Episodes

Vincent van Gogh’s genius was finally recognised 11 years after his death, when, on March 15th, 1901, the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris debuted his first major exhibition. Without the persistence of his sister-in-law, Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, it could probably not have happened. Gogh-Bonger had tirelessly promoted Vincent’s work after inheriting it when her husband Theo […]

The Guatemalan island of Flores, once known as Nojpetén, witnessed the final clash between Spanish conquistadors and the last independent Maya kingdom on March 13th, 1697.  The Itza warriors, equipped with ornate spears and swords, fought valiantly to defend their homeland; but Spanish firepower ultimately overwhelmed them, leading to heavy casualties and the retreat of

On this day in 1951, by a peculiar quirk of fate, the world got not one, but two Dennis the Menaces.  Both Dennises were mischievous rascals with slingshots, dogs, and striped outfits, but their personalities were as different as Yorkshire tea and Americano coffee.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reflect on why Beano

Disgruntled textile workers stormed a factory near Nottingham on March 11th, 1811, kickstarting the political movement famously known as Luddism. Their protest was not anti-technology per se; instead it stemmed from a desire for better work opportunities and wages, amidst economic hardships exacerbated by the Napoleonic Wars. As tensions escalated, the British government deployed troops

Comedy legends The Marx Brothers made their final on-screen appearance together on March 8th, 1959, in a TV short called “The Incredible Jewel Robbery.” However, due to contractual reasons, Groucho’s participation was kept a surprise until the end, with his billing simply as “a familiar face equipped with a moustache and leer.”  The Marx Brothers’

Rerun: Why is Sunday the Christian day of rest? Because Jesus said so? No! It was Roman emperor Constantine The Great who decreed on 7th March, 320 that “on the venerable day of the sun, let the magistrate and the people residing in cities rest and let all workshops be closed”. It was a departure

Pioneering music-sharing platform Napster faced a pivotal legal showdown on March 6th, 2001, when – despite the company’s defence that it was merely a tool for innocent purposes – US District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ordered the removal of all copyrighted material from the service. Napster’s legal troubles had begun with lawsuits from prominent artists

The famous ‘Che’ poster, entitled Guerrillero Heroico, taken by Alberto Korda at a mass funeral in Havana on 5th March, 1960. It went on to become one of the most reproduced photographs of all time. Korda snapped only two shots of Che Guevara that day – one portrait, one landscape – because he had actually

John Lennon’s controversial statement that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus was first published in the London Evening Standard on 4th March, 1966. The reporter, Maureen Cleave, documented the eccentricities of Lennon’s life and his dissatisfaction with fame and wealth; his musings on religion went almost completely unnoticed. That all changed months later, when

Mick Jagger, Madonna, and David Bowie were amongst the megastars who participated in the ‘I Want My MTV!’ campaign which debuted on 1st March, 1982; credited for getting music television to a sustainable number of cable providers and thereby kickstarting a whole genre: the music video.  Ad guru George Lois had come up with the