Useless Information Podcast

Useless Information Podcast

Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.

Episodes

October 21, 2025 27 mins
A fire department stands back and watches a man's home burn to the ground, a pig flies for possibly the first time ever, fleas are transported on a dog, and a gorilla destroys an American Tourister suitcase, and much more! The Flea Circus video mentioned in this episode can be seen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9BjN_GHIic Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation...
Mark as Played
My wife, Mary Jane, joins me to discuss the 1949 movie Lost Boundaries, the screen adaptation of the lives of Dr. Albert and Thyra Johnston, the New Hampshire couple who passed as white for nearly twenty years. You can watch the movie Lost Boundaries on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z26VL_0EQks and the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/LostBoundaries. Home to Keene: The Reunion of Lost Boundaries can be s...
Mark as Played
September 17, 2025 33 mins
A New Hampshire doctor and his wife kept a secret from their children, friends, and community for nearly two decades. That was until the federal government discovered the lie. After the publication of their story in Reader's Digest in 1947, the entire nation would know. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/a-white-lie-podcast-246/ You can follow the Useless Information Pod...
Mark as Played
September 3, 2025 45 mins
Cartoonist Leigh Rubin's parents were the first Jewish couple ever to be married on US television, but it almost never happened. Includes audio clips from that Bride and Groom television episode. Original Release Date: April 25, 2019. If you would like to contribute to the GoFundMe set up to help with the long-term care of Leigh's wife Teresa, please go to https://gofund.me/acbd2683 (A very BIG thank you for doing so!) Audio fo...
Mark as Played
August 19, 2025 36 mins
Abbott & Costello agree to perform in a boy’s backyard for 70 cents, parents sue a milk dairy because their son grew too tall, a man sleeps only 2 hours per day for 33 years, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-36-podcast-245/ Listen to my interview with cartoonist Leigh Rubin discussing how his parents were The First Jewish Couple Married on Nati...
Mark as Played
Nearly 175 monkeys escaped from a zoo in Massapequa, New York in 1935. Led by an outlaw monkey named Al Capone, they mostly took refuge in the woods. While the vast majority of the monkeys were soon accounted for, Al Capone continued to remain at large. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/escape-from-monkey-mountain-podcast-244/ You can follow the Useless Information Pod...
Mark as Played
July 9, 2025 29 mins
Eight different stories in which someone or something got the last laugh. Includes: rattlesnakes that outsmarted a snake trap, jokes aimed at women are funnier, a friendly feud with the cable company, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-35-podcast-243/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebo...
Mark as Played
June 17, 2025 45 mins
A British man hadn't seen his Russian wife for nearly five years. The Soviets repeatedly refused to allow him into the USSR, and they denied her request to leave. He became so desperate that he decided to risk his life to see her. Would he survive? There are two videos on YouTube about this story: Brian Grover Home at Last (1939) (British Pathé) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fJVeQbmjRY Mr. Grover and His Wife Return Home (B...
Mark as Played
In Denver, Colorado, in 1941, a man was found murdered in his own home. The most unusual part was that all of the doors and windows were locked from the inside. So, how was the killer able to make his getaway? You can listen to more of History Dispatches at https://historydispatches.com/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-denver-spiderman-podcast-241/ You can follow...
Mark as Played
May 21, 2025 35 mins
A warning to stay away from people with blue eyes, Stanford students use ice nickels to pay for phone calls, the speed limit for automobiles is set at 2 mph, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-34-podcast-240/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitte...
Mark as Played
A pristine view. A stubborn fisherman’s legacy. When wealth clashes with tradition, who wins? Dive into the gripping saga of Diamond Jim's Shack, where a simple fishing spot turns into a battleground between privilege and perseverance. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/diamond-jims-shack-podcast-239/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Fa...
Mark as Played
April 16, 2025 27 mins
The Titanic is supposedly unsinkable, a cat is jailed, clothing seems to instantly combust, shoes for postmen are designed to minimize dog bites, a tastier spinach, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-33-podcast-238/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (...
Mark as Played
April 1, 2025 56 mins
Need help? Try renting a wife! They would do anything from A to Z, except for X! A true story from the early 1980s in which some ambitious women decided to market what they did best: being a wife. Includes an interview with Jane Hanne Nevensmith, who ran a successful Rent-A-Wife business in Massachusetts. The 2022 interview with Jane Nevensmith mentioned in the podcast can be found here: https://vimeo.com/736250037 Images, links, ...
Mark as Played
March 12, 2025 33 mins
A man discovers the Roman Ruins of his youth have been torn down, a violin made from a lobster claw, an electric chair that electrocuted itself, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-32-podcast-236/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast X (Twitter): https://t.c...
Mark as Played
February 25, 2025 56 mins
Step into the life of Francis Van Wie, a streetcar conductor with charm, wit, and a string of marriages that captivated 1940s San Francisco, transforming a wartime distraction into a national sensation. Join the ride with the "Ding Dong Daddy"! Images, links, and transcripts for this episode can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/ding-dong-daddy-part-2-podcast-235/ Listen to the song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MReOG...
Mark as Played
February 10, 2025 32 mins
In 1915, a man known only as John F. Kennedy appeared in Kenosha, WI unable to recall his past or even his own name. With only a few cryptic clues and a suitcase marked with the initials "R.E.J.," he embarked on a journey to uncover his forgotten life. From the kindness of strangers to the shocking revelations of his true identity, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast ...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2025 30 mins
A man recovers his lost diamond ring through a chance encounter, manhole covers fly in Chicago, how to divide a Cadillac 57 ways, a man is fined for barking like a dog, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-31-podcast-233/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast ...
Mark as Played
January 8, 2025 38 mins
When 17-year-old Abigail Roberson's photo was printed on a widely distributed poster without her consent, it set off a legal battle that would forever change the definition of privacy. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/who-owns-her-face-podcast-232/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationp...
Mark as Played
December 15, 2024 36 mins
Christmas Retrocast! Includes: Tumbleweed replaces the standard Christmas tree for one family, a Santa who practically gave away the store, a policeman has a live turkey thrown at him for Christmas, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-231/ You can follow the Useless Information Podcast on these platforms: Facebook: https://www.face...
Mark as Played
December 4, 2024 37 mins
The harrowing true story of three airmen stranded on an unforgiving, desolate island after their airplane crashed off the coast of Greenland. After the search for them was abandoned, they faced the relentless cold and starvation, teetering on the brink of death. Would they be rescued in time, or would the merciless Arctic become their final resting place? Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://usele...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

    It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.