Episodes

January 22, 1808. After fleeing a French invasion, the Portuguese royal family sets up court in exile on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily ...

January 21, 1976. After a long and troubled development, the first commercial Concorde flights take off from London and Paris. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-producti...

January 20, 2009. After a bitter presidential contest, two campaign rivals put country over politics. This episode originally aired in 2022.

January 19, 1915. in Norfolk, England, four people are killed by German bombs during the first ever zeppelin raid of World War One. This episode originally aired in 2023.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, presenter Helena Merriman returns to one of the most contested- and consequential- stories in modern Russia. Link to The History Bureau: https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/m002q5dk Support the show! ...

January 16, 27 BCE . Octavian is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire. This episode originally aired in 2025.

January 15, 1919. 21 people die in Boston, Massachusetts, when a storage tank bursts, triggering a killer wave of sticky molasses.

January 14, 1943 . In a turning point in World War II, the Japanese begin their retreat from the Pacific island of Guadalcanal.

January 13, 1842. Assistant Surgeon William Brydon is the last man standing after a disastrous British army retreat during the First Anglo-Afghan War. This episode originally aired in 2025.

January 12, 1969. Quarterback Joe Namath fulfills his unlikely prediction when he leads the New York Jets to victory against the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. This episode originally aired in 2024.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we peer into the hidden world of espionage and investigate the story of Christopher John Boyce & Andrew Daulton Lee, whose privileged lives became a true Cold War spy thriller. Link to True Life S...

January 9, 1957. British Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden resigns following the nation’s humiliation in the Suez Crisis. This episode originally aired in 2024.

January 8, 2016. After decades of evading the authorities, drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is arrested for the third and final time. This episode originally aired in 2024.

January 7, 1558. A French army captures Calais after two centuries of English rule. This episode originally aired in 2025.

January 6, 1929. Future saint Mother Teresa travels to India where she dedicates her life to helping the country’s sick and poor.

January 5, 1968. January 5th, 1968. Slovak reformer Alexander Dubček rises to power in Czechoslovakia, sparking a brief but remarkable wave of freedom called the 'Prague Spring'.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, we unpack one of most horrifying cases of misjustice that our country has seen- when a string of murders are wrongfully pinned on three young men, who later become known as "The West Memphis Three...

January 2, 1492 . Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella complete the reconquest of Spain with the capture of Granada, the final Muslim stronghold on the Iberian Peninsula. This episode originally aired in 2025.

January 1, 1942. A retired British naval officer is ordered to turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic—using little more than chalk, string, and a dose of ingenuity.

December 31, 1935. An unemployed salesman registers a new board game at the US Patent Office without mentioning he stole the idea from someone else. This episode originally aired in 2024.

December 30, 1916. Grigori Rasputin, the mystic confidant of the Russian royals, is assassinated in St. Petersburg, accelerating the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

December 29, 1170. Archbishop Thomas Becket becomes a martyr after he is brutally killed by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral. This episode originally aired in 2023.

On today’s Saturday Matinee, examine the human voice to learn what it can reveal about history, identity and expression across time. Link to Curiosity Meets The Past: https://smitinathan.com/podcast Support the show! Join Int...

December 26, 1606. The first performance of a new play in front of King James I caps an extraordinary year for William Shakespeare.