The Y in History

Oleg Gordievsky was a KGB Agent who fed vital intelligence to MI6 during the Cold War, averting WWIII. And Indian Double Agent helped India block its Air Space to Pakistan, prior to the 1971 Bangladesh War.

After the Korean War, Kim Il Sung introduced juche or self-reliance and consolidated his power by introducing Songbun, which created a political caste system. The Songbun was used by his successor Kim Jong Il during the Korea Famine (1994-1999) to divert food aid to the elite layer to prevent an overthrow of his government.

In May of 2011, the US Seal Team Six conducted a raid on a large residential compond in Abbottabad, Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden. But how did Bin Laden land in Abbottabad from the Tora Bora Mountains in Afghanistan?

Sikkim became a British India protectorate under the 1861 Treaty of Tumlong. After India's independence in 1947, the Indo-Sikkim Treaty of 1950, made Sikkim a protectorate of India. An Indian Intelligence operation in 1975 led to a referendum which resulted in Sikkim becoming the 22nd State of the Indian Union.

Drones, Drone Interceptors, Speed Boats and Sea Mines are some of the inexpensive artillery, developed and used across the Russia-Ukraine and US-Iran Wars, which have drastically altered the battlefield dynamics. So, what lessons have these wars taught us?

From 1950 to 1970, Lebanon's Capital, Beirut, was known as the Paris of the Middle East. But after the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) moved its Headquarters to West Beirut in 1971, South Lebanon became an active battlefield against Israel. Fractures in Lebanese society emerged and from 1975 to 1990, it descended into a disastrous Civil War. Amidst the melee, Hezbollah emerged as the new m...

In February 1995, Aussie Cricket legend, Shane Warne revealed that he and Tim May had been offered $200,000 each by Pakistan Captain, Salim Malik, to lose the October 1994 Karachi Test against Pakistan. The Qayyum Commission set up by Pakistan, the King Commission by South Africa and the CBI investigation by India, explored instances of Cricket Match Fixing and the players involved. The first ICC...

The US-Iran War started on Feb 28, 2026 when the Iranian Spiritual Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's residential compound was pounded by American and Israelis missiles and bombs. The intent was regime change, but several months in, the regime seems intact and more hardline. So, is there any hope of peace?

Prior to 1776, the American Colonist Leaders were reluctant to go against the Crown. But in January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pamphlet "Common Sense", which laid the foundation for the Declaration of Independence in July 1776.

After 1958, FIFA ensured that the World Cup tournament alternated between continents. Brazil won a record 3rd time in 1970 to get permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy. West German Captain Franz Beckenbauer became the first Captain to lift the new FIFA World Cup in 1974. 

In the mid-19th century, Association Football or Soccer, was introduced in English schools as part of the physical education curriculum. Soccer expanded globally, driven by British sailors, merchants, and engineers, as well as railway and mining companies, who brought the game to Europe, South America, and British colonies. FIFA was established in 1904 to provide rules for international matches so...

On August 13, 1961, the Communist government of East Germany) began to build a barbed wire and concrete barrier, between East and West Berlin, which came to be known as the Berlin Wall. The primary aim was to prevent mass exodus of East Germans into the affluent West Germany.  28 years later, on November 9, 1989, the Wall came crashing down, heralding an end to the Cold War.

Great rivalries from history - from the fraternal rivalry that led to Adidas and Puma to the Cola Wars between Coke and Pepsi. Tesla and Edison fought the Current Wars and Scotland continues to maintain a unique identity within Great Britain.

During the early hours of January 3, 2026, the US Forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. While the US called it an operation against narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, the real reason lay in a 1823 doctrine.

Collapse of empires starts with economic exhaustion – when an empire stretches itself beyond its resources. The episode dives into detail of the factors that led to the collapse of the Empires of Great Britain and Japan, post WWII.

A theater in England stole a playwright's thunder in 1704 to popularize the phrase. The auto industry in the 1920s, heavily promoted and popularized the term "jaywalking" to shift blame for traffic accidents from drivers to pedestrians. Tune in to learn the origins of several other phrases and terms in the English language.

The Shah of Iran initiated the White Revolution in 1963, which aimed to modernize Iran through land reform, women's suffrage, literacy programs, and industrial growth. While it brought economic growth, it also caused social disruption and increased opposition, contributing to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

At the start of the 20th Century, the Qajars ruled Persia (Iran), but their incompetence led to a push for a Constitution for Iran. The British wanted a stable government in Iran and supported an Officer in the Cossack Brigade, Reza Khan in toppling the last Qajar monarch, to start the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran.

On September 14, 1960, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and Kuwait officially formed OPEC to ensure that oil-producing nations, rather than private companies, had the power to stabilize international oil prices. The cartel really flexed its muscle when the global economy was brought to its knees during the 1973 Oil Embargo on the US and its allies.

By 1500, the Inuit, with their mastery of marine hunting and adaptation to the Arctic, were the established people of Greenland. By 1776, Denmark declared a monopoly trade on Greenland, quietly colonizing it, in the process.  Post WWII, the US offered $100m in gold for the purchase of Greenland, which was rejected by Denmark. In 1953, Denmark once again, quietly transitioned Greenland from a Colon...

The 1950 Korean War provided the necessary boost to the Japanese economy post WWII. But a combination of factors, from export oriented growth to process innovation, spearheaded Japan to the second largest economy in the world from 1968 to 2010. A look at the factors that led to this economic miracle.

Einstein's brain was stolen at the time of his death, for research. The Great Fire of London of 1666, led to the creation of the Insurance industry. Tune in to this episode to listen to some unbelievable facts from history.

The 1976 Societe Generale heist, is considered the Heist of the 20th Century. The 2003 Antwerp Diamond Heist is considered the Heist of the 21st century. But one individual, operating solo pulled off a heist, mid-air in 1971.

The Industrial Revolution took off on the foundation of Mechanical Engineering. But by mid-20th century, post WWII, electronics triggered a new revolution, miniaturizing devices and bringing sophisticated tech into the home. In late 2022 though, ChatGPT heralded the era of Artificial Intelligence. 

Mechanical Engineering was the first branch of engineering to be understood by ancient civilizations. The wheel and the plough are testament to this fact. From the wheel to the steam locomotive, this episode traces the evolution of human societies and commerce, with the evolution of technology.