Episodes

Rerun: Circulated in some form since the 16th century, the ‘Index of Forbidden Books’ was quietly discontinued by Pope Paul VI on 14th June, 1966. In its 400-year+ history, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum had censored hundreds of authors including the German astrologer Keppler, the philosopher Kant, and Protestant theologians Martin Luther and John Calvin. But […]

Before McDonalds, there was the Horn & Hardart Automat – a chain restaurant featuring  coin-operated glass windows, which opened its first branch in Philadelphia on 12th June, 1902. The business would grow to serve 800,000 people per day. Customers exchanged nickels for dishes including meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and cherry pie. Beautifully designed with marble counters,

King George VI first tasted a hot dog on June 11th, 1939. The moment occurred during a picnic at the Hyde Park residence of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But behind the culinary first for the King, the famous American Royal Picnic would turn out to be an essential moment in the Special Relationship between

The renowned author of “War and Peace,” Count Leo Tolstoy, set off on a pilgrimage to Optina Monastery on 10th June, 1881, disguised as a peasant. Accompanied by his valet, Sergei Arbuzov, Tolstoy traipsed 130 miles from his vast estate; his feet bleeding from blisters thanks to his insistence that he be dressed in authentically

Rerun: Edgy, gritty and sexy, the Broadway production of ‘Grease’ opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on 7th June, 1972, beginning what would become a record-breaking eight-year run.  Despite NOT featuring some of the most well-known hits from the movie – including ‘Grease Is The Word’, ‘You’re The One That I Want’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted To

When Lord Byron’s 17 year-old daughter, Ada Lovelace, attended a soirée at the home of academic Charles Babbage on 5th June, 1833, the pair hit it off immediately. He invited her to see his ‘Difference Engine’ – an early mechanical calculator – kicking off a correspondence that lasted throughout her life. Their lively, intellectual correspondence,

On June 4, 1411, Charles VI of France granted the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon a monopoly to ripen his favourite cheese. Noted for its sharp, tangy, salty flavor and its rich, creamy texture, Roquefort is still under designation protected by French law, and sometimes called ‘le fromage des rois et des papes’ (“the cheese of kings

Just 224 words long, Eric Carle’s classic children’s book, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, was first published on 3rd June, 1969. Initially conceived as a “bookworm” eating through the pages, Carle’s editor suggested a caterpillar for the central character, leading to a timeless tome that has sold over 55 million copies in 70 languages.  Carle’s journey

Rerun. John Harvey Kellogg believed his corn flakes had a future as a sexual suppressant when he filed a patent for “Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same” on 31st May, 1895. What the Seventh Day Adventist and eugenicist hadn’t counted on was his brother Will – who combined his discovery with sugar; effectively creating

Bing Crosby recorded the biggest-selling single of all time, ‘White Christmas’, on 29th May, 1942. The session took just 18 minutes, and the song was not considered the standout from the album: everyone thought the Valentine’s-themed ballad ‘Be Careful, It’s My Heart’ had a better chance of chart success. The songwriter, Irving Berlin, was perhaps