogen balloon named l’Entreprenant, operated by the French army’s newly established Company of Aeronauts, and it represented an innovation in military ...By Scott Allsop

1
25th June 1678: Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to receive a PhD

15d ago

—

Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Philosophy, otherwise known as a ...By Scott Allsop

1
24th June 1509: Henry VIII crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey in London

16d ago

—

Henry's joint coronation with his wife, Catherine of Aragon, marked the start of a 38 year rule, during which England experienced political, religious, and dynastic changes that dramatically altered the landscape of English ...By Scott Allsop

1
23rd June 1757: British East India Company troops defeat the Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey

17d ago

—

The two armies met near the village of Palashi, on the banks of the Bhagirathi River, in present-day West Bengal. Despite commanding an estimated 50,000 troops, his army was ineffective so the Nawab fled the battlefield and was later captured and ...By Scott Allsop

1
22nd June 1942: The words of the Pledge of Allegiance formally adopted by Congress

18d ago

—

Congress formally recognized the Pledge when it was included in the U.S. Flag ...By Scott Allsop

1
21st June 1675: Foundation stone laid for the new St Paul’s Cathedral in London following the Great Fire of London

19d ago

—

St Paul’s Cathedral was completed in 1710, and was the first cathedral in England to be completed under the direction of a single ...By Scott Allsop

1
20th June 1948: The Western Allies introduce the Deutsche Mark in the three western zones of occupied Germany

20d ago

—

The introduction of the Deutsch Mark sought to stabilise the German economy and curb widespread inflation and black-market activity in the aftermath of the Second World War, but caused concern in the Soviet Union which implemented its own currency reform in the eastern zone and soon after began the Berlin ...…

1
19th June 1949: The first NASCAR ‘Strictly Stock’ race takes place at Charlotte Speedway

21d ago

—

The first NASCAR race took place at the Charlotte Speedway in North ...By Scott Allsop

1
18th June 1984: The Battle of Orgreave takes place between miners and police officers during the UK miners’ strike

22d ago

—

Tensions escalated throughout the day, with reports indicating that initial pushing and shouting developed into running battles between the two ...By Scott Allsop

1
17th June 1631: Mumtaz Mahal’s death prompts construction of the Taj Mahal

23d ago

—

The death of Mumtaz Mahal, the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, prompted her husband to construct the Taj ...By Scott Allsop

1
16th June 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to travel into space on board Vostock 6

24d ago

—

Over the course of nearly three days, Valentina Tereshkova orbited the Earth 48 times on board Vostock 6, maintaining radio contact with Bykovsky using the call sign "Chaika," meaning "Seagull" in ...By Scott Allsop

1
15th June 1970: Trial of Charles Manson begins in Los Angeles, California, for conspiracy to commit murder

25d ago

—

The trial lasted over nine months, making it the longest murder trial in U.S. history at that time. In January 1971, Manson and three of his followers were found ...By Scott Allsop

1
14th June 1777: Second Continental Congress passes the Flag Resolution and adopts the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States

26d ago

—

The design of the flag of the United States has changed numerous times during its history to reflect the admission of more states into the ...By Scott Allsop

1
13th June 313: The Edict of Milan formally ends the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

27d ago

—

Although the emperor Galerius had previously issued an Edict of Toleration towards Christians, the Edict of Milan went further by establishing religious freedom throughout the empire and granting Christians the right to practice their religion without interference or ...By Scott Allsop

1
12th June 1942: Anne Frank receives her famous diary as a thirteenth birthday present from her father

28d ago

—

Over three volumes Anne Frank recorded the relationships between the Frank family, the Van Pels family, and her father’s friend Fritz Pfeffer with whom they shared a confined hiding place in the 'Secret Annexe' above her father's warehouse ...By Scott Allsop

1
11th June 1963: Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself to death to protest again the government of Ngô Đình Diệm

29d ago

—

Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burned himself to death at a busy crossroads in ...By Scott Allsop

1
10th June 1829: The first Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race takes place at Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire

30d ago

—

The idea for the race came from two students, Charles Merivale of Cambridge and Charles Wordsworth of Oxford, who proposed a race between their two universities. It took place over approximately 2¼ miles of the River Thames from Hambleden Lock to Henley ...By Scott Allsop

1
9th June 68: Emperor Nero commits suicide

1M ago

—

Nero, the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, committed ...By Scott Allsop

1
8th June 1968: James Earl Ray arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport in connection with the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

1M ago

—

Ray arrived in London in late May 1968 and, on 8 June, went to Heathrow Airport where he was detained after attempting to board a flight to Brussels using a false Canadian ...By Scott Allsop

1
7th June 1832: The Great Reform Act becomes law, significantly changing the electoral system of the UK

1M ago

—

Officially known as the Representation of the People Act 1832, the Great Reform Act was introduced to improve the outdated and unrepresentative electoral system in England and Wales by eliminating rotten boroughs, creating new constituencies to represent industrial towns, and standardising voting ...…

1
6th June 1822: ‘Father of Gastric Physiology’ William Beaumont first treats Alexis St Martin

1M ago

—

Alexis St. Martin, who had been shot in the stomach, was first treated by US Army surgeon William Beaumont who became known as the ‘Father of Gastric ...By Scott Allsop

1
5th June 1963: John Profumo, the British Secretary of State for War, resigns following a political scandal caused by his extramarital affair

1M ago

—

The Profumo affair was one of the defining political scandals of post-war Britain, damaging the credibility of the Conservative government of Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and was seen as contributing to the erosion of public trust in ...By Scott Allsop

1
4th June 1411: King Charles VI of France grants the exclusive right to ripen Roquefort cheese to the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

1M ago

—

The royal charter marked one of the earliest recorded examples of legal protection for a specific regional food product in Europe by ensuring that only cheese matured in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon could bear the name "Roquefort," preventing producers in other regions from marketing similar cheeses under the same ...…

1
3rd June 1956: Rock and Roll music banned in the Californian city of Santa Cruz

1M ago

—

Authorities in the Californian city of Santa Cruz banned rock and roll music at public ...By Scott Allsop

1
2nd June 1896: Guglielmo Marconi files a patent application for his system of wireless telegraphy

1M ago

—

Marconi filed a patent application in London for a spark-gap transmitter that generated radio waves and a coherer as a receiver to detect the signals, which was the first patent for a communication system based on radio ...By Scott Allsop

1
1st June 1946: Ion Antonescu, the former Prime Minister of Romania, executed by firing squad

1M ago

—

Beginning in May 1946, Ion Antonescu's trial was overseen by the People’s Tribunal in Bucharest that found him guilty of war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to death by firing ...By Scott Allsop

1
31st May 1916: Battle of Jutland begins in the North Sea, marking the largest naval battle of the First World War

1M ago

—

While the British lost 14 ships and over 6,000 personnel, compared to Germany’s 11 ships and 2,500 personnel, the strategic outcome of the Battle of Jutland favoured ...By Scott Allsop

1
30th May 1899: Female bandit Pearl Hart and her partner, Joe Boot, commit one of the last recorded stagecoach robberies

1M ago

—

Pearl Hart became a celebrity and acquired the nickname ‘Bandit ...By Scott Allsop

1
29th May 1660: Charles II restored to the English throne, marking the end of over a decade of republican rule

1M ago

—

Charles arrived in Dover on 25 May and entered London on 29 May, which was also his 30th birthday. He was welcomed with public celebrations and a general sense of relief, and was formally crowned at Westminster Abbey the following ...By Scott Allsop

1
28th May 1754: Battle of Jumonville Glen in Pennsylvania marks the beginning of the French and Indian War

1M ago

—

While precise details are unclear, it’s known that the engagement lasted only about 15 minutes. Around a quarter of the French soldiers were killed, including their commander, Joseph Coulon de ...By Scott Allsop

1
27th May 1703: The foundation of St Petersburg by Tsar Peter the Great

1M ago

—

In 1703 Peter’s forces captured Swedish possessions at the mouth of the Neva river, and it was here that he laid the foundation stone for the Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachy ...By Scott Allsop

1
26th May 1923: First 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race begins, establishing the endurance racing format

1M ago

—

The first race began at 4 p.m. on 26 May 1923 and concluded at the same time on the following day. Taking place on public roads closed for the occasion, the circuit of just over 17 kilometres included long straights, village roads, and tight ...By Scott Allsop

1
25th May 1977: The first Star Wars film is released in cinemas

2M ago

—

The first instalment of the Star Wars film series was released in cinemas in the United States of ...By Scott Allsop

1
24th May 1943: Josef Mengele, the Nazi Angel of Death, transferred to Auschwitz

2M ago

—

Josef Mengele, the Nazi ‘Angel Of Death’, was transferred to begin work at Auschwitz concentration ...By Scott Allsop

1
23rd May 1949: West Germany formally established, otherwise known as the Federal Republic of Germany

2M ago

—

West Germany was a federal parliamentary republic with a Chancellor as head of government and a President who held a largely ceremonial ...By Scott Allsop

1
22nd May 1849: Abraham Lincoln becomes the first and only President to be awarded a patent

2M ago

—

Abraham Lincoln was issued a patent for his invention to lift boats over shoals and other obstructions in a ...By Scott Allsop