History Dispatches

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Wonder or Myth? 08.06.2026 21min

Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, none may be more mysterious than the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Described by ancient writers as a breathtaking oasis of terraces, trees, and flowing water rising above the Mesopotamian landscape, the gardens have captured imaginations for more than two thousand years. Yet despite their fame, no definitive archaeological evidence has ever confirmed their existence. Were the Hanging Gardens a remarkable feat of engineering built by a powerful king for his beloved queen, or are they a legend that grew larger with time? And were they even located in Babylon? In this episode, we'll explore the history, myths, and enduring mystery surrounding one of antiquity's most fascinating wonders. Sources "The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: An Elusive World Wonder Traced" by Stephanie Dalley Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Encore) 05.06.2026 27min

On Nov 10, 1975, a storm swept over Lake Superior. For hours and hours, the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald was tossed and battered. Then, a little after 7:00 pm, contact was lost with one of the biggest and most celebrated vessels to ever sail the Great Lakes. This is the story of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/ Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI Image: Credit: Greenmars - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Fitzgerald,_1971,_3_of_4_(restored;_cropped).jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

The 335 Year War (Encore) 04.06.2026 10min

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 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

The Rosetta Stone - the Key to Unlocking Egypt's Past (Encore) 03.06.2026 21min

On July 15, 1799, French soldiers discovered a large stone slab along the Nile Delta. They knew it was something special. But no one at the time realized it was the key to opening up the vast history of ancient Egypt. This is the story of the Rosetta Stone. Sources https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-about-rosetta-stone https://arce.org/resource/rosetta-stone-unlocking-ancient-egyptian-language/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone Image: @Hans Hillewaert - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosetta_Stone.JPG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catacombs of Paris (Encore) 02.06.2026 15min

Beneath the city of Paris lies a network of tunnels stretching hundreds of miles - many of which are not totally explored. Their origin dates back to the Middle Ages, and today are home to a massive cemetery. This is the story of the Catacombs of Paris. Sources https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/history/site-history https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/strange-maps-paris-catacombs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mines_of_Paris Image: Vlastula at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catacombes_de_Paris.JPG Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Bobbi Gibb - the First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon (Encore) 01.06.2026 14min

On an April morning in Boston in 1966, despite being told she was physically incapable of running 20+ miles, Bobbi Gibb slipped into the crowd of 500 runners. Three hours and 21 minutes later, she became the first woman to ever run the fabled Boston Marathon. Sources https://www.sportsmuseum.org/curators-corner/bobbi-gibb-marathon-pioneer/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbi_Gibb http://www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Last of the Mammoths 29.05.2026 20min

Wooly mammoths are one of the quintessential animals of the Ice Age, and they died out about 10,000 years ago - or so that is what most people think. In reality, not all of them did. In fact a few pockets of mammoths hung on for thousands of years, and didn't die out until after writing was invented and the pyramids were built. This is the story of the last of the mammoths. Sources https://www.science.org/content/article/last-lonely-woolly-mammoths-faced-genomic-meltdown https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00577-4?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867424005774%3Fshowall%3Dtrue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangel_Island File:Woolly_mammoth_model_Royal_BC_Museum_in_Victoria.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Battle of the Bogside 28.05.2026 24min

In August of 1969, the festering discontent felt by Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland would erupt into three days of fighting in the city of Derry - in an area called the Bogside. When the rioting was done, the British army was deployed for the first time in more than 40 years - and the Troubles had officially begun. This is the story of the Battle of the Bogside. Sources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2X3Gm7bFdE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Bogside https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/3407/battle-of-the-bogside https://alphahistory.com/northernireland/battle-of-the-bogside/ Image: By Adreanna Robson - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Free_Derry_Corner_in_1969.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Typhoid Mary 27.05.2026 17min

Mary Mallon was a simple cook - no one special. At least until she was identified as the very first asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever. In her life she unknowingly infected hundreds of people. As a result, she was quarantined against her will for decades. This is the story of Typhoid Mary. Sources https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3959940/ https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/micrograph/index.cfm/posts/2020/typhoid_mary_mary_mallon_salmonella Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon#/media/File:Mallon-Mary_01.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Church of Bones - Sedlec Ossuary 26.05.2026 14min

Near the town of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic is a gothic chapel that many say resembles something out of a horror film. The chapel holds the bones of upwards of 70,000 people. And the bones are the chapel’s furnishings and decorations, including things such as a wreath of skulls, and a chandelier made up of every bone in the human body. This is the story of the Sedlec Ossuary - the Church of Bones. Sources https://horror-world.com/czech-republic-church-of-bones/ https://sedlecossuary.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedlec_Ossuary https://www.sedlec.info/en/ Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bones_and_skulls_in_Sedlec_Ossuary_02.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

American War Movies 25.05.2026 19min

The film industry loves a good war movie. It’s usually a way to put action and heroics on the big screen. As we observe Memorial Day in the United States - which is to honor those who died in the military - we share with you some of our favorite war movies. Sources Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wings_poster.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Apollo 1 Disaster 22.05.2026 17min

On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts boarded Apollo 1 to conduct a launch simulation test. What followed next was one of the most devastating moments in NASA's history. This is the story of the Apollo 1 Disaster. Sources https://www.nasa.gov/mission/apollo-1/ https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/apollo-missions/apollo-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1 Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apollo1-Crew_01.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Max von Pettenkofer - the Father of Modern Hygiene 21.05.2026 18min

Hygiene is a critical component to one's health. But our understanding of hygiene goes back only to the mid-19th century, where a Bavarian chemist, Max von Pettenkofer, turned hygiene principals from a series of old wives tales to a hard science. This is the story of Max von Pettenkofer, the father of modern hygiene. Sources https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2723483/pdf/12199_2008_Article_BF02898030.pdf https://www.mvp.uni-muenchen.de/en/institute/geschichte/ Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Joseph_von_Pettenkofer#/media/File:Max_von_Pettenkofer2.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Exploding Whale of Florence 20.05.2026 15min

In 1970, a 45 foot long, eight ton whale washed up on the beach near Florence, Oregon. Local officials weren’t sure what to do with the stinking, decomposing whale - so they decided to get rid of it by blowing it up with half a ton of dynamite. This is the story of the Exploding Whale of Florence. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploding_whale https://www.xplodingwhale.com/ https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/florence_whale_explosion/ https://davebarry.substack.com/p/the-exploding-whale Watch the whale blow up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6CLumsir34 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

The Frank Slide 19.05.2026 15min

In the early morning hours of April 29, 1903, an enormous landslide in the mining town of Frank, Alberta, swept down the mountainside, killing dozens of people, and leaving half of the town buried. The worst part, if the town had listened to local lore, it could have been preventable. Sources https://www.geoinstitute.org/news/case-study-frank-slide https://ags.aer.ca/our-science/turtle-mountain/frank-slide Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Slide#/media/File:News03a.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Henry Knox and the Guns of Ticonderoga 18.05.2026 19min

In late 1775, British and American forces were locked in a stalemate around Boston. The British were dug in, and the Americans lacked the heavy artillery to unseat them. And that’s when a Boston bookseller - 25 year old Henry Knox - suggested that artillery recently captured at Fort Ticonderoga be hauled overland to Boston. The only problem was that Fort Ticonderoga was more than 300 miles away, and many said bringing 60 tons of artillery over lakes, rivers and mountains - in the winter - was impossible. This is the story of Henry Knox and the Guns of Fort Ticonderoga. Sources https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/guns-ticonderoga https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_train_of_artillery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Knox Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siegeofbostonartillery.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Sergeant Gander 15.05.2026 10min

Military units often have mascots, but not many are as impactful as Sgt. Gander, a massive Newfoundland dog donated to the Royal Rifles of Canada. Sgt. Gander was the quintessential military dog - and his actions during World War II saved many lives during the Battle of Hong Kong. Sources https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canada/sergeant-gander-and-his-handler-memorial https://www.hkvca.ca/cforcedata/indivreport/indivdetailed.php?regtno=X200#gsc.tab=0 Image: Canada. Dept. of National Defense / Library and Archives Canada - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/fra/accueil/notice?idnumber=3241498&app=FonAndCol&resource=folderlist&ecopy=a116791-v6 Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Oseberg Viking Ship 14.05.2026 16min

The Oseberg ship is one of the finest surviving examples of a viking longship. It was discovered - along with two bodies - in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg, Norway. This is the story of the Oseberg ship - one of the finest relics from the Viking Age. Sources https://www.vikingtidsmuseet.no/english/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseberg_ship https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oseberg-ship Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Excavation_Oseberg_ship_1.jpg Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Christ College Fire of 1867 13.05.2026 14min

In late 1867, the Headmaster's house at Christ College, New Zealand, caught on fire. This was not uncommon at the time, but what is uncommon is this fire involved a quack fire chief, false accusations, and a comedy of errors. Sources "College!: a history of Christ's College" by Don Hamilton Special thanks to Taurapa Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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

Gargoyles 12.05.2026 16min

Gargoyles are creepy. They are twisted, leering, tortured looking statues. Their mouths are often wide open - and serve as the exit of a water spout. So what is the story behind this unnerving bit of architecture? Was the gargoyle a ward against evil? Or was it something more sinister? This is the story of the gargoyle. Sources https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-a-gargoyle/ https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/gargoyles-0012253 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle Sponsor Go to factormeals.com/dispatchespod50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box. New subscribers only. While supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). 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