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:

Operation Rubicon - one of the most successful intelligence operations of the Cold War Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Crypto AG was a Swiss company that specialized in encryption technology with roots all the way back to 1920. In 1970, the company was sold. The buyers - the CIA and BND - the latter West Germany's intelligence service. The result was described as the 'Intelligence Coup of the Century'. This is the story of Operation Rubicon.

Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/national-security/cia-crypto-encryption-machines-espionage/

https://www.cryptomuseum.com/intel/cia/rubicon.htm

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

Image: by Rama - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hagelin_CX-52-IMG_0568-white.jpg

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

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The Smoot: History's oddest measuring stick Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

On a cold October night, on the Harvard Bridge in Boston, Oliver Smoot and his fellow MIT fraternity pledges were doing something odd - measuring how long the bridge was in Mr. Smoot's height. But they succeeded, and eventually this would cause the unit - the Smoot - to be born. It is a story that lives on in the lore of Boston, MIT, the Internet, and the very concrete of the Harvard Bridge itself.

Sources

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

https://news.mit.edu/2008/smoot-tt0924

Image: Courtesy MIT - https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/object/GCP-00023939?query=smoot&resultIndex=6

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

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10 Tragic Days: The coup that rocked Mexico Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Over 10 days in 1913, Mexico experienced a coup d'état that would lead to the execution of its nation’s president. During this crisis, Mexico would end up having - in less than an hour’s time span - three different presidents. This is the story of the 10 Tragic Days.

Sources

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

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/mexican-revolution-and-the-united-states/interactive-map.html

https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Ten_Tragic_Days

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Decena_trágica.JPG

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

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The Republic of Fredonia Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

After Mexico gained its independence in the early 1800's it had a bit of a sore spot - Texas. This sore spot would eventually turn into the Texas Revolution, but before that, there was the Fredonia Rebellion. This was a series of evictions, fraudulent elections, and farcical arrests that eventually amounted to a declaration of independence.

Sources

Richard Fields - Cherokee Chief, True West Magazine, March 1987

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fredonian-rebellion

https://easttexashistory.org/items/show/166

Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fredonian_Rebellion_Flag_of_1826.svg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Konen_Colorado_%26_Red_River_Land_Co._c._1835_UTA_(map).jpg

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

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Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

In 1918, 60,000 soldiers of the Czechoslovak Legion found themselves trapped inside Russia after the collapse of the Russian Empire in WW1. What followed was a nearly three year battle to cross the length of Russia - 6,000 miles - to a port on the Pacific - and ships to take these men home to their new nation. This is the story of the Revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion.

Sources

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

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

https://www.fpri.org/article/2016/06/epic-misadventure-historic-achievement-remarkable-story-czecho-slovak-legion/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Czechoslovak_Review,_Czechoslovak_railroad_car.jpg

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

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The Turkish Bombard Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

In 1453 the walls of Constantinople were some of the most fear in the world. They had stood for a millennium, and kept almost every invader out. Even the rising power of the Ottoman Empire would not dare risk an assault. Until one of the greatest cannons ever constructed was built - the Basilica Gun - aka the Turkish Bombard.

Sources

https://historynet.com/the-guns-of-constantinople/?f

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilic_(cannon)

https://royalarmouries.org/collection/object/object-6177

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dardanelles_Gun_Turkish_Bronze_15c.png

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

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The Glorious Defeat of the Revenge - The 1591 Battle of Flores Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

On August 30, 1591, the British fleet was surprised off the Azores by a superior Spanish force. The English quickly fled - except for one ship - the Revenge. The captain, Richard Grenville, refused to abandon the British sailors who were on shore at the time the Spanish arrived on the scene. Grenville would thus stand and fight - alone - against the entire 55-ship Spanish fleet. This is the story of the Battle of Flores - or the Glorious Defeat of the Revenge.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Flores_(1591)

“The Revenge: A Ballad of the Fleet” by Lord Alfred Tennyson - https://www.online-literature.com/tennyson/726/

“Last Fight of the Revenge” by Sir Walter Raleigh

https://webhispania.info/this-is-how-spain-crushed-the-royal-navy-in-1591-the-feat-england-wants-us-to-forget/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Edward_Dixon_The_Revenge_1591_Battle_of_Flores_Azores_(cropped).jpg

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

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The Flannan Isles Lighthouse Mystery Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

On a lonely island off the coast of Scotland, in December of 1900, the crew of a the lighthouse disappeared without a trace. And despite extensive investigation, the true cause has never been determined. This is the story of the Flannan Isles lighthouse mystery.

Sources

https://www.nlb.org.uk/history/flannan-isles/

https://blog.nrscotland.gov.uk/2023/12/12/flannan-isles-lighthouse-keepers-the-disappearance/

Image: By JMM - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Flannan%27s_Cell_and_Flannan_Isles_Lighthouse_-_geograph.org.uk_-_623920.jpg

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

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Flathead Lake Monster Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

It prowls the waters of a deep lake in Montana - long, serpentine and huge. Even the local native people - the Kutenai - tell stories of a great creature that lives in the depths of the lake. For more than a century, people have tried to catch this local legend - but so far - nothing. This is the story of the Flathead Lake Monster.

Sources

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

https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Flathead_Lake_Monster

https://gosailmontana.com/post/flathead-lake-monster-history/

https://www.flatheadlakers.org/flathead-lake-monster

https://flatheadbeacon.com/2023/05/29/in-search-of-the-flathead-lake-monster/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po3ManFRivc

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

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Boxers, Briefs, Corsets and Codpieces – introducing You’re Dead To Me Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

This week, we're bringing you a special teaser of You're Dead To Me, the BBC's hit comedy podcast that takes history seriously.

In this episode, host Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Serena Dyer and comedian Vic Michaelis to explore the surprisingly fascinating history of underwear. From Roman underpants and medieval linen shifts to corsets, stockings and modern bras, they uncover how changing fashions, beauty standards and social norms shaped what people wore beneath their clothes.

Expect hidden history, myth-busting and a lot of laughs. If you enjoy what you hear, find You're Dead To Me wherever you get your podcasts.

Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07mdbhg

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