In this episode we are joined by special guest Ella Swain who has just finished her History degree at the University of Leeds. Ella talks about the life of Veronica Franco. Franco was born in 1546 and became an inspirational Italian poet and courtesan in Venetian Renaissance. She used her literary work to subtly protest women’s independence and some have called her one of the first ‘feminist activists’. Ella talks about Franco’s societal status, how she used her education to become so successful, as well as how the plague of 1575 deeply affected her later life.

In this episode we are joined by special guest Yasmin Gledhill, who is also a History student at the University of Bristol. She talks to us about the Asian Youth Movements that were formed of second-generation South Asians who united against street and public racism in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. Yasmin explains the origins of the movements, the campaigns within them as well as the parallels seen in present day such as with the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

In this episode we discuss the life and legacy of British nurse Florence Nightingale. Born in 1820, Nightingale grew up with a passion for nursing and pursued this career despite going against her parents’ wishes. Her most significant role came in 1853 when the Crimean War broke out. Nightingale took care of the injured and ill soldiers and became known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’. During her lifetime Nightingale worked hard to improve hygiene and sanitation which affected all sections of British society and her legacy lives on even till this day.

In this episode we take a look at the launch of Apollo 11, the historic spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon. Carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin and Michael Collins, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on this day, 16th July, in 1969. This achievement boosted America’s position in the ongoing space race against the Soviet Union. We discuss the run up to this event, why these astronauts were chosen to complete the mission, what they did when they reached the moon and the aftermath of the program.

In this episode we discuss the inspirational American aviator Amelia Earhart. After having a very successful career as an aviation pioneer, she sadly disappeared on 2nd July 1937 which sparked an unsuccessful search for her and her navigator, Fred Noonan. We take a look at Earhart’s early life, her career and her legacy, especially in a context of challenging gender barriers of the period.

In this episode we discuss the nine day evacuation of troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk to England during WW2, also known as the ‘Miracle of Dunkirk’. The evacuation officially ended on this day, 4th June, in 1940 with the success of naval vessels and hundreds of civilian boats rescuing over 300,000 British and Allied troops. We take a look at why the evacuation was necessary, how it was executed and the impacts it had on the war.

In this episode we discuss the Indian Removal Act that was signed by President Andrew Jackson on this day in 1830. The law authorised the president to negotiate with southern American Indian tribes to leave their Native land and move to federal territory west of the Mississippi River. This led to the forced resettlement of the American Indian population that became known as the ‘Trail of Tears’. We look at the reasons why this act was implemented, the controversy of the Act as well as the devastating impacts it had on American Indians.

In this episode we are joined with another history student Ella, who is currently studying at the University of Leeds. She joins our discussion on Louis XIV who became King of France on this day in 1643. Louis is the longest reigning monarch over a sovereign country and is known for his rule of absolutism. We cover his early life, reign, his love for war and his revolutionary build of the Palace of Versailles. It was great having Ella with us for this episode, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This week we give you a little bonus episode to reveal all the times we slipped up, mispronounced or got carried away with food chats. Thank you for all the support so far with our podcast, we really appreciate all the nice feedback. We hope you enjoy this extra episode :)

In this episode we discuss the disappearance of Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, from the Tower of London during the Wars of the Roses. Edward V succeeded his father as King of England on April 9 1483, but he disappeared before he was ever crowned. The two brothers are widely known as the ‘Princes in the Tower’. The main theory suggests that they were murdered by their uncle, who would later become King Richard III of England. We take a look at the Wars of the Roses which is key to understanding the complexities of kingship at the time, as well as exploring the murder mystery of the two young princes and the potential role that their successor played in their disappearance along with other suspects.