History Dispatches

Matt and McKinley Breen

  • 25 minutes 59 seconds
    Sink the Bismarck

    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

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    8 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 13 minutes 27 seconds
    The Amazing Life of Ima Hogg

    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

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    5 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 19 minutes 14 seconds
    Sterling Hall Bombing

    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

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    4 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 13 minutes 48 seconds
    Rafael Hernández Marín

    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

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    3 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 13 minutes 20 seconds
    Hodag

    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

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    2 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 29 minutes 26 seconds
    Battle of Cannae

    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.









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    1 December 2025, 8:10 am
  • 19 minutes 58 seconds
    Adolf Lindstrøm - the Polar Chef

    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

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    28 November 2025, 8:10 am
  • 14 minutes 20 seconds
    Treaty of Breda

    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

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    27 November 2025, 8:10 am
  • 16 minutes 22 seconds
    History of Grog

    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

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    26 November 2025, 8:10 am
  • 19 minutes 6 seconds
    Great Raft of the Red River

    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

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    25 November 2025, 8:10 am
  • 22 minutes 9 seconds
    James Bond in Film

    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]


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    24 November 2025, 8:10 am
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