Episodes

Joanna of Castile, was, as a young lady, remarked upon for her intellect and good companionship, and married off to prize catch Philip the Handsome – but by the time she died on 13th April, 1555 she was known colloquially by the name that’s stuck ever since: ‘Joanna The Mad’. She had, by then, spent […]

A chaotic, shambolic and critically panned parody, the first on-screen incarnation of Ian Fleming’s novel ‘Casino Royale’ received its London premiere on 12th April, 1967 – with final edits still being made in the projection room. Nonetheless, it went on to take an extraordinary $40 million at the box office.  Hardnut hero James Bond’s adventures

The first holiday camp in Britain, Butlin’s Skegness, opened to the public on 11th April, 1936 – although one member of the public, a certain Freda Monk from Nottingham, was so keen to attend that she arrived a day early. It cost 35 shillings per week to attend.  South Africa-born Billy Butlin had created the

The most famous armless statue of all time, ‘Venus de Milo’ was discovered by a farmer on the Aegean island of Milos on 8th April, 1829, sparking an international bidding war that saw her eventually donated to the Louvre by Louis XVIII. The French had a particular interest in snapping up a new ancient treasure,

Highwayman Dick Turpin was executed at York on 7th April, 1739, for stealing horses. He was 34.  But, whilst the date and manner of his death are accurately recalled, almost everything else about Turpin has been distorted in the public imagination. Far from being a dashing character who outwitted corrupt authorities and robbed only the

George Eastman filed a patent for the first ever celluloid roll film on 6th April, 1889 – an incremental development following the release of the first Kodak handheld camera, released in 1888, but a truly significant one. Eastman’s original products came preloaded with film, and were marketed as “convenient as a field-glass”. For $10, customers

Deaf and blind since toddlerhood, Helen Keller was seven years old when her teacher, Anne Sullivan, took her to a water-pump on 5th April, 1887 – and she learned the word ‘water’. It was a eureka moment for Keller, who went on to read braille; write in pencil; learn French, German, Greek, and Latin; study

MSG, the umami seasoning frequently added to Chinese cuisine, came under fire on 4th April, 1968 – when Dr Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine musing about the possible causes of a ‘syndrome’ he experienced whenever he ate at Chinese restaurants in the US.   “The most prominent

Under the orders of King Charles III – who wanted marble and classical art for his palace at Portici – Spanish military engineer Roque Joaquín de Alcubierre excavated some Campanian ruins on 1st April, 1748 – and discovered the long-lost city of Pompeii. Buried beneath volcanic ash and debris since Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, La La and Po were introduced to British viewers on 31st March, 1997 – launching an international phenomenon and changing kid’s television forever. ‘Teletubbies’ was an enormous hit for the BBC, but not without controversy: from viewers concerned that the characters’ toddlerish language might impede the linguistic development of the nation’s children,