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:

James Holman - the Blind Traveler Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

From 1819 to 1846, James Holman traveled throughout the world - going to every continent - except Antarctica - and circumnavigating the globe. It’s estimated he traveled 250,000 miles in his days - making him one of the most well-traveled people in the world. And the even more amazing thing is that Holman was blind. This is the story of James Holman, the Blind Traveler.

Sources

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

https://explorersweb.com/legends-series-james-holman/

"A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler" by Jason Roberts

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James.Holman.by.George.Chinnery.1830.jpg

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

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H.L. Hunley Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

During the American Civil War a group of inventors and privateers got together to build a submarine. The result was the H.L. Hunley. Launched in 1864, the Hunley would go on to be the first submarine in history to sink an enemy vessel. It then disappear without a trace for 130 years. This is the story of the H.L. Hunley.

Sources

https://www.history.navy.mil/research/underwater-archaeology/sites-and-projects/ship-wrecksites/hl-hunley.html

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/hl-hunley

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._L._Hunley#/media/File:Conrad_Wise_Chapman_-_Submarine_Torpedo_Boat_H.L._Hunley,_Dec._6,_1863.jpg

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

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Hoover Flight Promotion Fiasco Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

In 1992, one of Great Britain’s most revered and trusted brands - Hoover - began a marketing campaign giving away two plane tickets to the United States - a value of 600 pounds at the time - if you bought at least 100 pounds worth of appliance products. If that seems like an insanely bad idea - you are right. This is the story of the Hoover Flight Promotion - perhaps the most costly and catastrophic marketing campaign in history.

Sources

https://thehustle.co/the-worst-sales-promotion-in-history

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

Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Hoover_vacuum_cleaner_illustration%2C_1919.jpg

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

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History of Legos Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

One of the most iconic and influential toys ever is the simple Lego brick, with a history stretching back over a century. The Lego has captured the hearts and minds of millions - kids and adults alike. They are a simple, elegant toy with infinite complexity and creativity. This is the history of legos.

Sources

https://www.lego.com/en-us/history

Image: By Arto Alanenpää - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lego_dublo_arto_alanenpaa_5.JPG

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

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John F. Kennedy and PT-109 Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

On August 2, 1943, a patrol boat commanded by a young John F. Kennedy was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the waters of the Solomon Islands. Despite his own injuries, the 26-year old Kennedy spent the next week attempting to get himself and the surviving crew to safety. He even used a life jacket strap clenched between his teeth to tow an injured crewman in the water for more than five hours. This is the story of John F. Kennedy and PT 109.

Sources

https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/john-f-kennedy-and-pt-109

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2003/summer/pt109.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrol_torpedo_boat_PT-109

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy

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

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lt._John_F._Kennedy_skipper_aboard_the_PT-109.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

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History of Zombies Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

We celebrate today - Halloween - by diving into the history of the zombie. From Haitian voodoo folklore, to one of the cornerstones of horror movies, serious and silly alike, this is the history of zombies.

Sources

"The undead in culture and science," by Nugent C, Berdine G, Nugent K.

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/13/250844800/zoinks-tracing-the-history-of-zombie-from-haiti-to-the-cdc

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

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Gimli Glider Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 was in route from Montreal to Edmonton when the plane - astonishingly - ran out of fuel midway through the flight. The crew would thus have to glide the Boeing 767 - and their 61 passengers - from an altitude of 41,000 feet - to an emergency landing at an old Air Force base in Manitoba - which had recently been converted to a racetrack - and was hosting an event at the time of the emergency landing. This is the story of the Gimli Glider.

Sources

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

https://simpleflying.com/air-canada-gimli-glider-facts-list/

https://www.damninteresting.com/the-gimli-glider/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Air_Canada_Flight_143_after_emergency_landing_2.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

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Eradication of the Screwworm Fly Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

For decades the New World screwworm fly devastated agriculture across the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. At least until the 1950s when a strange combination of radiation, and releasing billions of the very fly they sought to eradicate into the wild. And today, the screwworm has all but disappeared from North America. This is the story of the Eradication of the Screwworm Fly.

Sources

Stop Screwworms: Selections from the Screwworm Eradication Collection

https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/exhibits/show/stop-screwworms--selections-fr

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/cattle/ticks/screwworm

Image: https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/speccoll/items/show/7394

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

Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com

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Establishment of Liberia Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

In 1847, a group of former slaves from the Americas established the nation of Liberia on the west coast of Africa. Many people hailed the move as an option for other blacks in the Americas. And while that sounds all well and good, it would be a much more complex and divisive effort. This is the story of the establishment of Liberia.

Sources

"https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/liberia-proclaims-its-independence

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Liberia"

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_Liberia.svg

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

Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com

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Erfurt Latrine disaster Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

On a summer day in 1184 a large group of nobles and clergy were gathered in Erfurt, modern day Germany, debating control over the city. The event was being presided over by the son of the Holy Roman Emperor. All was normal until the floor gave way and dozens of people fell into the cesspit below the castle. 60 people died, many drowning in human waste. This is the story of the Erfurt Latrine Disaster.

Sources

The Fort Weekly Curio #1: The Erfurter Latrinensturz

"Water Technology in the Middle Ages Cities, Monasteries, and Waterworks After the Roman Empire" By Roberta J. Magnusson

https://www.erfurt-lese.de/streifzuege/geschichtliches/erfurter-latrinensturz/

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

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