Useless Information Podcast
Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.
Episodes
June 17, 2025 • 47 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...
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June 4, 2025 • 28 mins
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...
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May 21, 2025 • 36 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...
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May 7, 2025 • 31 mins
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...
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April 16, 2025 • 28 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 (...
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April 1, 2025 • 57 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, ...
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March 12, 2025 • 34 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...
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February 25, 2025 • 57 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...
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February 10, 2025 • 33 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 ...
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January 23, 2025 • 31 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
...
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January 8, 2025 • 39 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...
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December 15, 2024 • 37 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...
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December 4, 2024 • 38 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...
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November 12, 2024 • 75 mins
Jill ChaCha of the podcast Well… That’s Interesting! cohosts! Includes: A debate over whether we should have female judges, a ventriloquist projects his voice to avoid paying a fine, why homely girls make the best wives, and much more!
You can find Jill’s podcast here: https://www.airwavemedia.com/our-shows/well...-that's-interesting
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retr...
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November 7, 2024 • 25 mins
Something different in this podcast!!! I let podcast hosts Art Quinn and Cynthia Coleman tell one of my stories! It’s all about the 1975 Pet Rock fad and how it all happened.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/pet-rocks-podcast-228/
Comment on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/FlipSideofHistory/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast networ...
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October 23, 2024 • 51 mins
Back in 1957, Leona Gage had beauty, charm, and a crown—until scandal snatched it away. Just what had she done wrong? Discover the whirlwind rise and dramatic fall of the beauty queen who became an overnight sensation.
Video of Leona on the Ed Sullivan Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUZaZtit_o
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/miss-usa-for-a-day-podcast-227/
The U...
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October 2, 2024 • 33 mins
A man is forced to pay for the burial of a porcupine, a stowaway who hid inside of someone’s coffin, a cactus buried under concrete for 45 years, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-28-podcast-226/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts ju...
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September 18, 2024 • 34 mins
While Winston Churchill was crossing Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in 1931, he was hit by a car and thrown down to the pavement. Unable to move his fingers and toes, Churchill believed that he was paralyzed. Listen to this story to find out exactly what happened, the severity of Churchill’s injuries, and what consequences the driver of that car faced.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinform...
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September 4, 2024 • 21 mins
An exploration of advice columns and their evolution over time. How have the questions and responses shifted over the past century? Some of the answers are bound to make you laugh.
Affiliate link for elevenlabs.io, which was used for the AI-generated voices in this episode: https://elevenlabs.io/?from=partnerray4138
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/dubious-advice-2-podca...
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August 13, 2024 • 28 mins
Truck driver Eugene Wood hid a big secret from his friends and family. No one suspected anything. That was until he was killed in a traffic accident and a judge in Troy, NY uncovered the truth.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/lies-in-the-fast-lane-podcast-223/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedi...
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