Showing results by narrator "Matthew J Chandler-Smith" in All Categories

Amy Winehouse was one of the most iconic voices of her generation. Born in London in 1983, she rose to fame with her soulful, jazz-inspired music, and became a household name with hits like “Rehab” and “Back to Black.” However, behind her success laid a life of personal struggles and addiction that ultimately led to her tragic death at 27-years-old.

Michael Jackson is undoubtedly a legend. His music is known all over the world, and his status as the “King of Pop” is rarely if ever disputed. However, as much as we know about Jackson’s larger-than-life presence on the stage, less is known about the story of his life. MJ dominated the '80s, then fell hard in the '90s, but was poised for a comeback in 2009. He would put everything on the line to make sure that his performance was flawless. Although he would ultimately leave this mortal plane in the undertaking, his legacy would become greater than ever before.

The Minoan Civilization has, since its rediscovery in the early 20th century by archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, been a source of fascination for the modern world. Some have claimed it represents evidence of a matriarchal society given its progressive treatment of women; others believe it to be the mythical lost city of Atlantis. One area of consensus is that it’s the first advanced civilization in Europe.

Compared to other more long-lived political figures, Robert F. Kennedy’s career was brief. He first emerged on the national stage as attorney general under his brother, President John F. Kennedy. In this role, he became a vigorous advocate for civil rights and cracked down on organized crime by going after mob bosses and high-profile Mafia families. Following his brother’s assassination in 1963, RFK transitioned to a role in the Senate, representing New York.

Chechnya’s modern history is marked by its fluctuating ties with the Russian Empire and, later, the Soviet Union. A notable dark chapter was in 1944 when Joseph Stalin ordered the mass deportation of Chechnya’s entire population. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, tensions between ethnic Russians and Chechens escalated into two full-blown wars. The first, in 1994, saw Russian forces invade Chechnya.

Apartheid, a state-sponsored policy of discrimination and segregation, was introduced and brutally enforced in South Africa for more than 40 years. It led to thousands of deaths, mass arrests, torture of prisoners, and to the suspension of the most basic human rights for the majority of Black South Africans. How did this come to be, and how did a modern state come to enact and enforce a series of laws deliberately designed to ensure poverty and lack of opportunity for the majority of its population?

At one point, the Japanese Empire was one of the largest the world had ever seen, governing almost 20 percent of the total population of the Earth. One of the most striking features of this empire was the rapidity with which it grew. In 1870, Japan was a largely agrarian nation with a culture and society based on feudal values.

Dean Martin was a natural entertainer, known not only for his singing ability but also for his great showmanship on the stage. With Martin, it wasn’t just about the song—it was about the whole package. With songs such as “That’s Amore” and movies like Rio Bravo, he took the world by storm. Later, Dean Martin, along with other famous entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., forged the ultimate group of performers: The Rat Pack. No one could keep Dean Martin’s spirit down for long. This is his life—this is his story.

Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad became famous for his popularization of an Afrocentric branch of Islam. In later years, however, the movement came under fire after critics pointed out that its ideology had very little to do with the mainstream faith. Nevertheless, Elijah’s words and teachings still managed to galvanize and capture the hearts of millions of disaffected and oppressed African Americans. During the movement’s heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Elijah extended his hand to a downtrodden people in a way that few others could.

Bernard Montgomery, “the Spartan General”, was one of the giants of World War II. He was a field marshal, as well as an entirely powerful personality, who shaped much of how that aforementioned cataclysmic conflict turned out. If it weren’t for Montgomery’s steady hand in North Africa, for example, it would have been much harder for the Allies to prevail. Montgomery was born the humble son of a minister. As he matured, he grew increasingly bold and confident in his own abilities. He realized he was a natural leader of men—and others quickly came to realize it as well.

The region known as Apacheria had been fought over for centuries, firstly with the arrival of the Apache from the north, then later with the arrival of the Spanish, and, finally, the United States. Events came to a bloody climax in the 1800s in a series of conflicts, which became known as the Apache Wars.

Thanks to a certain novel and movie franchise, the Jurassic Period has been indelibly cemented in the public imagination as the time of dinosaurs. That was certainly true: the Jurassic Period saw reptiles such as the long-necked Brachiosaurus, the armored Stegosaurus, and the fearsome Allosaurus become the dominant living creatures on planet Earth, a position they maintained for more than 150 million years. However, many of the movie dinosaurs that decorated millions of lunchboxes and backpacks were not from the Jurassic Period at all, but from the following Cretaceous Period.

The 1918 outbreak of the H1N1 strain of influenza, popularly known as the Spanish flu, killed more people worldwide than World War I, which ended the same year. It infected nearly one-third of the world's population and killed 10 percent of those it struck. In its wake, schools and businesses closed, hospitals became overwhelmed, and the sick spilled out into makeshift care centers in public spaces. Policemen, public transportation workers, and everyday citizens in face masks were a common - and eerie - sight.

Cassius Clay Jr. The Greatest. The Louisville Lip. The People’s Champion. Muhammad Ali. All are names for one of the greatest boxers of all time. Muhammad Ali lived a life that produced some of the most notable boxing matches ever. He also had battles outside of the boxing ring - battles that included fighting with the federal government for his freedom, as well as fighting against his debilitating Parkinson’s disease.

Nikita Khrushchev came to power in the aftermath of the notorious Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin’s death. Although Khrushchev came on the scene with aggression and fury (the world would never forget how he declared that he would bury the West), he was ultimately a much more peaceful Soviet leader than Stalin ever was. Even when the Cold War was at its most dangerous point during the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was, in many ways, the measured restraint of Khrushchev which helped to avoid unleashing nuclear Armageddon.

Pontiac’s War erupted in the Great Lakes region of North America just as the French and Indian War came to a close in 1763. The French, who had initially established a European presence there, were usurped by the British, whose relations with indigenous peoples were notoriously less diplomatic and more destructive. As a result, a Native American man named Pontiac helped lead a coalition against the British. The outcome of Pontiac’s War was not what either side intended, but it nevertheless helped shape the history of the region for decades to come.

In 1066, England was in a state of turmoil. King Edward the Confessor had died, leaving behind no heirs and no clear line of succession. It is said that he had promised the English throne to his distant cousin, William, the Duke of Normandy, but after Edward’s death, Harold Godwinson took the throne, claiming that the king had left it to him just before he passed away. The crowning of Harold met with William’s displeasure, and he immediately prepared to invade England.

The Norman invasion of England in 1066 and the subsequent rule of William the Conqueror are among the best-remembered and often-documented events in European history. What is much less well known is that less than 50 years before the Norman invasion, England was invaded, conquered, and ruled by Scandinavian kings to become part of a North Sea Empire.

Nancy Wake was a brave woman. She risked her life behind enemy lines during the Nazi occupation of France in the Second World War. The Gestapo dubbed her “The White Mouse” for her uncanny ability to evade their traps. When it became too dangerous, she left France—not to flee—but to join the resistance. Before the war, Nancy lived a life of luxury with her husband, a wealthy French industrialist.

Margaret Thatcher, famously known as the “Iron Lady” due to her tough-as-nails personality, was not only Britain’s first female prime minister, but one of the most influential political leaders of the 20th century. She commanded the spotlight at a crucial moment in both British and world history. Although she had her problems along the way—dealing with the Cold War, incursions at the Falkland Islands, and attacks by the IRA, at one point almost losing her life in the process—she rose to the occasion.