In this very first episode of Unusual Histories, Danny begins his exploration of the history you didn't learn at school, covering all of the weird, grizzly, and fascinating bits. Things that not even Horrible Histories covered. This episode kicks off The Monopoly Series, which will take you on a journey around the London Monopoly board to enjoy the varied and interesting history of each iconic location.

Today, Danny covers the history of the game itself which is weirder than you think. He also explains where the old boot piece came from, the street colouring system and why the Nazis banned the game.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Charles Darrow based Monopoly on another existing board game.
• The original game was created to illustrate the negative impact land monopolism has and to promote an alternative called Georgism.
• The Community Chest was not added until 1932, 26 years after the invention of the original game.
• The guy behind the jail bars is a caricature of Charles Darrow.
• The Great Depression played an important role in popularising Monopoly.
• The Nazis banned Monopoly – Danny explains why.
• There is a version called Anti-Monopoly. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘Lizzie Magie was an anti-monopolist, ironically. ´

‘Darrow didn´t invent Monopoly.’

‘The brown squares were the slums of the time.’

EPISODE RESOURCES

Lizzie Magie - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizzie_Magie

Anti-monopoly - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1931/anti-monopoly

Shop for all official versions of Monopoly here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/page/785DC233-0A69-4DF8-98E9-4F50CC50A59E/

HOST BIO

Historian, performer, and mentor Danny Hurst has been engaging audiences for many years, whether as a lecturer, stand-up comic or intervention teacher with young offenders and excluded secondary students. Having worked with some of the most difficult people in the UK, he is a natural storyteller and entertainer, whilst purveying the most fascinating information that you didn't know you didn't know. A writer and host of pub quizzes across London, he has travelled extensively and speaks several languages. He has been a consultant for exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum and Natural History Museum in London as well as presenting accelerated learning seminars across the UK. With a wide range of knowledge ranging from motor mechanics to opera to breeding carnivorous plants, he believes learning is the most effective when it's fun. Uniquely delivered, this is history without the boring bits, told the way only Danny Hurst can.

CONTACT AND SOCIALS

https://instagram.com/dannyjhurst
facebook.com/danny.hurst.9638

Podcast Description

"History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake." James Joyce.

That was me at school as well. Ironically, I ended up becoming a historian. The Unusual Histories podcast is all about the history you don't learn at school, nor indeed anywhere else. Discover things that you didn't know that you didn't know; fascinating historical luminaries and their vices and addictions, the other numerous sides of every story.

We start with the Monopoly Series, in which we explore how the game came to be, the real-life connection between the cheapest and most expensive properties, the history of each location, how proportionate the values were then and are today, what the hell a "community chest" is and whether free parking really does exist anywhere in London. 

If you love history; or indeed if you hate history, this is the podcast for you…