History Dispatches

Gargoyles are creepy. They are twisted, leering, tortured looking statues. Their mouths are often wide open - and serve as the exit of a water spout. So what is the story behind this unnerving bit of architecture? Was the gargoyle a ward against evil? Or was it something more sinister? This is the story of the gargoyle. Sources https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-a-gargoyle/ https://www.ancient-origin...

In September of 1987 two looters in Goiânia, Brazil, stole an unattended device carrying the highly radioactive Cesium 137. After breaking open the device, the radioactive material spread throughout the city, causing massive panic and taking four lives. Sources https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub815_web.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident Sponsor Go to factormeal...

Owney the Postal Dog was a stray terrier mix adopted as a mascot by the Albany, New York, post office around 1887. Owney loved to ride on the mail trains - and went on to travel over 140,000 miles throughout the United States - and even around the world. Sources https://americacomesalive.com/owney-the-post-office-dog/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owney_(dog) Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w...

Running a marathon is extremely impressive feat, but still fully attainable by most people with some grit and dedication. But its distance - at 26.22 miles or 42.195 km - is a little bit odd. So, why is the marathon as long as it is? That history goes back to a battle fought in ancient Greece, an army running a long distance, and some British royalty wanting to see the start of the race in 1908. T...

In the 1920s and 1930s, Anna May Wong, an American actress of Chinese descent, rose to international fame while starring in films such as the Thief of Baghdad and Shanghai Express. Her career spanned vaudeville, film, television, stage, and radio. This is the story of Anna May Wong - Hollywood’s first star of Chinese descent. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_May_Wong https://www.womenshi...

Since the birth of cinema, Pirates have been a part of the movies. Good pirates, bad pirates, fun pirates - they come in all shapes and sizes. Today we are going to talk about pirates in the movies - by discussing our favorite - and least favorite - pirate movies of that last century. Sources: the minds of the hosts Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free da...

In 711, the Moors crossed from Morocco into Spain - conquering all of Portugal, most of Spain, and even parts of France. What followed was a nearly-800 year long campaign by a variety of European kingdoms to expel the Muslim invaders. This is the story of the Reconquista. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista https://www.britannica.com/place/Al-Andalus Image: https://commons.wikimedia....

In 1867, the United States - led by Secretary of State William Seward - agreed to purchase the territory of Alaska from the Russian government - for $7.2m. Many people mocked the purchase - saying the land was useless. They called it "Seward's Folly" or "Seward's Icebox". Little did they understand what had been acquired. This is the story of one of the best buys ever made by the United States gov...

Just to the east of Athens are silver mines known as the Mines of Laurion. These mines, while abandoned today, were a critical component to the ancient Athenian empire. However, their biggest contribution came in 483 BC, with the discovery of a rich vein, which gave the city a choice: Distribute the profits to the entire city or build a navy. And their choice saved the Athenian Republic. This is t...

In 1545, the discovery of silver at the small South American village of Potosi would change the world. Over the next quarter of a century, 150,000 tons of silver would be extracted from the Potosi mines, and silver would fuel Spain’s enormous empire - and facilitate the globalization of the world’s economy. This is the story of the Silver Mines of Potosi. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespo...

Every single day has something in common. It has a date, whether that is July 4, October 7, or even the rare February 29. And that is thanks to the calendar, known as the Gregorian Calendar, and used by almost the entire world. Its efficiency and simplicity means that worrying about calendar drift is a thing of the past. But all this goes back to the mid-16th century when many in the Catholic Chur...

According to legend, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, there is a monster. It has horns like a deer, terrible red eyes, a long, twisting tail, and is covered in scales. This fearsome creature was seen in 1673 - painted on the bluffs above the Mississippi - by Father Jacques Marquette - one of the first Europeans to travel down the length of the great river. This is the st...

For several hundred years across the Ohio River Valley a civilization we know as the Hopewell Culture moved a lot of dirt. This dirt was moved into mounds and earthworks built with extreme precision and astounding size. This is the story of the Hopewell Earthworks. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by...

In 1769, a Spanish explorer camped under a tall, distinctive redwood tree along the banks of the San Francisquito Creek. Little did he know that tree would go on to become a living landmark - and the namesake for the city that grew up around it. This is the story of El Palo Alto - the tree that would define a community. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and fre...

It takes a special art to get something named after you, positive or negative. Such is the case with the Ponzi scheme - one of the largest and most successful scams of all time. Charles Ponzi orchestrated this scam in the early 1920s, suckering thousands of people, and swindling $20 million. This is the story of the original Ponzi scheme. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50...

In 1942, 14-year old Jack Lucas lied about his age to join the Marines - even bribing a notary to attest he was 17. Tired of missing out on the action, he later abandoned his unit to join another marine detachment - which was bound for Iwo Jima. He then joined in the invasion of the island - and in the process - became the youngest Marine to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. He did th...

In September of 1979, two East German families escaped to the west using a very unconventional method - a hot air balloon. It was an escape that required failed prototypes, a near disaster, and raw gumption. This is the story of the East German Hot Air Balloon Escape. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies...

In 1900, a British colonial official demanded an African tribe - the Ashanti - give him a holy relic as a symbol of their capitulation to the English Crown. They refused - and instead took up arms against the British. The end result was thousands dead. This is the story of the War of the Golden Stool. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a y...

The city of Milwaukee began as a collection of three towns around the mouth of the Milwaukee River. None of these communities liked each other very much, and vied for supremacy over the area. This competition would turn into open conflict, and the main target, was the cities' bridges. This is the story of the Milwaukee Bridge War. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent...

The Florentine Diamond is a 137-carat diamond, known for its long association with European royalty. However, after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 - the diamond disappeared. And it would remain that way until November of 2025 - when the fate of the famed gem would be revealed. This is the story of the Florentine Diamond. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 p...

Saints, in the Christian tradition, are people that are in heaven and can influence the world. Most saints are there for their kindness, generosity, piety, or any number of good traits. And then there is St. Olga of Kyiv, who, as regent of Kievan Rus, avenged her husband by burying enemies alive, burning envoys, and torching entire cities in the name of revenge. This is the story of St. Olga of Ky...

In darkest hours of World War I, more than 500 American troops were surrounded by the Germans in the Argonne Forest in France. They were facing furious fire - and were subject to artillery fire from their own forces. The American commander would need a hero to get word to his comrades to stop the shelling - and get his troops rescued. And a hero would step up. Or should we say - fly up. This is th...

The British flag flies in many places around the globe, but one of the most unlikely is a small cemetery on Ocracoke island in North Carolina. Its origin dates back to WWII, and the location has been permanently leased to the British Government. This is the story of the British cemetery on Ocracoke Island. Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast fo...

In 1804, Haiti gained its independence. Two decades later the fledgling nation was struggling for international recognition. That is until they struck a deal with France - agreeing to pay 150 million francs to their former colonial master. But this huge debt would be a burden that dragged down the nation’s economy - the ramifications being felt to this very day. This is the story of Haiti’s Indepe...

On July 25, 1956, on a foggy night, human error and a freak accident caused two ocean liners, the SS Andrea Doria and the MS Stockholm, to collide. The collision killed 51 people. Despite being over a hundred miles from shore, and only half the lifeboats usable, quick thinking, and fast acting rescue ships saved the remaining 1,600 lives. This is the story of the collision of the SS Andrea Doria a...