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 Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

Former president Ulysses S Grant was penniless and dying. He was racing against the clock in order to complete his memoirs - and ensure the financial security of his family. The result would be one of the greatest pieces of non-fiction ever written. This is the story of U.S. Grant's memoirs.

Sources

"The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant," by Ulysses S. Grant

"The Complete Annotated Edition by Ulysses S. Grant," Edited by David S. Nolen, John F. Marszalek, Louie P. Gallo

Image: https://www.loc.gov/item/2002736661/

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Alfred Nobel and the Creation of Dynamite Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

In 1866, a Swedish chemist came up with a concoction that went boom. And it would change the world - in ways no one could imagine. This is the story of Alfred Nobel and the creation of dynamite.

Sources

Nobel Prize Website: https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-life-and-work/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel"

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlfredNobel2.jpg

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Stonewall Riots Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

On June 28, 1969, in New York City, a known gay bar called the Stonewall Inn was the site of a police raid - a common occurrence at that time. But this time, it backfired. Police lost control of the situation when anger turned to fury and soon, a multi-day riot broke out. The end result was the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.

Sources

"The Stonewall Riots" by Laurie Collier Hillstrom

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stonewall_Inn_raid_sign_pride_weekend_2016.jpg

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Monopoly - The Surprising History of the World's most Famous Game Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Monopoly is a game of crushing your opponents. You ruthlessly gobble up properties, drive your foes into bankruptcy, and emerge as a victorious real estate mogul. But the popular game actually has deeper roots - all the way back to 1902. And what’s amazing is that it was actually created as an anti-capitalist learning tool.

Sources

"Lizzie Magie and the history of Monopoly" - https://blogs.bl.uk/business/2023/03/lizzie-magie-and-the-history-of-monopoly-1.html

"The secret history of Monopoly: the capitalist board game’s leftwing origins" -https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/11/secret-history-monopoly-capitalist-game-leftwing-origins

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Monopoly

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monopoly-board.jpg

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Black Bart - the Wild West's Gentleman Bandit Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Imagine trying to rob a stagecoach. Now try to do it 29 times - with nothing but an unloaded shotgun, a flour sack mask, and your wits. Then do it without firing a single shot, and maintaining the highest level of decorum you can imagine. That is the story of Black Bart, the Wild West’s gentlemen bandit.

Sources

"Gentleman Bandit: The True Story of Black Bart, the Old West's Most Infamous Stagecoach Robber" by John Boessenecker

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

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Battle of Stamford Bridge Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

1066 is a pivotal year in Western history as it marks the the Battle of Hastings - in which the Normans, under William, defeated the English, led by King Harold Godwinson. But many people don’t realize that just a few weeks before the Battle of Hastings there was a different fight - this between the English and the Norwegians - the latter led by the legendary King Harald Hardrada. This is the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

Sources

"1066: The Year of the Conquest" by David Howarth

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arbo_-_Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge_(1870).jpg

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The Ice Bowl - Football's Most Famous Clash on the Frozen Tundra Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

In 1967, on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL Championship - the coldest game in NFL playoff history. This is the story of the legendary Ice Bowl.

Sources

Cowboys vs. Packers: The Ice Bowl | 1967 NFL Championship - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0XChUkWgU

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_Game

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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Video Game Crash of 1983 Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

In the 1980s, the United States video game industry was in a golden age. Arcades and home consoles were making billions of dollars and the market was full of incredible titles. And then overnight, it would all come tumbling down. This is the story of the video game crash of 1983.

Sources

"Before the Crash: Early Video Game History" edited by Mark J.P. Wolf

"The Ultimate History of Video games" by Steven Kent

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.jpg

The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

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The Opium Wars Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

In the mid-1800s, Great Britain fought two wars against China. The reason was not to conquer territory. Or get gain valuable resources. No, this was to force Chinese officials to allow British-grown opium to be imported into their country. So perhaps we can call this the story of the ruthless English drug lords.

Sources

"Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age" by Stephen R. Platt

"The Opium Wars in China" = https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-china

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Destroying_Chinese_war_junks,_by_E._Duncan_(1843).jpg

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Henry Avery and the Greatest Pirate Raid in History Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

On September 7, 1695, English pirate Henry Avery led one of the most daring pirate attacks - and most lucrative - in history. And to top it all off - he got away with it.

Sources

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every

"Enemy of all Mankind" by Steven Johnson

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Every.gif

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