History Dispatches

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-ac...

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...

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...

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_C...

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/Fil...

The Execution of King Louis XVI as brought to you by wonderful History Daily. Host Lindsay Graham takes us on a dramatic recreation of the events of that fateful day in 1793 - when the French Revolution took a step that few had ever imagined. This episode is presented in partnership with History Daily. Thanks to Lindsay Graham and his team. https://www.historydaily.com Image: https://commons.wikim...

On the morning of September 22, 1776, 21 year old Nathan Hale was escorted to the gallows in New York City near modern-day 66th St. and Third Avenue. He was to be hanged for being a spy. When given a chance for some final words, he was reportedly to have said one sentence that would resonate to this day. 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.' This is the story of Nathan H...

In late afternoon on March 25, 1911, a small spark would ignite on the 8th floor of the Triangle Factory. The spark would turn into a blaze that would leave 146 dead. And the worst part is that almost all of these deaths were preventable. This is the story of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Sources Triangle: The Fire that Changed America by David Von Drehle Image: https://commons.m.wikimedia...

Edward Carter was an American soldier of mixed race. He fought the Japanese in Shanghai. The fascists in Spain. And the Nazis in Europe. And on March 23, 1945, Carter single-handedly wiped out two machine gun nests, a mortar team, killed six Germans, and captured two more, despite being wounded five times. For his actions, Carter would - ultimately - receive the Congressional Medal of Honor - alth...

In the 1200s a legend surfaced of a female pope who ruled for two years, disguised as a man. And while it was just that - a legend - that did not stop Pope Joan from being considered real for hundreds of year. And desite being nothing more than myth, Pope Joan would have an abnormally large impact on the Catholic Church. Sources "The Myth of Pope Joan" by Alain Boureau Image: https://commons.wikim...

The Stanley Cup - hockey's greatest prize - is meant to be experienced - by the fans and the players. As a result, the treasured trophy has been through many, many adventures in its 130+ years. It’s been lost, stolen, tossed in a river, and even used as a flower pot. These are the Adventures of the Stanley Cup. Sources https://www.nhl.com/news/stanley-cup-has-strange-and-colorful-past https://en.w...

Taking 200 years to build the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the world's most iconic structures. Built in wet soil, engineers have been fighting gravity for nearly a thousand years. And seemingly by sheer willpower, the structure still stands today. Sources https://www.towerofpisa.org/; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pisa/interventions.html Im...

In 1784, 44 Japanese sailors ventured off towards an island in the Pacific in search of a mysterious treasure. They would not be heard of again - until 151 years later when a bottle was found detailing the fate of the crew. This is the story of Chunosuke Matsuyama and the world’s oldest Message in a Bottle. Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-glass-bottle-on-brown-sand-4724049/ History Dispa...

In 1909, wealthy Georgia widow Susie Wright Allgood saw a business opportunity. She wanted to create a new stuffed toy that would usurp the popular Teddy Bear. Her new toy was Billy Possum - inspired by President William Howard Taft. For this episode, we are joined by Howard Dorre from the podcast Plodding Through the Presidents. Sources "How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to...

On Feb. 14, 1929, seven members and associates of Chicago's North Side Gang were lured into a garage at Lincoln Park - lined up - and killed in a hail of machine gun fire. The killings were believed to have been orchestrated by Al Capone - and exposed the mob violence that was gripping many of the nation’s big cities. No one would ever be charged in the killings. This is the story of the Valentine...

In 1935, the first lobotomy was preformed, ushering in the era of one of history's worst medical practices. Over the next 30 years, tens of thousands of them would be preformed, earning its inventor a Nobel Prize. This is the history of the lobotomy. Sources https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4291941/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3640229/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki...

In the late 1930s, nearly 3000 Americans traveled to Spain to fight in a civil war that would leave upwards of half a million dead. Many of these Americans were socialists and communists - but more than that - virtually all of them were united for the hatred of fascism. This is the story of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Battalion Abraham Lincoln Brigade...

In 60 countries across six continents, millions of people live in constant fear of landmines. There are many tactics to remove these explosives, but the most fascinating is using mine sniffing rats. And one of the greatest of those rats is Magawa. Sources https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59951255 https://apopo.org/latest/in-loving-memory-of-magawa/ APOPO Website: https://apopo.org History Dispa...

Around 800 AD, monks in Scotland and Ireland created a book containing the four gospels. But the book was more than just the religious texts. It was filled with intricate artwork, including full page illustrations, vivid colors, and elaborate Celtic knotwork. Today it is recognized as a masterpiece of Insular illumination and script. This is the story of the Book of Kells. Sources https://en.wikip...

In the summer of 1979, Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox had a fantastically dumb idea. Sell cheap tickets if fans brought a disco record. The vinyl would then be all blow up. While it sounds dumb, it got far worse as this publicity stunt turned into a riot. Sources https://www.chicagohistory.org/disco-demolition-night/; https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230922-the-night-angry-rock-fan...

From March 13, 1884, to January 26, 1885, the city of Khartoum, Sudan, was surrounded by insurgents bent on establishing an Islamic state. For 10 months, 7,000 Egyptian troops and 30,000 civilians - under the command of Major General Charles Gordon - an Englishman - held out - hoping for relief troops to arrive. This is the story of Charles Gordon and the Siege of Khartoum. Sources https://en.wiki...

In January of 1919, a tank containing millions of gallons of molasses burst in the north end neighborhood of Boston. The resulting flood claimed over 20 lives, millions of dollars in damage, and took months to clean up. This is the story of the Great Molasses Flood of Boston. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood https://www.boston.gov/news/100-years-ago-today-molasses-crashes...

The Iron Brigade is the story of one of the finest fighting forces in United States history. Made up of 'western men' from Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, the brigade would sustain the highest casualty rate of any unit in the American Civil War. Sources "The Iron Brigade, A Military History" by Alan T. Nolan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Brigade" Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fil...

In 1903, George Edalji was falsely accused of maiming several animals, and sentenced to seven years in prison. However, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, would take up the case, and exonerate an innocent man. Sources "The Man Who Would Be Sherlock: The Real Life Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle" by Christopher Sandford Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Conan_Doyle#/...

In July of 1771, famed naval explorer Captain James Cook returned to England after circumnavigating the world. And he had great praise and admiration for one of his crew - who had completed a second circling of the world. That crew member was a goat - who is only known to history as the Well-Traveled Goat. This is her story. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well-Travelled_Goat https://blo...