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History Dispatches

History Dispatches
Author: Matt and McKinley Breen
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History Dispatches is a daily history show hosted by father and son duo Matt and McKinley Breen. The show covers people, places, events and even objects from throughout history. While any topic is fair game, Matt and McKinley hold a soft spot for the offbeat and wacky stories that most people don’t know about.
136 Episodes
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For 335 years the Netherlands - maybe - fought a long, protracted war against the Isles of Scilly, in the English Channel. It would drag on and on, costing a grand total of zero lives, and only ended when someone bothered to figure out if they were actually still at war. The is the story of the 335 Year War.
Sources
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-335-Year-War-the-Longest-War-in-History/ ; Scilly at War by R. L. Bowley
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Willaerts,_First_Dutch_War.jpeg
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At the age of 18, Peter I of Russia - aka - Peter the Great - formed a social club to celebrate the fun things in life - especially drinking. This group would last until Peter’s death - 34 years later. However, the club would become more than just a drinking gang. It became a way to thumb one's nose at convention, the church and the establishment. This is the story of the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters.
Sources
https://spiritedla.com/drunk-role-models-peter-the-great-edition/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_All-Joking,_All-Drunken_Synod_of_Fools_and_Jesters
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_I_by_Kneller.jpg
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In the summer of 1928 one of the happiest accidents in history occurred. Scottish Professor of Bacteriology Alexander Fleming returned from holiday to find bacteria samples had been left out, and one of them grew mold killing the bacteria. The mold was Penicillium Notatum, and it would save millions of lives. This is the story of the discovery of Penicillin.
Sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5403050/#sec6
https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin/the-discovery-and-development-of-penicillin-commemorative-booklet.pdf
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod,_1935_(9672239344).jpg
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In April of 1862, Union forces began the siege of Fort Pulaski - which guarded the port of Savannah. The fort was seen as impregnable - with walls more than 10 feet thick. But the Union had some new weapons to deploy - rifled cannons. 30 hours after opening fire - entire sections of Fort Pulaski were reduced to rubble - forcing the Confederate defenders to surrender. This is the story of the Siege of Fort Pulaski.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pulaski_National_Monument
https://www.nps.gov/fopu/index.htm
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FTPulaski1862a01.jpg
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In the mid 1850s the United State Army embarked on an unusual experiment - use camels to move troops and supplies throughout the southwestern deserts. Several dozen camels were purchased and they were led by some Greek pioneers, the leader of which was named Hadji Ali, or Hi Jolly. And though the US Camel Corps would be a failure, its story would never die, with Hi Jolly becoming a legend. This is the story of Hi Jolly and the United States Camel Corps.
Sources
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Directors-Select-Articles/The-United-States-Army-Camel-Corps-1856-66/
https://helleniccomserve.com/philiptedro.html
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On Jan. 8, 1815, 8,000 British regulars began an assault on the city of New Orleans. When the smoke cleared - literally - more than 2,000 British troops were dead or injured. American casualties were less and 100. It was the most devastating defeat for England in the War of 1812. This is the story of the Battle of New Orleans.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Orleans
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/new-orleans
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_New_Orleans.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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In 1985 the Coca-Cola Company embarked on one of the worst product launches in history. They cast aside their iconic brand and taste in favor of chasing trends, and in the process disillusioned their most loyal customers. This is the story of New Coke.
Sources
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/history/new-coke-the-most-memorable-marketing-blunder-ever
https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2025/02/new-coke/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Coke_can.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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World War II gave us many unique characters. One of the most eccentric was British army officer Jack Churchill. What made him so interesting? Perhaps it was his penchant for carrying a bow and arrow while on patrol. Or maybe it was the Scottish broadsword he carried on commando raids. Or perhaps it was the bagpipes he played to rally his men. This is the story of Fighting Jack Churchill.
Sources
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Fighting-Jack_Churchill/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/mad-jack-churchill-a-rare-breed-of-warrior/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lt_Col_Jack_Churchill.tif?page=1
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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In 1945 an ordinary chicken in Fruita, Colorado, was about to have an extraordinary day. His head was chopped off, but instead of dying, like most things do when decapitated, he survived for an astounding 18 months. He would go on a tour of the United States - generating thousands of dollars for his owners. This is the story of Mike the Headless Chicken.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34198390
https://modernfarmer.com/2014/08/heres-chicken-can-live-without-head/
https://www.life.com/animals/life-with-mike-the-headless-chicken-photos-of-a-famously-tough-fowl/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicken_without_a_head.png
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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In Newport, Rhode Island, a round stone tower sits atop a hill overlooking the city and waterfront. To many people, the intricately built tower has been as long as they can remember. And that leads us to the question of when exactly was the tower built. Was it by the early colonists? Or does it predate Europeans arriving in these waters? This is the mystery of the Newport Tower.
Sources
https://www.wpri.com/dont-miss/mysterious-newport-tower-shines-bright-on-winter-solstice/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_Tower_(Rhode_Island)
Image: By Ajay Suresh - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Newport_Tower_-_Newport,_RI_(51488606239).jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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One game that has stood the test of time more than most is Chess. On an 8x8 grid, and 32 figurines, the game has enraptured the minds of kings and peasants, generals and poets, for over a millennia. This is the story of the game of chess.
Sources
"The Immortal Game: A History of Chess" By David Shenk
Image: By Alan Light - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ChessSet.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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On August 19, 1951, 26 year old Eddie Gaedel stepped up to plate during a major league baseball game. He would promptly take a walk on four straight pitches - then be replaced at first base by another player. Eddie Gaedel never played another game. The reason - he was only 3’7” tall. This is the story of Eddie Gaedel - the smallest person to ever play Major League Baseball.
Sources
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Eddie-Gaedel/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gaedel
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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After the death of Emperor Nero and a century of stability, the Roman Empire was plunged into chaos. In the space of a single year four different men would hold the imperial throne, and tens of thousands of people would lose their lives. This is the story of the Year of the Four Emperors.
Sources
"The Year of the Four Emperors" by Kenneth Wellesley
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Year_of_the_Four_Emperors.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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On Jan. 25, 1898, the American armored Cruiser the USS Maine sailed into Havana harbor. Three weeks later, an explosion ripped through the vessel - killing more than 250 sailors and marines. Although the cause of the explosion was unknown, it would be the catalyst for America’s intervention in Cuba - and war with Spain - leading to the battle cry, “Remember the Maine”.
Sources
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/spanish-american-war/sinking-of-uss-maine.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_(1890)
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Maine_(ACR-1)_starboard_bow_view,_1898_(26510673494).jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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In April of 1978 over one hundred disability rights advocates occupied a federal building in San Francisco. Their goal was to force the Carter administration to fulfill a campaign promise. What followed turned into the longest occupation of a federal building in United States history. This is the story of the 504 Protest.
Sources
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/504-protest-disability-community-and-civil-rights.htm
https://dredf.org/short-history-of-the-504-sit-in/
https://longmoreinstitute.sfsu.edu/patient-no-more/virtual-tour
Image: By Kenneth E. Stein - https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_557112
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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In southern Africa - in the nation of Zimbabwe - an unlikely sight appears in the south-eastern hills near Masvingo. It is the ruins of what was once a great city - including the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. When Europeans first saw the sprawling site - they speculated who built it. Was it the Phoenicians? Arabs? King Solomon? It didn’t occur to them that the local people had done so - yet that is exactly what had happened. This is the story of the Great Zimbabwe.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364/
Image: By Jan Derk - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great-Zimbabwe.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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On August 25, 1934, the Governor of Arizona, Benjamin Moeur, declared martial law, dispatching over 100 national guard troops to the site of an invasion. Not by a foreign power, but by California construction workers. It was a battle that made its way to the supreme court, and gave Arizona its own navy. This is the story of the battle over the Parker Dam.
Sources
https://www.nps.gov/articles/california-parker-dam.htm
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parker-dam
https://www.phoenixmag.com/2014/08/01/whoa-nellie/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arizona_-_Parker_-_NARA_-_23933751.jpg
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On April 8, 1820, on the Greek island of Milos, a farmer, Theodoros Kendrotas, uncovered the upper part of a marble statue while working in his field. A visiting French naval officer paid the farmer and his son to uncover the rest of the statue - and when they were done, they would behold one of the greatest works of art in history. This is the story of the discovery of the Venus de Milo.
Sources
https://artjourneyparis.com/blog/story-venus-de-milo.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_Milo
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vénus_de_Milo_-_Musée_du_Louvre_AGER_LL_299_;_N_527_;_Ma_399.jpg
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Pad Thai is one of the tastiest most iconic dishes of Thailand. And yet, it has a history that is less than a century old, and it involves floods, a military dictator, and the nation's attempt to spread their culture all over the world. This is the story of Pad Thai.
Sources
https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-surprising-reason-that-there-are-so-many-thai-restaurants-in-america/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-invented-pad-thai
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-surprising-history-of-pad-thai-180984625/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phat_Thai_kung_Chang_Khien_street_stall.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
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On March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, the forces of the Kingdom of Italy - attempting to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa - clashed with the Ethiopian army in the climatic battle of the First Italian-Ethiopian War. The result was one of the most stunning defeats of a European power in Africa - and left Ethiopia as one of the few independent nations remaining on the continent. This is the story of the Battle of Adwa.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Adwa
https://ethiopiancrown.org/the-battle-of-adwa/
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adoua_1.jpg
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