Comedian and space nerd Dara O Briain joins Rattus as guest host for a special show that marks the anniversary of the 1969 moon landings. 

For generations, we have looked to the stars and wondered as to the mysteries they contain, and have even used them as a form of celestial advisor, as shown when one Babylonian king bestows his crown upon a peasant because the heavens have foretold that 'the king would die' - so as long as the current king doesn't happen to be the actual king when the death happens, then surely all would be well?! 

Copernicus, Galileo and Newton are on hand with a floor-filler about their more scientific thoughts on the heavens and the universe and, in Historical Educating, 17th-century philosopher and supply teacher John Wilkins tells his class about their upcoming field trip, during which they will ride a flying chariot to the moon, so that they can meet the people that live there. 

We see the first manned rocket-powered flight, which occurred much earlier than you think it probably did and was an ill-advised (from a health and safety perspective at least) stunt at a celebration for a sultan. 

The Space Race proper gets under way in the 1950s, as America and Soviet Russia fight it out to be the first to harness that rocket power, and use it to get their people into space. We see Soviet Russia's fearsome Sputnik satellite (the first to reach space), and the even more scary Ivan Ivanovich - a mannequin that actually floated in space while reciting a recipe for Borscht. Owing to this Russian success, the Americans panic and enlist the help of Sophie and Sebastian to come up with some ideas as to how they can take the lead in the Space Race - suggestions include 'space pool', so it's fair to say that results are mixed, at best. 

We also discover that Yuri Gagarin's dad was less than impressed with his son being the first man in space, and meet America's solution to finally getting ahead in the race, and getting a man on the moon: a 'computer' called Katherine Johnson. 

Finally, we learn that the Apollo 10 crew faced the horror of someone's poo floating around in the cockpit, and the episode ends with a swinging tune from JFK and Khrushchev about 'flying to the moon'. 

Marking the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, Horrible Histories looks at how the war affected those left back home in the UK, on the home front. 

We start with the initial panic following the declaration of war and the measures taken at home to prepare for an imminent Nazi invasion, which didn't actually turn out to be that imminent at all. However, the Nazis are busy planning their invasion - Operation Sea Lion is being carefully orchestrated to avoid damaging places in the UK that they have previously been to on holiday. 

We see how the blackout during the Blitz affected everyday life, and also how King George and Queen Elizabeth refused to leave Buckingham Palace while London was being bombed, despite being advised to head to Canada by their staff. We meet the 'ATA Girls' - the heroic women of the Air Transport Auxiliary led by Pauline Gower. It was their (horrendously dangerous) job to fly broken planes around the country, so that they could be fixed and put back into battle. The planes had no manuals, were often very badly damaged and had nothing in the way of guns mounted on them, so this was a hugely brave undertaking. 

We see how things on the home front change when the American GIs arrive, bringing with them items like chocolate and nylon tights, which had not been seen on these shores for some time! German spies were also a real concern for those on the home front, but we tell one real tale of a set of spies who were caught after they washed up in Scotland in possession of radios, guns and, most tellingly, German sausages. 

Finally, we chart the path to allied victory, including Churchill holding conversations with American president Roosevelt in his secret loo, and a barnstorming song as the nation celebrates VE Day.