History Dispatches

1066 is a pivotal year in Western history as it marks the the Battle of Hastings - in which the Normans, under William, defeated the English, led by King Harold Godwinson. But many people don’t realize that just a few weeks before the Battle of Hastings there was a different fight - this between the English and the Norwegians - the latter led by the legendary King Harald Hardrada. This is the Battle of Stamford Bridge.Sources"1066: The Year of the Conquest" by David HowarthWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_BridgeImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arbo_-_Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge_(1870).jpgThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1967, on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Dallas Cowboys for the NFL Championship - the coldest game in NFL playoff history. This is the story of the legendary Ice Bowl.SourcesCowboys vs. Packers: The Ice Bowl | 1967 NFL Championship - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0XChUkWgUWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_NFL_Championship_GameThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1980s, the United States video game industry was in a golden age. Arcades and home consoles were making billions of dollars and the market was full of incredible titles. And then overnight, it would all come tumbling down. This is the story of the video game crash of 1983.Sources"Before the Crash: Early Video Game History" edited by Mark J.P. Wolf"The Ultimate History of Video games" by Steven KentImage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.jpgThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the mid-1800s, Great Britain fought two wars against China. The reason was not to conquer territory. Or get gain valuable resources. No, this was to force Chinese officials to allow British-grown opium to be imported into their country. So perhaps we can call this the story of the ruthless English drug lords.Sources"Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China's Last Golden Age" by Stephen R. Platt"The Opium Wars in China" = https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/opium-wars-chinaWikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_WarsImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Destroying_Chinese_war_junks,_by_E._Duncan_(1843).jpgThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 7, 1695, English pirate Henry Avery led one of the most daring pirate attacks - and most lucrative - in history. And to top it all off - he got away with it. SourcesWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every"Enemy of all Mankind" by Steven JohnsonImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Every.gifThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1719, Daniel Defoe published the book, “The LIfe and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe.” The story is about a sailor who is stranded on an island for more than 20 years. It has gone on to be one of the most popular novels in western literature. In this episode, we tell the story of Alexander Selkirk, the man many believe to be the inspiration for Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.Sources"The Real Robinson Crusoe" - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-robinson-crusoe-74877644/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_AlexandriaImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Selkirk_reading_his_Bible.pngThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 2,000 years ago, in Alexandria Egypt, Ptolemy II had a dream - to establish the greatest library the world had known. What emerged was one of the grandest institutions ever built, and the forerunner to all modern libraries. This is the story of the Library of Alexandria. Sources"Libraries in the Ancient World" by Lional CassonWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_of_AlexandriaImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancientlibraryalex.jpgThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1933, a small brass plate was discovered near San Francisco - not far from where famed English privateer Francis Drake had supposedly landed back in 1579. It fit the description of a plate reportedly left by Drake - making it potentially one of the great relics of North American Exploration. SourcesWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake%27s_Plate_of_BrassScience Beat: Drake's Plate -- the end of the mystery? https://www2.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/NSD-Drakes-plate.html"Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1583_portrait_of_Sir_Francis_Drake.jpgThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks would have enough. Sitting on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she was told to give up her seat. She said no. Sick and tired of decades of segregation, racism and oppression, she would sit defiantly. This would lead into some of the most pivotal moments in the American civil rights movement.SourcesMontgomery Bus Boycott - https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott "The Rebellious life of Rosa Parks" by Jeanne TheoharisImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosa_Parks_in_watercolour.pngThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 30, 1661, Oliver Cromwell, one time Lord Protector and ruler of the English Commonwealth, was hanged for treason. After being cut down, his head was chopped off, and placed on a 20-foot pole above Westminster Hall. While that sounds nasty, the truly weird thing is that Oliver Cromwell had died three years earlier. In this episode, we take you on the story of the Head of Oliver Cromwell.Sources"The macabre tale of Oliver Cromwell's head" - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0j8vn2ne70oWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Cromwell%27s_headImage: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Narrative_relating_to_the_real_embalmed_head_of_Oliver_Cromwell,_now_exhibiting_in_Mead-Court,_in_Old_Bond-Street_Fleuron_T135438-1.pngThe Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.comInterested in advertising on the Explorers Podcast? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices