The Mind Boggles Podcast

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

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/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

We have four tales about animals to talk about in today's episode. TRIGGER WARNING: there are discussions of death and dead bodies in this episode. Possum toys: https://youtu.be/KAk7ZMxqedg Mercy dogs: https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/mercy-dogs/ Winnie the bear: https://www.zsl.org/blogs/artefact-of-the-month/winnie-the-bear-and-lt-colebourn-statue https://www.zsl.org/blogs/artefact-of-the-month/winnie-the-bear-and-zsl-london-zoo-in-1926 https://www.history.com/news/the-true-story-of-the-real-life-winnie-the-pooh FDC Willard: https://www.science.org/content/article/cat-co-authored-influential-physics-paper https://www.zmescience.com/science/physics/physicist-cat-hdc-willard/ Follow us on Instagram @themindbogglespod --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

In this episode, we visit Cheviot Beach, Melbourne, Australia, on 17th December 1967. The Prime Minister of only a year, Harold Holt, is on a weekend away with friends when he takes a dip in the sea... Follow The Mind Boggles on Instagram @themindbogglespod Sources https://insidestory.org.au/how-harold-holt-was-lost/ https://www.sbs.com.au/news/harold-holt-the-australian-prime-minister-who-disappeared --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

In today's episode, we discuss the UK Prime Minister's country residence, Chequers.  But when did it come into the hands of the government and what is it's purpose? Also, why did the sister of Lady Jane Grey end up having an unpleasant two-year stay? Follow The Mind Boggles on Instagram @themindbogglespod Sources https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chequers https://www.leandadelisle.com/sisters-who-would-be-queen/ https://www.tatler.com/article/chequers-prime-ministers-buckinghamshire-country-home --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

Follow The Mind Boggles Podcast on Instagram @themindbogglespod --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message

During the first full-length episode of the podcast, we take a look at two mind boggling sports.... cheese rolling and extreme ironing.  What are the rules? What do you need to take part? How were they invented?  Find out all this and more. Follow The Mind Boggles on Instagram @themindbogglespod SOURCES: "True Brits: A Tour of 21st Century Britain in all its Bog-Snorkelling, Shin-Kicking and Cheese-Rolling Glory" by JR Daeschner https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/england/articles/discover-cheese-rolling-and-its-cultural-home/ https://coolofthewild.com/extreme-ironing/ https://www.thefactsite.com/extreme-ironing-sport/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-mind-boggles-pod/message