

History Dispatches
Matt and McKinley Breen
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 15, 2025 • 13min
The Pepsi Navy
In 1989, the Soviet Union, under President Mikhail Gorbachev, wanted to ensure the soft drink Pepsi kept flowing to the empire. Unfortunately, the USSR lacked the money or goods to realistically trade with PepsiCo, so instead they swapped 17 submarines and three warships in exchange for the syrup. This, according to legend, made Pepsi the commander of the world's 6th largest navy.
Sources
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/27/pepsi-navy-soviet-ussr/
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2025 • 19min
The Near Extinction of the Bison
When Europeans first came to North America, it is estimated that anywhere from 30-60 million bison roamed throughout he continent. And the great beast was the lifeblood of many of the Native American tribes. Yet within a few hundred years, the bison numbered barely 1000 - and the species was on the brink of extinction. This is the story of the near destruction - and comeback - of the North American Bison.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_of_American_bison
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_bison
Image: by Matt Breen
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 11, 2025 • 15min
The Battle of Fishguard: The Last Invasion of Britain
In February of 1797, 1400 French troops landed in Pembrokeshire, Wales, as part of the War of the First Coalition. What was meant to stir up rebellion on the British Isles ended in complete disaster, with one Welsh woman single-handedly arresting a dozen of the Frenchmen. The invasion would last a total of three days, and mark the last the time Britain was invaded.
Sources
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-Last-Invasion-of-Britain/
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/battle-fishguard---one-wales-1834451
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goodwick_sands.jpeg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 2025 • 11min
The Cardiff Giant: Archeology's Greatest Hoax
In 1869, workers digging a well at a farm in Cardiff, New York, uncovered what appeared to be the body of an ancient, 10-foot-tall petrified man. The discovery was a world-wide sensation. However, within the year, the Cardiff Giant - as it was called - would be revealed as one of the greatest archeological hoaxes in history.
Sources
https://www.history.com/articles/7-historical-hoaxes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiff_Giant
Image: https://www.stalbansraid.com/wp-content/gallery/illustrated-raid-events/illustrated-raid-6.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 9, 2025 • 15min
St. Albans Raid - The Civil War's Northern Most Battle
In October of 1864, the northernmost land battle of the American Civil War took place. Not in Pennsylvania, or New York, but in Vermont, just 18 miles from the Canadian border. 20 Confederate soldiers slipped south and proceeded to rob three banks in the small town of St. Albans, Vermont, before escaping back to the Great White North.
Sources
https://www.stalbansraid.com/
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/st-albans-raid
Image: https://www.stalbansraid.com/wp-content/gallery/illustrated-raid-events/illustrated-raid-6.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 8, 2025 • 14min
Devils Tower
In Northwest Wyoming a vertical stone tower sprouts up a thousand feet out of the landscape. The site is so unique and so stunning - it is held as sacred by many Native American tribes, and would become the very first national monument in the United States. This is the story of Devils Tower.
Sources
https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Tower
Image: @ Matt Breen
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 5, 2025 • 11min
The 335 Year War
For 335 years the Netherlands - maybe - fought a long, protracted war against the Isles of Scilly, in the English Channel. It would drag on and on, costing a grand total of zero lives, and only ended when someone bothered to figure out if they were actually still at war. The is the story of the 335 Year War.
Sources
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-335-Year-War-the-Longest-War-in-History/ ; Scilly at War by R. L. Bowley
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Willaerts,_First_Dutch_War.jpeg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2025 • 16min
The All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters
At the age of 18, Peter I of Russia - aka - Peter the Great - formed a social club to celebrate the fun things in life - especially drinking. This group would last until Peter’s death - 34 years later. However, the club would become more than just a drinking gang. It became a way to thumb one's nose at convention, the church and the establishment. This is the story of the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters.
Sources
https://spiritedla.com/drunk-role-models-peter-the-great-edition/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_All-Joking,_All-Drunken_Synod_of_Fools_and_Jesters
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_I_by_Kneller.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 3, 2025 • 14min
The Accidental Discovery of Penicillin
In the summer of 1928 one of the happiest accidents in history occurred. Scottish Professor of Bacteriology Alexander Fleming returned from holiday to find bacteria samples had been left out, and one of them grew mold killing the bacteria. The mold was Penicillium Notatum, and it would save millions of lives. This is the story of the discovery of Penicillin.
Sources
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5403050/#sec6
https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin/the-discovery-and-development-of-penicillin-commemorative-booklet.pdf
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sample_of_penicillin_mould_presented_by_Alexander_Fleming_to_Douglas_Macleod,_1935_(9672239344).jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 2, 2025 • 17min
Siege of Fort Pulaski
In April of 1862, Union forces began the siege of Fort Pulaski - which guarded the port of Savannah. The fort was seen as impregnable - with walls more than 10 feet thick. But the Union had some new weapons to deploy - rifled cannons. 30 hours after opening fire - entire sections of Fort Pulaski were reduced to rubble - forcing the Confederate defenders to surrender. This is the story of the Siege of Fort Pulaski.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Pulaski_National_Monument
https://www.nps.gov/fopu/index.htm
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FTPulaski1862a01.jpg
History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


