Dave Does History

On this episode of Dave Does History, we dive into the fiery moment that launched America onto the global stage—the 1898 declaration of war against Spain.

From the mysterious explosion of the USS Maine to the explosive headlines of Hearst and Pulitzer, we explore how media, politics, and patriotism collided to send the United States into war.

Was it a fight for Cuban freedom—or the birth of an empire?

Join us as we uncover the characters, controversies, and consequences behind one of the most pivotal declarations in American history.

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In episode of Dave Does History, we take you to Lexington Green on the morning of April 19, 1775—the moment the American Revolution began.

But this is more than musket fire and marching redcoats. It is the story of Ebenezer Bowman, a seventeen-year-old who stood his ground and helped ignite a war for independence.

Join Dave as he explores not just America's history, but his own legacy. From an eyewitness account of the first shots, and how his own life connects the fight for liberty to the founding of the Constitution.

History gets personal, powerful, and patriotic—only on Dave Does History on iTunes, Spotify, and the iHeart Radio app.

On this episode of Dave Does History, we explore the meaning and importance of preserving monuments and historic sites—especially those that make us uncomfortable.

From the international mission of ICOMOS and UNESCO to a personal journey through Hamburg, South Carolina, Dave shares why even the most controversial markers of the past deserve to be remembered, not removed.

Join us as we uncover how monuments teach, warn, and remind us who we are—and what happens when we forget.

Tune in on Spotify, the iHeart Radio app, or iTunes for a powerful conversation about truth, memory, and the battle for history.

On this episode of Dave Does History, we salute one of America’s greatest unsung heroes—Joe Foss.

From dust-choked South Dakota fields to the war-torn skies over Guadalcanal, Foss became a WWII flying ace, Medal of Honor recipient, governor, football commissioner, and NRA president. His story is not just about dogfights and medals—it is about grit, service, and what it truly means to be an American.

Join us as we explore the remarkable life of the man who defied odds, shaped history, and reminded a nation that patriotism still has a human face.

This is Joe Foss—fighter, leader, legend.

On this episode of Dave Does History, we journey to the windswept heights of Masada, where nearly two thousand years ago, Jewish rebels made their final, fateful stand against the Roman Empire.

Was it mass suicide, martyrdom, or myth? Host Dave unpacks the powerful story passed down from Josephus, explores the archaeological evidence, and examines how Masada became a national symbol—and a cautionary tale.

From flaming battlements to modern memory, this is not just a history lesson. It is a conversation about truth, identity, and the enduring human struggle between resistance and survival.

Tune in for the real story.

In 1561, the skies over Nuremberg erupted in what witnesses described as a celestial battle—spheres, rods, crosses, and a massive black spear appeared above the city at dawn.

Was it divine warning, extraterrestrial war, or misunderstood natural phenomenon? This week on Dave Does History, we explore Hans Glaser’s famous broadsheet, the Reformation-era mindset behind it, and how this event morphed into modern UFO legend.

With both historical insight and skeptical analysis, we unravel the story behind one of the strangest sightings in recorded history—and why it still sparks debate more than 450 years later.

Tune in for truth... and a few clouds.

On this episode of Dave Does History, we confront one of the darkest and most overlooked chapters of Reconstruction—the Colfax Massacre of 1873.

Over a hundred Black men were killed defending their right to vote and hold office in a small Louisiana parish. Their killers walked free. We dig into the political chaos, the brutal events of Easter Sunday, and the Supreme Court decision that crippled federal civil rights enforcement for generations. T

his is not just history—it is a warning.

Join us as we tell the story of Colfax, where democracy was murdered and justice never came.

In this episode of Dave Does History, we fire up the rockets and revisit one of the boldest gambles in American spaceflight: the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-1 in April 1981.

This was not a test run—it was the first flight of a brand-new spacecraft with astronauts aboard.

We will meet Commander John Young and Pilot Robert Crippen, unpack the mission’s high-stakes challenges, and explore how Columbia changed the game for NASA.

Strap in as we journey through triumph, tension, and the legacy of a ship that flew to orbit like a rocket and landed like a dream.

This week on Dave Does History, we dive into the story behind the birth of the United States Navy Submarine Force.

On April 11, 1900, the Navy quietly purchased a strange, cigar-shaped vessel called Holland VI, changing naval warfare forever.

We explore the life of inventor John Philip Holland, the trials of his revolutionary design, and how one stubborn Irish schoolteacher reshaped the future of undersea combat.

Join us as we surface the truth behind USS Holland (SS-1) and the origins of the Silent Service.

Available now on Spotify, iTunes, and the iHeart Radio app.

On April 10, 1963, USS Thresher—the Navy’s most advanced nuclear submarine—slipped beneath the Atlantic for deep-dive trials... and never resurfaced.

In this episode of Dave Does History, we explore the events of that fateful day, the suspected cause of the disaster, and how the loss of 129 souls reshaped the U.S. Navy forever.

It’s a story of innovation, tragedy, and transformation.

Listen now on Spotify, iTunes, or the iHeart Radio App—because some lessons are written not in ink, but in steel... and cold water.