History Dispatches

This week, we're bringing you a special teaser of You're Dead To Me, the BBC's hit comedy podcast that takes history seriously. In this episode, host Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Serena Dyer and comedian Vic Michaelis to explore the surprisingly fascinating history of underwear. From Roman underpants and medieval linen shifts to corsets, stockings and modern bras, they uncover how changing fashions, beauty standards and social norms shaped what people wore beneath their clothes. Expect hidden history, myth-busting and a lot of laughs. If you enjoy what you hear, find You're Dead To Me wherever you get your podcasts. Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many ways that we deliver mail today: car, truck, ship, plane, on foot. But one thing mail doesn't do is travel via rocket. Except for when the US Post Office tried to do so in 1959 by loading 3,000 letters onto a cruise missile. This is the story of Rocket Mail. Sources https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/experimenting-with-rockets/ https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/object-spotlight/regulus-missile-mail-letter https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/fad-to-fundamental-airmail-in-america-historic-airplanes-unusual-and-experimental/missile https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mail-delivery-rocket-never-took-180963557/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Missilemail.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In France in August of 1572, the marriage of the King’s sister - a Catholic - to a prominent Protestant prince was supposed to unite the nation’s warring factions. However, militant Catholics in Paris would instead launch a shocking attack on their rivals. When the killing ended, tens of thousands of Protestants would be slaughtered - and the Wars of Religion were reignited. This is the story of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Sources https://www.britannica.com/event/Massacre-of-Saint-Bartholomews-Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Day_massacre Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_masacre_de_San_Bartolom%C3%A9,_por_Fran%C3%A7ois_Dubois.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the city of Halicarnassus, the king Mausolus died around 350 BC. His wife then embarked on construction of a tomb so grand that it would rival the pyramids. Fourteen stories tall, three layers, immaculate sculptures, and enough grandeur to humble the grumpiest Roman, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus has gone down as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sources https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Turkey/_Periods/Greek/_Texts/LETGKB/Mausoleum*.html#note:short_description_by_Pliny https://turkisharchaeonews.net/site/mausoleum-halicarnassus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philips_Galle,_Mausol%C3%A6et_i_Halikarnassos,_1572,_KKSgb10002-5,_Statens_Museum_for_Kunst.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public art is a common site in many cities. But not many pieces of public art are in such a prominent place, nor are they so weird as Blucifer - a 32-foot tall statue of a blue mustang with fiery red eyes right outside Denver International Airport. A statue that not only looks like a demon, but is rumored to be inhabited by one - and killed its creator. This is the story of Blucifer. Sources https://www.cpr.org/2019/11/04/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-blucifer-the-demon-horse-of-dia/ https://www.uncovercolorado.com/blucifer-blue-mustang-statue-denver-airport/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mustang Image: Courtesy of Nick North Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of our look at the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the challenges involving the casting, design, production and marketing of the film. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film) https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/george-lucas-star-wars-facts https://everything-everywhere.com/the-history-of-star-wars/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_wars2.svg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the summer of 1977 the film Star Wars was released - igniting a global phenomenon that continues to this day. But the Star Wars that we know and love almost never happened. It was rejected by almost every major studio. In Part 1 of our story about the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the roots of the film, its creator - George Lucas - and the struggles with the script and financing. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film) https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/george-lucas-star-wars-facts https://everything-everywhere.com/the-history-of-star-wars/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_wars2.svg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ability to tell if someone is lying has long been something humans have attempted to perfect. From torture to psychology, it is the holy grail of criminal investigation. In 1921, a PhD student and police rookie, John Larson, may have cracked the code by inventing the polygraph. It is an invention, many said, that was sure to change the face of criminology forever. Or maybe not. Did he instead unleash a monster into the world? This is the story of the polygraph. Sources https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/lie-detector-1000-words/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-creator-first-lie-detectors-regret-invention-polygraph-machine-inventor-180985222/ https://illumin.usc.edu/lie-detection-the-science-and-development-of-the-polygraph/ Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph#/media/File:Leonarde_Keeler_1937.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a blustery, wet day in May of 1954, British runner Roger Bannister - an Oxford medical student - accomplished a long distance running feat that many had said would never be achieved. It would make Bannister the sportsperson of the year - and his achievement is hailed as one of the greatest sports moments of 20th century. This is the story of Roger Bannister and the 4-minute mile. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb5AtK08gPM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roger_Bannister_1953.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sliced bread is a simple yet ingenious invention with a surprisingly short history. Almost as soon as it came onto the market, it took over American bakeries and became a staple in every household. Except, for a brief few months in 1943 when the United States government banned this incredible product. This is the story of sliced bread and the time it was banned. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliced_bread https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ridiculous-reason-why-the-us-enacted-a-wartime-ban-on-sliced-bread-salesand-why-it-didnt-last-long-180985834/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/america-banned-sliced-bread Image: By Fran Hogan - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresh_made_bread_05.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 2008-10, the Lower Merion School District - in suburban Philadelphia - issued laptops to more than 2,300 high school students for school and home use. What they didn’t tell the kids or their parents was that the district loaded the laptops with secret software that gave officials the ability to remotely take photos from those laptops. What followed was WebcamGate - one of the biggest invasion of privacy incidents in the nation’s history. Sources https://time.com/7275031/spy-high-true-story-prime-video/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbins_v._Lower_Merion_School_District https://time.com/7275031/spy-high-true-story-prime-video/ Image: by Matheus Bertelli - https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-video-camera-hanging-on-display-of-laptop-7172701/" Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Defenestrate is a highly specific word. It means to throw someone out of a window. And it comes from the city of Prague where several people were tossed out of a window and helped ignite a brutal religious war. And then it happened again 200 years later. This is the story of the Defenestrations of Prague. Sources https://english.radio.cz/blood-bohemia-second-defenestration-prague-and-window-changed-europe-8889193 https://english.radio.cz/first-defenestration-prague-what-was-it-and-why-did-it-happen-8124688 "The Thirty Years War: a documentary history" by Tryntje Helfferich Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%A1clavBRO%C5%BD%C3%8DK-Defenestrace.jpg#Summary Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the 1940s, government officials were looking to re-introduce the beaver to a region of Idaho to help improve the health of the area’s wetlands. But hauling live beavers through forests and over mountains was not easy - or cheap. And thus someone came up with the idea of parachuting beavers into these remote areas. This is the story of Idaho’s Parachuting Beavers - or parabeavers. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver_drop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APLz2bTprMA https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a71613267/parachute-beavers/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaver_drop_box_sprung_open_on_landing_Idaho_1950.png Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Dec. 29, 1975, a bomb tore through LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The blast killed 11 people and wounded 74. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing. And the bombers were never found. This is the story of the 1975 LaGuardia Airport Bombing. Sources https://observer.com/2016/01/why-hasnt-washington-explained-the-1975-laguardia-airport-bombing/ https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/07/laguardia-airport-bombing-cold-case-terrorism-unsolved.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWEnG77vAPw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_LaGuardia_Airport_bombing File:Trans_World_Airlines_terminal_at_LaGuardia_Airport_following_1975_bombing.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most beloved comic strips in history is Calvin and Hobbes. It is the adventures of a mischievous six-year old boy and his equally naughty stuffed tiger - who only comes alive for Calvin. To look at the history of Calvin and Hobbes, we brought on some experts - Ryan and Indy from the Magic of Calvin and Hobbes podcast. Sources Ryan and Indy from the Magic of Calvin and Hobbes Podcast Website: https://ryanbaker712.podbean.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicofCandH Image: Courtesy of the Magic of Calvin and Hobbes Podcast team Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henrietta Lacks was an ordinary women who lived and ordinary life. However upon her death scientists discovered that she had a real life superpower. Her cells were basically immortal, and their study has forever changed the face of modern medicine, and generated endless controversy. Sources "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henrietta_Lacks_(cropped).jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to legend, in the 12th century a Welsh prince, Madoc, sailed to the west - looking for a place to settle his people. They would find the Americas. And for hundreds of years rumors would persist about the descendants of these settlers. This is the story of Madoc and the Welsh Indians. Sources https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-discovery-of-America-by-Welsh-Prince/ https://clements.umich.edu/publication/the-best-of-the-west/a-profound-and-enduring-impression/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madoc Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:01madog07.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While being the county seat is important, it is probably not worth fighting a war over. However, for the people of Stevens County, Kansas, the decision for county seat turned violent, and culminated in the Hay Meadow Massacre, where four men were killed in cold blood. This is the story of the Hay Meadow Massacre. Sources https://www.ksgenweb.org/KSStevens/haymeadow.html https://digging-history.com/2014/07/24/feudin-and-fightin-friday-the-hay-meadow-massacre/ Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Haymeadow_massacre.png Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Adolph Hitler hoped to demonstrate to the world the power, majesty and superiority of the resurgent German nation. That, however, would be foiled by a 22-year old African American track and field athlete - who would put on one of the greatest displays in Olympic history. This is the story of Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympic Games. Sources https://jesseowens.com https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/owens/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesse_Owens_1936.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wars can drag on for years. Others might last only a few months, a couple of weeks, or even a handful of days. And then there was the Anglo-Zanzibar war - a conflict that lasted a record setting 38 minutes. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Zanzibar_War https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Shortest-War-in-History/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marines_in_zanzibar.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever sit at your computer and look at the keyboard and wonder - how did we get here? Why are the letters laid out in such a jumbled mess? Why is the J easier to type than the E? That’s just one of many questions we tackle as we look at the history of what today we call the QWERTY keyboard. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFkC3F0lmjA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-qwerty-keyboard-will-never-die-where-did-the-150-year-old-design-come-from-49863249/ Image: By Martin Howard: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Remington_2_typewriter_keyboard.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the most famous statue that overlooks a harbor is probably the Statue of Liberty. However, over 2,000 years ago a statue almost as large was built in the Greek city of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes so impressive it became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sources https://www.britannica.com/topic/Colossus-of-Rhodes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_of_Rhodes Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colossus_of_Rhodes.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2014, the financially troubled city of Flint, Michigan, began drawing their water from the Flint River - instead of Lake Huron. The move would be a disaster. Over the next decade the city would grapple with water contamination, lead poisoning, Legionnaires disease, and deaths - costing Flint and the State of Michigan more than a billion dollars. Sources https://www.cdc.gov/casper/php/publications-links/flint-water-crisis.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the upcoming "Odyssey" movie, by Christopher Nolan, we wanted to ask, is it true? Well of course not. But the background of the story, the Trojan War and the city of Troy, might just have some basis in reality. Because not only have archeologists discovered what they believe to be the real life Troy, but there is also some evidence of a Trojan War. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy https://www.worldhistory.org/troy/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_Domenico_Tiepolo_-_The_Procession_of_the_Trojan_Horse_in_Troy_-_WGA22382.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 27, 1905, the Russian and Japanese fleets faced off in the Tsushima Strait during the Russo-Japanese War. It is the first modern naval battle - and described as the greatest and the most important naval event since Trafalgar - a century earlier. It also ushered in Japan as a world power - and helped sow the seeds of the end of Czarist Russia. This is the story of the battle of Tsushima. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tsushima https://www.history.navy.mil/get-involved/essay-contest/2020-winners/hageman-cno-essay.html Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Tsushima,_1905_by_Tōjō_Shōtarō.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For untold years the tropical paradise of Lord Howe Island was home to the enormous insect called the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect, or Land Lobster - an 8-inch long bug endemic to the island. But they went extinct shortly around 1918 - at least until 2001, when just a few dozen were found on a virtually uninhabitable rock a dozen miles away. Sources "Rediscovery of the ‘extinct’ Lord Howe Island stick-insect (Dryococelus australis (Montrouzier)) (Phasmatodea) and recommendations for its conservation" by David Priddel et al. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-15/lord-howe-island-stick-insect-discovery-balls-pyramid/106381564 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dryococelus Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lord_Howe_Island_stick_insect_Dryococelus_australis_10June2011_PalmNursery.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In World War II the United States took a unique turn in their quest for delivering fast, secret communications in combat situations. This was by using Native American language speakers and translators to deliver simple, yet unbreakable coded messages on the front lines. This is the story of the Navajo Code Talkers. Sources https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/n/code-talkers.html https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/american-indian-code-talkers https://www.intelligence.gov/publics-daily-brief/publics-daily-brief-articles/navajo-nation-inventors-of-the-unbreakable-code https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talker File:Navajo_Indian_communication_men_with_the_Marines_on_Saipan_landed_with_the_first_assault_waves_to_his_the_beach._-_NARA_-_532526.tif?page=1 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Paraguay invaded its much larger neighbors in 1864, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay responded in force. For the next five years these nations waged the deadliest war ever seen on the continent. It was a war that saw 20 percent of Paraguay's entire population die. This is the story of the Paraguayan War. Sources https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/3585/1/B28_-_The_Paraguayan_War_%281864-1870%29.pdf https://read.uolpress.co.uk/read/brazil/section/0c2155f3-0885-42c3-afda-319d122d8b63 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Batalha_de_Campo_Grande_-_1871.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1882 a 50-year old tortoise from the Seychelles was brought to the tiny island of St. Helena as a gift to the governor. That tortoise, who was later dubbed Jonathan, is still alive and well today, making him over 190 years old, and the world's oldest living land animal. Sources https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/at-190-jonathan-the-tortoise-is-the-worlds-oldest-living-land-animal-180979514/ https://sainthelenaisland.info/jonathan.htm Image by Luke McKernan - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_(27242406408).jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1822, a young man, Alexis St. Martin, was accidentally shot in the stomach. Miraculously, he survived, and even more amazing was the hole between his chest and stomach became permanent. This allowed a US Army surgeon - William Beaumont - to spend a decade studying St. Martin’s digestive system, making Beaumont the "Father of Gastric Physiology". This is the very weird story of the gunshot that changed medicine. Sources https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/grisly-story-human-guinea-pig-alexis-st-martin-180963520/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_St._Martin https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/probing-the-mysteries-of-human-digestion/ Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Beaumont_painting.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Alexis_St._Martin,_aged_81_Wellcome_L0011057.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. And while that is often true, sometimes you can get someone in power who genuinely wants to help their people. Such was the case with the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He was a man who was thrust onto the imperial throne, and forced to spend his time fighting - when all he wanted to do was study philosophy and govern his people. This is the story of Marcus Aurelius: the philosopher emperor. Sources "Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine" by Barry Strauss Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius_Antoninus_Augustus#/media/File:Kunsthistorisches_Museum_Vienna_June_2006_048.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In World War II, the allies struggled to fend off U-boat attacks on shipping in the North Atlantic. A major issue was a lack of air support. Planes didn’t have the range to provide protection to the merchant fleets in the icy north. And then, someone had an idea. What if you converted an iceberg into an airbase? And even better - what if you could build an entire aircraft carrier out of ice. This is the story of Project Habakkuk. Sources https://albertaaviationmuseum.com/operation-habbakuk-the-iceberg-aircraft-carrier/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Habakkuk https://www.thealbertan.com/hot-summer-guide/the-iceberg-aircraft-carrier-that-almost-was-albertas-forgotten-wartime-wonder-10781370 https://www.albertaunderwatercouncil.com/single-post/2016/10/10/diving-jaspers-habbakuk-wreck Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Antarctic_Sound-2016-Iceberg_02.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lancaster_Mk_I_gun_positions.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is a free idea for you. If your sports team is having a bad season and no one is coming to games, throw a cheap beer night! It is a tried and true promotion method and one that the Cleveland Indians implemented in 1974. Specifically a 10 cent beer night. And it worked, drawing a crowd of thousands. The only problem was Cleveland got a little more than they bargained for when the game devolved into a full blown riot. Sources https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/10-cent-beer-night-an-oral-history-of-cleveland-baseballs-most-infamous-night/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Cent_Beer_Night Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Texas_Rangers_run_during_Ten_Cent_Beer_Night.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Turin, Italy, there is a cloth that is one of the most recognized holy relics in Christianity. It is a linen cloth that bears a faint image of a man who appears to have undergone crucifixion. Could this have been the burial robe of Jesus? This is the story of the Shroud of Turin. Sources https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jesus-burial-cloth-or-medieval-forgery-dna-evidence-further-complicates-the-debate-over-the-shroud-of-turin-180988514/ https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/1/8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud_of_Turin https://www.shroud.com/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Secundo_Pia_Turinske_platno_1898.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few places on Earth remain as mysterious and inaccessible as North Sentinel Island. Deep in the Bay of Bengal and surrounded by tropical waters, this small island is home to one of the world's last uncontacted peoples - the North Sentinelese. They are a people who have fiercely resisted outside contact for thousands of years. Their isolation has sparked fascination, controversy, and endless speculation. Today we explore the history of North Sentinel Island and the people who have chosen to remain apart from the wider world. Sources https://www.andaman.org/book/chapter8/text8.html#sentineli https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/sentinelese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sentinel_Island Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Sentinel_Island.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the highest office in the United States came with a deadly curse? For more than a century, Americans noticed an eerie pattern: presidents elected in years ending in zero seemed doomed to die in office. From William Henry Harrison to John F. Kennedy, the so-called Curse of Tippecanoe - or Tecumseh's Curse - has become one of the most enduring legends in American history. But was this a supernatural act of vengeance tied to the legendary Shawnee chief Tecumseh, or simply a remarkable series of coincidences? In this episode, we explore the origins of the curse, the presidents caught in its shadow, and the strange events that continue to fuel one of America's most chilling presidential mysteries. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Tippecanoe https://periodicpresidents.com/2013/06/11/what-is-tecumsehs-curse/ Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tecumseh02.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Gallatin_Hoit_-_William_Henry_Harrison_-_Google_Art_Project_(cropped).jpg" Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Take a look at any piece of media about Vikings, or a fantasy world inspired by them, and chances are you are going to see a shield maiden - a female warrior carrying a sword and shield into battle. Were these women truly Viking warriors who fought alongside men in battle, or were they figures born from myth and legend? Ancient chronicles, Norse sagas, and remarkable archaeological discoveries have fueled a debate that continues to captivate historians today. And the question remains - did the shield maiden actually exist? There are no simple answers. In this episode, we venture into the world of the Vikings to separate fact from fiction and uncover the truth behind the legendary shield maidens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a fire station in Livermore, California, a small light bulb has been glowing for more than a century. Known as the Centennial Light, it has witnessed the rise of automobiles, two world wars, the dawn of the space age, and the emergence of the digital era, all while continuing to shine. Its extraordinary lifespan has made it a symbol of durability and sparked endless questions about how early light bulbs were made and why modern bulbs seem so short-lived by comparison. In this episode, we'll explore the history of the Centennial Light, and the surprising story of a humble bulb that became one of the world's most enduring technological marvels. Sources https://www.centennialbulb.org/docs/centennial%20bulb%20report.pdf https://www.centennialbulb.org/ Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light#/media/File:Livermore_Centennial_Light_Bulb.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the evening of May 4, 1886, a labor rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square turned into one of the most controversial events in American history. What began as a peaceful gathering in support of workers demanding an eight-hour workday ended in chaos when a bomb exploded among police officers attempting to disperse the crowd. The blast and the gunfire that followed left 11 people dead and many more injured, sparking a national debate over labor rights, immigration, anarchism, and the limits of free speech. In this episode, we'll examine the events of that fateful night, the highly contentious trial that followed, and the lasting impact of the Haymarket Affair on the American labor movement and beyond. Sources https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/chicago-anarchists-and-haymarket-square-incident/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HaymarketRiot-Harpers.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, none may be more mysterious than the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Described by ancient writers as a breathtaking oasis of terraces, trees, and flowing water rising above the Mesopotamian landscape, the gardens have captured imaginations for more than two thousand years. Yet despite their fame, no definitive archaeological evidence has ever confirmed their existence. Were the Hanging Gardens a remarkable feat of engineering built by a powerful king for his beloved queen, or are they a legend that grew larger with time? And were they even located in Babylon? In this episode, we'll explore the history, myths, and enduring mystery surrounding one of antiquity's most fascinating wonders. Sources "The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: An Elusive World Wonder Traced" by Stephanie Dalley Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] 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 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 15, 1799, French soldiers discovered a large stone slab along the Nile Delta. They knew it was something special. But no one at the time realized it was the key to opening up the vast history of ancient Egypt. This is the story of the Rosetta Stone. Sources https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-rosetta-stone https://arce.org/resource/rosetta-stone-unlocking-ancient-egyptian-language/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone Image: @Hans Hillewaert - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosetta_Stone.JPG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beneath the city of Paris lies a network of tunnels stretching hundreds of miles - many of which are not totally explored. Their origin dates back to the Middle Ages, and today are home to a massive cemetery. This is the story of the Catacombs of Paris. Sources https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/history/site-history https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/strange-maps-paris-catacombs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_of_Paris Image: Vlastula at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catacombes_de_Paris.JPG Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On an April morning in Boston in 1966, despite being told she was physically incapable of running 20+ miles, Bobbi Gibb slipped into the crowd of 500 runners. Three hours and 21 minutes later, she became the first woman to ever run the fabled Boston Marathon. Sources https://www.sportsmuseum.org/curators-corner/bobbi-gibb-marathon-pioneer/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Gibb http://www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wooly mammoths are one of the quintessential animals of the Ice Age, and they died out about 10,000 years ago - or so that is what most people think. In reality, not all of them did. In fact a few pockets of mammoths hung on for thousands of years, and didn't die out until after writing was invented and the pyramids were built. This is the story of the last of the mammoths. Sources https://www.science.org/content/article/last-lonely-woolly-mammoths-faced-genomic-meltdown https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00577-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867424005774%3Fshowall%3Dtrue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangel_Island File:Woolly_mammoth_model_Royal_BC_Museum_in_Victoria.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In August of 1969, the festering discontent felt by Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland would erupt into three days of fighting in the city of Derry - in an area called the Bogside. When the rioting was done, the British army was deployed for the first time in more than 40 years - and the Troubles had officially begun. This is the story of the Battle of the Bogside. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2X3Gm7bFdE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bogside https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/3407/battle-of-the-bogside https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/battle-of-the-bogside/ Image: By Adreanna Robson - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Free_Derry_Corner_in_1969.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Mallon was a simple cook - no one special. At least until she was identified as the very first asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. In her life she unknowingly infected hundreds of people. As a result, she was quarantined against her will for decades. This is the story of Typhoid Mary. Sources https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3959940/ https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/micrograph/index.cfm/posts/2020/typhoid_mary_mary_mallon_salmonella Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon#/media/File:Mallon-Mary_01.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Near the town of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic is a gothic chapel that many say resembles something out of a horror film. The chapel holds the bones of upwards of 70,000 people. And the bones are the chapel’s furnishings and decorations, including things such as a wreath of skulls, and a chandelier made up of every bone in the human body. This is the story of the Sedlec Ossuary - the Church of Bones. Sources https://horror-world.com/czech-republic-church-of-bones/ https://sedlecossuary.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedlec_Ossuary https://www.sedlec.info/en/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bones_and_skulls_in_Sedlec_Ossuary_02.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The film industry loves a good war movie. It’s usually a way to put action and heroics on the big screen. As we observe Memorial Day in the United States - which is to honor those who died in the military - we share with you some of our favorite war movies. Sources Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wings_poster.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices