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:

Jimmy Carter Rabbit Attack Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

It was a normal spring afternoon on April 20, 1979, when president Jimmy Carter, while visiting his home in Georgia, was attacked by a rabbit. This is the story of the Jimmy Carter rabbit incident, and the media storm it created.

Sources

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

"The Other Side of the Story" by Jody Powell

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

Pepsi Points Jet Fighter Lawsuit Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

In 1996, Pepsi launched a new loyalty campaign. Buy Pepsi soda - get Pepsi points - which got you Pepsi branded stuff. For this campaign, a commercial featured a teenage boy flying a $37m fighter jet - which he had gotten using Pepsi points. It was all a good laugh until someone decided to redeem $700,000 of Pepsi points for the plane. This is the story of the Pepsi Points Jet Fighter Lawsuit.

Watch the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdackF2H7Qc

Sources

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/getting-harrierd-away/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1996-man-sues-pepsi-for-not-giving-him-a-harrier-jet/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_v._Pepsico%2C_Inc.

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

Mad Trapper of the Rat River Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

On December 31, 1931, a trapper known as Albert Johnson shot and killed a Canadian police officer in the remote Northwest Territories. He fled into the wilderness, and proceeded to evade arrest for 48 days in -40 degree weather. But even today, his identity remains a mystery. This is the story of the Mad Trapper of the Rat River.

Sources

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/albert-johnson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johnson_(criminal)

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mad_Trapper-Na-1258-119.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

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

If Day - the Mock Nazi Invasion of Winnipeg Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

On Feb. 19, 1942, the Nazis invaded Winnipeg, Canada. However, these Nazis were Canadians engaging in one of the most realistic and detailed mock invasions ever put together. This is the story of ‘If Day’ - the simulated Nazi Invasion of Winnipeg.

Sources

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/if-day

https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/ifday.shtml

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

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fake_Nazi_soldiers_assaulting_a_Winnipeg_Free_Press_newsie,_19_February_1942.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

Champ: The Lake Champlain Sea Serpent Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

In the pristine waters of Lake Champlain Vermont there exists a legend. A creature over a hundred feet long rivaling that of even the famed Loch Ness monster. This is the story of Champ. - the wild and wonderful lake monster of Lake Champlain.

Sources

https://www.lakechamplainregion.com/heritage/champ

"The untold story of Champ : a social history of America's Loch Ness Monster" by Robert E. Bartholomew

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(folklore)

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

India Pale Ale Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

In the United States, one can go into a bar and rarely not find an India Pale Ale beer. The IPA, which emerged out of the craft brew revolution, is one of the most popular craft beers. Yet the origins of the IPA are fascinating - with heavy links to British colonialism. This is the story of the India Pale Ale - and its rise in popularity around the world.

Sources

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-india-pale-ale-got-its-name-180954891/

https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/complete-truth-about-origins-india-pale-ale-ipa/

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

Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mcewans_Pale_India_Ale.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

Vasaloppet Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

The largest ski race in the world is the Vasaloppet, which is 90 kilometers in distance and attracts over 15,000 participants every year. And it all started when a renegade Swedish noble was on the run from the Danish king. This is the story of the Vasaloppet.

Sources

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

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

http://www.vasaloppet.se/om-oss/sa-borjade-allt/

Images:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vasaloppet_Kortvasan_Oxberg.JPG

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Gustav_Vasa_of_Sweden_Addressing_Men_from_Dalarna_in_Mora_(Johan_Gustaf_Sandberg)_-_Nationalmuseum_-_19512.tif?page=1

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

Pig War Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

In 1859, the United States and Great Britain almost got into a shooting war. The reason - an American farmer shot and killed a pig on a disputed island in the Pacific Northwest. This is the story of the Pig War.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War_(1859)

https://www.nps.gov/sajh/learn/historyculture/the-pig-war.htm

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Building_the_redoubt.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

Dodo Bird Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

One of the most famous extinct animals is the Dodo bird. Located on the island of Mauritius, it went extinct less than a century after it was first described. This opened the eyes of the world to the effects that humans can have on an untouched environment. However, the Dodo has been the target of a 500-year long smear campaign, and was nowhere near as foolish as many believe. This is the story of the Dodo bird.

Sources

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-dodo-bird-the-real-facts-about-this-icon-of-extinction.html

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250714-why-history-got-the-dodo-so-absurdly-wrong

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

Image: by BazzaDaRamble - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxford_Dodo_display.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

Battle of Suomussalmi Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

In late 1939, the Soviet Union decided to take control of neighboring Finland. The Soviet Union had a population of nearly 200 million - while Finland had 3.7 million. How hard could it be? Well, lots harder than anyone imagined. Within six weeks two Soviet Divisions were wiped out - and nearly 30,000 Red Army troops were dead. This is the story of the Battle of Suomussalmi.

Sources

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-winter-wars-classic-victory/

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

https://wbmf.online/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/WOJNA_ZIMOWA_EN_web.pdf

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Finnish_Maxim_M-32_machine_gun_nest_during_the_Winter_War.jpgg

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