No One Saw It Coming

It's the event that's seen as the trigger for World War One, but it didn't happen quite the way the history books let on... Australian author Paul Ham tells Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) what really happened on the 28th of June 1914, when the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Archduke Franz Ferdinand visited the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo. Far from a meticulously planned and executed assassination, the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand might not have happened at all, were it not for one fateful wrong turn that put him right in the path of the man who would murder him. And the deaths of millions could have been avoided altogether without the desperate need for colonial powers to defend their empires. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Get in touch:Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au

It's the trial everyone in Darwin is talking about. In February 2022, a helicopter on a crocodile egg collection mission crashed in remote Arnhem Land, killing the egg collector and paralysing the pilot.Now, Croc Wrangler Matt Wright is on trial: not for the crash, but for what allegedly he did after. Charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice, prosecutors say he tried to interfere with the investigation, fearing he'd be blamed for the crash. Matt Wright has pled not guilty and denies all the allegations.The Case Of is your eyes and ears inside the courtroom, as host Stephen Stockwell and reporter Olivana Lathouris bring you updates from the trial. The Case Of is the follow-up to the hit podcast Mushroom Case Daily, and all episodes of that show will remain available in the back catalogue of The Case Of.

Elizabeth Semmelhack, Director of the Bata Shoe Museum, dives into the captivating history of high heels, revealing their surprising origins with male Persian soldiers. She discusses how these shoes morphed from powerful wartime tools into symbols of femininity, intertwined with colonialism and capitalism. The conversation also explores high heels as markers of empowerment and discomfort, challenging societal norms and perceptions of gender and fashion. It's a fascinating journey through fashion's complexities and its impact on self-identity.

Kate Moore, a renowned author focusing on history and true crime, shares the heartbreaking tale of the Radium Girls, young women whose glamorous jobs during WW2 led to devastating health effects. She recounts their unexpected fight against a billion-dollar industry that condemned them to suffering. The podcast discusses their resilience, the allure of radium as a health miracle, and the dark reality behind it. Moore emphasizes how the Radium Girls’ struggle for justice brought about significant changes in labor laws, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

Tom De Wit, Curator of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, delves into the inspiring story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six farm laborers who dared to organize for fair wages in 1830s England. He discusses their arrest and punishment for forming a union, highlighting their fight against oppressive powers. De Wit touches on the motivation behind their peaceful approach, led by George Loveless, and emphasizes how their struggle became a cornerstone for the global labor movement. Their legacy continues to resonate in today's discussions on workers' rights.

Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Emily Nussbaum, a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of 'Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV', explores the surprising origins of reality TV. She reveals that its roots trace back to 1940s radio and the intriguing influence of Allen Funt's Candid Camera. Topics include the ethical dilemmas surrounding the genre, the psychological engagement of viewers with reality-based pranks, and how catchy theme songs helped mold public acceptance of this now ubiquitous format.

What does a volcano in Iceland have to do with the religious and political struggles going on across the world today? Well it turns out, a LOT… Back in 536AD, the skies turned dark and the world cooled. It was all thanks to a massive volcanic eruption in Iceland, that no one even knew had happened. It led to a mysterious plague, which swept through the Roman and Persian Empires. In the great Byzantine city of Constantinople, it was said that 10,000 people were dying every day. Between plague and war, the world’s two ‘superpowers’ were too distracted to notice that something major was happening on the Arabian peninsula. The Prophet Mohammed had united the tribes and, when he died, his followers started pushing north. Instead of encountering resistance, they were able to take huge swathes of the Roman Empire and completely destroy the Persian Empire.Richard Fidler, host of ABC Conversations and the author of The Book of Roads and Kingdoms, tells Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the incredible true story of how the language of Arabic and religion of Islam spread across the world, thanks (in part) to a natural disaster and climate change.Get in touch:Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au

What if the reason being on a treadmill feels like such a punishment is actually by design!?Back in the 1800’s the British Empire started installing ‘tread-mills’ in prisons as a way to both punish criminals and make them more productive. In fact, it was so soul-crushing that the poet Oscar Wilde wrote about its horrors from prison and is thought to have died as a result of the hours he spent on it.Writer Dan Koeppel, known also for running across Australia’s Nullarbor Plain and writing an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, tells host Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the strange saga of how the treadmill went from a Victorian torture device to a piece of fitness equipment found in gyms and homes across the world. Really, it’s a story about capitalism - the rise in the need for equipment to offset our unhealthy lifestyles, marketed as an aspirational wellness tool.Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. And check out Dan’s great article for The New York Times’ Wirecutter HERE. Get in touch:Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au

You can probably picture that iconic moment, when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon. But what if his ‘one small step for man’ was actually thanks to a group of unlikely women? In the 1960’s when President JFK accelerated the space race, NASA needed someone to design a spacesuit capable of putting man on the moon. When the big defense contractors failed to meet the challenge, NASA had no choice but to work with the only company up to the job: Playtex - manufacturers of women’s girdles and bras. The UK’s best selling historian under 40 Kassia St Clair tells host Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the incredible true story of the unsung heroes of the space race: the seamstresses who painstakingly sewed the Apollo 11 spacesuits. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Get in touch:Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au

What if Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo weren’t really the best artists of the Renaissance, they were just the subject of some really good PR? In this episode of No One Saw it Coming, TikToker and Art Historian Mary McGillivray tells host Marc Fennell (Stuff the British Stole, Mastermind) the story of a salty Italian gossip writer called Giorgio Vasari, whose writing still influences the way we think about art, and she asks us to question everything we think we know about what makes historic art and artists 'good'. This episode will make you question if the Renaissance, a period when art, literature and philosophy flourished, and the so-called cultural and intellectual rebirth in Europe, was just the product of some really good marketing. Binge all the episodes of No One Saw It Coming now on the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Get in touch:Got a story for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at noonesawitcoming@abc.net.au