Since the World's been Turning

In this episode we explore the man behind the hit 1950’s Disney TV show, the man beneath the raccoon skin cap. This Texas legend is perhaps most famous for his part in the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, which served to only build on his prodigious legend. Known in his day as the ‘King of the Frontier’, tales of his exploits would inspire and entertain millions over a century later when he hit televisio...

This episode takes us into the world of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York baseball team whose rise to glory won them fans around the world - and whose departure, to more profitable pastures, left a legacy of bitterness.  We’re joined by special guest Andy McCue, the author of Mover and Shaker: Walter O’Malley, the Dodgers and Baseball’s Westward Expansion.

This week, we're diving into the life and work of Hollywood icon James Dean. Coming of age just after WW2, "Jimmy" was part of the first generation of teenagers. He would let the world into their inner lives through his star-making turn in Rebel Without a Cause . A driven, charismatic, and complicated man, Dean remains instantly recognizable today. His journey from Indiana farm-boy...

No history of the 20th century would be complete without the inclusion of Albert Einstein. He’s best-known for developing the general theory of relativity, and for contributing to the development of quantum theory. But although Einstein is perhaps the greatest physicist the world has ever seen, his scientific achievements were only one part of a rich and colourful life. The eternal rebel and self-...

 On today’s episode we discuss the biggest hit of the 1950s - Rock around the Clock, a song that drove young audiences wild and sparked a musical revolution. We also take a look at the band who made the tune so successful, Bill Haley and His Comets, and their astronomical rise to stardom. Bill was originally a country and western singer, but wanted to make songs that appealed to everyone - and beg...

The Battle of Dien Bien Phu shook the world. For the first time a colonial power had lost a pitched battle to the people it had colonised. The French defeat at the hands of the Vietnamese, precipitated the decline of the French Colonial Empire. It marked a new chapter in world history and showed that the Powers that be, were losing their grip, and a new world order was in ascendancy. It was the pr...

This episode looks into the fascinating story and impact of the miracle fabric Dacron. The fabric created in 1951 caused a fashion revolution. The company behind it, DuPont has a marred reputation that declined alongside their leading fabric. Join us as we enter the world of polyester suits, and discover the story of THE fabric of the 60’s and 70’s

 This episode focuses on the life of arguably the most famous conductor in history – Arturo Toscanini. A musical child prodigy, Toscanini rose to the prestigious role of conductor at the astonishing age of just 19. His reputation for perfection saw him admired by audiences and musicians alike, and made him famous across Italy and then the rest of the world. His reputation for affairs, however, als...

This weeks episode chronicles the life of a man who rose from nothing, to lead Argentina and win the love of its people.  Juan Peron is a pivotal figure in Latin American history, and left an indelible mark on the nation, one that continues to have influence to this day.  He would achieve great things while in power, but his final term in office ended in chaos that dragged Argentina into near civi...

Hello fans! This week’s episode tells the dark tale of Roy Cohn – a shadowy lawyer who appeared in two of the most controversial eras in American politics: McCarthyism and Trumpism. Central to getting the Rosenbergs executed, Cohn became an attack dog during the anti-communist witch hunts of Senator Joe McCarthy. As a defense lawyer in New York City, Cohn then helped gangsters literally get away w...

This episode explores life in the Communist bloc. A collection of states in Eastern Europe that were under the oppressive thumb of the Soviet Union. Life within the bloc contrasts sharply with life in the West. Berlin, being split in two, provided a clear example of this. To help us explore life in the Bloc is Dr Gerhard Schüsselbauer Director of the Pan-European Studies Institute. We dive into li...

Next on the lyrics of 'we didnt start the fire' chronicles the life of a man who struggled and triumphed in spite of racism and disability. Roy Campanella was one of the biggest baseball stars of his era. He helped break the colour barrier and begin the integration of America's game, and following his tragic car crash he became an inspiration to other disabled Americans. To help us...

Hello fans! This episode tells the story of Winthrop Rockefeller, grandson of the wealthiest man in modern history (John D. Rockefeller) and Governor of Arkansas from 1967 to 1971. Coming from a lot of money, Winthrop was also a war veteran, and in the late 1940s he was considered America’s most eligible bachelor. His highly publicised wedding to actress and model Jievute “Bobo” Paulekiute was soo...

 Sergei Prokofiev one of the 20th century’s greatest composers. The child prodigy from rural Ukraine revolutionised Russian music with dazzling performances in St. Petersburg, performances so modern that they enthralled many and enraged others. While his talent often left him socially isolated, Prokofiev’s musical revolution soon collided with the effects of Russian’s political revolution, leaving...

The next episode in the series covers the fascinating life of Gamal Abdul Nasser, revolutionary and former president of Egypt. Nasser emerged at a time when Egypt was controlled by the British and through determination and powerful leadership he led a coup that saw Egyptians control Egypts future. Infamously he would nationalize the Suez canal, sparking a huge diplomatic incident. While also actin...

This episode tells the story of a shadowy figure in a shadowy world – Georgy Malenkov, the cunning and ruthless bureaucrat who worked his way up in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to become Stalin's presumptive successor. Little known in the West, Malenkov's ambitions and betrayals ultimately led to his untimely undoing. Professor Ronald Suny from the University of Michigan helps...

Next on the list of lyrics for ‘We didn’t start the fire’ is one of the key leaders of the 20th century a man who greatly impacted the world we live in today. Josef Stalin. There have been numerous documentaries and podcasts done on this important figure so to grapple with this expansive subject,  we have chosen to focus on Stalin’s early life and try to find and understand what made this man into...

Hello fans! We're doing something a little different this week. Since we have reached the chorus of Billy Joel’s song, "We Didn’t Start the Fire," having covered the first two verses of lyrics, this week's episode will focus on the song itself. What did Billy Joel mean when he sang "We didn't start the fire, it was always burning since the world's been turning&qu...

This episode tells the life story of the philosopher and poet, George Santayana. While not everyone today might know who Santayana was, and even fewer are likely to have read his work, almost everyone has at some point repeated some of his wisdom.  An unassuming man, George Santayana has nonetheless inspired countless writers and caused millions to stop and think.

 This mega-star came from humble origins to be the highest paid entertainer in the world. He left quiet middle America for the bright lights of Las Vegas after having built a career playing bars and nightclubs. His iconic combination of classical music, and pop music drew huge crowds. 30 million people watched his TV show, and he earned 300,000 dollars a week playing in Las Vegas. His lawsuits wer...

For this Since the World's been turning episode we explore another boxing great.  The only man to ever retire as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world Rocky Marciano. He was one of the real-life boxers that inspired Slyvester Stallone's Rocky’s movies. We’re joined again by Lou Eisen, boxing expert and author of the soon to be released book, Boxing Greatests Controversies: Blu...

 This week’s episode focuses on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, or as Billy Joel put it “England’s got a new queen.” Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine the United Kingdom without the Queen. She is the country’s longest reigning monarch and has provided it with a continuous sense of identity and stability throughout almost 70 tumultuous years of change and uncertainty. Through d...

This episode is about Vaccine and in particular the one Billy Joel mentions in his song is the polio vaccine of 1954.  In our modern day the topic about vaccines has become popular again with the COVID-19 vaccines being distributed throughout the world to help save us from this deadly virus.   Similar to COVID, polio was also a deadly disease and at is peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would para...

 Dwight (“Ike”) D. Eisenhower, the general who served as Supreme Allied Commander of the Western Allies in Europe during World War II and then later became the 34th President of the United States. His popular appeal as a strong and level-headed leader was characterised by the simple election slogan, “I like Ike.” He presided over an apparent golden age of the American Dream in the 1950s, but this...

For this weeks episode we will explore the Catcher in the Rye. A famous book that came out in 1951 written by J.D. Sallinger. The book would soon become very popular and controversial. With 70 million copies sold world wide the Catcher in the Rye is one of the most popular books ever written. We are joined in this episode by Susan Mizruchi professor of English Literature at Boston University who h...