History in Minutes

Dirty Secrets: the Quest for Immortality

Today we’re diving into maybe humanity’s oldest obsession: living forever. Spoiler alert — we’ve been spectacularly bad at it. From swallowing mercury to bathing in blood, people have tried some truly bizarre (and downright disgusting) ways to cheat death. In this episode, we dig into the sticky, smelly, and often gross side of the quest for immortality.

Myths of History: September 2025

From the battlefields of Gallipoli to the coronation of England’s kings, the sinking of the Titanic history is full of stories we think we know—but don’t. In this episode, we pull apart some of the biggest myths that have shaped how we remember the past. Did more Australians really die at Gallipoli than the British? Was William the Conqueror truly the first king of England? And what happens when a so-called “myth” turns out to be true after all? Join us as we separate fact from fiction, and discover why some myths just won’t die.

No Terms, No Mercy. Unconditional Surrender 02-09-2025

Unconditional Surrender: No Terms, No Mercry. In this episode, we explore the idea of unconditional surrender—what it means, why leaders demand it, and how it has shapes the outcomes of major conflicts. With a focus on Imperial Japan and the 1945 surrender we’ll examine the the controversy behind wars that end without negotiation.

Evil Dads in History 26-08-25

Welcome to our fathers day special - evil dads in history. This week, we're diving into the darker side of fatherhood with a chilling look at Evil Dads in History. From tyrannical kings to manipulative masterminds, we explore the stories of men who shattered the traditional image of a protective father figure—and instead became the stuff of nightmares. We'll cover infamous names like Josef Stalin, Ivan the Terrible, Constantine the Great and Henry the VIII.

History in Minutes: Upcoming Film and TV 05 August 2025

This week we preview unreleased historical films and TV by kicking off with Nuremburg starring Russell Crowe and due in November. We than look at BBC One's King and Conqueror a biopic of King William the first of England and a Hungarian language film Orphan, a story set in post 1956 uprising Hungary. Our last is a TV series, Death by Lightning a look at President James A Garfield and his death in 1881 starring Michael Shannon.