History Dispatches

The nation with the most pyramids is not Egypt but its neighbor to the south, Sudan, with over 250. However, these were not built by the ancient Egyptians, but by the Kingdom of Kush, from 800 BC to the 4th century AD went on a pyramid building boom. And the crown jewel of these sites is the Pyramids of Meroë - a cemetery with 147 pyramids and the final resting place to dozens of Kushite kings. Th...

On Feb. 1, 1960, in Greensboro, NC, four young black students went into a Woolworth’s department store, sat at the lunch counter and ordered food. They were denied service. But instead of going home and not returning - the men came back the next day. And the next. And the next - until thousands of people were staging sit-ins all over the south in protest of segregated seating at restaurants. This...

For the Halloween special of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air, in 1938, they performed a radio adaptation of HG Wells’ landmark science fiction novel 'War of the Worlds.' The only problem is that it was so realistic, it caused panic amongst listeners, who thought a Martian invasion was imminent. At least, allegedly. This is the story of the 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. Sponsor Go to fact...

On July 5, 1996, a Finn-Dorset sheep was born at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. The sheep’s name was Dolly - and she was the first mammal ever cloned from an adult somatic cell. This is the story of Dolly - the sheep that made history. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item...

Being a democracy we often think of Athens as the good guys of ancient Greece. And in some ways they were - if such a label can be applied to a two and a half thousand year old civilization. But in other ways they were absolutely evil. Such as when they decided that their voluntary organization to help defend Greece now had mandatory membership, and defiance meant total destruction. This is the st...

In the far north the Kennedy Channel - which is the border between Greenland and Canada - lies tiny Hans Island. The island was claimed by the two neighbors - but it was so inconsequential - no one really bothered with the specifics of who owned what. That was until 1984, when Canadian soldiers landed on the island - raised their flag - and - to help cement their claim - left a bottle of whisky. T...

One of the most internationally recognized symbols is the pride flag. While today it is synonymous with gay rights, it did not come from nowhere. It is the brainchild of the San Francisco based Gilbert Baker, whom many have declared the gay Betsy Ross. This is the story of Gilbert Baker, and the pride flag. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast f...

One of the most beloved and tasty sweet treats all over the world is the Oreo cookie. More than 40 billion Oreos are consumed each year - making it the most popular cookie in the world. This is the story of the Oreo. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year wh...

One of greatest authors in history is William Shakespeare. Renowned for numerous plays, poems, and more, he has produced some of the greatest contributions to the English literary canon. But that begs the question - did he write his plays? Yes he did. But that doesn’t mean the theory doesn’t have a fascinating history. This is the story of the Shakespeare authorship question. Sponsor Go to factorm...

In the 14th century - Mansa Musa - the ruler of the kingdom of Mali in West Africa - went on a Hadj to Mecca. To impress all that he met he had a retinue of as many as 60,000 - and brought with him 20 tons of gold. This has made many dub Mansa Musa the richest person in history. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers on...

In October of 1923, a young Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party attempted to seize control of the German government. The attempt failed - but it would thrust Hitler onto the national political stage. This is the story of Adolf Hitler and the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan....

Along the Nile river, deep in antiquity, there was a powerful kingdom. They built pyramids, constructed grand palaces, and crafted beautiful artwork. They conquered neighbors, and fought off invaders. And existed for over a thousand years. But I am not talking about the Egyptians. Just look a little farther to the south and you will see amazing people, often overlooked. This is the story of the Ki...

Over a hundred years ago, a pair of albino squirrels took up residence in the woods in Olney, Illinois. At its peak, it was said that more than 800 of the white squirrels were in the area. Today that number is much less, but the squirrels are now protected and pampered by the town’s residents. This is the story of the White Squirrels of Olney. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to ge...

The Scottish Clan MacLeod is an old, highly regarded family with a history going back over 700 years. Their traditional seat of power is Castle Dunvegan. Inside the castle lie not one, not two, but three different heirlooms of the MacLeod Clan. These are the Fairy Flag, the Dunvegan Cup, and Sir Rory Mor's Horn. Each has their own legendary - even magical - histories. This is the story of the Heir...

The shocking murder of two American officers in the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea threatens to start a war. This is the story of the Panmunjom axe murder incident - and the American and South Korean response - commonly known as Operation Paul Bunyan. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varie...

Today, if you want to listen to a something, chances are you can pop it up on your phone, and boom, there you go. But before that, there was the iPod, CDs, cassettes, and vinyl. But before that, there were wax cylinders. All the way back in 1888 they were the first commercial recording device. This is the story of the Phonograph Cylinder. Sources https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-moti...

In the 1920s, Emilio Carranza became an accomplished pilot, setting records for long distance flying throughout North America. His fame would spread, and he was dubbed the Lindbergh of Mexico. Sadly, he would die at the age of 22 while on a goodwill mission to the United States. This is the story of Emilio Carranza. Sources https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/why-mexican-aviation-legend-remembered...

One of the most ubiquitous and highest selling foods in the United States is the banana. From the big box Walmart, to your local mom and pop grocery store everyone sells them. But the banana we eat today is very different from less than a century ago. And that is because the banana we used to eat almost went extinct. This is the story of why bananas used to taste so different. Sources https://www....

On March 9, 1862, two ships met at Hampton Roads near where the James River flows into Chesapeake Bay. What followed was a historic clash - the first ever between iron clad ships. This is the story of the Monitor vs the Merrimack. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hampton_Roads https://www.marinersmuseum.org/learn/explore-topics/uss-monitor-story/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org...

With just 70 men the gladiator slave Spartacus planned a revolt and escaped. Turning those 70 men into over 70,000. And in the process defeated multiple Roman armies and became one of the biggest thorns in the side the Roman Republic ever saw. This is the story of Spartacus. Sources https://www.livius.org/sources/content/plutarch/plutarchs-crassus/plutarch-on-spartacus/ https://www.livius.org/sour...

Valentine’s Day is a $20 billion a year industry in the United States. So how did St. Valentine’s Day become such a big deal? Today we will tell you by looking at who St. Valentine really was - and how his day has evolved into one of the biggest holidays - money wise - in the world. Sources https://www.history.com/articles/real-st-valentine-medieval https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day...

In November of 1520 the king of Sweden and Denmark, King Christian II, betrayed the Swedish nobility. After a feast, he imprisoned dozens of nobles and clergymen and then proceeded to execute 82 of them in the town square of Stockholm for heresy. This is the story of the Stockholm Bloodbath. Sources https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/11/the-stockholm-bloodbath-of-november-1520/ https://www.britannica....

In 1781, Rachel Wall and her husband desperate for a better life - turned to piracy. Over a two-year period, their small band of marauders captured a dozen ships - and murdered 24 men. This is the story of Rachel Wall - America’s first female pirate. Sources https://pastispresent.org/2025/good-sources/in-her-own-words-the-life-and-death-of-rachel-wall-massachusetts-female-pirate/ https://en.wikipe...

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, affecting over 500 million people. Today it is very manageable, and thanks to modern medicine most people can live a long, normal life. But that was not always the case. Before the 1920s diabetes was often a death sentence. At least until Frederick Banting and Charles Best found a way to isolate insulin from dog pancreases. This is the s...

On the morning of August 27, 1979, a bomb exploded on a fishing boat off the coast of Ireland. Two children were amongst the dead, as was British statesman and naval officer Lord Mountbatten. The bombing was one of the most polarizing moments in the conflict simply known as ‘The Troubles’. This is the story of the Assassination of Lord Mountbatten. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassinati...