This year marks 35 years since Nelson Mandela was released from prison and apartheid was dismantled in South Africa.

To mark the anniversary we are revisiting an episode that looks at some of aspects of the anti-apartheid struggle that you might not know: pirate radio and protest songs.

Pirate radio was a weapon used by the African National Congress to inspire black South Africans and to counter propaganda and misinformation by the apartheid government. While protest songs performed by western musicians played a pivotal role in raising awareness in the rest of the world about the injustices in South Africa.

Songs mentioned in episode:

Biko, by Peter Gabriel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luVpsM3YAgw

Free Nelson Mandela, by The Special AKA https://youtu.be/FmKiq0mQd8c?si=5J-EdHYYZU4rbusW

Sun City, by Artists United Against Apartheid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BIvf-ZlJNc

Guest Info:

Sekibakiba Peter Lekgoathi (Ph.D.)

Associate Professor of History

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

SHOW INFO:

Show Info: 

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast 

Email: [email protected] 

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It’s a summer night in 1998. Vienna, Austria. And petty thief Daniel Blanchard is about to carry out the heist of a lifetime. Stealing a crown jewel. The last remaining diamond Sisi Star.

His plan? A daring night-time parachute jump.

Daniel is no ordinary thief. His heists are ingenious, meticulously planned; his escapes from the law defy belief. And Daniel knows that if he can get his hands on the star, it will launch him into the criminal big-leagues.

Daniel’s exploits unleash a relentless game of cat-and-mouse, as police track him across continents yet vanishes from their grasp. 

What he doesn’t know is that the Sisi Star has a history. A dark history. Its original owner, the legendary Empress Elisabeth of Austria, used it to carve her own legacy of absolute beauty and power. That pursuit drove her to her very limits. 

And now Daniel’s fate is fixed to that same star. But how long can Sisi’s star stay lucky for Daniel? 

This is A Most Audacious Heist – it’s the story of a master thief, an intercontinental manhunt, and the jewel that changes everything.

Contact:

Facebook: @BlanchardHouseStories

Instagram: @BlanchardHouseStories

X (formerly Twitter): @BlanchardTweets

Blanchard House website: blanchard-house.com

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During the 1990s TV’s approach to LGBTQ+ characters underwent a dramatic transformation.

Groundbreaking storylines on numerous shows including My So Called Life, Roseanne, Ellen and Will and Grace played a crucial role in increasing queer representation on television.

On this Episode of History of the ‘90s we look back at some of the characters and shows that helped bring more queer content into the mainstream.

GUEST INFO:

Stephen Tropiano, Professor and Program Director of Ithaca College’s JB Pendleton Center in Los Angeles. Author of The Prime Time Closet: A History of Gays and Lesbians on TV

Ron Becker, Professor of Media and Communication and Strategic Communication at Miami University. Author of Gay TV and Straight America

SHOW INFO:

Show Info: 

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast 

Email: [email protected] 

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Tennis in the 1990s was dominated by several young and talented players who helped usher in a new era on both the men’s and women’s tours.

In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at the flashy, style of Andre Agassi and his highly talented rival Pete Sampras who faced off in one of the greatest tennis rivalries ever. As well as the equally exciting rivalry between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles which came to a premature and tragic conclusion.

Guest Info:

Tony Hagen, co-host of the Gay Tennis Podcast

www.thegaytennispodcast.com

Instagram: @thegaytennisopod

Show Info: 

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast 

Email: [email protected] 

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There are some years when it seems like the world has gone a bit mad and 1995 was one of those years. Deadly terrorist attacks in the US and Japan shocked the world, while an assassination in Israel ended any hope for peace in the middle east. Meantime, high profile murder trials fascinated the public in Los Angeles and Toronto and Quebec came within a hair of separating from Canada. In this episode of History of the 90s we’re taking a look back at those stories and several others as we count down ten of the most memorable events of 1995.

(And sometimes words aren’t enough here’s the link to watch Bill Gates and Steve Balmer dancing at the Windows 95 Launch party: https://youtu.be/lLPAUHdyjRI?si=ar2zY1FEYzM50-V9 )

Show Info: 

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast 

Email: [email protected] 

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The holiday season is upon us and one questions is always present.

Have you been naughty or nice? Depending on your answer you'll either be rewarded or you'll find a much more frightening fate will be upon you, and no, it's not a lump of coal.

For centuries, disobedient children in Austria and other Alpine countries have faced a truly terrifying Christmas consequence for their misbehavior — a dreaded visit from Krampus.

If you've misbehaved Krampus can be heard before he can be seen which makes him even more frightening.

The joyful sound of sleigh bells will be replaced by something far more sinister: the menacing clanking of rusty chains accompanied by the eerie tinkling of cowbells.

So be good for goodness sake because Krampus is coming to town.

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In the 1990s four Canadian women dominated the charts, each with their own style and type of music. On this episode of History of the 90s we continue looking back at the era as we dig into the musical journeys of Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morisette.   

Guest Info: 

Andrea Warner, author of "We Oughta Know: How Celine, Shania, Alanis and Sarah Ruled the 90s and Changed Music and co-host of the Pop This! podcast. 

Show Info: 

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast 

Email: [email protected] 

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In the 1990s four Canadian women dominated the charts, each with their own style and type of music. Over the next two episodes of History of the 90s, we are looking back at their journeys to fame and success in a male dominated industry. These are the stories of Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morissette.

Guest Info:

Andrea Warner, author of "We Oughta Know: How Celine, Shania, Alanis and Sarah Ruled the 90s and Changed Music and co-host of the Pop This! podcast.

Show Info:

Instagram: @that90spodcast  

TikTok: @90spodcast

Email: [email protected]

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For seven seasons in the 1990s a TV show that featured musclebound men and women doling out punishing hits while dressed in star spangled spandex outfits became a pop culture phenomenon.

In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at American Gladiators with help from Jim Starr better known as Laser, the only Gladiator to appear in every season of the show.

SHOW INFO:

TikTok: @90spodcast

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: [email protected]

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In 1990, a plan to expand a golf course in Oka, Quebec led to a 78 day standoff with the Mohawks of Kanesatake who claimed the disputed land belonged to them.

During the tense standoff a provincial police officer was killed, mobs of locals burned effigies and harassed Indigenous people and ultimately Canadian Forces soldiers were deployed to the area.

In this episode of History of the 90s we look back at what led up to the Kanestake Resistance and how it forced Canada to confront a new reality in its relationship with Indigenous people.

GUEST INFO:

Kahente Horn-Miller, Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies and Associate Vice President Indigenous Teaching, Learning and Research at Carleton University

Facebook: @kahente

SHOW INFO:

TikTok: @90spodcast

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: [email protected]

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This year marks 30 years since Friends debuted on NBC and changed the face of television.

Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe and Joey quickly became a cultural phenomenon as millions of viewers tuned in each week to watch them navigate that time in your life when your friends are your family.

This week we revisit an episode from 2019 which took a deep dive into the making of the iconic sitcom and tries to answer the question why Friends continues to endure, despite some of its obvious flaws.

Contact:

Twitter: @1990shistory

Facebook: @1990shistory

Instagram: @that90spodcast

Email: [email protected]

Guest:

Kelsey Miller, author of I’ll Be There for You: The One About Friends

Twitter: @mskelseymiller

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