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:

Carry Nation: The Temperance Movement's Hatchet Granny Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

In 1900, a woman named Carry Nation was inspired by a vision - she claimed - from God. She had seen how alcohol destroyed families. It had killed her first husband. And so a few days later she entered a nearby saloon and started smashing whatever she could. And that was the start of her crusade to rid the nation of alcohol. This is the story of one of the most controversial and colorful people of the temperance movement - Carry Nation.

Sources

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

https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/blog-posts/carry-nation-books

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Carrie_Nation_by_White_Studio.jpg

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

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History of the Periodic Table of Elements Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

For over a hundred years the Periodic Table of Elements has shaped and organized every naturally occurring element in a surprisingly simple and elegant manner. But this was not always the case, and it took centuries of understanding to organize the Periodic Table into what it is today.

Sources

he Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance" by Eric R. Scerri

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

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

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

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Mystery of the Mary Celeste Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

On December 4, 1872, the merchant ship Mary Celeste was discovered adrift and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores. Her lifeboat was missing. The last entry in her log was dated ten days earlier. She had plenty of provisions, and her cargo was intact. The captain's and crew's belongings were undisturbed. None of those who had been on board were ever seen or heard from again. This is the mystery of the Mary Celeste.

Sources

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

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Celeste_as_Amazon_in_1861.jpg

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

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Boudica - The Celtic Warrior Queen Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

2,000 years ago in the mists and forest of Britain, the Celtic warrior Queen Boudica led a revolt against the mighty Roman Empire, almost throwing them out of Britain for good. This is the story of Boudica.

Sources

"Boudica: Iron Age Warrior Queen" by Richard Hingley and Christina Unwin

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

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boudicca

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boudicca-or-Boadicea.jpg

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

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Carol Kaye: First Lady on Bass Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

In 1957, Carol Kaye, a 22-year old mother and musician, was invited to a recording session with the legendary Sam Cook. What followed was a 65+ year career in which she would be one of the most accomplished bass players in rock and popular music - appearing on over 10,000 records. This is the story of bass player extraordinaire Carol Kaye.

Sources

"https://www.premierguitar.com/artists/forgotten-heroes-carol-kaye

https://www.vulture.com/2016/04/carol-kaye-sets-record-straight.html

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

https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/07/business/famous-on-the-web-this-working-mom-played-bass-for-the-best-of-them.html

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/carol.kaye.1840/"

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

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Broken Arrow: Americas Missing Nukes Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Over the past 80 years the United States has built tens of thousands of nuclear bombs. The problem is that several of them have simply gone missing, without a trace. These six weapons are the United States' broken arrows.

Sources

https://www.atomicarchive.com/almanac/broken-arrows/index.html;

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/command-and-control-broken-arrows-how-many-nuclear-accidents-have-we-had/

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220804-the-lost-nuclear-bombs-that-no-one-can-find

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon#/media/File:Little_Boy_bomb.jpg

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

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The Coelacanth: Discovery of a Living Fossil Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

On December 22, 1938, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, the curator of a museum in East London, South Africa, came upon a large fish caught in the net by a trawler. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. And it wasn’t long before the strange fish with vivid blue scales was an international sensation. And that’s because the strange fish was supposed to be extinct - having disappeared from the earth 66 million years earlier. This is the story of the Coelacanth.

Sources

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Courtenay-Latimer

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/coelacanths-the-fish-that-outdid-the-loch-ness-monster.html"

Image:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marjorie_Courtenay-Latimer_and_Coelacanth.jpg

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

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Catacombs of Paris Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Beneath the city of Paris lies a network of tunnels stretching hundreds of kilometers. Many of which are not totally explored. Their origin dates back to the Middle Ages, and today are home to a massive cemetery. This is the story of the Catacombs of Paris.

Sources

https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/history/site-history

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/strange-maps-paris-catacombs; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_of_Paris

Image: Vlastula at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catacombes_de_Paris.JPG

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

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Lost Army of Cambyses Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

In 525 BC, an army of 50,000 Persians - under the orders of King Cambyses II - set out from Thebes into the western desert of Egypt. Their goal was to subjugate the Oracle of Amun at the Siwa Oasis. The army was never seen again, and legend is that the entire army had been swallowed by a sandstorm. This is the story of the Lost Army of Cambyses.

Sources

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

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-lost-armyfound-at-las_b_372293

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cambyses_II-lost-army.jpg

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

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Hildegard of Bingen: The Mystic Visionary Nun Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Throughout the 1100's the abbess Hildegard of Bingen was one of the most influential figures in medieval Europe. An astounding theologian, scholar, writer, and musician, she was also wrote hundreds of letters to numerous popes, kings and emperors. All while being overcome with mind melting visions from God.

Sources

Hildegard of Bingen by Fiona Maddocks

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

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

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