History Dispatches

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 Ulysse...

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:Alfre...

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 C...

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/b...

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 Stagecoa...

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 Batt...

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 Explore...

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...

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 S...

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

In 1719, Daniel Defoe published the book, “The LIfe and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” The story is about a sailor who is stranded on an island for more than 20 years. It has gone on to be one of the most popular novels in western literature. In this episode, we tell the story of Alexander Selkirk, the man many believe to be the inspiration for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Sources "The Rea...

More than 2,000 years ago, in Alexandria Egypt, Ptolemy II had a dream - to establish the greatest library the world had known. What emerged was one of the grandest institutions ever built, and the forerunner to all modern libraries. This is the story of the Library of Alexandria.  Sources "Libraries in the Ancient World" by Lional Casson Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_Alexand...

In 1933, a small brass plate was discovered near San Francisco - not far from where famed English privateer Francis Drake had supposedly landed back in 1579. It fit the description of a plate reportedly left by Drake - making it potentially one of the great relics of North American Exploration.  Sources Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake%27s_Plate_of_Brass Science Beat: Drake's Plate -...

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks would have enough. Sitting on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she was told to give up her seat. She said no. Sick and tired of decades of segregation, racism and oppression, she would sit defiantly. This would lead into some of the most pivotal moments in the American civil rights movement. Sources Montgomery Bus Boycott - https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery...

On January 30, 1661, Oliver Cromwell, one time Lord Protector and ruler of the English Commonwealth, was hanged for treason. After being cut down, his head was chopped off, and placed on a 20-foot pole above Westminster Hall. While that sounds nasty, the truly weird thing is that Oliver Cromwell had died three years earlier. In this episode, we take you on the story of the Head of Oliver Cromwell....

In the boiling summer of 1518 in Strasbourg, France, one women started to dance in the street. But this was no ordinary dance. She continued until her feet were bloody And soon, she was joined by hundreds of other dancers, dancing until they passed out from exhaustion or death. Sources "A Time to Dance, a Time to Die" by John Waller Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Die_Wallfahrt_der_...

On May 16, 1975, Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei reached the summit of Mount Everest - and in the process became the first woman to ever climb the highest point on earth. Sources Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junko_Tabei Women in Exploration: https://womeninexploration.org/timeline/junko-tabei/ Junko Tabei, first to summit Everest in 1975: https://www.jobradshaw.co.uk/blog/junko-tabie-...

In 1941, an exiled Polish army would find itself in Iran. There it would adopt an orphaned bear cub who would go on to serve the army as their mascot, fellow soldier, and their friend. Sources "The bear who was a private in the Polish army" - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4nd3n33yeo Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wojtek_(bear) Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_bad...

In 1932, the Australian army began a military campaign to take on a horde of menacing invaders. These swarms of great beasts threatened the nation’s food supply, and the livelihoods of thousands of decent Australians. This is the Great Emu War.  Sources "The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birds: https://www.thecollector.com/great-emu-war/ The Real Story Behind Australia’s Great...

Saint Patrick holds the honor of being one of the most celebrated saints in history. But behind all of the celebration, shamrocks and myths, there is a real person. A man who lived 1,500 years ago and forever changed the history of Ireland, and the world. Sources "Saint Patrick Retold" by Roy Fletchener Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Patrick Image: https://commons.wikimedia...

History Dispatches debuts Monday, March 17. 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...