Thunderbirds Are Go!
RETRO
The first ever episode of Thunderbirds, the revolutionary British TV show starring puppets, aired on September 30th, 1965. It was instantly a hit in Britain, and elsewhere in the world, but its failure to captivate a US audience led to its untimely demise after just two seasons. The show used a system, coined by its …
The 33-day Pope
RETRO
Rerun. The corpse of John Paul I was discovered by a nun in the early hours of 29th September, 1978. His body was embalmed within 24 hours, heightening suspicions that the cause of death may have been unnatural. He had been Pope for just 33 days. An unconventional Pope – who had refused to wear the …
King of the Coup
RETRO
Gilbert Bourgeaud, better known by his nom de guerre “Bob Denard” was shot in the head at least twice, married seven times and had at least three religious conversions. And on September 28th, 1995, he launched his fourth and final attempt to take control of the Comoros islands with his own private army. In fact, …
Hunting Noah’s Ark
RETRO
The trend for “Arkeology” was kickstarted on September 27th, 1829, when the German explorer Friedrich Parrot ascended to the top of Mount Ararat in Armenia, which was believed at the time to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark. This was actually Parrot’s third attempt to climb to the top of Ararat. One of …
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The French King of Sweden
RETRO
Jean Bernadotte’s dad, a local prosecutor in the southwestern French city of Pau, intended for his son to follow in his footsteps as a lawyer. Instead, Jean became heir to the Swedish Crown on September 26th, 1810, and his descendants still sit on the Swedish throne to this day. Shortly after he moved to Sweden, …
Introducing ‘Club Retrospectors’
RETRO
Fancy a brand new, full-length SUNDAY EPISODE of this show, each and every week? Of course you do! Become a member of Club Retrospectors and unlock an additional, ad-free episode each weekend. Join now, for less than £1 per week, via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Here’s what our members can enjoy: Get SUNDAY episodes! …
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Here Comes Nintendo
RETRO
Nintendo was world-famous by the 1980s but the origins of the company go back a century earlier – to September 23rd, 1889, when Fusajiro Yamauchi founded Nintendo Koppai, a maker of brightly-coloured ‘Hanafuda’ cards. The hand-painted playing cards, made of mulberry bark, were produced for decades and were a favourite of Yakuza gangsters for use …
The All-Female Jury
RETRO
Rerun. Witchcraft and infanticide were the charges levelled against young maidservant Judith Catchpole at the General Provincial Court in Patuxent County, Maryland on September 22nd, 1656. Since the case hinged on whether she had been pregnant, an all-female jury was assembled – the first in colonial America. Seven married women and four single women physically examined …
The Birth of Mexican Wrestling
RETRO
El Santo, masks, spandex suits… all were yet to be conceived when Salvador Lutteroth González launched Mexico’s first ever national pro wrestling promotion, on 21st September 1933. ‘Lucha Libre’ – basically translated as ‘freestyle wrestling’ – has its roots in folklore, carnival sideshows and Greco-Roman traditions; but it was only after matches began to be …
First Cannes Film Festival
RETRO
There was no red carpet, no Palme d’Or, and no Palais des Festivals – but Hollywood nonetheless descended on the French Riviera for the opening of the first Cannes Film Festival on 20th September, 1946. It was actually the second time the event had been attempted – the first, in September 1939, was interrupted by …