History Dispatches

In 1991, two German tourists spotted something in the Alps at an elevation of more than 10,000. It was the remains of a human being. But not just any human - this was a man who had died a violent death more than 5,000 years ago. This is the story of Ötzi the Iceman. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/otzi-the-iceman/ Image: https://commons.wiki...

In the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, in some of the most pristine and untouched wilderness in the world, lived Dorothy Molter, the last permanent resident of the region. She lived alone for decades, and was called the loneliest woman in America. Except she wasn't quite alone - considering she was visited by thousands of tourists every year to drink her world famous root beer. Sources https://www.r...

Margery Booth was a British opera singer who became popular in Germany in the 1930s - and was even a favorite of Adolf Hitler. She married a German man, and became a naturalized German citizen. In WWII, she continued her career as best as she could - but also, she became a spy for her native land. This is the story of the daring - and often overlooked - exploits of Margery Booth. Sources https://w...

What goes around comes around is often a saying to make someone feel better - but in the case of the Brazen Bull it was apt. The Brazen Bull was a legendary and cruel torture device from the ancient world. And its first victim was the man who created it. Sources https://www.livius.org/articles/person/phalaris/bull-of-phalaris/ https://www.livius.org/articles/person/phalaris/ Image: https://commons...

Rikers Island - the New York City jail complex - was the home for nearly 40 years to a painting by surrealist master Salvador Dali. He donated the painting to Rikers in 1965, and it hung in the facility until 2003 - when it disappeared - and has never been found. This is the story of the Rikers Island Art Heist. Sources https://www.insideedition.com/how-a-salvador-dali-drawing-was-stolen-from-rike...

The deadliest day in on the Great Lakes was not a ferocious storm far out to sea. But rather a calm day in a Chicago harbor. That is when a passenger steamer listed and rolled into the lake, claiming 844 lives. This is the story of the SS Eastland Disaster. Sources https://eastlanddisaster.org/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Eastland_disaster#/media/File:Eastland_Postcard_-_Vie...

In 1958, Richard Loving - a white man - married Mildred Jeter - a black woman. The newlyweds would be arrested a year later in Virginia - where mixed race marriages were illegal. Eight years and countless court cases later, the Supreme Court - on June 12, 1967 - would strike down that law. This is the story of Richard and Mildred Jeter - and Loving Day. Sources https://time.com/archive/6916188/lov...

When Hannibal - the sworn enemy of Rome wanted to attack Italy - he had a problem. Going by sea was impossible, and invading by land was almost as difficult as it required crossing the Alps, which are some of the most formidable mountains in the world. The key word though is 'almost.' Because in 16 harrowing days Hannibal and his army did exactly that - crossed the Alps - in one of the greatest ac...

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-secur...

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...

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/interact...

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 Magazi...

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...

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....

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...

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-disa...

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:...

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 changin...

There are many ways that we deliver mail today: car, truck, ship, plane, on foot. But one thing mail doesn't do is travel via rocket. Except for when the US Post Office tried to do so in 1959 by loading 3,000 letters onto a cruise missile. This is the story of Rocket Mail. Sources https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/experimenting-with-rockets/ https://postalmuseum.si.edu/collections/object-spotlight...

In France in August of 1572, the marriage of the King’s sister - a Catholic - to a prominent Protestant prince was supposed to unite the nation’s warring factions. However, militant Catholics in Paris would instead launch a shocking attack on their rivals. When the killing ended, tens of thousands of Protestants would be slaughtered - and the Wars of Religion were reignited. This is the story of t...

In the city of Halicarnassus, the king Mausolus died around 350 BC. His wife then embarked on construction of a tomb so grand that it would rival the pyramids. Fourteen stories tall, three layers, immaculate sculptures, and enough grandeur to humble the grumpiest Roman, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus has gone down as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sources https://penelope.uchicago....

Public art is a common site in many cities. But not many pieces of public art are in such a prominent place, nor are they so weird as Blucifer - a 32-foot tall statue of a blue mustang with fiery red eyes right outside Denver International Airport. A statue that not only looks like a demon, but is rumored to be inhabited by one - and killed its creator. This is the story of Blucifer. Sources https...

In Part 2 of our look at the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the challenges involving the casting, design, production and marketing of the film. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(film) https://www.biography.com/movies-tv/george-lucas-star-wars-facts https://everything-everywhere.com/the-history-of-star-wars/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_wars2.svg Sponsor...

In the summer of 1977 the film Star Wars was released - igniting a global phenomenon that continues to this day. But the Star Wars that we know and love almost never happened. It was rejected by almost every major studio. In Part 1 of our story about the creation of Star Wars - we talk about the roots of the film, its creator - George Lucas - and the struggles with the script and financing. Source...

The ability to tell if someone is lying has long been something humans have attempted to perfect. From torture to psychology, it is the holy grail of criminal investigation. In 1921, a PhD student and police rookie, John Larson, may have cracked the code by inventing the polygraph. It is an invention, many said, that was sure to change the face of criminology forever. Or maybe not. Did he instead...