In this latest episode of The Hundred Years Ago Show, the last Habsburg throws in the towel on his Hungarian throne, an empress dies in exile, a prime minister goes on trial for murder, the man who lost the Irish Crown jewels comes to a bloody end, and President Harding explains why the United States will never be part of the League of Nations. But Steyn also reports on the 1921 Stanley Cup, a national fleet of airships, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, the love nest that never was, and much more. Click above to listen.
For over a year The Hundred Years Ago Show has been a weekly feature of The Mark Steyn Show with Mark's "world news update" accompanied by some appropriate musical sounds from a century ago. It's proved so popular that we're now reprising it as a monthly omnibus version we air on the last Sunday of each month.
The Hundred Years Ago Show is not exactly an escape from today's hell: As you know, Mark has long held that many of the problems that beset us arise from the aftermath of the Great War - whether very directly, from the creation of the modern Middle East, or more obliquely, from the catastrophic loss of civilizational self-confidence that followed the appalling carnage and from which we have never recovered. Thus many of the news stories of 1921 are reflected indirectly in the headlines ten decades later. But there are also many less freighted reports - of forgotten novelties and landmark inventions, of sporting and artistic triumphs, and the passing of the once famous.
On a less historically freighted note, Steyn will be back later today with his Song of the Week. We hope you'll join us.
The Hundred Years Ago Show is a special production for The Mark Steyn Club. As Mark always says, Club membership isn't for everyone, but if you're interested you can find more information here.