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:

The Great Zimbabwe Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

In southern Africa - in the nation of Zimbabwe - an unlikely sight appears in the south-eastern hills near Masvingo. It is the ruins of what was once a great city - including the largest stone structure in precolonial Southern Africa. When Europeans first saw the sprawling site - they speculated who built it. Was it the Phoenicians? Arabs? King Solomon? It didn’t occur to them that the local people had done so - yet that is exactly what had happened. This is the story of the Great Zimbabwe.

Sources

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

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/364/

Image: By Jan Derk - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great-Zimbabwe.jpg

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

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The Battle Over Parker Dam Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

On August 25, 1934, the Governor of Arizona, Benjamin Moeur, declared martial law, dispatching over 100 national guard troops to the site of an invasion. Not by a foreign power, but by California construction workers. It was a battle that made its way to the supreme court, and gave Arizona its own navy. This is the story of the battle over the Parker Dam.

Sources

https://www.nps.gov/articles/california-parker-dam.htm

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/parker-dam

https://www.phoenixmag.com/2014/08/01/whoa-nellie/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arizona_-_Parker_-_NARA_-_23933751.jpg

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

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Discovery of the Venus de Milo Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

On April 8, 1820, on the Greek island of Milos, a farmer, Theodoros Kendrotas, uncovered the upper part of a marble statue while working in his field. A visiting French naval officer paid the farmer and his son to uncover the rest of the statue - and when they were done, they would behold one of the greatest works of art in history. This is the story of the discovery of the Venus de Milo.

Sources

https://artjourneyparis.com/blog/story-venus-de-milo.html

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

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vénus_de_Milo_-_Musée_du_Louvre_AGER_LL_299_;_N_527_;_Ma_399.jpg

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

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The History of Pad Thai Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Pad Thai is one of the tastiest most iconic dishes of Thailand. And yet, it has a history that is less than a century old, and it involves floods, a military dictator, and the nation's attempt to spread their culture all over the world. This is the story of Pad Thai.

Sources

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-surprising-reason-that-there-are-so-many-thai-restaurants-in-america/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/who-invented-pad-thai

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-surprising-history-of-pad-thai-180984625/

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

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

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Battle of Adwa Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

On March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, the forces of the Kingdom of Italy - attempting to expand its colonial empire in the Horn of Africa - clashed with the Ethiopian army in the climatic battle of the First Italian-Ethiopian War. The result was one of the most stunning defeats of a European power in Africa - and left Ethiopia as one of the few independent nations remaining on the continent. This is the story of the Battle of Adwa.

Sources

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

https://ethiopiancrown.org/the-battle-of-adwa/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adoua_1.jpg

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

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Mountain Meadows Massacre Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

In September of 1857 over 100 members of a wagon train were on their way to California. While in Utah they were ambushed and besieged by a combined force of Mormons and Paiute Natives. The end result would be the execution of 120 settlers, and a church-wide cover up. This is the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Sources

"The Mountain Meadows Massacre" by Juanita Brooks

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Meadows_Massacre#/media/File:Mmm_1999_cairn.jpg

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

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CIA Attempts to Assassinate Fidel Castro Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

In 1959, rebels led by Fidel Castro took control of Cuba. Having a communist power just 90 miles from the border made American officials nervous. Very nervous. And thus the Central Intelligence Agency - the CIA - worked up a variety of plans to remove Castro - and - hopefully - bring about the downfall of his regime. Those plans took many wild turns - and would never be successful. This is the story of the CIA Attempts to Assassinate Fidel Castro.

Sources

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

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

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

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Battle of Bunker Hill Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Following the start of the American Revolution at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the colonists took up arms, besieging the British army in Boston. The first real contest of arms would take place three month later at Bunker Hill. Despite making some rookie mistakes, they held their own. In this episode, we discuss the events of that day - with the help of Michael Troy of the American Revolution Podcast. This is the story of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Sources

Thanks to Mike Troy of the American Revolution Podcast

http://www.amrevpodcast.com

https://pod.amrevpodcast.com

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Death_of_General_Warren_at_the_Battle_of_Bunker%27s_Hill.jpg

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

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Ned Kelly: Australia's Most Notorious Outlaw Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

From 1878 to 1880 Ned Kelly and his gang terrorized the Australian Outback. Perpetrating numerous robberies and murders, and even capturing an entire town. And he did so, while clad in a suit of armor. This is the story of Ned Kelly.

Sources

"Ned Kelly, a Short Life" by Ian Jones

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_strange_apparition_Ned_Kelly%27s_last_stand.jpg

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

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1904 Olympic Marathon Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

The men's marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis was one of the oddest moments in the sport’s history. Officials ran the race during the hottest part of the day and purposely limited the water the 32 participants could have. Men would ride in cars for the part of the race, get chased by wild dogs, become violently ill, and suffer hallucinations. One man even fell unconscious and nearly died. This is the story of the 1904 Men’s Olympic Marathon.

Sources

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-1904-marathon-became-one-of-the-weirdest-olympic-events-of-all-time-14910747/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1904_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_marathon

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marathon_Hicks1904.jpg

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

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