History Dispatches

In 2011-2012, a gang of thieves orchestrated the theft of 3000 tons of maple syrup - valued at nearly $19m Canadian dollars - from a storage facility in Quebec. Adjusted for inflation, it is the biggest theft in Canadian history. This is the story of the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. Sources The Sweetest Heist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adCQ9cwYA8o Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canadian_Maple_Syrup_Heist ‘The Sticky’ true story: Inside the real Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist - https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/the-sticky-true-story-canadian-maple-syrup-heist-rcna182982 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

Catherine of Aragon and Henry the VIII have one of the most important marriages, and divorces in history. But why did it take Henry separating England from the Catholic Church to do something as simple as a divorce? Turns out Cathrine was a shrewd and feisty woman that did everything to protect her position. This is the story of the divorce of Cathrine of Aragon. Sources "Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII" by Giles Tremlett Katherine of Aragon: https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/history-and-stories/katherine-of-aragon/#gs.ln8ows Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catherine_of_Aragon_(1485-1536).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

On the night of June 30, 1520, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his troops attempted to escape from Tenochtitlan. The Spanish loaded themselves down with eight tons of treasure. However, their escape didn't go well. The result was what the Spanish called La Noche Triste - the Night of Sorrows. At least half of Cortes’ men were killed - and all the loot was gone. This is the story of Moctezuma’s Gold. Sources Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Sad_Night_(Noche_Triste)_(Conquest_of_Mexico)_Painting.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

October 8, 1871, the same night as the Chicago Fire, a massive blaze was spreading a few hundred miles north. It would level millions of acres, and claim more than 1200 lives, making it history's deadliest wildfire. This is the story of the Peshtigo Fire. Sources "The Great Peshtigo Fire; An Eyewitness Account" by Peter Pernin Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshtigo_fire Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Peshtigo_Fire_showing_people_seeking_refuge_in_the_Peshtigo_River.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

On October 8, 1871, the city of Chicago was mired in a drought with only one inch of rain over the past three months. And it was in these dry, parched and windy conditions that a fire started. It would rage for two full days, killing more than 300 people, consuming 17,500 buildings and homes, and cause more than $220 million in damage. This is the story of the Great Chicago Fire. Sources The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory: https://greatchicagofire.org Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago_in_Flames_by_Currier_%26_Ives,_1871_(cropped).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

In 404 BC, democracy was in tatters. Athens was under the control of tyrants and hope was draining. But one man, Thrasybulus, would defy the odds, return from exile, and restore democracy to Athens. Sources "Thrasybulus and the Athenian Democracy: the Life of an Athenian Statesman" by R J Buck Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrasybulus Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bust_of_%22Thrasybulus_Athenienses%22_1935_-_1080x1350.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

From 1938-1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra had 16 number one records and 69 top 10 hits. He was one of the most popular musicians of the era. And then, in December of 1944, Miller boarded a plane in England bound for Paris. He was never seen again. This is the story of the death of band leader Glenn Miller. Sources National Museum of the United States Air Force: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196150/maj-glenn-miller-army-air-force-band/ NPR: 80 years later, Glenn Miller's sudden disappearance remains unsolved - https://www.npr.org/2024/12/13/nx-s1-5206680/glenn-miller-disappearance-unsolved-80-years-later Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Miller Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glenn_Miller_Billboard.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

In the first decade of the 1800s the South China Sea became a hotbed for piracy, with the largest pirate fleet ever assembled defeating the Chinese and Portuguese navy. This fleet was led by an unlikely admiral - the prostitute turned pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao. Sources "Pirates of the South China Coast, 1790–1810", by Dian Murray Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E9%84%AD%E4%B8%80%E5%AB%82.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

On August 27, 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa exploded. It was a blast heard more than 3,000 miles away. 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago were destroyed. More than 36,000 people died. It is one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history. This is the 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa. Sources The Atlantic: The Volcanic Eruption of Krakatoa: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1884/09/the-volcanic-eruption-of-krakatoa/376174/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1883_eruption_of_Krakatoa Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_uitbarsting_van_de_Krakatau,_KITLV_5888.tiff?page=1 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

In 1887, Pleasant Valley, Arizona, became the battlefield for the bloodiest feud in American history. It would leave dozens dead, and slaughter two entire families. This is the Pleasant Valley War. Sources "Pleasant Valley War" by Jinx Pyle Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasant_Valley_War#/media/File:Grabill_-_The_Cow_Boy.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