History Dispatches

In the early 1970s, in a small town in Southeastern Wisconsin, two young gaming enthusiasts, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, would concoct an idea for a new game. Little did they know they would create something that would revolutionize the industry - and to this day - remains the biggest role-playing game in the world. This is the story of the origins of Dungeons & Dragons. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Arneson https://medium.com/@louis-fiori/dungeons-dragons-the-history-impact-and-legacy-of-a-cultural-phenomenon-b6a6b8c9e3af History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1921-1926, in the dry craggy mountains of northern Morocco, a brutal conflict would unfold. Claiming tens of thousands of lives, it would see guerrilla warfare, massacres, poison gas attacks, and amphibious landings of tanks. And the amazing thing is that this conflict has been all but forgotten in the English-speaking world. This is the story of the Rif War. Sources https://www.britannica.com/event/Rif-War https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/the-rif-war-a-forgotten-war-923 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camion_transform%C3%A9_en_auto-mitrailleuse_par_les_guerriers_d%27Abd-el-Krim,_dans_le_Rif_oriental_-_btv1b53213097z.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Nov 10, 1975, a storm swept over Lake Superior. For hours and hours, the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald was tossed and battered. Then, a little after 7:00 pm, contact was lost with one of the biggest and most celebrated vessels to ever sail the Great Lakes. This is the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/ Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI Image: Credit: Greenmars - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Fitzgerald,_1971,_3_of_4_(restored;_cropped).jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During WWII, America was seeking a way to avoid the German submarine fleet that prowled the waters of the Atlantic. Businessman Henry Kaiser would team up with aviation pioneer and film director Howard Hughes to find a way to bypass to this problem. That solution was the largest plane ever constructed. And the amazing thing is that they were going to construct it out of wood. This is the story of the Spruce Goose. Sources https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/exhibit/the-spruce-goose/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H-4_Hercules_2.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 24, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck faced off against the pride of the British Navy - the HMS Hood. The Hood lasted eight minutes - sending the British admiralty into a frenzy. If the new, powerful Bismarck could get into the shipping lanes in the North Atlantic - Great Britain could be choked off of critical supplies from Canada and the United States. And so word was sent from the highest sources, Sink the Bismarck. Sources https://www.kbismarck.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-04-1-26,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all love a good silly pun name. There are the classics, such as Harry Pitts, or Seymour Butts. But one of the best was also a real person - Ima Hogg. Born in the late 1800’s to the governor of Texas, she would - either despite or because of her interesting name - lead a remarkable life. She became a patron of the arts, contributor to historic preservation, and an early proponent of mental health research and care. This is the story of Ima Hogg. Sources https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hogg-ima https://www.humanitiestexas.org/programs/tx-originals/list/ima-hogg https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/hall-of-fame/ima-hogg/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ImaHogg.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Aug. 24, 1970, a bomb went off outside of Sterling Hall, the home of the Army Math Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The destruction damaged 26 buildings, killed one man, and injured several others. It was, until 1995, the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in United States History. This is the story of the Sterling Hall Bombing. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Hall_bombing https://mediamilwaukee.com/special-projects/sterling-hall-bombing/ https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/the-blast-that-changed-everything/ Images https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_bombing_after_explosion_1.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_Bombers.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in 1892, Rafael Hernández Marín rose from humble origins to one of the greatest musicians in history. He started playing professionally at the age of 14, served in a military band in WWI, and ended up touring the world. His style took influences from African American music, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and others. He wrote over 3,000 songs, and is one of the greatest Latin American artists of all time. This is the story of Rafael Hernández Marín. Sources https://en.enciclopediapr.org/content/rafael-hernandez-marin/ https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/rafael-hernandez "Preciosa" by Marc Anthony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbbB1BFL-qg&list=RDRbbB1BFL-qg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1893, a newspaper in northern Wisconsin reported the discovery of a Hodag - a mythical creature associated with Paul Bunyan. Reports of the creature would continue to pop up over the next few years - until one was captured and put on display at the local county fair. However, interest from the scientific community quickly revealed the Hodag to be a hoax. But that did not stop the Hodag from cementing its place in American folklore. Sources https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2321 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag Image: by Gourami Watcher - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hodag_002.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under a hot afternoon sun in 216 BC, the great Carthaginian general Hannibal scored one of the greatest victories in military history. Outnumbered by 30,000 men, he lured the Roman army into a trap, surrounded and destroyed the entire army. This is the story of the Battle of Cannae. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 1900s, one man proved essential to polar exploration. This man took part in multiple expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic - including the first traversing of the Northwest Passage by ship, and the first journey to reach the South Pole. Explorer Roald Amundsen said the man, “has rendered greater and more valuable service to the Norwegian polar expeditions than any other man.” The amazing thing is that this man was a cook. This is the story of Adolf Lindstrøm - the Polar Chef. Sources https://amundsen.mia.no/en/person/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-2/ https://frammuseum.no/polar-history/explorers/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-1866-1939/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adolf_Lindstrøm_med_prøver_av_fisken_på_King_William_Island,_1904.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1667, the Treaty of Breda was signed, ending the Second Anglo Dutch War. However, this treaty was so impactful that it solidified the golden age of the Dutch Republic for the next century, and gave England control over what would become the United States. This is the story of the Treaty of Breda. Sources https://opil.ouplaw.com/page/492 https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Breda Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congress_of_Breda.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alcohol and ships have gone hand-in-hand ever since humans have set out onto the oceans. In time, drinking became an honored ritual - and even a right. But in the 1600s, alcohol consumption within the British Navy became so troublesome a new concoction was developed to curb the excesses of the sailors. This was the combining of rum with water. This is the history of Grog. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grog https://vinepair.com/articles/the-definitive-history-of-grog/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Navy_during_the_First_World_War_Q17966.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over 1,000 years a massive, natural log jam covered great swaths of the Red River in Louisiana. Known as the Great Raft, it was integral part of the Caddo culture. Unfortunately, it also made the river unnavigable for ships. As such the United States government attempted to clear it, and only managed to do so thanks to the use of high explosives. But the process forever altered the course of the river thanks to extreme ecological damage. This is the story of the Great Raft of the Red River. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Raft https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=RE009 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/042254248e6f471fa2a2cf1ec880ca08 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photographic_Views_of_Red_River_Raft_25.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1962, the film Dr. No was released, introducing the world to one of the world’s greatest - and most enduring secret agents. Over the next 60+ years, James Bond would be portrayed by seven different men in 27 films. This is the story of the men who have played Bond. James Bond. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrayal_of_James_Bond_in_film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1782, 22-year old Robert Shirtliff enlisted into the Continental Army to defend her young country. Robert would serve for a year, including seeing combat near Tarrytown, and being wounded. This would be a typical story of a revolutionary war soldier. Except that Robert Shirtliff was an alias for Deborah Sampson. This is the story of the American War for Independence's most famous female soldier, Deborah Sampson. Sources https://www.mass.gov/info-details/deborah-sampson-american-revolutionary-war-hero https://www.samsonhistorical.com/blogs/reliving-history/deborah-sampson?srsltid=AfmBOorrqqUOKCvNDoYLvhP01nytyu_Qj3YLulu1JYPd_Yy5AlyLNwLq https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DeborahSampson.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In September of 1940, near Montignac, France, an 18-year old boy and his dog went to investigate a hole left by an uprooted tree. What they found was a network of caves - hidden from the world for 20,000 years. These caves feature some of the most magnificent pre-historic art that exists in the world today. This is the story of the Lascaux cave. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux https://lascaux-ii.fr/en/ https://lascaux.fr/en/ Image: By Jack Versloot - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lascaux_II.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2024, the video game Concord released to the public after eight years of development and hundreds of millions of dollars spent. After release it would stay online for just two weeks, becoming one of the biggest flops in not just video game history, but any entertainment medium. Sources https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/08/23/a-year-ago-concord-had-the-worst-video-game-launch-of-all-time/ https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/4/24235163/concord-cancellation-live-service-games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concord_(video_game) Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Concord_key_art.png History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the late 1800s, a young woman from Pennsylvania arrived in New York City with dreams of being a news reporter. It took her four months to land her first assignment - a shattering undercover expose of the city’s mental institution for women. Many more adventures would follow, and the woman, Nellie Bly, would go on to become one of the nation’s most famous reporters. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nellie_Bly "Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World" by Matthew Goodman Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nellie_Bly_2.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After being wrongly accused and sentenced to prison, William Buckley managed to make a daring escape. He slipped into the Australian wilderness, and was saved by several Australian Aboriginal tribes. He spent the next 32 years among them, before returning to British society. This is the story of William Buckley. Sources https://ergo.slv.vic.gov.au/explore-history/colonial-melbourne/convicts/william-buckleys-escape https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/buckley-william-1844 Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Buckley_(convict)#/media/File:William_Buckley_portrait.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices