In April 1926, Benito Mussolini was making a speech to his supporters in Rome when a woman stepped out of the crowd, produced a pistol, and shot him at point-blank range. Mussolini's head turned as she did so, and the bullet grazed his nose. She fired again, but the gun jammed. The woman was Violet Gibson. But for a millimetre or two and a dodgy bullet, Violet might have changed the course of world history. Instead, she was committed to an asylum for the rest of her life and effectively written out of history. This is her story.

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Ernest Shackleton was one of the world's greatest explorers, leading expedition after expedition to the Antarctic. Born and raised in Kildare, Ireland, we look at the life and times of Shackleton, and what literally drove him to the ends of the earth.

Ernest Shackleton Recorded On 1909 Edison Phonograph Cylinder : https://youtu.be/OUTHZ_9tacM

Frank Hurley's Photos from the expedition: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34856379

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The name Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley) is one that is known by many, but how much do we actually know about the Irish Pirate Queen? Did she really meet the Queen of England? Did she really command a ruthless army of Pirates? Did she really shave her head to look like a boy so she could become a pirate? Find out all this and more in this episode!

Gráinne's letters: https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/meeting-grace-omalley-irelands-pirate-queen/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.