History Dispatches

It was a normal spring afternoon on April 20, 1979, when president Jimmy Carter, while visiting his home in Georgia, was attacked by a rabbit. This is the story of the Jimmy Carter rabbit incident, and the media storm it created. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter_rabbit_incident "The Other Side of the Story" by Jody Powell History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1996, Pepsi launched a new loyalty campaign. Buy Pepsi soda - get Pepsi points - which got you Pepsi branded stuff. For this campaign, a commercial featured a teenage boy flying a $37m fighter jet - which he had gotten using Pepsi points. It was all a good laugh until someone decided to redeem $700,000 of Pepsi points for the plane. This is the story of the Pepsi Points Jet Fighter Lawsuit. Watch the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdackF2H7Qc Sources https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/getting-harrierd-away/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1996-man-sues-pepsi-for-not-giving-him-a-harrier-jet/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_v._Pepsico%2C_Inc. History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 31, 1931, a trapper known as Albert Johnson shot and killed a Canadian police officer in the remote Northwest Territories. He fled into the wilderness, and proceeded to evade arrest for 48 days in -40 degree weather. But even today, his identity remains a mystery. This is the story of the Mad Trapper of the Rat River. Sources https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/albert-johnson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Johnson_(criminal) Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mad_Trapper-Na-1258-119.jpg#mw-jump-to-license History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Feb. 19, 1942, the Nazis invaded Winnipeg, Canada. However, these Nazis were Canadians engaging in one of the most realistic and detailed mock invasions ever put together. This is the story of ‘If Day’ - the simulated Nazi Invasion of Winnipeg. Sources https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/if-day https://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/ifday.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_Day Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fake_Nazi_soldiers_assaulting_a_Winnipeg_Free_Press_newsie,_19_February_1942.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the pristine waters of Lake Champlain Vermont there exists a legend. A creature over a hundred feet long rivaling that of even the famed Loch Ness monster. This is the story of Champ. - the wild and wonderful lake monster of Lake Champlain. Sources https://www.lakechamplainregion.com/heritage/champ "The untold story of Champ : a social history of America's Loch Ness Monster" by Robert E. Bartholomew https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_(folklore) History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the United States, one can go into a bar and rarely not find an India Pale Ale beer. The IPA, which emerged out of the craft brew revolution, is one of the most popular craft beers. Yet the origins of the IPA are fascinating - with heavy links to British colonialism. This is the story of the India Pale Ale - and its rise in popularity around the world. Sources https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-india-pale-ale-got-its-name-180954891/ https://beerconnoisseur.com/articles/complete-truth-about-origins-india-pale-ale-ipa/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_pale_ale Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mcewans_Pale_India_Ale.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The largest ski race in the world is the Vasaloppet, which is 90 kilometers in distance and attracts over 15,000 participants every year. And it all started when a renegade Swedish noble was on the run from the Danish king. This is the story of the Vasaloppet. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Vasa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasaloppet http://www.vasaloppet.se/om-oss/sa-borjade-allt/ Images: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vasaloppet_Kortvasan_Oxberg.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_Gustav_Vasa_of_Sweden_Addressing_Men_from_Dalarna_in_Mora_(Johan_Gustaf_Sandberg)_-_Nationalmuseum_-_19512.tif?page=1 History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1859, the United States and Great Britain almost got into a shooting war. The reason - an American farmer shot and killed a pig on a disputed island in the Pacific Northwest. This is the story of the Pig War. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War_(1859) https://www.nps.gov/sajh/learn/historyculture/the-pig-war.htm Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Building_the_redoubt.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most famous extinct animals is the Dodo bird. Located on the island of Mauritius, it went extinct less than a century after it was first described. This opened the eyes of the world to the effects that humans can have on an untouched environment. However, the Dodo has been the target of a 500-year long smear campaign, and was nowhere near as foolish as many believe. This is the story of the Dodo bird. Sources https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-dodo-bird-the-real-facts-about-this-icon-of-extinction.html https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250714-why-history-got-the-dodo-so-absurdly-wrong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo Image: by BazzaDaRamble - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxford_Dodo_display.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late 1939, the Soviet Union decided to take control of neighboring Finland. The Soviet Union had a population of nearly 200 million - while Finland had 3.7 million. How hard could it be? Well, lots harder than anyone imagined. Within six weeks two Soviet Divisions were wiped out - and nearly 30,000 Red Army troops were dead. This is the story of the Battle of Suomussalmi. Sources https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-winter-wars-classic-victory/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Suomussalmi https://wbmf.online/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/WOJNA_ZIMOWA_EN_web.pdf Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Finnish_Maxim_M-32_machine_gun_nest_during_the_Winter_War.jpgg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1979, a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant experienced a failure. It was triggered by a small issue that eventually turned into a partial meltdown. It is the closest the United States has ever come to a major nuclear incident, permanently shifting the popularity of nuclear power. This is the story of the Three Mile Island accident. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/three-mile-island-accident Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Three_Mile_Island_(color)-2.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to legend, in 1776, a group of Continental officials, including George Washington, came to the home of Philadelphia upholster Betsy Ross, and asked her to create a flag to represent the young American republic. The result would be the famed Betsy Ross flag. But did this really happen? Let’s find out with the story of the Betsy Ross Flag. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsy_Ross_flag https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/journal/Summer08/betsy.cfm Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RossBetsy.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1986 through 2013, a hermit occupied the area of Belgrade Lake, Maine. During those 27 years he lived virtually without human contact, and survived through burglary. - over a thousand of them - before finally being caught. This is the story of the North Pond Hermit. Sources https://www.gq.com/story/the-last-true-hermit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Thomas_Knight History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1701, construction of the famed Amber Room began. It was made of 1,000 pounds of amber panels, gold, gemstones, and mirrors. It was so extraordinary, it was called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Then, in WWII, the Nazis looted the Amber Room from Russia, and took it back to Prussia. The room was there until the waning days of WWII - but after that - it disappeared. Was it destroyed or buried in the bombing and artillery attacks? Or had it been spirited away by ship or train? To this day - no one knows. This is the story of the Amber Room. Sources https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/amber-room-mystery-russia-nazis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room Image: File:Catherine Palace interior - Amber Room (1).jpg - Wikimedia Commons History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Warne became America's first female private detective in 1856, joining the famed Pinkerton detective agency. During her 12-year career she helped thwart Confederate spies, protect high profile targets, and even assisted in preventing the Baltimore plot - an assassination attempt on Abraham Lincoln. This is the story of Kate Warne. Sources "The Baltimore Plot: The First Conspiracy to Assassinate Abraham Lincoln" by Michael Kline https://www.nps.gov/foth/learn/historyculture/kate-warne-private-detective.htm Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kate-warne(cropped).jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On March 4, 1865, Vice-President-Elect Andrew Johnson gave the most memorable - and controversial - vice-presidential inauguration speech in American history. And that is because Johnson, according to most observers, was resoundingly drunk - and had been on and off for the previous week. Johnson would mumble, slur, and insult his way through his speech, which would color him - and his subsequent presidency - for the rest of his life. This is the story of Andrew Johnson's drunken vice-presidential inaugural address. Sources https://www.npca.org/articles/1720-the-drunken-veep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson%27s_drunk_vice-presidential_inaugural_address https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andy_Johnson,_Military_Gov._of_Tenn_LCCN2003654038.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1970s and 80s the swamps of south Florida became the perfect place to smuggle drugs into the United States. And the fishermen of the swamps were the perfect smugglers to ferry these illicit goods. The epicenter of this smuggling was Everglades City where almost the entire town was involved in the drug trade. This all came to a head in 1983 with Operation Everglades where nearly 80% of the adult male population was arrested for their involvement in smuggling. This is the story of Operation Everglades. Sources https://www.flmd.uscourts.gov/drug-smuggling http://www.floridahistorynetwork.com/july-7-1983---operation-everglades-drug-bust-rocks-everglades-city.html https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/779/779.F2d.1520.84-5499.84-5472.html History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November of 1956, the Hungarian Water Polo team came to Melbourne, Australia, for the Olympic games. But back in Europe, the player’s homeland was only a couple of weeks removed from a bloody - and failed - uprising against the Soviet Union. Then, on Dec. 6, in the semi finals - the Hungarian polo team was slated to face the Soviet Union - who many saw as their suppressors and overlords. What followed was one of the most brutal matches - of any sport - in Olympic history. This is the story of the Blood on the Water polo match. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom%27s_Fury https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_in_the_Water_match https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956 History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the South Pacific island of Tanna, the locals are waiting for a man to return and save them this man’s name, John Frum. He is the central figure in the most prominent cargo cult in the south pacific, dating to the start of World War Two. But the origins are just as murky as the man himself. This is the story of the John Frum Cargo Cult. "John Frum He Come" by Edward Rice https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-john-they-trust-109294882/ Image: By Leigh Cooney - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flow_My_Tears_John_Frum_Said_-_Painting_by_Leigh_Cooney.jpg This thumbnail image is titled "Flow My Tears, John Fruma Said" and features Leigh Cooney's interpretation of John Frum as a Christ Figure to represent the absurdity of turning to Gods as a source of answers for aspects of life we don't understand. History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Sept 10, 1813, on Lake Erie, nine vessels of the United States Navy met - and defeated - six ships of the British Royal Navy in one of the biggest naval battles of the War of 1812. The battle ensured American control of the lake for the rest of the war, which in turn allowed the Americans to recover Detroit, and win the Battle of the Thames - which broke the Indian confederation of Tecumseh. This is the Battle of Lake Erie. Sources https://www.nps.gov/pevi/learn/historyculture/battle_erie_detail.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Erie Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Battle_of_Lake_Erie.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Around 1150 AD, near the village of Woolpit - in East England - two mysterious children suddenly appeared. They wore odd clothing and spoke a strange language. And most shockingly - their skin was green. This is the story of Green Children of Woolpit. Sources https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Green-Children-of-Woolpit/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_children_of_Woolpit https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-8/green-children/ History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most isolated island in the world is Bouvet Island. It is located over a thousand miles from any other location The nearest land Antarctica. It has an amazing history of discovery, loss, phantom islands, and much more. This is the story of Bouvet Island. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouvet_Island https://www.lifeinnorway.net/bouvet-island/ Image courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov - ID# ISS017-E-16161 History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 892, the Viking warrior Sigurd Eysteinsson was the scourge of the north of Scotland. Through unscrupulous means, he had just defeated one of his main rivals - a Pictish chief named Máel Brigte. He rode off the battlefield with the head of his foe hanging from his saddle - a trophy of his victory. However, despite being dead, Máel Brigte would have his revenge - killing Sigurd in a most unique manner. This is the story of the Death of Sigurd Eysteinsson. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_Eysteinsson https://theorkneynews.scot/2024/03/19/earl-sigurd-i-the-mighty/ History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1816, the 40-gun French frigate, the Medusa, departed for the overseas colony of Senegal, carrying 400 people. Incompetent and selfish decisions allowed the ship run aground, and 147 people were stranded on a raft. Only 15 survived. Their harrowing story includes murder and cannibalism. This is the story of the raft of the Medusa. Sources https://shipwrecks.hist.sites.carleton.edu/the-medusa/the-medusa-historical-background/ https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-147348 "Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816" by Jean Baptiste Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard Raft the Medusa painting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_of_the_Medusa Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JEAN_LOUIS_THÉODORE_GÉRICAULT_-_La_Balsa_de_la_Medusa_(Museo_del_Louvre,_1818-19).jpg#mw-jump-to-license History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1862, a man born into slavery - Robert Smalls - pulled off an unlikely escape from his captors. He, his friends, and their families, stole a ship, and sailed out of Charleston harbor - right under the noses of the Confederates. But Smalls' extraordinary life was just beginning. He would serve with Union forces throughout the Civil War, then become a successful businessman, and politician. This is the life of Robert Smalls. Sources https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/21764 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smalls Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_Smalls,_captain_of_the_gun-boat_%22Planter%22_The_gun-boat_%22Planter,%22_run_out_of_Charleston,_S.C.,_by_Robert_Smalls,_May_1862._LCCN97512451_Trim.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Constructed around the year 300 AD of the reddish purple stone porphyry, the Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs is the iconic image of the four men who ruled the Roman Empire at that time. Yet this one piece has moved around the Mediterranean world, and to this day generates controversy. This is the story of the statue - The Portrait of Four Tetrarchs. Sources https://genealogytrails.com/wis/brown/murderofcharlesarndt.html https://www.facebook.com/jamesrvineyardmemesforleadminingteens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Russell_Vineyard Image: By Matt Breen - http://historydispatches.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tetrachs-scaled.jpeg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1919, the United States Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the constitution. This prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages nationwide. This is the story of Prohibition. Sources https://prohibition.themobmuseum.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States https://www.americanprohibitionmuseum.com/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:5_Prohibition_Disposal(9)_(cropped).jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American wild west was probably not as wild as pop culture would have us believe. However, sometimes it was far crazier. Such as when a lead miner turned politician pulled out a gun and shot a fellow delegate on the floor of the Wisconsin territorial legislator - and got away with it. This is the story of James R. Vineyard. Sources https://genealogytrails.com/wis/brown/murderofcharlesarndt.html https://www.facebook.com/jamesrvineyardmemesforleadminingteens https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Russell_Vineyard Image: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=184187677453857&set=a.184187660787192 History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

St. Nicolas is famed for bringing gifts to good children. But in the Alpine regions of Europe, there is a legend about a grotesque creature - half human, half goat - that comes to punish naughty children. This creature - with horns and a long forked tongue - would beat bad children with birch rods - and even carry them away to be eaten. Today, this creature has become a world wide phenomenon. This is the story of Krampus. Sources https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/krampus-could-come-you-holiday-season-180957438/ https://www.history.com/articles/krampus-christmas-legend-origin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gruss_vom_Krampus.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 miles south of Washington DC, in a small part of the Potomac River, lies an area called Mallows Bay. This bay is not home to a handful of shipwrecks or even a dozen. Or even 30 or 40 wrecks. Mallows Bay has over 200 wrecked vessels dating back to the 1920s. This is the story of the Ghost Fleet of the Potomac. Sources https://savingplaces.org/places/ghost-fleet https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/press/mallows-potomac/ https://projects.wamu.org/the-ghost-fleet/ Image: By Amaury Laporte - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ghost_Fleet_of_Mallows_Bay_009_-_Accomac_Shipwreck_Close-Up.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people probably know that Winnie the Pooh was based upon the stuffed toy bear of Christopher Robin Milne - the son of author A.A. Milne. But there is another tale behind the famed bear - which involves a Canadian veterinarian, a black bear cub, and World War 1. This is the story of Harry Colebourn and a bear named Winnie. Sources https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/nov/24/winnie-the-pooh-inspired-by-a-real-bear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Colebourn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg_(bear) Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Colebourne_and_Winnie.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the discovery of Radium in 1898 it began to be used in numerous applications. The most famous was a glow in the dark paint. Thousands of women applied for jobs painting watch dials and other instruments, and to keep their paint brush extra fine, they were instructed to lick the brush. This would all be fine, if a bit unsanitary, except that radium is radioactive, and dozens of these women started to die. This is the story of the Radium Girls. Sources https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2018/01/04/the-radium-girls-at-the-national-archives/ https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/03/radium-girls-living-dead-women/ https://www.britannica.com/story/radium-girls-the-women-who-fought-for-their-lives-in-a-killer-workplace Images: https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1928-05-13/ed-1/?sp=58 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:All_women_or_girls_using_radium_paint_with_no_protection_or_warnings_in_1922,_from-_USRadiumGirls-Argonne1,ca1922-23-150dpi_(cropped).jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The French Revolution would bring about many, many changes in Europe. One of the most radical was the dechristianization of France - including the banning of religious holidays. Will Clark, the host and creator of Grey History - a French Revolution Podcast - joins us to tell the story of How the French Stole Christmas. Sources Learn more about Will Clark and his podcast, Grey History, at https://greyhistory.com History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the outset of World War II, the United States faced a shortage of pilots. As a result, a plan was launched to help ease the situation. This was the creation of a unit of women to fly non-combat duties - such as delivering airplanes to bases. More than 1,000 female pilots would go on to deliver over half of newly made military aircraft during the war to bases all over the nation. This is the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots - better known as the WASPs. Sources https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458964/womens-airforce-service-pilots-wasp/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Airforce_Service_Pilots https://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/wasp-women-airforce-service-pilots Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_L._Remba_Gardner,_Women%27s_Airforce_Service_Pilots,_NARA-542191.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you fight a disease with no known cure - and spreads by just drinking water? This disease is no fantasy but rather Dracunculiasis, or Guinea Worm Disease. While not necessarily fatal, it is extremely painful, and can leave the infected crippled for the rest of their life. But this being a parasite means there are no vaccines or antibiotics to fight it. In 1985, the disease infected more than 3.5 million individuals, and the global community decided it was time to eliminate the disease. And by 2024, there were just 15 cases. This is the story of the eradication of Dracunculiasis. Sources https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02306-8 https://www.cartercenter.org/programs/guinea-worm/ https://www.who.int/activities/eradicating-dracunculiasis Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guinea_Worms_in_Carter_Museum.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 1970s, in a small town in Southeastern Wisconsin, two young gaming enthusiasts, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, would concoct an idea for a new game. Little did they know they would create something that would revolutionize the industry - and to this day - remains the biggest role-playing game in the world. This is the story of the origins of Dungeons & Dragons. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gygax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Arneson https://medium.com/@louis-fiori/dungeons-dragons-the-history-impact-and-legacy-of-a-cultural-phenomenon-b6a6b8c9e3af History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 1921-1926, in the dry craggy mountains of northern Morocco, a brutal conflict would unfold. Claiming tens of thousands of lives, it would see guerrilla warfare, massacres, poison gas attacks, and amphibious landings of tanks. And the amazing thing is that this conflict has been all but forgotten in the English-speaking world. This is the story of the Rif War. Sources https://www.britannica.com/event/Rif-War https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/the-rif-war-a-forgotten-war-923 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camion_transform%C3%A9_en_auto-mitrailleuse_par_les_guerriers_d%27Abd-el-Krim,_dans_le_Rif_oriental_-_btv1b53213097z.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Nov 10, 1975, a storm swept over Lake Superior. For hours and hours, the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald was tossed and battered. Then, a little after 7:00 pm, contact was lost with one of the biggest and most celebrated vessels to ever sail the Great Lakes. This is the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/ Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI Image: Credit: Greenmars - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Fitzgerald,_1971,_3_of_4_(restored;_cropped).jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During WWII, America was seeking a way to avoid the German submarine fleet that prowled the waters of the Atlantic. Businessman Henry Kaiser would team up with aviation pioneer and film director Howard Hughes to find a way to bypass to this problem. That solution was the largest plane ever constructed. And the amazing thing is that they were going to construct it out of wood. This is the story of the Spruce Goose. Sources https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/exhibit/the-spruce-goose/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H-4_Hercules_2.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On May 24, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck faced off against the pride of the British Navy - the HMS Hood. The Hood lasted eight minutes - sending the British admiralty into a frenzy. If the new, powerful Bismarck could get into the shipping lanes in the North Atlantic - Great Britain could be choked off of critical supplies from Canada and the United States. And so word was sent from the highest sources, Sink the Bismarck. Sources https://www.kbismarck.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-04-1-26,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all love a good silly pun name. There are the classics, such as Harry Pitts, or Seymour Butts. But one of the best was also a real person - Ima Hogg. Born in the late 1800’s to the governor of Texas, she would - either despite or because of her interesting name - lead a remarkable life. She became a patron of the arts, contributor to historic preservation, and an early proponent of mental health research and care. This is the story of Ima Hogg. Sources https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hogg-ima https://www.humanitiestexas.org/programs/tx-originals/list/ima-hogg https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/hall-of-fame/ima-hogg/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ImaHogg.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Aug. 24, 1970, a bomb went off outside of Sterling Hall, the home of the Army Math Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The destruction damaged 26 buildings, killed one man, and injured several others. It was, until 1995, the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in United States History. This is the story of the Sterling Hall Bombing. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Hall_bombing https://mediamilwaukee.com/special-projects/sterling-hall-bombing/ https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/the-blast-that-changed-everything/ Images https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_bombing_after_explosion_1.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_Bombers.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Born in 1892, Rafael Hernández Marín rose from humble origins to one of the greatest musicians in history. He started playing professionally at the age of 14, served in a military band in WWI, and ended up touring the world. His style took influences from African American music, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and others. He wrote over 3,000 songs, and is one of the greatest Latin American artists of all time. This is the story of Rafael Hernández Marín. Sources https://en.enciclopediapr.org/content/rafael-hernandez-marin/ https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/rafael-hernandez "Preciosa" by Marc Anthony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbbB1BFL-qg&list=RDRbbB1BFL-qg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1893, a newspaper in northern Wisconsin reported the discovery of a Hodag - a mythical creature associated with Paul Bunyan. Reports of the creature would continue to pop up over the next few years - until one was captured and put on display at the local county fair. However, interest from the scientific community quickly revealed the Hodag to be a hoax. But that did not stop the Hodag from cementing its place in American folklore. Sources https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2321 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag Image: by Gourami Watcher - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hodag_002.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Under a hot afternoon sun in 216 BC, the great Carthaginian general Hannibal scored one of the greatest victories in military history. Outnumbered by 30,000 men, he lured the Roman army into a trap, surrounded and destroyed the entire army. This is the story of the Battle of Cannae. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 1900s, one man proved essential to polar exploration. This man took part in multiple expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic - including the first traversing of the Northwest Passage by ship, and the first journey to reach the South Pole. Explorer Roald Amundsen said the man, “has rendered greater and more valuable service to the Norwegian polar expeditions than any other man.” The amazing thing is that this man was a cook. This is the story of Adolf Lindstrøm - the Polar Chef. Sources https://amundsen.mia.no/en/person/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-2/ https://frammuseum.no/polar-history/explorers/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-1866-1939/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adolf_Lindstrøm_med_prøver_av_fisken_på_King_William_Island,_1904.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1667, the Treaty of Breda was signed, ending the Second Anglo Dutch War. However, this treaty was so impactful that it solidified the golden age of the Dutch Republic for the next century, and gave England control over what would become the United States. This is the story of the Treaty of Breda. Sources https://opil.ouplaw.com/page/492 https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Breda Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congress_of_Breda.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alcohol and ships have gone hand-in-hand ever since humans have set out onto the oceans. In time, drinking became an honored ritual - and even a right. But in the 1600s, alcohol consumption within the British Navy became so troublesome a new concoction was developed to curb the excesses of the sailors. This was the combining of rum with water. This is the history of Grog. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grog https://vinepair.com/articles/the-definitive-history-of-grog/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Navy_during_the_First_World_War_Q17966.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over 1,000 years a massive, natural log jam covered great swaths of the Red River in Louisiana. Known as the Great Raft, it was integral part of the Caddo culture. Unfortunately, it also made the river unnavigable for ships. As such the United States government attempted to clear it, and only managed to do so thanks to the use of high explosives. But the process forever altered the course of the river thanks to extreme ecological damage. This is the story of the Great Raft of the Red River. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Raft https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=RE009 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/042254248e6f471fa2a2cf1ec880ca08 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photographic_Views_of_Red_River_Raft_25.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1962, the film Dr. No was released, introducing the world to one of the world’s greatest - and most enduring secret agents. Over the next 60+ years, James Bond would be portrayed by seven different men in 27 films. This is the story of the men who have played Bond. James Bond. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrayal_of_James_Bond_in_film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices