History Dispatches

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

The Resolute Desk has been used by American Presidents since 1880, and resided in the Oval Office for nearly 50 years. So, where did this stout wooden desk come from? And where did it get its formidable name? You might be surprised that all those answers rest with a British exploration vessel from the 1850s. This is the story of the Resolute Desk. Sources https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/treasures-of-the-white-house-resolute-desk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolute_desk https://www.thoughtco.com/the-resolute-desk-4121120 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photograph_of_President_Reagan_working_at_his_desk_in_the_Oval_Office_-_NARA_-_198593_(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

In the mid 1950s, Australian-born Joan Anderson brought back an innocuous bamboo hoop from her home country to the United States. She would dub it the hula hoop, and present it to a major toy manufacturer. What followed was the hula hoop craze. Unfortunately, she did not see a single penny from the wildly popular toy. This is the story of Joan Anderson and the Hula Hoop. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6J32JLRNOk https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70x4w4z138o 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 982 AD, Vikings came to Greenland. Several colonies were established, and for more than 400 years there was a Scandinavian presence on the island. But then, there was silence. And when Europeans finally returned - they found nothing but the ruins of farmhouses and churches. This is the story of the Vikings of Greenland. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_settlements_in_Greenland https://medium.com/a-maverick-traveller/the-rise-and-fall-of-viking-greenland-a-non-fishy-tale-876bf782dc5 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hvalsey_Church.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

John Basilone served in the United States Army, then enlist in the Marine Corps just before the outbreak of WWII. He earned a Medal of Honor on Guadalcanal, conducted war bond tours stateside, and gave his life on Iwo Jima. This is the story of John Basilone - perhaps the greatest United States Marine to ever where the uniform. Sources https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2005-11-18/pdf/CREC-2005-11-18-pt1-PgS13334-2.pdf https://homeofheroes.com/heroes-stories/world-war-ii/john-basilone/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Basilone,_September_1943_(10931006014).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

By kissing the famed blarney stone a person is said to be imbued with the gift of gab. But what is the story behind his fanciful tale? Did the stone come from the Holy Land? Or Scotland? Did it involve Queen Elizabeth or Robert the Bruce? This is the story of the Blarney Stone. Sources https://blarneycastle.ie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kissing_the_Blarney_Stone_1897.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

From 1819 to 1846, James Holman traveled throughout the world - going to every continent - except Antarctica - and circumnavigating the globe. It’s estimated he traveled 250,000 miles in his days - making him one of the most well-traveled people in the world. And the even more amazing thing is that Holman was blind. This is the story of James Holman, the Blind Traveler. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holman https://explorersweb.com/legends-series-james-holman/ "A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler" by Jason Roberts Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James.Holman.by.George.Chinnery.1830.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 the American Civil War a group of inventors and privateers got together to build a submarine. The result was the H.L. Hunley. Launched in 1864, the Hunley would go on to be the first submarine in history to sink an enemy vessel. It then disappear without a trace for 130 years. This is the story of the H.L. Hunley. Sources https://www.history.navy.mil/research/underwater-archaeology/sites-and-projects/ship-wrecksites/hl-hunley.html https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/hl-hunley Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley#/media/File:Conrad_Wise_Chapman_-_Submarine_Torpedo_Boat_H.L._Hunley,_Dec._6,_1863.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 1992, one of Great Britain’s most revered and trusted brands - Hoover - began a marketing campaign giving away two plane tickets to the United States - a value of 600 pounds at the time - if you bought at least 100 pounds worth of appliance products. If that seems like an insanely bad idea - you are right. This is the story of the Hoover Flight Promotion - perhaps the most costly and catastrophic marketing campaign in history. Sources https://thehustle.co/the-worst-sales-promotion-in-history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_free_flights_promotion Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Hoover_vacuum_cleaner_illustration%2C_1919.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

One of the most iconic and influential toys ever is the simple Lego brick, with a history stretching back over a century. The Lego has captured the hearts and minds of millions - kids and adults alike. They are a simple, elegant toy with infinite complexity and creativity. This is the history of legos. Sources https://www.lego.com/en-us/history Image: By Arto Alanenpää - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_dublo_arto_alanenpaa_5.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 August 2, 1943, a patrol boat commanded by a young John F. Kennedy was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the waters of the Solomon Islands. Despite his own injuries, the 26-year old Kennedy spent the next week attempting to get himself and the surviving crew to safety. He even used a life jacket strap clenched between his teeth to tow an injured crewman in the water for more than five hours. This is the story of John F. Kennedy and PT 109. Sources https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/john-f-kennedy-and-pt-109 https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2003/summer/pt109.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrol_torpedo_boat_PT-109 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PT_boat Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lt._John_F._Kennedy_skipper_aboard_the_PT-109.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 celebrate today - Halloween - by diving into the history of the zombie. From Haitian voodoo folklore, to one of the cornerstones of horror movies, serious and silly alike, this is the history of zombies. Sources "The undead in culture and science," by Nugent C, Berdine G, Nugent K. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/13/250844800/zoinks-tracing-the-history-of-zombie-from-haiti-to-the-cdc Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zombies_NightoftheLivingDead.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 July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 was in route from Montreal to Edmonton when the plane - astonishingly - ran out of fuel midway through the flight. The crew would thus have to glide the Boeing 767 - and their 61 passengers - from an altitude of 41,000 feet - to an emergency landing at an old Air Force base in Manitoba - which had recently been converted to a racetrack - and was hosting an event at the time of the emergency landing. This is the story of the Gimli Glider. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider https://simpleflying.com/air-canada-gimli-glider-facts-list/ https://www.damninteresting.com/the-gimli-glider/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Canada_Flight_143_after_emergency_landing_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

For decades the New World screwworm fly devastated agriculture across the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. At least until the 1950s when a strange combination of radiation, and releasing billions of the very fly they sought to eradicate into the wild. And today, the screwworm has all but disappeared from North America. This is the story of the Eradication of the Screwworm Fly. Sources Stop Screwworms: Selections from the Screwworm Eradication Collection https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/stop-screwworms--selections-fr https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm Image: https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/items/show/7394 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 1847, a group of former slaves from the Americas established the nation of Liberia on the west coast of Africa. Many people hailed the move as an option for other blacks in the Americas. And while that sounds all well and good, it would be a much more complex and divisive effort. This is the story of the establishment of Liberia. Sources "https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/liberia-proclaims-its-independence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Liberia" Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Liberia.svg 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