Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker (December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was a businesswoman and philanthropist who was also the first African American female self-made millionaire. Early Life Born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 on a cotton plantation near Delta, Louisiana, Walker was the daughter of formerly enslaved parents. Orphaned at just 7 years old, she married …Read More

Liberation of Rome

On June 4, 1944, the Allies liberated Rome, Italy, from the Germans, making it the first of the Axis capitals to fall during World War II. Background Following a successful invasion of Sicily, the Allies moved on mainland Italy in September 1943, with landings on both the east and west coasts of the country. As …Read More

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill, which took place on June 17, 1775, was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War. The main commanders were Major General William Howe on the British side, and Colonel William Prescott on the Americans’. The British were under siege in Boston, Massachusetts, so they planned to take the …Read More

S2 Ep6: A Bit of a Stinker, Deadly Beer and A Big Appetite

Sensitive ears (and noses!) beware – Brad’s opening story in this episode is a bit of a stinker, involving a dispute over pig manure in Ireland (reported in the Nationalist and Leinster Times, 2nd January, 1886). Thankfully Michala is on hand to cleanse your auditory palettes with a tale about beer in Manchester…but before you …Read More

S2 Ep5: A (Peaky?) Blinder of Gangster story and a Fertile Centenarian

Michala transports us back to the world of 1920s Birmingham gangland this week, and if you’re a Peaky Blinders fan, some of the names in her newspaper article (from The Times, 28 April 1921) may be familiar…Then, not to be outdone, Brad unpicks the eye-opening headline ‘Man Aged 130 has son 4 And a Wife …Read More

S2 Ep4: Man Haunted by Dead Mother, and a Robbery With a Twist

We’re hopping across the Atlantic for this week’s episode – that’s right, all our stories this week are sourced from newspapers in the USA. And there are some corkers hidden in that American newsprint. Whilst Brad doesn’t believe in ghosts, the subject of his story – Mr Frank Swulius – certainly did; the spooky actions …Read More

Season 2 Episode 3: WWII Special – The First Civilian Casualty of WWII and ‘Mend and Make Do’ in the Air

This year marks a number of notable World War II (WWII) anniversaries, most significantly, the 75th anniversary of VE Day – when combat ended in Europe. With this in mind, all our stories in this episode are WWII themed – giving insight into the lives of not just those that served but also the impact …Read More

Season 2 Episode 2: Victimisation of Winston Churchill’s Mother and a Prison Break!

Our hosts have served up a couple of Victorian chancers for your listening pleasure in today’s episode. Brad’s headline ‘Alleged Frauds on Ladies’ (from the Daily News, 5th October 1897) takes us into the world of fraudster who scammed Winston Churchill’s mother and Michala’s story (reported in Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, 6th January 1850) follows the …Read More

Season 2 Episode 1: Murders Most Horrid and (Almost) Killer Lemonade

Behind The Headlines of History is back for another season – and we couldn’t be more delighted to be sharing more weird and wonderful tales from the newstands of history with you! Michala is kicking off season two with a grisly story of the first private hanging (from the Liverpool Mercury, 15th August 1858) but …Read More