Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker (December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) was a businesswoman and philanthropist who was also the first Black woman 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 at …Read More

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton (born January 11, 1755/57; died July 12, 1804) was one of America’s Founding Fathers. A proponent of a strong central government, Hamilton shaped the early economic infrastructure and policies of the United States. Revolutionary War Born in the British West Indies, Alexander Hamilton moved to the United States in 1772. During the American …Read More

Declaration of Independence

The United States Declaration of Independence is the statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776. The Declaration announced that the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain would regard themselves as thirteen independent sovereign …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

Christmas Special: Mock Marriages & The Great Christmas Coat Robbery

We’re back in your ears for a Christmas special of Behind The Headlines of History! All our stories in this episode have a seasonal slant, although perhaps not in the way you’d expect… Take a listen to discover the festive resonance of Brad’s headline: ‘Alleged Mock Marriage’ (from the Western Mail on December 24th, 1890) …Read More

Tuskegee Airmen

The Tuskegee Airmen were Black pilots, crew, and personnel associated with the Army flight training school in Tuskegee, Alabama, during World War II. The best known of these units were the 99th Pursuit (Fighter) Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, and 477th Bombardment (Composite) Group. Background Prior to the Tuskegee Airmen, no Black men had been allowed …Read More

Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation, or Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln effective January 1, 1863. It changed the legal status under federal law of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the Confederate states from slave to free. As soon as a slave escaped the …Read More

Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Pumpkin pie has a long history in the United States. Pumpkins originally come from Central America, but as a result of European exploration of the Americas, the plant began to be cultivated and eaten in Europe. Early European colonists in what would later become the United States brought the tradition of pumpkin-filled pies across the …Read More

Episode 10: The Only Female WWI Soldier and a ‘Crumby’ POW Kickabout

It’s the last episode of our inaugural season of Behind The Headlines of History, and this week we’re marking Remembrance Day with stories related to the lives of people during WWI. Michala starts the episode with the incredible tale of Sapper Dorothy Lawrence – the ambitious female war correspondent who dressed as a man to …Read More