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:

Three Mile Island Accident Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

In 1979, a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant experienced a failure. It was triggered by a small issue that eventually turned into a partial meltdown. It is the closest the United States has ever come to a major nuclear incident, permanently shifting the popularity of nuclear power. This is the story of the Three Mile Island accident.

Sources

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

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/three-mile-island-accident

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Three_Mile_Island_(color)-2.jpg

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

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Betsy Ross Flag Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

According to legend, in 1776, a group of Continental officials, including George Washington, came to the home of Philadelphia upholster Betsy Ross, and asked her to create a flag to represent the young American republic. The result would be the famed Betsy Ross flag. But did this really happen? Let’s find out with the story of the Betsy Ross Flag.

Sources

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

https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Summer08/betsy.cfm

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

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

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North Pond Hermit Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

From 1986 through 2013, a hermit occupied the area of Belgrade Lake, Maine. During those 27 years he lived virtually without human contact, and survived through burglary. - over a thousand of them - before finally being caught. This is the story of the North Pond Hermit.

Sources

https://www.gq.com/story/the-last-true-hermit

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

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

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Amber Room Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

In 1701, construction of the famed Amber Room began. It was made of 1,000 pounds of amber panels, gold, gemstones, and mirrors. It was so extraordinary, it was called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Then, in WWII, the Nazis looted the Amber Room from Russia, and took it back to Prussia. The room was there until the waning days of WWII - but after that - it disappeared. Was it destroyed or buried in the bombing and artillery attacks? Or had it been spirited away by ship or train? To this day - no one knows. This is the story of the Amber Room.

Sources

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/amber-room-mystery-russia-nazis

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

Image: File:Catherine Palace interior - Amber Room (1).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

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

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Kate Warne: America's First Female Private Detective Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Kate Warne became America's first female private detective in 1856, joining the famed Pinkerton detective agency. During her 12-year career she helped thwart Confederate spies, protect high profile targets, and even assisted in preventing the Baltimore plot - an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln. This is the story of Kate Warne.

Sources

"The Baltimore Plot: The First Conspiracy to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln" by Michael Kline

https://www.nps.gov/foth/learn/historyculture/kate-warne-private-detective.htm

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kate-warne(cropped).jpg

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

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Andrew Johnson's Drunken Vice-Presidential Inaugural Address Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

On March 4, 1865, Vice-President-Elect Andrew Johnson gave the most memorable - and controversial - vice-presidential inauguration speech in American history. And that is because Johnson, according to most observers, was resoundingly drunk - and had been on and off for the previous week. Johnson would mumble, slur, and insult his way through his speech, which would color him - and his subsequent presidency - for the rest of his life. This is the story of Andrew Johnson's drunken vice-presidential inaugural address.

Sources

https://www.npca.org/articles/1720-the-drunken-veep

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson%27s_drunk_vice-presidential_inaugural_address

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

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andy_Johnson,_Military_Gov._of_Tenn_LCCN2003654038.jpg

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

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Operation Everglades Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

In the 1970s and 80s the swamps of south Florida became the perfect place to smuggle drugs into the United States. And the fishermen of the swamps were the perfect smugglers to ferry these illicit goods. The epicenter of this smuggling was Everglades City where almost the entire town was involved in the drug trade. This all came to a head in 1983 with Operation Everglades where nearly 80% of the adult male population was arrested for their involvement in smuggling. This is the story of Operation Everglades.

Sources

https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/drug-smuggling

http://www.floridahistorynetwork.com/july-7-1983---operation-everglades-drug-bust-rocks-everglades-city.html

https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/779/779.F2d.1520.84-5499.84-5472.html

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

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Blood in the Water Polo Match Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

In November of 1956, the Hungarian Water Polo team came to Melbourne, Australia, for the Olympic games. But back in Europe, the player’s homeland was only a couple of weeks removed from a bloody - and failed - uprising against the Soviet Union. Then, on Dec. 6, in the semi finals - the Hungarian polo team was slated to face the Soviet Union - who many saw as their suppressors and overlords. What followed was one of the most brutal matches - of any sport - in Olympic history. This is the story of the Blood on the Water polo match.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom%27s_Fury

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956

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

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John Frum Cargo Cult Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

On the South Pacific island of Tanna, the locals are waiting for a man to return and save them this man’s name, John Frum. He is the central figure in the most prominent cargo cult in the south pacific, dating to the start of World War Two. But the origins are just as murky as the man himself. This is the story of the John Frum Cargo Cult.

"John Frum He Come" by Edward Rice

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-john-they-trust-109294882/

Image: By Leigh Cooney - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flow_My_Tears_John_Frum_Said_-_Painting_by_Leigh_Cooney.jpg

This thumbnail image is titled "Flow My Tears, John Fruma Said" and features Leigh Cooney's interpretation of John Frum as a Christ Figure to represent the absurdity of turning to Gods as a source of answers for aspects of life we don't understand.

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

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Battle of Lake Erie Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

On Sept 10, 1813, on Lake Erie, nine vessels of the United States Navy met - and defeated - six ships of the British Royal Navy in one of the biggest naval battles of the War of 1812. The battle ensured American control of the lake for the rest of the war, which in turn allowed the Americans to recover Detroit, and win the Battle of the Thames - which broke the Indian confederation of Tecumseh. This is the Battle of Lake Erie.

Sources

https://www.nps.gov/pevi/learn/historyculture/battle_erie_detail.htm

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

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

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

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