This Week in History artwork
History Weekly

This Week in History

This Week in History brings you the most fascinating, world-changing events from across the centuries — all tied to the current week on the calendar. Every episode, we explore the stories behind the moments that shaped civilization: political upheavals, scientific breakthroughs, cultural milestones, and forgotten turning points that still echo in our daily lives. From the first crackle of radio broadcasting on KDKA to the unveiling of Tutankhamun's golden tomb, from the desperate flames of the Gunpowder Plot to the revolutions that redrew the map of the world — this is history made immediate, personal, and impossible to put down. Each week, we dig beneath the headlines of the past to uncover the human drama, the surprising context, and the ripple effects you never learned in school. Whether you're a lifelong history enthusiast, a curious newcomer, or someone who simply wants to understand how the world got here, This Week in History delivers expertly researched storytelling that connects the past to the present. Subscribe and join listeners who make every week a journey through time — because the best way to understand today is to know exactly what happened this week in history.

Listen on Spreaker
28 episodes · Verified by YesOui

Episodes

Latest episodes

2 Nov 2026 · 9 min

KDKA's First Broadcast, Tutankhamun's Tomb & the Gunpowder Plot | Nov 2–7

From the birth of commercial radio to the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and Guy Fawkes beneath Parliament, this week in history delivered world-changing moments across five centuries. Laika's doomed orbit, Jane Goodall's tool-using chimp, Susan B. Anthony's illegal vote, and the October Revolution round out a remarkable seven days.
26 Oct 2026 · 8 min

Yi Sun-sin's 13 Ships, Black Tuesday & Football's Birth | Oct 26–29

From the most astonishing naval upset in history to the stock market crash that broke the world, this week's historical events span five centuries of war, invention, and catastrophe. Admiral Yi, the Erie Canal, the Football Association, Mussolini's march on Rome, and the last case of smallpox — all connected by a single week.
19 Oct 2026 · 8 min

Battle of Zama, Cuban Missile Crisis & Cape Trafalgar | Oct 19–23

From Hannibal's defeat at Zama to JFK's Cuban Missile Crisis address, this week in history delivered world-altering moments across 2,000 years. We also cover Trafalgar, Jackie Robinson's signing, the Sydney Opera House opening, and more.
12 Oct 2026 · 8 min

Columbus Lands, Sound Barrier Broken & Battle of Hastings | Oct 12–17

From Columbus's world-altering landfall in 1492 to Chuck Yeager shattering the sound barrier in 1947, this week in history is packed with civilisation-changing moments. Eight extraordinary events across eight centuries — Hastings, the guillotine, hot air balloons, Disney, Mozart, and more.
5 Oct 2026 · 8 min

Wright Brothers' Record, Bond's Debut & Ford's Assembly Line | Oct 5–9

This week in history delivered powered flight records, the birth of James Bond, the Beatles' first single, and the assembly line that changed modern life. Ten landmark moments from five centuries, all tied to the same week on the calendar.
28 Sep 2026 · 8 min

Caesar in Alexandria, Sputnik Launch & Penicillin Discovered | Sep 28–Oct 4

From Julius Caesar sailing into Alexandria to the Soviet Union launching Sputnik, this week in history reshaped empires, science, and the Space Age. Plus: Mozart's Magic Flute, Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin, and the birth of the World Series.
21 Sep 2026 · 8 min

Salem Witch Trials, Neptune Discovered & Einstein's Relativity | Sep 21–27

Eight people hanged in Salem's final witch trial executions, Einstein rewrites physics from a patent office, and Neptune is found exactly where the math predicted — all this week in history. From Balboa sighting the Pacific to Ford's Model T rolling off the line, this episode spans eight centuries of world-changing moments.
14 Sep 2026 · 8 min

Handel's Messiah, Darwin's Galápagos & US Constitution Signed | Sep 14–20

This week in history: Handel completes the Messiah in 24 days, Darwin steps ashore in the Galápagos, and 39 men sign the US Constitution. From the Mayflower's departure to New Zealand granting women the vote, eight centuries of world-changing moments share one calendar week.
7 Sep 2026 · 8 min

Michelangelo's David, First Computer Bug & Star-Spangled Banner | Sep 8–13

From the unveiling of Michelangelo's David in 1504 to the first computer bug at Harvard in 1947, this week in history is packed with turning points that shaped art, science, and nations. Tune in for nine remarkable stories spanning ancient Rome, the Renaissance, the space race, and beyond.
31 Aug 2026 · 7 min

Battle of Actium, Great Fire of London & WWII Ends | Sep 1–6

From the Battle of Actium that crowned Rome's first emperor to the ceremony aboard the USS Missouri that ended World War Two, this week in history is packed with world-changing moments. Plus: Columbus sets sail, the Titanic is found, Cassius Clay wins gold, and London burns.
24 Aug 2026 · 8 min

Amelia Earhart, MLK's Dream, Krakatoa & First Oil Well | Aug 24–29

This week in history: Amelia Earhart flies solo coast-to-coast, Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his 'I Have a Dream' speech, Krakatoa destroys an island, and Edwin Drake strikes oil for the first time. Eight centuries of turning points, all connected by one calendar week.
17 Aug 2026 · 8 min

Old Ironsides, the Mona Lisa Stolen & Women Win the Vote | Aug 17–23

From the Hudson River's first commercial steamboat to the secret pact that unleashed World War II, this week in history delivers ten world-changing moments across eight centuries. Old Ironsides earns her name, the Mona Lisa vanishes, Darwin goes public, and American women finally win the vote.
10 Aug 2026 · 9 min

Magellan Sets Sail, Hip-Hop Is Born & Social Security Signed | Aug 10–14

From Magellan's world-circling fleet to the Bronx party that invented hip-hop, this week in history is packed with moments that reshaped civilisation. Plus: Babe Ruth's 500th home run, Hedy Lamarr's secret Wi-Fi patent, the fall of the Aztec Empire, and FDR's Social Security Act.
3 Aug 2026 · 9 min

Columbus Sets Sail, Hiroshima & Anne Frank Arrested | Aug 3–7

Five days in history spanning five centuries: Columbus leaves Spain, Jesse Owens stuns Berlin, Anne Frank is arrested, the atomic bomb falls on Hiroshima, and Bertha Benz takes the world's first long road trip. This week in history has never been busier.
20 Jul 2026 · 9 min

Siege of Jerusalem, Telstar & America the Beautiful | Jul 20–26

From the Roman assault on Jerusalem in 70 AD to the first transatlantic TV broadcast via Telstar, this week in history is packed with turning points that shaped civilisations. Eight remarkable events, eight centuries — one unmissable episode.
13 Jul 2026 · 8 min

Bastille Day, Trinity Test & Nadia's Perfect Ten | Jul 13–18

From the storming of the Bastille to the world's first nuclear detonation, this week in history delivered seismic moments across five centuries. Plus: DiMaggio's untouchable streak, the Rosetta Stone, and the scoreboard that couldn't handle Nadia Comaneci.
6 Jul 2026 · 9 min

Vasco da Gama, the Beatles' First Meeting & Sliced Bread | Jul 6–12

This week in history spans five centuries of turning points: Vasco da Gama sets sail for India, Althea Gibson breaks Wimbledon's colour barrier, John Lennon meets Paul McCartney at a church fete, and the world gets its first communications satellite. Eight remarkable historical events, one unforgettable week.
29 Jun 2026 · 9 min

Globe Theatre Burns, Einstein's Relativity & Canada Is Born | Jun 29–Jul 4

From Shakespeare's Globe burning to the ground to Einstein quietly mailing the theory of special relativity, this week in history is packed with world-changing moments. Plus: the Tunguska explosion, the first Tour de France, the Civil Rights Act, and the birth of Canada.
22 Jun 2026 · 8 min

Galileo's Recantation, Operation Barbarossa & a River on Fire | Jun 22–28

From Galileo forced to recant before the Inquisition to the largest military invasion in history, this week's historical events span science, war, nature, and art across five centuries. Strap in for a brisk tour of the moments that shaped the world you're living in right now.
15 Jun 2026 · 7 min

Magna Carta, Juneteenth & the Birth of the Blockbuster | Jun 15–21

This week in history spans eight centuries of turning points: the sealing of the Magna Carta, the birth of Juneteenth, Valentina Tereshkova in space, the Battle of Waterloo, and the summer Jaws changed Hollywood forever. Ten events, ten stories, one extraordinary week.
8 Jun 2026 · 9 min

Viking Raid, Loving v. Virginia & the First Pacific Flight | Jun 8–13

From the Viking assault on Lindisfarne in 793 to the landmark Loving v. Virginia ruling in 1967, this week in history delivered turning points across a thousand years. Eight remarkable events, eight centuries — one unforgettable week.
1 Jun 2026 · 8 min

Anne Boleyn's Crown, D-Day & the First AIDS Report | Jun 1–6

From Anne Boleyn's coronation and the Battle of Midway to the first CDC AIDS report and the D-Day landings, this week in history was packed with world-changing moments. Eight remarkable events across five centuries, four continents, and every corner of human experience.
25 May 2026 · 8 min

Moon Shot, Star Wars & the Fall of Constantinople | May 25–29

From JFK's moonshot pledge to the premiere of Star Wars and the fall of Constantinople, this week in history delivered world-changing moments across five centuries. Buckle up for nine extraordinary events that reshaped empires, pop culture, and the cosmos.
18 May 2026 · 8 min

Lindbergh's Landing, Blue Jeans & Mount St. Helens | May 18–24

This week in history spans the Council of Nicaea, Anne Boleyn's execution, the birth of blue jeans, Lindbergh's Atlantic crossing, the founding of FIFA, Apollo Ten's dress rehearsal, and the eruption of Mount St. Helens. Eight centuries of politics, aviation, disaster, sport, and culture packed into one week.
11 May 2026 · 9 min

Constantinople, Deep Blue & the First Vaccine | May 11–14

Eight landmark historical events from May 11–14 span the founding of Constantinople, Deep Blue's chess victory, the world's first vaccination, and Robert Smalls' daring Civil War escape. From Jamestown to the birth of Israel, this week in history reshaped civilization across every century.
4 May 2026 · 8 min

Joan of Arc, Beethoven's Ninth & the Birth of Coca-Cola | May 5–10

From Joan of Arc's siege-breaking victory at Orléans to Nelson Mandela's inauguration, this week in history delivers ten world-changing moments across six centuries. Beethoven premieres his Ninth Symphony deaf, Bannister breaks the four-minute mile, and a pharmacist in Atlanta mixes the world's most famous drink.
27 Apr 2026 · 7 min

Tariq's Landing to the Jet Age: History's Greatest April–May Week

From the Islamic conquest of Hispania in 711 to the world's first commercial jet flight in 1952, this week in history spans continents, centuries, and civilisations. Eight extraordinary events — one remarkable calendar week.
24 Apr 2026 · 8 min

Rome's Birthday, DNA's Secret & the Worst Soft Drink Decision Ever

From the founding of Rome in 753 BC to a cosmonaut's fatal final journey, this week in history spans millennia of politics, science, sport, and spectacular human error. Twelve stops, many centuries, one calendar week — buckle up.