Useless Information Podcast
Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.
Episodes
July 24, 2024 • 32 mins
True fish stories, a newsreel photographer goes on an unexpected flight, a young girl attempts to visit Honolulu, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-27-podcast-222/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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July 10, 2024 • 39 mins
This episode of the Useless Information Podcast is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/INFORMATIONPOD and get on your way to being your best self.
The incredible true story of an 18-foot, 150-pound python who escaped from the Fort Worth Zoo back in 1954. But instead of causing widespread fear, this serpent slithered his way into the hearts of people worldwide.
WBAP-TV coverage of P...
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June 19, 2024 • 32 mins
Have you ever wondered why the United States government is called Uncle Sam? This nickname originates from Uncle Samuel Wilson, who provided beef and pork to the troops during the War of 1812. Join the City of Troy and Rensselaer County, New York historian Kathy Sheehan as she takes us on a tour of Uncle Sam's life.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/uncle-sam-podcast-220...
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June 5, 2024 • 18 mins
In November 1949, Aurora, Illinois found itself with an unusual mystery on its hands. An unidentified benefactor lavishly distributed substantial sums of money to individuals, charities, and the local high school. Adjusted for inflation, the philanthropist bestowed millions within a mere span of weeks. The burning question: Who was this mysterious figure and what motivated such a profound act of generosity? Listen to this episode t...
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May 15, 2024 • 27 mins
A man is arrested for stealing his own money, a barn is stolen while a farmer sleeps, a Harvard graduate who lost his memory, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-26-podcast-218/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
Pl...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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 ...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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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? ...
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