Actress, model and music publicist, Madeleine Kasket, helped the fledgling radio station Classic FM to find its footing. Her connections included the greats of the classical music world - the tenor Plácido Domingo, cellist Julian Bream, and flautist James Galway. For a decade from the mid 1980s her partner was the harmonica player Larry Adler. The …

David "Syd" Lawrence - the first British-born black cricketer to play for England - was fearsome fast bowler whose career was cruelly cut short by injury. He fell horribly in the middle of his delivery stride as he was about to bowl on the last day of the Third Test between England and New Zealand in Wellington on February 10, 1992. He said that it…

Alfred Brendel, one of the most influential pianists of the 20th and 21st centuries, was born in a small Czech town and came of age during the Second World War. Self-taught and fiercely intellectual, he brought clarity, wit and emotional depth to the works of composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart - leaving a lasting mark on classical music.…

Gerry Francis was the first black South African to play in the English First Division. A child of the apartheid era, he came to Britain to prove himself against white players after being inspired by Nelson Mandela. He shone briefly on the pitch, but he believed his playing career was cut short by what he called the "racist attitudes in the boardroo…

Brian Wilson was the musical genius behind The Beach Boys and didn’t just write songs, he created an idea of California as a state of bliss. From sun-kissed harmonies to the psychedelic heights of Pet Sounds and Good Vibrations, he was the creator of the Beach Boys’ musical golden era. But behind the blissful soundscapes, lay a turbulent life and a…

“I decided that it would be a lot better if they weren’t used, a lot better if they were impossible to build." Richard Garwin was credited as the physicist who turned a crude design of a hydrogen bomb into something close to a blueprint in a couple of weeks. “I understood what many of these hydrogen bombs would mean” he said later "But if I hadn’t …

Described as a musical “joy maker,” Michael Tretow was the sound engineer behind all of Abba’s first eight albums and every one of their hit singles between 1973 and 1982. Experimenting with different recording techniques, he helped develop Abba’s remarkable signature sound. Image: Alamy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Sebastião Salgado, one of the world’s most prodigious and impactful photographers chronicling the world we inhabit. Working in high-contrast black and white, Salgado sought to convey profound truths about the world in which we live, leaving a legacy of over half a million images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Yuri Grigorovich, a revered and sometimes divisive figure in the history of the Bolshoi Ballet. As a leading choreographer of the 20th century, he played a pivotal role in shaping a bold, contemporary vision for Russian ballet. Image Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Joseph Nye, coined the two word phrase: “soft power” as a way of encapsulating a new way to see US foreign policy - a path through influence rather than military force and it became a catch phrase for many nations to rethink their place in the world. Image Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Karen Durbin championed feminism, free expression, and sharp writing. A defining voice at New York's The Village Voice and its second female editor-in-chief. Image: SYLVIA PLACHY/COURTESY BARNARD COLLEGE ARCHIVE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The uncompromising frontman of Pere Ubu, the art-punk band whose experimental sound left a lasting mark on modern music - inspiring generations of artists to take risks and push boundaries. Photo credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Virginia Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, a claim Prince Andrew has always denied. Following her death aged 41, her family have described her as a "fierce warrior in the fight ag…

This episode of Your History tells the story of Anne Harper - miners’ strike campaigner, activist and fierce voice for working-class women. Image Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pope Francis has died aged 88 after contracting pneumonia, ending a tumultuous pontificate of 12 years in which the Argentine pope championed liberal causes, shook up the Church’s bureaucracy and clashed with conservative Catholics. The Times obituary of Pope Francis is read by Kaya Burgess, religious affairs correspondent. Photo credit: Getty Host…

Nobel prize winning author with an insatiable intellectual curiosity who also ran a failed attempt to become president of his native country - Peru . Picture credit: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drummer Clem Burke powered the sound of punk and new wave, and played with Dylan, the Ramones and Iggy Pop as well as Blondie. This week we explore the life of rock's tireless rhythm machine, and some of the science behind his seismic beat. Image Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Cold War Royal Navy captain who trailed a soviet ballistic submarine for more than ten thousand miles without being detected. He would go on to command the 10th Submarine Squadron, which operated the Polaris nuclear deterrent. Photo credit: Farnfield family Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

A Hollywood legend renowned for roles in Top Gun and The Doors, but with a career marked by dedication to craft and a volatile on-set persona. From his early days at Juilliard to his battle with throat cancer, Kilmer’s journey was as dramatic as his performances. Photo Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Constable Trevor Lock found himself at the centre of one of Britain’s most infamous events - the Iranian Embassy siege. The six-day stand-off ended with the dramatic storming of the building by the SAS in 1980. Despite his vital role in saving countless lives, Trevor Lock never courted publicity: He simply did his duty. Photo credit: Getty Hosted o…

This week The Times publishes an obituary of Anne Frank, eighty years after her death. She was fifteen when she died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, after two years in hiding. Her diary has been published in more than eighty languages and provides a vivid insight into the life of a young jewish girl who has become an emblem of the suff…

The Australian socialite who chased a fairytale title across continents, only to be left jilted at the altar by a so-called Ottoman prince. But she would rewrite her story, later marrying for love and becoming an unexpected countess. Photo credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist who lost one of the most famous boxing matches in history on one night in an African jungle clearing. Later in life he became a devout Christian and returned to the ring to become the oldest champion ever at age forty five. Image: Getty Images Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in…

Formula 1 legend who built a team from nothing and built it to win races, working with some of the leading drivers of his generation. But he was also a canny businessman with an eye for the deal. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Belgian agent was caught, beaten and sent to a concentration camp but survived to tell her story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Francesco Rivella - a young chemist from Northern Italy - changed breakfast forever after spending ten years refining the recipe for Nutella. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The author of saucy sex guides linking fantasy and pornography while championing the right of everyone to have the sex life of their own choosing. The Associate Editor of The Times Magazine. Jane Mulkerrins tells the details - at least those we were able to print - of the life of Tuppy Owens. Photo Credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva…

The self-taught 'people's painter' from Scotland who battled rejection from critics and art experts alike only to become one of the most successful artists in Britain. Photo credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glittering, attacking player who battled his American chess rival Bobby Fischer in a gripping world title match in 1972. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor starred in some of Hollywood’s most iconic films, including ‘The French Connection’ and ‘Unforgiven. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The R&B singer was the first artist to win consecutive Grammy awards for record of the year, including for her hit The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzanne Massie, an American scholar of Russian history who played an important role in the thawing of relations between US President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet Union in the 80s, and who some believe may have ‘helped to end the Cold War’. Image: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

The decorated wartime pilot, Jack Hemmings, co-founded the world’s largest humanitarian airline, the Mission Aviation Fellowship and, in 2022, at the age of 100, became the oldest person to perform aerobatics in a Spitfire. Image: Courtesy of MAF Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

The BBC producer who created Question Time. Maxwell's programme changed the landscape of political debate on British TV, but she frequently clashed with the show’s presenter Robin Day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken Capstick, the right-hand man to the miner’s union leader, Arthur Scargill, and who played a prominent role fighting the Thatcher government’s plans for mass pit closures. Image credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prince Karim Al-Husseini, the Aga Khan. A billionaire philanthropist, who was for nearly seven decades the spiritual leader of the world’s 15 million Ismaili Muslims. Image credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Norfolk farmer who became a household name, and divided the nation, after going to prison for shooting and killing a child burglar. Image credit: ANDREW PARSONS/PA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The musician who found fame as Mick Jagger’s girlfriend, battled drug addiction and enjoyed an acclaimed career revival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Princess Birgitta, the Swedish royal who grew up in palaces, but settled in a bungalow in Munich. And Kirsten Simone, the much-loved Danish prima ballerina who turned heads with what was, at the time, considered a daringly erotic interpretation of Carmen. Photo credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Three greats, all from very different fields of work; film-maker David Lynch, known for ground-breaking films including Mullholland Drive, Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man; the stalwart of stage and screen, distinguished actress Joan Plowright; and the incredible Manchester United and Scotland football legend Denis Law. Photo credit: Getty Hosted o…

Jean-Marie Le Pen, a French far-right politician who built a substantial following but whose antisemitism and xenophobia meant opponents on all sides united against him. And, the American singer Sam Moore, one half of the duo Sam & Dave who were best known for their 1967 hit Soul Man. Photo credit: Getty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m…

David Lodge, an academic and author, revitalised campus novels with his witty takes on university life, Catholicism, and sex. And, Swiss-born New York socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, who sadly was also known as “the poster child for plastic surgery gone wrong.” Image credit: Getty Images. Further reading: What happened to the Bride of Wildenstein an…

Jimmy Carter was the only US President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for his work done after leaving office. He was by common consent, the “best former president America has ever had”. And Manmohan Singh was India's reluctant Prime Minister who changed the lives of millions. Image credit: Getty Images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i…

In this special episode of Your History, presented by Jane Mulkerrins, a chance to reflect on the extraordinary lives of individuals who left their mark on the world, from French pop icon Françoise Hardy to Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. We also hear about the lives of groundbreaking Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, TV …

Tony Brignull was a master of the art of advertising during the ‘golden age of advertising’ when it is said a well chosen phrase could grab everyone’s attention. And the wrestler known throughout the wrestling world as simply “Goldbelt”, Brian Maxine was a flamboyant wrestling champion who dominated the sport of wrestling through the 1960s and 70s …

In Nazi-occupied France, Renee Bornstein hid in barns and convents before her capture aged ten, the Holocaust survivor bravely shared her childhood ordeal so that the world would never forget, and Cuban trumpeter Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club who became the heartbeat of Cuban music for generations…

The Times Obituaries remembers the lives of Sir Robert Gillies, the New Zealand infantryman who fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino and was thought to be the last of the Maori Battalion, and Judith Jamison, star and artistic director of the boundary-pushing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Image credit: Getty Images. Hosted on Acast. See acast…

Barbara Taylor Bradford, the journalist who became a publishing sensation in her 40s with the best-selling novel 'A Woman of Substance', and the Soviet-era scientist Lyudmila Trut who tamed foxes to act like dogs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lord John Prescott, a major figure in Labour politics and the former deputy prime minister, was Sir Tony Blair's loyal deputy for 10 years after Labour's 1997 general election landslide. A politician who helped define an era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we explore the life of Timothy West CBE, the distinguished performer, who sparkled in roles such as King Lear and Churchill; And Paul Morrissey, American writer-director, who collaborated on many of his early works with the legendary visual artist Andy Warhol. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…