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:

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Encore) Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

On Nov 10, 1975, a storm swept over Lake Superior. For hours and hours, the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald was tossed and battered. Then, a little after 7:00 pm, contact was lost with one of the biggest and most celebrated vessels to ever sail the Great Lakes. This is the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Sources

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

https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/

Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI

Image: Credit: Greenmars - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Fitzgerald,_1971,_3_of_4_(restored;_cropped).jpg

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

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The 335 Year War (Encore) Jun 04, 2026

Show notes

For 335 years the Netherlands - maybe - fought a long, protracted war against the Isles of Scilly, in the English Channel. It would drag on and on, costing a grand total of zero lives, and only ended when someone bothered to figure out if they were actually still at war. The is the story of the 335 Year War.

Sources

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-335-Year-War-the-Longest-War-in-History/

"Scilly at War" by R. L. Bowley

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Willaerts,_First_Dutch_War.jpeg

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Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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The Rosetta Stone - the Key to Unlocking Egypt's Past (Encore) Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

On July 15, 1799, French soldiers discovered a large stone slab along the Nile Delta. They knew it was something special. But no one at the time realized it was the key to opening up the vast history of ancient Egypt. This is the story of the Rosetta Stone.

Sources

https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-rosetta-stone

https://arce.org/resource/rosetta-stone-unlocking-ancient-egyptian-language/

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

Image: @Hans Hillewaert - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosetta_Stone.JPG

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Catacombs of Paris (Encore) Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

Beneath the city of Paris lies a network of tunnels stretching hundreds of miles - 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

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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Bobbi Gibb - the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon (Encore) Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

On an April morning in Boston in 1966, despite being told she was physically incapable of running 20+ miles, Bobbi Gibb slipped into the crowd of 500 runners. Three hours and 21 minutes later, she became the first woman to ever run the fabled Boston Marathon.

Sources

https://www.sportsmuseum.org/curators-corner/bobbi-gibb-marathon-pioneer/

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

http://www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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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Last of the Mammoths May 29, 2026

Show notes

Wooly mammoths are one of the quintessential animals of the Ice Age, and they died out about 10,000 years ago - or so that is what most people think. In reality, not all of them did. In fact a few pockets of mammoths hung on for thousands of years, and didn't die out until after writing was invented and the pyramids were built. This is the story of the last of the mammoths.

Sources

https://www.science.org/content/article/last-lonely-woolly-mammoths-faced-genomic-meltdown

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00577-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867424005774%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangel_Island File:Woolly_mammoth_model_Royal_BC_Museum_in_Victoria.jpg

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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Battle of the Bogside May 28, 2026

Show notes

In August of 1969, the festering discontent felt by Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland would erupt into three days of fighting in the city of Derry - in an area called the Bogside. When the rioting was done, the British army was deployed for the first time in more than 40 years - and the Troubles had officially begun. This is the story of the Battle of the Bogside.

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2X3Gm7bFdE

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

https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/3407/battle-of-the-bogside

https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/battle-of-the-bogside/

Image: By Adreanna Robson - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Free_Derry_Corner_in_1969.jpg

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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Typhoid Mary May 27, 2026

Show notes

Mary Mallon was a simple cook - no one special. At least until she was identified as the very first asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. In her life she unknowingly infected hundreds of people. As a result, she was quarantined against her will for decades. This is the story of Typhoid Mary.

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3959940/

https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/micrograph/index.cfm/posts/2020/typhoid_mary_mary_mallon_salmonella

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon#/media/File:Mallon-Mary_01.jpg

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Church of Bones - Sedlec Ossuary May 26, 2026

Show notes

Near the town of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic is a gothic chapel that many say resembles something out of a horror film. The chapel holds the bones of upwards of 70,000 people. And the bones are the chapel’s furnishings and decorations, including things such as a wreath of skulls, and a chandelier made up of every bone in the human body. This is the story of the Sedlec Ossuary - the Church of Bones.

Sources

https://horror-world.com/czech-republic-church-of-bones/

https://sedlecossuary.com/

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

https://www.sedlec.info/en/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bones_and_skulls_in_Sedlec_Ossuary_02.jpg

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American War Movies May 25, 2026

Show notes

The film industry loves a good war movie. It’s usually a way to put action and heroics on the big screen. As we observe Memorial Day in the United States - which is to honor those who died in the military - we share with you some of our favorite war movies.

Sources

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

Sponsor

Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).

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

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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