Useless Information Podcast
Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.
Episodes
April 24, 2024 • 22 mins
In 1945, police were astounded to discover a man affixed to a wooden cross, hastily fastened to the beams supporting Chicago’s elevated railway. His assailants were never identified, but the victim repeatedly brought up the name of Dr. Emil Bronner. It's worth noting that this is the very same Dr. Bronner who later pioneered the widely acclaimed castile soap that carries his name. This story will help explain the quirky messages on...
Mark as Played
April 9, 2024 • 31 mins
An alligator is found in a California swamp, male toll collectors oppose the hiring of women, a mummified man inspires a Don McLean song, a chewing gum party, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-25-podcast-216/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more grea...
Mark as Played
March 13, 2024 • 22 mins
In 1933, New York City police had a very unusual mystery on their hands. Two people died of nearly identical causes within an hour of one another at an Automat restaurant in Manhattan. Strangers to each other, the sole connecting thread between them was a poppy seed roll.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-strange-case-of-the-poppy-seed-roll-podcast-215/
The Useless In...
Mark as Played
March 6, 2024 • 10 mins
Join host D’Arcy Carden on a wild ride into the internet’s most interesting and interconnected Wikipedia entries. Each episode will feature D’Arcy’s panel of comedians falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes to discover bizarre and intriguing connections by guessing how famous events and random celebrities are linked. What’s the population of Rio de Janeiro have to do with how many beers Andre the Giant can crush in one sitting? That’s...
Mark as Played
February 21, 2024 • 58 mins
Our modern world is dependent on electricity. But did you ever stop to wonder where it all began? Guest Kathy Joseph, author of the book The Lightning Tamers and host of the popular YouTube channel Kathy Loves Physics, joins me to talk about some of these amazing stories.
Video of this interview: https://uselessinformation.org/the-lightning-tamers-podcast-214/
Purchase The Lightning Tamers by Kathy Joseph at https://shorturl.at/cwz...
Mark as Played
February 6, 2024 • 28 mins
Back in 1937, Harold Hulen was madly in love with Florence Hurlbut. He desperately wanted to marry her, but every time he asked, she turned him down. After a couple of years of constant rejection, Harold came up with an outrageous way to get her attention. Soon their story would be told in newspapers and on the radio from coast-to-coast.
Affiliate link for elevenlabs.io: https://elevenlabs.io/?from=partnerray4138
Images, links, an...
Mark as Played
January 23, 2024 • 87 mins
Bruce Carlson of My History Can Beat Up Your Politics cohosts! A man survives going over Niagara, only to later die after slipping on an orange peel; a family is told they can only take one bath per week; a woman catches a trout with a fly swatter, Beatles hair is clogging up swimming pools, and much more!
You can find Bruce Carlson’s podcast here: https://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.com/
Images, links, and transcripts for this ...
Mark as Played
January 9, 2024 • 28 mins
In 1950, the Hecht department store chain unveiled plans for constructing a massive new store in Arlington, Virginia. However, their ambitious project faced a formidable obstacle in the form of an 82-year-old preacher. This elderly man insisted on selling his property to the company only if they agreed to pay an exorbitant sum. The question remained: who would emerge victorious in this standoff?
Images, links, and transcripts for t...
Mark as Played
December 20, 2023 • 37 mins
In this episode: A look at letters to Santa through the years, a judge who sentences two men to get a boy his Christmas gifts, Santa’s pants fall down, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-210
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great...
Mark as Played
December 14, 2023 • 27 mins
The heartwarming story of "Uncle Dan" Vinson, a man who dedicated much of his life to ensuring that Christmas became a truly special occasion for children all around the world. In his workshop, his helpers tirelessly worked throughout the year, diligently fixing misfit toys and crafting new ones. Somehow millions of those gifts would find their way to where they needed to go. He derived immense joy simply from the knowledge that co...
Mark as Played
November 30, 2023 • 39 mins
In this episode: A hippopotamus is on the loose in Detroit, a skydiver in freefall grabs a parachute from another skydiver, Chicago steaks are really horse meat, a boy’s crib is struck by lightning, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-22-podcast-208/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www...
Mark as Played
November 14, 2023 • 38 mins
Cyril, the daring sea lion, embarked on an epic escape from a London, Ontario zoo in 1958, setting his sights on the vast Atlantic Ocean. His incredible journey left everyone wondering: Could he survive the challenges that lie ahead? Would he make it to Niagara Falls? And if he did, how would he get over the Falls? This captivating tale held readers on both sides of the border spellbound and even sparked a minor international incid...
Mark as Played
October 23, 2023 • 37 mins
In this episode: Boston women must beat a deadline to marry, a man’s feet are too big for the US Marines, a vice-principal cuts offensive images from a sex-ed textbook, dresses arrive 63 years late, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-21-podcast-206/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www....
Mark as Played
October 9, 2023 • 23 mins
A bizarre true story that involves mustard, relish, the United Parcel Service (UPS), and three Michigan women who wore nothing more than their shoes. It was one that gained national notoriety, but just as quickly as it ascended to the spotlight, it disappeared into the shadows of obscurity.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-naked-mustard-ladies-podcast-205/
The Useles...
Mark as Played
September 20, 2023 • 43 mins
In this episode: A kangaroo is on the loose in NYC, a woman fails her driving test 39 times, someone is sneaking under the tables at college libraries and painting women’s toenails, a man breaks into an apartment and covers a woman with cake icing, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-20-podcast-204/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the...
Mark as Played
September 11, 2023 • 37 mins
Back in 1901, Johann Beck was madly in love with his fiancé Johanna, but he found it difficult to obtain employment in Germany. They both dreamed of going to the United States to start a new life, but they couldn’t afford to do so. Then, Johann had a brilliant idea! He came up with a unique, lower-cost way of sailing across the vast Atlantic Ocean. Yet even the slightest mishap could cost him his life. Would he make it to America? ...
Mark as Played
August 16, 2023 • 34 mins
In this episode: A World War II veteran who could only rent a home in an upscale New Jersey neighborhood if he agreed to bring a live goat, Baltimore requires male go-go dancers to cover their breasts while performing, and a woman who sat through 864 showings of the film The Sound of Music, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-19-podcast-202/
The Use...
Mark as Played
August 2, 2023 • 66 mins
Ted Hollingworth shares his perspective on the intense search for his sister 5-year-old Pamela Hollingworth, who went missing in New Hampshire's White Mountains back in 1941. The news of her disappearance prompted an enormous response, with thousands of volunteers combing the woods tirelessly in search of her. After eight grueling days both rain and freezing temperatures, a miraculous turn of events occurred – Pamela was discovered...
Mark as Played
July 17, 2023 • 34 mins
Since its initial premiere, the children's television program Sesame Street achieved immense popularity and acclaim, captivating millions of viewers throughout the United States. However, there was a notable exception to its widespread reach: the state of Mississippi. It was purported that the decision to prohibit the show on their educational television station stemmed from concerns over its racially diverse cast. But was that tru...
Mark as Played
July 5, 2023 • 100 mins
In this episode, I am the one being interviewed! Recorded on June 24, 2023, I was a guest on the Off Exit 10 Podcast, which is produced by my former students Mike & Jordan Sirani and Paul Morse. During the discussion, I talked about how I became a teacher, what it was like to be on the Internet before the world wide web, how the podcast came about, and more.
You can listen to more episodes of the Off Exit 10 Podcast at https://www....
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
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.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.