Roundup

Prelude to Kulikovo

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)

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.

Washington arrives at Yorktown, September 28, 1781

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

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

28 September 1964: Kennedy murder was "no conspiracy"

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

"The Prince of L.A.," a play about the Catholic clergy

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 t

Battle over "intelligent design"

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

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

The real Treasure Island

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.

Supporters and critics in court battle over "Intelligent Design"

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 Mar

E=mc² at 100

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

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 Spitfire • Salem Witch Trial judge (8min • 8min)

After novelist Fay Weldon explores a new British reality TV show called The Week The Women Went (5min), John Wilson visits London's Science Museum for its new exhibit, Inside the Spitfire, marking the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Britain); then Richard Francis talks about his book about a Salem Witch Trial judge who later had doubts, Judge Sewall's Apology: The Salem Witch Trials And The Forming Of A Conscience.

Indian Mutiny • Jimi Hendrix • Political comedy & theatre (5min • 8min • 11min)

(1) Alkarim Jivani reviews the blockbuster movie The Rising, an epic tale of friendship, love, loss and betrayal set against the backdrop of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, starring Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. Jivani is television editor for the London arts and entertainment magazine Time Out. (2) Host John Wilson talks to Charles R. Cross, author of a new biography of Jimi Hendrix, entitled Room Full Of Mirrors. (3) Political and religious themes are common at this year's Edinburgh Festival Frin

GI returns from Iraq an alcoholic • Foster mother of 850 children • Rent-a-wedding-guest • South African women's prison

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 tim

Armenian massacre • Not a spy, but a con man • Delphic Games • Plagiarism?

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

Algeria referendum • Not English, but 'globish' • Russian returns to his pre-1917 estate

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 discu

Jesus in America • Civil War recollections 1st of 8

(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 eye

American secularism • Civil War recollections 2nd of 8

(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

Ancient religion under threat in Iraq

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 persecu