The Mind Boggles Podcast

#9 - The man behind the first successful swim of the English Channel

Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to successfully swim the English Channel in 1875.  Ultimately his story ends in tragedy. TRIGGER WARNING: small mention of a dead body SOURCES: https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/matthew-webb-swims-english-channel http://www.dawleyheritage.co.uk/people/35/captain-matthew-webb Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod

#8 - The first black woman to have her symphony performed by a major US orchestra

Florence Price's musical legacy as a black female composer was nearly lost.... SOURCES: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/05/the-rediscovery-of-florence-price https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/florence-price/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56322440 Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod

#7 - The artist famed for her cat paintings

Let's meet Henriëtte Ronner-Knip, the Dutch-Belgian 19th century artist who became famous for her cat paintings. SOURCES: I used the library available at http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/ Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod

#6 - The other attempt on Martin Luther King Jr's life

Martin Luther King Jr's 1968 assassination is one of the most famous in US history.  But he had already survived an attempt on his life ten years earlier. TRIGGER WARNING: discussions of violence Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod SOURCES: https://www.history.com/news/martin-luther-king-1958-assassination-attempt https://www.historynet.com/martin-luther-king-jr-s-first-assassination-attempt/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/639842/martin-luther-king-jr-death-sneeze https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/01/21/martin-luther-king-jr-was-stabbed-by-deranged-woman-he-almost-died/

#5 - The Spanish Royal Family

In the UK we hear very little about the European royal families, but we are constantly subjected to stories about the British royal family.  Today we will discuss King Juan Carlos, his background and the history of his family from the Spanish civil war onwards, as well as the scandals which have engulfed him and his daughter over the last decade or so. Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod SOURCES: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfonso-XIII https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juan-Carlos https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/spanish-civil-war-breaks-out https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-Civil-War https://biography.yourdictionary.com/juan-carlos-i https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53647170 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-53749630 https://english.elpais.com/spanish_news/2021-03-09/spains-king-felipe-vi-struggles-to-repair-tarnished-image-of-royal-family.html https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/juan-carlos-spains-exiled-king-grows-restless-in-his-gilded-cage-5bzzc8ffb https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10367819/Former-king-Spain-Juan-Carlos-doesnt-care-hes-damaging-Spanish-royal-family-expert-claims.html