History & Military History
World wars, the Cold War, ancient and medieval history, military technology, Dutch history and the past behind today’s news.
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This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for History & Military History. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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England's Last Knights Fought in Armor Until the 1640s
The 17th-century battlefield ushered in a new era, with formed musketeers and pistol-wielding cavalry gradually taking over from the knights and men-at-arms that had dominated the European battlefield. But knights could still be found on these battlefields as late as the 1640s, proudly donning their full-plated armor as their lightly clad compatriots looked on in a mix of envy and confusion. What were they doing fighting 17th-century battles?
The Torsåker Witch Trials
October 15, 1674. The Torsåker Witch Trials begin in Sweden, leading to 71 innocent people being sentenced to death in a single day. This episode originally aired in 2024. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
When Dian Fossey was murdered
In 1985, American gorilla expert Dian Fossey was murdered in her cabin at the research station she established in the mountains of Rwanda.
Eponymous Foods: Full Bars
This installment of the eponymous foods series covers candy bars, including Snickers, Mars Bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and some side mentions of other candies.
The rise of Alfred the Great
As the Viking Great Heathen Army refused to leave Anglo-Saxon England, the pressure mounted on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to respond, placing the future of the land in the hands of Alfred the Great.
The Sobibor Uprising
October 14, 1943. Jewish prisoners attempt a mass breakout from an extermination camp in German-occupied Poland. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
Washoe: The chimp who learnt to sign
In 1970, Washoe the chimpanzee was widely recognised as the first non-human to learn a human language. She was taught American sign language in a revolutionary experiment led by psychology professors Allen and Trixie Gardner at the University of Reno.
Vikings Went from Christendom’s Terror to Its Best Crusaders
In 1861, an archaeologist named James Farrer broke into a grass-covered Neolithic tomb on the Orkney Islands expecting to find ancient bones and treasure. The tomb was empty. But its walls were covered with runic inscriptions, dozens of them, carved by Norse visitors centuries earlier. Most were mundane: “Arnfinnr Food carved these runes.” Some were lewd: Two were extraordinary: “Crusaders broke into this barrow.” “Jerusalem-men broke this mound.”
Harry Harlow's monkey attachment studies
In the late 1950s, psychologist Harry Harlow conducted a series of experiments on baby rhesus monkeys which would become some of the most controversial in modern science.
The Chilean Mining Accident
October 13, 2010. A mining accident in Copiapó, Chile ends as all 33 trapped miners arrive at the surface after a record 69 days underground. This episode originally aired in 2022. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
The stolen Native Americans who shaped US history
Between 1492 and 1880, as many as 600,000 Native Americans were enslaved in the area that would become the United States. That’s the figure estimated by historian Linford D Fisher in his book Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in US History – one of the books shortlisted for the 2026 Cundill History Prize. In today’s episode, he speaks to Matt Elton about the extent of this slavery, the impact that it had on tribal communities, and its legacy today.
The Birth of Oktoberfest
October 12, 1810. Bavaria celebrates the wedding of its Crown Prince with a five-day festival of games, parades—and beer. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
The first monkeys to survive space travel
On 28 May 1959, the USA sent two monkeys, Able and Baker, into space. They were the first living creatures to survive a space flight. It was a watershed moment for the American space agency NASA and its rivalry with the Soviet Union and it helped to pave the way for manned space missions. In 2012, Mike Lanchin spoke to Lieutenant Joe Guion, commander of the USS Kiowa, whose mission was to retrieve the rocket's nose cone in the Caribbean Sea.
Saturday Matinee: Short History Of…
On today’s Saturday Matinee, we hash out one of the greatest conundrums of the early modern world: the longitude problem. Link to Short History Of: https://www.noiser.com/short-history-of Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
The most successful Paralympian in history
Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most decorated Paralympian in history. Competing across seven games, Trischa - who has been blind since birth - won a remarkable haul of 55 medals. In that time, she also saw the Paralympics go through drastic changes, as competitors campaigned to get similar privileges and rights as Olympic athletes. Trischa shared her memories of her career with Matt Pintus in 2024. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history.
The Execution of Che Guevara
October 9, 1967. After being captured by Special Forces in the mountains of Bolivia, the iconic Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara is executed. This episode originally aired in 2024. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
The boy behind the creation of the Winnie-the-Pooh books
When the first Winnie-the-Pooh book was published in 1926, few could have imagined that the stories of a honey-loving bear would capture the hearts of readers across the world.
Why the Most Powerful Muslim Rulers in the Middle East Considered the Crusaders a Minor Annoyance
When the First Crusade arrived at the walls of Antioch in 1097, the two most powerful Muslim rulers in Syria were not preparing a joint defense. They were trying to destroy each other. Ridwan of Aleppo and his brother Duqaq of Damascus had been locked in a fratricidal war over their dead father’s territories, and neither would yield an inch to help the other.
The Great Chicago Fire
October 8, 1871. A barn fire in Chicago, Illinois, sparks a conflagration that burns for more than a day and devastates the city. This episode originally aired in 2024. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.
How rats were trained to clear landmines
In 2004, the world's first team of mine-detecting rats passed accreditation tests, opening the way for them to be used in humanitarian demining operations.
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