Roundup: Audio/Video History
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Empire (5th of 90) -- Elizabeth, trade, and Sir Francis Drake
Shakespeare a millstone around neck of British culture & creativity?
28 September 1995: Palestinian self-rule in West Bank agreed
Supporters and critics in court battle over "Intelligent Design"
Horatio Nelson’s surgeon • Scurvy • Let's twist again • Bog body
Grapple in the Big Apple -- 45min highlights -- Galloway & Hitchens debate Iraq war
Grapple in the Big Apple -- full 2 hours -- Galloway & Hitchens debate Iraq war
On this day, 13 September 1993: Rabin and Arafat shake on peace deal
Armenian massacre • Not a spy, but a con man • Delphic Games • Plagiarism?
Algeria referendum • Not English, but 'globish' • Russian returns to his pre-1917 estate
Around the Web: Katrina's destruction of vibrant music scene in 'City of Jazz'
Historian: Government relief efforts to 1927 Mississippi flood faster than Katrina
Friday, September 30, 2005
New Delhi's class war
Source: NPR "All Things Considered" (9-30-05)
India's past and future clash in a New Delhi alley. Two blocks of tall apartments full of middle-class residents loom over a rat-infested slum filled with men, women and children who have migrated to the capital from the countryside in search of work.
Murrow & McCarthy
Source: NPR "On the Media" (9-30-05)
At the height of the red scare in 1954, Edward R. Murrow excoriated Senator Joseph McCarthy on CBS. The episode is now depicted powerfully in George Clooney's movie "Good Night, and Good Luck." Among the crusading journalists then working at the network were Joe and Shirley Wershba, who consulted on the film and tell Brooke Gladstone about the bygone days of smoke-filled newsrooms and courage on the air.
America's orphan trains
Source: "Soundprint" September 30 (9-30-05)
"The Orphan Train" is an unnarrated documentary about one of the least known and yet most significant social experiments in American history. In September 1854, the first "orphan train" carried 46 homeless children from New York City to far off homes to become laborers in the pioneer West. It was the first step in what was to become the emigration of as many as 250,000 orphan children to new homes throughout the entire United States. Some children found kind homes and families. Others were overworked and abused. Widely duplicated throughout its 75-year history, the original orphan train was the creation and life project of the now forgotten man who was to become the father of American child welfare policy. This documentary features interviews with surviving orphan train riders, as well as readings from historical newspapers, letters and journals, and is laced with classical and folk music.
Honoring James Dean, 50 years after his death
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-30-05)
Fifty years ago this Friday, actor and icon James Dean died in a car crash on a rural road near the central California town of Cholame. He was just 24, and even though he had only acted in three movies he was considered a superstar. Two of those films were released after his death, including his best-known film, "Rebel Without a Cause." By 1955 James Dean had developed a passion for auto racing. On the day he died, he was driving a hot little German sports car, a Porsche 550 Spyder with an all-aluminum body and an engine just behind the two seats. He and his mechanic were headed to Salinas, where he planned to race the Spyder for the first time. His death may have served to add to his legend. "Day to Day" senior producer Steve Proffitt reports that, two generations later, Dean's legend shows no sign of aging. "In death, James Dean never had to lose his hair, never had to lose his cool," says Proffitt. "And 50 years after that car crash in Cholame, he has something we'll never have again -- our youth."
Pennsylvania court weighs creationism in schools
Source: NPR "Talk of the Nation, Science Friday" (9-30-05)
A landmark court case is shaping up in Pennsylvania, as school teachers rebel against being forced to teach creationism in their biology classrooms along with evolution. Guest: Chris Mooney, Washington D.C. correspondent for "Seed" Magazine and author of "The Republican War on Science."
Mao Zedong (5th of 5)
Source: BBC World Service "Off the Shelf" Friday (9-30-05)
In episode 5 of Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's interpretation of the life of Chairman Mao, ‘The Long March’ comes to an end and, with the myth complete, Mao spends some years in the province of Yenan chasing after young women of the Party and indulging in his love for swimming pools and haute cuisine. A sign of things to come in his long rule -- as you can discover in the final part of "Mao" The Unknown Story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday.
Empire (5th of 90) -- Elizabeth, trade, and Sir Francis Drake
Source: BBC Radio 4 "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" (9-30-05)
By the time of the Elizabethans (1558), the English (we talk about the British only after 1603) were starting to get into the business, not of Empire, but trading posts. There was still no imperial policy. That did not come for another two centuries. Elizabeth inherited an almost bankrupt throne so every exploration had to be self-financing. Moreover, the British Isles were constantly threatened with invasion (the Armada came in 1588), so insecurity as well as poor opportunity had much to do with the early Elizabethan reluctance to invest in overseas resources. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)
Election of 1892
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/29/05 (9-30-05)
The U.S. presidential election of 1892, between former President Grover Cleveland and incumbent President Benjamin Harrison is History Professor Bob Packett's topic in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Shakespeare a millstone around neck of British culture & creativity?
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Today" Friday 0842 (9-30-05)
The playwright and actor Kwame Kwei Armah and Adriano Shaplin, who teaches acting at The University of California, Berkeley, discuss whether Shakespeare has become a millstone around the neck of British culture and creativity. Editor's note: The answer is No.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
30 September 1955: James Dean killed in car smash
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-29-05)
The Hollywood film star James Dean has been killed in a road accident in California, USA. The 24-year-old actor was behind the wheel of his German-made Porsche sports car when it was involved in a head-on collision with another car 30 miles (48 km) east of Paso Robles this evening. Mr Dean's mechanic, Rolph Wutherich, who was a passenger in the car, was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Medics said Mr Dean, who was dead on arrival at hospital, suffered a broken neck and numerous broken bones. At the time of the accident the road racing enthusiast was on his way to a race meeting at Salinas, California. James Dean completed his latest film "Giant", an adaptation of Edna Ferber's book about Texas, just yesterday. His first film, "East of Eden", cast him firmly into the spotlight and many critics believe he had a glittering Hollywood future ahead of him.
Swearing-in of John Roberts as Chief Justice
Source: C-SPAN (9-29-05)
Following his confirmation by the Senate earlier on Thursday, John Roberts is sworn-in at the White House as Chief Justice of the United States. He replaces the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who died in office on September 3. The 2005-06 term on the Supreme Court begins on Monday.
Civil rights lawyer Constance Baker-Motley (1921-2005)
Source: NPR "Talk of the Nation" (9-29-05)
A look back at the life of Constance Baker-Motley, civil rights lawyer and first African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary, with guest Ted Shaw, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Internal migration in the U.S.
Source: Chicago Public Radio "Odyssey" (9-29-05)
Hurricane Katrina could potentially cause hundreds of people to relocate to new parts of the U.S., and it is just the latest catalyst in a history full of internal migration. What effects do these population movements have on our country? Historian James Gregory (Professor of History and Labor Studies, University of Washington, Seattle) and geographer Kavita Pandit (Professor of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens) join Chicago Public Radio's Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Gregory is the author of "The Southern Diaspora: How the Great Migrations of Black and White Southerners Transformed America." Pandit is coeditor of "Migration and Restructuring in the United States: A Geographic Perspective" and is vice president of the Association of American Geographers.
Saying farewell to Jeeves and other corporate mascots
Source: NPR "Morning Edition" (9-29-05)
The Internet search engine AskJeeves.com is retiring its cartoon mascot, Jeeves the butler. Jeeves will have plenty of company at the corporate mascot retirement home, where other advertising staples rest in obsolescence. Editor's note: This brief story is made worthwhile by its clips of Speedy Alka-Seltzer, the Frito Bandito, the Budweiser Frogs, and Mr. Whipple.
Homer's Ithaca
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Today" Thursday 0655 (9-29-05)
We know where Troy is. But where was Homer's Ithaca, the home of Odysseus?
Britain's curry craze
Source: BBC World Service "Europe Today" (9-29-05)
A special ceremony has taken place in London to mark the spot where Britain's first Indian curryhouse, the Hindustanee Coffee House, opened back in 1810. The country's Indian food business is now worth over six billion dollars and accounts for over two thirds of all eating out. Europe Today's Jon Donnison reports.
Glasgow's monument to Lord Nelson • Weightlifting stone • Family history research • Lost 18c Wm Adam mansion
Source: BBC Radio Scotland "Past Lives" (9-29-05)
Got an historical itch to scratch? Then look no further than Past Lives for help! Mark Stephen sets out across Scotland to answer your questions about the country's past -- from Wick to Dumfries and Vikings to Mods, his curiosity knows no bounds. This week Mark Mark Stephen was in Largs -- holding to his hat in the face of the strong onshore winds whipping up the Firth of Clyde. He met Douglas Easton from Largs Historical Society to find out about the Battle of Largs in 1263, when King Alexander of Scotland managed to outwit King Haakon of Norway, who controlled much of the Western Isles at the time.
Edith Henry's extraordinary life in Revolutionary Mexico
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-29-05)
In 1905, Frank Henry a young Cornish tin minor took his wife, Edith and young family to Mexico to start a job as a surveyor in the country's growing and lucrative silver mining industry. The move was supposed to have led to a better life, but their timing couldn't have been worse. Within five years the country was caught up in the violence of the Mexican Revolution. Edith Henry charted the growing unrest in her letters home to her family in Devon. When Edith returned home with her children the letters were stowed in the attic, and the family refused to talk about what had happened. Her granddaughter Julia Swanson, a lawyer in Los Angeles, learnt about the extraordinary tale of her grandparents and her mother through those letters.
History of Jewish characters in drama & fiction
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Front Row" Thursday (9-29-05)
Mark Lawson investigates changing ideas about the portrayal of Jewish characters in drama and fiction, in the light of Roman Polanski's new film version of "Oliver Twist", starring Ben Kingsley as Fagin, and focuses on the portrayal of Jewish characters from Fagin and Shylock to the latest plays by Mike Leigh and David Mamet.
Magnetism
Source: BBC Radio 4 "In Our Time" (9-29-05)
Pliny the Elder, in his "Historia Naturalis", tells a story of a legendary Greek shepherd called Magnes who, while guiding his flock on Mount Ida, suddenly found it hard to move his feet. The nails of his sandals held fast to the rock beneath them, and the iron tip of his crook was strangely attracted to the boulders all around. Magnes had stumbled across the lodestone, or 'Magnetite', and discovered the phenomenon of magnetism. Plato was baffled by this strange force, as were Aristotle and Galen, and despite being used in navigation, supposedly suspended over the body of Mohammed and deployed in the pursuit of medical cures -- apart from some 13th century scholastic studies -- it was not until the late 16th century that any serious scientific attempt was made to explain the mystifying powers of the magnet. Who pioneered the study of magnetism? What theories did they construct from its curious abilities and how was the power of the magnet brought out of the realm of magic and into the service of science? Melvyn Bragg leads a round-table discussion with Stephen Pumfrey, Senior Lecturer in the History of Science at the University of Lancaster; John Heilbron, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley; and Lisa Jardine, Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary, University of London. Bragg has written, edited and produced "The South Bank Show" since 1978 for London Weekend Television, for which he has been Controller of Arts since 1990; he's written 19 novels (and won the WH Smith Literary Award), plus 11 histories, biographies and other nonfiction.
What blew up the "Maine"
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/28/05 (9-29-05)
History Professor Bob Packett remembers the "Maine" in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mao Zedong (4th of 5)
Source: BBC World Service "Off the Shelf" (9-29-05)
In episode 4 of Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's interpretation of the life of Chairman Mao -- "Mao: The Unknown Story" -- the jockeying of power continues and takes in one of the most famous treks in modern military history. It is a trek that means the abandonment of family members and the exhaustive transportation of treasure hoards such as gold, silver and jewels. However, the political significance of the journey was to have much greater value.
Empire (4th of 90) -- Searching for the Northwest Passage
Source: BBC Radio 4 "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" (9-29-05)
By the 16th century, the English still had no imperial ambitions. The great quest was to go to China by sea but the easterly route was difficult and uncertain. Accepting that the world was a globe, it was then believed that a westerly passage to Asia must exist. This was the reason Henry VII patronized the explorers and navigators, John Cabot and his three sons. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)
29 September 1979: Pope calls for peace in Ireland
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-29-05)
Pope John Paul II has called on the people of Ireland to end all violence and return to "the ways of peace". The 57-year-old pontiff made his appeal in front of a 300,000-strong crowd at Drogheda, a few miles from the Northern Irish border, during the first day of an historic tour of southern Ireland. The Pope touched down at Dublin airport earlier today where he was met by the Irish president, Dr Patrick Hillery and a host of religious leaders. It is the first time a reigning Pope has ever visited this devoutly Catholic country and John Paul II, who became Pope just 11 months ago, appears determined to use the trip to broadcast his messages of peace.
29 September 1978: Catholics mourn Pope's death
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-29-05)
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church has died after the shortest papal reign in history. Pope John Paul, the surprise candidate elected just 33 days ago, died of a heart attack while reading in bed. The body of the "smiling pope", who charmed crowds with his easy manner, is lying in state in the Clementine Hall in the Vatican, and a growing throng of mourners are gathering to file past it. The church's cardinals must now return to Rome to elect a new pope in the secret Sistine Chapel ballot. Cardinal Albini Luciano was chosen to be Pope on 26 August after one of the shortest voting periods in the Vatican's history. Despite his brief reign, the Italian son of a socialist stonemason had become very popular with Catholics and non-Catholics alike. US President Jimmy Carter said Pope John Paul had "captured the imagination of his Church and the world" during his few weeks in office.
29 September 1960: Khrushchev anger erupts at UN
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-29-05)
The Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev has disrupted a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly with several angry outbursts. Twice he pounded his desk and twice he shouted interruptions to show his disapproval at the way UN forces have intervened in the recent trouble in former Belgian Congo. Mr Khrushchev is calling for the UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold to be replaced by a three-man executive representing the western, Soviet and neutral camps. His interruptions came during a speech by British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who expressed total confidence in Mr Hammarskjold's "energy, resourcefulness and above all integrity". While most of the Assembly applauded his sentiments, Mr Khrushchev pounded the table with both fists.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Archeologists locate source of Mayan relics
Source: NPR "All Things Considered" (9-28-05)
In the mid-1960s, a trove of new Mayan artwork began appearing in museums and auction houses. Archeologists quickly determined that those pieces probably came from a single site -- known to looters but not to scholars. Now, the site has been found. It's in Guatemala near the Mexico border.
Voices from the past
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Today" 0819 (9-28-05)
A CD of famous voices from the past has just been brought out by the British Library. Among the thirty-eight recordings selected are some of the earliest spoken recordings ever made, such as those by the explorer Henry Morton Stanley, the composer Arthur Sullivan and the American showman P.T. Barnum. Other notable items include recordings from Malcolm Campbell and Sigmund Freud.
Kingship
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Thinking Allowed" [00:00-11:20] (9-28-05)
Why has the monarchy been such a prevalent institution throughout history and in such a diverse range of societies? Laurie Taylor talks to Declan Quigley, Honorary Research Associate at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, and editor of a new book, "The Character of Kingship", which examines the vital yet precarious role of the monarch. They discuss how the dual nature of kingship, as being sacred and being society's scapegoat, gives the monarchy very little room to manoeuvre.
Audio news from Archaeologica
Source: The Archaeology Channel 19-25 September 2005 (9-28-05)
(1) Google search finds new Roman ruin: Google’s satellite-mapping service helps an Italian computer programmer find an ancient Roman villa near his home. (2) American Civil War ship uncovered at modern navy base: The remnants of what appears to be a Civil War-era brig have been partially unearthed by construction crews at Pensacola Naval Air Station. (3) Scottish monastery dig finds burial of early medieval monk: Archaeologists excavating the site of a Pictish monastery in Easter Ross have unearthed an extremely well preserved cist burial, thought to be the grave of a 6th or 7th-century monk. (4) Turkish sands disclose the seats of an ancient democracy: Ruins of the parliament in Patara, considered the world's first elected government, reveal a semicircle of seats that became a model for the Capitol.
Prelude to Kulikovo
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/27/05 (9-28-05)
The Russians' victory in their 1380 battle against the Golden Horde of Mongols and Tartars was the beginning of the end of Mongol rule in Russia, recounts History Professor Bob Packett in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mao Zedong (3rd of 5)
Source: BBC World Service "Off the Shelf" (9-28-05)
In episode 3 of Jung Chang and Jon Halliday's interpretation of Chairman Mao's life -- "Mao: The Unknown Story" -- a pursuit of power means the neglect of his second wife, the establishing of purges against his own people and some spectacular military manoeuvres in beautiful country -- on bright red soil, amongst ancient banyan trees.
Empire (3rd of 90) -- Elizabeth I and Ireland
Source: BBC Radio 4 "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" (9-28-05)
It took until 1540 before an English monarch (Henry VIII) could declare himself King of Ireland. Until Henry broke with Rome, the English monarchy was lord of Ireland. When Rome was discarded, so was the fiction. The English ruled, or at least they tried to. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)
Washington arrives at Yorktown, September 28, 1781
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-28-05)
Today in 1781, Colonial General George Washington and French General Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown, Virginia with a combined force of 17,000 French and Colonial soldiers and militia from all thirteen colonies. They faced a force of more than 8,000 British soldiers, part of the finest army the world had ever seen. When the siege of Yorktown was over three weeks later, a new nation was all but guaranteed her freedom.
28 September 1995: Palestinian self-rule in West Bank agreed
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-28-05)
The Israeli prime minister and the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation have signed a deal in Washington giving Palestinians control over much of the West Bank. Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat put their names to the 400-page agreement in a low-key ceremony in the East Room of the White House. They were watched by US President Bill Clinton, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and King Hussein of Jordan. The leaders of Syria and Lebanon were conspicuous by their absence. Mr Rabin and the US president both called on the two Arab nations to resume peace talks with Israel.
28 September 1964: Kennedy murder was "no conspiracy"
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-28-05)
There was no conspiracy surrounding the death of President Kennedy but there were serious failures by those responsible for his protection, according to a government report. The 300,000-word document, prepared by a special commission set up by President Johnson to investigate the assassination, ends months of speculation about the death of the president on 22 November 1963 in Dallas, Texas. The commission, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren of the Supreme Court, concludes in its report that gunman Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone when he fired three rifle shots at the president from the Texas School Book Depository.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
"The Prince of L.A.," a play about the Catholic clergy
Source: KPBS Radio "These Days" 2005-09-27 (9-27-05)
In his new play, "The Prince of L.A.," Old Globe Associate Artist Dakin Matthews explores the culture of the Catholic clergy during and after the recent pedophilia scandals in a modern verse drama of scandal and the clergy in present-day Los Angeles. Winner of the LA Drama Critics Award for Outstanding New Play, and starring Matthews himself, this rich exploration of character and faith is both achingly funny and deeply moving. "The Prince of L.A." delves into the sensitive topic of corruption in the Catholic Church, while giving an insight into the men and women who devote their lives to the worship of God.
Battle over "intelligent design"
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-27-05)
Madeleine Brand speaks with "Slate" legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about a court battle in Pennsylvania that tests whether so-called "intelligent design" can be taught alongside evolution in public schools.
Court battle over intelligent design and evolution
Source: CBN "NewsWatch" 09.27.05 [18:35-20:25] (9-27-05)
A landmark trial is underway in federal court. At issue is whether the theory of "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools. The outcome of the case could affect what millions of kids learn in school about the origins of life on Earth. The Dover, Pennsylvania school district is defending its policy that requires ninth-grade students to hear about "intelligent design" before their biology lessons on evolution. Intelligent design teaches that life and the universe are too complex to have evolved by chance; a higher power or intelligent designer must have been involved.
Supporters and critics in court battle over "Intelligent Design"
Source: ABC Australia, Radio National "AM" (9-27-05)
In the United States, an important cultural battle is being waged in a Pennsylvania courtroom. The supporters and critics of evolution are going head to head over whether "Intelligent Design" should be taught in schools. Intelligent Design is a theory that evolution can't satisfactorily explain the diversity of life, and that some sort of designer must have been involved. The battle is happening eight decades after the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, reports North America Correspondent Mark Simkin.
E=mc² at 100
Source: NPR "All Things Considered" (9-27-05)
September 27 marks the centennial of the most famous equation in the world: E=mc². On this day in 1905, Albert Einstein submitted the paper that laid out the formula. We hear archive tape, and physicist John Rigden, author of "Einstein 1905: The Standard of Greatness," explains the seminal formula.
Cross-burnings in Michigan
Source: NPR "Morning Edition" (9-27-05)
The FBI is investigating a series of cross burnings in the Detroit area. The burning crosses were among the symbols of intimidation used by segregationists during the civil rights era. Now they are part of a rash of hate crimes in a region long separated by race. Detroit Public Radio's Quinn Klinefelter reports.
The real Treasure Island
Source: BBC World Service "Outlook" Tuesday [10:30-17:30] (9-27-05)
You might think it only ever happens in story books but what is being touted as the biggest treasure find in history has been discovered on Juan Fernandez Island off the coast of Chile. For centuries treasure hunters have been searching the island's coast line, but now a Chilean company have discovered 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels worth an estimated 10 billion US dollars. We'll be hearing from one of the island's residents and from a representative of the company.
Ancient religion under threat in Iraq
Source: Australia ABC, Radio National "Correspondents Report" Sunday, 25 September 2005 (9-27-05)
The continuing violence across much of the north of the Iraq now seems to be spreading south to the relatively peaceful city of Basra. However, the worsening sectarian conflict between Iraq's Shia majority and Sunni minority has largely overshadowed the fate of another minority group, the Mandeans. They're one of the most ancient, as well as one of the smallest communities in Iraq. Almost all Mandeans used to live in Iraq. But since the US-led invasion, many have fled, in order to escape persecution by Islamic extremists.
History of London's bridges
Source: LBC 97.3 "The Best of Sandi Toksvig" Monday 26/09/2005 (9-27-05)
Who was assassinated on Waterloo Bridge? How did a hairdresser save Hammersmith Bridge? Why do London's bikers meet on Chelsea Bridge? From 03:30 to 09:30, Sandi Toksvig and guest co-host Bonnie Langford interview Chris Roberts, author of "Cross River Traffic: A History of London's Bridges" (Granta).
James Armistead
Source: Colonial Williamsburg "Past & Present" (9-27-05)
Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Richard Josey talks about an enslaved man who became a valuable spy during the Revolution.
Mao Zedong (2nd of 5)
Source: BBC World Service "Off the Shelf" (9-27-05)
In Episode 2 of Junch Chang and Jon Halliday's interpretation of the life of Chairman Mao -- "Mao: The Unknown Story" -- he is plotting a rise to the top of the political pile. He is in the pay of Moscow and must pit his wits against the might of the Nationalists. Meanwhile, he still finds the time and sensitivity to write poetry.
Aztec festivals
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/26/05 (9-27-05)
History Professor Bob Packett discusses the festivals of the Aztec solar calendar in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Empire (2nd of 90) -- 1155: Ireland, the first colony
Source: BBC Radio 4 "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" (9-27-05)
The first proper colonisation took place not in the West or East Indies, nor in America, but in Ireland. Ireland was the first English colony. In 1155, Pope Adrian IV published a Papal Bull Laudabiliter giving Henry II authority over Ireland. The document's value was that it authorized invasion.
"This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)
27 September 1996: Afghan forces routed as Kabul falls
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-27-05)
The capital of Afghanistan has fallen to opposition militia after three days of fierce fighting. Taleban forces consolidated their grip on Kabul after storming the presidential palace -- the country's seat of government -- 24 hours ago. Ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani, his prime minister and his military chief are being hunted by the radical Islamic group who branded them "national criminals". The former president, Mohammed Najibullah, and his brother have already been murdered by the militants. One-eyed opposition leader Mullah Mohammed Omah and his student fighters had been repulsed from the city twice before, but this time it appeared government forces lost the will to fight.
Jimmy Doolittle Dies, September 27, 1993
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-27-05)
Today in 1993, Jimmy Doolittle, aged 96, died in California. The four-star general served his country during three wars and was one of the most highly decorated American airmen of all time. His contributions to the world of aviation spanned more than four decades and helped make military and civilian flight the commonplace activity that it is today.
Monday, September 26, 2005
IRA has completed disarmament: de Chastelain
Source: RTÉ News (9-26-05)
The head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning has said that he is satisfied that the IRA has completed its disarmament. General de Chastelain said the decommissioning body had reported to the Irish and British governments that it had observed and verified events to put beyond use all of the arms in the IRA's possession. He said the arms decommissioned included ammunition, rifles, machine guns, mortars, missiles, handguns, explosives and explosive substances.
Blair hails "important step" in peace process
Source: RTÉ News (9-26-05)
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has hailed the IICD confirmation of IRA decommissioning as 'an important development' in the Northern Ireland peace process. Mr Blair welcomed the news that the amount of arms and material decommissioned by the IRA was "consistent with the assessments provided by the security services of the two governments last year". Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, he highlighted the efforts to achieve decommissioning made by successive British governments.
Paisley: "No transparent verification"
Source: RTÉ News (9-26-05)
Democratic Unionist Party leader Rev Ian Paisley has said there was no transparent verification of IRA decommissioning in today's announcement. He said today's announcement showed the duplicity and dishonesty of the two governments and the IRA. Mr Paisley said the "Not one iota was given to verify that assurance," he said. He dismissed the independent witnesses, saying they were approved by the IRA and therefore were accepted by the IRA and in no way could be independent.
Brandt Goldstein & "Storming the Court"
Source: WAMU "The Diane Rehm Show" (9-26-05)
In 1992, Yale law students sued the U.S. government over the detention of Haitian refugees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Author Brandt Goldstein -- attorney and writer whose work has been published in the "New York Times" Magazine and "Slate" -- explains how this case became precedent for human rights concerns over suspected terrorists held at the military base today.
Winston Churchill woos Clementine Hosier
Source: BBC Radio 7 "Speaking for Themselves Omnibus" (Episodes 1-5 of 10) (9-26-05)
Pug and Clemmy Cat (aka Winston Churchill and Clementine Hosier) commence their epistolary romance in a dramatic reading of "Speaking for Themselves: The Personal Letters of Winston and Clementine Churchill", edited by their daughter Mary Soames, with the couple portrayed by actors Alex Jennings and Sylvestra Le Touzel.
Simon Schama & "Rough Crossings"
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Start the Week" (9-26-05)
Historian, writer and broadcaster Simon Schama joins a panel discussion in the first programme in a new season of "Start the Week", which sets the cultural agenda every Monday. Guests are drawn from the top movers and shakers in politics, history, science and the arts. Award-winning journalist Andrew Marr also welcomes zoologist Andrew Parker, art curator Iris Müller-Westermann and former Downing Street insider Lance Price. Whilst Schama contributes throughout the programme, for 9 minutes starting at 13:32 he discusses the third side in the American War of Independence -- that of the black slaves who believed allying themselves with their enemy's enemy -- the British -- would set them free. Despite Britain being the world's greatest slave-trading nation, they thought that Britain was their salvation. "Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution" is published by BBC Books.
Mao Zedong (1st of 5)
Source: BBC World Service "Off the Shelf" (9-26-05)
As part of the BBC "Who Runs Your World" season, "Off the Shelf" features a compelling new biography of the dictator Chairman Mao. So expansive is the study that our five part reading will focus on what is often the most intriguing part of a dictator’s life -- how did he get to power? Skill, luck, treachery, or plain old destiny? He was born in an ancient province. He doted on his mother, hated his father and married the first of four wives aged eighteen. His formative years are traced in this the first part of "Mao: The Unknown Story", by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday.
The Norman warrior
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/24/05 (9-26-05)
The most powerful military force in 11c Europe -- the Normans -- are History Professor Bob Packett's topic in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Empire (1st of 90) -- No grand plan
Source: BBC Radio 4 "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" (9-26-05)
How was it that the people of a small island race off the European mainland came to dominate the world? That is perhaps the most intriguing question of the British Empire. Even the term 'Empire' means something different today than it did in the days of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I's astrologer John Dee. Dee is said to have put the idea of colonial expansion in the queen's mind.
"This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)
26 September 1960: Kennedy & Nixon clash in TV debate
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-26-05)
More than 60 million Americans tuned in to watch the first-ever televised debate between the two candidates running for the White House. Republican candidate Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, appeared in a studio in Chicago, Illinois, for the first of a series of four debates. The first "Great Debate" centred on domestic issues. Each candidate was given eight minutes to make an opening speech. There followed a series of questions from a panel of correspondents, then each man was allowed three minutes and twenty seconds for a final statement. Among television viewers, Mr Kennedy was regarded the outright winner of the first debate. He appeared tanned, confident and well-rested after campaigning in California. By contrast, his opponent had recently spent two weeks in hospital for a serious knee operation and still looked underweight with a pallid complexion. He refused any make-up to improve his colour.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Voices in the news
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Sunday" (9-25-05)
A sound montage of some of the voices in this past week's news, including a friend of the late Simon Weisenthal; Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV); Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT); R. David Paulsion, acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Connie Mallet, a bartender at Channelview Ice House in Texas; Capt. Jesse Garcia of the Dallas Fire Department; Meteorologist Chris Landsea of the National Hurricane Center; Judge Robert Eckels of Harris County, Texas.
DeChastelain to confirm IRA decommissioning
Source: RTÉ News (9-25-05)
RTÉ News has learned that the chairman of the decommissioning body, General John DeChastelain, will meet representatives of the Irish and British governments tomorrow to tell them that full decommissioning of IRA weapons has taken place. General DeChastelain will present a detailed inventory of decommissioned weapons to the British and Irish governments before making the list available at a news conference. Two independent witnesses will make a statement at the press conference to say that the promised IRA move has taken place. It is understood the two witnesses are the Catholic priest Fr Alex Reid and Rev Harold Good, a Methodist minister.
The ghosts of Gallipoli: Revisiting the Anzac battlefields
Source: ABC Australia, Radio National "Hindsight" (9-25-05)
In the annual New South Wales History Council Lecture, Dr Bruce Scates explores the historical experience of pilgrimage to Gallipoli, and other battlefields of the Great War. Ninety years after the landing in 1915, the Anzac Day commemorations at Gallipoli continue to draw thousands of 'pilgrims' each year. From old soldiers to young backpackers, the Anzac pilgrimage has gained in popularity in recent years, and might almost be considered a rite of passage for many Australians. In his lecture, Bruce Scates examines the meaning invested in visiting sites such as Gallipoli, the significance of these sites in the minds of many Australians, and the complex intersection of memory, emotion and history. Scates is author of "Return to Gallipoli: Walking the Battlefields of the Great War".
25 September 1957: Troops end Little Rock school crisis
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-25-05)
Nine black children have finally been able to attend Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. But they had to be surrounded by more than 1,000 US paratroopers to protect them from segregationist whites. On the orders of President Dwight D Eisenhower, the troops arrived last night in full battledress with fixed bayonets and rifles and took over from local police following three weeks of disturbances. The children, six girls and three boys, had to walk through a cordon to get to the school building. Outside about 1,500 whites demonstrated and at least seven were arrested. Inside, students were warned by the commanding officer, General Walker, that anyone who disrupted the school day would be handed over to local police. In 1954 the US Supreme Court ruled segregated schools were unconstitutional.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
American secularism • Civil War recollections 2nd of 8
Source: "Talking History" (9-24-05)
(1) This week Talking History’s Fred Nielsen and Susan Jacoby discuss the history of secularism in America. Journalist Susan Jacoby is the director of the Center for Inquiry Metro New York and the author of "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism." (2) Replacing the program's commentary and site-of-the-week segments during our new fall 2005 season, Talking History will air a series of readings from an unpublished manuscript, "Recollections of Field Hospital Service During the War of Secession," the eyewitness narrative of German immigrant Theodore V. Brown (b. 1836). The reader is David Jones, a student in the graduate theater program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Galveston still remembers the hurricane of 1900
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Saturday" (9-24-05)
A 1900 hurricane that left at least 6,000 people dead has had a long-lasting impact on Galveston, Texas. Paul Burka, a Galveston native who is senior executive editor of "Texas Monthly," tells Scott Simon about the storm.
Thule • Deserts • Lindisfarne
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Excess Baggage" (9-24-05)
Sandi Toksvig travels to places of peace, to isolated lands away from the frantic world. Her guests are Joanna Kavenna, author of "The Ice Museum: In Search of the Lost Land of Thule"; desert adventurer and conservationist John Hare; and Alkarim Jivani, the television editor for the London arts and entertainment magazine "Time Out", who likes to escape to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
Thomas Selfridge
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/23/05 (9-24-05)
History Professor Bob Packett recounts the story of Lt. Thomas Selfridge, the first person to die in a powered aircraft crash, in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Yesterday once more: The Karen Carpenter story
Source: BBC Radio 2 (9-24-05)
BBC Radio 2 provides another chance to hear Mark Radcliffe profiling one of the greatest voices of a generation. The programmes were originally broadcast in January 2004 -- twenty-one years after Karen Carpenter's untimely death. As one half of the brother-sister duo The Carpenters, Karen was one of the most talented, successful and enduring pop stars of her generation. Famous for songs such as "Top of the World" and "Superstar", The Carpenters were the epitome of wholesome, happy, all-American youth. Yet in 1983 Karen Carpenter died suddenly from heart failure, the result of years of suffering with anorexia nervosa.
24 September 1976: White rule in Rhodesia to end
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-24-05)
The Rhodesian Government has agreed to introduce black majority rule to the country within two years. Prime Minister Ian Smith announced the news five days after hearing the proposals of the United States-led diplomatic delegation. The plan presented to him by US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had been formulated by the American and British Governments. But Mr Smith made it clear he was only accepting the plan under pressure and was not happy with the conditions. In a broadcast to the nation from the capital Salisbury, Rhodesia's premier outlined the first of six steps agreed with Dr Kissinger. An interim government is to be established and the violent guerrilla warfare being waged by factions of the country's black population must end.
Science at sea, 3rd of 3: Robert Fitzroy
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Science at Sea" (9-24-05)
Robert Fitzroy is often mistakenly sidelined in the history of scientific discovery as simply being 'Darwin's Captain', the man in charge of the Beagle voyage during which Charles Darwin collected the information that led to The Origin of Species. But not only was Fitzroy an accomplished sailor, he was a dedicated and driven scientist himself, whose work led to the creation of an effective storm warning system, and the concept of 'weather forecasting'. His life was not an easy one, however. From early on, he was acquainted with human tragedy and dogged by depression and bad temper. But his motivation was always to serve others, and his need for achievement drove him on relentlessly. His work saved many lives at sea, but his attempts at weather forecasting laid him open to endless ridicule. Furthermore, Darwin's fame overshadowed his own -- and his very thesis distressed Fitzroy greatly for religious reasons. Eventually the pressure he was putting himself under and factors in his personal life combined with his tendency towards depression, and in 1865 he took his own life. His work lives on however, and has gone from strength to strength in the form of the Met Office and its weather forecasts and shipping reports.
Hurricane science
Source: NPR "Talk of the Nation" (9-24-05)
Katrina and Rita seem to be threatening to break all records for a single hurricane season. A recent study says stronger storms -- Category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes -- are becoming more frequent, though not all scientists agree. Guests: Kerry Emanuel, author of "Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes," and professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, MIT; Gerry Bell, lead forecaster for NOAA's seasonal hurricane outlook, of the Climate Prediction Center, National Weather Service; and Judy Curry, chairwoman of the School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Tech.
Is global warming causing increased severe weather?
Source: Voice of America (9-24-05)
Tropical Storm Rita is the 17th tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes on the heels of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most destructive ever to strike the United States. Some climatologists believe there is a connection between the growing number of these violent storms and global warming. VOA's Melinda Smith has more on the latest scientific reports to back up that claim.
Singing the blues about 1927's Delta floods
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-24-05)
Noah Adams speaks with University of Memphis musicologist David Evans about songs inspired by the Mississippi Delta floods of 1927. We listen to Lonnie Johnson's "Broken Levee Blues" and Charlie Patton's "High Water Everywhere."
"Curious George" interview
Source: BBC World Service-PRI-WGBH Boston "The World" (9-24-05)
The first "Curious George" book was published more than 60 years ago by Margret and H.A. Rey. It has never gone out of print. Now children's book author Louise Borden tells the tale of the Reys' 1940 escape from Paris on bicycles, just before Nazi troops stormed the city. One of the few belongings they brought with them was the manuscript for "Curious George." Host Lisa Mullins speaks with Louise Borden.
Medal of Honor for Holocaust survivor, Korea vet
Source: NPR "All Things Considered" (9-24-05)
After five decades Tibor Rubin was finally recognized today for his heroic efforts to save fellow U.S. soldiers during the Korean War. The 76-year-old former Army corporal was awarded the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony. Rubin's story is extraordinary. He survived captivity not once, but twice in his lifetime -- first at a Nazi concentration camp, later as a prisoner of war in Korea.
James Reston, Jr., on the Dominican Order
Source: WAMU "The Diane Rehm Show" (9-24-05)
Historian James Reston, Jr., names his latest book for the nickname given to the Dominicans, the Catholic order established to eliminate heresy. Reston talks about the events leading up to the Spanish Inquisition and how it transformed the world for Christians, Jews, and Muslims in 1492, and for all of us living today. Reston is author of 12 previous books, including "Warriors of God," "The Last Apocalypse," and "Galileo: A Life."
Invoking the Enlightenment
Source: Chicago Public Radio "Odyssey" (9-24-05)
A couple centuries after the Enlightenment ended, there are still disputes over what it was and whether it's still alive in contemporary debates about the relationship between science and religion. Why does the Enlightenment remain a touchstone? Literary scholar Maureen McLane and historian James Schmidt join Chicago Public Radio's Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. McLane, Lecturer on History and Literature at Harvard University, is a visiting media scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She's also author of "Romanticism and the Human Sciences: Poetry, Population, and the Discourse of the Species." Schmidt, Professor of History and Political Science at Boston University, is editor of "What Is Enlightenment? Eighteenth-Century Answers and Twentieth-Century Questions."
Common law & the Constitution
Source: Chicago Public Radio "Odyssey" (9-24-05)
Some argue that a common law approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution is the way to go. But what exactly is common law? And what does it have to do with the Constitution? Legal scholars Cass Sunstein and David Strauss join Chicago Public Radio's Gretchen Helfrich for the discussion. Sunstein, Karl N. Llewellyn Distinguished Service Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago Law School, is author of "Radicals in Robes: Why Extreme Right-wing Courts Are Wrong for America." Strauss, Harry N. Wyatt Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School, is finishing the book "The Common Law Constitution."
Wiesenthal dies
Source: Jerusalem Post "Holy Land with Elwood McQuaid" (9-24-05)
The Rev. Dr. Elwood McQuaid remembers Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, reviews Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's visit to the U.N., and asks if Massada has been forgotten. McQuaid is founder of Friends of Israel Gospel Ministries, for which he is editor-in-chief of the magazine "Israel My Glory" and host of its radio programs. Elliot Jager, literary editor of the "Jerusalem Post," hosts.
In search of the learned women of the past
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-24-05)
Before the 19th century anyone who did not have knowledge of Latin was a second class citizen amongst the educated classes. The received opinion is that it was rare for women to write in Latin and that therefore women were marginalised and disempowered. But a new book, "Women Latin Poets", by Professor Jane Stevenson of Aberdeen University claims that far more women read and composed in Latin than has previously been acknowledged. She talks to Martha Kearney about her quest to find the learned women of the past, a search which took her to 12 countries from Cumbria to the Vatican. Dr Helen Morales, lecturer in Classics at Cambridge University, also gives her thoughts on Stevenson's research.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Paris under seige
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/22/05 (9-23-05)
History Professor Bob Packett chats about the Prussian seige of Paris in 1870 in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Operation Cauldron: Cold War germ warfare trials go awry
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Operation Cauldron" (9-23-05)
In 1952 the scientists at Porton Down were carrying out secret germ warfare trials off the coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. One of the germs they were testing was plague -- the black death. Experimental animals kept in cages on a pontoon were infected with a plague cloud released upwind of them. One evening, as a trial was about to start, a trawler sailed unexpectedly into the danger zone. Rather than stop the tests, the captain of the naval ship gave the order to continue, and the germs were released into the path of the trawler. Jolyon Jenkins pieces together the events and the subsequent cover-up as the government tried to reconcile the conflicting demands of public health and official secrecy. The programme use newly-declassified top secret documents, interviews with surviving witnesses, and the private diary of the chief scientist to shed light on a hitherto virtually unknown episode of the Cold War.
Salem witch trials: "Judge Sewall's Apology" 5th of 5
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Friday (9-23-05)
Sewall has become acutely sensitive to injustice, and continues to take a public stance. He campaigns to ban slavery, and then a rather more idiosyncratic cause: against the wearing of wigs. Richard Francis's biography, "Judge Sewall's Apology", is read by actor Richard Mitchley. In its UK edition, the book's subtitle is "The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of a Conscience"; in the US edition that conscience is entitled "an American Conscience".
Science at sea, 2nd of 3: Francis Beaufort
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Science at Sea" (9-23-05)
Francis Beaufort's career as a sailor was a swashbuckling one, including shipwreck, pirates, being marooned -- and several near-death incidents. He was a talented seaman but from the beginning he was also fascinated with observing and recording the movements of the sea and the weather, once writing in his journal, "Everyone has his hobby or his insanity. Mine I believe is taking bearings for charts and plans". This interest earned him great praise even during his seafaring days as he contributed precise surveys of areas that had previously been poorly recorded. At the age of 55 he might have been expected to retire for a life of well-deserved leisure, but instead he took his love for scientific records and charts and put them to use at the Hydrographic Board. His aim was to assist the Navy by improving the existing charts of all the world's oceans and to encourage all ships to play their part in adding to the available knowledge of the sea and its movements. He was highly effective in this, and countless sailors will have owed their life to Beaufort's work at this time. But the legacy for which he remains best known, is Beaufort Wind Scale, a standardised register by which one sailor can understand exactly the weather conditions another sailor -- or weather forecaster -- is referring to without ambiguity. In the 19th century, when ships were powered only by the wind, this information was crucial, and remain little changed to this day. Listen to the Radio 4 shipping news and you can hear it in action every night.
23 September 1952: Charlie Chaplin comes home
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-23-05)
World famous film actor and director Charlie Chaplin has returned to England for the first time in 21 years. He arrived with his wife Oona -- daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neal -- and their four children at Southampton on the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner. He was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers and told waiting journalists he and his family planned to travel around the country. "We're here for the opening of the benefit for the Royal Society for Teaching the Blind and then after that we have an idea of touring beautiful England and going to all the historical spots." He added: "This is the first time that my wife has been abroad and naturally we're going to try and cram in as much as we can." But he would not comment on reports that the US Attorney General James McGranery may not allow him to return to America pending an investigation into alleged "subsversive", left-wing activities.
The Galveston Hurricane, September 1900
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-23-05)
With Hurricane Rita bearing down on the coast of Texas as Dattilo recorded this, he thought it might be a good time to discuss the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the deadliest natural disaster to ever strike the United States. The hurricane actually came ashore on September 8th in the afternoon, so we're going to have to depart a little bit from our tradition of covering just the events of today.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
U.S.-Saddam ties during the Iran-Iraq War
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-22-05)
The war between Iran and Iraq begain 25 years ago Thursday, and it reshaped the way the United States looks at political alliances in the Middle East. Alex Chadwick talks with NPR diplomatic correspondent Mike Shuster about America's military and diplomatic support of Saddam Hussein during that decade-long war, and the consequences of those ties today.
Ron Powers on Mark Twain
Source: WAMU "The Diane Rehm Show" (9-22-05)
In "Dangerous Water: A Biography of the Boy Who Became Mark Twain" biographer Ron Powers presents what he calls "interpretive portraiture" of American humorist, essayist and novelist Mark Twain, and makes the case that Twain became the representative figure of his times.
Securing Russia’s loose nukes: Progress since 9/11
Source: Center for American Progress (9-22-05)
Four years after a bipartisan Task Force recommended an acceleration of programs to secure Russia's vulnerable nuclear weapons and materials by 2009-2011, a report by the Henry L. Stimson Center and the Center for American Progress finds that the United States may not reach that goal until 2020-2030. A distinguished panel featuring Graham T. Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and others discuss the threat and comment on the report. Robert O. Boorstin, Senior Vice President for National Security at the Center for American Progress, moderates. The authors of the report -- Brian Finlay, Senior Associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, and Andrew Grotto, Policy Analyst at the Center for American Progress -- answer questions.
Horatio Nelson’s surgeon • Scurvy • Let's twist again • Bog body
Source: BBC Radio Scotland "Past Lives" (9-22-05)
Got an historical itch to scratch? Then look no further than Past Lives for help! Mark Stephen sets out across Scotland to answer your questions about the country's past -- from Wick to Dumfries and Vikings to Mods, his curiosity knows no bounds.
Salem witch trials: "Judge Sewall's Apology" 4th of 5
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Thursday (9-22-05)
The witchcraft trials are losing support, and come to an end. Four years later, a public fast with prayers is held to atone for what was done. But Sewall feels the need to go further. Richard Francis's biography, "Judge Sewall's Apology", is read by actor Richard Mitchley. In its UK edition, the book's subtitle is "The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of a Conscience"; in the US edition that conscience is entitled "an American Conscience".
Science at sea, 1st of 3: Joseph Banks
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Science at Sea" (9-22-05)
It was a passion for exploring the natural world that led Joseph Banks to sea, rather than any particular love of seafaring. Boarding Captain Cook's ship "Endeavour" in 1768 with a team of colleagues and servants, and a bureau packed with gentlemanly accoutrements, his seafaring lifestyle contrasted sharply with that of the other crew members in their cramped accommodation. The aim of the journey, for both Banks and Cook, was exploration -- scientific and geographical. Cook went down in history as the first European discoverer of Australia, while Banks and his team collected, recorded and investigated the natural history of every region in which they set foot, including the celebrated Botany Bay in Australia. The journey was at times perilous, but Banks managed to bring back to Britain a vast archive of exotic plants and animal material from around the world. On his return, he was the toast of Europe, enjoying the rewards of his exotic celebrity status to the full and returning to his aristocratic life with zest. But his aim from then on was to advance scientific knowledge, and to further the British Empire through his discoveries and he influenced greatly the practice of scientific exploration from then onwards.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Galveston's deadly hurricane of 1900
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-21-05)
The mayor of Galveston, Texas, declared a state of emergency last night in anticipation of Hurricane Rita's landfall. Noah Adams looks back at a hurricane that killed thousands in Galveston back in 1900 and speaks to Erik Larson, the author of "Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History."
Hunt for Civil War-era sub continues
Source: NPR "Morning Edition" (9-21-05)
During the Civil War, when soldiers were shooting primitive muskets, the United States Navy was building its very first submarine: The USS Alligator. The 50-foot iron tube looked like something right out of Jules Verne. It was so small that crew members had to crouch inside; the propeller was turned by hand. The Alligator was meant to be Abraham Lincoln's secret weapon against the Confederacy's dangerous new ironclads: It would sneak under enemy ships so that a diver could plant explosives. But the Alligator never saw combat. She was lost in bad weather in 1863, while being towed south to attack the port at Charleston, S.C. An Office of Naval Research ship is exploring waters off the coast of Oakracoke, N.C., an area flagged by experts who used historical documents and computer models to recreate the Alligator's path. Michael Overfield of NOAA, who is coordinating the search, is aware of the odds against finding the small sub, particularly with new complications from Tropical Storm Ophelia. But, he says, "I don't give up easy."
History of the centrifuge
Source: NPR "Morning Edition" (9-21-05)
To make a uranium-based weapon, technicians have to take uranium ore and extract certain rare types of atoms. One tool that does that is a centrifuge: a metal tube that spins at nearly the speed of sound. Hear a history of the high-speed gas centrifuge.
Salem witch trials: "Judge Sewall's Apology" 3rd of 5
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Wednesday (9-21-05)
It seems as if Satan is setting up a rival colony, and a minister is accused of witchcraft. Sewall is beginning to be troubled -- a confession of guilt can save the accused, yet most protest their innocence and go to the gallows. Richard Francis's biography, "Judge Sewall's Apology", is read by actor Richard Mitchley. In its UK edition, the book's subtitle is "The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of a Conscience"; in the US edition that conscience is entitled "an American Conscience".
Boiling mad Henry VIII
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/20/05 (9-21-05)
In 1532 Richard Roose, the Bishop of Rochester's cook, was the first person executed in England by being boiled alive -- one of an estimated 72,000 of Henry VIII's subjects executed during his reign -- says History Professor Bob Packett in today's "History According to Bob." Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Grapple in the Big Apple -- 45min highlights -- Galloway & Hitchens debate Iraq war
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Iraq: The Galloway-Hitchens Debate" (9-20-05)
Motion: The Iraq war of 2003 was just and necessary. Journalist Christopher Hitchens takes on MP George Galloway in a ferocious encounter over the rights and wrongs of the Iraq War. Hitchens thinks deposing Saddam Hussein was a noble act. Galloway retorts that an illegal occupation will only create more Jihadist terrorism. Recorded earlier this week in New York City.
Grapple in the Big Apple -- full 2 hours -- Galloway & Hitchens debate Iraq war
Source: Pacifica "Democracy Now!" Galloway/Hitchens Debate (9-20-05)
Motion: The Iraq war of 2003 was just and necessary. Journalist Christopher Hitchens takes on MP George Galloway in a ferocious encounter over the rights and wrongs of the Iraq War. Hitchens thinks deposing Saddam Hussein was a noble act. Galloway retorts that an illegal occupation will only create more Jihadist terrorism. Recorded earlier this week in New York City.
Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal dies
Source: Deutsche Welle "DW-World" (9-20-05)
Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, an untiring campaigner who helped track down hundreds of Nazi war criminals, died Tuesday in his Vienna home, the US-based center founded in his name said. Wiesenthal, who was 96 when he died after a long illness, helped bring more than 1,100 Nazi criminals to justice, according to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which did not give the cause of his death. Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Los Angeles-based center, described Wiesenthal as "the conscience of the Holocaust."
Hilary Spurling & "Matisse the Master"
Source: WAMU "The Diane Rehm Show" (9-20-05)
Hilary Spurling discusses the second of her two-volume biography of one of the twentieth century's most important and influential artists, "Matisse the Master: A Life of Henri Matisse: The Conquest of Colour: 1909-1954."
Audio news from Archaeologica
Source: The Archaeology Channel 12-18 September 2005 (9-20-05)
(1) Czech statue a hoax. (2) Loch reveals drowned Scottish forest. (3) Student uses multidisciplinary approach on Hopi "porcelain." (4) Unearthing a Cycladic Bronze Age town. (5) Scot discovers long lost Egyptian ceremonial path.
Mary Queen of Scots
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Today" 0848 (9-20-05)
Why are we still so fascinated by a queen who died 400 years ago and never even sat on the English throne? Professor John Guy of Cambridge University and Dr Helen Hackett of University College London.
Salem witch trials: "Judge Sewall's Apology" 2nd of 5
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Tuesday (9-20-05)
Accusations of witchcraft have begun in Salem Village. The panic spreads rapidly, as the afflicted girls start to name respectable members of the community. Richard Francis's biography, "Judge Sewall's Apology", is read by actor Richard Mitchley. In its UK edition, the book's subtitle is "The Salem Witch Trials and the Forming of a Conscience"; in the US edition that conscience is entitled "an American Conscience".
Kennedy proposes joint moon mission, September 20, 1963
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-20-05)
Today in 1963, President John F. Kennedy put forth a proposal that shocked his political allies, enemies and the nation. It stirred debate around the world and was even discussed at the United Nations. What did Kennedy say? Simply, that the United States and the Soviet Union should consider the possibility of planning and executing a joint mission to the moon.
Aztec cosmology
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/19/05 (9-20-05)
The Aztecs' concept of the universe, dieties and humans is the topic of today's "History According to Bob." History Professor Bob Packett teaches at Maple Woods Community College, in Kansas City, Missouri.
September 20th 1970: Soviet probe collects moon rock
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-20-05)
The Russian space probe, Luna 16, has landed on the Moon to collect samples from its surface. It is the first time an unmanned probe has been used to bring objects back to Earth from space, and it is the first time an attempt has been made to fire a spacecraft back to Earth by remote control. Luna 16 is the second Soviet attempt to return samples from the Moon: the first, Luna 15, provoked widespread controversy when it was launched just three days before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. The successful landing of Luna 16 has revived the debate over the need to send men to the Moon in order to explore its surface. The Soviet Union has long argued that many complicated space experiments can be carried out with automatic devices, without risking the lives of men. However, America argues that trained scientists sent as astronauts to the Moon can collect larger and better selected samples than a probe.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Election of 1824
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/15/05 (9-19-05)
In today's "History According to Bob," History Professor Bob Packett, of Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City MO), talks about the presidential election contested by Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay.
Buffalo Soldier Mark Matthews dies at 111
Source: NPR "Talk of the Nation" (9-19-05)
Retired 1st Sgt. Mark Matthews, 111, one of the last of the nation's legendary Buffalo Soldiers, died Sept. 6 at a nursing home in Washington. The Buffalo Soldiers were African-American regiments within the U.S. Army after the Civil War; they served primarily in the Indian wars of the late 1860s.
Rhode Island Regiment
Source: Colonial Williamsburg "Past & Present" (9-19-05)
Colonial Williamsburg interpreter Greg James discusses the determination of the members of an all-black regiment of soldiers, the Rhode Island Regiment.
Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the U.S.
Source: C-SPAN "Q&A" (9-19-05)
Allen Weinstein discusses his job as the Archivist of the United States in preserving Presidential & other U.S. government records at Presidential libraries and other National Archives' facilities.
And now, the war forecast
Source: The Economist "Technology Quarterly" (9-19-05)
Can software really predict the outcome of an armed conflict, just as it can predict the course of the weather? A discussion with Tom Standage, Technology Editor of "The Economist" -- "We’re looking at systems which take historical data about known conflicts. You then build a model and tweak it until it correctly predicts the known outcomes of the these conflicts. Weather forecasters call this 'hind-casting'. Just as you can work out the rules of physics that govern the behaviour of the atmosphere, there are people that are trying to work out the laws that govern military conflicts."
The history of nylon
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-19-05)
70 years ago in a research laboratory in Delaware, USA, a young scientist made a discovery that was to change the face of fashion forever. Nylon was the world’s first totally synthetic fibre and it was originally heralded as a 'miracle'. Within a few years nylon was being used in a whole range of products from brush bristles to racquet strings, but it was the launch of nylon stockings that really created a storm. "Woman’s Hour" explores the History of Nylon, and Jenni Murray is joined in the studio by Sue Mossman from London's Science Museum and Sandy Black from The London School of Fashion to discuss how technology has changed fashion and what we can expect in the future.
Jesus in America • Civil War recollections 1st of 8
Source: "Talking History" September 19, 2005 (9-19-05)
(1) Richard Wightman Fox and Talking History's Fred Nielsen explore what Fox calls "America’s national obsession." Fox is author of "Jesus in America: Personal Savior, Cultural Hero, National Obsession." (2) Replacing the program's commentary and site-of-the-week segments during our new fall 2005 season, Talking History will air an 8-part series of readings from an unpublished manuscript, "Recollections of Field Hospital Service During the War of Secession," the eyewitness narrative of German immigrant Theodore V. Brown (b. 1836). The reader is David Jones, a student in the graduate theater program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Salem witch trials: "Judge Sewall's Apology" 1st of 5
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" Monday (9-19-05)
The Salem witch trials in 1692, now a byword for terrible injustice, were seen then as a battle between God and Satan for the souls of the new Americans. But one of the trial judges, Samuel Sewall, became so troubled by what he had helped to do that he made a remarkable public apology. His extraordinary act of recantation five years later was a turning point in his own life. Richard Francis's biography, "Judge Sewall's Apology", is read by actor Richard Mitchley.
The miraculous journey of Margery Kempe
Source: BBC Radio 3 "Sunday Feature" (9-19-05)
David Wallace assesses the first autobiography in the English language, "The Book of Margery Kempe". He traces the final journey that its author, the 15th Century visionary Margery Kempe, made at the age of 60 from her home in Kings Lynn, England, to Danzig, Wilsnack and Aachen. She passed through pilgrim boomtowns, crossing paths with crusaders who lived like kings and meeting merchants who wanted to be knights. Featuring actress Prunella Scales as the voice of Margery Kempe, and historians Eamon Duffy, Peter Johanek, Kate Parker and Vincent Gillespie.
Remembering Kent State 1970
Source: "Soundprint" September 16 (9-19-05)
When thirteen students were shot by Ohio National Guard Troops during a war demonstration on the Kent State University Campus on the first week of May 1970, four young lives were ended and a nation was stunned. More than 30 years later, the world at war is a different place. However, those thirteen seconds in May, 1970 still remain scorched into an Ohio hillside. Through archival tape and interviews, "Remembering Kent State" tracks the events that led up to the shootings.
Adam Nicolson on Trafalgar
Source: The Book Guys #0537, 9-15-05 (9-19-05)
The Book Guys -- book appraiser Allan Stypeck and Washington DC radio host Mike Cuthbert -- welcome historian Adam Nicolson, who discusses his new study of British history, "Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar."
In the footsteps of explorers
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Excess Baggage" 10 September 2005 (9-19-05)
Sandi Toksvig talks to three explorers about walking in the footsteps of the heroic explorers from the age of adventure. Tom Fremantle has trekked into Africa on the path of Mungo Park's journey in 1795. Rebecca Harris retraced the steps of John Franklin, lost in 1845 whilst trying to find the North West Passage. Benedict Allen travelled by camel along the Namib desert/Skeleton Coast of South West Africa.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
On this day, 2003: Washington DC swept by hurricane
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-18-05)
A massive hurricane has swept through the area around Washington DC, the capital of the United States. At least two deaths have already been attributed to the storm, known as Hurricane Isabel, since it hit the east coast late yesterday, wreaking widespread havoc with winds gusting at up to 150 km/h (90mph). By early today, most people in Washington had already taken shelter. The streets are largely empty, and much of the city has simply shut down, including federal buildings. Uprooted trees are blocking several roads, and many streets are covered in leaves, branches and fallen power lines. President George W Bush was among those who left the capital, going to his retreat at Camp David in Maryland, along with his guest, King Abdullah of Jordan.
Silent Cal takes a nap
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/15/05 (9-18-05)
In today's "History According to Bob," History Professor Bob Packett talks about the idiosyncrasies of our sleepiest president -- Calvin Colidge. Professor Bob, of Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City MO), loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
On this day, 1970: Rock legend Hendrix dies after party
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-18-05)
Guitarist Jimi Hendrix has died after collapsing at a party in London. Police say there was no question of foul play. A number of sleeping pills were found at the house in Notting Hill Gate and they have been taken away for analysis. Hendrix, 27, was born in Seattle, Washington, but rose to fame in Britain with his band the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He will be remembered as a key figure in the music world who transformed electric guitar-playing using distortion, feedback and sheer volume to create a revolutionary new sound.
On this day, 1961: UN Secretary General killed in air crash
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-18-05)
The body of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold has been identified among the wreckage of a plane which crashed last night outside the Northern Rhodesian town of Ndola. The Norwegian statesman was due in Ndola for peace talks following clashes between United Nations peacekeeping troops and forces striving for independence in the breakaway Congolese province of Katanga. There was only one survivor from the aircraft. Twelve other bodies have been recovered. The survivor, Sergeant Harold Julian, a United States member of the UN Security Force is still in a serious condition in hospital. He told rescuers Mr Hammarskjold had ordered the plane to change direction and fly to a new destination just before landing. Shortly afterwards there was an explosion on board, followed by several smaller explosions.
The US Air Force is born, September 18, 1947
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-18-05)
Today in 1947, the United States Air Force officially became a separate branch of the armed forces. I use the term “officially” because the service was actually created by the National Security Act of 1947, which became law on July 26, 1947. However, it was on this day that Stuart Symington became the first Secretary of the Air Force, putting the service on an equal footing with the Army and Navy.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Teaching History
Source: "Talking History" September 12, 2005 (9-13-05)
Jacquelyn Hall joins Host Bryan Le Beau to discuss the teaching of American history in the schools. Hall is Julia Cherry Spruill Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and past president of The Organization of American Historians. For our commentary, James Sheehan offers us his thoughts on how we learn from history. Sheehan is Dickason Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Modern European History at Stanford University and President of the American Historical Association.
Key writes a song, September 14, 1814
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-13-05)
Today in 1814, Francis Scott Key saw the sun rise aboard a British warship. Key was an American, a lawyer by trade and a former militiaman out of necessity. He was in a dangerous place at a dangerous time, for the ship on which he was temporarily trapped was part of the flotilla that had spent the evening shelling Fort McHenry, the fort that helped protect Baltimore from a seaborne invasion. But as the sun rose, Key viewed something that he would carry with him for the rest of his life: the huge American flag flying over McHenry, though a little tattered, was still flying. The fort had held against 1,800 British cannonballs. Key was so moved by what he saw that he immediately wrote a poem to commemorate the event. As he said later, "Then, in that hour of deliverance, my heart spoke. Does not such a country, and such defenders of their country, deserve a song?"
On this day, 14 September 1982: Hollywood princess dead
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-13-05)
Princess Grace of Monaco has died of the injuries she sustained in a car crash near Monte Carlo yesterday.
The Hollywood actress Grace Kelly -- who starred in the Alfred Hitchcock hits "Dial M for Murder" and "Rear Window" -- suffered a brain haemorrhage. A statement issued by the royal palace said she died at 2130 GMT after her conditioned worsened throughout the morning and become irreversible by the afternoon. It also said the former film star's husband, Monaco's head of state Prince Rainier, and her three children were at her bedside when she died.
On this day, 13 September 1993: Rabin and Arafat shake on peace deal
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-13-05)
The Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, and the PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, have shaken hands before cheering crowds on the White House lawn in Washington.
The handshake -- the first ever in public between the two former arch enemies -- marked the signing of a Declaration of Principles for peace between the Arabs and Israelis. Under the terms of the deal, Israel has agreed to withdraw its troops from Gaza Strip and West Bank by April 1994. Elections will be held in the territories to allow the Palestinians some form of self-government. A deadline for a final settlement has been set for February 1999.
Dante dies, September 13, 1321
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-13-05)
Dante Alighieri was born in June 1264 and died today September 13th 1321. Dante, which translates as "the giver," towers over the middle ages as its most prominent literary figure, creating from medieval beliefs, a poetry that has claimed a captive audience ever since. Dante’s poetry has the literary sense of Homer, the epic retelling of the culture’s values restored in the vernacular that Dante seemed to legitimize with the poetic legacy he passed on to Renaissance authors and to Shakespeare. No modern writer seems to define his age as Dante does to the Middle Ages. So what made this man so remarkable that he is listed as #2 in Daniel S. Burt's "The Literary 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets of All Time"?
Peter Waldo
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" (9-13-05)
History Professor Bob Packett, of Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City MO), tells the story of Peter Waldo, the French religious leader who founded the Waldenses and was excommunicated in 1184. Professor Bob loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive in "History According to Bob."
GI returns from Iraq an alcoholic • Foster mother of 850 children • Rent-a-wedding-guest • South African women's prison
Source: BBC World Service "Outlook" (9-13-05)
American soldier returning from Iraq faces alcohol problem: John Crawford, who signed up as a Florida National Guardsman and found himself fighting in Iraq, talks to Outlook about his time there and his struggle to return to normal civilian life; a struggle that included weaning himself off alcohol and drugs and fighting to save his marriage.
Birdie McDonald -- Foster mother of 850 children: Birdie McDonald, originally from Jamaica, first began fostering 32 years ago and in her time has looked after more than 850 children, three of whom are her own. Many stayed only a few nights but one, Donovan, stayed from the age of 2 until he was 18. Outlook's Jerry Jackson went to meet Birdie and Donovan at Birdie's home in north west London.
Rajasthani service offering wedding guests: In Rajasthan weddings are huge family events, so much so that if you do not have enough guests to ask it may be embarrassing. To prevent this from happening an agency called the Best Guests Centre has been set up, with around 70 people who can turn up either traditionally dressed or in smart western clothes. M.I. Syed is the proprietor and he tells Outlook how the demand for his guests is growing because of the break up of extended families and lack of contact with relatives.
South African women's prison: For nearly three-quarters of a century, the Women's Jail in Johannesburg, South Africa, was occupied by a succession of black women who may have been sent to prison for something as innocuous as drinking with white friends, shopping in town without permission or being out after dark in whites-only areas. The jail closed in the early 1980s, and it has been beautifully renovated and turned into a museum which reminds visitors of the women's suffering. The BBC's Merle Dieterich visited the museum, which opened last month, and met some of the former prisoners.
Armenian massacre • Not a spy, but a con man • Delphic Games • Plagiarism?
Source: BBC World Service "Outlook" (9-13-05)
Armenia: One of Turkey's most famous authors is facing a trial and possible three year jail sentence for daring to say that more than a million Armenians living in Turkey were killed in massacres organised by the country's rulers ninety years ago.
Robert Hendy-Freegard: The extraordinary story of a con man, who convinced his victims he was a British spy, ruined their lives and extracted hundreds of thousands of pounds from their bank accounts over a ten year period, finally came to an end this week when he was jailed for life.
Delphic Games: The ancient Greeks celebrated the arts as well as athletics with the Delphic Games and that tradition has now been revived with hundreds of dancers, singers, painters, musicians, film makers and weavers from all around the world coming together in Kuching, Malaysia.
Plagiarism? Angela Merkel, Germany's fastest-rising political star, has allegedly committed what to many is an unpardonable sin. The closing statement of her speech in a recent televised debate bore an uncanny resemblance to the closing statement of the US President Ronald Reagan's TV debate in 1980 with Jimmy Carter.
Algeria referendum • Not English, but 'globish' • Russian returns to his pre-1917 estate
Source: BBC World Service "Outlook" (9-13-05)
Algeria referendum: The bloodshed in Algeria at the beginning of the 1990s saw the deaths of over 150,000 people. Others have disappeared. A controversial national referendum later this month will propose a charter for national reconciliation.
Globish: A retired French marketing executive has devised a new method of learning English -- simplifying the language by restricting the vocabulary to 1500 words. We'll be taking a lesson in this simplified language -- globish -- before discussing whether it's likely to catch on.
A Russian returns: After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Bolsheviks arrested wealthy landowners and confiscated their property. Now, for the first time since the fall of communism, a Russian descended from a long line of aristocrats has managed to buy back his family's country estate, which has had a very chequered history in the family's absence.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Battle of Marathon
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" (9-12-05)
The Battle of Marathon is the topic in today's "History According to Bob." History Professor Bob Packett, of Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City MO), loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
The Laconia Incident, September 12, 2005
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-12-05)
Today in 1942, the cruise liner Laconia was sunk by the German submarine U-156 in the South Atlantic between the African coast and Ascension Island. While thousands of ships were sunk by both the Allied and Axis powers during the Second World War, this sinking would change the nature of submarine warfare in the Atlantic.
On this day, 1977: Steve Biko dies in custody
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-12-05)
The leader of the black consciousness movement in South Africa, Steve Biko, has died in police custody.
The 30-year-old's death was confirmed by the commissioner of police, General Gert Prinsloo, today. It is understood Mr Biko died in hospital in Pretoria. The government minister of Justice and Police, James Kruger, stated that Mr Biko had been transferred 740 miles (1,191 km) from Port Elizabeth to Pretoria for medical attention following a seven-day hunger strike. Mr Biko had been in custody since 18 August when he was arrested and detained under the Terrorism Act. He is the 20th person to die in custody during the past 18 months.
Thursday, September 8, 2005
On this day, 1943: Italy's surrender announced
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-8-05)
Italy has signed an unconditional armistice with the Allies, General Dwight D Eisenhower has announced.
The surrender was signed five days ago in secret by a representative of Marshal Pietro Badoglio, Italy's prime minister since the downfall of Benito Mussolini in July. General Eisenhower -- the commander in chief of Allied forces in the Mediterranean -- said the Italian Government had agreed to end all hostilities with the United Nations. In a broadcast on Algiers radio at 1730 local time, he said: "All Italians who now act to help eject the German aggressor from Italian soil will have the assistance and support of the United Nations."
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Katrina: Reporters gone wild
Source: Salon (9-7-05)
TV anchors grapple with their sources, the spin wars, and each other. A highlight reel.
On this day, 1940: London blitzed by German bombers
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-7-05)
The German air force has unleashed a wave of heavy bombing raids on London, killing hundreds of civilians and injuring many more. The Ministry of Home Security said the scale of the attacks was the largest the Germans had yet attempted. "Our defences have actively engaged the enemy at all points," said a communiqué issued this evening. "The civil defence services are responding admirably to all calls that are being made upon them." The first raids came towards the end of the afternoon, and were concentrated on the densely populated East End, along the river by London's docks. About 300 bombers attacked the city for over an hour and a half. The entire docklands area seemed to be ablaze as hundreds of fires lit up the sky. Once darkness fell, the fires could be seen more than 10 miles away, and it is believed that the light guided a second wave of German bombers which began coming over at about 2030 BST (1930 GMT). The night bombing lasted over eight hours, shaking the city with the deafening noise of hundreds of bombs falling so close together there was hardly a pause between them.
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Ethan Rarick & Calif. Gov. Pat Brown
Source: C-SPAN2 "Book TV" (9-6-05)
Ethan Rarick tells the story of former California Governor Pat Brown in his book, "California Rising." Democrat Edmund G. "Pat" Brown governed the state of California from 1959 to 1967. Mr. Rarick uses Pat Brown's diary as well as love letters written to his wife to chronicle his political career and the history of California. The author discusses Governor Brown's positive reaction to the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964, the Watts Riots in 1965, and the fate of Caryl Chessman, a convicted kidnapper who gained international attention by writing best-selling books on death row. This event was hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco. Ethan Rarick covered politics in California and Oregon for fifteen years. His work has appeared in the "Los Angeles Times" and the "San Francisco Chronicle." "California Rising" is his first book.
Britain & the fall of Rome
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/05/05 (9-6-05)
In today's "History According to Bob," History Professor Bob Packett talks about the Romans' withdrawl from Britannia and the subsequent rise of Celtic and Germanic tribes. Professor Bob, of Maple Woods Community College (Kansas City MO), loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
Audio news from Archaeologica
Source: The Archaeology Channel 29 August-4 September 2005 (9-6-05)
(1) Even history needs to be cleaned up after Hurricane Katrina. (2) Three stones shed light on Roman history. (3) Modern science may help to preserve one of Michelangelo's masterpieces. (4) New discoveries at an ancient Ohio site.
Dinner for Dickens
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-6-05)
Catherine Dickens is best known as the wife of the famous Victorian novelist. But in 1851 Catherine -- or Kate as she preferred to be called -- also published a book of her own, called "What Shall We Have for Dinner?" under the pseudonym Lady Maria Clutterbuck. The collection of menus was revised five times over the next nine years and is now the subject of a new book called "Dinner for Dickens: The Culinary History of Mrs Charles Dickens". Jenni Murray talks to the book's author, Susan Rossi Wilcox, and to Professor John Sutherland about Kate Dickens, her culinary skills and the role food plays in Dickens' work.
Around the Web: Katrina's destruction of vibrant music scene in 'City of Jazz'
Source: Salon "Audiofile" Friday, Sep 2, 2005 (9-6-05)
A summary of New Orleans music news -- artists found, artists missing, and a cultural tragedy "too awful to contemplate."
Hurricane Katrina
Source: Rocketboom (9-6-05)
NASA on Katrina [animation, season predictions, image of New Orleans], mainstream media fair-use clips, "New York Times" reports white house plan to erase political damage, Houston field correspondent Tyson Root covers the George R. Brown Convention Center.
On this day, 1997: Diana's funeral watched by millions
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-6-05)
Britain and the world have said farewell to Diana, Princess of Wales, at the end of an unprecedented week of mourning. A four mile procession brought her coffin to Westminster Abbey, where politicians and celebrities joined the Royal Family in a subdued congregation. Over a million people lined the route of the funeral cortege to the abbey and along her final journey to the Spencer family home in Northamptonshire.
Belenko defects, September 6, 1976
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-6-05)
Today in 1976, Soviet Air Force Lieutenant Viktor Belenko flew his MIG-25 Foxbat from the Soviet Union to Japan. He then asked for asylum in the United States. This flight marked the end of one man’s struggle with the ideology and practices of Communism.
On this day, 1972: Olympic hostages killed in gun battle
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-6-05)
All nine of the Israeli athletes kidnapped on Tuesday from the Olympic Village in Munich have been killed in a gun battle at a nearby airport. A policeman also died in the shooting at the Furstenfeldbruck military airbase, along with four of the guerrillas from the Palestinian group Black September. Witnesses at the airport said the shooting began when police snipers opened fire on the extremists. A spokesman for the Olympic Games said the kidnappers had blown up a helicopter with the hostages inside and then opened fire on the wreckage with automatic weapons. It is believed that the remaining four militants have been captured by West German police. The guerrillas had previously threatened to kill all the hostages if 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel were not released.
On this day, 1970: Hundreds held in series of hijacks
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-6-05)
Four New York-bound airliners have been hijacked over western Europe in an unprecedented operation carried out by a militant Palestinian group. Three of the planes taken over by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have been flown to two different locations in the Middle East. One of the hijackers is dead and the other in custody after the crew and passengers on the fourth jet foiled the attack. The PFLP have demanded the release of three Arab dissidents held in a Swiss jail in return for the 382 passengers they are holding hostage.
Katrina
Source: Dreamies® USA World News Today Theater (9-6-05)
Bill Holt breaks his vacation to combine video of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath with a plaintive appeal from Oscar Hamerstein II's "Ol' Man River."
Nick Spitzer on New Orleans' cultural history
Source: NPR "Fresh Air from WHYY" (9-6-05)
Folklorist Nick Spitzer hosts "American Routes," a public radio music program based in New Orleans. He left the city before Hurricane Katrina and is now in Lafayette, La. He talks about the cultural and musical history of New Orleans.
Interpreting domestic life at Colonial Williamsburg
Source: Colonial Williamsburg "Past & Present" (9-6-05)
This is "Behind the Scenes," where we let you meet the people who work here. Lori Laughrey is a costumed interpreter with domestic sites in the Historic Area. She enjoys 'dressing up' to lead tours and explain domestic life in the 18th century.
Goodbye Downing Street
Source: BBC Radio 4 "The Westminster Hour" (9-6-05)
Once you've got the top job, how do you know when the time is right to stand aside? Very few Prime Ministers leave Number 10 voluntarily at a time of their own choosing -- most are ejected either by their party, like Margaret Thatcher, or by the voters. Tony Blair has taken the unprecedented stop of announcing his departure in advance -- hoping perhaps that he can avoid the messy and painful departures that have so often marred the final days in office of prime ministers. Susan Hulme looks at some of the brutal lessons of history for Tony Blair.
Rehnquist's place in history
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-6-05)
Alex Chadwick speaks with "Slate" legal analyst Dahlia Lithwick about the legacy of late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. She argues that Rehnquist's impact on the high court rivals that of history's most renowned jurists.
Mozart’s women
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-6-05)
"Mozart's Women: The Man, the Music, and the Loves in His Life" is conductor Jane Glover’s contribution to the wealth of biographies written about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, as well as concentrating on the man himself, this book looks at the close relationships he had with his mother, sister, lovers and wife, Constanze. It also puts the record straight about Constanze, much maligned by history, and reveals a close and happy marriage. Jenni Murray talks to Jane Glover and "Sunday Times" critic Hugh Canning about the composer, and the women in his life.
Dad's revolutionary army
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Document" (9-6-05)
When Britain's back was against the wall in the dark days of July 1940 thousands of British civilians were being trained in the arts of garrotting, making bombs and killing quietly with knives. In contrast to the classic BBC TV situation comedy "Dad's Army" -- the escapades and mishaps among members of the Home Guard -- the targets of this early 'dad's army' weren't German but British. This private army of socialist revolutionaries, based at the end of the London Underground's Piccadilly Line, feared that the British government would roll over like Vichy France. If it did it faced a civil war with this new British Resistance. The early Home Guard believed that Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax was leading the call to give in. Lord Foot, who then backed a guerrilla war, had plans for Halifax if he did. The 93-year-old former Labour leader told this programme: "I'd have killed him." "Document" traces members of this left wing militia, discovers government pressure to quash BBC of them and MI5 plots to infiltrate 'dad's revolutionary army'.
The US threatens the UK, September 5, 1863
Source: Matt's Today in History (9-6-05)
Today in 1863, Charles Adams sent a very strongly-worded letter to the British government threatening war between the United States and the UK if the latter allowed two ironclad ships to set sail from British ports.
Monday, September 5, 2005
William Phips
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 09/02/05 (9-5-05)
Sir William Phips, the colonial governor of Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials, is the subject of today's "History According to Bob" podcast from History Professor Bob Packett. Professor Bob, of Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City MO, who loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
Delhi is 4th of 6 places that changed the world
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Six Places That Changed the World" (9-5-05)
Midnight on August 14th, 1947, in Delhi. The British pulling out of India was not the first act of decolonisation, but it was the biggest. It marked the moment when Britain gave up the brightest diamond in the imperial crown, and the beginning of the end for the European empires. Gavin Esler explores what it meant to move into a world without empire. Among those joining him will be Vikram Seth, Niall Ferguson and Sir Sonny Ramphal.
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Greece: Ancient legacies, modern society, delicious food
Source: WPR "To the Best of Our Knowledge" (9-4-05)
Have you ever wondered why Homer's Iliad is still so popular? Bestselling writer Thomas Cahill says it's because it's a real boy's story. In this hour of "To the Best of Our Knowledge," our enduring fascination with the Ancient Greeks. Also, an archaeologist who's excavating the real Troy. And, a portrait of modern Athens.
The Great Flood of Holland
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Sunday" (9-4-05)
As a freelance journalist, Daniel Schorr covered the devastation of a flood that hit Holland in 1953. Dikes that had protected a third of the country for a century were overwhelmed, but the Dutch fought back.
Rehnquist: From lone dissenter to consensus-builder
Source: NPR "All Things Considered" (9-4-05)
Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg describes the career and legacy of Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Bush pays tribute to Rehnquist
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Sunday" (9-4-05)
Noting the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, President Bush praises his long service to the Supreme Court and the nation. Rehnquist worked on court business until his very last days despite a difficult battle with thyroid cancer.
The Sikhs of Woopi -- Part One
Source: ABC Australia "Hindsight" (9-4-05)
From the end of the nineteenth century guest workers were coming to Australia from The Punjab in India to work as itinerant farm labourers. An unusual sight in regional Australia, with their turbans and long beards, they did the dirtiest and most difficult jobs. This was the White Australia era and while they were tolerated because India was also part of the British Empire they were unable to join unions and were paid poorly, sleeping under bridges and in barns. In this program their children and grandchildren tell their story, one man’s father walking as a child from the Murray River up to Ballina. During the Second World War they were able to get regular work in the banana growing industry and came to settle around Woolgoolga in Northern NSW. Their Australian co-workers loved eating their curries and chapatis or “johnny cakes”.
Levee disaster warnings circa 1929
Source: Amazon.com "Queen of the Blues" by Memphis Minnie (9-4-05)
"When The Levee Breaks," a Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe song, was later covered by Led Zeppelin: "If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break,/ If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break,/ When the levee breaks, all these people'll have no place to stay."
World War II's effect on a generation of men
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Saturday" (9-4-05)
Tom Mathews' father was a veteran of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II. His book, "Our Fathers' War," explores how the conflict affected filial relations for the men who served. Linda Wertheimer talks with Mathews about the book, which combines his own story with those of nine others whose sons were indelibly marked by their fathers' experience as soldiers.
The Mississippi flood of 1927
Source: NPR "Weekend Edition Saturday" (9-4-05)
In 1927 the Mississippi's floodwaters reached from Illinois and Missouri all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly one million people were left homeless. John Barry, author of "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927," describes the epic disaster.
Katrina creates apocalyptic scenes
Source: RTÉ Radio 1 "World Report" (9-4-05)
Robert Shortt, RTÉ Washington Correspondent, reports from the Gulf of Mexico on the devastation, and the break-down of society.
Is this really America?
Source: Guardian Unlimited, September 2 (9-4-05)
The government's flawed response to Hurricane Katrina has failed the poor, reports Gary Younge from Mobile, Alabama.
Jimi Hendrix -- Made in London
Source: BBC Radio 2 (9-4-05)
Johnnie Walker presents a profile of Jimi Hendrix and his arrival in 'swinging' London in 1966, where Jimi began to change the sound of rock guitar forever. Although born in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix was always most at home in his adopted city of London. Shy and retiring, 23-year-old James Marshall Hendrix arrived at Heathrow in September 1966 as an absolute unknown, and returned to the USA in June 1967 as a cock-sure, homecoming hero ready to don the mantle of America's first black rock superstar. It was in London that he had been welcomed with open arms by the musical glitterati of the 60's, here he was judged for his talent rather than his race; above all it was in London that he was redesigned, repackaged and presented back to America and the World.
Library of Congress manuscript historian
Source: The Book Guys #0535, 9-01-05 (9-4-05)
The Book Guys -- book appraiser Allan Stypeck and Washington DC radio host Mike Cuthbert -- welcome John Earl Haynes, Manuscript Historian at the Library of Congress and a specialist in the history of the Communist Party in the USA.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
On this day 1943: Allied troops invade mainland Italy
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-3-05)
British troops have landed on the Italian mainland four years to the day after war was declared on Germany. Their arrival in the "toe" of Italy follows two days of heavy bombardment by warships and Flying Fortresses of railways and communication lines. After crossing the Straits of Messina from Sicily to mainland Italy, British and Canadian troops of the 8th Army met little resistance at the port of Reggio di Calabria.
On this day 1939: Britain & France declare war on Germany
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-3-05)
Britain and France are at war with Germany following the invasion of Poland two days ago. At 1115 BST the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, announced the British deadline for the withdrawal of German troops from Poland had expired. He said the British ambassador to Berlin had handed a final note to the German government this morning saying unless it announced plans to withdraw from Poland by 1100, a state of war would exist between the two countries. Mr Chamberlain continued: "I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received and consequently this country is at war with Germany." Similarly the French issued an ultimatum, which was presented in Berlin at 1230, saying France would be at war unless a 1700 deadline for the troops' withdrawal was adhered to.
Scotland's local history
Source: BBC Radio Scotland "Past Lives" (9-3-05)
Got an historical itch to scratch? Then look no further than "Past Lives" for help! Mark Stephen sets out across Scotland to answer listeners' questions about the country's past -- from Wick to Dumfries and Vikings to Mods, his curiosity knows no bounds. In the 2nd programme of the new series, Mark visited Wick and found, among other things, the Trinkie Baths, another outdoor swimming pool to add to his collection. But Mark's escort for the day, Harry Gray, took Mark off to his own beloved North Baths...
Hurricane Katrina
Source: Rocketboom (9-3-05)
Rocketboom Houston TX field correspondent Tyson Root uploads raw video footage of Katrina disaster aftermath.
New Orleans' levees: Past, present, future
Source: NPR "Talk of the Nation" (9-3-05)
How did the levee system around New Orleans come to be? And can it be improved to prevent the city from becoming flooded in a future storm? We look at the history -- and future -- of the levees around New Orleans. Guests: Craig Colten, author of "An Unnatural Metropolis: Wresting New Orleans from Nature," and professor of geography at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge; and Philip Davis, NPR correspondent.
Katrina vs. Andrew
Source: NPR "News & Notes with Ed Gordon" (9-3-05)
Roundtable topics include the aftermath of Katrina compared to Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Florida in 1992, and a look at the cost burden of the recovery and how other cities are pitching in. Guests: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); economist and author Julianne Malveaux; and Roscoe Warren, mayor of Homestead, Fla.
Comparing New Orleans to Bangladesh
Source: BBC World Service-PRI-WGBH Boston "The World" (9-3-05)
Host Ken Bader speaks with the BBC's Sabir Mustafa, who covered the cyclone that killed more than 131,000 people in Bangladesh in 1991.
Historian: Government relief efforts to 1927 Mississippi flood faster than Katrina
Source: Pacifica "Democracy Now!" (9-3-05)
We go back to the spring of 1927 when the Mississippi River flooded after weeks of incessant rains. While the federal government response was well-coordinated, African Americans were rounded into work camps by land owners and prevented from leaving as the waters rose. Amy Goodman is joined by Pete Daniel, author of "Deep'N As It Come: The 1927 Mississippi River Flood." He's the curator of the Division of Work and Industry at the National Museum of American History.
Extraordinary 100th family reunion
Source: NPR "Day to Day" (9-3-05)
Summer is the traditional season for family reunions -- and this summer, "Day to Day" reporter Karen Grigsby Bates returned to her roots for the 100th-anniversary gathering of her extended clan in North Carolina. The story begins in 1906, when John Wesley Roberts and his cousins Wesley Mauney and Eli Borders Roberts sought to reconvene families scattered by slavery and then by Emancipation. The three men, born into slavery, gathered their nearest relatives and began to trace their common origins. Their efforts led them finally to Kings Mountain, a small town about thirty miles west of Charlotte, N.C. Since that first gathering, the extended family -- the Roberts, Borders, Mauney, Howell, Briggs and Related Families clan -- has been meeting every year, without exception. At this summer's reunion, about 500 relatives from 22 states made it to Kings Mountain. The common thread that connects them all is one woman from Guinea, the family's oldest known ancestor. Her African name has been lost to time, but she was later given the name Sylvie.
Friday, September 2, 2005
Battle of Leuctra
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 08/31/05 (9-2-05)
History Professor Bob Packett discusses the watershed Battle of Leuctra, 371 BC, in which the Thebans, under Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. "History According to Bob" is a daily podcast from Professor Bob, of Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City MO, who loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
World War Two ends, September 2, 1945
Source: Matt’s Today in History (9-2-05)
The Second World War ended today in 1945 with the formal surrender of the Japanese Empire. The war that had lasted, according to most Western historians, six years and one day had finally come to an end. It was then, and remains today, the mostly costly and deadliest war in history -- History with an opinion, the past with an attitude, from Matt Dattilo.
On This Day 1945: Japan signs unconditional surrender
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-2-05)
Japanese officials have signed the act of unconditional surrender, finally bringing to an end six years of world war. In the presence of 50 Allied generals and other officials, the Japanese envoys boarded the American battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay to sign the surrender document. Within half-an-hour of the signing, a convoy of 42 US ships entered Tokyo Bay and landed 13,000 American troops. The Supreme Commander of the Allied powers, US General Douglas MacArthur, briefly addressed the dignitaries on the deck of the battleship urging them to comply with the terms of the surrender "fully, promptly and faithfully".
The "Ginsburg Precedent"
Source: C-SPAN (9-2-05)
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, talks about "The Myth of the 'Ginsburg Precedent.'"
The Colonel of Tamarkan
Source: BBC Radio 4 "Woman's Hour" (9-2-05)
Julie Summers knew that her grandfather had been in a prisoner of war in the Far East and that he had undergone certain experiences that made him particularly touchy about his children and grandchildren wasting food. But her grandfather resolutely refused to discuss what those experiences were with those around him. It wasn't until she began to research her book "The Colonel of Tamarkan" that she began to uncover the real story of the man whom she knew simply as Captain Bush and who many others thought of as the inspiration for the award-winning film "The Bridge on the River Kwai". She joins host Jenni Murray to discuss piecing together a tale of family and military history.
Thursday, September 1, 2005
September 1st 1983: Korean airliner 'shot down'
Source: BBC News "On This Day" (9-1-05)
The United States has accused the USSR of shooting down a civilian airliner which is missing off Russia's eastern coast. All 269 people on board the Korean Airlines flight KAL 007 are presumed dead. Moscow has so far only admitted to an incident with an "unidentified aircraft" in Soviet airspace. The Boeing 747 was flying from the USA to Seoul via Anchorage. It is believed to have strayed north of its scheduled course towards the Soviet island of Sakhalin. The US Secretary of State, George Shultz, demanded a full explanation from Moscow. He told reporters he was confident the USSR was to blame.
Germany invades Poland, September 1st 1939
Source: Opaque Lucidity "Matt’s Today in History" September 1, 2005 (9-1-05)
Today in 1939, Germany invaded Poland. England and France, who had remained mostly silent while Hitler built his war machine in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, gave Germany an ultimatum: withdraw from Poland by September 3rd or risk an all-out war on the Continent. The Second World War had begun -- History with an opinion, the past with an attitude, from Matt Dattilo.
AD 711
Source: Summa Historica "History According to Bob" 08/30/05 (9-1-05)
History Professor Bob Packett discusses the fall of Visigothic Iberia to the Muslims in AD 711 in this "History According to Bob" podcast. Professor Bob, of Maple Woods Community College, Kansas City MO, loves to tell stories of the real people behind the often sterile descriptions found in history texts. His conversational style, filled with anecdotes, quips and humor, will bring to life the characters of history. Now, through the technology of podcasting, you can also enjoy what Professor Bob's students have been enjoying for years -- history that comes alive.
Godzilla is back
Source: BBC World Service "Europe Today" (9-1-05)
The original, and controversial, version of the classic Japanese monster film, "Godzilla", is to go on show in Britain. The original print was cut by Hollywood, some say because it was too political. Quentin Cooper explains.
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