

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

May 30, 2025 • 10min
Battle of Karánsebes: When the Austrian Army Attacked Itself
In late 1788, an Austrian army on the march came across some people selling large quantities of alcohol. When the cavalry started buying the liquor, the infantry wanted in on the action. But some people don’t like to share, and when shots were fired, the melee descended into one of the worst friendly fire incidents in history. This is the story of the Battle of Karánsebes.
Sources
"The Brassey's Book of Military Blunders" by Geoffrey Regan
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kar%C3%A1nsebes
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:II._Jozsef_es_katonai_1787-ben.JPG
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 29, 2025 • 17min
The Teddy Bear
Teddy bears are cute and cuddly. Children cling to them for comfort. They have inspired countless books and stories and songs. They are the backbone of a $12 billion industry. Most of us probably know the Teddy Bear is named after a beloved US President - but beyond that - what do we really know? This is the story of the Teddy Bear.
Sources
https://corporate.steiff.com/en/steiff-teddy/history/
https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/storyofteddybear.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_bear
Image @ Matt Breen
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 2025 • 25min
The Denver Spiderman
Steve Silverman from the Useless Information Podcast joins us to tell the story of a gruesome and unusual murder. In Denver, Colorado, 1941, a man was found murdered in his own home. The weird part - all the doors and windows were locked from the inside. The question - how was the killer able to make his getaway. This is the story of the Denver Spiderman.
Steve Silverman, Useless Information Podcast - https://uselessinformation.org
Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-view-of-man-standing-at-night-316681/
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 27, 2025 • 17min
Halifax Explosion
On Dec. 6, 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with a Norwegian vessel in the harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Mont-Blanc, loaded with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. Nearly 1800 people were killed, and 9,000 injured. The blast was the largest human-made explosion at the time.
Sources
The Canadian Encyclopedia - https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax-explosion
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic - https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Explosion
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Halifax_Explosion_-_harbour_view_-_restored.jpg
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 26, 2025 • 15min
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is one of the most iconic pieces of American symbolism. Despite a crack that has rendered it useless for over a century, it still represents American liberty and freedom. But why? This is the story of the Liberty Bell.
Sources
National Park Service - https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm
US History.org - https://www.ushistory.org/libertybell/
Image by William Zhang: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Bell_2017a.jpg
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 23, 2025 • 18min
Robert Emmet and the Speech from the Dock
On September 19, 1803, Irishman Robert Emmet was convicted of treason for his role in a failed uprising earlier that year. Accordingly, Emmet was executed - another in a long line of Irish rebels. Except Robert Emmet did one thing that would bring him lasting fame. At his trial, he gave an impassioned speech - one of the finest - that would inspire Irish nationalists to this day. This is the story of Robert Emmet and his famed Speech from the Dock.
Sources
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Emmet
Speech from the Dock: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Speech_from_the_Dock_(Emmet)
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RobertEmmetWatercolor.png
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2025 • 15min
Theft of the Mona Lisa
In 1911, a man disguised as a maintenance worked walked into the Louvre right before it opened. He proceeded to steal the Mona Lisa, and go uncaught for two years. The theft turned the painting from well-known, to the most famous work of art in history. This is the story of the theft of the Mona Lisa.
Sources
"The Thefts of the Mona Lisa" by Noah Charney
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa#/media/File:Mona_Lisa,_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci,_from_C2RMF_retouched.jpg
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 2025 • 19min
Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
On June 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was returning from a secret mission - the delivery of the nuclear bomb that would ultimately be dropped on Hiroshima. In the early morning hours the cruiser was struck by two torpedoes. The ship sank in 12 minutes. Nearly 1200 men went into the ocean. Only 316 came out alive. This is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.
Sources
"The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis Triggered the Worst Shark Attack in History - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/sinking-uss-indianapolis-triggered-worst-shark-attack-history-25715092/
Surviving the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis - https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/surviving-sinking-uss-indianapolis
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)"
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)_underway_in_1944_(stbd).jpg
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 20, 2025 • 15min
Pony Express
Before 1860 to send a letter from the east to west coast would take months. However, in April of 1860 the Pony Express was created, and riders on horseback could cross the American frontier in just 10 days. This extreme feat would become ever enshrined in the American West. This is the story of the Pony Express.
Sources
"The Saga of the Pony Express" by Joseph J. Di Certo
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pony_Express#/media/File:Pony_Express_Poster.jpg just the top portion
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 19, 2025 • 14min
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant was one of the most sacred objects to the Israelites. It represented God's presence on Earth. Yet most people’s knowledge of the ark comes from a movie - Raiders of the Lost Ark. So what exactly was the fabled Ark of the Covenant?
Sources
"What is the Ark of the Covenant? - https://www.livescience.com/64932-the-ark-of-the-covenant.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_Covenant"
Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_West_-_Joshua_passing_the_River_Jordan_with_the_Ark_of_the_Covenant_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com
Interested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


