History

History Dispatches

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.

Latest Episodes:

Owney the Postal Dog May 08, 2026

Show notes

Owney the Postal Dog was a stray terrier mix adopted as a mascot by the Albany, New York, post office around 1887. Owney loved to ride on the mail trains - and went on to travel over 140,000 miles throughout the United States - and even around the world.

Sources

https://americacomesalive.com/owney-the-post-office-dog/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owney_(dog)

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_of_Owney_on_Mail_Sack.jpg

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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History of the Marathon May 07, 2026

Show notes

Running a marathon is extremely impressive feat, but still fully attainable by most people with some grit and dedication. But its distance - at 26.22 miles or 42.195 km - is a little bit odd. So, why is the marathon as long as it is? That history goes back to a battle fought in ancient Greece, an army running a long distance, and some British royalty wanting to see the start of the race in 1908. This is the history of the marathon.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon

https://web.archive.org/web/20080924220856/http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6235&Itemid=2

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phidippides.jpg

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Anna May Wong May 06, 2026

Show notes

In the 1920s and 1930s, Anna May Wong, an American actress of Chinese descent, rose to international fame while starring in films such as the Thief of Baghdad and Shanghai Express. Her career spanned vaudeville, film, television, stage, and radio. This is the story of Anna May Wong - Hollywood’s first star of Chinese descent.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_May_Wong

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/anna-may-wong

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anna_May_Wong_-_portrait.jpg

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Pirate Movies May 05, 2026

Show notes

Since the birth of cinema, Pirates have been a part of the movies. Good pirates, bad pirates, fun pirates - they come in all shapes and sizes. Today we are going to talk about pirates in the movies - by discussing our favorite - and least favorite - pirate movies of that last century.

Sources: the minds of the hosts

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Reconquista May 04, 2026

Show notes

In 711, the Moors crossed from Morocco into Spain - conquering all of Portugal, most of Spain, and even parts of France. What followed was a nearly-800 year long campaign by a variety of European kingdoms to expel the Muslim invaders. This is the story of the Reconquista.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista

https://www.britannica.com/place/Al-Andalus

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_rey_Don_Pelayo_en_Covadonga_(Museo_del_Prado).jpg

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Purchase of Alaska May 01, 2026

Show notes

In 1867, the United States - led by Secretary of State William Seward - agreed to purchase the territory of Alaska from the Russian government - for $7.2m. Many people mocked the purchase - saying the land was useless. They called it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox". Little did they understand what had been acquired. This is the story of one of the best buys ever made by the United States government - the purchase of Alaska.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Purchase

https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/treaties/sumners-alaskan-project.htm

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alaska_purchase.jpg

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Silver Mines of Athens Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Just to the east of Athens are silver mines known as the Mines of Laurion. These mines, while abandoned today, were a critical component to the ancient Athenian empire. However, their biggest contribution came in 483 BC, with the discovery of a rich vein, which gave the city a choice: Distribute the profits to the entire city or build a navy. And their choice saved the Athenian Republic. This is the story of the silver mines of Athens.

Sources

https://sites.google.com/email.wm.edu/tour-of-attika/laurion-silver-mines

https://ancient-greece.org/archaeology/lavrion-ancient-silver-mines/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SNGCop_039.jpg - Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Silver Mines of Potosi Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

In 1545, the discovery of silver at the small South American village of Potosi would change the world. Over the next quarter of a century, 150,000 tons of silver would be extracted from the Potosi mines, and silver would fuel Spain’s enormous empire - and facilitate the globalization of the world’s economy. This is the story of the Silver Mines of Potosi.

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History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Gregorian Calendar Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Every single day has something in common. It has a date, whether that is July 4, October 7, or even the rare February 29. And that is thanks to the calendar, known as the Gregorian Calendar, and used by almost the entire world. Its efficiency and simplicity means that worrying about calendar drift is a thing of the past. But all this goes back to the mid-16th century when many in the Catholic Church were concerned that Easter was getting later and later. So, reform was introduced, and what emerged is the primary calendar used all over the world. This is the history of the Gregorian Calendar.

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Sources

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gregorian-calendar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar

Images:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar#/media/File:Christopher_Clavius.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar#/media/File:Gregory_XIII.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar#/media/File:Inter-grav.jpg

History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Piasa - Monster of the Mississippi Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

According to legend, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, there is a monster. It has horns like a deer, terrible red eyes, a long, twisting tail, and is covered in scales. This fearsome creature was seen in 1673 - painted on the bluffs above the Mississippi - by Father Jacques Marquette - one of the first Europeans to travel down the length of the great river. This is the story of the Piasa - the monster of the Mississippi River.

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Sources

https://www.riversandroutes.com/directory/piasa-bird/

https://mythicmississippi.illinois.edu/native-illinois/piasa-bird/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasa

Piasa today: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piasa-Bird-Alton-IL.jpg

History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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