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2023
January
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John Donne 12 JanMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss Donne (1573-1631), known now as one of England’s finest poets of love and notable in his own time as an astonishing preacher.820 English and Old English literatures
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Rawls’ Theory of Justice 19 JanMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss A Theory of Justice by John Rawls (1921 - 2002) which has been called the most influential book in twentieth century political philosophy.320 Political science
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Superconductivity 26 JanMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the discovery made in 1911 by the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926).530 Physics
February
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Tycho Brahe 2 FebMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pioneering Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546 - 1601) whose charts offered an unprecedented level of accuracy.520 Astronomy
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Chartism 9 FebOn 21 May 1838 an estimated 150,000 people assembled on Glasgow Green for a mass demonstration.320 Political science
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Stevie Smith 16 FebIn 1957 Stevie Smith published a poetry collection called Not Waving But Drowning - and its title poem gave us a phrase which has entered the language.820 English and Old English literatures
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Paul Erdős 23 FebPaul Erdos (1913 - 1996) is one of the most celebrated mathematicians of the 20th century.510 Mathematics
March
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Megaliths 2 MarMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss megaliths - huge stones placed in the landscape, often visually striking and highly prominent.930 History of the Ancient World
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The Ramayana 9 MarMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Ramayana, the ancient Hindu epic which is regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature.290 Other religions
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Mercantilism 16 MarMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Europe was dominated by an economic way of thinking called mercantilism.330 Economics
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Solon the Lawgiver 23 MarMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss Solon, who was elected archon or chief magistrate of Athens in 594 BC: some see him as the father of Athenian democracy.930 History of the Ancient World
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A Room of One’s Own 30 MarMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss Virginia Woolf’s highly influential essay on women and literature, which considers both literary history and future opportunity.820 English and Old English literatures
April
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Cnut 6 AprMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Danish prince who became a very effective King of England in 1016.940 History of Europe
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The Battle of Crécy 13 AprMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the brutal events of 26 August 1346, when the armies of France and England met in a funnel-shaped valley outside the town of Crecy in northern France.940 History of Europe
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Linnaeus 20 AprMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, ideas and legacy of the pioneering Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707 - 1778).590 Animals (Zoology)
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Walt Whitman 27 AprMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the highly influential American poet Walt Whitman.810 American literature in English
May
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The Dead Sea Scrolls 4 MayMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the revelatory collection of Biblical texts, legal documents, community rules and literary writings.220 The Bible
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The Shimabara Rebellion 11 MayMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Christian uprising in Japan and its profound and long-term consequences.200 Religion
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Virgil’s Georgics 18 MayIn the year 29 BC the great Roman poet Virgil published these lines: Blessed is he who has succeeded in learning the laws of nature’s working, has cast beneath his feet all fear and fate’s implacable decree, and the howl of insatiable Death.870 Latin and Italic literatures
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Louis XIV: The Sun King 25 MayIn 1661 the 23 year-old French king Louis the XIV had been on the throne for 18 years when his chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin, died.940 History of Europe
June
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Mitochondria 1 JunMelvyn Bragg and guests discuss the power-packs within cells in all complex life on Earth.570 Biology