Episodes

On today's Saturday Matinee, we go to the theater to learn why Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, The Woman in White, was one of the legendary composer's least successful productions. Link to Closing Night: broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcasts/closing-night/Support the show! Join Into History for ad-f…

December 29th, 1170: Archbishop Thomas Becket becomes a martyr after he is brutally killed by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral.

December 28, 1832. John C. Calhoun resigns as Vice President of the United States after clashing with President Andrew Jackson.

December 27, 1904 - J.M. Barrie's play Peter Pan opens at the Duke of York’s Theater in London.

December 26, 1919. Baseball’s so-called Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth, is sold to the world-famous New York Yankees.

December 25, 1989. After decades of brutal dictatorial rule, Romanian president Nicolae Ceasescu and his wife Elena are executed by firing squad for crimes against humanity.

On today's Saturday Matinee, we travel back to biblical times to learn about King Herod the Great, the tyrant that changed the face of the Middle East in the 1st century BC. Link to Real Dictators: https://www.noiser.com/realdictatorsSupport the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and m…

December 22, 1894. Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army, is convicted of treason for allegedly passing military secrets to the Germans.

December 21, 1891: James Naismith invents a new sport to control a boisterous college gym class.

December 20, 1956. The Montgomery Bus Boycott ends after the Supreme Court rules that segregation on buses is unconstitutional.

December 19, 1675. During King Philip's War, colonial militias wage a devastating attack against the Narragansett tribe in Rhode Island.

December 18, 1972. After peace talks break down, US President Richard Nixon announces the start of the “Christmas Bombing” of North Vietnam.

On today's Saturday Matinee, we learn how the iconic American department store, "Macy's", started from a humble beginning all because of one man's vision of success. Link to Business Movers: https://wondery.com/shows/business-movers/Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and mo…

December 15, 1973. After widely publicized ransom negotiations, John Paul Getty III, the grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, five months after he was kidnapped by an Italian gang.

December 14, 1926. An 11-day nationwide search ends when crime novelist Agatha Christie is discovered living under a false identity at a hotel in Harrogate, England after disappearing from her home.

December 13, 2003. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is captured by American forces.

December 12, 1939. The Battle of Tolvajärvi breaks out, bringing Finland its first major victory against the Soviet Union in the Winter War.

December 11, 1978. A group of masked men rob a Lufthansa cargo building, making off with millions in cash and jewelry.

On today's Saturday Matinee, we celebrate Yule by learning how Vikings and other Germanic peoples signified the peak of Winter with a historic festival. Link to The History of Vikings: https://podfollow.com/thehistoryofvikingsSupport the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. H…

December 8, 1980. John Lennon is shot and killed outside his Manhattan apartment by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman.

December 7th, 1941. The Imperial Japanese Navy launches its attack on Pearl Harbor.

December 6, 1976. After evading punishment for decades, Pieter Menten, one of the Netherlands' most notorious Nazi war criminals, is arrested in Switzerland.

December 5th, 1952: The Great Smog blankets the city of London for five days, killing thousands in the deadliest air pollution event in UK history.

December 4, 1991. After 64 years dominating the skies, a series of poor financial decisions forces Pan American Airways to shut down.