Throughout history there has only been one woman to rule the Chinese empire. This was Wu Zetian - who rose from the rank of imperial concubine - to that of emperor of China. Her rise to power was a very bloody trip. Sources "Empress Wu Zetian: the only woman to rule China, and who would be hated for it" - https://www.historyextra.com/period/medieva…

In the mid-1850's a young man named Joshua Glover was a slave in Missouri. He would escape, and settle in Wisconsin - only to be recaptured, freed by an abolitionist mob, and escape again to Canada once and for all. His story caused a clash between federal and state courts, and helped spark the establishment of the Republican Party - who main goal …

On July 10, 1985, in the harbor of Auckland, New Zealand, a bomb planted on the Greenpeace ship - the Rainbow Warrior - went off - opening a hole in her hull. A few minutes later, another bomb exploded. The ship sank within minutes - and one person was dead. So who was behind the bombing? Extremists of some kind? Political enemies? The answer would…

In 1419, Jan Žižka would help lead the Hussite Revolution. He led armies of peasants against professional knights using amazing tactics, and gunpowder, cementing himself as one of history's greatest military commanders. Sources "Warrior of God: Jan Zizka and the Hussite Revolution" by Victor Verney Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_%C5%BDi%C…

In the first episode in this series, we cover the early life of Pizarro, as well as his first two exploratory expeditions to South America and Peru - where he gets a glimpse of the wealth of the Inca. We wrap up with Pizarro going to Spain to get a license to conquer Peru and its people. The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: w…

In August, 1945, the Japanese government was on the verge of surrendering to Allied forces - and ending WWII. But on the night of August 14-15, a group of Japanese officers went into action. Their plan was to take the emperor hostage, and scuttle peace talks - and thus continue the war - which would have likely cost the Allies hundreds of thousands…

From the 1950s through the 1970s, a David and Goliath story would play out across the North Atlantic. The United Kingdom and Iceland engaged in a viscous dispute over fishing rights. And the winner may surprise you. This is the story of the Cod Wars. Sources "How Iceland Beat the British in the Four Cod Wars" - https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles…

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 Bobbi Gibb Marathon Pioneer: https://www.sportsmuseum.org/curators-corner/bobbi-gi…

In 1917, Germany was desperate to keep the United States out of World War I - even as they prepared to launch unrestricted submarine warfare on all shipping in the European theater. To that end, German officials sent a telegram to the Mexican government, proposing they declare war of the United States - tying up American resources. The only problem…

In 1855, an American newspaperman, lawyer and doctor, William Walker, led a small, private army to Central America, and within a year, was recognized as the President of Nicaragua. Walker’s actions would unite people from five nations to rise up against him. This is the story of the Filibuster War. Sources "William Walker's Wars" by Scott Martelle …

Over 4,000 years ago, the high priestess Enheduanna put pen to clay and wrote the Exaltation of Inanna, making her the earliest known named author in world history. Sources "Documents that changed the way we live" by Joseph Janes Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enheduanna Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Disk_of_Enheduanna.JP…

In 399 AD, Faxian, a 62-year old Chinese monk set out for India. His goal was to find and copy sacred Buddhist scripts that were missing or falling apart in his homeland. The result would be an epic 13-year journey through 30 kingdoms. Faxian's account of his journey is one of the earliest and most complete of India in this time period. Check out H…

In the early 2000's, Vernice "FlyGirl" Armour took to the skies piloting a Cobra heliocopter, defying the odds of everyone saying she can't. This is the story of Captain Vernice Armour, the first African-American female combat pilot. Sources https://www.unsungheroeseducation.com/Transcripts/Vernice%20Armour%20Interviews.pdf Image (cropped from orig…

In May of 1527, 20,000 mutinous soldiers of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire descended on Rome. What would follow was the absolute devastation of the city and its population, the gutting of the power of the Papacy, and the end of the High Renaissance era. Sources Medievalists.net: https://www.medievalists.net/2022/06/sack-rome-1527/ Smart History…

In the first months of WWII, millions of Polish citizens and soldiers were deported to the Soviet Union. As prisoners of war, hundreds of thousands perished from cold, starvation and execution. But after the German invasion of Russia, these exiles and prisoners were crafted into an army to fight the Nazis. The man to lead them was Wladyslaw Anders.…

Sidi Mubarak Bombay grew up a slave - taken from his home in Africa to India. But that didn't stop him from being one of the most accomplished explorers and travelers of Central Africa. Over a period of 20 years, Bombay traveled = with the most famous African explorers, including Richard Francis Burton, Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingston, and R…

The year was 865 AD, and the largest viking army ever assembled landed on the shores of England. What ensued was 20 years of pillage and conquest that was only stopped by the young king of Wessex, Alfred the Great. Sources "Alfred the Great" by David J. Sturdy Image: Author and @Steve Daniels - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_King…

This is an ad-free, bonus episode from History Dispatches. Sidi Mubarak Bombay grew up a slave - taken from his home in Africa to India. But that didn't stop him from being one of the most accomplished explorers and travelers of Central Africa. Over a period of 20 years, Bombay traveled with some of the most famous African explorers, including Rich…

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 British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/everything-you-ever-wanted-know-a…

For five decades John Chapman wandered the American frontier, from Pennsylvania to Illinois, planting thousands of apple trees and changing the American frontier. In the process, he established himself as one of America’s most foundational myths. This is the story of Johnny Appleseed. Sources "Johnny Appleseed: the man, the myth, the American story…

On the evening of Nov. 4, 1605, a man in a cloak, hat and riding boots was discovered in a small storage room - called an undercroft - directly under Westminster Palace in London. Hidden in the room were 36 barrels of gunpowder. The man was Guy Fawkes. His plan was to blow up Parliament. This is the story of the Gunpowder Plot. Sources "Guy Fawkes …

West Virginia, 1921, saw 10,000 miners begin a march to push for better pay and conditions, as well as recognized unions. They would be stopped on the slopes of Blair Mountain - but not until after several days of bitter fighting. It was the largest armed uprising in the United States since the Civil War. This is the story of the Battle of Blair Mo…

On July 6, 1907, at Dublin Castle, in Dublin, Ireland, Sir Arthur Vicars, the Ulster King of Arms, opened up his safe in his office library. In doing so, he revealed the theft of Jewels of the Order of St. Patrick - more commonly known at the Irish Crown Jewels. The theft of the jewels - which today would be worth in the millions - has never been s…

In the 1950's, Alberta, Canada, was under attack. By Rats! In response to an invasion of rats, the government of Alberta embarked on one of the most successful pest control campaigns in history. Sources "History of rat control in Alberta" - https://www.alberta.ca/history-of-rat-control-in-alberta Image: Poster released by the Alberta Department of …

In 1898, Olof Ohman, a Swedish immigrant, was clearing some land in Minnesota, and came upon a large stone slab with some intricate runes - the kind used by Norse Vikings centuries earlier. After the runes were deciphered, it was determined that the runestone dated back to 1362, and marked the furthest western exploration of the legendary Viking ex…

In the final days of the Second World War, one of the conflict's strangest battles took place. A group of French politicians, German soldiers, and American tankers teamed up to defend a castle from an attack by the SS. This is the story of the Battle of Castle Itter. Sources "The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Wanin…

In the final chapter in our series on William Adams, we details the opening of Japan to the Dutch and English, as well as the final years of the man's remarkable life. Check out History Dispatches at HistoryDispatches.com Sponsor: Go to www.amazfit.com/EXPLORERS to save 10%. The Explorers Podcast is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemed…

On June 15, 1921, Texas-born Bessie Coleman took to the sky in her airplane - and in the process, became the first black woman and first Native American to earn a pilot's license in the United States. In this episode, we look at this aviation pioneer. Sources Cradle of Aviation Museum: https://www.cradleofaviation.org/history/history/women-in-aviat…

Former president Ulysses S Grant was penniless and dying. He was racing against the clock in order to complete his memoirs - and ensure the financial security of his family. The result would be one of the greatest pieces of non-fiction ever written. This is the story of U.S. Grant's memoirs. Sources "The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant," by Ulysses …

In 1866, a Swedish chemist came up with a concoction that went boom. And it would change the world - in ways no one could imagine. This is the story of Alfred Nobel and the creation of dynamite. Sources Nobel Prize Website: https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/alfred-nobels-life-and-work/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel" Im…

On June 28, 1969, in New York City, a known gay bar called the Stonewall Inn was the site of a police raid - a common occurrence at that time. But this time, it backfired. Police lost control of the situation when anger turned to fury and soon, a multi-day riot broke out. The end result was the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United…

Monopoly is a game of crushing your opponents. You ruthlessly gobble up properties, drive your foes into bankruptcy, and emerge as a victorious real estate mogul. But the popular game actually has deeper roots - all the way back to 1902. And what’s amazing is that it was actually created as an anti-capitalist learning tool. Sources "Lizzie Magie an…

English mariner William Adams continues to rise in prominence in the court of the new Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He will be so successful, he will become the first European to ever be granted the title of Hatamoto - or bannerman Check out History Dispatches at www.HistoryDispatches.com Sponsor: Go to www.amazfit.com/EXPLORERS to save 10%. The Explore…

Imagine trying to rob a stagecoach. Now try to do it 29 times - with nothing but an unloaded shotgun, a flour sack mask, and your wits. Then do it without firing a single shot, and maintaining the highest level of decorum you can imagine. That is the story of Black Bart, the Wild West’s gentlemen bandit. Sources "Gentleman Bandit: The True Story of…

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 th…

This is an Episode from History Dispatches, a new daily history show hosted by Explorers Podcast creator Matt Breen and his son, McKinley Breen. The show covers people, places, events and even objects from throughout history. The show offers short, fun and easily digestible bits of history goodness. History Dispatches comes out every weekday. Drake…

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. Sources Cowboys vs. Packers: The Ice Bowl | 1967 NFL Championship - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe0XChUkWgU Wikipedia: https://en.wikiped…

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…

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 Opiu…

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. Sources Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Every "Enemy of all Mankind" by Steven Johnson Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Every.gif The Explorers …

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 inspira…

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 Casson Wikipedia:…

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. Sources Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake…

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. Sources Montgomery Bus Boyco…