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:

Adolf Hitler's 1923 Beer Hall Putsch Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

In October of 1923, a young Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party attempted to seize control of the German government. The attempt failed - but it would thrust Hitler onto the national political stage. This is the story of Adolf Hitler and the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch.

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Sources

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

https://www.history.com/articles/hitler-failed-beer-hall-putsch

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/beer-hall-putsch-munich-putsch

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-1486,_Hitler-Putsch,_München,_Marienplatz.jpg

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

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Kush Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Along the Nile river, deep in antiquity, there was a powerful kingdom. They built pyramids, constructed grand palaces, and crafted beautiful artwork. They conquered neighbors, and fought off invaders. And existed for over a thousand years. But I am not talking about the Egyptians. Just look a little farther to the south and you will see amazing people, often overlooked. This is the story of the Kingdom of Kush.

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Sources

https://www.britannica.com/place/Nubia

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

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

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

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White Squirrels of Olney Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Over a hundred years ago, a pair of albino squirrels took up residence in the woods in Olney, Illinois. At its peak, it was said that more than 800 of the white squirrels were in the area. Today that number is much less, but the squirrels are now protected and pampered by the town’s residents. This is the story of the White Squirrels of Olney.

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Sources

https://www.enjoyillinois.com/plan-your-trip/travel-inspiration/white-squirrels-of-olney/

https://www.ci.olney.il.us/visitors/white_squirrels/

https://www.ffa.org/ffa-in-the-usa/where-are-the-white-squirrels/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/can-a-small-towns-protections-for-albino-squirrels-inspire-other-cities-to-guard-wildlife-against-cats-180986007/

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

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Heirlooms of Dunvegan Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

The Scottish Clan MacLeod is an old, highly regarded family with a history going back over 700 years. Their traditional seat of power is Castle Dunvegan. Inside the castle lie not one, not two, but three different heirlooms of the MacLeod Clan. These are the Fairy Flag, the Dunvegan Cup, and Sir Rory Mor's Horn. Each has their own legendary - even magical - histories. This is the story of the Heirlooms of Dunvegan.

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Sources

https://www.dunvegancastle.com/castle/fairy-flag/

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

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qj5x92g1lo

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Fairy-Flag-of-the-MacLeods/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Rory_Mor%27s_Horn

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

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Flag#/media/File:Dunvegan_Cup,_Fairy_Flag,_Rory_Mor's_Horn_(photo,_sometime_before_1927).jpg

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

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Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

The shocking murder of two American officers in the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea threatens to start a war. This is the story of the Panmunjom axe murder incident - and the American and South Korean response - commonly known as Operation Paul Bunyan.

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Sources

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

https://ns.clementspapers.org/briefing-books/korea-tree-incident

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Korean_Axe_Murderers_at_DMZ_-_1976.jpg

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

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Wax Cylinders: The First Commercial Audio Medium Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

Today, if you want to listen to a something, chances are you can pop it up on your phone, and boom, there you go. But before that, there was the iPod, CDs, cassettes, and vinyl. But before that, there were wax cylinders. All the way back in 1888 they were the first commercial recording device. This is the story of the Phonograph Cylinder.

Sources

https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_cylinder ; https://www.hagley.org/librarynews/earliest-sound-recordings-short-history-cylinders

Images: By M. Dupres: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_cylinder#/media/File:Cilindrodefonografo.jpg

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

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Emilio Carranza - the Lindbergh of Mexico Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

In the 1920s, Emilio Carranza became an accomplished pilot, setting records for long distance flying throughout North America. His fame would spread, and he was dubbed the Lindbergh of Mexico. Sadly, he would die at the age of 22 while on a goodwill mission to the United States. This is the story of Emilio Carranza.

Sources

https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/why-mexican-aviation-legend-remembered-new-jersey-pine-barrens

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/emilio-carranza-memorial

https://weirdnj.com/stories/local-heroes-and-villains/carranza/

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

Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emilio_carranza.jpg and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yonkers_Statesman_1928_06_14_12.jpg

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

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Why Bananas Used to be Better Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

One of the most ubiquitous and highest selling foods in the United States is the banana. From the big box Walmart, to your local mom and pop grocery store everyone sells them. But the banana we eat today is very different from less than a century ago. And that is because the banana we used to eat almost went extinct. This is the story of why bananas used to taste so different.

Sources

https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/history-of-the-gros-michel-banana

https://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Panama-disease-FS.pdf

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

https://www.britannica.com/science/Panama-disease

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

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Monitor vs Merrimack - Battle of the Ironclads Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

On March 9, 1862, two ships met at Hampton Roads near where the James River flows into Chesapeake Bay. What followed was a historic clash - the first ever between iron clad ships. This is the story of the Monitor vs the Merrimack.

Sources

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

https://www.marinersmuseum.org/learn/explore-topics/uss-monitor-story/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ironclads_battle_7.jpg

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

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Spartacus Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

With just 70 men the gladiator slave Spartacus planned a revolt and escaped. Turning those 70 men into over 70,000. And in the process defeated multiple Roman armies and became one of the biggest thorns in the side the Roman Republic ever saw. This is the story of Spartacus.

Sources

https://www.livius.org/sources/content/plutarch/plutarchs-crassus/plutarch-on-spartacus/

https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-spartacus/

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

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

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

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